《Hero Scout》


 1 Chapter 1 Goodbye World - Hello Quantum Nightmare

    When the ad had read ''Explorers wanted'' Kenji hadn''t expected the testing to be this rigorous. He''d prepared a fake resume of life in the special forces, complete with the contacts of various senior military officers known to have schizophrenia. He''d learned about military life from a few autobiographies, how to use some exploration tools, and even basic martial arts. He had planned, he had prepared, and now...


    Well, strapped down to a hospital bed, unable to move his head while he was rushed past bustling scientists with white robes and soldiers with white masks, he felt something was off. Actually, now that he thought about it, everything was white, the tools, the plastic walls, the lights in the ceiling and even the pupils of the only person not wearing a mask. The man wore a white suit, a white tie, with alabaster hair and jet-black skin. He smiled with pristine white teeth, white wrinkles creasing his dark cheeks.


    "Excuse me, what''s happening?" Kenji said, the suited man, scientists, and soldiers alike ignoring him as they stared into the blinking green and red screens. Distantly an alarm rang and screams echoed. Kenji tried to look, but the straps held even his head firmly in place.


    "Send him anyway, we needed one more," a woman with a tired tone says, the wheels of the hospital bed screeching along as Kenji entered a room filled with a gigantic machine of floating steel and spinning tubes to form what looked like a giant metallic head surrounded by hundreds of waving snakes. Someone else was wheeled out, going the other way. A brute of a man, grey skin constructed of nothing but scars and muscle, his eyes wide open and grey, his mouth frozen mid-scream.


    Kenji blinked, finally realising the man had been turned to stone.


    "Stop, I don''t want to go anymore. J-just, let me go back to my desk job!"


    Kenji didn''t have a desk job, but he thought it would make him sound better.


    "Prepare the Medusa, we found a replacement," another man said in a neutral tone, ignoring Kenji''s pleading.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "This is actually a raid, you''re all under arrest," Kenji said, deadly serious, "failing to release an undercover officer is a criminal offence! Let me go and I shall look into your case favourably."


    No one so much as looked in his direction. Kenji was confident he was a great actor, so he realised they must already know about his perpetually unemployed status. Other than the occasional gaming competition of course. And a little swindling on the side, a cheeky amount, real slap on the wrist kind of stuff.


    Wheeled in, Kenji was placed in a circle of people who looked liked they routinely had their mugshots placed in the news. In fact, Kenji recognised a man with a snake tattoo curled around his face, the side of his head a twisted mess of burnt skin. Wasn''t he the one the police caught for setting fire to hospitals in America? The reporters on TV had called him ''Dr Pyro'', Kenji was sure of it.


    "Actually that was a joke," Kenji says with a great smile, his best, as his bed was fixed to the floor.


    "Just wanted to brighten up the place. Now, how about letting me go and we can talk about this?" Kenji was ignored, the scientists and their soldiers retreating out of the room as heavy blast doors descended after them.


    To his left was a haunting remnant of a woman who might have been beautiful before acid had melted the top of her head and part of her face. The gorgeous almond eyes beneath the horror seemed utterly empty of emotion. Yet when she turned to look right into Kenji and fluttered those long eyelashes ever so slowly, he froze. That blank look, it was the exact same as ''Soulless'', the woman responsible for poisoning all those politicians in India. She was supposed to be in a maximum-security prison, wasn''t she? Kenji remembered his online gaming buddies laughing about it.


    "I''m really rich you know!" Kenji calls to the people looking through windows above the blast door, the glass tinted blue, turning the people to mere shadows, except for one white-toothed smile in a jet-black face that stood out just fine. "My parents will pay whatever you want! You can look up our company, it''s called Illiad Pty Ltd!"


    "Waste of time. Your capitalist wiles will not work, pig. These are the people who print your dollars, trading back their own paper is a terrible idea," Cackled a bastard to his right, his Russian accent so thick Kenji had trouble understanding him.


    Turning with gritted teeth, Kenji found an old man grinning at him, the hammer and sickle branded into his wrinkled head. Kenji knew for certain who this geezer was, his group of communist restorationists was the one that had shot up that airport in Russia. Not only that, he had several of his cult members seize planes, and had them fly into various banks throughout Moscow. Didn''t Putin execute him for that?


    "What did they put you in for?" The old communist said.


    "What do you mean? I answered a local ad, they said they were trialling a VR game and wanted ''adventurers''," Kenji said, trying to wriggle free. "Aren''t you that Russian terrorist? The one in the news?"


    "Da. Worst of worst they call me, but after going into capitalist prison I know I am far from that. I am number 17 of all 18 here," the grandpa laughs, "Why are you here wage slave? Do tell the true reason, Krakov loves good story."


    Krakov...Krakov Stanovich. Kenji remembered his name now, the guy who convinced one hundred and eighty-two people to die for him. Convinced them that he was their glorious supreme leader. And he was only number 17? Thinking fast, Kenji calculated this room would fit about...18 people in beds like his, arranged as they were.


    "I used to make LSD, a third of the world''s supply. Then one day I put poison in a huge batch of the stuff, a slow-acting one. 180,000 people around the world died from my little lab, the local governments chalking it up to ''overdoses''," Kenji said with his best evil grin. It was false, completely untrue. But Kenji had always been like that, trying to blend in, even when he really shouldn''t. Because if he was going to be playing a game with these guys, he didn''t want to be seen as an easy target.


    And if there was one thing Kenji new, it was how to beat others in a game of bluffs.


    He''d just get this over and done with as quickly as possible. And avoid getting caught out and tortured by the criminals while he was at it, seeing as the scientists were pretty uninterested in letting him go.


    "JUST CHECKING," Kenji yelled, "CAN YOU LET ME OUT-"


    The straps surged with electricity and Kenji screamed. In a blur, he looked to the side, where the Indian girl stared right back. For a flicker, her eyes don''t seem so hollow. Deep as caverns sure, but near their deepest depth, Kenji thought he saw- a needle plunged into his head and pierced his brain. Kenji screamed.


    And continued to scream as he was sucked out of his body. For a moment he saw his body turn to stone behind him, as he was dragged into a vortex of stars along with seventeen other souls.

 2 Chapter 2 - Embryo

    "Welcome to the Everything," came an odd voice. Kenji''s mind felt like an old computer booting up for the first time in a long while.


    "The embryonic stage of gestation is the period after implantation, during which all of the major organs and structures within the growing mammal are formed. This is what is happening to you now. Do not be afraid," the voice said, so soothing and yet robotic. Like an AI so close to perfection, but with just the slightest hint of her robotic roots.


    Kenji thought for a moment and decided to ask his question anyway.


    "Where am I?" He said.


    "The embryonic stage of gestation is the period after impla-"


    "Yes, I understand you''ve read a dictionary. But where is this in relation to where I was?"


    Peering around, Kenji stood in what some would consider being everything. A galaxy here, a few super-stars there, and a big dark patch slowly consuming it all while a white hole busily spewed all manner of galactic contents as if to fill up space. Stardust tickled his non-existent feet, and somehow a warm wind fluttered non-existent hair. It was rather odd, Kenji decided.


    "You are here in the Everthing, with me," she said. Kenji turned, a strange concept when he had no body, and was met by a naked woman with snow-white skin. Pale lips were pulled back to reveal ink-black teeth set into a beaming smile. Not just her teeth, her hair was darker than dark, her eyes wells of crude oil and every line of her face seemed a bottomless crevasse.


    The strangest thing of all, however, was that Kenji felt no fear. Nothing. Not even a little pinch of his nerves affected him when presented with this monster while they floated through the Everything that was reality.


    "You are quite dead, so please do not panic. Your father is taking your things from your apartment as we speak, and your mother is letting your sister know over the phone of your passing. This is quite final, by the way, so please do not attempt to ask me to be reborn there. You are dead, the only way now is forward onto somewhere new."


    "Those bastards...what was the point? Why put me through that machine at all?"


    The woman tilted her head to one side.


    "I thought that rather obvious. So you can be here, of course."


    "And what am I to do? You know, seeing that I''m ''here''" Kenji said, wishing he had a foot to tap. Or fingers with which to display a very certain gesture. Perhaps it was for the best he couldn''t do so on reflection, whatever this woman was, this god, Kenji realised it might be best to not to antagonize her.


    "Because if this is heaven then I would like a top of the line gaming rig for starters. We can talk about which wishes I''ll ask for next once I download the latest patch of wo-"


    "You will choose one of two paths, and be reborn into a new world," The woman said, quite uncaring for the desires of the recently deceased. "A world filled with magic, monsters, adventure and opportunity. Although, you are not as evil as the rest. Which is a problem, my brother said only the most wicked would be passing through," the woman frowned, cracks darker than distant black holes spreading across otherwise gorgeous features.


    "Do I get powers then? Like in the games, a magic sword, or the ability to win the heart of any woman with a kiss?"


    "Crude, but close. You get two options as I said. The first is a mix and match. Here are your current attributes," with a wave, the knowledge became nestled in whatever Kenji currently had for a head. Activating something, a menu appeared:


    [ Name: Kenji ]


    [ Class: Gamer ]


    [ Strength: 3 ]


    [ Agility: 3 ]


    [ Intelligence: 10 ]


    [ Willpower: 8 ]


    [ Cunning: 18 ]


    [skills: Scheme, Bluff, impersonate, charm, strategize. ]


    "As you can see, you are quite the conniving type. But so weak, you don''t even register in the other categories such as magic or constitution. And your skills..." she gave Kenji a long look, "maybe you really are evil, and I''ve gotten something wrong?"


    As she spoke a black hole sucked on a distant galaxy in a whirl of light.


    "No, no! Definitely a good guy here, the best! So why not give me some extra power, eh? Something I can use to knock the snot out of the other ACTUAL evil people and save the world or something?"


    The woman put a black nail to pale lip and stretched the web of cracks around her eyes as she thought.


    Distantly, two moons collided as a decision was reached.


    "That would be very bad," she concluded. "We need evil people for this world, that was kind of the point. The people there... are swamped, by monsters, politics and evil enterprise certainly. But it is not enough, it has been the council''s decision that yet more evil must be added, in order to provide an opportunity for good-hearted heroes to naturally arise. So I''m sorry, but I''ll have to delete you from existence now-"


    "WAIT!" Kenji raised his non-existent hands, the woman pausing halfway through producing a bar of nothingness. The nothingness was pure white, as if everything within had been erased, that within the said gap existed not a single law of physics, nor atom of any universe.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    A very real feeling of growing sweaty washed over Kenji''s non-existent body.


    Thinking on his feet, Kenji had but a moment to save himself from being deleted from the Everything.


    "I might not be evil, but I could try?"

 3 Chapter 3 - Gamble

    "Not enough," the woman sighed, raising the white bar of nothing high, "you won''t be able to compete with real evil. They are on a completely different level. I''m sorry, but it''s too important that we produce real, good-hearted heroes. The fate of the Everything rests on these reincarnated individuals causing the worst possible damage to the land and their people. We need the heroes that oppose such events. I just don''t think you can compete-"


    "Then what if I help them compete with each other?" Kenji was grasping at straws now. "I''ll join the villains, and force them to try harder than the others- no, what if I do the opposite and help the good guys? Think about it, there''s no saving like in a video game. One slip up and a good guy goes down the drain, wouldn''t it be handy to have some insurance? Unless you''re blessing the good guys too?"


    "The gods of the world might...but I am forbidden from altering the state of anything within, merely communicating for monitoring purposes..."


    "Perfect! So I could be like your... Protagonist Scout then? I''ll find good heroes, train them, protect them and pull them through worthy quests and the like. How''s that sound?"


    The woman thought deeply, then smiled as brightly as an exploding star. Coincidentally, a supernova filled the dark of Everything with brief light over her shoulder.


    "Like a good idea, now if you don''t mind, we''ll need to hurry this along. If my brother hears of this arrangement he might erase you and me both. So, as I said the first option is to move around your current abilities, deducting them from one place to add to any other," with a swipe of her hand races, backgrounds, classes, and more flowed through Kenji''s mind.


    "You can choose any combination. Choosing a dangerous area to begin will give you up to 500 more points, while you get nothing for safe areas. Difficult races like demons give you many bonus starting points too, seeing as they are considered the enemy of all living things, while bland races such as human will give you nothing. I think you get the idea."


    Recovering from having his species being called ''bland'' Kenji did what he hoped passed for a nod. Without physical form, he wasn''t sure the gesture translated. The woman nodded back.


    "Human bodies, so intriguing," she said, pointing her middle finger at him. "Just as you thought, this is an amusing position for my central digit."


    "Ok, ok. Let''s get back on track, you said there''s a second way of doing all this?" Kenji already had several combinations all picked out, although they required starting in hellishly difficult environments. One starting zone was inside the world''s seventh hell in fact.


    "The second option is this," the woman unveiled a giant spinning wheel. Large as a skyscraper, scrawled with millions of combinations of species, class and environment. A golden arrow was positioned at the top. A depressing number were humans, Kenji having quickly thrown the race out of his calculations seeing how poor both their stats and progression speed was. No, if he wanted to min/max his stats to create a powerfully built, he''d need to be a vampire, demon, elemental or even a minor god. Although collecting the points necessary to start as a minor god was the scenario that began him in the seventh circle of hell. Not a nice place, even if it was the most efficient to grind XP.


    "If you''re lucky, you might not only get a good setup without the point cost but a rare attribute, species, or starting zone too. A room filled with runic weaponry. A unique sub-species. A magical power lost to time-"


    "That one," Kenji said immediately, throwing his strategies out the window. An unfortunate part of Kenji having been both a prolific gambler and obsessive when it came to anything of a limited edition. This method of gambling his future could not have been any more of a trigger for him.


    "A-are you sure? It''s very risky-"


    Kenji ''grasped'' the wheel, and heaved the whole thing to the side, the colourfully scrawl zipping past faster than a comet, as the wheel made a series of lazy revolutions. The little golden arrow at the top flickered dutifully with each passing, slowly the wheel down further, and further.


    As he watched the wheel came closer, and closer to ending at the back end of the wheel. There the scrawl became hair-thin with rare attributes, right before a huge swathe of ''Goblin-Slave-Runt'' that came directly after.


    Kenji sweated a metaphorical storm as the little arrow slowed closer to the tail end of the rare area. ''Goblin-slave-runt'' came ever closer into sight, and Kenji sighed in defeat when he estimated that was indeed when where the wheel would land. He''d thrown his second life away just as he had his first-


    The golden arrow halted...on what exactly? It appeared the very last line before goblin-slave-runt, but it was so thin it could just be the separating border?


    "Did I get the rarest option, or am I a goblin now?" Kenji said, non-existent heart beating a wild rhythm somewhere between joy and sorrow. The woman winked, and everything started to fade.


    "You''ll have a skill that lets you mark any you deem worthy of being a true ''hero'' and giving them a grade. I''ll communicate with you as well from time to time, because, without results, I''ll have to delete you anyway."


    Kenji couldn''t talk as his mind''s constitution fell apart.


    Would he become a powerhouse from the beginning? Stronger than gods, mightier than knights and more powerful than demons.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    Or was he to be a goblin-slave-runt?


    "Remember, the Everything depends on heroes. We need more of them, and rather soon."


    The world collapsed to a point, and Kenji once again ceased to be.

 4 Chapter 4 - Daario Colombo

    "Give me your skin."


    Daario Colombo cracked his knuckles covered in white gloves. His wholly human left hand made the familiar popping sound. Meanwhile, his devilish right emitted a dark crackling, akin to the sounds of crushing bone. Dark as night, it ended in long black claws that burst through the fine material of his glove. The Devil''s hand matched the nightmarish right-hand side of his body, his single ink-black eye, and single ebony horn especially obvious signs of his half-blood nature.


    "Give me your skin. I don''t like to repeat myself," he said, eyeing the demon guards. They were gaunt, crimson skinned, with a mane of green flame for hair, and similar flame spurting from their swords. Their armour was thick bronze, carved into the shape of large skulls. Real skulls adorned spikes on their shoulders, and the left one laughed as it said, "Your skull is mine, little devil man!"


    The demon guard charged and Daario sighed.


    He waited in his suit, with a dark chain in his hand. The demon raised its blade, brought it plummeting down on course to split Daario in two - and only then did he dodge. In a swift movement, he wrapped the chain around the demon''s throat and pulled. Crack. The demon''s head went limp, and yet turning it continued to grin and swing.


    Daario walked at a leisurely pace, eyes focused on the second demon as he felt the rush of air and heat behind him. He had measured the reach, he could feel the distance and had calculated each and every step to be just outside the demon guard''s range. Daario would not allow the demon to so much as singe his precious suit.


    "Narshrig, you''ve had your chance!" Roared the second, charging into the fray. Somehow the demon fell for the same trick, Daario stepping aside at the last moment, snapped the demon''s neck then turned and kicked. The second demon fell right into the First''s swing, demon fire biting into its shoulder.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    Running up and onto the demon''s back with his hands in his pockets, careful not to have his shining black shoes dirtied, Daario surveyed the hell he had appeared in. While leisurely moving side to side to avoid the demons'' blades and direct them into one another, Daario searched the horizon. A great obsidian citadel rose into the sky filled with fire, surrounded by a lake of burning sulphur and ten thousand demons hunting the latest damned souls to arrive.


    Ashen people would plummet from the sky, and the demons would brawl with each other to claim them. Daario shook his head, noting the winner was often just bigger. No real talent here, no capable employees even amongst demonkind.


    As only the first ring of hell, Daario estimated he''d be out in three weeks if he wanted to. It would take some efficient grinding to do so reliably, no doubt a few higher demons from the below levels would come up here on occasion too.


    By the time the two foolish demon guards had slashed each other a dozen times over, Daario''s plan was ready to be put into action.


    Wielding the claws of his devil hand, Daario ripped out the pair''s hearts and got to working on their corpses. First, he needed a weapon that wasn''t aflame. Sharpening their horns with his clawed hand should create the skinning knife he wanted.


    "So messy, you should have just given me what I wanted," he said as one of the demon''s tried to rise.


    "Please, let me go. I''ll serve you, I''ll- uek," having located the second heart, Daario pulled it free with interest. Purple and crystalline, it continued to pump in his hand. Eyes flittering to the other, the demon who had pretended to play dead tried to pull itself away.


    "Stop moving, and I''ll let you live," he said, voice cold as ice.


    The demon froze with fear and didn''t move a single fiery muscle.


    "When I''m done turning this skin into something I can write on, I''ll need to carve a writing tool. Then with a bit of blood, I''ll need you to sign something for me. My new employee," Daario smiled toothily to himself, the once-proud demon not liking that one bit.


    He''d like it less when Daario used his special power to write the contract.

 5 Chapter 5 - Awakening

    Kenji awoke feeling like utter shit.


    Grumbling, he creaked his aching head upward, his spine screaming resentment, his limbs feeble as leaves. Damn, perhaps he really was a goblin-slave-runt after all.


    "Damn you weird god, lady!" Kenji said, shaking a clothen fist at a dusty wooden ceiling.


    Staring at that fist it seemed a bit odd, on account of the chains wrapping it and snaking up his arm. Patting his body down he found his aches and pains were well hidden beneath a dark tattered robe, numerous chains, locks and bandages also obscuring his form beneath.


    "Well, maybe not a goblin then," Kenji decided


    Peering around, Kenji found himself in a storehouse- oh no.


    The fear was rushing back as the soothing release of being dead faded. Kenji''s hands began to twitch, his layers slick with sweat, his breathing too loud in his ears - screaming he charged the door and threw it open. Immediately he was blinded by the dazzling light of day.


    Disorientated, Kenji charged, wide-eyed and babbling. He bounced around blurry figures, mud slicking his feet, a great bustling noise rattling his ears.


    "Watch out!" Someone shouted. A horse whinnied, and Kenji was thrown back several paces to roll through the mud. Eyes finally adjusting, Kenji found himself in the middle of a street. Peering up he found a red-robed knight wearing shining steel and black leather, standing imperiously over him.


    "Oh hello, sorry about that, got a bit lost," Kenji smiled sheepishly, the knight helped him up then pulled back his faceplate to reveal sparkling golden eyes and flame-red hair. The Knight also looked quite boyish, and as twin guards appeared to tower over them both, Kenji realised the Knight was a youth. And that Kenji was very, very short.


    "Get away from Sir Arthur, miscreant!" Bleated a guard with a few missing teeth, pulling Kenji by a dark beard he didn''t know he had.


    "Wait, Donald, wait! Can''t you see he might be hurt?" The boy said, golden eyes welling with concern. He didn''t seem to mind the mud caking boots, nor the strange looks from the crowd. Kenji estimated that he was a [G] at least. Wait, thought Kenji, a [G] what?


    "We should take him to the keep, see that his wounds are tended too."


    Raising an arm, Kenji realised his bandages made it look like he was covered in wounds.


    "Sir Arthur, please, no more. We bring in beggars all the time," the guard spoke in a pleading tone, hands pressed together after sending Kenji tumbling along into an alleyway and down several steps. Just like with the horse and cart, Kenji arose completely unharmed from the filthy street below, if with much stumbling. A hump along the back out his shoulders made him too top-heavy, he''d need a cane to get anything done with speed.


    More importantly, taking in beggars sounded like the work of a good person, a real [G] worthy type. Could this rich boy be Kenji''s ticket to his first scouted hero? And perhaps this rating appearing in his head was how heroic a hero he was?


    Just Kenji''s luck. While obviously a dragon-slaying [A] was preferable, Kenji would have smiled wide if he could to have found a hero candidate at all. And so quickly! While Kenji didn''t know what he was getting paid yet, crashing at a lord''s mansion for a while didn''t sound too bad. He''d do his duty, of course, to blend in. He would even take full advantage of what luxury awaited so that he didn''t look suspicious.


    "Oooh, my back," Kenji cried, wriggling his arms behind him to hold his hump tight. "The humanity of it, a noble such as myself reduced to such dire straits, what god has cursed me so?" In games appearing pathetic always was the easiest way to trick newbies into helping you. And Kenji had never been one to hold back either.


    "See? He is hurt, and a noble! We should take him," Arthur concluded, "on my honour, I cannot allow him to remain on the streets!" The guard spared Kenji a sorrowful expression, but Kenji was in too deep to back out now. Not when this quest chain looked so juicy.


    "Just a meal for a night my lord, then I''ll be on my way- hey!" Kenji was hauled like a sack of potatoes by the guard and thrown into a cart. Landing atop several crates, Kenji felt their firm texture as comfortable as a feather mattress. It was if this body of his was designed to sleep just about anywhere and feel as if he laid down on a cloud.


    "If you''re smart, you''ll not be there by the time we get to the keep," warned the guard. The piggy eyes beneath his helm glinted full of brutish violence. "Understand?"


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    Kenji understood the keep was where the rich people were, where his belly could become full, and powerful connections could be made. Besides, he was clearly weak, un-agile, and without any special ability as of yet. So grinding by fighting monsters wasn''t going to be possible. That left only alleviating the rich of their kindness as Kenji''s only means to get by.


    "Oooh good guard, as soon as my back is better I''ll be gone I promise," Kenji wailed, pulling at his beard all in distress. Noting the guard still glowered, Kenji rocked side to side and muttered off a long list of his supposed ailments. The guard sighed slowly, then marched away.


    As he dozed off, Kenji discovered the sky of this world held two golden suns. They were barely visible past fluttering crimson banners with the image of a flayed man billowing from either side of the street. Forcing his eyes to remain open a little longer, Kenji watched as humans with brown capes riding great lizards passed. Each were holding long lances, little ribbons hanging from their ends.


    The city they road through seemed armed to the teeth. Castles, keeps, defensive walls, ballista towers and mercenary halls seemed arrayed nearly at random amidst the sprawl of houses. Distantly too towered a light grey Citadel, its walls looming over the land. The towers beyond rose so high they scraped the clouds in the sky, winged creatures fluttering around, those closer with visible knights on their back.


    Beside them on the street marched black scaled lizard-humanoids guarding gold wearing nobles.


    From a rough tavern barged out a band of huge red-skinned brutes, with tusks bursting from their mouths and spines down their backs.


    Even an elf strolled along, with sharp ears and longbow in hand. Beautiful as a super-model, if with a snake-like tongue and a prowling walk that made Kenji feel as if he was watching a tiger. Watching muddy faced humans divert their course just at the sight of the elf, Kenji assumed this feeling was commonly shared.


    And here he was, out of all these fantastic creatures, as a little old man who couldn''t do much of anything at all. No money. No power. No friends. And even the lowest guard NPC seemed able to treat him as if light as a pillow.


    A magical world... how nice, Kenji thought. As he settled in, for a very short nap. The warmth of his species'' rarity was a beacon in this cold beginning. Because it didn''t matter if he had lost his chance for an easy beginning, for he knew. Knew that of all the possible beginnings, he had the rarest.

 6 Chapter 6 - Damn I

    Kenji awoke to find himself in a fluffy bed.


    A bowl of something hot steamed on the side table, which had a nice wooden cane resting against it. A brooding guard stood in the doorway, staring at him. And at the end of his very long bed sat Sir Arthur. His golden eyes swelled with worry, his fiery hair cascading gorgeously down his shoulders to wrap about his fine features. Kenji arose slowly, enjoying the safety of the room, finding himself really appreciating the generosity of the boy knight.


    This kind of giving nature is certainly what Kenji would associate with a protagonist. Further evidence that he had found himself an [F] or maybe even an [E] grade hero.


    "Are you quite alright?" Arthur said.


    "Far from it," Kenji said rather seriously, letting out the longest sigh in his life. "Felt like I had died, almost as if a needle pierced my brain and my body was turned to stone."


    The boy laughed.


    "What a peculiar thing to say! Hey old man, where are you from? If you can tell me the name of your noble estate, I can send a messenger to bring you your retainers."


    "The Aztec Family," Kenji said without thinking. "Call me Sir Ken Aztec."


    "So you are a knight then?" That got the boy excited, "and at your age? You must be something special. Not many knights I know have lived as long as you, not with the never-ending wars. But what has happened, how have you been reduced to such rags?"


    "I was..." Kenji looked left and right, then waved for the boy to lean in closer. The guard at the door stared right into Kenji''s soul, but the boy eagerly sat as close as he could.


    "...a part of a secret organisation," Kenji whispered, then leaned back and nodded knowingly.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    The boy picked his jaw off the floor and a curious flame erupted in his eyes. "A secret organization? What was it called- oh, is it still active?"


    "Unfortunately not," Kenji said firmly. "We were called ''The Breakfast Club'' but were utterly annihilated by a dark wizard called ''The Principle''. It is of paramount importance I find my fellow warriors, so we can deliver the news of this dark wizard''s arrival. I would suggest you train as well. If you go around asking for the Aztec Family, they might come for you too."


    Arthur clasped Kenji''s hand, the fire in his golden eyes burning only brighter.


    "Together we will defeat this threat. Now I must go, Ken Aztec. To prepare I must consult the holy scriptures. The all-knowing one directs us all," Arthur withdrew to the doorway, and Kenji nodded. Arthur was an [F] he decided. Unfortunately, the need to consult a higher power instead of doing what he believed was right had lost him some marks.


    "Farewell Arthur, I''ll come to guide your growth when I get the chance," Kenji said, not really sure how to do that. But he''d find a way, as he now owed a debt to this pleasant boy. He was so bright and kind, and Kenji felt rather good knowing he''d be paid for helping one that deserved it.


    Arthur smiled.


    "That is good. Since my parents were slain defending a city from a Grurak invasion...I''ve not had the scholarly type to talk too. All my friends these days are my guards, the other nobles make fun of me for that" Arthur said, patting the brooding guard''s shoulder and laughing as brightly as the first dawn of summer.


    "I feel now that training with you will be like the old days, when we were prominent in this city, and a dying family no longer," Arthur peered at Kenji as if he were a messenger of the gods, sent here to deliver the boy from his hard road. "When you''re ready, come find me in my strategy room, perhaps you can provide insight as to how I could best use the family finances first. Then we will talk of this organization," and with that, he was gone. Kenji was left alone with the glowering guard.


    "Hello Mr Guard, mind helping me up?" Kenji said, quite able to do so himself but nonetheless dedicated to the act. He couldn''t see the man role his eyes beneath his thick iron helmet, but the swagger in his walk and the rough way he yanked Yenji to his feet, it all spoke volumes.


    "Much obliged, now if you could show me where the toilet is, I would be thankful."


    The guard gave Kenji a long look, then pointed to a chamber pot beneath his bed.


    "Oh, eh, yes of course. How silly of me to forget," rummaging with his bandages and cloth, Kenji both didn''t need to go to the toilet and didn''t understand how to get his - device - out to operate the procedure with.


    Yet the guard continued to stare, and Kenji felt abashed as he had to turn around and say,


    "Mind if you pop out of the room for a bit? Can''t go while you''re watching."


    The guard gave him a long look, turned, and stomped out. The wooden frame shuddered with the force of the door slamming shut, Kenji peering between his legs with concern.


    "Maybe this species doesn''t need to go?" he hoped.


    "Indeed, they internally combust the waste material and excrete it as sweat," a familiar so close to perfect voice said. The woman appeared as a normal village girl. Messy chestnut hair, sunburnt skin dashed with freckles, and sky-blue eyes that analysed Kenji head to toe.


    "I''ve been meaning to speak to you. What''s with this body, why am I an old man bound in chains?"


    "You''re weak too, you would be powerless in a strong breeze. But that species you''ve started this game as has its advantages. For one, as part of the Mimic family, you do not need to breathe. Neither can you be poisoned, and you have a strong resistance towards blunt damage."


    Kenji thought that very useful if he ever needed to win a bet of who could hold their breath the longest, but wasn''t planning on doing much deep-sea diving in a monster-infested world. Yet he did appreciate the poison part. The period dramas he loved to watch had been so full of rich Lords poisoning one another that he hadn''t even yet touched the soup for fear of betrayal. Confident in his promised immunity, Kenji finally attempted to sate some of his hunger.


    "But that alone isn''t enough to make you as rare as you were. No, any Mimic can do as much as that." Kenji looked up mid-scoop to find the woman showing him was seemed to be her favourite finger, a bright girlish grin letting loose dark cracks around her mouth.


    "So, does it happen to work with my missing mouth?" The reason Kenji had looked up mid-scoop to begin with, was because there was no mouth to be found beneath his beard. He didn''t know how he was even breathing. It was rather worrying to discover soon after, that his chest did not, in fact, move as was the custom for living beings.


    "Put your hand in the bowl, it should come quite naturally. Any part of your body can consume sustenance, just like any truly civilised species. To think some lowly creatures must use intestinal tracts...disgusting." The woman spread fresh wrinkles about her little upturned nose.


    Peering uncertainly at the hot soup, Kenji built up the courage. Diving two fingers in, he squeezed his eyes shut and yet was not immediately scalded. The soup drained away into his...stomache? Did he still have one of those?


    All the same, Kenji was filled with heat and exhaled to fired steam into the air.


    "Wait, if I can shoot steam, where is my mouth?" Searching again under his ragged beard Kenji found only bandage and chain.


    "That''s related to your special ability. You''re a forbidden type of Mimic, an ancient variation of their ancestor species, the Changeling. You can make a mouth wherever you want a mouth really. But that''s not the most important part, in three seconds the guard out there will die. Then you will eat his corpse."


    Kenji dropped the spoon.


    "I''ll what?"

 7 Chapter 7 - Eat the...what?

    "You want me to eat that grumpy guard? And how can you know- no, actually whatever you are I can understand you being able to see into the future a bit. But why eat him at all? And, well I don''t think he''ll pass through as easily as soup anyway." While Kenji hadn''t spoken his other fear, he was also subtly worried about his own lack of concern. To think that boy who once squealed at spiders could now speak of cannibalism without nary a blink?


    "Remember, while you have a corpse you will have the power to perfectly replicate it. Such is the power of your species of Mimic. The memories, the skills, the abilities and the stats will all be yours. Leaving the corpse behind will lose you those abilities, but you''ll gain the option of taking a new corpse in its place."


    Thump. Something hit the ground hard in the hallway, Kenji tentatively put down his soup and stared wide-eyed at the door.


    "One last thing, your progression. Like the other seventeen evil souls, you can improve any stat or skill by mastering it. Accomplishing difficult feats, expanding your comprehension, and training hard, provide the most experience points, in that order. But each of you will have a unique way to level your special components. For you, that means evolution, to handle more bodies or new skills entirely. To do so you must scout out heroes for me, and fulfil the obligations of the class ''Hero Scout''. Your job is then to grow their grade as much as you can, and when you leave them to their own devices you will gain XP based on how far they have come. Understand?"


    "I-I understand." Kenji turned away, thinking fast, mind turning blank as he saw his reflection in the mirror.


    He looked like a tiny old man with flickering green eyes, wearing a street urchin''s black scraps for clothing, and he had a mound bulging out the back of his neck. At that moment it hit him, was he really that old guy in the mirror? That mimic...that was him?


    Where was the chin his mother used to say was so manly? Or the hair that he had always worried would recede early, like what happened to hisfather?


    "Kenji, the guard outside the door is dead. The Holy Knight that rules this keep is definitely hero material, and one of your rivals is out to get him. You don''t have much time," the woman spoke with neat tones, as if everything was in order, and she couldn''t see the red liquid spilling out from below the door. As if she didn''t address a sixteen-year-old that looked like he was six hundred.


    Kenji took a deep breath. Then another. And a third.


    "Leave it to me."


    Kenji strode to the door and pulled it open, the quiet guard now forever silent as blood gushed from beneath his helm. No visible wound, not even a dent in the well-maintained iron plate armour. It seemed that the attacker had ignored the large man''s defences completely.


    Casting his hands wide, Kenji pushed them against the corpse, his cloth, his chains and his everything else melting as he pulled himself over the body and had it sink down into a small space within. When all was done only the blood remained. About two-thirds of his internal space was now filled up with the body, his weapons and his armour.


    "Sorry Mr Guard, I didn''t know things would go this way," Kenji whispered, reformed into an especially bow backed elder. The weight of the death-haunted him far more than any video game in the past. This...it just didn''t feel like an NPC death, this felt like the gurgling corpse of a man. Of someone who once had life in his eyes, and dreams in his heart.


    "You can store other stuff in there of course, like this cane," she said. Handing him the cane, Kenji''s bulging back became easier to move around. Quickly he slid the cane into his chest, vanishing wherever everything else had gone.


    "But space is limited without fulfilling your special missions. Now, morph into the guard quickly, or else when I release this serving girl she''ll think you killed him."


    Kenji shook his arms, concentrated, and looked up at her one last time.


    "Is it going to hurt?"


    She smiled down at him, "No, it won''t hurt. So hurry."


    "What''s your name?" Kenji said, absolutely not so he could buy time. Not in the slightest. Kenji just couldn''t help being a gentleman was all.


    "I don''t have one."


    "Well, you can call me Kenji. Mind if I call you Noir? You remind me of the cool detectives from-"


    "Kenji, hurry." Noir snapped, her cheeks ever so softly blushing scarlet.


    With a sharp breath, Kenji focused, his body twisting, changing, and in rapid bursts, transformed into a fully armed and armoured guardsman. Memories flooded him; a quiet family and a life filled with solemn duty. His arms and legs slowly adjusted to their own muscle-memory, and were filled with the endless days of training, while the list of the guard''s favourite fighting moves nudged their way into Kenji''s head.


    Along with these memories arrived a song that the guard had heard last night at the tavern. The tune was quite catchy, and as it had been stuck in the guard''s head for the last two days, it was now stuck in Kenji''s head.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "Mm mMMMm m." Kenji said confused, as he towered over Noir, shocked to find the man had no tongue. No wonder he had been so quiet. Because of his inability to speak, Kenji had mistaken him for a dick. Silently, Kenji clasped the man''s hands together and offered him a prayer in apology.


    Noir laughed like tinkling silver chimes. Kenji shot her an annoyed look, not knowing what was so funny about his situation.


    "See you around, Kenji," she said, her eyes rolling back into her head as she collapsed on the floor.


    Kenji didn''t wait for her to get up, he was already stumbling down the hallway. It took a few steps to get used to having power in his legs again, legs with more strength than he had ever had in his previous life. Each bound pushed his grin wider, even as the sorrow within his heart deepened. With the slightest rasp, Kenji''s blade was pulled free, oiled and shined. Whoever had slit Mr Guard''s throat, Kenji would make them regret it. With Mr Guard''s steel no less.


    But Arthur, the kind boyish knight. He at least Kenji swore to save.


    "MMM MmmM" Kenji said, his heroic statement no doubt something that would have been remembered for a thousand years were it actually spoken aloud. No matter, he would just have to show them his conviction instead.

 8 Chapter 8 - The Assassin

    Kenji strode down the hall, finding more bodies as he went, all the walls splattered red. And amidst the blood were spots of blue.


    Blue blood.


    Whatever had attacked, it had been hurt. Kenji followed it down the hall, a little trail of blue leading to the owner of this rampage. Kenji kept his sword directly in front, ready to block at any moment.


    Up a stairwell, Kenji went. And another, to the third floor. To the young knight''s strategy room, a pair of guards slumped against the walls on either side of a closed door.


    More blue blood, one of the guard''s swords had become bathed in it. At Kenji''s feet he stood upon it, and leaning down he removed a gauntlet and touched the shallow pool.


    Ice cold.


    "Stay back assassin, by the all-knowing one, I command you!" came Arthur''s voice, the young knight roaring. Light flashed beneath the door to the chamber. Kenji kicked at the door, it shuddered, yet held strong.


    "Sir Arthur! Reinforcements are here!" Kenji lied, hoping the assassin would attempt to flee. It would be much easier to stab someone in the back, according to the guard''s stolen memories at least. Those same memories reminded Kenji that guards kept keys. Whipping out his own, Kenji unlocked the door. Shielding his eyes, Kenji was immediately blinded by a bright light.


    Sir Arthur had a blazing white eye in his forehead, his sword aglow with a bright white flame. Around the room guards and servants were slumped against the ground amidst pools of blood, and yet there remained no assassin in sight.


    "You- close the door! Don''t let it escape!" Arthur shouted, Kenji unable to comply as he fell to his knees, grasping his throat. He saw no blade, but felt blood gushing out his throat as if he had been pierced.


    "HYA!" Arthur swung with practised speed, cleaving through the air. Thinking fast, Kenji grappled the air, arms clasping something invisible.


    "The hell is this?" hissed the voice of the unseen. Arthur''s next strike bit into something, blue blood splattering the wall. Another invisible blade slipping into Kenji''s eye. Darkness, he was dead again.


    But if Kenji were dead, how could he think? Indeed, he could hear the roars of battle still, feel the vibrations of footsteps and smell the stench of blood.


    Hesitantly, Kenji worked on instinct, and pulled away from the corpse of the guard, reforming as an old man once more and entirely unharmed. Arthur lay slumped over a little shrine, eyes forever open, hands clutching a silver candle. Turning, Kenji found the doorway open, blue blood spilling in spurts down the hall.


    ''[F Ranked hero] to [E Ranked hero], 10XP has been awarded'' stated a computerised voice in Kenji''s head.


    Kenji froze, peering left to right.


    ''Well done'' Noir said with Arthur''s blue lips. ''Seeing his guards die so valiantly awakened this boy''s innate potential. After many years of training, the boy finally increased his class from Holy Knight to Crusader. I advise that you take his body as your own. Since his soul survived intact, we could recover Arthur''s spirit and put it to good use within worlds that need the conviction of such Heroes. You have earned your reward.''


    "Bring him back then, Noir," Kenji said, grasping the boys fiery-haired head, staring into those beautiful eyes like pools of gold, framed with dark cracks. "I wanted to save him, the point of me being a Hero Scout at all was to save him."


    ''Kenji, the point of you is the same as the others. To push budding heroes to the limit. So if you could just-''


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "I deny your system," Kenji spat, brushing fiery hair from Arthur''s eyes, "I deny you!"


    ''Alas, you cannot,'' Noir''s voice came very small, and two brilliant banners were presented in Kenji''s mind. On the left was a brilliant green banner, promising twice as much space in his internal storage. Enough for two corpses at least.


    On the right was a swirling purple banner. The banner promising a new school of starting spells. he could choose three from any path or element, and receive an expansion to his well of mana that would allow him to fight even in his foundation form. Kenji snarled, then whimpered and at last, he cried fat tears.


    Could he continue to steal the lives of others?


    Should he instead forge a path as a wizard, sorcerer, mage or warlock?


    "Those powers can be bought with enough gold, Kenji. Your race specific techniques cannot."


    "And what am I then? What species is this that lives through stealing what rightfully belongs to others?"


    "Twisted mages of space and time, Kenji. I just call them the Forgotten Ones, on account of their prison being in a place that even my siblings and I found only by accident. Out there in space, a cube strangled with chains, and hidden from all of Everything."


    Kenji breathed slow breaths, no guard shouts filling the air. There were none who still lived to find the corpses and Kenji''s heart became filled with righteous anger at the thought. He had known this boy only a short time. Yet he was kind, he looked after the weak and the lame. He should have lived.


    And while Kenji realised the guard''s own fury at the death of his Lord affected him deeply, Kenji lifted furious green eyes all the same. And tapped the left option, his body twisting, his internal space expanding.


    ''This will be the easiest level-up you will ever receive. From this moment on Kenji, I''m expecting more from you. Your rewards will always be proportionate to your risks, if the boy had not awakened such power in his dying moments, you would have received nothing. Understood?''


    Kenji nodded.


    "Was the person who attacked one of the 18?" Kenji whispered, "was he one of your ''Villains''?"


    ''He was, but he has found a loophole. Killing heroes give him XP, but he was supposed to be incentivised to torture them, to delay them, and to encourage them to grow through confrontation. He maxed that out by killing the guards, waited until the boy was on the cusp of becoming powerful and then killed him to maximise the XP gain. It takes a calculating mind to do that, and an evil one to stretch out the rewards to their extreme. He has perverted the system, so to speak.''


    "So you''re telling me that it took only a single day for one of these criminals to get around your all-knowing designs?"


    ''Perhaps, or perhaps this is what brother wanted. I have no say, the only decision I made was to create you. So Kenji, what will you do? Knowing as you do that there is one willing to kill for power, and given the ability to quickly grow strong if left unchecked? His desire for XP will scale as he grows. Until whole cities and entire kingdoms are drowned in blood. What will you do?''


    Kenji''s eyes drifted down to the dead boy. Noir stared right back.


    "I''m going to kill him."


    ''Since he has already broken the rules, no need for you to hold back. Leave through that window, turn left and wait atop the quart yard entrance. You will have one chance only. I''m...sorry, that I cannot help you more than this. Good luck, Kenji," Noir rolling her eyes away.


    Kenji began reclaiming Arthur''s body immediately, he''d need that holy sight to see the enemy. And his skill with the blade to destroy the assassin utterly. Then there would be the satisfaction, of hearing that prick''s surprise when he saw the boy he had just murdered standing before him.


    Contorting into Arthur''s boyish frame, Kenji smiled brightly and swept aside flame-coloured hair.

 9 Chapter 9 - Evil Souls 18

    Kenji scanned the boy knight''s memories quickly and decided to snatch a silver candle from the shrine to the Everseeing. More than a mere candle, Kenji could now see it was filled with holy power. Used as a magical focus, this is what had allowed Arthur to cast spells that he had spent years learning.


    Turning slowly, Kenji strode to where the corpse of Mr Guard lay.


    "I''m sorry Mr Guard, but I promise I will avenge you. So you can rest now, and thank you very much for the help. Even if I couldn''t keep your boy alive," Kenji wiped away the tears as he pulled away the iron helm. The man was rugged, with a broken nose and eyes that stared into eternity.


    Slowly, Kenji closed them. Clasping his hands, he whispered a prayer, before dragging himself away with the heaviest heart in all the world.


    Candle in hand, he pulled the windows open. Sucking in a big breath, Kenji carefully stepped through, to walk alone slippery roofing with steel-wrapped feet. It took precious time, but eventually, he got to the point where he could jump a gap and land atop the stone walls of the quart yard.


    Recalling memories from the last battle, Kenji''s heart sank. From Arthur''s perspective, the intruder had been deadly fast, wickedly skilled and had only gotten wounded at all due to his fear of the white fire and Kenji''s suicidal tackle. How the previous guards managed to wound the assassin at all was beyond Kenji''s understanding. Even wounded, the assassin was likely to be faster and more experienced.


    Kenji needed a plan.


    Activating his blessing of [sight], the white eye burned in his forehead, his perception becoming incredibly detailed. Ahead he made out the slightest impressions in the dirt of the invisible assassin. Behind him splattered blotches of blue, the assassin managing to fling the droplets in a haphazard manner as he staggered towards the gate.


    "Come out and plaaaAAaaay," Kenji said in his best horror film voice, scraping the stone at his feet with his gauntlet.


    The assassin turned on a dime to see Kenji crash into stone, pain flaring up and down his legs. He forced himself to ignore the damage, focusing everything on the show.


    "I killed you," came a regal voice. Invisibility shuddering, the creature slowly revealed itself. "Tch, out of mana." A dark cape, two little white fangs, ashen skin and slanted eyes filled with crimson orbs that held the weight of a Lord in their depths. Rising tall, the Vampire assassin stared with a hungering bloodthirst right into Kenji''s soul.


    "You made a mistake. You can''t kill what''s already dead ooOOoo~" Kenji said in his best-haunted tone. The way the vampire stepped back, one hand clenched to one of the wounds in his side, Kenji thought it was working.


    "I hate this damned world. My first dead hero and it was some kind of lich-"


    "Liches are magic users," Kenji said against his better judgment. "I would be closer to a Deathknight."


    "Did you not just use Holy magic before?" The vampire''s eyebrow twitched. "And since when can those associated with a holy power become undead anyway? This game suuuuucks."


    "Ever heard of the Lich King? he was a paladin that became a Deathknight- but he had lich in the title- bah! never mind," Kenji growled.


    "So- not really a ghost then?" The Vampire Assasin smirked.


    "What number are you?" Kenji stalked closer. Activating his magic focus, the silver candle becoming lit with a little white flame. Drawing on its holy essence, Kenji cast [Bless-fire] on his sword, white fire erupting along its steel edge.


    "Number....? 16, and you?" The Vampire leaned closer to the ground and flickered a blade from fine noble sleaves into each hand. Even worse, Kenji realised he had stopped bleeding as his eyes had started to flare red.


    "What. Number?" The vampire said, licking his lips as his white fangs lengthened, and claws burst through his gloves.


    "Your XP...you spent it," Kenji said as he realised. Spitting to the side, Kenji lowered his helm. "I''m 1."


    That made the bastard''s eyes go wide, Kenji already swinging his flaming sword before he could recover.


    "DAARIO?" The Vampire screamed, moving like water and yet startled, proved too slow. Kenji''s sword plunged into his shoulder, cutting through like butter, darkness and blue blood exploding outward.


    "I''m sorry Daario, I didn''t know this was your turf! I''ll do what you ask - just don''t kill me!"


    Cleaving down into his belly, the Vampire screamed.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "Kneel then, throw away your weapons and swear me your fealty," Kenji said in his best bad guy tone. From roleplaying games, he knew it was best to be emotionless, unforgiving, and absolutely cut-throat in demeanor. The Vampire knelt, head pressed into the ground, knives crashing against the stone in each direction.


    "Daario, it''s me, Seb. We used Nocturne as an intermediary?"


    Ah, so they had never met each other face to face, Kenji thought. That made him very happy indeed, worried his mannerisms would not be in line with this ''Daario'' he seemed so scared of.


    "Seb, tell me about your species. All of it," Kenji continued unabashed, edging closer. Wanting to be absolutely sure he could end this in the next strike.


    "Vampire Elder species. Fast, can regenerate by spending blood. Blood for me is pure mana, and takes many more bodies to replenish. My special ability is invisibility, but that costs my blood to maintain as well, even if it is quite cheap."


    Peering up, Seb squinted. "But Daario, I was told holy element was our weakness as morally evil- urgh!" Kenji missed, his blade sinking deep through 16''s other shoulder to pierce a lung, pulling free he left the vampire with nearly a third of his body dangling. Sliding back quickly, 16 jumped to his feet, a third knife dangling in his hand, blue blood welling between the wounds and stitching them back together.


    "You''re not Daario, are you?" 16 snarled, eyes flaring red.


    "Nope," Kenji said mid-swing, gambling it everything by adjusting the arc of his swing to where the Vampire might go. Sure enough, the Vampire had moved instinctually, and Kenji swung his flaming sword right through the vampire''s head. A burst of white and the Vampire was reduced to a smouldering corpse, a fuzzy feeling like static filling the back of Kenji''s mind.


    [Well done, Crusader. By defeating a creature of the Night you have gained my favour- wait, who are you?]


    Kenji sweated through all his layers, as he felt a god peering into his soul.


    [Hmm. Rest well Crusader, you seem to have been mentally affected through the fighting. Indeed I thought you had died at one point, hoho.]


    Hoho?


    [Now. For your reward, would you like to help the people, or fight the enemy?]


    Kenji was presented with twin banners in his mind. The first was the bright Blessing of Life, a healing spell that cured the wounds of his brothers and destroyed the flesh of evil. He could even use it three times a day. The second was the golden banner of the Divine Stance, a rare spell, that enhanced his movement speed for 30 seconds a day.


    The healing spell was easily the most beneficial. Kenji would no doubt encounter the morally corrupt again. Meanwhile, the healing factor alone would help prevent both his own deaths and that of would-be heroes. Easy XP then.


    But that feeling of rarity taunted him. He wavered, his mind adoring the nature of the limited edition, and yet ultimately much less useful, Divine Stance.


    It hurt Kenji deeply, but to honour Arthur''s memory at least he would choose his build wisely. He chose to help the people and the blessing of life.


    [Excellent, now deliver the corpse of this beast to the nearest Cathedral for an additional reward. And know that I am always watching over you] the god faded from Kenji''s mind.


    He shivered, having a weird god like that watching him was not an idea that he enjoyed at all. Yet with the garrison dead, the proper authorities were most likely already on their way. Kenji put the smouldered vampire under one arm and got going.


    He did quickly check to see if he could replicate 16''s body. Yet in such a ruined state, the missing head especially, the body was not complete enough to be replicated.


    "Tch. Well, where''s that Catherdral then?"


    Searching through Arthur''s memories he quickly found just where, and got moving.


    Immediately upon entering the streets, Kenji was swept away by the crowd. The entire city seemingly on the move, although thankfully in the direction of the Cathedral - no, into the cathedral. Thousands upon thousands of warriors, crusaders, guards, knights, militiamen, vampire hunters and more.


    Just what the hell was going on here?

 10 Chapter 10 Requim of One

    The cathedral was so tall it appeared to hold up the night sky.


    Even though Kenji looked like a noble, with an ashen vampire corpse under one arm to boot, he still got jostled. The streets leading to the Catherdral steps were choked with people, all armed, many singing their praises to the Everseeing, the Bountyheart, and the Wellfaring.


    As Kenji climbed the stairs, huge Templar Knights stood to either side. Larger than any man Tenji had ever known, they were completely hidden beneath silvery steel armour which had T-shaped helmets similar to a hammerhead shark. Each Templar filled the surrounding area with holy aura, so much so that the vampire corpse starting to smoulder beneath Kenji''s arm.


    "Do you have to bring that into the mass?" A robed priest frowned, "can''t you go straight to Psalms?"


    "Eh, yes." Kenji thought very hard, and recalled where ''Psalms'' was. "I''ll head right over-"


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "You''ll never get back through that crowd, holy brother," the priest chuckled. "Not that you would want to miss what the One has to say. Better to head inside, hear his divine words- then head to Psalms."


    Kenji smiled and nodded, a few distant ladies with fine dresses blushing and clucking to one another as they gestured in his direction. Even the priest seemed to be batting his eyelashes at him. Kenji shivered and hurried on, thoroughly out of his depth.


    Inside, the walls were covered in stained glass. Somehow light streamed from behind them in golden rays, despite it being dark outside. Inside, a huge amount of adventurers, soldiers and zealots were arrayed before a golden plinth. According to Arthur''s memories, reaching the clerks in the hall known as ''Psalms'' would be easy once the crowd thinned. So Kenji held onto the burning vampire remains, and ignored the pained expressions of those poor folk forced to stand beside him.


    In front of a flock of priests, the One strode to stand before them all. Kenji''s heart sank.


    The man wore white bishop''s garb, held a white sceptre and smiled with bright white teeth and peered around with snow-white hair and eyes. His skin was drenched black, the very same man that had worn that white suit and put Kenji in this mess to begin with.


    "Brave warriors of our Holy Kingdom of Alandria!" The One roared, everyone else instantly going silent as he spoke.


    "You have come before me at my behest. For that I thank you. Threatened in the north by giants, to the west by the Xeno empire, the east by the three Magic Princedoms, and the South by the demon controlled wastelands, we are encircled! We too are threatened from within, Alandria is swamped with monster filth, heretics, and evils from ancient days that hide beneath our very feet. Yet there are new threats to contend with, 18 champions of evil that are prophesied to lead our enemies towards our fair Kingdom''s destruction!"


    The crowd was filled with enraged shouting, cheers and pleading prayers for salvation.


    "Now, for a word from your king..."


    A firm man covered in white-steel plate - Mithril according to Arthur - and with the presence of ten men stood before them all. His Royal Knights arrayed themselves behind him as they floated a hand''s breadth from the ground, and for a moment he just stared. His silver eyes scanned the huge crowd, resting for a moment on Kenji and his smoking parcel of once Vampiric flesh.


    "My Kingdom is at war," he stated with all the eloquence of an absolute monarch.


    Surprised whispers sprung into life, and there was no mention of an active war beyond minor skirmishes in Arthur''s memory either.


    "We are besieged at all sides, but my resources spent putting endless monster hordes in their place. Even welcoming some of the lower species into our lands in return for military service has not been enough. Ladies and gentlemen of my dearest Alandria, the timing of the eighteen evil generals could not have been worse. But we have hope. The three gods have all decreed that the slaying of any one of these evil 18 will result in a direct ticket to their heavens upon death and glorious powers in life. I too will personally reward any who bring one of their corpses to me. So let it be announced, upon my name, King Thunberad, that the Thunberad crusade should commence!" Pulling a fiery sword free, the King held it high, red banners streaming down the walls to block out the stained windows, a great fervour building up in the crowd as soldiers spilled into the alcoves and blew trumpets in unison.


    "You can identify them by their forbidden knowledge! They have the power to understand alien concepts such as ''computers'', ''English'', ''Mandarin'' and ''fast-food.'' I ask of you now, my people, to report any such cases you find, and bring such people to justice!"


    So many saluted that a great crashing of fists against plated chest rang out through the cathedral, bouncing off the walls and echoing many times. Kenji got a sinking feeling in his gut. 18? Did that not include him as well?


    "To show how many are left to be destroyed, my loyal mages and priests have worked day and night. One, if you would," Gesturing behind him, eighteen golden candles were revealed behind the priests. In the next moment 17 erupted with black flame, the one etched with ''16'' remaining quenched.


    "Interesting, so one of the demons has already been slain," the King paused and gave the One an odd look. "Hopefully, the brave hero who slew the creature will soon step forward, so that they might be honoured."


    Kenji dropped the smoking corpse, right before the King''s eyes focused on him through the crowd. He paused, as if waiting for Kenji to do something. Then continued to search the congregation.


    At least a dozen voices spoke up claiming all manner of deeds and were escorted into an adjoining chamber.


    "We have methods to validate whether a killed creature is of the 18. After some quick testing, we will validate whether any of those champions of our gods indeed are the hero I seek," Leaning aside the king whispered something to his Royale Knights, and pointed right at Kenji. Immediately the Royale Knights saluted and began to hover slowly over the crowd. Kenji slipped back behind the people around him, leaving the vampire corpse well behind. He preferred not to meet whatever medieval fate would await his discovery.


    Yet the Royal Knights came ever closer, and so seeking to lose them, Kenji gambled everything. He ducked behind an especially large man and arose in his old man form. Short, bound in dark cloth and chains he couldn''t have appeared more suspicious. Yet straining to see ahead, he pretended to be a quirky adventurer.


    The Royal Knights approached as the King continued his speech.


    "I want them hunted, I want them tortured, I want everything possible done in order to bring them screaming from their holes and into the light of justice! We need not fear-"


    Just as the Royale Guards noticed Kenji and flew forward to seize him, they were interrupted by a shockwave.


    Stone and red lightning exploded from the Cathedral''s side to rain down upon the adventurers. The 18 had heard the declaration of war and had fired the first volley. As stone pillars came tumbling down; dozens were crushed and killed, while hundreds more were injured in the ensuing stampede.


    Weak as a leaf, Kenji didn''t stand a chance and was shoved to the ground. Hundreds of feet trampled him. Stone continued to collapse, and Kenji curled up into a little ball as he was submerged under rubble.

 11 Chapter 11 - Bad Luck

    Kenji was suffocating- no wait, he was fine. He had forgotten about the whole ''not needing to breathe'' thing. Strange how old habits like that take a long time to subdue.


    Opening his eyes he found bodies and dirt in every direction, but there was a small tunnel to his right. Crawling through it, he heard the movement of stone, the crashing of brick. Whoever was strong enough to break free caused another wave of the Cathedral to crash inward. Dust and silt spewed through the cracks, where Kenji had been moments before flattened under rubble.


    A gilded arm broke through stone with ease. Retracting it did so again. And again.


    Kenji realised they were poking through with their heads now. He scuttled away before he could be found, spotting the white feather of a royal guard''s head just as he slipped away and into a wide crack in the flooring. Tumbling he fell past rubble, was slammed into stone and fell against a wet floor.


    Peering up in a daze, Kenji found himself in a damp cave. A damp, and very dark cave, lit only by fluctuating red crystals studded periodically in the ceiling.


    Shifting to the boy knight, Kenji drew his sword and activated [Blessing-fire].


    With his torch he marched onward, seeking a way out. It didn''t help he felt...bad, about sneaking into the Cathedral''s hidden basement. A small part of him even wanted to go back to the Royal Knights- no, that was not him. Arthur''s naive influence on his mind was pushing him to do something that Kenji was certain would end in his utter destruction.


    Forcing himself to continue to sneak ahead, he found ancient imagery painted onto the walls; of dark-skinned men; strange iconography of a white and black orb; along with the occasional iron door, each of them too tall for Kenji to peer through the shutters. Deeper he went - ahead he heard the rustling of cloth. Deactivating the blessing, Kenji turned back into his old man self and hid under an iron doorway''s indentation in the wall.


    Kenji''s black cloth blended well with the darkness, his little form not taking up much space as he curled up into a little ball. The priests didn''t see him as they charged past. Crimson cloth and dark chains bound them tight. Black masks with red circles hid their faces.


    "An intrusion into the dungeon is unacceptable. What if the prisoners were to break free?" One hissed, passing out of sight before Kenji could hear the others answer. Far away now, he heard only vague hissing and the slap of their feet on damp stone.


    Carefully Kenji peered around the corner. No priests in sight, just flickering red crystals and dozens of iron doors.


    Pitter-pattering down the long hall, he was too short to peer into the iron doors. So he shifted to the boy knight for that, just tall enough when he strained to see within. Gasping a little more each time, he discovered a terrible sight. Humans torn apart, monsters with their organs placed in jars and other sentient races hung upon meathooks. Tortured, dead and dying.


    But what perturbed Kenji was the notes. Each little room held a scribe or two, recording everything there was to know about each creature. Some rooms too had a butcher conducting the autopsy, while others were empty save for the waiting creature.


    It reminded Kenji of those old Inquisition movies, and how running into them is never expected.


    Passing door after door, Kenji noticed something interesting. Within one was a dead elf. Very dead, Kenji was confident, seeing as her head rested on a nearby table. But what annoyed him, was that it was the very same elf he had seen this morning.


    She was just as beautiful, even in death. Kenji remembered her searching, and wondered what she had been looking for in this human city? Perhaps if he could find a key he could reclaim her and find out.


    Hurrying along, Kenji discovered several of the red-clothed priests in a large room filled with shrines to the three human gods. Each held a flail that they used to strike their own bared backs. A burst of blood, a howl, then a return to monotonous prayer. Above them shone dozens of red crystals, barely a shadow to be seen in the large space.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    Kenji crept on past, right through the well-lit chamber, and spied a ring of keys on the wall. It was almost too easy to slip them into his internal space and then creep on past to the exit. As the priests got up and started going about their business, Kenji thought himself all too smart as he sauntered away.


    Until he realised he had forgotten to go reclaim the elf, now on the other side of a much more active room of inquisitor priests. Or flagellants? Kenji wasn''t sure of their title, so just decided to refer to them as weirdos for now.


    Leaving the weirdos behind, Kenji stalked along the hallways wondering if it was worth circling back around. That Elf had looked so strong, and also gorgeous - no, nonsense. Kenji couldn''t risk his life for that.


    he debated with himself back and forth as he crept along, hiding whenever a patrol passed. Finally, he decided the only reasonable thing was to search for an exit and escape this dungeon. No matter how useful an elvish form could be, it wasn''t worth the risk.


    Escape was his number one priority.


    Until that is, he found a big golden door to what appeared a bank vault.


    "Oh my...what is this?" Kenji said, licking his lips, rubbing his hands, and his eyes rounding with amazement.

 12 Chapter 12 - Good Luck

    Before the door that appeared to be a bank vault was a hallway filled with traps. Moving islands surrounded by bottomless pits, roaming guards in red that moved with stiff precision and an odd stone pillar guarded the golden door. Ducking around the corner, Kenji became Arthur, activated the blessing of [sight] and peered back around.


    Kenji soon discovered pressure plates, holes in the walls for arrows and that the guards were most likely artificial due to their strict movement paths. Quickly, Kenji thought up a few routes to the golden door beyond, but there were two problems.


    Firstly, those guards looked strong. Too strong. Then there were the traps. Arthur didn''t have any special level of agility and might clumsily activate one. Lastly, there was the door itself. It had a keyhole, yet Kenji was pretty sure none of his little keys would do the trick.


    Hurrying away, Kenji turned back to old-man form with a spring in his step.


    Whatever lay behind that golden door, it must be enormously valuable. He could taste it in the air. Feel it in his heart. His ''Treasure'' detecter going crazy, the same feeling he sometimes had when opening loot-boxes in his favourite games. Now that he knew of the treasure room''s existence, he couldn''t allow it to remain unlooted and still call himself a man.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    Fearless, Kenji charged back through the tunnels. Finding the prayer chamber, Kenji poked his head into the weirdo''s room. When the coast was clear he snatched a cloak and mask from the nearest hook. Patting the cloth into place, Kenji strode inside. He was a little self-conscious about how his robe dragged behind him, but as short as he was, there was no helping that.


    "Brothers, has anyone seen my keychain?" One of the weirdos said, Kenji thanking him for the distraction as he hobbled on by. Without his cane, added to the fact that he was quite short, he would have made for an easily recognisable sight if they had paid him any attention.


    "Hey you-" the same weirdo said, grasping Kenji''s shoulder with what he now realised was an extremely strong arm. The grip tightening to become stronger than iron shackles as he said, "-brother, have you seen my keychain?"


    Kenji froze, that very keychain in his pocket.


    "I have not the time to waste on your failures to our Lord!" Kenji cried, throwing his hands in the air. Turning he stared up at the man, thankful his own face was covered with the mask. "How dare you pass off the responsibilities you were given to any other, we are servants to the Master foremost, not sheep to bleat and whine! Now go find your keys, and perhaps ensure the key to the area beyond is safe too while you''re at it!"


    The priest backed away, head turning to a lavish shrine and back to Kenji. "Of course Brother, my apologies. You are, of course, correct. May Master show me mercy."


    "Well, we all make mistakes. Just don''t do so again, I''ll even do that last part for you. But just this once!" Kenji turned and stomped to the shrine.


    "Thank you Brother- uh, I would also appreciate you not reporting my clumsiness," the muscular weirdo followed Kenji. Kenji waved at him to go away, heart pounding as he heard the weirdo''s steps come to a halt behind him. Picturing him gripping Kenji in a bearhug, he hadn''t the faintest clue of what he would do if that happened.


    Not wanting to appear out of place, Kenji started looking around the shrine immediately.


    "As you can see, the key is still here," the weirdo said, popping open a secret panel that held a large golden gey set with a ruby. "Safe and sound."


    "Good good, then go find your own, Brother. I wish to pray awhile." Kenji said, wanting this annoying NPC to just get lost already. Thankfully it did, and Kenji could slip the key up his sleeve while he pretended to close the compartment and pray.


    From there Kenji strolled down the hall, snapping at anyone who looked like they might ask him for anything. Like catholic schoolboys caught being tardy, they would run along, clean, or simper their apologies to whatever random thing Kenji decided to criticise. In this fashion, he returned to the elf''s cell, opened it up and stepped within.


    She really was simply gorgeous. The perfect amount of curve. Smooth skin. Lush green hair, and piercing blue eyes staring eternally. Kenji wasted no time in reclaiming her.


    It was rather...strange just taking a body like that. Kenji was far from used to such necrophilic procedures. Yet no matter how guilty he felt, Kenji berated his way back to the golden door, memorised once more the traps with Arthur''s blessing of [sight] and- Kenji had an idea.


    Taking out the elf''s head, he blessed that with the [sight] instead. Then he reclaimed it, morphed into her and found the blessing remained along with the elf''s own superior perception. Together, Kenji found new traps he had not noticed, saw blades and magic runes the elf was well aware of in her memories. An interesting woman, the cursory survey of her past revealed an extremely long journey that had ended in a heartbreaking betrayal.


    Yet with the golden door looming in front, and a Treasure room beyond to plunder...Kenji would keep that tale for another time. He spent a good amount of time forming various paths through the traps. Again and again, he found dead ends, but eventually, he realised he couldn''t waste any more time.


    He''d just have to take his best shot.


    Crouching down, ready to sprint. Kenji prepared to run the gauntlet.

 13 Chapter 13 - Treasure Piles

    Step one: the moving platforms.


    To either side of each was a massive drop, and the platforms were only barely big enough for a small child. They moved in defined patterns, and with his enhanced perception, choosing the right moment to cross became easy.


    What was not easy, however, was following through.


    Kenji started to run, stalled, and slunk back behind the corner.


    It was so scary; he could plunge to his death. Was treasure really worth all that?


    The gold door glinted, the keyhole yearned to be reunited with its lover and Kenji was loathe to pull them apart. Fiddling with the jewelled key in his hands, Kenji secured it and took off towards the platforms.


    If he was actually an elf that was fast as the wind, with instincts ingrained over countless years, there would have been no problem. If only a frightened human soul wasn''t the one in charge, things might have moved smoothly. Instead, Kenji slipped as he jumped on the first platform, and so was forced to rely solely on someone else''s instincts. Falling onto the second, Kenji rolled onto the third, to then fling himself onto the fourth and step off on the other side.


    In a daze, it took him a few moments to realise he had survived at all. Peering down the darkness behind him, he could see no bottom. The pit just went on forever, and Kenji shivered to think what would have happened if he had not moved instinctually in that exact moment.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    A sword swung, the artificial guards returning to Kenji''s focus as he lithely rolled aside and jumped into a crouching position. One charged, and two others stomped fiercely amidst a floor covered in pressure plates.


    Rolling past the guard, Kenji leapt along the path, having already memorised the pattern- needles fired.


    "AHH!" Kenji screamed, running madly as needles flew behind him. Stepping on every damn pressure plate in a row, Kenji outran the storm of needles, many hitting the artificial guards only to ping off their armour.


    Kenji ducked, the artificial guard''s mace splintering the stone wall behind him.


    The guards shifted and yet were forced to march in their stiff patterns to reach him.


    Tenji meanwhile arrived at the last trap. A stone tablet atop a pedestal. In front of the setup were long lines in the floor, with the golden door just behind.


    Apparently, the elf had seen this trap before. Magic runes would send wind magic saw blades ripping along the lines in the floor to rip through those who put the wrong code into the tablet.


    And while the elf didn''t know any magic herself to help figure out the right code, she did know a trick to force it to deactivate. Following her knowledge, Kenji shifted to the boy knight, activated [Blessing-fire] and drove the flaming blade right down the tablet amidst a wild burst of rainbow coloured magic.


    The three artificial guards had been about to club the brains out of Kenji before they too froze, becoming still as statues. Kenji sighed with relief, having to mop the sweat from his brow and pull back his flame-coloured hair. Heaving at his blade - it was stuck. Whatever magic had been in the stone had fused the steel with it, the whole blade now just stuck inside the stone tablet and the pedestal it had lain upon.


    "Yeah, you rest easy buddy. You deserve it," Kenji left the sword behind, despite the weird ache he felt at doing so. Arthur''s childhood memories with the blade pulled at his heartstrings. It had been his fathers, the symbol of his household.


    "Damnit, fine! I''ll come back for you somehow!" Kenji snapped and ran for the door.


    Thrusting in the key, he turned it with a satisfying click. Yawning open, the huge golden door revealed a massive room filled with wealth, treasure chests, and weaponry of all kinds.


    The three gods of this kingdom were everywhere. Symbols of an eye, a heart and food plastered every cup and wall. Kenji first picked up a blue-steel dagger from a display case, then started putting the gold coins laying around in his pocket before he realised- what was he doing?


    This was common grade loot. Here to buy time in case of theft for the guards to arrive.


    The real loot would be deeper within.


    Moving past the mounds of treasure it began to dawn on him.


    This. could. not. be. real.


    As much as he wanted it too, this much gold in a place like this would be absurd.


    Removing the elf''s head, he activated the blessing of [Sight] then morphed into her. The illusion was peeled away to reveal a faint gas in the air. A creature covered in glinting gold prowled around Kenji, a gigantic butcher''s cleaver in hand, a purple tongue licking sharpened teeth clean.


    Just in case, Kenji checked his pockets. He found only dirt, his precious gold gone.


    Kenji sighed as the creature neared. Kenji turned around and ran.


    Predictably, the thing gave chase. The ground shook as it charged, great gurgling laughter emanating from its golden maw as its cleaver shrieked through the air. Just fast enough, Kenji rolled through the door.


    The thing came soon after, staring right into Kenji''s elvish eyes.


    "You can see me, can you not, elf?" The monster roared, its voice no doubt having alerted half the underground of the break in. Kenji smiled brightly as he stepped back towards his blade, giving it a probing tug. Still stuck deep into the stone, it would not help him. Not yet.


    The fool monster swung, and Kenji grinned as he jumped high. Like a skipping rope, the monster''s blade flew beneath him, smashing into the stone, the monster''s strength sending shards blowing free. A cloud of dust filled the trapped hallway, and shouting echoed along with the sounds of stamping feet.


    When the monster could see again, it found Kenji had vanished, along with his sword.


    Turning, the monster saw Kenji poke out his tongue as he pulled the vault door closed. Roaring in dismay it charged, only for the fire to wrap its body. Turning again, the monster found several of the red priests chanting in unison, summoning yet more fire to bind it.


    "She is getting awa-AHHH!" The monster roared as the fire scorched its entire body.


    ***


    Adrenaline pumped through Kenji as he hauled along his family sword, now coated in attached stone pieces. He grinned as he heard the monster''s roar, the priests had come just in time.


    Still, Kenji had taken the key and left the door slightly ajar so he might escape. Yet with the priests there, that was a very unlikely eventuality.


    Now to find what this Cathedral was hiding in order to require such defences.


    At the empty treasure room''s other side was a great cushion. This was where the monster had slept, Kenji assumed. Thinking this was too easy - yes, having pulled the cushion aside Kenji discovered a trap-door.


    Making sure to pull the bed over the trap door as he descended, Kenji couldn''t wait.


    Whatever was down there, it was rare.


    He could practically taste it.

 14 Chapter 14 - Loot Box

    The dark was lit by flickering blue.


    And distinctly lacked the piles of gold Kenji had been hoping for. So too were there no legendary blades, nor pulsing pools of power. He did, however, find something that piqued his rarity meter to its maximum setting.


    Three crystal cages.


    A wild collection of amber spikes, a noble purple gem encrusted in with crystalline vines, and twin crimson horns were the three prisons arrayed before him. Almost like a series of loot boxes - Kenji''s heart was racing already. Would he find something good inside? His hands opened and closed of their own accord, eager to break them open and find out.


    The elf''s memories flooded back, of similar prisons for magical prisoners in a secretive elven cavern. Had she been a warden there? Her mind was so strange. The elf''s memories coming to Kenji like an old song that looped in his head, forcing him to focus on how to open the magical cages and making seeing further within as obscure as the polluted river close to where he was born.


    Just as the silt had obscured the stones then, Kenji could dive no deeper into the mysteries of what powered these cages. What he did know, was that they were relatively simple to break.


    From the outside that is.


    The first cage to his left was the amber cage. Within was a wild girl with white wolf ears, fangs and a fluffy white tail and paws. She had round moons for pupils, and they stared at Kenji with the hunger of a rabid animal as she remained frozen. The Power of an [A] he suspected, but the good intentions of a [G]?


    To his right in the purple cage, was a strange elf. She had silky violet hair, slitted lilac eyes, an amethyst in her forehead and an astounding beauty that made snow seem dirty and the rain feel foul. She was the smell of the freshest air before the storm, the moment a rose bloomed and the instant a craftsman had finished his masterpiece all at once. Certainly an [A] class hero and [SSS] supermodel.


    Kenji quite literally staggered upon seeing her, her physical perfection so extreme his mind ran blank and he felt as if attacked. Strangely he felt no desire, no attraction and certainly no lust. The woman was like an art piece, a perfect statue and a god all at once. One to be treasured, protected and served at all costs.


    The centre most prison held the most terrible aura of all. Crimson blood welled along with the twin scarlet crystals that thrust from the ground like gigantic horns. Between them was a bandaged girl caught in a web of fiery energy. Her dark hair writhed like tentacles, each hand-wrapped in huge red gauntlets with long ebony claws.


    One of her eyes were scratched out, a blazing black flame burning within. The other was a gorgeous almond with long blinking eyelashes. Kenji approached her first, certain it was the woman. Her almond eye tracked him closely, even while the rest of her remained frozen.


    "You are of the 18," Kenji said. Remembering her, feeling sad that even in a new world she was of a form that required bandages. Ebony horns thrust out from her head, and upon closer inspection, Kenji found a second pair of slim humanoid arms tucked behind her back along with a serpentine tail.


    "You chose to be a demon."


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    The almond eye rose and fell.


    "If I release you I''ll be dead. I want to help, but-"


    Kenji saw it again. What he had seen the first time they met. Her gorgeous eye was empty to be sure. But deep within, he saw it. A tiny flame. The slightest spark. Hope.


    He shattered the crystal without thinking, the magic shorting out, blazing red snatched away to leave only empty white. Kenji pushed himself forward to catch her. The woman known as ''Soulless'' received not even a scratch as the crystals merely bounded off her bare skin as if steel.


    Gasping, Kenji held his abdomen, several crystals having punctured his elvish frame like paper.


    "Who are you?" She said, with a rasping voice that a man could grow drunk on. Now, this was lust, infatuation, and desire all at once. Kenji felt the warmth of it wash over him, that voice alone, he wanted to hear her speak again. Talk for hours.


    "Who. Are. You?" She said again very slowly, raising a single claw to his eye.


    "Kenji, nice to meet you," Kenji said and raised a hand. Slowly she shook it with her own.


    "I am Hena," she said slowly. Pulling him from the rubble, she laid him down. "I''ll put you out of your misery then-"


    "Stop! It''s ok Hena! I''ll be fine. Watch," Kenji had thrown his hands up as Hena seemed ready to thrust her claws through his head like knives into a melon.


    Shifting he became the boy knight and beamed at her.


    Her claw wavered and dropped.


    "Daario sent you to rescue me?" Hena said.


    Not wanting to get each body skewered until he had no more to morph into, Kenji nodded.


    "Yeah, that''s what this is. Wants me to save you," Kenji spoke out his ass, but he was in this situation now and needed to get out alive. Hopefully, these strange women could help him fight his way out.


    "We should free the others- what are you doing?"


    Hena had formed a smouldering, paper-thin, disc in her hands. It seemed like the worlds most dangerous frisby as it revolved and sparked madly between her hands.


    "We kill the heroes, then we leave," she peered at the two still stuck in the crystals. Kenji panicked.


    "But they are not heroes! Not yet, look at them. We should let them go, let them grow. Daario would not like to lose the XP by killing them while they are weak." That last part made her twitch, she turned to Kenji.


    Within hey eye something smothered her little spark of hope. Desire, as her gaze became glazed and she giggled slightly to herself. "You know Daario wants this for a fact?"


    Mildly intoxicated by her voice, Kenji nodded dumbly.


    "I''m to raise them, like cattle. Then when they''re nice and strong, we bring ''em to the slaughterhouse," Kenji''s fake smirk nearly broke. He sweated madly, for once having a damn lot of trouble keeping up the act.


    Damn you, Arthur. The boy''s mind rejecting even the illusion of betraying these possible heroes to the enemy. But Hena could not be of the enemy...no, that would mean that these feelings within Kenji...


    "Fine, then let us go." Wielding the strange disc, Hena slashed.


    A great crash of purple crystal and the angel elf was free.


    But no longer a walking angel, she seemed pale, gaunt and alien. Her hair was slimy, her ears warped, and her steps a hypnotic swaying motion. Not that she was unattractive, no Kenji could appreciate every curve just fine thank you. But she was definitely different.


    What had happened? He was using superior perception before, buffed on top of that. Was this squid elf an illusion that the boy knight was too low levelled to see-through? Then why was he not getting the weird desire to do whatever she wanted anymore?


    "Die-" with purple crystalline blades in hand, the alien elf was frozen as a whirling red disc was positioned ready to slice her head from her shoulders.


    "Try me," Hena said, Kenji having to tentatively pull the two apart. They both pointed their magical weapons at him instead.


    "There''s one more, and I don''t think we have long either," Kenji knew they could hear it. Shouting upstairs, the priests would be close by now.


    Even though the last cage gave him the chills, it''s occupant not having stopped staring with those moon eyes at him the whole time, he nodded at Hena. Slinging the magical disc, the crystal shattered, and the girl was free.


    She emerged howling, then spat out chunks of crystal and stretched her arms.


    "You have three seconds," She hissed, white hair spiking and her body contorting wildly.


    "You either come with us as allies, or I put you down little pup," Hena smiled, producing a new whirling magical disc. The wolf girl summoned a moon to hang over her in an instant, turning into a large white wolf in the next


    The trapdoor above was thrown open.


    Priests swarmed downward.


    "Defend yourselves!" Kenji yelled, the trio turning crystal blade, demon disc and huge white paws i the direction of the enemy.


    Kenji''s heart sank, as a red-robed Templar joined the priests in their descent.


    "Surrender heathens, your time of judgment has come," the Templar said. And summoned several golden chains to writhe through the air.

 15 Chapter 15 - Fight or Die

    "I''ll say this only once," Hena said as she stepped back. "I can make a portal, but I need time. And that Templar has to be dead and buried too, otherwise he''ll activate the Cathedrals wards and the portal will just teleport us right into another prison. I don''t want that to happen twice in two days."


    "Understood, in the name of mutual survival I will comply," the alien elf said, purple crystal erupting from the ground in front of her. Soon appeared shield, lance and armour to form a crystalline knight. Immediately a horse formed beneath it. The completed crystal knight directed it''s lance at the Templar.


    "Shredding humans is easy, so just do your work demon. Or yours will be the next throat I bite," growled the gigantic white wolf. Howling, the summoned moon shone bright, and they were bathed in silvery light that formed a bubble around each of them.


    "We''re all on the same team here. So just-" Kenji was interrupted by a loud metallic clap.


    "Enough talk," the Templar boomed, he and his priests unaffected by the strange silvery buff. "In the name of the Bountyheart, I, Evin the Magnanimous, decree you to stand down immediately."


    The Templar held out his hands, golden chains firing forward amidst a barrage of flaming tendrils projected by the priests. Kenji ran for his life, not a single thing in his repertoire that would claim to be able to handle such high-level spells.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    Crystalline walls burst free to tank the assault, the crystal knight and giant wolf charging fearlessly into the fray. Kenji could only hide and try to very quickly come up with a plan.


    Golden chains crashed through the first crystal wall and surged towards Hena. Enraptured by the ever-expanding demonic disc in her hands, she could not stop the chains- they were smashed aside by the giant wolf, who stared at Kenji and growled.


    "Grow a pair and fight, human!"


    "Technically I have grown a pair," Kenji told her as she returned to the battle. Pulling out Arthur''s sword still fused with hunks of stone, Kenji decided to stand before Hena''s back and protect her. An important job, besides the other two seemed to have taking on the church well in hand.


    The purple alien girl moved her hands like a maestro before an orchestra. Her crystalline knight crashed through ranks of priests causing havoc. Blood, fire and fury bathed the animation, the Templars chains diverted from assaulting Hena again, to wrap around the knight and hold it in place.


    "Fire your spells, now!" the Templar roared, his surviving priests firing a volley of holy flame at the summon, it''s crystal armour fracturing in a dozen places. The elf cried out in pain, falling to one knee, and yet with trembling hands maintained her spell.


    "Foolish girl," growled the giant white wolf, who came barreling through the many priests to disrupt their spells. The Templar prayed as his golden chains swung around to wrap around the great wolf. While she could swat them away at first, as soon as the chains wrapped fully around her waist and head, came a sudden flash of white - the wolf appeared frozen again in the crystal amber cage.


    "Your suppression is inevitable," the Templar said dismayed, "why do you run from the fate the Bountyheart has bestowed upon you? And to take the lives of the faithful all the while! UNACCEPTABLE"


    "The gateway is finished; deal with him, and we can go!" Hena shouted, clawed hands busily whirling more and more power into the crimson vortex before her.


    Flinging a crystal blade, the purple elf soon freed the great wolf again. In an instant she had moved halfway towards the gateway, in the next, she was sent flying. The Templar appeared where she had been, retracting his fist as the great wolf was thrown to slam into a stone wall.


    "[Greater Blessing - Speed] is a bit much for you lowlifes, but what can you do?" the Templar continued his monologue as Kenji ran through the dark sides of the room. In his little old man form, cane in hand, he didn''t make for as flashy a sight as the rest. As was the point, as he circled the others to seize one of the dead priests and transform into him.


    Sadly he had to leave the elf corpse behind, but he hoped it would be worth the trade.


    "Retreat!" Kenji screamed, the instant he arose as the priest. Like schoolboys, the other priests peered at the Templar for permission. Unsure himself, he turned to stare at Kenji.


    "Just what do you mean retreat-"


    "I''ve had a vision!" Kenji declared. "The Holy Grail has been discovered, the One has summoned us. We must not disobey him and the three great gods!"


    This caused just enough confusion for the crystals forming at the Templars feet to fully form. In the next moment, he was utterly encased in a suspiciously similar prison to the one the alien elf had been frozen within mere minutes ago.


    "We must...go..." she muttered, her lilac eyes rolling into her head as she collapsed to the ground.


    Picking up his elf corpse, Kenji yelled, "retreat quickly! The gods have withdrawn their favour, we require the blessings of the One to not be turned into...rats?" He kind of choked at that last part, but the priests ate it up all the same.


    "I''ll sacrifice myself to the Good Guy to slow them down!" More than one gave Kenji an odd look as he ran past, screaming high and loud. Then the giant white wolf bit him in the side, and tore his stomach out.


    "Oh, balls. Friendly fire!," Kenji spluttered as he collapsed, priests shrieking as they fled.


    "We''ll never forget you!" They called out as they pushed one another aside to be the first to get through the trapdoor in the ceiling. Doing so only faster when Kenji''s decapitated remains were sent tumbling across the floor.


    Appearing from those remains as the little old man, Kenji quickly turned into the boy knight form his allies were more familiar with. Kenji then reclaimed the elf, picked up the alien, and got running. Right after the great wolf they went, through the whirling vortex.


    "I''LL HUNT YOU DOWN!" Roared the Templar, the crystal shattering around him.


    Kenji turned mid-air to fire off a pair of middle fingers before he was swept away by a current of magic.


    "Eat a bag of dicks!" He roared, feeling frozen and on fire at the same time. Kenji''s very soul feeling kind of sunburnt by the hellish ride through the demon dimension.


    To emerge, on the other side.


    Immediately swearing never to use a portal again, as he looked up to find himself in an old church.


    "Never do what again, dear?" Said a little old nun with a broom.

 16 Chapter 16 - Ah, Shit.

    They emerged into a church, an old nun with a broom peering up across pews filled with dust and webs.


    "Hello?" She called out, managing to stare right through a demon, an alien, and a gigantic wolf. Kenji wondered why this situation sounded so much like the beginning of a joke.


    "Just here to pray, miss," Kenji called out, grasping the alien''s hand before she could do anything. With piercing purple eyes she stared at him sharp as a razer and flickered Kenji''s hand away.


    "Are you...blind, miss?" Kenji said, stalking closer and smiling brightly just in case. Personally, if such company had appeared before him, he''d pretend there was nothing wrong either. Still, he wanted to get close enough to stop her from ringing that gigantic bronze bell in the corner in case she was pretending, even if it looked cracked and unused.


    "Afraid so. We''re closed you know, no alms being handed out today. Not unless you can eat dust," old lady chuckled, Kenji joining her with Arthur''s own bright laughter. Behind him the large wolf guffed a hoarse giggle, Hena having to punch it in the side to make it stop.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "Oh, did you hear that?" The little woman said clutching her broom.


    Having a soft spot for defenceless old ladies, Kenji took her hands in his own.


    "A bit of dust fell from the rafters, how about I escort you somewhere safe. Until the priest can arrive and look at the damage," he said, pulling her away and into a side room. The little room had an equally little bed, table, single chair and half-filled wine bottle. Kenji poured her a granny sized class.


    "Thank you kindly, young man. Who are you, if I might ask?"


    "Just a traveller ma''am. Here to help a little, then move on."


    "So you''ll be heading to the adventurer guild then will you?" the old lady sounded concerned, even as Kenji pushed the class into her hands and steered her into a seat.


    "I might, why? Worried a monster might bite off one of my fingers?" Knowing it was wrong, Kenji rose his middle finger just to check and made a funny face. Yet her milky white eyes continued to stare into nothingness, and Kenji was left feeling mildly ashamed.


    "I''m worried one of the other adventurers might stick a knife in your back," the old lady said as she downed her wine in one gulp. "I''d join the Golden Goose if I were you, their leader has both a spine and a heart open to good. Unlike the Headless Hunters, no sir, that lot doesn''t touch anything without the intention of making at least a few silvers," leaning closer, she whispered low, "and I''ve heard terrible rumours. That they take more than the regulated contracts, practically mercenaries in how they act!"


    Kenji stared, dumbstruck, as the woman muttered a prayer and a burning eye appeared in her forehead.


    "Thank goodness, to think the old Blessing of [Sight] still works even at this age. Praise the Everseeing, my boy" she waited until he had done so, Arthur''s mind quite pleased by the opportunity. "Wow, you really are a good looking one, aren''t you?" She added, pinching Arthur''s cheek.


    "I must be going, thank you for your time. Sorry to have come on the wrong day," Kenji pulled away to the door. Halting as the woman raised a golden coin.


    "You should be more careful, newcomer. Tariak is not a town for the weak hearted. Better keep your purse strings closed, eh?" she flipped him back the coin, Kenji finally taking a moment to even realise Arthur''s armour had a hidden compartment for coinage at all.


    "I''ll do that. You can call me Kenji by the way, it was a pleasure meeting you."


    With that, Kenji slipped away to meet the others.


    "So. We need to go before the nun comes back- where is Hena?" Kenji peered around, finding only a big wolf and alien in his current retinue. There was the distinct lack of a sulphuric smell, dark horns and death threats that he had become so used to over the last half an hour.


    "She left. Said they would track her, told us to...trust you," grumbled the wolf. Kenji pulled his cheeks up and forced a nod.


    "Yeah, protect you. Just make sure to tell me if she comes back right?" Because she would, most likely with others of the 18 in tow. To ''harvest'' the heroes like Kenji had made up. With the high probability of these two becomings [A] grade heroes with some serious personality changes, that was a certainty.


    Clapping his hands together, Kenji tried to ignore the aliens stare.


    Because before he could worry about anything, he had to avoid that famous peasant fear he had heard about in high school.


    "Let''s start but looking normal. I know you can big wolf, but what about you Mrs Purple?"


    "My name, is Calehandradica," Mrs Purple snapped. "And I cannot change an inch of my perfect body. So please, attempt to keep your urine in that potato sack you call ''pants''."


    Wow, what a dick, Kenji thought. Yet unable to express that she was making fun of a dead boy''s attire, he just got back at her by shamelessly staring at her silk covered thighs until she grumbled and turned away.


    "Stop staring," She muttered.


    "Not until we figure something out. How about that nun getup over there?" Staring at her shapely behind, Kenji pointed at a hook with a spare nun robe. Opening and closing her mouth many times, blushing dark purple, Mrs Purple strode over with long legs and snatched the getup off the hook.


    "The indignity..." She hissed, soon enveloped beneath many folds of cloth that thoroughly obstructed all scandalous body parts from view. Kenji was mildly disappointed.


    "Hey, I''m just doing my job as your teacher. Can''t have my latest hero pupils get crucified can I?" Kenji grinned, starting to enjoy the perks of his role."You next big wolf, Violet here changed and I know you can too."


    Violet cocked her head to one side, yet didn''t seem to mind her nickname.


    "This is my true form," the great wolf said, raising her noble head high.


    "That is a great big target for every arrow, spear and magical blast in a half-mile radius," Kenji corrected her. "So how about choose something less suspicious, and smaller? Unless you want to pretend to be our mount-" the giant wolf''s growl cut Kenji off, the baring of fangs making him start to sweat.


    "A joke! In poor taste, but supposed to reduce the tension of me being rather freaked out right now! So if you don''t want a mob of pitchfork and fire waiving peasants trying to drive you out of town, I suggest you hurry up."


    Growling louder, the wolf contorted wildly back into the form of an animalistic girl. Huffing she crossed her arms, staring with angry moons right into Kenji''s soul.


    "And...that?" Kenji whispered, pulling his smile only wider and pointing at the huge moon still hanging over her head like a personal disco ball. Groaning, as if this were something truly despicable, she snapped her fingers and the moon vanishing along with its silvery aura.


    "I want to talk about what that aura does while we travel," Kenji said starting towards the door, the two girls following reluctantly behind him.


    "It reduces magic damage. Where are we going?" the wolf girl said, covering her chest as she gave Kenji an odd look.


    "Well first, my name is Kenji," Kenji said, bowing low. "Secondly, I apologise for the mild harassment before, but it''s rather important we get moving quickly. And lastly, who are you, my dear lady?" Arthur snuck that last line in, yet the way the wolf girl became all flustered Kenji gave the dead boy''s mind a mental high-five.


    "Tenko. Where are we going?" Tenko frowned, lips pulling back to reveal sharp teeth.


    Kenji would take them to the only place such outlandish creatures could conceivable thought not to be a threat to the town. The only area where, according to various games, other races (especially the beautiful ones) would be more accepted.


    "We''re going to a place populated by the uh....'' ladies of the night'' as it were."


    "A Brothel? I would sooner cut my throat out," Violet said, purple eyes flaring dangerously.


    "I said guild, didn''t I? Yes the Guild, the Adventurer guild! There we can stary your journies to becoming great heroes," Kenji said with clasped hands. Regretting missing this chance to see what a fantasy world brothel would look like.


    "Well, if that''s all you should have just said so," Violet mumbled, pulling away from the long strands of hair that obstructed her face and patted down her thick nun''s robe.

 17 Chapter 17 - Councils Decree

    "How did they manage to escape? And after the King ordered those elementals he calls ''Royale Knights'' to seize him too?" the One paced back and forth before a stone tablet, the remains of 16''s ashen heaped upon it. On the other side prostrated a rather useless Templar.


    "He messed with our priests, convinced them to retreat! But- I don''t know how - in the chaos, I lost track of where the Holy Knight went. Not until he appeared again at the end to flee, taking our prisoners with them!"


    "And your ability with the golden chains, how long until you lose the ability to replicate the parasites [Crystal Prison] spell?" the One''s white eyes flared to beyond erasure, pure nothingness swimming in the dark of his face.


    Shaking madly, the Templar could only push his armoured head further into already cracked stone.


    "A day, maybe less. I had not rebound her ability in some time, nor had I the Werewolf''s anti-magic protection. Truly great one, I am so sorry, please allow my soul clemency for-"


    "Artioche, Animogna, Arellia, Secundus." The One spoke these words gravely, servants bursting from the walls in a sudden tide, the Templar frozen in place.


    "My Master please, anything but that..." The Templar''s heart broke as his armour was pulled away. Plate by Plate, mail, gambeson and cloth all. Leaving only the golden manacles of the chosen bound to his arms, the rest of him naked and small. They would not take the Templar''s Holy artifact from him, so few breaking into the Templar class to attain it to begin with.


    "You are hereby ordered to redeem yourself in my eyes - a one man crusade against the dark. Already a failure, you will do so with limited support from the Three''s church, but may continue to ask the direct favours of the Three themselves. Find this fire-haired boy- find him and bring him to me."


    "It will be done, my Master- it WILL be DONE."


    Dismissing the Templar, the One allowed the servants to drag him away.


    "One last thing," he had them pause, "some of our most zealous demon hunters have gone mad over the years, or if not mad at least borderline heretical. Your station outside of the church would allow for their rectuitment. I bless you with the title of Warden, of the prison that is the world. So go, Warden, and collect a force that will remove this blight from your name."


    The One smiled with white teeth as his Warden was taken away, plans already prepared for the most fervent hounds - humans, to accompany him. Stepping into a side room, the One strode to stand before a grand mirror.


    Twenty metres tall, rimmed with silver faces in a variety of expressions and floating planets the size of his palm it was a mirror only the One could see. The One, and his own kind.


    "Sister, how goes the implementation of my great plan?"


    "All is according to plan, Designator Prime. Daario, your 1st ranked, is well on his way to creating a strange hierarchy in the demon world. So too have several more of your candidates excelled in their various fields."


    "Very good, Sister Observer. Mind telling me of the situation of that who killed 16? For one to die this early on is troublesome, so...who did it? Where is the flame-haired boy?"


    "Designator Prime, I thought you were one to hold to the rules, are you not?" The beautiful white skinned girl with jet-black teeth tilted her head in his mirror. The One clenched his hands but restrained his smile back to pleasant.


    "Of course, but just this once surely-"


    "You would have me report this to the council? Brother, be reasonable. You have so much power, surely you can pull this together yourself."


    "And yet the blasted idiots attacked the damn Cathedral!" Roared the One, "I was saving that for war much later. The impact of the stone falling after so much loss would have been perfect, instead, so many of our best died to boulders and dust!"


    "The humans are fast-thinking, Brother. The ones in the monster regions especially. While some few have died, others make great strides. The human known as Nocturne has entered the Elf High Sun Festival and looks set to place well. The human known as Ranarium has gathered a band of orcs, and is perhaps a month away from replacing the Warchief under his own rule. Another has introduced Modern-Era blacksmithing techniques, and a fourth is trying very hard to tame a dragon, and not without some minor success. Perhaps, you chose the wrong species to bring here?"


    "Their ingenuity will be our undoing...no. As long as we have the king and his secret weapons, there is nothing it fear. NOTHING those Terran humans can do will dissuade my plans from their inevitable conclusion!"


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    With an angry wave of his hand, the One deactivated the mirror.


    Striding away, he gave orders at a rapid pace. His stone servants obeyed wordlessly, and with the efficiency of well-designed clockwork. As was right, the One''s plans always worked flawlessly. Every species before had always acted like puppets to his strings.


    The humans of Earth would be no different.

 18 Chapter 18 - Which One?

    Steering them through the town of Tariak, Kenji enjoyed the sights.


    Peasants were as busy as bees, guards marched relentlessly, and the air smelled as rancid as could be expected of a place without plumming. Unfortunately, that led to Kenji stepping into several ''accidents''.


    At least Tenko didn''t mind, sniffing of the air with interest, staring openly at everyone. Making oh-so-many quake in fear upon seeing her literal moons for pupils.


    Violet was affronted by the entire town''s existence. Holding her nose, she would constantly form crystalline shoes and replace them whenever they got too dirty. That proved to be a near-constant state of being, and thus she was constantly refreshing her feet to leave a trail of purple crystal that a train of beggars picked up greedily.


    "Can you stop that Violet? Or do you really want to become the Beggar Queen?"


    "I can stop whenever I like. You just focus on finding me a suitable room to sleep in, and an acceptable feast to partake of."


    "You''re that hungry, with that waist-line, where does it go?"


    "Never mind where it goes!" Violet hissed, her nails becoming crystal claws, "I am tired, I am hungry, and I want a bath. A bath you hear me! It will be hot, soapy and with several scented candles!"


    Kenji took a step back, as Violet''s lilac eyes welled with tears.


    "Ok! A bath, I get it, I''ll find us somewhere with a bath!" Kenji didn''t know why this was so important, but be damned if he would be the reason such a beauty would start bawling in the streets. Already the merchants on either side were giving him nasty looks.


    "How can you make such a pretty nun cry?" one of the beggars hissed. "You''re a bastard," then the beggar spat on him and ran. Really fast. Really Reall fast, in fact, Kenji seemed to notice what he had thought of as a busy bustle was more like everyone was just walking at a faster movement speed than he was.


    "You there, merchant! Fancy a bet?" Kenji rummaged in his pouch, but only had golden coins.


    "Eh, mind swapping these for some silvers? Because I want to bet one in an arm-wrestling contest with you afterwards," Kenji grinned. The merchant whimpered.


    "Holy Knight, how could I ever compete with you with these fat arms of mine?" he whined, "but if it were for a gold coin...well, may the Wellfaring bless me." Grinning ear to ear, Kenji slapped down the gold coin and raised a hand.


    "Kenji, are you sure?" Tenko whispered, "his so much higher a level than you."


    "Eh?" but it was too late, the merchant grasped Kenji in a crushing grip, his fat feeble hand pushing Kenji''s down as easily as a child. The merchant smirked, as he snatched the gold coin away.


    "The hell- yes, information collection complete," Kenji announced, walking away as fast as he could before the merchant could offer any more bets. Knowing how vulnerable he was to gambling, and with only 4 more gold coins to his name, Kenji had to get them away.


    "How could you tell his level?" Kenji whispered, Tenko putting a finger to her bottom lip.


    "It''s part of my [Eyes of the Moon] trait. I can see peoples levels and classes, as long as they are not hidden. That Merchant had his real class hidden for example, and his skills were too simple to be all of them," Tenko shrugged, Kenji going pale as a ghost. Did she know he was actually a hunchbacked old man wearing his dead friend like an old shirt?


    "And your so low levelled Kenji. Even as a crusader, you would have a hard time in a high-level place like this." Kenji looked around, at the peasants, the dirty armoured guards, the sodden streets.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "High-level area like where?"


    "This. Everyone in this town has a decent level for humans. It must be on the border of monster controlled territory - explains how they''re hunters are so strong at least," Tenko growled, Kenji becoming intrigued.


    "How do you know about their hunters? I haven''t seen any yet."


    Tenko sniffed at him warily, "you brought Tenko here so Tenko could return home, right? Why else would we come to Tariak of all places."


    Kenji opened and closed his eyes slowly.


    "Yes." He said at last, "exactly that. But we should find a place to stay the night before going to your homeland, right? Uh, do you happen to work for the hunters?" If she did that could be some rent-free accommodation right there.


    Kenji pulled away as Tenko''s aura became filled with malice.


    "No. My pack do not ''work for the hunters''," she spat, growling deep enough that a pair of closeby peasants clutched at their pitchforks. Especially wary now that he knew even the lowest peasant might be decently strong, Kenji provided his brightest smile and hurried along.


    After asking half the town for directions, they were eventually directed to the Headquarters of the Golden Goose Adventurer guild.


    "Kind of a dump," was Kenji''s first impression of the ruined keep. Noting once again this kingdom really loved it''s keeps, although perhaps not this one in particular, going off the amount of crumbled stone that crept past the 50% mark of the entire structure. A deep moat was largely filled with soil around the crumbled stone, and the huge wooden doors were thrown open so that a constant band of colourful adventurers could flow in and out.


    Entering they found the hearty tunes, exposed wooden beams, busying waitresses and flowing mead that Kenji had long awaited ever since joining this fantasy world. Although he could do without the hostility, every adventurer armed to the teeth and only those with the cheapest equipment and most naive complexions failing to be scarred, wounded or grim to some degree or another.


    It didn''t take long to find out how everything worked around here. There was the expected counter where one could turn in quests and pay to have your level card updated for you, there was the mead, and then there were the adventurers that filled every space to the rafters. No, few clearly slept beneath the tables they drank at, bedding nestled at their feet.


    Placing some mugs of ale before his compatriots, Kenji leaned back in his seat and continued to survey the room. It wasn''t too bad a place, a board on the far wall filled with quests and adventurer parties talking raucously with one another.


    "Why am I not in a fine bed already?" Violet hissed, Kenji having to pull Tenko away from sniffing a fat man in layers of different coloured gambeson. Kenji paled as he realised each sported various insignias, splotches of blood and torn as if he had snatched several gambesons from the dead then augmented them to fit over one another.


    "You''ll have a bed and bath soon I promse-"


    The doors were thrown open (odd seeing as thus far they had been closed) and a dark plated pigman sauntered in along with a band of rogues, bandits, assassins and hunters.


    "We''re taking over!" The pigman roared.

 19 Chapter 19 - Golden Goose Vs Headless Hunters

    "Well if it isn''t the weaklings," the dark armoured pigman said, producing a huge maul while his dark clothes vagabonds flicked out all manner of knives, cleavers, spears and clubs. The colourful warriors of the Golden Goose drew their weapons in turn, a chorus of screeching chairs filling the room as everyone rose to their feet.


    "You want to fight, eh?" Grunted the pigman, burying his huge maul into the wooden flooring. The pigman''s presence alone was terrible but backed up by his cronies who leered, cheered and made themselves a nuisance, it was unbearable.


    "Look at the pretty boy- bet you''re gay, ain''t ya pretty boy?" one buck-toothed boy said, pointing his stave right at Kenji.


    "Watch out Scag, he might attempt to feel you up," giggled a girl with twisted eyes and prone to licking her knife as if it were a lollipop. Meanwhile, the others were sticking into everyone else in sight, riling up the guild members and generally making a nuisance of themselves.


    "You going to take that Kenji?" Violet hissed, purple magic flaring around her hands.


    "Just ignore them; their kind thrives on attention," Kenji said, more than familiar with such edgy kids from various multiplayer first-person shooter games. Instead, he focused on his mead and - the buck-toothed boy knocked it from his hands. After so much turmoil, having looked forward to a bit of rest, seeing the golden froth splash across the table and across his pants caused him deep sorrow.


    Hissing with her silk shirt thoroughly soaked, Violet produced a crystalline spike and positioned it right before the boy''s eye. Seeming pleased to be splashed upon, Tenko nonetheless joined in by grabbing the girl by the hair and chewing on her face.


    Angry himself, Kenji stood tall and activated the blessing of [Sight].


    "Who the hells are you to mess with my men?" The big warrior roared, Kenji giving the children who had spilt his mead a long look as they scrambled away. Lifting his gaze, Kenji stared the pigman right into his oily black eyes.


    "I am an Edgelord, cretin. And we at the Golden Goose will not tak-"


    "Fear not! I have arrived," announced a newcomer, appearing in an explosion of golden fog and lightning to stand in the centre of the room. In each hand he held a beautiful woman, his smile white and shining, his steel armour only slightly battered and lined with gold. Sweeping back regal blonde hair that fluttered behind him, he strode to stand before the pigman and press his finger into the black plate at his chest.


    While everyone else was enraptured by the drama, Kenji just wondered why the newcomer''s hair was the only one being blown by a strong breeze. So too had his golden fog faded extraordinarily quickly, and the obviously powerful ruffian leader was stepping back awful fast before the dashingly handsome, yet scrawny, hero.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "Who are you to come before the Golden Goose Guild, Hartog? This is a place for respectable people who follow a code of conduct, not ruffians at the very edge of the law!"


    "We don''t play by the rules, Almanac, we weren''t all born with fancy powers and a wealthy estate to leech off. Some of us came from gutters, wars, and were shunned from society. Some of us were given a bad hand, and now we''re doing our best to do what''s right!" Hartog clenched a fist and smashed it into his own chest, the Headless Hunters nodding proudly behind him while the Golden Goose guildmembers rolled their eyes as if they had heard it all before.


    Kenji peered around, looking for the cameras. Surely real life could not follow as closely to the script of a soap opera as this. And yet Violet was on the edge of her seat, Tenko too breathing quickly, moon eyes as glued to the scene as the rest.


    And then Kenji had an idea.


    "Oh Alamanac, thank you for coming!" Kenji said, standing tall. "I had thought you would have taken even longer fighting that Salamander up north. Compared to that, this ruffian is nothing!" Striding past several of the edgy kids, Kenji joined the stunned Almanac at his side. Kenji even made sure to lean in close to the man''s fluttering hair and felt the breeze that appeared around the Alamanac''s head and nowhere else.


    "Eh- yes, it was a mighty battle!" Almanac threw his hands in the air, the Golden Goose Guild roaring and smacking their tankards into the table.


    "A Salamander, Alamanac?" Hartog said with a dry tone. Upon seeing a blank stare from Alamanac he quickly continued, "a symptom of the disease of our society. If good fighters like ourselves were not left in the dust, there would be more adventurers to fight such creatures! Not just rich boys born with silver spoons in their bums-"


    "-mouths," Kenji corrected him. Getting some laughter from the audience. Kenji turned and bowed.


    "Mouth," Hartog said through gritted tusks.


    "Sit down my good man, this might get messy," Alamanac said, giving Kenji a light push of wind that sent him tumbling back. In each hand, Almanac produced a ball of flame, and from behind him unwrapped a pair of fiery wings.


    "Will you go in peace Hartog? Or must your kind be shown there is further to fall than the sewers!"


    Tension filled the air, Kenji yawned, and rather predictably Hartog turned away.


    "Tch. Next time, when you''re not here Alamanac, this guild will be mine as was promised. Until then, the Headless Hunters will continue to be the real adventurers around here. Unless your kind can put away your pride long enough to help even the lowliest quest givers without prejudice!"


    Storming away, Hartog retreated amidst a storm of good intentions along with his high nosed criminalistic followers that bumped Kenji along as they went. Although going off what they had said, it kind of felt to Kenji they thought themselves closer to a band of Robinhoods than just a big nuisance.


    "Mr Alamanac if I could-" Kenji had meant to approach him about helping with the act, but was beaten by a swarm of adventurers surging forward. They thanked him, begged him to stay and offered drinks and suggestive favours.


    Gallantly Alamanac provided empty words in response, extinguished his spells and strode to a stairwell guarded by a grey-bearded warrior with a halberd. None dared pass, and Kenji could only watch glumly as Alamanac arose to the second floor where better-geared adventurers gathered. For a moment, Alamanac stared right at Kenji, pointed him out to a few of his friends up there, and went through a door.


    Having failed in his get rich quick scheme, Kenji instead returned to his colleagues and sat down on his wet bench.


    "Well, I wished I was paired with such a hero as that," Violet murmured, still staring after Alamanac.


    "I saved you from an inquisitors prison. How is that less hero worthy than this guy making a flashy stage show?" Kenji groaned, lifting his eyes to the quest board on the far wall. Wondering if he should start working before his gold ran dry.


    But screw that, Kenji wasn''t one to skip the chance to get ahead.


    "Tenko, you said your pack was nearby?"


    Tenko''s moon eyes narrowed.


    "Yes. Tenko did say that."


    "Then I think we should give them a little visit, see how they''re doing and maybe pick up some extra muscle while we''re at it."


    "I would like to see my family, so this is a good thing. Maybe even get rid of evil Fulgrim that haunt us. Hunters and adventurers supported them though, so it will be tough to free my people from their malicious intentions."


    Kenji smiled, noting that saving her people from harm arose Tenko''s hero grade swiftly in his mind. From [ X ] to [ F ] at least, maybe [ E ].


    "Well, before we go buy the necessary travel goods, information and protection lets have a celebratory drink!" Ruffling in his hidden compartment for his coin, Kenji went very pale.


    "What is it? I want my bath already!" Violet groaned, sinking in her chair.


    With chattering teeth, Kenji turned to her.


    "Don''t be mad."


    Violet furrowed purple brows.


    "I can''t promise that. What has happened?"


    Kenji grinned wider and wider, sweat dripped down his nose and a sinking feeling pervaded his gut. As he felt absolutely nothing in his compartment. Not even a single coin.


    Those damn edgy kids, Kenji would rip their damn arms off if he ever met them again. But for the short term, Kenji was rapidly thinking up plans that didn''t end with Violet acting violently upon learning they would be sleeping under the table tonight.

 20 Chapter 20 - First Ques

    "Someone keeps looking through my window, two copper reward," Kenji skipped past that one.


    "Rats are infesting my storeroom again, five coppers upon eradication and another give when successfully sealed off from where they are getting in," Since Kenji didn''t specialise in pest control, he guessed that was worth a skip too.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "My baby doesn''t like being alone, nanny wanted. Once copper reward a day."


    Kenji sighed, not much helped by Tenko off sniffing someone and Violet snootily refusing to leave their booth/bed. She hadn''t been much up to much about anything, even though she had transformed a large portion of their space into a crystal chamber and had left Kenji and Tenko so close together he had used her tail as a pillow.


    "Cheer up lad, we all have to start somewhere," A rough voiced dwarf announced, slapping Kenji painfully hard on the back. Kenji forced a smile and looked longingly at the two silver dungeon exploration contract that dwarf had peeled off the wall.


    "Problem is, my party needs money to repair and buy equipment. But we don''t have the means to earn that money without doing these little things, that might only barely earn us the chance to be accepted by the guild. It''s just....like a ''loading bar that gets stuck near the end for an hour'' kind of feeling."


    The Dwarf gave Kenji a puzzled look and nodded slowly.


    "You have to start small kid. We all saw how brave you were when the Headless Hunter Guild came, but bravery does not make long-living adventurers. Competency does, and no one will trust you with anything important until you prove you''re at least competent when it comes to the most minor tasks. There''s not a lot of trust from the town''s peoples as there is, even less pay now that the King''s troops clear out the worst monsters near town. We need to look good then, only by being dependable can we rise."


    With that, the dwarf sauntered off in his clean clothes, trimmed brown beard and full belly.


    Kenji meanwhile felt as hungry and squalid as he looked. Even worse, Tenko was giving him a piercing gaze from across the guildhall, pupils turned to dots and mouth drooling as if Kenji might be some kind of walking ham.


    Kenji needed money, and he needed it fast before his pillow tried to eat him.


    If only he could take on one of the larger quests, like those above stairs where all the elite adventurers gathered. Down here amongst the rabble, the best that could be done was ''Pyromancer investigation'' that was about some arsonists up north in the mountains. Reward one gold, and sounding easy enough Kenji had tried to accept it at the counter.


    Only to be told he wasn''t yet provided with an adventurer license, and had to work up a silver coin for each member of his party he wanted qualified to undertake anything better than the most basic of quests. Yet seeing Tenko imagining him sizzling over a low flame like a roasting pig, Kenji snatched off the rat extermination quest, let the slime woman at the counter know, then pulled his undependable would-be-heroes along for the ride.


    He could at least use their strength in all this.


    And that''s how Kenji found himself before the largest man he had ever seen in his entire life.


    "Rats are down there," boomed the man who was surely part ogre, as he towered over Kenji and his party as if they were children and gestured at the heavy basement door on the ground. Barred, locked and reinforced from this side, it made Kenji feel as if whatever was down there was more dangerous than he had expected. "Hey, are you guys going to be ok? Usually, the adventurers that take care of this are a little more...prepared."


    Kenji hefted his sword still fused with stone, and nodded.


    "Don''t worry, we have this."


    "Well...if you say so. Go on then, I need ''em cleared out today- oh, and don''t follow where they are coming from, just block it up. Going down there is a higher ranking quest in itself."


    Sucking in a quick breath, Kenji turned to his team.


    "Violet, make some spears and-"


    "If I make you your spears, I''ll be staying up here. Understood?" Violet crossed her arms, Kenji stared at her.


    "Tenko thinks that''s dumb," Tenko added.


    "Thank you Tenko. So, Mrs Purple-"


    "-what happened to Violet?" Mrs Purple hissed.


    "That was a nickname given to a team player, not someone paid to cast some pre-fight spells. If you want to have my respect, you have to earn it. Thinking only of yourself will not help you in the long run."


    "I am above physical labour," Mrs Purple said as she raised her nose, and stared into Kenji with those lovely lilac eyes.


    "Your not above anything, now please hurry up I''m starving."


    "Tenko hungry!" Tenko whined, salivating even more extensively than before. Perhaps worried Kenji wouldn''t be the only one Tenko turned on, Violet nodded sullenly.


    Crystal spears in hand, they descended.


    "I''ll open this back up when the afternoon rush dies down, can''t have rats getting into the kitchen again!" The tavern ogre said, slamming the door shut behind them followed quickly by the sounds of locks and the slide of wood.


    "Don''t destroy anything, no point if we cause more damages than we earn. So no transforming, no mass crystal summoning," Kenji cautioned, lighting his sword in one hand with [blessing - fire] to provide some small light. With all the old crates, barrels and exposed wooden beams his stress levels shot through the roof. More than once webs caught alight, and Kenji had to wack his spear at the flames to stop it spreading to everything else.


    Eventually, having journeyed deeply into the expansive network of storerooms, they heard the chattering of teeth and the hissing of rats. A rather loud hissing actually, Kenji turning the corner and hearing them in the shadows right ahead.


    Out of the dark scowled three giant rats the size of small dogs, and a fourth behind covered in festering flesh and horrid boils. Kenji could tell that while the normal giant rats probably had filthy mouths, the one behind probably had something closer to a plague in its mouth.


    From behind them skittered something even larger, a rat on two feet, a wicked shard of iron in one hand and a barrel lid turned into a shield the other. Rats too poured from the flooring, and at that, the entire party fled madly.


    Retreating up the stairs they found the hatch still firmly closed. They banged their fists, but no one answered.


    Turning around, Kenji was the first to descend.


    "Its them or us, this is our last stand. Like 300."


    "300? This isn''t a time for jokes, let me summon my knight and-"


    "-you''ll bring the whole building down on us if you summon that thing!" Kenji said sternly, putting a hand on Tenko to calm her down as she seemed ready to shift at any moment. "That goes for you too. Fighting in your true form will bury us in rubble, then have us branded criminals for life. We won''t be able to help your pack then."


    A little disappointed, Tenko still looked at the huge rats hissing as they approached, and growled. With fanged teeth she smiled, "I was getting hungry," she said as she stood on the front line.


    From the back row, Violet produced walls of purple spikes at their flanks, bristling with needle-thin fishhooks, and thus forcing the rats to attack head-on. And Kenji? Well, he provided the second line of defence to stop Tenko becoming overun - oh, and the light.


    You know, that little detail that made the only difference between fighting monsters they could see; and monsters that melded with the pitch-black darkness of the basement.

 21 Chapter 21 - We did not like our first ques

    The hulking rats charged, Tenko kicking one aside and chomped her jaws down on another. The third dodged Kenji''s flaming sword, then jumped to bite at him. Screaming he fell over, the huge thing weighing a ton as it scratched at his armour and it''s putrid mouth screeched in his face.


    "Blessing of [sight]!" Kenji said, the burning eye flaring in his forehead and scaring the giant rat off him. In return, Kenji became accurately aware of the diseases riddling the thing, and the fleas that jettisoned of the creatures matted fur like a sinking ship.


    Eyes drifting back, Kenji saw the plague infested rat head on- and vomited. His mind spun, the grotesque nature of the creature too much for him.


    "Kenji! Get a hold of yourself!" Violet yelled, thrusting crystal spikes from the ground, one after another. The time between them forming and thrusting up proved too slow, the rats only being pushed back, not skewered.


    Tenko meanwhile fought like a champion, crushing rats in her hands, ripping the ears off the big ones and roaring monstrously whenever they attempted to surround her. Her bravery inspired Kenji to form his own courage. Finding his feet Kenji ripped off the rats swarming him and picked his burning blade back up.


    Tenko screamed, causing Kenji''s heart to pound with righteous anger, and more than a little of Arthur''s heroism fluttered through the back of his mind. The youth had always wanted to save a princess, to be the shining knight that rescued a damsel in distress atop a white horse.


    Well, Kenji had no white horse, the princess was a monster, and his armour was the opposite of shining. But for that boy, Kenji charged into the swarm of knashing teeth and rat tails.


    Swinging with precision, Kenji left a swathe of burning dead, Violet sending crystals erupting around the exposed wood to limit the chance of a fire. Swatting away the rats, Tenko was let loose by the swarm, covered in bites, blood dribbling from a dozen wounds.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    Howling, Kenji leapt forward and sliced through several rats in a wide arc, before he was met with the plague rat. Eyes locked, they surveyed one another. Kenji the boy knight, and Sir Plague rat who writhed and screeched while it rubbed it''s rotting flesh agaisnt a wooden post.


    Perhaps this entire place burning to the ground wasn''t so bad an idea after all.


    Kenji leapt, the plague rat screeched. Burning blade plunging into too-soft flesh as easy as butter, the whole thing erupting out it''s back, plagued organs spilling across the pantry. The rats fled at once, the humanoid in the backline leaping away with them down the cellar. Back there it threw back a few wooden boards and ushered its swarm down a cavern.


    "Violet, with me!" Kenji charged the enemy escape route and stuck his flaming sword to find a network of caves beyond. This entire town was probably built atop it, the places the rats could hide so expansive only a complete expedition would have a hope of tracking them down.


    "Close it up, we''re leaving," Kenji stood back as Violet created a crystal wall over the hole, Kenji then sliding the wooden planks back into place. It wouldn''t hold indefinitely but was certainly good enough for that bastard of a tavern keeper.


    Wiping the diseased gunk off his muddy armour, Kenji realised it might be best to throw the whole thing away. But the armour had at least protected him from dozens of bites and scratches, the putrid metal all that had stopped him looking as badly wounded as Tenko.


    "Violet. You go up there and scream for that man to open the door... because if he doesn''t I am going to break it down."


    Kenji moved to use his blessing of [Healing] but realised that was unlikely to clean out Tenko''s diseased wounds. He needed hot water, cloth, strong alcohol and maybe even some fire to burn the disease-free before he healed the wounds themselves closed.


    Kenji picked up Tenko and carried her away.


    Something in Arthur''s mind felt at peace to be carrying a rescued girl in the princess carry style, and if that really was a piece of Arthur left behind, then Kenji was glad for him.


    Because he had to get this girl washed, healed and fed, a long way to go before Kenji could even think of such luxury like sleep, properly blasting the tavern owner for tricking them - or heaven forbid - actually collecting the reward for this stinking quest.


    Kenji had raised all hell in the tavern with the ogre - for about ten seconds. After that, the ogre capitulated wholly to Kenji''s demands.


    It turns out having a plague rat in your cellar would have been been the talk of the town - and so Kenji traded keeping quite for free meals and free baths. For all of them. For a month.


    Yet what worried him was how casually the tavern owner accepted this backlash, paying them double almost as if he expected it. The news of the humanoid rat had similarly seemed suspicious to Kenji and yet unsurprising to the ogre, merely shrugging, and returning to serving his stew. If Kenji had any choice, he''d have eaten literally anywhere else.


    Luckily he was at least poison immune, although now that he thought about it, kenji wasn''t sure of mimics could get sick or not.


    In the bathhouse Kenji scrubbed Tenko down with the roughest sponges he could find, intent on getting every fleck of corruption form her pale skin. Tenko meanwhile blew bubbles in the water, sinking pleasantly, drenched tail swishing slowly below the water and tickling Kenji''s stomach.


    "What about me Kenji?" Violet huffed, luxuriating at the spa''s edge with arms to either side, "If you''re going to be the bath boy, then it makes sense that your most useful team member gets to be scrubbed too."


    Kenji''s eyes twitched, turning to find Violet sinking beneath the soapy water, just a hint of her curvaceous body beneath. A tad hot and bothered, Kenji focused doubly hard on saving Tenko from the plague, and quickly used up all three of his blessings of [Healing] for the day.


    "Cheers to our first accomplished quest!" Kenji said, toasting his cup of heavily watered down mead, at the table they would sleep under tonight.


    "Cheers to being clean!" Violet added, having used her share immediately to buy some stiffer drink that smelt of Vanilla and Cinnamon. Kenji had wanted a fancy drink too but felt settled with his discoveries of the wonders of her alien anatomy. Pleasing similar to a human girl for one, if a tad on the curvy side.


    Yet with the 1 silver requirement to take the Guild entry-level test, buying some a drink for himself was put to bed. Sighing, Kenji gulped down the mead that tasted like nasty water, and rested his head on the table.


    Although Kenji had at least gained one additional reward from all this, other than the pay, the bath, the in-bath entertainment and the food. For within his internal storage was a rat. Of the normal size to be sure.


    But the perfect size for scouting, and so small it took up almost no room in there at all.


    As he sat there speaking with Tenko, smooth and supple again after her healing bath treatment- violet interrupted.


    "Here, take it," she mumbled, handing Kenji a few coppers. He had to pry them free from her hands, but afterwards took a bite, cast blessing of [sight] and still found them not to be an illusion.


    "How...? And why?" He muttered, mystified.


    "Those beggars asked to buy some, they resell them to folk around town. I said ok, and these are the profits. You deserve it, after saving her, and for helping me." Turning sharply away, Violet seemed to fix on something in the distance as she tried to hide her darkening purple cheeks beneath her nun''s cloak.


    ''Congratulations, XP has been increased enough to select your reward'' Violet said with black cracks around her eyes, Tenko having leapt away to chase a mouse.


    "Noir...it''s been too long," Kenji smiled.

 22 Chapter 22 - Level Three

    "Long time no see, Noir."


    "Indeed Kenji, you look well."


    Kenji grinned, his chest flooded with warmth.


    "I''ve started wearing a new face since last time- ow," Something in his head twinged. Kenji told Arthur to calm down, shook his head, and returned his focus back to Noir''s mirthful expression.


    "You know it''s really weird seeing Violet look this happy," Kenji said, and Noir just pulled her smile wider.


    "You''ve done amazingly with both her and the werewolf. Who would have thought that a Parasite that curses the Elven race and a Pureblooded Wearwolf could not only be dissuaded from consuming you in your sleep, but also to actually sacrifice equipment, wealth and power for others?"


    Kenji gulped.


    "Parasite? Pure werewolf? Do I have to worry about full moons or-"


    "Keep up what you''re currently doing, and it should be fine. You wouldn''t have gotten this much XP for doing nothing, after all, and you''ve really provided some lasting positive change for these girls Kenji. You should be proud."


    "B-but I haven''t even done that much! Just saved them from the inquisitors, talked with them, and went on the worst adventure in the world- how could that have changed them so much?"


    "Well, your class is unique. I just pulled it from my cognition, and it''s not impossible that you have some kind of aura even I can''t perceive that makes others want to do good. But if I were to bet, it would be that they like this new face of yours. It''s very symmetrical, although not as interesting as your base form."


    "Oh Noir, you really know how to get a mimic to blush. But, as lovely as it is to see those lovely eyes again, mind letting me see what my lvl up options are?" Kenji played with his hands, sweat beading across his back as an increasingly nervous grin widened on his face.


    "Oh, of course, you must be exhausted. Right away, Kenji," With a flick of her wrist the two options were presented.


    On the left was the [Full Forbidden Mimic] option that evolved Kenji further along the specific species chain of this rare, outer space, mimic sub-species that Kenji had chosen. Other than more internal storage space, Kenji would get one [Forbidden adaption] slot. This slot could fit one imprint of any creature without taking up his internal space, without needing to bring the body and while still providing it''s full powers and equipment upon transformation.


    However, since only a mere imprint, the destruction of the body in combat would convert the imprint back to its basic energy after a period of appearing a corpse. Once destroyed the imprint would take an entire day before it was reformed and able to be worn again. That and Kenji would only have access to half the creature''s stats, so a definite downgrade from using the actual corpse.


    The evolution would change Kenji''s base form too, if only visually. Kenji''s base form would become even more ancient-looking, with fancier locks and chains to boot.


    The second option was to become a regular mimic. Kenji would lose some internal space but could morph his body at will and replicate any item around him from a range of sizes. He could contort into a chest, a door, a carpet and a skeleton quickly to name but a few examples. The amount of hijinks Kenji could get up to were extraordinary, Kenji already well aware that if he wanted too he could become a towel in the women''s bathing area.


    Yet the first option was easily the rarest, and while he hadn''t a good corpse to use, the added benefits of the slot were indeed very attractive. As it were now, if he was to lose Arthur''s corpse to a devastating attack, it would be unlikely to be fixed up inside him. More than likely it would forever be reduced to a mutilated corpse, and Kenji would be left attempting to convince his companions that his base form was actually the same person.


    For the first time in a while, Kenji stared at his hands. Youthful, strong and certainly not his own. But who was he now exactly? Kenji had been a sixteen year old on earth, was he really anyone anymore? And while switching bodies like others would clothes could advance him further, would he ever find skin he felt comfortable within?


    That he could feel like himself within?


    He tapped the first option and gripped his chest.


    "You''ll unravel, better to go outside I think Kenji," Noir said, leaning back against her seat.


    "I''ll keep Arthur though, right? I don''t have to worry about losing him?


    "You''ll be fine. Just go before you cause a scene already. Oh, and goodbye, I have other matters to attend to."


    "Cya Noir," Kenji whispered, his endless questions remaining unspoken as he slipped free of the guild keep to find a secluded area in a back alley. There, he contorted wildly, and in moments returned to his base form. The chains were now a brighter bronze, his locks scrawled with silver and his hunchback converted to some extra height.


    He had a permanent mouth now beneath his ratty beard, which itself now seemed peppered with grey like a real old man. His limbs felt ancient as moons, his eyes as smooth as glaciers as he surveyed his surroundings. Snatching out his cane, Kenji started to hobble yet found it no longer necessary.


    Still, Kenji liked to hobble. So hobble he did, right back into the Guild Keep were he found a warm fire and stool. Grunting into his fist, the closest adventurers gave him odd looks, and Kenji began.


    "A simple story, an ancient tale from worlds far away. Come sit by this fire with me, and hear the tale of Parry Hotter and the Thinkers Rock."


    It didn''t take long before Kenji''s nearly copyright-infringing tale of Parry Hotter got a sizable audience. Tenko was first amongst them, listening eagerly to his tale of the Mages Night School called Pigboils and the many adventures of Parry Hotter and his friends.


    Pleased to be making her so happy, as evident by the swift swish of her tail, Kenji talked for hours. Eventually, everyone else was too tired, and Kenji started to lose some of the huge crowd that had gathered. Even Almanac watched from the second balcony, eyeing Kenji with curious eyes.


    "That''ll be all for today, good adventurers. If you could offer some coin for my tale, I''ll be off, but will come back to resume another day."


    Copper coins flooded in, Kenji earning a whole silver''s worth of wealth. Smiling to himself while he was being patted on the back, and urged for additional information, Kenji realised this might be a way to earn the necessary three silvers they needed.


    "But-but-but!" Tenko yelled, bounding after him, "Why did Parry Hotter''s spoon-shaped scar start hurting? What happens next!" Scrounging up a single copper coin, Tenko added it to Kenji''s pocket.


    "Thank you, my dear - but you''ll have to wait until next time. I promise, an eve soon, I will return and answer all the questions you could ever think of." Kenji smiled as warmly as a shopping centre Santa Claus.


    "Where do babies come from?" Tenko asked.


    "Not that one; I must go now. Goodbye!" Kenji turned and fled into the night, only to return as Arthur and get into bed.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "You should have seen him Kenji! The storyteller was AMAAAZING!" Kenji''s pillow told him. Nodding along, Kenji muttered plenty of ''reaaly?'' and ''woooow'' and ''next time for sure'' as Tenko fell fast asleep, Violet beside him, and Kenji soon after that.

 23 Chapter 23 - Hunting

    Having decided that returning to Rat Slaying was not for them, Kenji and his party found themselves outside the town gates. It didn''t take long to pass the farms and enter the forest. The forest grew dark and scary so fast Kenji had to whip his head behind him to check they hadn''t entered a portal.


    "I don''t like this," Kenji whispered. Violet nodded in answer.


    Tenko ran ahead unafraid in her beast form, lunging into bushes, and laying in wait to burst out from the trees and growl.


    "Enough! Please, my heart can only take so many shocks before it clocks out for the day," Kenji said as he clutched his chest for the third time. Tenko just grinned wide with a fanged jaw and bound away.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "Really Kenji, it smells better out here; but can we really earn money this way?" Violet said with pursed lips, peering around the thick flora dubiously.


    "The guild gave us a list of plants that they buy, and surely Tenko can hunt deer or something for us to sell. That''ll be a good money spinner I promise, much better than that stupid tavern and it''s rats at least."


    That got Violet nodding enthusiastically, starting to pull loose every flower, root and leaf of sufficient colour and shine.


    "Actually what we''re looking for isn''t that pretty," Kenji grimaced, not having wanted to disrupt Violet who smiled like a child as she held a bouquet of beautiful white lilies.


    "Oh, what are we looking for then?"


    "Devil root," Kenji said. "It grows around spirit trees who have become corrupt and leech of the surrounding forest to grow stronger. Apparently it''s a resource in very high in demand for its uses in all kinds of alchemy. As long as we don''t get too close to the corrupt spirit trees themselves, it should be relatively safe to harvest. I''ve already told Tenko this, so hopefully, she''ll find something as she -"


    A sudden howl sent Kenji stumbling away, and with a schwing he pulled free his stone fused blade. Tenko laughed roughly, having prowled right around the corner.


    "You are so easy to frighten! Like a little baby deer, all wide-eyed and stupid!"


    "Haha- Tenko! have you found anything yet?" Kenji said through gritted teeth and a forced smile.


    "Other than delicious meats? Yes, your weird tree is this way. Follow Tenko!"


    Grumbling to himself, Kenji followed along with Violet close behind.


    All together they stumbled ever deeper into the dark forest, filled with an increasingly large number of thorn, ivy and angry wasps. Going wide-eyed at a face sized spider that Kenji had been a moment from stepping into, he halted.


    "Is this really the right way?" he whispered, Kenji''s voice stolen by the breeze and travelling far further through the hungry dark than he had wanted. The trees ruffled their leaves angrily, and Violet had begun to shake behind him.


    "Tenko is certain," Tenko said snatching the spider with her teeth and starting to chew.


    Kenji stared in horror.


    "Follow Tenko! This way!" Tenko turned and zoomed into even deeper parts of the forest, Kenji and Violet left following rather worriedly after her. After some time they came into a less thick area, pale orange roots scrawled across the ground. The roots were feeding off the other plant life, sucking them of their energy and causing dozens of more trees to slowly wilt and die.


    "Devil root!" Kenji beamed, starting to cut some of the roots free.


    "K-Kenji..." Violet whispered, pulling at Kenji''s sleave.


    "Yes?"


    "Look," pointing mere metres ahead, Violet indicated to where a very angry tree with obsidian black bark stared at them, it''s roots the ones spawning the devil root that was draining the surrounding forest of life. In its branches was Tenko, wrapped in thorny vines as she struggled to reach a glowing golden apple hidden amidst blood-red leaves.


    "Give apple!" Tenko yelled as she was completely entombed in vines.


    "Mortals, leave this forest forever if you wish to save your friend''s life- hey, stop that!"


    Enraged, Kenji had already activated his [Blessing - Fire] while Violet was summoning her crystal knight with a thirst for murder in her eyes.


    "I''ll let her go, just get lost alright?" Cackled the tree and rubbing two of its roots together like a villain preparing a cunning scheme.


    "So you can shift the forest around us, get us lost, wait until we starve and then attack? I think not," Kenji said, charging forward with his burning blade. At his side rode the crystal knight, it''s lance quickly crashing into the tree''s side.


    "Then die fool!" the corrupt spirit tree roared, shedding a hundred crimson leaves that became sharp as knives and heavy as stone. Slashing the crystal knight to pieces, they came for Kenji next- saved just in time by a silver bubble. Above the entombed Tenko had appeared her summoned moon, the corrupt spirit tree peering up at it confused.


    While the leaves were being deflected, for now, Kenji charged and slashed at the spirit tree''s base. The tree howled and thrashed its spine covered roots to rip free swathes of flesh and blood. Thrown back, Kenji rolled across the dirt as roots erupted around him.


    "Oh shit-" Kenji stabbed at a root, the rest pulling back as the tree screamed again and the fire from its wounds began to smoulder. Huge crystals thrust from the ground to gash into base, more crawling up the spirit trees side to slash at the vines that held Tenko.


    Tumbling free, Tenko the giant wolf roared and charged. Her claws slashed through the tree like paper, her jaws ripping free vine, thorn and bark with similar ease.


    "You are a blight upon MY forest, die mortals, DIE!" the corrupt spirit tree roared.


    With the corrupt spirit tree focusing its leaves on warding off Tenko, he never saw Kenji watching closely.


    The Tree, like any other boss, fought in a stiff attack pattern.


    Slash, slash, monologue, leaves. It was always the same, and so Kenji waited until the second slash of roots before he charged. Morphing into a rat, Kenji could weave his way through the torrent of waiving roots unnoticed, before launching and transforming back to the boy knight mid-air.


    "I will use you as fertilizer for my roots as- what?" The corrupt spirit tree was stunned as Kenji suddenly appeared and plunged his flaming sword into its eye. Piercing deep, Kenji managed to hit an integral organ of some sort causing the whole ree to wheeze and fall limp, it''s many scarlet leaves falling free like a strange rain.


    "We did it!" Violet cheered, holding a gash at her side closed.


    "Let me see that, [Heal]," Kenji sealed the wound closed, then using one on himself and the third on Tenko''s mouth that had been torn by eating thorns. "We''ll need to do that again tomorrow to fully heal the wounds, luckily no one was hurt too badly."


    "Ok! Because my mouth still hurts," Tenko grumbled as she picked at a thorn still stuck between her fangs. Violet started wisely pulling free the larger pieces of devil root while Kenji approached the dead corrupt spirit tree''s face. Behind he found some blue crystals buried into the wood and pried free the mean face too since it looked kinda weird and thought someone might buy it.


    "I almost forgot!" Tenko yelled, leaping back to the tree and aiming for the golden apple.


    "Tenko no! That''s probably worth a lot of - damn it!"


    Tenko snapped her jaws closed around the apple and ate it on one big gulp. For a brief moment, her fur was turned bright gold, before fading away back into her usual white. Landing back down, she seemed a bit bigger in her wolf form, and her moon eyes had temporarily gone gold.


    "Eeeeh," Tenko said, eyes shifting left then right.


    "What is it Tenko?"


    "Tenko has levelled up. But...Tenko doesn''t know which to choose. Should Tenko evolve to be more flighty, or more supportive of the pack?"


    "Fighty for sure. We need you to be the frontline fighter and-"


    "SUPPORT THE PACK!" Tenko roared, and her moon summon appeared again. Then it shifted to silver, the normal silver bubble around Kenji and Violet instead snapping into their limbs and increasing their movement speed and agility.


    "Ok, this is pretty cool," Kenji said as he danced around, each step moving far further and with greater precision than was normal. Violet laughed as she met him halfway, the pair dancing with blazingly fast movements and the dexterity of professional dancers.


    "We should go soon, I think there might be other monsters out here today," Kenji said. "But before that, I have one last thing to do. " Kenji peered up at the dead spirit tree, and wondered if it would count as something to fill his replication slot.

 24 Chapter 24 - Firefox

    "Well, after paying the fine for destroying that spirit tree we made enough for a round of drinks tonight," Kenji smiled.


    Violet huffed and rubbed her eyes.


    "All that for a few coppers? Can we at least not eat that tavern''s gruel?"


    Kenji wished they didn''t have too, but clenching his fist he shook his head. Even though his stories tonight had brought in another silver, they needed that money to earn their status as real adventurers.


    "No, but would it help if I showed you something interesting?" While he had her attention, Kenji had been thinking about this for a while. His friends not knowing about his powers made him uncomfortable, and Kenji thought it was finally time to come clean.


    "What is it Kenji?" Tenko said, ears flattening, "you''re not leaving are you?"


    "No-no! I am not leaving. You know what? I think it''s a bit late, how about we drink, have a good sleep, and I''ll show you two tomorrow."


    No one seemed to like that plan, but once the grumbling was over with they were tired enough to fall asleep rather quickly. Except for Kenji, who fretted for hours before finally falling into an anxious sleep.


    The next day they were on their way to a capture quest when Kenji decided it was time. As they walked outside of town, over rolling hills and into the farms filled with golden stalks and grazing cows, Kenji stopped suddenly.


    "You guys need to understand this before we continue," he said.


    "Yeah? What is it, did you buy us fans?" Violet said as she waved air against her face. Sweating hard, she peered up at the clear blue sky and the golden sun that was the culprit of this blazingly hot day.


    "No I didn''t buy you fans," Kenji sighed.


    "Did you get us food?" Tenko said, peering at a distant line of smoke coming from a nearby field.


    "No, I didn''t buy you any food. This isn''t a guessing game, I''m just saying I''m a mimi-"


    "Firefox! I''ve sighted it, come on!" Tenko bounded forward, special herb in hand.


    Pulling out more of the herb, Violet ran after.


    Gritting his teeth, Kenji pulled out some of the herbs that the quest giver had given them too and followed. He still couldn''t believe there was a literal creature called a ''Firefox'' and he could only shudder at what a ''Google'' would look like.


    Running after them, Kenji entered a smouldering field to find a very real firefox. It''s burning tail had set the wheat alight, and only a swift formation of crystal prevented the fire from spreading. Already Tenko snarled in her beast form, the Firefox hissing back as its tail flared behind it.


    "I am a mimic!" Kenji shouted, having had quite enough of staying in the closet.


    "A what? Hurry up and give it the herbs already!" Violet shouted back, creating walls of crystal around the Firefox only for it to bound around. Tenko summoned her Silver moon, the parties agility and movement speed increasing, and yet being able to seize the Firefox with their hands wasn''t enough to stop them getting badly burned in the process.


    "UGH, just watch this," Kenji growled and activated his slot.


    Bubbling up three times his height, Kenji transformed into the Obsidian barked Spirit Tree. In the next moment, he extended his many roots and vines to bind the Firefox, it''s fiery tail causing extreme damage to Kenji''s tendrils.


    "Hurry! Press the herb into the tail!" Kenji cried out in great pain.


    Violet and Tenko just looked at him numbly.


    "Didn''t we beat you up, Mr Spirit Tree?" Tenko said, eyeing his branches with interest. That some expression flattened into depression when she didn''t find another golden apple waiting.


    "It''s me, Kenji, Please hurry up this is REALLY painful!" Kenji whined, both of them sharing confused looks with one another. Peering around they couldn''t see the boy knight either, and after several agonizing seconds finally threw handfuls of the herb onto the Firefox''s tail.


    Immediately the tail was extinguished, the resulting smoke causing the Firefox to grow numb and collapse into a deep sleep.


    Sighing, Kenji let go of his transformation, his many singed roots retracting to a point and Kenji the old man covered in dark cloth and bronze chains appearing. He also felt how he could have jettisoned the body for a quicker escape, but that would have resulted in the full one day wait time for the form to become usable again, instead of perhaps the half an hour it would take to fully replace the damaged roots.


    Violet looked affronted, but Tenko bounded over excitedly.


    "Mr Storyteller, why are you here?" She said, plush tail wagging excitedly.


    "Tenko, it''s me. Kenji. This is my true form as I currently exist, and even though this is not the body I was born in, it is what I look like now. Uh, I''ll become the Kenji you know again while you think of how you want to respond," Kenji quickly shifted back to the boy knight, and pushed aside his fiery orange hair. Quickly Violet stepped far too close, staring right into Kenji''s golden eyes, put a finger on his lips and dragged it down to his neck, then chest.


    "A mimic...huh?" Violet smiled.


    "You''re...ok with this?"


    "Please, to know a fellow Parasite type is around me makes me feel much better. And here I thought I was all alone..." Violet turned to look at Tenko, who had sat down to better manage the fast thoughts bounding around her head.


    "Story," Tenko demanded at last and crossing her arms.


    "When we get back," Kenji smiled. "But Violet, what is this Parasite type you speak of?"


    "Oh you know, Vampires, Demons, Werewolves, Mana worms and of course...Mimics. We are the species that could not survive without a host civilisation to feed off, although that doesn''t have to be as aggressive as many Parasite types are. There exist Parasites that seek more of a Symbiosis, although I''ve only ever heard a rumour of that. The Congregation of Parasites whisper about the possibility, and the Parasite type nations that could arise if we work out a method of existence that isn''t as harmful to other races."


    Kenji stared at Violet intently, hesitant to interrupt. Before his very eyes, Kenji watched Violet flitter between an internal decision. Would she live for herself, or would she live for others?


    When no decision seemed forthcoming, Kenji sighed.


    "So which of those are you then- vampire?" A bad guess, but Kenji had literally no idea of what the purple alien elf could be otherwise.


    "I''m a mana worm," she said simply.


    Kenji raised his eyebrows, Tenko clapped and smiled.


    "Story!" She said.


    "A mana worm is....rare," Violet said with a small smile as the others encouraged her onward.


    "We are from space originally, although I was told that by another. We reproduce rarely, and so many of our kind descend within comets from the stars. After hitting the earth we find a magical corpse and fuse with it, adapting the body and generating innate powers with some special control over the species itself."


    "So you...fused with a dead elf?" Kenji''s eyes watered, "Just like me and Arthur...do you have their memories too? Their desires and ambitions?"


    "Kind of. The elf I inhabited was a newborn, with little willpower and even less experience with life. After I fused, the elf kingdom, only numbering a few hundred, called me a sign of their god. I was raised to a position in their church and was set to become their ruler. Then humans attacked, I was separated, and then captured."


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    Kenji was about to tell her about the elf he could morph into, realising the elf might have memories of this person, when other adventurers arrived.


    "Have you seen a Firefox around here?" they said.


    "Yeah, we just caught it actually. You guys are as slow as Internet Explorer by the way- oh! And lookout for the wild Google seen around these parts. Not only is it huge, but it contains all the information of humanity..." Kenji chuckled when he saw the trios horrified faces.


    Steering his friends and he sleeping Firefox away, Kenji led them back to town.

 25 Chapter 25 - Elvish learning

    Her name was Ash.


    Kenji thought deeper, she had been a warden. Once designated with guarded the elvish prison that housed the evil spirits of the land. The warden had been egregiously wounded and was evacuated just before the humans attacked.


    There she had learned of their goddesses capture, and while the spirits that gave her power were stolen away too, she alone had the martial ability required to fight without their support. She had tracked down the goddesses disappearance to the human capital, and there had found naught but her end.


    Kenji was crying, unable to go any further. The woman''s bravery was peerless, several of her companions having lost their lives along the way. In the end, even she had died, none the wiser that her ''goddess'' was a parasite that thought minimally of her.


    But he also remembered the good.


    Before Violet had arrived, the elvish king had died a cursed being terrified of sunlight. His curse had infected the others of the royale family one by one, all electing to put themselves into the ground before they withered as their king had.


    Including a girl, barely born before she choked on soil.


    Seeing that same girl arise without the slightest fear of sunlight...no one cared that she was purple. No one cared that she was blindingly beautiful, nor that she could summon purple crystals while not even a single year old. She had united them, and without her return, the elvish people of the Sun would no doubt fall back into the curses clutches again.


    Rubbing the tears from his eyes, Kenji left the room he had been hiding within to meet Violet.


    Instantly she seemed as if a walking angel once more, absolutely perfect in every way. And that''s when Kenji knew, this elf named Ash had been in love.


    And apparently, was still very much in love.


    The rush of emotions was as deep as the sea, as strong as a gale and as intoxicating as absinthe to leave Kenji swaying. His pupils dilated, his vision turned rosy, and all thoughts but Violet left his mind as soft as a summer breeze.


    She was beautiful, sexy, wise and brave. She was noble, kind, romantic and fierce.


    She was perfect.


    "Kenji...are you ok?" Violet said with a hint of a gorgeous smile that pierced Kenji''s heart like an arrow. Extending his trembling hand, he clasped them in her own and drank deeply of her mere image until his heart bounded fast as a rabbit in heat and his ears were filled with the bellows of love.


    "Y-yes..."Ash- Kenji said. Pulling his hands away, sanity returned for only a short time before he once again returned to staring into Violet''s dreamy amethyst eyes. Like pools of violet speckled with pinkish-purple dots.


    "I''m going to go wash up, you should come with," Violet said.


    Ash was helpless to refuse, following like a personal attendant.


    The next hour passed like a dream, Ash scrubbing Violet head to toe, while she stared slavishly at Violet''s naked body. Ash served her dishes for her, after checking it for poison with her own tongue. Ash opened doors for her too and fulfilling even her slightest whims with gusto- nay, with the utmost fulfilment.


    Once they returned and found Tenko angry at being left behind, Ash just pushed the wolf girl aside and continued to obsess over increasingly minor details of Violet''s physique. The curve of her hips, the gap between her thighs, the soft lips and softer eyes.


    Until they were interrupted, that is.


    "Ladies, how are you this very fine evening?" Said Almanac, his usual two girls glowering at them from the second floor.


    "Could I invite you upstairs for a drink or -" Having placed a hand on Violet''s lower back, Almanac soon found Ash''s boot-knife at his throat.


    "Back. Off," Ash hissed with twitching eyes and a volcanic feeling of hatred for this man who would touch her dearly beloved. That back''s was only Ash''s to touch, and even then with the greatest respect and a heart filled with devotion.


    "Do not threaten a wizard and expect things to go well for you, my dear," Almanac whispered as his eyes turned to slits. Yet smiling he seemed not at all alarmed, even while the happy bantering of the nearest adventurers died out, and all eyes fell upon the quarrelling trio.


    "Kenji, stop," Violet whispered and blushed furiously.


    Slowly, Ash pulled away the blade- Kenji clawed his way back into his own mind. Immediately he closed his eyes so as not to see her, and stopped breathing so as not to even sniff a hint of that intoxicating scent.


    "Pardon me," he said as he stumbled to the door.


    "Dearest elf, are you quite alright? I didn''t mean to scare you," Alamanac said, grasping Kenji''s shoulder. Shoving his hand aside, Kenji forced himself away.


    "Nearest Guild leader, it is I who should apologise..." Kenji made it out of the keep and into the night. Even though that was the chance to finally grow close to the guild master, he could not risk Ash taking over again.


    It would be a fate too horrible.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.

 26 Chapter 26 - Battle Royale

    "All is ready, Templar," Hissed the Highest Custodian of his majesties prison.


    "I''m not a Templar anymore. Jack...call me Jack," Jack said, without his holy armour, vestments and scripture that he had carried on him since being born. A lifetime in the order had come to a crashing end, and while shamed beyond belief, Jack had yet to give up on this chance of redemption.


    "Then...Jack the Warden. They are assembled."


    "Jack, you should start sooner rather than later. The One has demanded speed in this matter," muttered a red-robed inquisitor.


    "Thank you Phillip, it means a lot to me that you decided to remain in my service. All of you, thank you for your loyalty. I do not deserve it," Jeck turned to bow his shaved head at the man. Again be bowed, although this time to the neatly dressed rows of inquisitor priests and crusaders standing far behind.


    "The pleasure is ours. When we heard our Templar was being discharged in such a fashion, we all knew then and there our time to serve the three in the Cathedral had come to an end. I wish to catch them as much as you do, Jack. We all do. Those evil souls that ruined such a holy place...," Phillip stared with hard blue eyes like chips of ice, and his rugged hands clasped with white knuckles around his sword-staff. Behind him the temple Faithful grew similar stern, the fires of retribution flickering brightly in their eyes.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    The day was rainy, thunder blared in the distance and it''s flashes of light lit the large stone room that they above. Shaped into an octagon, the huge room was meant to serve as the eating hall for this prison. Instead, the tables had been removed, the hundreds of inmates handed weaponry and pushed to the walls. The guards had withdrawn to their high turrets and vantage points to watch with relative safety, yet even they were armed to the teeth in case the prisoners turned on them.


    The guards gave Jack''s followers odd looks, their sauntering steps, rusting equipment and lack of faith making them a completely separate - lesser - breed of warrior.


    "Than let us begin."


    Jack the Warden rose a hand, all the prisoner''s eyes fixating on him.


    "Criminals, heretics....traitors. I have come to offer you a chance of redemption, a chance at salvation! You have been gathered, armoured and left to ponder. Well, wonder as to your fate no more. Those who pass this test will be offered clemency and the chance to join me on the Thunberad Crusade! Heaven eternal! Wealth enough to live a prince! Fame enough to become a legend! Glory like you have never before dreamed! These will be yours, instead of a wretched cell, segregated from society and spat upon - you could have it all!"


    Jack watched as the inmates held their weapons tighter, each displaying various levels of efficiency and professionalism in their stance. The monsters amongst them unnerved the mere humans, the one known as ''Flower Knight'' all alone in her area of the hall despite being the only one still bound by chain and lock. A woman who now had flowers blooming from her hair and vines wrapping her arms as if she were a part tree...Jack couldn''t blame them.


    "Many of you were born into slums, forests, poor villages and poorer families. Others amongst you made hard choices in hard times and were made criminal due to situations forced upon you. Yet a life of honour is still possible for you, a life of respect, and a life that will be celebrated by the world. YOU can save humanity from the 18 evil souls, YOU can be heroes!"


    Cheers, erratic but strong. Then more, stamping feet, bright grins.


    "What do we have to do?" Roared a man with a toad''s neck and three teeth.


    "You need to cut down the unworthy - while proving your own ability in combat. Where we go there will be demons, fallen saints, ancient evils and wicked gods. You must prove yourself capable, and not a liability. You all number four hundred in this hall, yet I have room for only forty. Rest assured, the last forty left alive will see their wounds tended too with the small team of priests and crusaders I have on hand."


    Jack stood still as a statue, the prisoners eyeing one another below. None dared make the first move, the Flower knight''s mad laughter the only sound other than the tinkling of rain and crashing of lightning.


    Phillip stepped forward, cold eyes holding the weight of a god''s judgment behind them.


    "You may begin," he said clear as day and as emotional as a lump of stone. He tapped his sword-staff once upon the stone.


    The next instance was carnage.


    Men turned to animals, women to banshees and the craven soon made themselves known as they charged the barred jail doors. Grim eyed guards stood beyond, unmoved as the criminals were cut down by those who had chosen to fight.


    Jack forced himself to watch the slaughter, as human and monster alike fell upon each other like wolves upon the lamb. The fighting was bloody, cut-throat and ruled by complete anarchy of hundreds of struggling limbs. Murders tried to pull their guts back into their body, swindlers attempted to feign their strength while staying out of the worst of it and madmen cackled while tearing out their own nails.


    Amidst it all the Flower Knight was different. Jack hadn''t seen how she broke the chains, but she strode now through the battle as if it were a flowerbed. Her hair was a mane of flowers, a rainbow of hues with crimson being the most prominent. Her eyes were grass green, her fine pink lips pulled back to reveal perfectly set white teeth.


    A man dove at her back, dagger in hand. The Flower knight whipped around to smash his head into the ground, then planted something in his mouth. In the next moment, he squirmed but did not scream. From his body burst roots, and from his mouth a crimson flower.


    The Flower Knight plucked the flower, admired it, then added it to her mane.


    "Jack, some of these people have useful skills. Having them kill each other like this will waste their talents," Phillip warned, without any hint of compassion in his eyes for the desperate masses of life.


    "I know. I have read the report of each member here, maybe it''s time to lend a hand to our latest recruits."


    Summoning his golden chains, Jack first extracted Tony the Breton. The thief rose to hang by golden chains before in the air before Jack.


    Fast with his hands, and faster with his feet, Tony had been a pick-pocket that had slipped a jewelled ring free of a baron, then another from his wife and then the necklace of the daughter. All on the same night. If only he hadn''t boasted loudly about the theft at a nearby tavern the next day, he wouldn''t have been caught.


    "Tony the Breton, do you swear your everlasting loyalty to Jack the Warden?" Phillip announced with all the aires of a professional priest.


    "Aye, aye I do-"


    "Liar," Phillip hissed, a golden eye flaring at his forehead. Tony the Breton paled, "No- no I swear it! I''ll follow him, i''ll-"


    "Liar."


    Lifting him high, Jack built up strength before slinging him back into the fray. Tumbling against the stone, Tony the Breton had his throat cut before he could so much as stand.


    "For the remainder of you, I am a great priest of the All Kowing one. For as long as I have my blessing of [Truth] you cannot lie to me. Do so when questioned, or fail to give your honest loyalty, and you will go the same way as Tony the Breton!"

 27 Chapter 27 - Let the blood hit the floor

    The Flower Knight continued to impress, her moves lighting fast and yet smooth as running water. She snapped necks and planted flowers with the same small hands, her flower mane swishing left and right as she appeared to dance throughout the battlefield.


    A huge Forest Troll roared at a great pitch, the smell of blood driving the monster into a frenzy as it charged into the fray. Throwing aside several humans at a time, the monster was both insanely strong and able to heal in an instant. Its favourite move appeared to be stamping on the others heads, skulls crashing like eggshells beneath the Forest Troll''s heel.


    Through the slaughter appeared one even more impressive than the Flower Knight, his blades like living creatures in his hands. In single strikes, he split others in half, with a flick of the wrist blood spurt, and in a single step he appeared several feet ahead to strike through another man''s eye. Whoever this man was, he had the clear skills of an Assassin.


    A brave warrior came to oppose him, using several skills to increase his defence and force the assassin to focus on him. To either side came another pair of warriors that used the exact same set of abilities.


    "You''ve been caught by the green boys!" Sneered the first, smacking his hammer rhythmically against his shield. "Prepare to lose yea head!"


    Immediately the assassin attacked. The first warrior swung, yet the assassin flowed beneath his arm, turned and drove a critical strike into the warrior''s spine. Collapsing, the warrior twitched on the ground.


    Two more warriors charged, the assassin seemingly enjoying dodging their blows until he could get into the position to deliver the exact same spine strike. All three paraplegics now twitched helplessly on the floor, while the assassin returned to the fray with a bloodthirsty smile.


    Jack was pulling out a pair of rogues when the scene below changed. Skeletons pulled themselves out from various shadows, while the dead warriors arose as zombies. The culprit was a strange woman with dark-rimmed eyes and the symbol of the Three cut into her forehead.


    In the next moment she muttered, and the [blessing-fire] appeared around several of her zombies weapons. The skeletons were just strong enough to slow the enemy down, but it was the zombies that killed. Each held much of their power in life, some few appearing more successfully raised than the others, and could even activate the abilities they had mastered in life to devastating effect in death. Paired with burning blades, the zombies made short work of most of their opponents and only became more ferocious when they set their own bodies aflame with holy fire. So devastating was the wall of fiery zombies that Jack was forced to take her out of the battle before her undead tide wiped away the many criminals she quickly cornered.


    "Am I allowed to have such a spell caster?" Jack whispered, eyes flittering to Phillip at his side.


    "You are not of the church anymore and given special permission by the One. There is nothing you can''t do in the name of the Thunberad Crusade," Phillip answered through gritted teeth as the necromancer with priest powers was pulled up before them.


    "Do you swear your loyalty to Jack the Warden?" Phillip said with all the charm of a boulder.


    "Everything, good priest, I swear to him my soul, my life and my love. I would do anything to further this crusade for the great Three!" the strange woman spoke like a bird, her body twitching from side to side, and her veins popping as the conflicting blessings of the dark and the Three fought within her. For the mindpower to control such opposed powers, she had earned Jack''s respect.


    "She speaks the truth," Phillip hissed as if he would have taken great pleasure in seeing her set aflame along with her raised dead.


    "Might you bring some of the corpses along too, good Captain? I could embalm them so they would survive a long journey, and surely having such sacrificial pawns would be useful in the great crusade," the necromancer with priest powers said, alongside much bowing and drivel.


    Nodding, Jack returned his attention to the battle.


    Below a claymore wielding barbarian was starting to make a strong impression, lopped off limbs and screaming men left wherever he charged. Entering a berzerkers fury he grew slightly larger, and his skin became a hazy red. Erratic and uncontrollable, he swung in wide arcs until he had the misfortune of running into the Forest Troll.


    The first swing of his sword bit deeply into the Troll''s side, but the troll hit back before there could be a second. Send flailing backwards, claymore still lodged into the Troll''s side, the berzerker could only froth at the mouth as he scampered to his feet.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "Die little man!" the Forest Troll roared as he pushed the berzerker over, then stamped on his chest until his insides became his outsides and blood washed across the stone.


    "Let''s get the troll out next, he''ll just kill everyone else otherwise," Jack said, pulling the troll up with all the strength his chains could muster. It was a slow process, but once he was pulled out the combat below became a little fairer. Next, he pulled out the berzerkers corpse and the ''Green boys'' for the thankful necromancer. To do so with his holy chains hurt Jack dearly, but such were the punishments of losing his titles. This was what he was reduced to now.


    Cracking his stiff neck, Jack continued to evaluate the performance of the four hundred criminals that already had been whittled down to a hundred.


    With more butchery to go, Jack massaged his eyes, intent on watching to the very end.

 28 Chapter 28 - The Warden Company

    Thirty-nine of the finest killers, thieves, charlatans, monsters and forbidden magic users stood before Jack. One was an outright troll - Trag the Stamper - his wounds having healed throughout the fighting as soon as they had been inflicted.


    Another was a dark wizard named Dana who had had an epiphany while in prison. While she could still summon skeletons to crawl out of some dark space due to her evil dealings, she now also held some powers of a crusader after swearing the remainder of her soul to the Bountyheart. The change should have annihilated her necromantic powers, but for whatever reason the god allowed them to remain, and his own [blessing - fire] to work on the skeletons to create holy burning skeletons.


    The finest warrior was an assassin known as Ozzy the Thirdborne. Jack had had a troubling time disliking the raven-haired man, handsome enough the female crusaders had blushed, and the female inmates had held back even as Ozzy slit their throats. With lithe muscle, a hauntingly beautiful smile and soulless eyes, Ozzy had butchered his opponents one at a time with a graceful combat skill that could have been considered touched by the gods.


    "Jack, I know you are thinking, but shouldn''t we take her too?" Phillip spoke as warmly as his cold eyes would allow, and Jack was forced to grit his teeth and nod.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "You may arise," Jack grunted, peering over the balcony into the octagon that was now a field of dead. The Flower Knight stood so beautifully within, not a fleck of blood on her pale skin except to wet her lips and turn them an alluring crimson. Shifting her stance, Jack''s heart raced, as the Flower Knight strode confidentially through the dead - each with a flower bursting out their mouth.


    Some she had taken for the garden of her mane, yet so many more had been left to torment the jailors and crusaders alike. She was beautiful - there was no arguing about that - but she was also devastatingly powerful.


    Too powerful. Such that Jack was sure she could pose a threat to him if she turned traitor.


    Building up strength in her milk-white legs, she ran with the soft slap of feet on stone with the odd splash of blood mixed within. Approaching the wall she ran right up, leapt, and landed atop the railing. As she grinned down at him, her prisoners shift fluttered, and Jack got an eyeful of the naked body that lay hidden behind.


    "Get her some clothes," Jack hissed, stepping back, staring up into those grass green eyes welling with great amusement. "Well? Get down recruit, as a monster you''ll be reporting to Trog the Stamper -"


    "-why? If I can beat him, does that mean I get his position?"


    Jack''s eyes narrowed.


    "No. Appointments come from my decisions only, and that can only be swayed by performance in this crusade. Catch come enemies of humanity, and then we can talk about replacements."


    Trog the Bruiser bellowed thick laugher.


    "Little flower girlie think she can even fit my toe in that tiny mouth? You are so tiny, flower girl! My feet would stamp you into dust!"


    "Trog the Stamper, do you happen to have a foot fetish?" The Flower Knight giggled, pulling back her prisoners shift to better show wiggling white toes. Against all odds, Trog the Bruiser somehow blushed through course grey skin.


    "Tempar, what we do?" Trog the Bruiser grumbled, the Flower Knight just giggling further as she continued to wiggle her toes.


    "Firstly, welcome to Warden Company. Phillip the Apostate here is our representative of the church, and he is the highest-ranking member of the Kingdom present. However, you are all under my direct authority, and while Phillip can override my decision at any time, you report to me. Is that understood?"


    "Yes, Captain!" Roared the lines of crusaders and priest. A tad slower came the out of tune mumble of Jack''s latest recruits.


    "Aye aye boss man!" The Flower Knight said in her best Trog impression. Trog grit his foul teeth and stared.


    "What''s our first move then?" Said Ozzy, sleek as oil, eyes sizing up everyone around him as if he expected to fight his comrades as much as the enemy. Knowing where they came from, Jack thought that a good idea.


    "Trog, Dana and Flower Knight step forward."


    Each did so and summoning his golden chains Jack wrapped them around each in turn and pulled free a copy of their abilities. From Trog he received a few uses of his Trollish regeneration, from Dana some of her more potent dark spells and from the Flower Knight...


    He stared at her, seeing past her beauty to what lay within. This power, to make flowers that comprised someone''s essence, what was the point of it?


    "Is everyone properly equipped?" Jack looked up to a ream of nodding heads, having seized what they wanted from prisons collection of confiscated equipment. Now not only where they recently prisoners, but they couldn''t have looked shadier with their black leather, skull-topped helmets, spiked shields and all manner of murderers trophies.


    "Good, because I can only do this once."


    Once they were all blindfolded, Jack included, Phillip led them all away. Down to the cathedral he knew, past the cells filled with monsters that he still had a few copied abilities of left to use. Through the Golden door, down the hatch, and once all assembled, to the very site of Jack''s downfall.


    "Our mission, is to bring one of those accused of the Cathedrals destruction to justice. Catch this man, and we will receive rewards beyond your dreams. He has flame-coloured hair, golden eyes, and sports the sigil of House Tumberlay on his armour."


    Turning away from Warden Company, Jack produced his golden chains and released one of his most prized copied spells. A bubbling disc of angry demonic energy formed, and quickly snapped into place with the portal that had previously been formed on this exact spot.


    This was like spitting on the church, but having been released as a Templar it was less of a disgrace to use demons magic. Once the portal was formed, it went to wherever the other had gone. Staring into the whirling vortex, Jack wondered if they would have to fight immediately, whether they would appear under an ocean or atop a baking desert.


    Had the demon thought this far? Would she have made two portals, one to a harmful location and a second to her true target?


    "Go. Seize the landing sight on the other side, and make it prepared for my arrival."


    As his Warden Company rushed on past and into the demonic vortex, Jack brooded. It didn''t suit him lying to his inferiors. For the One had made it very clear that while the fire-haired youth was a target, he was not THE target.


    No, the real target was the demonic girl who could make these portals. With that power, copied by the Templars who could use [Blessing - Copy] they would have a superweapon that would see all other nations fall.


    With a heavy heart, Jack went through the portal.

 29 Chapter 29 - Stat scores

    "We''d like to take the test please," Kenji said as the boy knight.


    "That will be three silvers sir - oh, thank you," the cute counter girl smiled warmly even though Kenji had slid the coins along with a bit too much enthusiasm. Pretty cat ears and tail made her stand out even more in Tariak, and Kenji had heard no amount of small talk as to the girls kindness and good looks.


    "Calm down you two," Violet said with a noble demeanour, as Kenji had begun breathing quickly and Tenko was running around with equal excitement.


    "We''re actually testing a whole lot of people this afternoon. So you''ll have to wait until then, unfortunately," the counter girl said, seemingly terribly apologetic for souring the good mood. "But we can check your stats instead! Most of the cost of being tested comes from the expense of the materials used to determine your level, class, abilities and the like. We record the information in the Guild leger, so feel free to return and check up on anything that you''ve forgotten. Although it will take another silver to actually update that information."


    Kenji gulped and began to sweat, "is there a way to keep that information confidential?"


    After all, if ''#18 of the 18 evil souls'' came up, his species or the dead corpses in his internal storage Kenji feared the testers wouldn''t take to that too kindly. Peering around at all the adventurers milling about, he didn''t like his chances of escape either.


    "Certainly there is a confidential option," the counter girl said pleasantly. Kenji sighed with relief, wiping some of the sweat from his face.


    "It''ll cost one gold coin. Alternatively, for 50 gold coins, you can purchase a card that auto-updates from a drop of blood, and that you can carry around with you."


    Kenji groaned, but forced himself to shake his head. They needed this card to do any significant quest, to get guild information and protection. Without it, they had no one looking out for them, and it wouldn''t be fair to ask the other two to hold back just because Kenji was afraid of being found out as a Forbidden species of Mimic.


    "The Golden Goose Guild doesn''t discriminate, does it?" Kenji gestured at his purple companion, the serving girl quickly shaking her cat ears side to side.


    "As long as you don''t use your powers for evil, non-humans are more than welcome. We''re not like those big-city Guild''s that force those kinds of people into strict regulations or anything....to be honest, we can''t afford to push anyone away at the moment. There are too many quests that pay too little and until we can build up a good enough rapport with the local population that won''t change either."


    "I''ve been meaning to ask about that. Why is everyone trying to pay you so little for good work? Did something happen?"


    "Yes and no. It''s a combination of things really. The old Golden Goose Guild used to be pretty strong, but all the best members went elsewhere in search of high paying quests, rare materials and glory. Guild Master Almanac is the last to stay, and the only one capable of taking care of the strongest enemies. But the local Lord says his not enough and has stopped paying for quests. Instead, he pays to train his own warriors and has greatly expanded their combat potential over the past years. While we have slowly worked up a good relationship with the people again, now that they have to bear the full brunt of the cost it''s proven difficult to get anywhere near the right amount of reward for how difficult various quests are which in turn means everyone levels either rise really slowly or not at all."


    After a bit of a grim silence, the counter girl sucked in a big breath and brought back her beaming smile.


    "So if you come this way, you''ll find why our guild is called the Golden Goose," she said, gesturing up to the second floor. Carefully Kenji followed, peering at the grey bearded guard with some apprehension. Yet the counter girl touched his arm lovingly, the grey-beared smiling back with warm eyes before the counter girl ushered them upward.


    From the souring mood of the tavern''s singles, Kenji guessed this was the man she was dating at the moment.


    Up there on the second floor, Kenji could just breathe easier. There was a nice bar, beautiful men and women, fine equipment and trophies on the walls. More importantly, he could peer down at all the first-floor commoners, and it made him feel as if he had finally made it.


    "Please hurry, we don''t want to disrupt the senior adventurers. They don''t like juniors being around if they can help it-"


    "Hey! Green beans, getting your cards checked?" Boomed a huge bear humanoid.


    "Ah, yes." Kenji smiled up at the bear and admired how it''s armour had little pictures of bears and paws on it. Slung down the bear man''s back was a large iron morningstar.


    "Mr Grawg, these adventurers were just passing through," the counter girl said with a forced smile as the bear-man pulled her into his side.


    "And yet here they dawdle, enjoying the clean air while they muddle it with their inferiority. You can enjoy the second-floor newbies once you''ve earned it! So stop gawking, and get moving!"


    "Mind letting her go," Kenji hissed and Violet raised her nose. Tenko meanwhile went straight for the butt, biting deeply through his fur and into his exposed behind.


    "YOW!" the Bearman cried, rubbing his butt ruefully as he peered around for the culprit. Yet small and swift, Tenko dodged his sight to reappear by Kenji''s side. Before Mr Grawg could realise what had happened, the counter girl had pushed them into a back room guarded by a pair of stone elementals shaped to appear like huge geese.


    "Just through here, please. We''ll begin shortly," entering an alchemy lab, Kenji was met by the sight of bubbling potions, books chained to the walls, arcane equipment sprawled across several pieces of furniture and a fireplace filled with a bright blue flame.


    An adjoining door opened, and in through came the dashing Almanac.


    "Welcome! You want your adventurer cards right? We''ll let''s get started~" Almanac said with such a bright smile and shining charisma that Kenji almost didn''t notice his eyes.


    Eyes filled with a piercing terror.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.

 30 Chapter 30 - Wizards Ques

    "Take a seat, this won''t take long," Almanac said, Kenji quickly taking a seat on his side of the desk, as did Tenko and Violet. All were enraptured - counter cat girl included - as Almanac pulled out a great white goose feather quill with a golden tip crafted to look like a goose''s head.


    "Kenji Aztec, would you like to go first?"


    Unsure as what do to, Kenji nodded.


    "Then please extend your hand - I''ll need just a pinprick of blood."


    Kenji thrust his shaking hand forward. Violet placed hers on his shoulder and Tenko patted him on the arm. Having them there brought Kenji focus, the shaking stopped, and his anxiety eased.


    Pecking his hand with the Golden Goose Quill, the beak was dashed with a speck of red. Hastily Almanac then held the Quil over a piece of parchment, then let go. The Quil remained unsupported in the air and began to scribble of its own accord.


    Peering over his shoulder, the counter girl was writing in a ledger as the Quill wrote and Kenji thought up several tricks that might work to destroy that recorded evidence. But either way, the counter girl could just remember it and - oh no, Kenji started to shake again as Almanac looked up at Kenji with large eyes as the Quil started scribbling chaotically around the page''s bottom.


    "I-I''m sorry, this hasn''t happened before, the Golden Goose Quill is usually very good at spelling and-"


    Kenji snatched the piece of paper and found it to be riddled with spelling errors.


    Neme: Arthur fo Tumberlay


    Title: The Flame-haired


    Clas: Krusader


    Rce: Human?


    Strenth: 6


    Agilwily: 5


    Cunning: @%&$


    Magic: Constitution


    X-factor: Forbidden


    After the misspelled words, the Quill had devolved into random scribbling and a few doodles. One of which looked like a tree, another a pair of pointy ears and the last a lock and chain.


    "Thing must be getting old. You will - of course- be refunded in full. Eh, do your companions still wish to have their stat cards made? I''m quite sure this anomaly is unlikely to be repeated. You do not happen to have a gods blessing that makes it difficult for your information to be revealed by others do you?"


    "Well, the Everseeing did say something about ''Your information shall become immutable'' but I don''t know what that means," Kenji fists curled, his blood pumped and he felt a hot rage course through his veins. A rage directed at himself, Arthur apparently not taking the idea of lying about the Everseeing''s words without wanting to hit Kenji.


    Violet''s blood came out a bright scarlet, the Quil sent into another fervour of scribbling.


    "Mind if I see it too?'' Kenji asked, Violet allowing him only reluctantly.


    Name: Catelyn Sunder


    Title: High Priestess and heavenly goddess of the Sun Elves


    Class: Crystal Summoner


    Race: Sun Elf?


    Strength: 3


    Agility: 5


    Magic: 9


    "Catelyn Sunder, Crystal Summoner," Kenji grinned. "That sounds nice, do you preferred to be called Catelyn then?"


    "No. I like Violet, Catelyn...was not a name for me." Violet blushed a little as she tucked her stat card away, Almanac again filled with apologies.


    "I don''t understand why there''s a question mark at all. Maybe this old artifact is finally seeing the end of its days," He sighed. "Little wolf-girl, you''re next and I''m sure you''ll get your stats just fine."


    Tenko hid behind Kenji, looking at the Golden Goose Quil with some concern.


    "Hey, it''s ok. I barely felt it, besides your so strong! No way a little prick like that could make you afraid, right Tenko?" Kenji said, rubbing her flattened wolf ears until they perked up a little and her tail swished bravely.


    "Yes. Tenko is strong!" Tenko announced. Slowly she pushed her little hand across the table, eyes firmly closed and shaking. Kenji held her other hand, his own being crushed in her surprisingly strong grip.


    Almanac leant over, and with a small prick, it was done.


    "See Tenko? You did so well, good job," Kenji laughed as she threw herself at his side. Scooping the little wolf girl up he gave her a big hug. The counter girl giggled to herself as she watched the two, "You three are like a real family," she mused.


    "Tenko is STRONG!" Tenko announced right into Kenji''s ear.


    Again Almanac looked at the scorecard confused, before passing it back along.


    Name: Tenko Tenzen


    Title: Matriarch of the Tenzen Clan


    Class: High Moon Priest


    Race: Werewolf


    Strength: 4-10


    Agility: 6-11


    Magic: 7


    "Well, this makes a little more sense. Werewolves have two values, one for their base form and another for their monstrous one. Although I admit I''ve never heard of this class before, but this title...are you really the leader of the Tenzen werewolves little one?" Almanac said, fretful eyes focusing for a moment.


    "Yes. Are you a friend or an enemy?" Tenko said, her ears jerking upward and lips parting to reveal sharp teeth.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "A friend. But I do happen to know of a small Adventurer Guild that has requested support from me to deal with them. If you and your friends here could instead deal with the matter peacefully, well, that would be a reward measured in gold. Think about it, I do want to prefer unnecessary bloodshed whenever possible. The amount of devastation that has come from this Kingdom''s expansion...it''s, unimaginable," Fingers clasped, and the fear returned to his eyes Almanac turned to look at the counter cat-girl.


    She shook her cat ears slowly, "they haven''t reported back yet Guildmaster."


    Turning back to Kenji''s team, Almanac sighed.


    "I have a favour to ask, an emergency quest as it were. A...strange force has entered Tariak. As far as I can tell they are an Inquisitorial band that operates outside of the Kingdom''s laws, spreading throughout our town and roughing people up like they own the place. Asking questions about someone with flame-coloured hair, golden eyes and the Sigil of Tumberlay on their armour. Do you understand...?"


    Kenji''s blood ran cold, how could they have tracked him down so quickly?


    "I see that you do. I won''t ask how you know these people, but I won''t confirm it either. What I do know is that you might be wrongfully executed by these thugs in priest clothing. So I want you to take a message to the Headless Hunter Guild, collect the reward from them, and then leave Tariak. Head to the Tenzen, solve that matter with the werewolves while this situation with the Inquisitors blows over. I can''t do anymore than this, so please be careful."


    Turnign left and right, Kenji found his companions in agreement.


    "We agree. Give us the message, we''ll go immediately," Kenji said.

 31 Chapter 31 - Deadly Message

    "Dear Hartog,


    You can no longer continue the narrative of representing the poor and forgotten while the Church''s forces are in town.


    Please be careful with your younger members too, they might start trouble.


    The Inquisitor force has raided our guild already, demanding information on a flame-haired Crusader with gold eyes and a very specific sigel. This will be the sigel of the messenger that delivered this message and who you would have noticed fits the other characteristics of the wanted person.


    Please help this adventurer and his party escape Tariak.


    Be careful Hartog, the Church has grown strange these past few months.


    Best wishes,


    Almanac the Unworthy."


    As soon as Kenji finished reading the letter aloud, he used some candle wax to reseal the letter. checking it over, you''d never be able to tell it was opened at all.


    "Why did you open it?" Tenko asked. Violet meanwhile had finished packing up their things.


    "Wanted to know if we were heading for a trap. It would have been easy coins to hand me in - instead they''re helping us out. And I knew these two were working together! They''re ''Guilds'' must be just about stirring up fake rivalry to make the guild members more committed. A good idea really, we could learn something from them."


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "Let''s get going Kenji, it''ll be dangerous the longer we wait," Violet said, shoving a travel pack at each of them. It had taken the rest of their coin, but these fourth hand adventurer bags, satchels and old provisions would see them travelling for a few days at least.


    "It was nice of Almanac to give us that discount. These cloaks as well," Kenji pulled his dark green hood to obscure his fiery hair and marched out into the night air. The reason he wore the form of the boy knight at all was so if they were discovered he could lure the enemy away, then transform into another form and return. A last-ditch resort, but both Tenko and Violet knew not to follow him if it came to that. Behind him came Tenko with an Azure cloak and Violet in a dull daisy coloured cloak.


    "Really, as if they didn''t have purple?" She grunted, then noting Kenji''s chuckling sniffed angrily and hurried along. Together they went into the already packed streets, everyone out and about, the talk of ''Warden Company'' thick in the air.


    After barely having left the guild, the sound of marching filled the streets. Eight of the Lord''s soldiers and eight Crusaders with billowing gold and red capes shoved aside the crowd en-route to the Golden Goose Guild. Kenji pressed himself against a stone building and pulled his hood low as did Violet and Tenko. The company of enemy troops crashed on by, a pair of particularly heavy steps amongst their number.


    Only once they passed did Kenji peer over, to find a huge man with raven black hair, no insignia and golden chains binding his arms at their back.


    "Let''s go," Kenji whispered as the troops charged within the Guild Keep. At least they had their weapons sheathed...for now.


    Winding through the streets they found the occasional Lord soldier and no few patrols of vicious-looking men and women often accompanied by a snooty priest or crusader. They halted everyone that passed by, interrogating them, and taking some few for further questioning elsewhere.


    Taking the back alleys, Kenji had little trouble winding his way- Tenko pulled them into the dark of a building. Before Kenji could say a word he felt her trembling uncontrollably, her eyes staring up to the roof with raw terror in her eyes.


    There Kenji spotted a dash of darkness against the starry sky. The black shape grinned with pristine white teeth, a glinting blade in either hand. For a moment that figure sucked in the fear of the crowd, before dashing across several more rooftops and away.


    "W-we should go," Kenji whispered, the strange figure had chilled him to the core. The speed of the creature''s step, the aura of....death. Whoever that was, it would have killed all three of them without resistance. Kenji was certain.


    "Get OFF her!" Screamed a familiar buck-toothed boy.


    Leaving the relative safety of the alley, Kenji discovered a dozen brutes had blocked off a street. In the midst of them all, a shaved haired woman with the symbol of the Three cut into her forehead held the twisted eyed Headless Hunter girl in the air.


    "Come with me boy, and your sister can live," the woman said grinning as if she were a witch trying to entice children to come to her cabin in the woods. The buck-toothed boy, in turn, rose his stave, a lick of cold wind building up in its end. Behind him, several younger children quivered and cried, no few clutching at the buck-toothed boy''s clothes.


    "You let Charlie go or I''ll freeze your balls off!" Scag screamed, eyes filled with an equal measure of rage and terror.


    "Don''t do it Scag! This bitch is crazy, run for your life!"


    "Violet, Tenko, get the children out of harm''s way," Kenji whispered as he stepped forward. Violet held him back, "Kenji don''t do it! Those are the ones that stole from us, and you''ll be tortured and killed if they catch you!"


    "''If'' they find me. And don''t you want to help them too?" he could see in her eyes that she did. "Good. Now when I return, you might have to convince me to change back if I appear as Ash, ok?"


    Without waiting for a response, Kenji ran into the fray. The thugs stank like absolute hell as he got closer - actually one was missing a jaw, another had a puss filed eye and a third only one arm seeing as the rest of him was cut clean away. They were undead, in the dark, Kenji hadn''t realised.


    "Who are you- GET HIM!" the woman screeched, throwing the girl aside and pointing. Immediately the undead attacked while dozens of skeletons crawled out of the shadows to grapple at Kenji''s feet.


    "[Blessing-fire]!" Kenji announced, his legs becoming covered in holy flame. Running for his life, he crashed through each skeleton in turn, a pack of rather pissed of zombies chasing after him.


    Luckily for him, Kenji was faster.


    "Oh Albion, please catch this rat for me," the shaved woman laughed, a hulking barbarian sauntering out of a nearby alleyway. Behind him arose fresh zombies, Kenji snarling as he recognised them as townsfolk.


    Yet Kenji hadn''t the time to be angry as the barbarian roared like a troll with glass in its throat and charged faster than a rampaging bull. As it charged the zombie barbarian''s limbs swelled, eyes flared red and huge claymore seemed to weigh as much as a feather.


    "Oh fuck that," Kenji said, running as far as he could before he dived into a nearby alleyway. Immediately upon entry he became the Corrupt Spirit Tree, and used his mass of vines and roots to encircle the alleyway''s mouth. Barely a moment later the zombie barbarian arrived and dumbly charged right in.


    Constricted by a dozen vines and roots, Kenji then abandoned the Corrupt Spirit Tree body. That meant the vines would continue to hold the barbarian for a while, but that form would take an entire day until his Forbidden Replication Slot could replicate the body again Vs if he had reclaimed the form after use.


    Using Ash he watched for a moment as the dead piled up on the other side of his hastily made barrier of wood and decided the sacrifice easily worth it. He just hoped there wouldn''t be more fighting because as he watched, the zombie barbarian was breaking off the Corrupt Spirit Tree''s stranglehold one root at a time with its bare hands and snapping teeth.


    Slinking away into the night, Kenji headed on light elvish feet to the Headless Hunter Guild.

 32 Chapter 32 - Headless Hunter Guild

    Long before Kenji had arrived at the Headless Hunter Guild, he had reverted back to the boy knight.


    The ''Guild'' was a shabby tavern on the outside of town, built under a giant willow tree and threatened to fall in on itself at any moment. The slightest push of wind across the surrounding fields caused the tiled roof to creak and the wood to moan.


    Sauntering around it were the lowlife''s Kenji had feared, more than a few revealing shining steel at their belts. Like packs of animals, they strode up from various dens, tents and strange forts built atop trees with rope paths between them.


    "What have we here, Scab?" Muttered one, spitting out something foul into the mud. He had raven black hair with an equally dark eyepatch and spellbook. Ywt none of those could compare to the darkness welling in that remaining eye, as if Kenji peered into death itself.


    "A pretty boyss Jed that''sss what. What are you doing out heress pretty boyss?" Hissed a woman with slits for pupils, elegant swathes of blue scale down her neck and a snake''s tongue. Smiling wide, she revealed toothless gums save for a pair of poisonous fangs.


    "I''m here to see...damn, what was his name again?" Kenji racked his brains, but as the pair approached in their bandit leather and wicked grins all sense had left him. Oh gods - the memory of those warriors storming the Golden Goose Guild haunted him, and Kenji had just left them to die like that?


    "What''sss wrong with you kid? Didn''t meanss to shake you up that bad," the snake woman said with welling concern. As Kenji fell to one knee he began to breathe faster, lungs like bellows that roared in short sharp bursts.


    Lithe hands wrapped around him, boneless and cold. But they felt as warm as a mother at that moment, as they stroked his head and hissed endless pleasantries.


    "Let''sss bring him inside Jed, poor thing''sss all out of sortsss," Scab said, Jed answering by pulling Kenji up to his feet and snarling.


    "What''s wrong with yea? Who did this to you, did someone steal somthin''?"


    Kenji was already overwhelmed, but such unexpected kindness nearly sent him over the edge.


    "Here, for your Guildmaster. The Golden Goose...it''s been attacked. The people of Tariak too," Kenji held back heavy sobs as he held up the letter, Scag and Jed looking at one another with concern. Prying it free from his too-tight hand, Jed nodded and bound inside.


    "Come with me, I thinkss there are two thatss have been expecting youss," Scab led Kenji by the hand, through the cracked wooden door and into the opposite of what he had expected. Children, teenagers and the wounded were stacked on a dozen bunk beds and nestled within the blankets of the floors.


    Scarred men and women, with the clothing of ruffians and the blades of the wicked, now strode with warm smiles as they offered medicine, conversation and bowls filled with hot soup. In between a pair of fevered eyed elders sat Tenko and Violet, their eyes brightening as Kenji walked over.


    "KENJI!" Tenko shouted, several guildmembers hissing at her to be quite. Apologetic, Tenko wove between the sickbed to press her fuzzy ears into his side.


    Violet had twinkling eyes as she watched, but refrained from breaking her conversation with an elderly woman who seemed in a wretched state. Dark veins spread across her arms and up her neck, every breathe coming short and sharp. But those eyes were filled with delight as every soft word was attentively heard by the purple beauty by her side.


    "This is where your money went," a certain buck-toothed thief muttered at Kenji''s side. Jumping with surprise, Kenji turned sharply to the boy.


    "I didn''t notice you were there," he admitted.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "Tenko did~" Tenko said with a big cheesy grin. The buck-toothed boy turned his head away, a slight blush on his muddy cheeks.


    "What is this place? Some kind of hospice...I thought you were adventurers?" Kenji said that with a bit of shame. After all, if adventurers were supposed to help people, how could the adventurers here be anything but the purest form of what an adventurer is supposed to be?


    With only a cursory glance, he gave found Hero ranks between [J] and [F] without even needing to know another thing. If he had the time, Kenji is certain he could have found several worthy of being scouted.


    "You, messenger," Shouted Jed from across the room. Jerking his chin into a side room, Kenji nodded.


    "Let''s go - and kid, keep the money. This is a good use for it as any. Thank you." Kenji bowed at the boy. After figuring out how to close his mouth, the boy began to laugh.


    "You''re thanking me for stealing from you? Do you have an egg for a brain?"


    "Don''t push your luck punk," Kenji growled, reaching for the boy only to find him slippery as butter.


    "Can''t catch your own tongue, egg-brain," the boy snickered as he moved through the crowded Guild Hall as easy as the King''s road. Kenji meanwhile wasted several minutes just getting to the opposing door. Followed by Tenko and Violet, they paused before they entered.


    "It''s good to see you two safe," Kenji said, forcing away his worry for the moment. For them at least, he would appear strong.


    "It''s good to see you ok. I thought I''d lost you," Violet whispered, giving his hand a quick squeeze while Tenko tried to stifle her laughter. Scowling Violet pulled away and Kenji felt...oddly disappointed.


    Striding within they were met with the usual black armour of the pigman Guildmaster.


    "You three, your timing is impeccable. My Guild members will be assembled soon enough, so whoever dares look down on brother Almanac will see the error of their ways while I grind my steel through their skulls!" Snorting, the Guild leader let loose twin jets of steam.


    "But I do have a favour I need to ask of you. Two of our orphans has so far been kept from the Lord''s clutches, yet I fear he will use this chance to seize them. Please, take them with you," Standin up the Guild Master''s huge mass forced the table forward. From his great height, the Guild master then bowed low, "please! I beg of you, their very lives could depend on it!"


    "Please, uh..." Kenji still couldn''t remember the pigman''s name, "...Guildmaster, you don''t need to bow. I think I speak for all of us when I say we would be proud to help these orphans of yours. If I might say though, there is a plan that could save both your Guilds while simultaneously helping us out of the region."


    Kenji would be lying if he said he didn''t enjoy the shocked expression of the Guildmaster.


    "What is it, what plan could possibly do so much as that?" The Guildmaster grunted, squinty eyes filled with intrigue.


    Before Kenji could answer, Jed burst through the door with gritted teeth.


    "Guildmaster - something is wrong! Pain''s team came back early from collecting medical supplies, they say the Inhumans in Tariak are being rounded up! And...and..."


    "What is it Jed? What has shaken you so?"


    Jed''s single eye fileld with black rage.


    "They said something is coming - something in command of a host of undead nonhumans. It''s...it''s too late for us to evacuate the children and the infirm."


    Raising both fists, the Guildmaster sent them crashing down into his desk.


    "Then order the Headless Hunters to prepare for battle, we won''t give up even one of our weakest without a fight! And you - messenger- explain your plan. Now!"


    Amidst the flurry of activity, Kenji grinned as he explained how he would save all their lives.

 33 Chapter 33 - They came at nigh

    Kenji waited in the dark, Hartog having ordered every candle and lantern to be covered.


    A dozen ranged Guild members waited in their strange tree forts, while a dozen more had mostly vanished into the night. Distantly, Kenji heard clacking bones nearing, the sounds of screams piercing through the night air and his pounding heart in his ears most of all.


    "Tenko, Violet, we go all out tonight. Understood?"


    Both nodded.


    "Kenji, we should send them away," Tenko whispered as she pulled at his sleeve.


    Turning, Kenji found several children clutching kitchen knives, saucepans and old farming equipment. The oldest was the buck-toothed kid, but the youngest couldn''t be more than four years old.


    "She''s right you know," Kenji said fully aware of how keen the senses of this Guild''s adventurers were. The buck-toothed boy just stuck out his tongue while he clutched his stave. At his side the wicked girl with a thing for knives muttered in their ears quickly, swatting one or another until they rearranged their grip and nodded approval when they finally got ready.


    "Leave the fighting to us," Kenji insisted, the girl finally turning to him with the deepest hatred Kenji had ever seen. Her eyes were filled with poisonous derision, a milder version reverberating in the other child soldiers.


    "And allow our family to be butchered in there, then raised again? Not on your life - outsider."


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    Kenji lowered his shoulders, the term having hurt quite a bit more than he had expected.


    "You don''t know what you''re doing, you''re as likely to get in the way as to help. Please, head inside," Kenji said, forcing a smile, needing them to heed his words as the horrible sounds of fighting grew nearer. A man''s sudden shriek that cut off as quickly as it come unnerved him greatly, and yet the children held firm, their eyes too hard for their age.


    "You weren''t here during the plague years," the wicked girl hissed and pointed a jagged knife at him. "You weren''t here when people died all over, and kids had to watch their parents turn into monsters. You weren''t here when the Plague King appeared, and the King Thundberad had to send in the Royale army to stop this whole region turning into a gigantic festering pit of death!"


    Kenji stepped away, the intensity of her eyes, the hoarse nature of her voice, and the determination of the children, too much to bear.


    "We are the orphans from that time. No matter how many found work in town, there wasn''t enough when half of everyone - half of our world - turned into a monster! You call us kids, well some of us killed our parents when they tried to eat us! How about that, what have you done to be so confident of protecting us?"


    Kenji strode forward and put a hand on her knife.


    "[Blessing-Fire]," Kenji muttered...and yet no flame appeared.


    The girl snarled at him.


    "[Blessing-fire] [Blessing-fire] [Blessing-fire] what the hell is going on?" Kenji pulled his fiery hair back as he looked over the annoyed child soldiers. "Sorry, I had meant to set your weapons on fire so that you could fight better. It''s always worked before..."


    A sudden light swept across the land, and another, and another.


    Turning around, Kenji''s mouth fell open and his eyes became filled with pure, blazing, all-consuming fury. Seven flaming crucifixes had lit up the night, their non-human sacrifices screaming like banshees as the fire ate at their bodies.


    As...holy fire ate at their bodes.


    "What kind of sick, twisted, evil god gives it''s powered TO A NECROMANCER?" Kenji roared, the dead of night now alive with fighting. The Guildmembers were too few to deal with the grand wave of skeletons, zombies and Ghouls that attacked in packs.


    Then the crucifixes started to move, each a different screaming path on-route to the Headless Hunter guildhall. The blood drained from Kenji''s face as he turned around to stare at the old dry wood of the barely standing structure, fully aware that even a lick of flame would turn the whole thing into a smouldering pyre.


    "They can''t let them get here - everyone inside will be burned alive!" Kenji announced, but there were no senior Guildmembers nearby. Too many were already embroiled in battle.


    While Kenji could make out Jed leading a band of guildmembers as he sent blasts of dark magic towards one crucifix [F], the snake-woman lithely passing all in her path towards another [F] and Hartog smashing his way to a third [E], it would not be enough. And even if they destroyed them all, what was to stop the Necromancer from setting her Ghouls alight and throwing them against their lines until one got through?


    That''s why Kenji''s eyes narrow on the figure standing atop a brute with a claymore. Around her were three packs of the largest and most feral Ghouls, some bristling with armour. And yet, it was the only way.


    "Kids, I leave holding the line here in your hands. The plan was always about me getting to the leader anyway, so just hold the fort while we take down the boss," Kenji gestured to Tenko and Violet. Violet had already summoned her crystal knight and Tenko swiftly transformed into her giant wolf form.


    Focusing, Kenji started speaking at breakneck speed.


    "[sight] [sight] [sight] [sight] [sight] [sight] [sight] [sight] [sight] [sight] [sight] [sight] [sight] [sight] [sight] [sight] [sight] [sight] [sight] -"


    [Enough! Crusader, you are forbidden from using your abilities against a higher ranking member of my congregation. Cease your prayers, and resume them only once harmony is found again within my flock.]


    "You...won''t let me use your powers to save people...because the Necomancer is of a higher rank...?" Kenji said with complete disbelief.


    [This is how it has always been. Your enemy is not each other, but those who would deny my light in their hearts]


    "Then I denounce you," Kenji whispered, feeling only troubled agreement from Arthur.


    [Denounce me? You would dare jest of such a serious thing?]


    It felt like a bell rung within Kenji, as he pushed on with this decision.


    "I DENOUNCE you! I denounce what you stand for! I DAMN YOU AND YOUr WRETCHED KIND INTO AN ENDLESS TORMENT for daring to think I should hold back from saving innocents from evil!"


    Something broke within Kenji. And when it was gone...Kenji felt somehow free.


    "Are you ok, Kenji?" Violet whispered, looking concerned.


    "I''m fine, just had to have a few stern words with a god. Now, let''s start the plan - OH! Do not get hurt! Like, more than normal, because I have the feeling my patron god will no longer heal your wounds for me," Kenji tried to look sheepish, but he was too proud to care.


    Today, he had stood up to a god. So what chance did a Holy Necromancer stand?

 34 Chapter 34 - Burning Death

    Violet and Kenji rode Tenko forward, the crystal knight galloping beside them.


    All around them the Guildmembers fought by the dozen, desperately, and with no few having to be dragged away as wounded. Arrow''s filled the air thick as locusts, knives flashed and the Guildmembers forced hard laughs as they attempted to compete with who could kill the most undead.


    "5!" Shouted a girl with a spear, the spear tip bathed in light. The added agility made her light as a feather, her movements flowing like water as she burnt many a hole through zombie limbs.


    "6!" Shouted a youth with a bow, each flaming arrow setting its target alight. His hands moved at a rapid-fire pace, and while only too few of the enemy died to his attacks, many more were weakened.


    "7-ah!" A wizard who had been forming a ball of flame in his hands suddenly found himself surrounded by Ghouls. Armoured warriors defended him with stoically held shields, yet with the enemy so close the wizard could no long unleash his destructive spell safely.


    Nearing the enemy formation, Tenko howled. First, her moon was summoned, the adventurer defenders throughout the field encased in a silver bubble. Then Tenko howled again, her moon turned silver, and the beleaguered defenders found their agility increased.


    With the speed boost, the crystal knight crashed a path through rank after rank of the dead. Those old bones raised from the cemetery broke like old clay, but the freshly raised zombies and Ghouls took their tole about the summoned knight.


    By the time they had reached the enemy Necromancer, the crystal knight was overwhelmed.


    "Left!" Called Tenko, charging the left most pack of Ghouls.


    "Right!'' Called Violet, sending bursts of crystal to erupt beneath the rightmost packs'' feet.


    "Middle," Kenji groaned, forced to face off against the armoured pack. On all fours, the once townsfolk now ran like dogs, unhinged jaws foamed and snapping as they attacked.


    Kenji couldn''t use the Corrupt Spirit Tree so quickly after leaving it''s copied body behind and was thus forced to fight as the boy knight. But he wasn''t alone.


    The earth erupted with allies.


    They appeared from fox holes that had been covered up, the hidden Guildmembers attacking now that the necromancer had been pulled in. They made short work of the regular dead, and were strong enough to deal with the Ghouls too. If slowly.


    "Fools! You would dare cross the Three gods? The One will have your hearts on a platter for this transgression!" The shaved-headed necromancer cackled as Kenji charged.


    With a flick of her wrist, the Necromancer sent a Ghoul galloping past. Frowning Kenji followed it, the Ghoul heading straight for the buck-toothed boy. His hands were shaking as he cast some ice spell, a blast of cold air slowly the charging Ghoul. It would not be enough.


    "Kid, Run-," Kenji was forced to block as an armoured Ghoul launched at him, the buck-toothed boy moments from death in the corner of his vision. Slashing the armoured Ghoul across the face, Kenji turned and found the child soldiers fighting the ghoul off, it''s scratching claws and snapping mouth being held off by a dozen pitchforks and lessor weapons.


    "We''ve got this, go put that bitch in the ground!" The wicked girl screamed as she plunged her knife into the Ghoul''s eyes, and the buck-toothed boy finally started to build ice up along its limbs. Slowed down further, it was weakened to the point that the children could handle it for the moment.


    Nodding, Kenji refocused on the objective.


    Now that her guards were distracted, Kenji could reach the necromancer herself. Jumping to the ground, she whispered something to her raised barbarian and pointed.


    Immediately the barbarians eyes glowed a crimson red, its muscles expanded and it began to swing its huge claymore in wide arcs. Having already used his Corrupt Spirit Tree, Kenji was forced to fight as the boy knight for the moment. He considered Ash, but knew that she was likely to dive to the side to defend Violet rather than follow the plan.


    "We want him alive!" screeched the necromancer as Kenji narrowly avoided being split in two. Dodging past the barbarian''s next swing, he skewered the zombie through the stomach to no effect.


    "Fool! you cannot harm my creation!" she laughed derisively and even added a [Blessing-fire] to the barbarians blade for added effect, yet her laughter was cut off as crystals erupted all around them.


    Having a pair of Ghouls break the crystal aside, she peered around for Kenji with no success.


    "Bastard, don''t let him escape!" she hissed, her giant turning to charge right at her.


    "Stop you oaf, STOP!"


    The barbarian froze and continued to stare at the rat that scuttled past her feet. Kicking away the filthy creature, Dana the Damned searched for her prey.


    "Come out come out wherever you are-huek," from her belly had appeared a blade coated crimson. Falling back against strong arms, the boy knight met her with a look of deep-set hatred.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "Die already," he hissed as he pulled free his blade to lop off her head, "and give my regards to your god". As she died the undead army stalled, then turned feral. Ghouls remained in their packs, but all other creatures snapped their jaws around the nearest hunk of flesh.

 35 Chapter 35 - The Plans Fruition

    From the necromancer''s body came a burst of light, a strange golden ghost whisked away with wings of light even while dregs of darkness followed her like a swarm of humming flies.


    "Good job, Kenji," the necromancer''s corpse said with a web of cracks around her eyes.


    "Noir, skip to the lvl up. I can''t bear to see you using such a face," Kenji gripped his sword tightly, as two brilliant banners unwove in his mind. "Although it is nice to see you, can''t you stay awhile? We could use your help."


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    The first banner would provide him with a second Forbidden slot and more space - Kenji chose it without a second thought. Copying the Necromancer''s corpse, Kenji hastily pulled the undead under his control and had them destroy one another.


    "You know I would if I could, Kenji. But it doesn''t work that way, my brothers would never allow it. It is not our place as sisters to interact with the world."


    Kenji gave her a long look, the land around them filled with the dead fighting one another to the death, "That sounds wrong. Come with me, and you won''t ever have to fear him again."


    The head laughed across the ground.


    "Your funny Kenji. I''d love to see the world with you. These short forays into this reality...but Kenji, if you can''t at least beat a god, you have no hope against defeating the council. Focus on your own battles for now...I''ll...I''ll be ok by myself."


    Kenji picked up the shaven head and sighed, stepping aside as a brutal battle between a pack of Ghouls spilled across the land.


    "Does it count that I beat the Everseeing at his own game? He thought because this body had spent decades earning his powers that we wouldn''t be willing to throw it away. But I cut him off Noir, just like you can with your brother."


    Troubled, Noir frowned.


    "You shouldn''t say that Kenji. My brothers can hear everything, and while only a few operate on this planet, antagonizing them would surely lead to your own destruction. Be careful, and enjoy the lvl up." With that, those black eyes turned back to the milky white of the necromancer.


    Once the dead were done putting themselves back into the grave, Kenji reclaimed the necromancer''s corpse and put it in his storage. Lastly, he replaced the necromancer''s copy in his new second slot with a copy of Arthur''s body. Turned into a copy of Arthur, he jettisoned the body on the ground and arose in his base form. What he was left with was Arthur''s original corpse in his storage and the fake on the ground with its Forbidden slot needing a day to recharge.


    Turning into Dana the Damned he hastily checked to make sure none of the dead still ''lived''. Using her sickening powers he sucked the deathly magic from the land, reducing the likelihood of the surrounding fields becoming cursed, before turning away with Arthur''s corpse in her hands. He wanted to help heal the wounded, but of course, Dana had specialised utterly into her fire blessings and had neglected any kind of support blessing.


    "Stop, let her go!" shouted Violet while Tenko snarled at the guild members that had been set to charge Kenji and cut him down. They looked to their Guildmaster for direction, who shook his head and continued to help bind the wounds of the wounded. And while there were many wounded, only very few were actually dead. Constantly retreating away had drawn the undead army away from the Necromancer while lessening casualties. Just as Kenji had planned, the Guild members understanding the concept of ''Kiting the enemy'' quite well it seemed. If he had had the time he would have explained the concept of Tank, Damage Dealer and Spellcasters too. With his help. Kenji was certain he could get any guild to perform like the Raid guild''s in his favourite game ''Planet of Fightcraft''.


    So too did those screams of the dead convince Dana her plan was working - when in reality [Death Throes] was a rogueish skill a few Guild members had learned. The skill produced a convincing deathly scream, and if needed, could even make you appear truly dead on the floor. Of course in the dark, they had only needed the audible part of that ability.


    Kenji was not yet done. The Headless Hunters were saved, by the Golden Goose and the captured people of Tariak were not. To convince their leader that staying here wasn''t worth it, Kenji held Arthur''s copied corpse in his hands, and started walking back to Tariak.


    "Remember to meet me at the willow tree. If they find you there, then retreat to one of the secondary locations," Kenji called back to the girls.


    "We''ll bring those orphans too. The Two the Guildmaster wanted us to take away, make sure to come back and help them with us," Violet said as she watched him leave.


    "Be safe Kenji! Don''t accept any food from the bad man!" Tenko shouted as she hauled the wounded back to the Guildhall. There were too many of those for Kenji''s taste. He had wanted to save them all, but with such short time he supposed this was the best he could do.


    "Don''t worry about reprisals, let the Guildmaster know that," were Kenji''s parting words as he headed to Tariak for good. For in the necromancer''s memories he saw him, the Lord Richmond, and his cunning words that had convinced the Necromancer that the fugitives were in the Headless Hunter hall.


    He also now knew how enraged Jack would be to discover what she had done. Which begged the question, would bringing in the boy knight''s corpse be enough to save Dana the Damned from execution? For while Kenji could survive death by hanging, beheading, and drowning just fine.


    Death by fire...might do the trick to eradicate his true form too before it could escape.


    He hoped with all his heart that this worked, and that giving them a body would put this matter to rest. If not, then Violet, Tenko and the two orphans would leave tomorrow morning for the Tenzen territory without him.


    Leaving Kenji to die all alone.

 36 Chapter 36 - The Boy Knight is Slain

    "So this is him..." Jack stared at the corpse with great distaste.


    Peering up at Dana he clenched his teeth. On one hand, she had butchered the townspeople against his orders, slain the target of their investigation AND gone off on her own. And yet, she at least found the target while getting some intel before he died too.


    Then there was the matter of the Lord that had triggered this debacle at all...


    "You are certain he said their companions were heading into the monster forest to hide? The werewolf, parasite AND the demon? You have to be certain, you definitely heard him say the demon was with them?" Jack''s hands opened and closed. Any atrocity could be overlooked if they captured the portal demon. The countless lives saved would make any other cost cheap by comparison.


    "I am certain, Warden," Dana said with a dark look in her eyes.


    Jack did not remember her hating him this much and wondered of being played for a fool by the Lord had angered her as it had him/ Perhaps...he should not have yelled so much when she first arrived. But still, had his temper really been so angry as to earn that aura of bloodlust?


    "This information is valuable and will be the only reason I''m not executing you, Dana. Your actions have turned the townspeople against us, gods know that stupid Lord''s advice already made the guilds hate us too. To think he would lie so brazenly that the adventurers were hiding them...despicable."


    "The Guildmembers, they are safe?" Dana said with rounded eyes and bated breath.


    Jack grinned, "aye Dana. They are safe, I meant them no harm. We just wanted to find the escaped prisoners amongst them, the fate of our kingdom demanded we work with speed. What has gotten into you? I had thought you didn''t care for anything bar your faith and the cause."


    Perhaps, jack thought, he had misjudged her. Seeing the shaven haired necromancer sigh with relief, he almost thought she was human. But then Jack remembered her record, the terrible atrocity that had put her into prison to begin with.


    To think the sole living being who had willingly served the Plague King could so shamelessly return to the scene of her genocidal crime and then not even bat an eyelash about it? The depth of that kind of evil made jack shiver. And she dared stare at him as if he were the bad one here?


    "You will join us in giving chase immediately. Luckily our assassin tracked them down to the monster forest and has already found a Willow tree they were recently waiting under before her returned. With both of you together, our forces will surely catch them in no time. You are dismissed."


    Even though Dana should have been pleased, she instead appeared shocked.


    "N-no, they are definitely heading deep into the forest itself. Most likely to hide," Dana said quickly, "they are a dim witted people - trying to find a hole to crawl within and stay out of our sight."


    "Dana...thank you for this information. But Ozzy had already explained why they would take a path that would lead through the mountains and back into our kingdom. That path would be risky, certainly, but would evade the patrols I''ve sent along the king''s road. I''m trusting his advice on this matter."


    As Dana moved to speak again, Jack held up a finger.


    "Not another word Dana, this is my decision. Now go get ready." Once the rebellious necromancer had left, Jack gestured for a crusader to allow the next appointment in.


    Covered in gold and furs, the fat Lord Richmond had enough belly for four and chewed on a drumstick even as he came to their meeting.


    "You should never make a Lord wait...Captain," Lord Richmond said as he sucked the grease from his fingers.


    "And you should not lie to me. Even if I am no longer a Templar Inquisitor, I am still of the inquisition. I could have you hanged for that stunt with the Golden Goose. To think you would claim they were hiding the enemy when you really just wanted to drive them out of town..."


    "What? They were there, my informants said so!" Lord Richmond huffed and puffed like a pig as he waived his jewelled fingers at the ceiling.


    "With the Three as my witness, I swear it is so!"


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "Then what about the Headless Hunters...?" Jack said as he clasped his hands together and gave the sweating Lord a long look. "You never mentioned that they could be hiding there, and yet my necromancer seemed to have been informed otherwise. Someone gave her access to the crypts too, and helped produce bodies under the false pretence that she worked with my approval."


    The Lord seemed not to know what to say. After trying to hide a small smile, he finally sighed.


    "Fine, I might have helped things along a bit. But that''s because there was a demon in that guild, a monster too! Out of anywhere in Tariak I could think of no other place that was more likely to house heretics, monsters and demons than aGuild that already did so! So let''s brush this matter aside, eh?"


    The Lord''s many chins wobbled with hope.


    "Crusaders, take this man into custody," Jack snapped, the crusaders at the door seizing Lord Richmond''s arms.


    "Lord Richmond, you are charged with failing the duties of your station, multiple counts of manslaughter and corruption. Have you anything to say for yourself?"


    "Y-you have no right! unhand me cretins, I am a noble, your superior!"


    "I was given the right by the One. As punishment for your comes I sentence you to death by hanging. Take him away and see to it this filth in human skin is dealt with," seeing the crusaders drag away the red faced Lord brought only some small relief to Jack''s heart.


    Yet that relief was soon crushed again by the weight of the crimes his former criminals had already committed. He''d orders hands to be cut off, backs to be whipped and two would be hanged along with the Lord but...


    Jack swept his hand through the mass of reports. No doubt many more had yet to even be reported. This would be settled when his force left however, no harm they could do in a forest filled with only monsters.


    And should the demon be secured, this would all become well worth it.


    Grabbing the fire-haired boy that had started this all, Jack admired his lifeless golden eyes. Such a good-looking crusader sent down the path of evil made the whole situation even harder on Jack. Although even he knew this boy wasn''t so bad, there wasn''t any way he could have known of the demons capture, or how disastrous her loss would be.


    As Jack pondered what to say in his speach to the troops about the destruction of the heretics, a clump of his hair came off on Jack''s hand. Then the face began to melt, and the body swiftly dissolved soon after.


    "What the... what is this?"


    Peering up at his remaining crusader, the woman shook her head.


    "Then prepare the Guildmaster of the Golden Goose, i''m coming to meet with him. Tell him if he wants to remain in his station he should be ready to give me answers about...." Jack just waved at the dissolved body with disgust, grey goo drooling down his table to pool on the floor.


    "And get that Necromancer to the Guildhall to meet me while you''re at it. Something doesn''t add up here."

 37 Chapter 37 - Almanac and the grey goo

    "Explain this to me if you would," Jack gestured to the man at his right, the crusader hefing a vat of grey goo onto Almanac''s desk.


    "It appears to be forged from locally sourced clay, designed to house material and would shatter easily upon impact with a hammer," Almanac drawled, barely having flittered his eyes up despite Jack''s sudden intrusion. Peering around, Jack felt uneasy in the wizard''s lair. Golden mist puffed from the carpet, arcane machinery whirred on a table and the paintings would shift to different postures when Jack looked away.


    Then again, Jack had spent years in the criminal magic division. Perhaps all those years hunting rogue mages had made him jumpy.


    "Take a seat, Captain," Almanac whispered as he pulled out a gleaming monocle to decipher the scrawl of a particularly chaotically written book. With a wag of his finger, air pushed a chair in from another room to be positioned at Jack''s backside.


    "You are ordered to tell me what this material is. Anything that would aid our quest to contain an incredible dangerous demon. These are orders from the One himself!"


    "And my response is backed up by the Adventurer League. We are guaranteed protection by King Thunberad from both the church and the nobility as long as we abstain from internal affairs. So, Captain, that is what I choose to do in this matter. Abstain."


    Jack started to grind his teeth. How could such a wizard who lived in such luxury while his Guildhall crumbled possibly understand honour and duty? Jack had half a mind to bend him over and slap his rear end until the pretty boy saw sense. Instead, Jack swallowed his pride and pulled out a gold coin.


    "A quest then. Identify everthing you can about the material contained within the clay vat and this coin is yours." Jack flicked the coin into the air, Almanac''s wind whizzing it around and into his waiting palm.


    "Accepted," Almanac said with a sudden bright smile as he lifted his piercing blue eyes that stared at Jack with an intencity that unnerved him. "Won''t take but a moment, please feel free to visit the bar and get a refreshment while you wait-"


    "Unneccessary, my forces are waiting before we enter the forest in search. This is the last matter to attend to before then."


    At mention that the Warden Company was preparing to leave, Almanac''s grin only widened.


    "Of course, but you''ll have to pay the other fee first."


    "Other fee?"


    "Fees to be precise. I have the list here, the items your men desroyed in their raid and a cumaltive list of mental suffering that came at the cause of your warriors. Pay this price in full, and we can begin."


    Snatching the sheet filled with neat writing, Jack grumbled to himself as he scanned the cost of the venture. The price demanded was outrageous, and would be a heavy blow to their lavish funds provided by the church.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    Still...a part of Jack''s heart filled with relief. As long as this Wizard didn''t keep it all for himself to buy more fancy gizmo''s, Jack would be sated. He too hoped that some of this coin would go towards helping the common people of Tariak, or at least in better arming the adventurers that defended them.


    "I''ll pay, but I''m announcing this to your Guild, understand? Try and withold payment to them, or on spending it in helping the townsfolk, and you''ll be thrown out on your pampered arse."


    "Agreed," Grinning, Almanac accepted a rather hefty bag of gold, before he opened the vat lid with great interest. Scowling, Jack realised he had been played for a fool and that the wizard must have been hiding his fascination all along.


    Dabbing in two fingers, Almanac withdrew them now coated grey and lightly sniffed.


    "No scent," his grin widened further as he licked the substance. "No poison, no taste of....anything. It''s like this is nothing - and luckily for you, I''ve experienced something similar to this ''nothing'' before."


    Stoically withholding his look of disgust, Jack leaned in closer.


    "What you have here," Almanac said, pulling out a blob and setting it on a crystal. "Is a material that can take different forms."


    The crystal activated, flaring a bright electric blue and the blob began to warp and dance on its surface. As Jack watched, the blob turned into a patch of skin, a knot of hair and a wad of scales in quick succession.


    "This could be from a variant of a werewolf, mimic, doppelganger or demon. It''s hard to say really, other than this substance could only have such a quality if it was originally sourced from some kind of shapeshifting species."


    "Then that''s all I need to know - crusaders, has there been any word of Dana yet?" Jack addressed his guards, both of whom answering with shaking heads.


    "We have not found her, Warden."


    "Damn it," Jack knew what that meant. Whoever this shapeshifter was, the dark look in Dana''s eyes before had been no anomaly. It had been the eyes of his enemy, something so cold and unfeeling it could be made of this strange substance.


    The ultimate enemy of humanity - it could be any of his followers and Jack would never know. He stared at his left guard, her blonde hair billowing down armoured shoulders, then at his right, the man''s chestnut beard adorned with beads inscribed with the symbol of the Three. Could this shapeshifter be one of them?


    "I need to know how to identify the creature," Jack whispered, at least certain the wizard must be himself. No shapeshifter could replicate this magic, nor could a shapeshifter infiltrate a guild such as this in the short time between leaving Jack''s presence.


    "I can do that for you. Provide the secret to fending off such creatures - the same all shapeshifters fear. But it''ll cost you."


    "Whatever the cost, make it mine." Jack would not half-arse this, it was not how he was raised. He needed to know who he could trust, and who he could not.


    "That''s what I like to hear," Almanac smirked as he unlocked one of his drawers. Within he pulled free a silver dagger, several strange inscriptions scrawled into the metal. Whatever it was, this dagger was at least ancient. Those same symbols the variety found in the deepest parts of the Cathedral, from whatever shrine the Three had used as a foundation to their much larger house of worship.


    "Elvish Spirit Silver. It is said to be the ''most real'' material one can buy. When this comes into contact with anything not as it should..." Almanac tapped the shifting blob on his crystal, the substance returning to its grey goo baseline at once.


    "You are certain this will work?" Jack grasped the knife and admired the keen edge.


    "No. What you have brought to me is too alien for me to be certain, but the fundamental forces involved here should at least create a reaction. While you might not force the creature to it''s original form, there should be some sign. Here is my fee."


    Almanac pushed a number scrolled on paper across the table.


    Jack wilted at the price, yet seeing the grey goo remaining reverted, nodded.


    After paying, Jack''s funds were limited. But that was no matter, the church would be sending more eventually. Until then, he just had to focus on when Ozzy returned from his scouting mission.


    Only then could the hunt continue.

 38 Chapter 38 - How fast can you run?

    Kenji ran as fast as Ash''s feet could take him.


    He sprinted across town, out into the countryside, and bolted right into the woods.


    He arrived at the spot he was to meet Tenko, violet and the two yet to be met orphans under the willow tree...to find no one there.


    Feeling all alone, Kenji stole a deep breath before pressing onward. Kenji had setup several fallback positions just in case, but if they really had a master assassin giving chase...


    Kenji pushed himself even harder. He tried to dodge every bramble and bush but was snared all the same. His silky skin was caught in a rosebush, blood smearing the thorns, and his clothes were ripped by grasping vines.


    Even injured, his clothes torn to shreds and his legs begging for a break...Kenji continued onward.


    Eventually, he reached the next meeting point of a small forest clearing and found it deserted. With keen elvish eyesight, Kenji found the signs of a fire being hidden. Unfortunately, there was similarly the signs of others having sifted through the same pile of ash.


    Spreading elvish fingers deep into the ash, he felt some warmth remaining. They couldn''t have left long ago, and yet clearly someone had uncovered the firepit even sooner than that. Peering up, he tried to feel his way through the rattling of leaves, the tweeting of birds and the buzzing of insects to the enemy that stalked this same forest.


    And while they knew monsters roamed this land, they had yet to know they too were hunted. Ash would not allow them to so much as touch a single hair of her beloved. Quickly the Sun elf dashed her cheeks with the ash that she was named after before filled her golden hair with leaves.


    Pulling free her knives, Ash continued onward into the forest, eagre for even the slightest hint that her dearest Catelyn still lived. If she was hurt...if anyone had DARE hurt her...


    Ash began to shake, the anger too powerful to be kept still. Like an engine, she bent the burning star of hatred for the humans in her belly towards powering her limbs forward and keep her senses keen.


    After another agonizing sprint, Ash arrived at the third meeting place of a hill with an old watchtower atop it. There she found a band of ruffians, a dark-haired man in the midst of yelling while Ash listened behind a nearby tree. She wanted to attack them at once, to slit the hunters'' throats and leave their heads for those that came looking.


    Flashes of memory surged through her - the humans had taken her family first and placed it in the same prison they had managed for three hundred years. Then they had put the prisoners in charge and - Ash shook the memories from her head, shoving it again back into the recess of her memory. Focused once more, she listened.


    "They can''t be far now - you will not ruin me earning Jack''s favour by coming up empty handed! I don''t care you''ve lost the trail. Go. And. Find. It!" pulling out a pair of knives, the dark-haired man threatened his men to say otherwise.


    Despite many of the brutes being larger far than him, and much more intimidating, all five rushed off with terror in their eyes. What made an impression upon Ash, however, was how silent they were. Like moving whispers, or shadows come to life, each of the five was clearly of the rogue class or some specialisation of it.


    What they didn''t know - what no one knew - was that every warden of the silent prison was something beyond a mere rogue. Ash didn''t want to use this ability before now, it had seemed crude to allow any human - including the human ''Kenji'' - to wield her ancestral powers. But now was not the time for that.


    For Violet, Ash would swallow her pride.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    And became


    utterly


    mute.


    She disturbed not even a leaf as she moved, the wind finding another path and her breath inaudible. Had a human witnessed the change to nothingness, they would have certainly called it a spell. Ash grinned, there was more than magic to the world.


    Sometimes a hundred years of training was all one needed.


    [Elf calls - Intruder]


    Her silent message was projected across every branch she touched every flitter of wind and every tree that watched her pass like a wisp in the night.


    [Spirit respond - Intruder - captured spirits - anger]


    The forest replied sleepily, no druid, elf or other such being having communicated with the forest in millennia. And yet they could feel the clumsy humans, having heard the cries of their kindred falling to the nasty axes for decades now. That anger had simmered, engorged, and now seemed ripe to be unleashed. Yet she frowned at the contents of the message, capturing spirits being a grave offence to any creature who had formed a connection with one.


    [Elf offers - Elf aids spirit - spirit reveals another elf?]


    Catelyn was a goddess, not an elf, but Ash doubted the trees would understand that.


    [Agreed - aid- thanks]


    The forest left her mind, and the trees began to rattle and quake. A forest awakening from its slumber was both a great and terrible thing, but even though this was overkill for a few humans, the awakened forest would become a great obstacle for those humans that followed.


    A living wall between her beloved and her hunters.


    But the forest would take some time to bring it''s wraith to bare, time the enemy could use to prevail. Yet they had no idea that they had invoked the fury of a far more threatening foe.


    For the first time since dying, Ash of the Silent Prison swore her war whispers in her heart and began the hunt. Unless these humans were something, special like the Templar of the Cathedral that had killed her, the humans would never know she was there until they were dead.


    A shame she didn''t have her bow, or else she would have been able to end them even more effectively.

 39 Chapter 39 - Ash, Ash. Ash.

    The first rogue didn''t realise Ash was there until his throat was slit, the look of surprise on his squinting eyes was nearly comical as Ash kicked him down a ledge and into the mass of writhing vines he had been looking at. The Forest swallowed him whole.


    The second was filled with terror already, the trees having grown faces and had started to uproot themselves. As he screamed in horror, he found Ash''s blade in his belly and was left to be pulled beneath the earth.


    The third was being chased when Ash finally tracked him down - tigers made of branch, bush and thorn charging after him. Knives did no good, his [critical hit] ability achieving little more than puncturing a branch before he made the mistake of climbing a tree to supposed safety. Suffice to say, the tree looked pleased to crush him slowly in its branches.


    The fourth had her limbs pulled off and the fifth entered a cave to never be seen again without any of Ash''s help. That left only the dark-haired assassin.


    The forest claimed he was heading in the rough direction of the second elf - Goddess Catelyn - which pressed Ash on with even greater speed. Yet keeping up her silent stance was tiring, and she had already long passed her normal safe limits.


    Without the spirits, she was born with to empower her, being of the [Spirit Assassin] class wasn''t going to help her past what she had already achieved. Therefore when she finally lopped down a hill, to confront the bastard, she knew fighting wasn''t an option.


    Around him lay twin tigers - real ones this time - and very much dead at that. He had already skinned the pair with rapid speed and sat on a nearby rock as he cleaned his blades. All around him the Forest continued to awaken, and yet he seemed completely focused on the shine of his knives, each ending in a handle carved to look like a nude man and woman.


    "I thought something more dangerous stalked this forest. But to think it was one of you Sun elves..." he grinned and waved his knife as if to an old friend.


    "You should never have come here, Assassin. The very forest begs for your blood."


    "Luckily for me, I am very comfortable around others begging. I''ve had plenty of experience with those I deal with doing just that when they realise what they face off against. Surely as a Sun elf, you would know better than any. Your king, for example, is he still stuck in that cell where we left him?"


    Ash grit her teeth.


    "How could a human like you possibly know-"


    The Assasin unbuttoned his leather jerkin to reveal pale muscle scrawled with dark tattoos. Although Ash recognised them as far more than that. For each of the three black hearts represented a twisted spirit, once having leant their powers to aiding a spirit warrior, they had now been forged into something dark and cruel. This thing that played at being human...it had made the spirits into warped slaves.


    "Shade..."Ash hissed, the man''s strength now making sense to her. How could he not be anything less than monstrously powerful when he had the three remnants of once proud spirits chained to his every desire?


    [Elf recommends - attack only the shade -others are allies]


    [Forest questions - what allies?]


    [Elf says - you''ll think they are enemies]


    With that settled, Ash charged.


    "Let the games begin," the Assasin grinned as roots burst from the ground and vines lunged from the forest roof.


    "Spirit of anger, [Awaken]" with but that one word everything changed. His eyes grew wide, his muscle taut and his blades leaked wisps of dark energy.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    In three slashes he chopped the Forests attacks to pieces, all in time to block Ash''s daggers that both aimed at the Shades heart.


    Yet again Ash wished she had a bow, these knives feeling too unfamiliar in her hands.


    "Your good," the Assasin said casually, "but you''re not good enough."


    Whipping his knives around her guard he cut her through the shoulder and cheek. In return, she caught him on the arm, yet her blade created only a shallow wound as if his limbs were made of stone.


    "Tsk tsk, I had thought better of an elf. Now please, show me how you beg," whirling his knives around the Assasin destroyed a barrage of attacks, and yet a great gale of wind shoved leaves and dirt in his face.


    Seizing the chance Ash forgot her guard and risked it all to use [critical strike] to pierce the Shades chest in a rapid thrust.


    "So close little elf," the Assasin sneered, dust fading to reveal the flat of his blade over his heart to halt her dagger meat centimetres from his heart.


    With a flourish, her world went spinning as her head rolled beside her decapitated corpse and Ash''s sight went dark.

 40 Chapter 40 - I have been assasinated

    "Hey...why the sad face?" the Assassin whispered along with the sounds of swishing blades. Hiding within Ash, Kenji could see only the endless dark.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "Don''t worry. Just stick around awhile, then I''ll bring your friends heads to come have a little party," somthing was stuck into the ground. Ash''s body was not yet unusable, but if this bastard decided to run away with her head then Ash would be lost to Kenji forever.


    Then again, if he could complete her sole desire of keeping Violet safe, perhaps that wouldn''t be so bad.


    Jettesoning from Ash''s corpse, Kenji wiggled into the forest as his old man base form. Thankfully the forest quickly hid him, shielding him from the view of the assassin who was adorning himself in pelts and a Sun elf head.


    Those trophies would be his downfall, Kenji swore it would be so. Transforming into Dana, Kenji started her summoning.


    "What''s this in the air-ha!" a sudden burst of vines distracted the assassin for now, but he was still moments away from discovering Kenji''s intent.


    By the time his eyes jerked to the dead tigers at his feet, it was too late. One tiger bit into side side, another raked it''s claws down his shoulder. Shredded leather and a blast of blood sprayed onto the forest floor.


    "AAHH, spirit of Desire [Awaken]," red and black energy filled the Assassin''s veins. Immediately the bleeding stopped, and the assasin began moving with inhuman flexibility to avoid the strikes of the zombie tigers. His [critical hit] skill achieved little more than marring one tigers meat, even if it''s claws missed due to the assasin contorting his body out of the way as if it were solely made of water.


    Only too late did he realise he stood over Ash''s corpse, her undead arm stabbing him between the legs. Howling, the assasin had his stones cut free.


    Growling, the assasin tried to search the Forrest for Kenji but was distracted by the zombie tigers, Ash''s undead revenant and the increasingly powerful attacks of the Forrest. Currently green energy welled within each vine, becoming hard as stone itself, the assasin no longer able to cut their fibres without using skills such as [slash] and [fast slash].


    "There! The assasin grinned as he charged Kenji''s direction."


    "[Blessing - Fire - times three!]," Kenji shouted, both undead Ash and his undead tigers erupting with holy flame.


    Having entered the forest proper, the assasin was soon restricted. The twin tigers crashed into his side, collapsing soon after by a fair of [fast slash]s. Ash went even further, managing to bury twin taggers through his throat and back as if for that moment her ability in life had returned.


    It would not be enough. The assasin hacked his way out as Ash''s body burned to dust. Bleeding like a pig he staggered towards Kenji.


    "Dana you traitor, I should have known..." the Assassin wiped the blood from his mouth, managing only to smear much more on instead from his heavily bleeding hand.


    "You''ll die here," Kenji grinned, the holy fire catching onto the the Assassin''s back and burning his skin and leather together.


    "I don''t think so, spirit of the lost [awaken]," his last bound spirit appeared as a small Sun elf but it''s power was somthing else entirely. As a magic user Dan''s could see mana, and this child had ten wizards worth of mana swirling about it. That kind of power could eradicate Kenji in a moment.


    "Get me out of here kid, don''t let this forest interrupt me either," nodding, the rather sad looking elf boy raised his shaking hands high, bit his lip so hard it bled, and clenched. A single tear rolled down the elf boy''s cheek.


    The Earth had died before the boy''s tear had fallen to splash upon it.


    Vines withered, flowers lost their petals, the grass faded into patches of brown and a quick blight spread across the earth that destroyed all flora it touched.


    Curious thing about the dead, necromancers like Dana specialised in its control. While she didn''t specialise in wielding dead trees, the deathly energy was still thick, and once wielded, Kenji let it snap into her limbs and be directed.


    "Now you die, traitor," the assasin said.


    "I couldn''t agree more," unleashing the power Kenji had the dead trees surge their vines and roots in unison around the Assassin before he activated [blessing-fire] and multi-cast it as many times as he could before the assasin appeared before him and used [assasinate] to rip Kenji clean in half.


    Rolling away as his old man base form, Kenji barely burst through the ring of dead foliage before his blessings set the whole area of dead forest ablaze with holy fire. The pyre was so hot Kenji had to back away a fair way to even look at it, nothing able to survive the storm of fire that engulfed the entire area.


    "You will be missed Ash," Kenji whispered, the sun elf''s course guaranteed to be vaporised in that firestorm. But she had felt content in her last moments, somthing that made him wonder a little less if he should have abandoned one of his Forbidden slots to fit her within.


    No, this had been the best way. Now she could find peace, knowing that she had gone above and beyond for her dear beloved.


    Kenji jerked his head upward, as a cackling figure stumbled through the smouldering fire.


    "You thought....this could kill me...?" rasped the voice the skeleton made of ash and shade energy. His heart was encased in black and red power, the rest of him held together by the cursed nature of his existence.


    "You cannot kill me. I am immortal!"


    Kenji remembered how Ash had always targeted the shades heart, and assumed the organ to be his weak point. Problem was, Kenji was out of tricks, unless you counted the rat of course.


    Switching to the rat he charged, building up momentum.


    Turning into the original body of the boy Knight (seeing as the Forbidden slot was still resetting from his ploy of leaving a fake corpse behind) Kenji lunged at stabbed, fully aware that if he lost he''d lose the boy knight forever.


    Oh - and if he lost twice he''d be joining them in the grave. And he didn''t even have his blessings - just his sword skill against that of an almost immortal shade.

 41 Chapter 41 - Man Vs Abomination

    The clash of their steel rang out through the still burning forest. Lumber and sparks fell like hellish snow, ash choked the air and yet they both fought to the very limit of their ability.


    Kenji moved with stiff, regulated strikes while the Assassin flowed like water, if exhausted.


    His superior talent was astounding, and If not for being on the cusp of death the shade would have put Kenji in the ground from the second blow. Instead, he had the slightest hint of a chance, as his blade diverted stab and slash with swift strikes. With a moment of inspiration Kenji forgot his defense and shattered one of the Assassin''s ashen limbs, the Assassin now forced to shift to a one armed stance.


    "Your good...whatever you are," the Assassin hissed without tongue or cheek. A burning skeleton with a pulsing black heart, the shade cackled as it lunged to attack again. Using [Fast strike] Kenji was swiftly skewers through the shoulder, the Assassin dancing out of range.


    "Your death is inevitable. I will kill you, your friends and anyone else I want for a hundred years!" Dashing forward the Assassin attacked a tad slower, the power behind the strike coming weaker too.


    "I wouldn''t make plans too far ahead, I don''t think you''ll be surviving a hundred seconds."


    The clash of steel on steel continued, Kenji starting to lose his stamina faster and faster until he was heaving burning air and ash while his limbs screamed they could continue for only a short while longer.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    While the shade was doing little better, his stamina wasn''t fading nearly as fast as the mere human in front of him. Kenji was cut across the lip, the hand, the leg and stabbed through the ribs.


    But not for a moment did he consider running, not for an instance did he allow defeat to take root on his heart.


    In his mind the nature of this situation crashed and roared louder and louder. The church Arthur had served was wielding necromancers, butchering innocents and had unleashed this evil upon the land.


    Only Arthur stood in the way, and while he had denounced his god with his mind, only now did he open his heart to the possibility of another power.


    Strength flowed, his stance altered and completely ignoring his own defence Arthur twisted and thrust in a flash, [Full offensive strike] was activated and while Arthur was stabbed through the eye, his blade drove right through the shade''s black heart in turn.


    "Oh..." the shade gasped, peering down at his shattered heart with suprise.


    "Say hi to Dana for me," Kenji whispered as he pulled his sword free and darkness exploded from the Shades chest. A burst of red and green shot out of the shade''s chest and streaked like comets into the sky.


    When the darkness faded, and the last of the shade''s body turned to Ash a silver elf boy appeared. He peered around uncertain at the world, and took his first tentative step.


    "Go on little one. Your free now, go and live as you wish," Kenji whispered, falling to one knee as he spluttered blood and clutched his ruined eye.


    The boy ran over concerned, and tried to pull Kenji up. With far greater strength that Kenji expected, the little spirit quickly hoisted Kenji to his feet.


    "Eh, thank you,"Kenji said as the spirit waved his hands and the fire was put out by a burst of wind and the flora began to rapidly heal, then flourish. Soon what had been a charred and blighted field became a colourful glade.


    After that, the spirit peered at Kenji as if unsure as what to do next.


    "Are you lost, little one?" Kenji asked.


    The spirit nodded it''s little head along with the sounds of tinkling bells. The spirit pointed at the sun, it''s silver cheeks filling with golden light.


    "You lived in the sun?"


    The spirit filled again.


    "You want to go home?"


    The spirit smiled with a mouth filled with sunshine as it tinkled again.


    "Then you can come with me if you want. I know a Sun elf ''goddess'' if that helps. Purple skinned, summons crystals and is a bit snooty if that rings a bell."


    The spirit rolled it''s eyes then sharpened it''s little nose to a point and stuck it up high in the air. Laughing despite his intense pain, Kenji thought it was a good impression.


    "So you do know her then. That''s good."


    Wearily Kenji contorted back to his base form, allowing the corpse of the boy knight to start it''s repairs in his storage.


    Turning, the silver spirit ran on over to where the shade had died and picked up it''s shattered black heart. With a flash of light, silver crystal glued it back together, before the whole thing was compressed into a thumb sized gem. Obsidian Black and covered in a web of silver cracks, Kenji marvelled at the gem that was placed at his hand.


    Turning translucent and looking very tired, the spirit rubbed it''s sleepy eyes and yawned with the sound of rushing wind. In the next moment the spirit turned to liquid Silver and flowed into the gem, the obsidian now glowing with an inner silver light.


    "I''ll take you too her, don''t worry little one," Kenji said, then kissed the gem goodnight. "Sweet dreams, your days of hardship have come to an end."


    As the forest started to fall back into its slumber, Kenji admired the floral glade a little longer while golden rays of sunshine pierced through the crown of emerald leaves above.


    Kenji spent all the time he could spare making a little makeshift memorial of stone in the glade, and then whispered words of thanks to Ash. Neither her body nor that of the Shade could be recovered, and so Kenji brought away only his deepest thanks.


    And for the Sun Elf that had been so integral to Kenji''s survival, he swore to the wind and the earth that he would continue to honour her one wish.


    He would keep Violet safe.

 42 chapter 42 - The march commences

    Jack grit his teeth as he watched Ozzy''s death. His must trusted assassin falling to that nightmare of a creature sent shivers down his spine. Would this old silver knife really be enough?


    Urging his bound familiar away, Jack continued to observe the skies with this copied ability [summon familiar] from a rogue wizard. He had the owl fly across the land, spying a multitude of horned goatmen herding away monsters in unusual quantity towards the mountains.


    Beside the mountains raged a fire, but as long as that didn''t spread too far that wasn''t a concern of Jack''s. what was however, was that his quarries had yet to realise they headed to wall of solid flame. While Jack liked the fact they were cut off from escape, the huge amount of monsters the fire was pushing away might cause his prey to be consumed by troll, goatman or some unnamed monster long before Jack could get to them.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    And while Jack could do many things with his copied abilities, he couldn''t interrogate the dead. Yet.


    "Flower Knight, you are certain the forest will not seek to harm us?" Jack said as he pulled away from his connection to the summoned owl, finding himself once again on his requisitioned horse.


    "Indeed Warden, the flowers whisper that this trail is safe for as long as I am present," the Flower Knight said smiling sweet as honey, flowers blooming as she passed. If he hadn''t seen her butcher so many, Jack would have thought her some good-natured forest nymph with all that beauty that sprang up with every step. Beauty matched with heavenly features that had made her the mascot of Warden company, her fans amongst the company spreading amongst the townsfolk of Tariak too.


    Behind them trailed the Warden Company in all its glory, along with a grand militia of the more devote townsfolk. All wanted this matter over with quickly, the many monsters infesting this forest a constant cause for anxiety as every bird call and broken twig sent a chorus of rasping steel sliding free.


    Suddenly Trag the Stamper halted, and began sniffing the air. The troll chuckled to himself as he pulled his huge mace free.


    "Prepare yourselves! My feet are about to be wet with blood!" Shields were raised just as barbed arrows were fired from unseen sources, the militiamen reacting too slowly were strewn with casualties in moments.


    "Fight! For the Three show no mercy!" Jack roared as devil horned goatmen wielding spears tipped with hellfire and covered in heretical symbols bleated prayers to their own dark gods and charged from all sides.


    Activating [blessing-light] Jack''s longsword became bathed with holy light. After a [blessing - greater speed] and [blessing - Goldenheart] Jack both moved with the speed required to cut down three goatmen in a breath and filled the hearts of his followers with the courage to stand against the foe.


    Blade filled with Devine fury, Jack danced his way through the goatmen ranks leaving a score of dead trailing behind him. Distantly, he saw the jet black horns of a goatman above that of the rest. This goatman was regal, with groomed dark fur, silver jewellery woven into warbraids and burning symbols made of hellfire dancing around his horns.


    Gesturing, the enemy leader sent in a pair of twitching goatmen covered in white cloth drenched in dark scriptures. As the pair built up speed red energy surged wildly across their limbs, becoming rapidly potent and unstable.


    "Shoot them down - don''t let those two hit the main line!" Jack roared, Trag roared as he charged the pair. The first was kicked back into the forest while the second was thrown into the goatmens'' own ranks.


    Soon after both exploded, crimson energy ripping apart the closest bodies and sucking them into the energy covered sacrifices. All that power then snapped to a point, and just as Jack thought all was well, the energy fluctuated and a crimson goatman appeared with demonic features.


    Ink black claws, curled horns, too many teeth and tongues. The sacrifice that had been thrown into the jungle emerged similarly transformed if much smaller, the lack of kills having reduced the power of the transformation.


    The first demonic goat man screamed at an inhuman pitch and dropped it''s obsidian claws upon the first crusader brave enough to attack. The crusader had buffed his defense, and yet the obsidian blades pierced through his shield and ripped aside the mangled metal to the ground. In the next swipe it sent the crusaders head rolling while completely ignored the crusaders flaming sword that had been sunk into the creatures belly.


    Howling it launched at another crusader - Jack cleaved it in two mid air, leaving the blazing remains to warp and twitch on the ground. The top half continued to crawl forward, snarling, until Jack split the demons head.


    The other had a flower popping out its mouth, a violent sparky red, that the Flower Knight plucked. The instant the flower was picked the creature died, the chaotic demon flower added to the Flower Knight''s mane.


    A combination of discipline, reinforcements and Trag drove away the remaining enemy forces. Jack cut down what fleeing goatmen as he could, yet couldn''t spy their leader amongst the fleeing enemy ranks.


    "Form up, we continue immediately. These heretics will not slow this crusade down!"


    But his men were rattled, and riddled with fresh wounded besides. Thankfully the priests could heal them quickly, but it would take time to replenish those blessings. If the enemy decided to ambush them again and again, Jack''s forces would be slowly whittled down to nothing.


    "Hurry with the blessings, I want this company moving. Now!" Rolling up his sleaves Jack joined the priests in aiding those with minor wounds, focusing on not letting the stress of an imminent attack wear away at him.


    For his troops at least, Jack would continue to appear outwardly confident. Even if internally the organisation of these monsters terrified him. If they could learn from this attack too...


    Jack shook his head of doubt and focused on what he could do in the moment.


    No use worrying, when he had no choice but to plunge ever deeper into the monster infested forest.

 43 chapter 43 - Outrun

    In his old man base form Kenji ran desperately through the forest. Just as he thought all hope of finding his companions was lost, he heard a howl that pierced through the rustling leaves.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    Following that howl, Kenji descended into a gully to find a bright silver moon hanging high above. Below Violet and Tenko stood prepared for battle, a teenage girl and a small boy hiding behind them with their backs to a cliff.


    From every angle stalked wicked looking black furred goatmen, their spears ending in hellflame and their eyes were filled with crimson red light. They snickered and hooted at one another, as they closed in on their cornered pray.


    Before Kenji could do anything more, arrows flew through the trees to score headshots on several of the goatmen. Panicking, they grunted gutteral orders and fled, another pair falling dead before they could get away.


    Rushing forward, Kenji got to his companions side before the new forces could reveal themselves.


    "Did it work?" Violet whispered.


    "I think so. They have a body now, so there''s no need to chase me, and I''ve dealt with their scouts that hunted for us too. Although, I''ve lost Ash," Kenji noticed Violets ears twitch and her eyes grow round before the forest came to life.


    While goatmen, these were clearly of a different breed. Their fur was brown, bodies smaller and with coloured moss artfully arrayed amongst their fur. In their hands they clutched little bows, with bundles of arrows poking out from behind their shoulders.


    "Do not be alarmed," came a soothing tone, a small boy made of plants appearing from the trees. With a face of leaves and body of wood, the forest child smiled pleasantly.


    "Who are you shrub kid?" Tenko roared, her great wolf tail swishing and her fangs bared. Placing a hand on her furred side, Kenji tried to soothe the giant wolf.


    "Everyone be calm, I don''t think they are an enemy," Kenji said. Otherwise, why else would they have driven off those larger goatmen for them.


    "Indeed, we servants of the Far King are kind creatures. But while excellent with the bow, these Fauns cannot compete with the satyrs to a physical level. And with the fires...well, I hear the Satyrs are gathering an army of monster refugees. Starving and desperate, they are easily tamed into serving their twisted desires."


    "We are currently passing through, while I thank you servants of the Far King, we cannot help you with this war. We are hounded by inquitors as it is. If their scouts discover us...we would only be bringing more conflict to this land."


    The Forest child''s features froze, then his eyes turned to Kenji.


    "You are in position of a wounded spirit and two vulnerable children. We could tend to their needs, see the spirit restored and even thank you with powerful items. All we need is for you to destroy the pryomancer causing the fires, before his wall of flame reaches even my King''s domain"


    Violet pulled at Kenji''s sleeve.


    "The forest was filled with danger when we were running, me and Tenko had trouble scaring off the monsters. If they could escort us through, that would make this worth the risk."


    "That is something we can do," the Forrest child said as if he had heard Violet''s whispering just fine. "We can show you a secret fairy road that''ll take you through to the safety beyond the mountain. Any other path would lead you into the realm of the Living Mountain, where ever cliff, rock and path will attempt to kill you."


    "''The Living Mountain''? How does that work, is the whole thing one big old elemental or somthing?" Kenji said a tad sceptical.


    "Exactly, the spirits of the mountains themselves are fierce when it comes to driving away outsiders. Attempting to cross yourselves is a suicidal notion, therefore this offer is perfectly suited to your situation."


    Too perfect, Kenji thought. But not seeing any other way, nodded slowly.


    "We''ll just be taking the children and spirit then-"


    "The spirit stays. You can just heal it when we come back for the children," speaking of those two Kenji got his first good look at the pair.


    The first was a stunningly beautiful girl with the most bland grey clothing Kenji had ever seen. Part succubus she couldn''t help her passive ability to attract others by being so physically perfect in all the right places, and so tried to downplay that attraction by wearing baggy grey clothes that covered everything bar her cold facial features. Cold features that the local Lord had nonetheless fallen in love with, having attempted to kidnap her several times over the last few years.


    The second was a bright young boy made of stone. He had golden eyes and gold spun into hair, while moving so animatedly Kenji wouldn''t have been surprised to grasp his stone arm and feel the same texture as skin. The elemental was the last of his kind, and apparently hunted across the land for his solid gold eyes, hair, and heart.


    Rubbing his eyes wearily, Kenji nodded.


    "Where will we meet you then, once we''ve dealt with this pyomancer?"


    "You''ll be escorted back by your guides of course. The same that will take you to the pryomancer''s location. Otherwise you would have to fight your way past hordes of starving monsters that are being pushed out from the wild fires."


    "And this pyromancer himself? What can you tell us about him?" Violet said, Kenji stepping back and letting her take the lead.


    "He spreads fires at random, and with no intention. That, and he can bend the fires around him to his will, making him exceptionally dangerous near the inferno he has caused. I advise you use that wounded spirit to summon rain or somthing, although in that state the spirit might be able to collect only enough power to do so for a short time. My King will also provide aid to support you."


    "We''re going to be left alone?" said the part succubus with a monotone voice.


    "Will we...be safe?" the golden eyed boy said while hiding behind Tenko.


    "If Tenko can eat him, all will be fine!" Tenko added, then quickly returned to baring her fangs. "Not that I trust green boy. You better not hurt Sunbean and Gray, ok?"


    Raising his little leaf hands, the forest child said, "I''d not dream of doing anything at all to them that they would agree to. You can rest assured that the hospitality of my King is something renowned throughout many lands. So fantastic is the experience, that there are even those who have chosen never to leave."


    While this was sounding fishier by the moment, for once Kenji couldn''t think of an opposing plan. It seemed, they would just have to deal with this pyromancer and hope to get out of here before the chaos of their situation got any worse.


    "Just to be clear, if anything strange should happen, the Order of the Midnight Eye will be hearing about it, and the Avengers will be summoned to investigate. This is your only warning," Kenji took great pride in seeing the look of concern that flashed across the forest child''s eyes.


    "Absolutely. What is this order you speak of though? In all my knowledge I have never heard of it-"


    "And hopefully you never will. Now hurry, if we are to slay this pyromancer we''ll need to know where it is. Although I''ll need to sleep and recouperate before such a fight, as will my companions to replenish their strength."


    But more importantly, Kenji wanted his many forms to finish regenerating inside of him. Without them he was stuck as a defunct old man, and that wasn''t very useful in a battle.


    "We have many secret glades were you can retire. Rest assured enchantments will prevent anyone from disturbing your slumber, so if you would come this way..."


    Turning around, the Forest child led them deeper into the forest.


    Wearily, Kenji and his companions followed.

 44 chapter 44 - Dreamy Glade

    The dreamy glade was made of grass soft as silk, the air feeling like it kissed Kenji''s face and the temperature was just right for a quick nap. The glade was edged by thick walls of wood and vine, providing a much appreciated sense of security. Above the sun shines golden and glorious, the leaves that should have blocked the sky having been enchanted to become translucent.


    So pleasant was the glade, Kenji hadn''t properly sat down before his exhaustion pulled him into a deep and pleasant slumber. Waking up with his arse in the air and earth in his mouth, Kenji peered around to find Tenko and Violet softly chatting while the faun guides hid in far away pushes.


    "Hey, you two should have woken me up," Kenji said as he rubbed his eyes and yawned. Finding his forms regenerated, Kenji turned into Arthur and stretched.


    "You seemed dead tired Kenji. And the news isn''t that good either," Violet said, standing up to come sit down beside him. Tenko scurried over and threw herself on his face, "wakie-wakie!"


    Laughing, Kenji fell back and enjoyed the moment. Violet lay down beside him in the soft grass, while Tenko jumped from Kenji''s belly to Violet''s while shouting, "the floor is lava!"


    "You guys really took a liking to those new kids then, right?" Kenji smiled as they both started talking at once, Kenji waving his hands to calm then down.


    "One person speak at a time! I can''t understand you otherwise."


    "Gold bean is REALLY funny! He can talk like Tenko, he can talk like Violet - he can talk like anyone!"


    Peering at Violet , Kenji caught her sigh.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "What Tenko is trying to say is that Almanac the second can replicate voices. Well, alot of things, he can basically replicate anything he sees happen. Not magic mind you, not without at least having the right mana and Understanding how the spell works."


    "Really..." Kenji grinned, "so do you think he could forge a signature for instance?"


    Violet frowned, but nodded.


    "I guess. What would you want with that?"


    "Oh nothing. What about the other girl Tenko, Grey?"


    "Grey is cool!" Tenko said as her tail wagged really fast. "Not only is she really old, but she''s really good at fighting and SUPER smart!"


    "Wasn''t she a teenager?" Kenji laughed.


    "Honestly she came off like a grandma, always talking about her books and that library of hers. She is smart though, and good at fighting too. She killed a Frost Monkey by whacking it in the head with a book she has hidden beneath all that grey cloth."


    "Wait, wait, wait - a book?" Kenji fell into a fit of laughter, "how does that even work?"


    "she claims she infuses her mana into the book to make it strong as steel. Apparently she can do so with all kinds of writing,book and library related stuff," Violet said while trying to stifle her own giggles, Tenko laughing as loudly as she could for no apparent reason behind them.


    Once they finally calmed down, and their anxiety had been long forgotten, Kenji sighed.


    "You said there had been news?"


    Tenko''s ears perked up, and Violet closed her eyes.


    "Common, tell me. Please?


    Sighing, Violet rolled onto her side and stared right into Arthur''s golden eyes. No...it was strange, but Kenji didn''t feel any remnant of Arthur anymore. It felt as if he had felt accomplished with rejecting his god and helping put several true evils into the ground. Having ceased to exist, these golden eyes now felt...


    well, like Kenji''s.


    "The inquisiton is still following us Kenji," Violet said, staring dreamily into his golden orbs. "Why are you crying? I''m sure we can outrun them, no matter how they''re managed to keep following us."


    Wiping his eyes, Kenji smiled wide and bright.


    "They''re...not sad tears. It''s just with Arthur, um, it''s hard to explain really. But it feels good."


    Wrapping an arm around him, Violet hugged him tight. "Ok then, but you would let me know if you were feeling sad...right? You wouldn''t hide it, and try to solve everything yourself again, right?"


    Kenji''s mind fluttered back to seeing the indifference of Jack. It had been foolish confronting him, in revealing himself just to scare Jack a little. But he had had to know who he was dealing with, and now he knew, this Templar could be worked with.


    Kenji hated the man, but he didn''t seem a zealot nor one who hungered for power. Instead he had seemed lost, and confused how these terrible things he was causing contributed towards some goal the Warden could no longer understand.


    At least that''s what Kenji''s gut said.


    "You. Come. We. Go.Now," one of the Fauns said timidly, before scuttling away and pulling aside a branch that hid the start to a thin trail bordered with shimmering bushes and paved with flowers.


    The bushes shifted constantly, and if he stared they devolved into a blurred mass of colour. The enchanted trail then.


    "You two ready? I want to introduce myself to these new friends of yours, but first we have our work to do."


    They got up slowly, but neither complained.


    As beautiful as the glade had been, it was only a small breathe of calm before the storm that was to come.

 45 Chapter 45 - Enchanted Travels

    "Path changes. Path goes where it wills. We follow until Path leads to where the Far King directed," the faun said with much more energy than before, his colleagues seeming similarly comfortable as they trotted across a path of flowers.


    As they moved the flowers would burst from the ground ahead, feel strong as brick as Kenji stepped on them, and return to the earth when left far behind.


    "Do not leave path," the faun added almost as an after thought. Kenji who had been thinking about taking a moment to go piss, quickly pulled away from the paths edge.


    Kenji was amazed at the speed the group travelled, trees flying on past as they zoomed around the Forest. Peering out the side, he suddenly halted and ducked.


    Beyond marched the blazing banner of Warden Company, Satyr heads proudly displayed atop an army of spearheads. The company had dozens of new recruits, all poorly equipped townsfolk enticed in with the promise of heaven for partaking in the Thunberad crusade no doubt. Either that, or they were mercenaries enticed by the Warden''s seemingly endless wealth.


    "They. Cannot. See you," one of the Fauns said a little more carefully, "but. If we. wait. They might."


    Nodding, Kenji gave one last hateful look to the dark haired Warden, and pressed on.


    "Why are they here? They think they have Arthur''s corpse, they think the necromancer ran away AND that their scouts were killed!" Angrily Kenji tried to think, then he wondered, how long did his fake corpses remain before turning to goo?


    He had assumed it would have lasted a week or so before melting, but what if it had in much less time then he had expected? If he had had the time he would have tested it out, but perhaps his ploy hadn''t bought anywhere near as much time as he had expected.


    "I don''t know, but look. They will slow them down I think," Violet pointed, Kenji able to make out various Satyrs around little fire pits to their side. He had no idea how far they had travelled on the enchanted path, but the Satyrs were digging pitfalls, building hidden archers nests, creating barricades and more signs that they prepared to ambush a sizable force.


    Curiously, Kenji noted a numerous Fauns amongst their number. With darker fur, crimson eyes and a dark nature to how they snatched at each other''s arrows.


    But Fauns all the same.


    "Do you have something to do with those guys?" Kenji whispered, the Faun guides shivering. Yet they did not say a word, nor even meet his gaze. But Kenji did note their caution in passing, each hoof stepping even more carefully than when near the humans.


    Amidst the enemy number Kenji spotted a regal Satyr with grand ebony horns and burning runes swirling around his head. The Satyr noble was directing spear wielding Satyre to prod a series of hungry looking ogres and goblins forward. The creatures roared angrily, yet when hunks of meat were waived in front of them they complied.


    As Kenji''s party continued on, they passed more and more monsters of all types being led away by Satyr warbands.


    Eventually the land grew dry and the air filled with ash. Ahead rose towers of flame, the land ablaze out of sight in either direction.


    "The King will still the fires from afar. We servants have been blessed with enchanted arrows. Yet it is you who will face the Pyromancer head on. You must make him unable to use his fire to block our arrows. Understand?" the faun huffed and puffed as if all that speaking was equal to running a marathon.


    "Sure, stop the Pyromancer. Easy," Kenji said sarcastically, the Fauns not catching that at all as they looked at him with wide eyes.


    "Easy? Our bravest warriors were turned to smoke! Our champion landing only a single blow before he was turned to Ash!"


    Not offended, the Fauns seemed excited.


    "And you say this is easy? Very good. We were afraid. But no more. Excellent."


    Exiting the enchanted path, the Fauns fanned out.


    "He is just that way. Just that way, you go fight now!" they whispered as they vanished into the ash laden trees. Wearily, Kenji approached with his companions, a mad cackling eminating from over the hill.


    On the other side Kenji found a thin man with prussian blue skin and a beard of bright red flame. The man wore thick cobalt blue armour with a burning snake wound around his body and a snake tattoo prominently displayed on his dark blue face. He sucked in power from the inferno with his hands, and released huge fireballs to rocket into the air and far away. The distant explosion of heat sent fresh smoke billowing back through the woods.


    "Burn, burn, burn!" the Pyromancer cackled.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "Dr Pyro had diagnosed you with being unclean, so burn!"


    Kenji''s heart sank, as he realised he was facing off against one of the eighteen.


    "Fuck," Kenji growled, and pulled the girls close while he began to whisper a plan.

 46 Chapter 46 - Firestorm

    Kenji scuttled as close as he could as a rat, but the heat was so extreme his whiskers burned and his little rat lungs crispened. Dying in the next moment, Kenji fell back into his Arthur''s form and leapt forward.


    "You, die!" Dr Pyro roared as he send a stream of flame at Kenji. Dodging aside, Kenji only had half his body charred before the Far King''s spell finally activated.


    A shimmering filled the air, the fires died and even Dr Pyro''s fire beard shortened into a little electric blue goatee.


    Shifting to become the Corrupt Spirit Tree, Kenji sent vines and roots to ensnare Dr Pyro and hold him tight. Whistling arrows filled the air, blocked by a sudden shield of fire. In a flash of red light flame consumed Kenji''s tendrils, Dr Pryo cackling as he reappeared.


    "Pathetic wretches, you think you can fight me here? Amidst this inferno? I am a god of purification!" Producing a flaming sword to match his shield, Dr Pyro soon left Kenji''s tree form as clumps of burning timber.


    Arrows continued to be loosed, some few landing between plates of armour and immediately weakening the intensity of Dr Pyro''s power. Each enchanted arrow was one step closer to victory, but Kenji was almost out of forms already.


    Luckily he wasn''t alone.


    The crystal knight charged, silver light increasing its movement speed. As it passed Kenji became the necromancer and set the knight''s lance on holy fire.


    The knight thrust his lance crashing through Dr Pyro''s flame shield to pierce the plate at his chest. Despite having fire for a beard, Dr Pyro screamed as if the holy fire was really burning him.


    "Now!"Kenji coughed, smoke choking his lungs while another two enchanted arrows hit their mark. Violet atop Tenko dodged the balls of flame Dr Pyro threw as he roared with rage. Atop Tenko''s back, Violet cast great walls of crystal to encase Dr Pryo.


    Shw entombed him with crystal in moments, blocking his fires from consuming oxygen and snuffing out his fire weaponry. Violet fainted from the intense magical cost of the spell, Tenko soon whisking her away.


    "His contained! Without oxygen his powers shouldn''t work!" Kenji just hoped ''magic'' couldn''t make fire work without any oxygen at all, his party unready to deal with such an eventuality.


    At this point a huge mountain Troll wearing a custom made crusaders Cape charged onto the scene.


    "Dana?" the Troll roared confused, "quickly, capture them!"


    Picking up a baulder the troll threw with impressive speed, Tenko yelping as she was hit right in the shoulder. Limping away, she could now only pull Violet''s limp body to safety.


    "Stop...Trog? Retreat, get out of here!" Kenji yelled, not having the time to properly dive into Dana''s memories.


    "You need too-AH!" flaming crystal exploded across the land, the resulting shockwave sweeping Kenji off his feet. From the debris arose a chuckling figure, Dr Pyro snapping off the enchanted arrows from his armour. Each snap enlarged his beard, and brought greater heat to the surrounding air.


    "Sha, kill the archers," Dr Pryo whispered. "Cleanse the unclean from the path of my inferno."


    His firesnake unwrapped from his body to sliver through the air like a fish through water. Like an arrow it fired into the treeline, soon followed by a Faun''s scream.


    Even then enchanted arrows were fired, Dr Pyro weakened again.


    "Comrade, that is one of the 18 evil souls! We must destroy him while we have the chance," Kenji yelled at the troll, and wiggling his fingers as if he were preparing a spell.


    "Our warriors are close behind, if we wait we could-"


    "No time! Wolf, enhance his speed too!"


    As Tenko tried to figure out if that were a good idea, another faun screamed and Dr Pyro unleashed a torrent of flame that reduced the crystal knight to a molten purple puddle.


    Gritting her teeth, Tenko buffed the agility of the troll that had only just wounded her, then added an anti-magic silver bubble for added protection.


    "Go Trog! Show this enemy of our Captain what it means to face the Thunberad crusade!"


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    Howling, the troll seemed to have made his decision as he charged right at the Pyromancer. Dr Pyro was hit by another pair of enchanted arrows as he sent a ball of flame at the troll, the ball bouncing off the shield to explode above.


    Yet even the slightest fire made the troll howl. The ground shook from the trolls heavy feet as it ran to crash into the Pyromancer and sent him flying. Getting up only slowly, Dr Pyro formed a sword of fire and thrust as the Troll smashed it''s huge fists into Dr Pyro''s armour. Shattering, Dr Pyro became exposed to one last arrow as his fire sword was thrust into the Troll''s heart.


    "Be cleansed!" Dr Pyro cackled as the fire sword exploded and tongues of flame were pulled from the smouldering forest to bath the Troll in flame.


    Roaring the troll burned like a candle as it rampaged. Smashing aside trees, slamming the earth and dragging the Pyromancer along all the while the troll was incoherent. Running back into the forest the Troll slamned Dr Pyro into the earth again and again, managed to crush the last faun beneath its feet, and only then did it collapse to the ground atop Dr Pyro''s mangled corpse.


    Hurriedly Kenji ran to the charred corpse and began to reclaim it. The thing was huge, and would take days to properly be repaired. But such a powerful body...and not even to mention the Pyromancer that he would only be able to reclaim once he had gotten the troll off first.


    Unfortunately by the time Kenji had finally pulled the Troll within him, horns were blaring and Kenji could hear the sounds of marching feet and clacking steel.


    "Kenji we have to go!" Tenko whimpered, Kenji giving the Pyromancers corpse one last longing look before he nodded and followed.


    The Fauns had died to the last however, and that meant the party had no guide left to steer them. Thinking quick, Kenji pulled up one of the faun corpses onto Tenko''s back.


    No sooner had they began to slink away did the warriors and priests of Warden Company charge from behind. Met by the walls of fire and with the air a choking mixture of ash, Kenji hoped they didn''t see Tenko''s white fur as they raced away.


    "Just get far enough that we won''t be caught by them for the moment. I have a plan to get us to the Far King, so just focus on escape," because for Kenji, this faun being dead wasn''t a good reason to not get the information he wanted from it.

 47 chapter 47 - The hunters are cornered

    "Captain, we have one of the eighteen evil souls and our scouts report that those creatures are setting up further ambushes behind us. Surely now is the time to retreat," Phillip said, his cold eyes soaking in the angry heat of the wall of flame.


    "How can you suggest returning when we are so close, Phillip? Our prey could be right beyond those bushes for all we know. Gods, with only a day''s more searching they could be in chains!"


    "Or two days, or a week''s or a month! All the while our forces are whittled down, and no one makes it back to warn the townspeople. You saw their clear demonic influence, you know that the congregation of innocents in Tariak will prove irresistible to the scions of darkness and their occult rituals."


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "Their rituals? Phillip, they are goats! Don''t worry so much, we can handle them no matter how many beasts they send to test our faith. Rest assured, the Three will show us the way to ultimate victory."


    "Jack, I''m a priest. And I can tell you the Three don''t care us much as that. Their jurisdiction is the afterlife, it is up to us to see their will inacted in this plane of existence. Now turn around captain, steer your men to safety and save the townspeople at the same time."


    Turning to him, Jack found his most trusted advisor standing before several more crusaders. They were all moving uneasily, eyeing their flanks constantly with rigid hands constantly ready to snap to their blades.


    Further behind their forces were stretched too thin, with many of the militia men new to the stresses of battle showing the signs of mental decay. Some chatter nonsense, others sharpened already razer shape spear tips while more jerked their heads endlessly towards the ambient noises of the forest.


    While Jack could continue the hunt, it was clear to him now his forces could not.


    "Warriors of the Thunberad Crusade!" Jack announced, a chorus of heads twisting to make out his unshaven face.


    "We have suffered many hardships, but we have now successfully defeated one of the 18 evil souls!" In truth they had found it dead ready, the strange cobalt armoured creature left behind to taunt them. Meanwhile Trog had vanished entirely, how does one just make a mountain Troll vanish like that?


    Peering at his little silver knife, Jack wondered how much damage such a creature could do before he put it down. The knife began to shake. Jack forced his hand to be still.


    It seemed even he was not immune to the stresses of battle.


    "And with the fruition of such a feat, I now call for our forces to march to Tariak. There we will send messages to the One, regroup, resupply and recruit! But more importantly, we will muster Tariak''s defense''s against the creatures of this forest that hold evil intentions against our fair people. Creatures that will break before the will of man like leaves to a mailed fist!"


    The men cheered, and when Jack activated the blessing of [Goldenheart] they roared.


    "Scouts! Attend me, and the rest of you prepare to march!" Jack''s grin faded as soon as he turned around, becoming a grimace as his scouts explained the situation to him.


    They were surrounded on all sides, the enemy archers were positioned to continue to rain death and monsters were being corralled into positions along any conceivable path. While some trails were less populated by monsters, Jack shuddered to think what kind of trap might lay in wait that even his scouts could not uncover.


    And with his scouts being picked off like flies, he couldn''t just send out more to check. In the end, Jack decided to go with the path furthest from the main enemy forces, hoping that at the least the enemy would be able to draw in less reinforcements from the sourrounding area. Another benefit of this plan would be that Warden Company would leave the forest near some remote villages, where they could warn those who might otherwise have been left to be enveloped by the horned threat.


    Orders given, Jack had his warriors press on. Soon after arrows descended like rain, and yet the enemy was never sighted. His priests used [sight] to warn of possible amushes, but the enemy still managed to remain unseen as they fired, until Phillip noticed the arrows were coming from closeby and gestured to Jack.


    Jack in turn gave the signal.


    "[By the Everseeing, be revealed or be destroyed!]" chanted Phillip, his many priests adding their prayers of [restrain]. In an instant a dozen Fauns were revealed on floral paths that had until that moment been invisible, their hooven feat bound tight with chains of light - and in the next were bathed in red as Warden Company warriors cleaved the beasts into bloody pieces.


    "We can''t do that again today, Captain. We don''t even have the blessings available for healing, it''s a race against the enemy now," Phillip said, leaning on his stave with stiff hands.


    "Then we march with speed! Come members of Warden Company, let us show these animals the power of humanity!" yet while the warriors saw their enemies butchered, and the path before them clear, Jack had no such false notions. They had just used up their most valuable blessings on a temporary victory, and would be sitting ducks when the enemy reorganised and attacked again.


    And if Jack new anything as he continued to trudge through this putrid forest, it was that the enemy were guaranteed to attack again.

 48 chapter 48 - Faithless Faun

    Kenji''s eyes fluttered as he continued to recall the Faun''s memories.


    "Kenji, you''ve been like this for an hour. Shouldn''t we get going?" Violet whispered, patting his furred head just as Tenko had his fluffy ears.


    "This is bad you guys...this Far King... he is going to wage war against the humans. He planned to ensare us in his enchantments too most likely, this faun didn''t know for sure but it wouldn''t be the first time."


    "Kenji, you''ll have to make more sense than that. What do you mean it wouldn''t be the first time?"


    "Those demonic satyr for example, they serve the Far King too. He has enchanted them to be slaves to his will, and forces them to trade pieces of their soul for power, to make them better warriors. Those captured monsters too, it doesn''t matter how aggressive they are, if they trigger his enchantments he can enslave them to his desires indefinitely. Just imagine it Violet, an entire army of zealous monsters!"


    "Then we''ll break out Gold Beans, Grey and then run away!" Tenko added, "all the way to Tariak and warn the guilds!"


    "We don''t have the time to do them both. We have to split up," Kenji said ,turning to see the pair respond with squinting eyes.


    "Last time you pissed off the Warden Company with your stunt and we both had to fight seperated. Splitting up was a bad idea then, and it''s a bad idea now," Violet snapped as if that were the end of it.


    Approaching as the little faun, Kenji held her hands and looked all the way up into those slitted lilac eyes.


    "This is different. The Far King has rules to his powers, triggers that can be avoided. With this Faun''s memory I can get around them, and looking like this I''ll be able to both activate the enchanted path and enter the Far King''s realm without raising suspicion. This is the only way, and meanwhile I need you two to get the warriors of Tariak ready, with the amount of creatures the Far King is assembling... it''ll be a huge battle. The first in a grand war if we don''t stop the Far King here."


    They both stared at him with doubtful expressions.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "I''ll save our new friends, collect some information and then come meet you. It''ll be simple, there is no reason for concern."


    "Tenko doesn''t like splitting up again. Tenko hates it!"


    "Come on Tenko, let''s go. If this is the only way..."Violet sighed, and mounted Tenko''s furred back. Whispering their goodbyes, Violet rode Tenko away and out of sight.


    Once they were well away, Kenji got started. As a Fairy Faun of the ''Pathfinder'' class, Kenji soon discovered one of the hidden enchanted paths that changes positions all around the Forest regularly.


    Catching a ride, he trotted along towards the Far King''s realm.


    As he travelled Kenji tried to get accustom to the ''Rules of Hospitality'' that summerises the triggers of the Far King''s magic.


    Essentially, anything that could be interpreted as acknowledging a favour compelled the individual to comply with a boon in turn. The Far King abused this system to trick unwitting travellers into eternal servitude for a simple meal, dance, or even by offering to take their coat for them at the door.


    Even now that he was aware of these things, Kenji would have to be careful not to say ''thank you'' or any other phrase that could be considered acknowledgement of a favour given.


    Next were the enchanted Activites, dancing, duelling, eating and the like. So full of enchantments that the Fae nobles both lived and breathed, such activities could enchant the unwitting into a dreamy trance like state that could easily be turned into permimant subservience.


    And lastly were the Fae themselves, this Faun considering then the same as angels, high spirits, devils, and minor gods in the otherworldly nature of their powers. To say the least, Kenji decided that to interact with one for too long would be incredibly dangerous. They were one of the few races who might be old enough to have the ability to identify a Forbidden Mimic, and their enchantments the rare varieties of magic that could reveal him for what he truly was.


    Making good time, Kenji''s hooves trotted along the flower road all the way up into the mountains. Soon he came to a jade hedge high as castle walls and a gate of seafoam green steel.


    Fauns of all types trotted in and out in a constant tide, with another gate to the left and right.


    The left gate was covered in spikes, sourrounded by thorned bushs and angry demonic satyr. That path too was travelled by hordes of monsters, carts if newly forged weaponry and demonic satyr with burning weaponry ready for war.


    The path to the right had a golden gate, with satyrs wearing fine steel armour to either side as an honour guard to the dreamy men and women flowing in and out. Kenji couldn''t breath as he was entranced by the beauty of the dancing figures, covered in flowing white cloth, silken skin and colourful hair styled into various outrageous forms. Some were grand pink clouds, others tall bird houses and more filled with rotting fruit that emitted the sweet smell of honey.


    Entering through the servants gate along with the other Fauns, Kenji gaped to find silver towers thrusting from carefully manicured gardens and high into a sky strangled by twisting branches to create a perpetual dusk. There was no sign of the other paths, only Fauns, as if he had entered a portal without realising it.


    Hastily Kenji followed the others in trotting down trails that led into holes deep in the earth. Somewhere in the burrows of the mansions above he would find the orphans entrusted into his care, and hopefully some hint as to how to stop the Far King''s armies from conquering the sourrounding lands to convert their people into enchanted thralls.

 49 chapter 49 - Waking Dream

    The Fae did however have a weakness.


    Cold iron . Or any iron really, but iron that had never experienced the blacksmiths furnace was certainly superior. Although it was iron that came down in the core of a comet that was the Absolut best, such iron able to be shaped into weaponry before it cooled to form Star Iron blades


    Yet Kenji had access only to Mr Guard''s iron helmet, retained as a momento in Kenji''s storage from so long ago now. In a pinch, it might make all the difference.


    Kenji followed the Fauns down further and further, his natural ability as a Pathfinder allowing him to instinctually understand the twisting tunnels of the ''ways''. Heading away from the faun chambers, Kenji moved outside this bodies knowledge in search of a prison or holding cell.


    Instead he found an underground glade. Shimmering glass, a golden orb to represent the sun and dead trees draped in silk. Amidst it all was a ball, dozens of pale masked Fae with wearing various macabre designed outfits, with white hair and red eyes dancing with beautiful creatures of all manner of races.


    Serving drinks, food and standing still as statues around the ballrooms edge were not Fauns but Sun Elves. Their golden hair, sharp ears and angellic physique were unmistakable, even under those garish butlers suits and stuffy maid outfits. In moments Kenji was met by a pair, that seized him by the arms and escorted him away.


    "Hey, I was told to attend to a pair of guests. A stone boy with golden eyes and a teenage succubus. Do you know where they are?"


    The maid and Butler looked at one another.


    "The master dines with them," the maid said primly.


    "And he does not like to be disturbed," the butler sniffed.


    "Which begs the question," the maid said, pulling a thin blade from beneath her skirt.


    "Who of all this realm did not already know this?" the butler said, and with a slight squeeze nearly crushed Kenji''s shoulder. Whoever these sun elves were, they were awfully powerful compared to Ash at least. Was this what she would have been like before her spirits were stolen?


    "I''m new, still learning my way around. If you let me go, I''ll be going," Kenji tried to smile, but was unsure if his goats mouth really pulled that off properly.


    In a flash the butler hit him in the neck, and Kenji crumpled like a sack of potatoes. Yet while the body was unconscious, Kenji remained wide awake within.


    "Could this be one of the pathfinders sent to guide the humans?" the butler said, carrying the Faun''s body somewhere else.


    "Not just humans, the master said a purple sun elf and a werewolf were amongst them. He was looking forward to her being brought to him after he had heard...we cannot let our goddess fall into his hands."


    "Agreed, but how do we dispose of this messenger within the bounds of our servitude?"


    "I would give that back if I were you. Or else Goddess Catelyn would be most displeased," Kenji said in his main form. It was risky, but his natural old man body appeared the most likely to invoke a fear of the unknown in the pair.


    The Butler''s aura immediately blazed with energy as he lightly put the unconcious Faun''s body aside. The maid pointed her stiletto dagger with one hand, and produced a ball of shimmering wind in the other.


    "How do you know of the goddess?" hissed the maid.


    "What business have you with us?" added the butler.


    "I am an....agent of the Goddess. She has heard the plight of her people, and has sent me to gather information. My question for you however, is do you still serve the Goddess or must you be silenced?" Kenji cackled as if the pair were no threat to him, beautifully masking his rampant fear that he would have his throat slit like a fish and his heart punched out of his chest.


    Instead they bowed.


    "Until the sun expires," muttered the ready butler.


    "Until the last spirit transcends," added the trembling maid.


    "Good, then I need information. As well as those two people I mentioned, they at least must be saved today. So, where to start? As the resident experts of this place I look forward to your executive decision on this matter."


    "We must hide of course, these side paths are used commonly. We must go to Forgetful Trees, don''t you agree sister?" said the butler.


    "Indeed, it will be safest to talk at Forgetful Trees brother. Although we will suffer such wrath from abandoning our post, but the nobles have not cared for us in such a long time that our absence might not be noticed, brother."


    As they travelled, Kenji asked a few needling questions.


    "You are siblings then? And are you really bound to serve through enchantments?"


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "Indeed. The Fae love all things beautiful, and the fact all Sun Elves look closely related as a species provided the master''s a chance to create a set of servants all of a gorgeous matching variety. After that they flung wicked enchantments, sent agents to sabotage us, and finally with one disastrous spell, froze our spirits in magical ice and left us temporarily as feeble as one of the humans. When the human warriors came, more of our kin died due to the confusion and grief than anything else. Yet they still stole everything, our people, our treasures, and most of our spirits being passed onto the Far King. Much of the rest was allowed to be taken by the humans, once the Far King had his set of matching maids and butlers he really didn''t care about our culture nor even our power. It is what had helped us send our goddess to safety in the first place."


    "You certainly seem stronger than other sun elves I have met, you made that Faun pass out with but a squeeze of the wrist!" Kenji cackled as he rubbed his hands together in what he hoped looked like a suitably devious expression.


    "And you appear like no creature we have ever met," the maid frowned, elegant steps coming to a halt. "Who are you, servant of the Goddess?"


    Parting his hands and bowing, Kenji whispered, "I am Kenji Aztec, enemy of the orcs, friend of the elves and the holder of a Patty Queen Elite membership card! Currently I serve the Goddess after one of her miracles saved my life, and she tasked me with saving the pair I mentioned before while also seeking information on how to have her beloved people released from the Far King''s clutches!"


    The maid and Butler clapped quietly, "Bravo!" whispered the butler.


    "Amazing," whispered the maid, and quickly pulled open a door to reveal a small glade filled with Violet trees. Three Sun elves danced within, talking with one another and practicing their magic in here like Kenji had secretly played his Nintendo past bedtime as a kid.


    "But I regret to inform you, quite impossible," the maid added as she entered the place know as Forgetful Trees.

 50 chapter 50 - Master in Disguise

    "Only a Master servant has access to restricted areas. It is quite impossible for anyone else, and unless our enchanted contracts are broken we Sun Elves would be unable to help you either," the maid said, her large blue eyes wilting.


    "That''s ok, I don''t think only five of you would be able to achieve much anyway," Kenji nodded, "the satyr appeared too numerous for that at least."


    The pair smirked as they looked at one another.


    "Dearest agent, firstly there is a neat twelve of us that survived the master''s training. Secondly, while already powerful, we have been given the finest training possible so that we might become battle servants, able to fight off wild salamanders, angry spirits or even other Fae that might seek to overthrow the master. If we were set free, this entire realm would tremble in fear."


    The bloodlust in their aura spiked even as their smiles remained bright and their eyes warm. The outcome was Kenji being drenched in a cold sweat, feeling as if he stood before a nest of sleeping dragons.


    "If you acquire for me a master servant, I Could replicate him and save the orphans at least. Perhaps if there is a focus point of your enchantments I could break them and free you? After that we could meet up with the Goddess and-"


    "Please stop there. I thank you for your efforts, but that won''t happen. Only the Far King can release us from his service, and with the effort required to destroy our kingdom and grind our people into his servants...it is unlikely to the extreme that he will ever release us willingly."


    "Then what about a trade? I could steal-"


    "Stop!" the butler said suddenly, both he and the other sun elves having bathed the area in bloodlust. "Do not use that word - we are bound to protect the property of our Master, please be more careful or the enchanments will compel us to act."


    "Then... bring me to where I can speak with a master servant in private...?" Kenji was anxious as he waited for the bloodlust to drain from the air, the still smiling sun elves returning to calm.


    "Just this way, I''ll bring you one of the master servants from another house for a ....chat, shall we say," primly the maid vanished through the door at an astounding speed despite her maids outfit, the other elves returning to their endless dance around the Violet trees.


    As he waited, Kenji decided to explore.


    Further within was another Sun elf with a long golden beard, chiseling at stone into the rough shape of a woman. Behind him we''re dozens more such statues, and peering behind them a long path filled with even more. All of Violet, their lost Goddess.


    "You say she lives," the old elf said with a straight back and trembling hands. While he hacked at the stone neither his fine white gloves nor black butlers dress were marred in the slightest.


    "She does, healthy and happy. But alone, she thinks she''s the only one left. I see it in her at times, that she puts up walls around her heart because she''s afraid of losing everyone once more. Your return would mean the world to her, and that would mean a lot to me in turn."


    "And who are you little creature of chain, cloth and deceit? What path has led you to our fair Goddess?"


    "I saved her from a human prison, and again when the humans returned for her. They aren''t all bad, but some of their kind are truly horrible for what they have done," Kenji''s hands trembled with rage, so many painful memories of the evil deeds of humanity rushing through him.


    Kenji felt a living vessel for their revenge, and he would be lying if the thought of breaking their power and setting the land free of King Thunberad''s power hungry ways did not excite him. But was he such a hero as that? Was Kenji to scout worthy heroes to fight such a man - or should Kenji focus on the lands liberation himself?


    First thing first, Kenji had already decided to free these elves. He knew not how - but he swore it would be done.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "It is good our nearest Goddess is not alone in the world. With her origins as a parasite we thought she would continue to hate her own existence," the old elf said with a fatherly smile. "Even her father, the king, could not convince her otherwise."


    "You...know that she was a mana worm? And you''re ok with that?"


    "Ok...? My dear agent, we were thrilled! Her mere presence stilled the curse on our people, and while the Far King''s magics protect us now, only the Goddesses continued protection could give us any hope of a nation of our own again. She is vital to any future possibility of the Sun Elf people being strong and happy."


    The old elf held Kenji''s hands, tears welling in his skyblue eyes. Wiping the wet from his cheeks, be smiled wider than that forced on him by his station while life returned to his face.


    "Thank you kindly for this news. Working all day, forced to train and watch our people die through brutal trials to increase our strength...it has been heart breaking. Should the day come when we are free, rest assured we Sun Elves will NEVER fall again!"


    With that Kenji noticed the distant door open, and a faun with fluffy gold/brown fur and with an air of the sophisticated about him stepped primly into the Forgetful Trees.


    "What is this lazy servant you spoke of?" said the Master Faun with all the eloquence of a noble.


    "These way, good Master. He sleeps this way," the maid gave Kenji plenty of time to hide before leading the master Faun to where the other unconcious Tracker Faun lay.


    "Disgraceful, I''ll have him dearly punished for this," the master Faun sniffed. Ears stiffening, the Master Faun turned suddenly and yet was slamned into nearby wall by a gust of wind.


    Kenji struggled to hold the spirit crystal, the silver boy having thrust a great surge of power behind the blast. Running over, Kenji found the Master Faun knocked out and quickly thought as what to do.


    "Kill him," muttered the old elf, fixated smile barely holding beyond a face contorted with rage. "You did well to bring this one Misha, the Master Faun that had conducted out training. Agent, feel no pity for this creature, it has hundreds of sun elf murders to its name, is a key supporter of the Far King and is one of his most willing instruments in our demise. I beg of you, the enchanments forbid us to do so ourselves, but you can kill this wretch in our place!"


    Kenji pulled out his dagger, arm trembling as the Master Faun opened its eyes. Sun elves held the creature down as it thrashed, eyes filled with building bloodlust even as the enchantments continued to forced those fixed smiles.


    "Kill it!"


    "Kill it!"


    "Kill it!"


    "Let me go - or else I''ll feed you to the wolves and have to collect more elf slaves to fill your pathetic places!" screeched the Master Faun, not even a hint of remorse in his eyes. For not even a moment did the Master Faun seem to believe dying here was an option.


    "If you release me know I''ll- huek," surprised to the extreme, the Master Faun found blood spurting from a wound at its chest.


    Kenji plunged the dagger down again, and again, until the grass was filled with red blood and the Master Faun ceased to twitch.


    Then Kenji became the Master Faun, and the secrets of this realm became his. The secrets to it''s possible destruction too.

 51 chapter 51 - Hall of Mirrors

    With the Master Faun''s knowledge, Kenji now knew exactly what he had to do.


    "When you''re ready to escape, come visit us here again. We can lead you from this realm to freedom, just make sure not to be discovered. If the guardians become aware of an intruder, this entire realm will go on high alert and your chances of returning to our Goddess will become slim at best," the maid said, her beautiful smile a real one.


    "I thank you, but that might be a while yet. Before I save the orphans I need to visit a certain place, and hopefully find a way to help you elves escape as well as stop the Far King from conquering the neighbouring lands."


    The elves appeared puzzled.


    "Conquer? Why would the Far King want that?" the maid said, tilting her head to one side.


    "For land, resources and prestige. I don''t know, why else?" Kenji said, thinking it obvious.


    "The Far King is an absolute power in this realm, and he has everything both he and his court needs. Whenever they want somthing, like Sun Elf servants, they just think up a scheme and take it. I would consider this upcoming war not of conquest but genocide, where from the Far King''s perspective he is rooting out all the weeds in his back lawn. Even the enchanted monsters are no loss dead to him. Without being beautiful or some extreme rarity, they have no place in his collection and he''d prefer them as dead as the humans."


    A chill ran down Kenji''s spine at the sheer callous nature of such thinking. It did truly look hopeless, how do you fight something that is both so powerful and doesn''t care about casualties?


    "All the same, I''ll go seek answers. I''ll probably come back before I go for the orphans, I don''t want to go near the Far King if I can."


    Kenji suspected the Far King was a Fae who might be powerful enough to see through Kenji''s disguise. So for now he headed towards the Hidden Rooms, were the most potent secrets available to the Master Faun''s mind were kept.


    Past grand arrays of steel armoured satyrs, enchanted monsters carefully positioned in several hidden lookout points, and seemingly endless sets of enchanted traps Kenji went before he finally arrived. Golden leaves crested a door of fine heartwood shaped into a large triangle.


    To either side were powerful treants, appearing the adult version of the Forest child that had pulled Kenji into this whole mess in the first place. They stared at him with angry eyes, and produced six leaf blades gripped by six arms each.


    "Halt, what business does a servant have here?" the one to the left said with a voice deep as the earth and with such a thick aura the regular Kenji would have been left trembling.


    Yet while not especially powerful, this Master Faun had the passive ability to hold its decorum with ease. Kenji raised his nose high, and addressed the pair formally.


    "Guardians, I have been sent to consult one of the demons. This is a most pressing matter that must be undertaken with discretion," while in human society that would have incited suspicion, the guardians nodded. In this realm it was common knowledge that the Fae competed fiercely with one another for the support of the Far King.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    And any that could afford to have a Master Faun in their service would certainly have the right to enter this dungeon. Far from a personal treasure horde, the secrets within were somthing available to many of the Upper class Fae Nobles that wished to make use of their...services. Assuming they were willing to repay the favour at the Far King''s discretion.


    "You may enter," they said as one and parted before him. Kenji did not so much as tilt his head in thanks as he strolled past, this body fully aware that even the slightest recognition of a favour given could lead to his enslavement by the master of these guardians.


    Seeing as that was likely the Far King himself, Kenji very much wanted to avoid such a possibility.


    Descending Kenji arrived in the hall of mirrors. Blinded Faun''s trotted along the long hall, cleaning each door in turn with slightly milky white orbs until the brass knobs shined and the crystal doors sparkled. Beyond each was a direct connection to a patron god, spirit, demon or other powerful being.


    Here Kenji could make contracts and deals with several powerful entities, and yet none intrigued him more than the one seven doors down to the left labelled only ''The Fourth.''


    Perhaps it was Arthur''s influence at play, but the instant he had discovered the presence of this door in the Master Faun''s mind, Kenji had burned with anticipation. The amount of knowledge he could learn, the implications of this being''s mere existence - it all pointed to a conspiracy greater than he could have guessed.


    Seeing as the Fauns here were blind anyway, Kenji turned into the boy knight. Immediately his enthusiasm tripled. After a quick check through his memories, Kenji confirmed that Arthur had never in all his years become aware of even the possibility that a Fourth god existed.


    With a trembling hand Kenji turned the brass doorknob, and entered the room. To find a direct connection to the Fallen God.

 52 Chapter 52 - The Fallen God

    A grand mirror was positioned tall as a church, with fine Oakwood carved around its frame to appear a thousand wooden wings.


    Within the mirror itself was a gigantic figure in Heavy silver armour forged with a tapestry of scenes upon it, squatting in a stone throne room filled with ancient weaponry and wielding a massive silver blade three times taller than the boy knight and twice as wide.


    From the gods back sprouted six black feathered wings, the God''s own midnight Black hair spilling out of what was once an angel''s halo and now a silver crown. Each eye was a warm amber and filled with the passion of a thousand battles, just as his carved armour held said battles immortalised in forged silver.


    "A human...it has been some time," the god whispered, his amber eyes peering at Kenji through the mirror. Within Kenji spied fire, screaming, laughter and sighs. "Or one dressed as a human? Curious, I cannot tell. Who are you, why have you visited me?"


    Kenji finally broke from his amazement, and found his tongue still functioning


    "Save," he whispered, then blushed as he realised the foolishness of saying that aloud. This just really seemed like the occasion one would save before making a major decision.


    "Save...? Who do you wish to save?"


    "My friends, the people. The heroes too? I have a problem with growing attached you see, so mabye just saving the whole world for good measure would be the best reponse here?" Kenji cringed as he for some reason said that last part as if it were a question


    Sighing, the Fourth god removed his crown to rest it on the arm of the stone throne.


    "You have questions, best we get to those. But you do realise I am a Fallen God, right? If your seeking a patron for your crusader class, a contract with me would bring with it the ire of the other gods that banished me."


    "They are not gods!" Kenji said vehemently, "I''ve seen what their desires lead to, and what they have led the humans to become! I renounced the Everseeing willingly, and would do the same again to the Braveheart and the Bountyfeast if they were as corrupt!"


    "Then perhaps my favour would do nought but deepen their hatred of you," the god chuckled, " so how about it? Would you become one of the very few who would work alongside the Truthblade?"


    "Can I know about why your a fallen God first? I have questions about my companions too, how to deal with this Fae King, and the human crusade besides..."


    "Well, I was one of the seven gods raised by the council to become gods of this world for humanity. After the war with the gods of the other races, we were reduced to five. After the Three worked with the One on their little coup, Five was left wounded in the wilderness and I barely fought my way out alive. Even though I am the strongest, I cannot compete with all three of them alone. And now they are backed by a member of the council, not at all."


    "What is this council that elevated you? And I thought the One was more of a fantasy world pope, how could he have such sway over the gods?"


    "My time is precious, and not to be spent...I see now," the god leaned closer, the smouldering in his eyes flaring brighter. "You are one of the reborn, I had wondered how many of you they would send this time."


    "And I''m the best of all of them, the others watch way too little TV. Now, what do you mean by ''this time''? Is the point even to create new heroes like Noir said?"


    "Hush, I will give you an offer and be done with you. To earn my favour you must defeat this Fae who dares threaten the peace of many lands. To do so I advise you to speak with the Ambassador Demon to the Death Gate Alliance. Complete this task, and you may became one of my allies."


    "Allies...not servant?" Kenji said carefully and yet nonetheless desperate to learn what he could from the Fallen God. "Because I''m all for a WW2 allied situation, but not so much for a ''became my unblinking slave in return for salvation'' kind of deal."


    "My servants are only the very few elites that meet my standards. Now go, your time is short. The Far King''s enchantments will notice you eventually."


    "Last question then, great Truthblade. You''re really suggesting I contact a demon?" of all the questions Kenji desperately wanted answered, this felt the most important. "You see, that just sounds like a flat out bad idea. Not going to lie, I would assume it would be best to avoid demons whenever possible."


    "Not all demons are worse than the Three. And the council is not the only supreme power. Now go, I have spoken."


    With a mouth filled with questions, Kenji bowed and turned away. Back into the Hall of mirrors, Kenji became the Master Faun again and sought out the desired door.


    Descending down black stairs Kenji discovered a hall of dark stone guarded by obsidian armoured satyrs with much more muscle and far more oppressive auras than the regular kind.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    At the end of the hall, was a silver door surrounded by blazing purple runes and guarded by a pair of silver armoured Fae Knights. Their crimson eyes stared at Kenji as he approached, their light blades near blinding as they pulled them free.


    "Who sent you?" the first snapped, an enchantment of authority only narrowly resisted by Kenji''s Master Faun body.


    "High Lord Greenbeard," Kenji said, having replied with the highest ranking individual barring the Far King himself. "He said I had permission, and that failure would be met with the wrath of the ''Decepticon League'' if that means anything to you."


    "High Lord Greenbeard was told the restricted mirrors were outside even his ability to access," the left most guard snapped. Kenji''s blood ran cold as murderous intent flowed over him, his finely tuned body almost breaking it''s impeccable composure.


    "So make it quick, and then report this to the Far King immediately," the Fae Knight finished, apparently not able to even conceive that a lowly enchanted Master Faun might lie to him.


    Knocking the door, it melted into the ground. Tentatively Kenji stepped between the pair, and into the gaping darkness between.

 53 Chapter 53 - Deathgate Delegate

    The door reforming behind him, Kenji temporarily entombed in darkness. Then ahead a flicker of green light burst into life, before a fiery face appeared before him.


    "To whom do I speak?" crackled the face made of green demon flame, with neat teeth, artfully carved horns and elegantly moulded facial features.


    Peering left then right, Kenji wasn''t sure what to say at first. "The Truthblade asked me to come here, he said you would be able to help me defeat the Far King. He did not however mention the big burning face...so...have any cool tricks I can use to cheat the Far King boss?"


    The demonic ambassador stared with fiery eyes for a moment. After blinking a few times, Kenji caughed and peered around.


    "Am I supposed to be waiting for somthing?"


    "The Demon gods will hear your case. One moment," the face said before vanishing.


    Kenji tapped his foot as he waited for the beaurocratic process to finish. Then a pleasant rumbling melody began, like an orchestra of hellish strings. After what felt an eternity of the demonic elevator music, a new face appeared, that of a very old and kindly man. His beard was a rusty brown, his nose fitted with a large wart and his flapping ears dangling with almost as much gold as his grand jade horns. Opening his sleepy old eyes, the man''s pupils were pits of pure green demonflame.


    "Hello there little Mimic. You wish to join the alliance of the Deathgate?" the old man''s rasping voice trailed through the air, and wisps of smoke trailing free from the corners of his mouth.


    "I''m not sure, that depends on what joining entails. Like is there a contract, a blood bond or one of those ''are you older than 18?'' boxes I''m supposed to click? And if your not offended by the question...what are you?"


    The old man chuckled in a fondly tone, and smiled as if to his favourite niece.


    "I am the demon god of Hope, you can refer to me as Hope if you like. And you have very little time, little Mimic. High Lord Greenbeard has already become aware of the false use of his name, and shortly so too will those guards. So listen very carefully to what I have to say, for we both stand to benefit by denying the council''s plans here."


    Forcing his mouth shut, Kenji abandoned the long line of planned questions, witticisms and pop culture references to listen attentively. He found it a surprisingly hard state to maintain.


    "There is a Shadow Demon captured in this facility. You will find it, speak it''s true name that I have planted in your mind and then merge your current body together with the Shadow Demon. That''ll help you move about even when the enchantments search for you, and buy you enough time to break into the treasure vault. Once there you will steal the Starfire Cold Iron Bracers. Lastly you must escape, face the Far King''s forces head on, defeat their general and then use his power to force the Fae to fight you directly, only then can you leverage an agreed victory."


    Kenji opened his mouth to speak, yet the old man raised a finger. Information flooded his mind, his limbs moving of their own accord and in a blink Kenji found himself in a forest. Clutching his head, Kenji felt as if he had only just broken the effect of being hypnotized.


    Distantly a whistling alarm sounded, and Kenji''s feet moved almost of their own accord. The path before him was burned into his mind, Kenji''s hooven feet dancing their way past serval sentries, traps and Satyr patrols searching for him.


    Entering a cave, Kenji found an alchemist''s workshop. Glowing jars, bottles and shelves stacked with bowls heaped high with powders, mushrooms and herbs to pack the space full of alchemic ingredients.


    Within was a jar bound with silver wire, and angry shadow within. Kenji was cautious at first, did he really want to do this with a Shadow Demon?


    "Whose there?" boomed a moaning voice, distant stomping approaching. More afraid of being found than trusting the space demons, Kenji shatterimg the jar against the ground.


    "Foolish Faun, you have no idea of the being you have unleashed!" cackled the demon as it''s sinewy body covered in dark spines pulled itself off the floor to stand several times taller than Kenji.


    "Oh, I''m sorry I thought you were Azgolixhach," Kenji said with a shrug, the Shadow Demon suddenly stiffening.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "How...?"


    "Doesn''t matter," Kenji winked as the moaning creature approached, "you serve me now. Now fuse with this body and give my the power to hide!"


    Darkness slid itself through Kenji''s mouth, nose and butt until he was filled to bursting. In the next moment the shadow magic bathed him, just in time for an ogre with long blue dreadlocks and a nose ring to appear.


    "Where are you- no! The Shadow Demon was released!" the ogre wailed, completely ignoring Kenji who hid in the shadow of a shelf.


    Slowly Kenji slipped behind the ogre silent as a whisper and stalked his way through to where the ogre had come. He found a bustling series of paths filled with goblins and ogres, the occasional steel armoured satyr warrior searching individuals and performing sparky enchantments with little waves of their hand.


    Quickly, Kenji slithered across to a waiting cart and hid in a wine barrel. Drenched in wine, Kenji waited for the goblin caravaneers to be searched.


    "What. In. Here?" muttered one of the satyr, opening the barels to Kenji''s left and right.


    "Freshwater and milk in those, wine in the middle one," squeaked the nasal voice of a goblin.


    Kenji dunked his head under the wine as the barrell lid was opened and a satyr hand scooped out some wine. With the lid closing he burst through the surface, and could hear the satyr slurping the liquid down.


    "The Fae. Really have. It good. Well you better get going. Or else we''ll both. Have to die," the satyr snickered followed by a slapping sound and a goblin''s squel.


    With that the caravan rumbled along, taking Kenji all the way into the heart of the Far King''s mansion and right into his kitchens.

 54 Chapter 54 - Glittering Feas

    Sneaking past the several pigmen in the kitchens had come easily, but the satyr in the hallways were anything but. They wore silver vests trimmed with gold, their manes woven into braids and their eyes calm yet sharply observant of their surroundings.


    Even more terrifying were the Sun elf servants with golden hair and bright skyblue eyes and an aura akin to a creature so beyond Kenji''s level he could only cower. Behind the Sun elves came Dusk elves with jet black hair, ruby red eyes and maroon blue skin. So too were there Crimson elf servants with blood red hair, sad emerald eyes and faces pale as now.


    Each had senses sharpened to the extreme, and even though Kenji moved as soft as a shadow, his slightest misstep brought the elvish servants running.


    Each was only slightly taller than a human on average, but all felt like lions as they prowled the fine hallways and stalked between the marble columns with which Kenji hid. Their game of cat and mouse continued for only minutes, yet to Kenji it felt like several excuciating hours.


    After some time Kenji lost the servant elves behind him, and arrived at a grand feasting room. The whole room was filled with a level of opulance no dream could conjure and not even an entire artisan guild could craft over a lifetime of labour. Fantastical gems, magical creatures places like dolls on shelves, and gold used as commonly as timber filled the space. Artwork, weaponry, jewellery and valuables of every other kind filled several floors high, while the high table itself was coated in steaming delicacies that smelled like heaven and almost convinced Kenji it was worth being caught for even the slightest taste.


    Even more serving trays were whisked in by elvish servants so enchantingly beautiful Kenji was spellbound. They made the regular members of the gorgeous species look like uncut gems, while these sparkling few men and women represented the utter pinacle of what the species could achieve. Add in an unmatched degree of elegance and skill, making these elves appear an entirely new species of elvish elites despite the wildly different pigment of skin and hair.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    Weaving his way along, Kenji was confident of his imminent discovery. These creatures were simply too fantastical, and despite his best efforts to hide he was guaranteed to be found out. Yet as he wove upward in search, Kenji realised he was being tailed.


    A single stunning Sun Elf was gliding behind him, sweeping wherever he stepped with gusts of wind magic and busts of flame that scoured any possible marking from the golden stairs.


    She pointed above, and only through strength of sheer will could Kenji pull his gaze away to where she pointed. There he found the stone boy called ''Gold Beans'' in sturdy looking inscribed armour and the half succubus ''Grey'' in a deep green dress of shimmering emerald scales that perfectly fit her many curves to tantalise his eyes. Both were stuff as stone, enchanted in place. With a whisper another Sun elf had the moved to the side, and slowly brought around in a bit of a daze.


    "Thank you, but do you know where I can find something called the ''Star Fire Braces''?" Kenji whispered , the two sharing a look before pointing near the ceiling. There Kenji found the pair of dangling iron braces, looking like ordinary prison manicals.


    Yet Kenji knew if their potential power to destroy the Fae, and positioning then all the way above the chandeliers was likely to have them be not outright dangerous to the Far King''s guests, but a not so subtle threat instead.


    Refraining from hugging the orphans while he appeared a shadow Faun, Kenji climbed several floors with the sun elves help. As he climbed he came across animated giants armour, wingless dragons and fiercely magical pixies. Each time the sun elves distracted them wordlessly, as if they conversed through a mental enchantment that required no speach.


    Eventually Kenji found himself in the first of several chandeliers, the Sun elves pressing their hands against invisible walls behind him. It seemed the enhancements forbidden them from coming any closer, but their eyes lit up with hope as Kenji jumped.


    The chandelier swung, Kenji''s sight filled with the Far drop down into the table filled with the droolworthy food below. One jump at a time he bound between the islands of crystal, before eventually reaching the hidden bracers and snatching them off a plain hook.


    Immediately the walls began to shake, the chandeliers exploded and Kenji was left to fall down into the swarm of elite servants, guardians and a very angry Fae Master Butler.

 55 Chapter 55 - Fast and Furious

    Wisps of power simmered off the Fae Master butler''s suit, the wrinkles of his face similarly stretched with rage. Kenji fell from right above him - yet was caught mid air by a Sun Elf sourrounded in a bubble of shrieking wind.


    "Cut off my ears!" she shouted, as the pair flew along a hallway with a dozen servants in close persuit. "I can''t do it, but you can. I must not hear the order!"


    If not for the very certain death that would await failure, Kenji would never have been able to tarnish such perfection made flesh. In a moment it was over, crimson flowing from where once had been long elvish ears. With endless apology he was wrapping cloth around her head when the order boomed.


    "Halt Ailia, and hold the creature still," the Fae''s voice came with a magical clarity to pierce through her wind. Yet without ears she could not hear the command, and carried Kenji down several side tunnels while not disturbing a single thread of the lavish decorations.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    Pushing herself faster and faster, wind pushed her like a rocket to fly down the hallways as fast as a racecar and make turns so tight Kenji''s cheek shaved the walls. She bound off the roof, flipped over gaps and burst out a balcony to summon several illusions of herself. Each flew back through a seperate balcony, although her wind magic seemed to be reduced as it was split between them.


    The servants raced after the illusions, yet seemingly ignored Ailia. For whatever reason they were soon alone.


    Kenia heart raced as she slowed down, her light jog still far faster than anything Kenji could hope to ever achieve. Each artful step continued to weave around furniture, servants and even the floors whilst not disturbing the aid in her wake.


    "You should be safe now, I''ve activated my invisibility ring," she whispered, a glinting gem emitting the slightest of shines on her finger.


    "Thank you. For saving my life that is, and for..." Kenji stopped speaking when she failed to respond, eyes focused only on constant movement to avoid their persuers and ears left long behind.


    Without leaving a trace, and while taking seemingly random twists and turns, Ailia most certainly threw off any chance of being tracked. Soon Kenji found himself before several other Sun Elves of the lessor breed, all waiting before a still dazed Goldbeans and Grey.


    "Fare thee well, and thank you for your help your manesty" the maid said, curtsying towards the now earless Elite Sun Elf.


    "I hope you found what you sought. We will wait patiently for your return. Your majesty," added the butler, bowing towards the earless elf.


    Smiling, the elf that could no longer hear waved away their concerns and activated the other ring on her finger. The green gem glowed brightly, and quickly the blood stopped flowing from her head while a soft green glow began to regenerate her missing ears.


    "Before I go, who are you to run like that? All that magic and moving so fast...I''ve never imagined anything like it," Kenji said, amazed as within moments her ears had returned, now looking good as new.


    "I am Ailia, and once was the Queen of the Sun Elves. All of those that attend the Far King directly are sourced from either individual prodegies or members of various elvish royal families. But please go, and keep my daughter safe," leaning forward Ailia kissed Kenji warmly on the cheek, her golden hair brushing against his chin and the warmth of her breath blessing his neck.


    Left in a grinning daze himself, Kenji bowed awkwardly and hurried away with his friends. Yet halting, an idea formed.


    "Your majesty," Kenji said quite excited, "there is a way you can help us. It would only take a few moments, but if you let me caste my ability on you I could replicate some of those powers of yours. Such strength might prove the deciding factor in the battles to come. Would you be willing to face some small discomfort in return for greatly aiding our chances of freeing your people?"


    Ailia was hesitant, but after come gentle persuasion soon agreed. She shuddered as Kenji costed her, emitting strange sounds and squekes only to collapse as Kenji pulled away. Having replaced the Corrupt Spirit street Forbidden slot with a copy of the Sun Elf Queen Kenji was pretty happy with himself.


    With hazy red cheeks and quick breathes, the Sun Elf Queen seemed pretty happy too.


    "I look forward to your return!" she said, waving as Kenji and his companions found an enchanted path. Waving back, Kenji also looked forward to seeing them again, even as he left the Far King''s enchanted domain.


    Left behind was the sweet air, picturesque gardens and hauntingly beautiful people. Travelling last the war camps Kenji watched an army of Satyrs and monsters marching along through the forest. So too came runbling siege engines, grumbling trolls with slings and stones, huge treants with branches filled with supplies needed for a siege and an endless swarm of goblins wielding every possible weapon of war.


    Leading them all came the dark furred satyr with a regal nature to him. Somehow the Satyr general had grown taller and more powerful since last Kenji saw him, as if blessed with renewed power. Demonic text adorned his arms and legs, pulsing chaos fire filling the air with a sulphuric taste and the feeling of wrong. Every step left a burning hoof in the ground, every breath sending waves of power trembling through the air while in both hands was held a scimitar bound in black hellfire.


    If Kenji didn''t hurry back in time, he feared he would return to find Tariak a smoking ruin. And even if he did make it, could he really defeat the Satyr general even assuming he would prove victorious against such overwhelming numbers?


    Kenji sure hoped so, because if the Far King captured the town and raised fresh enchanted troops from the humans there he could go on warring almost indefinitely. Even if King Thunberad''s army finally crushed the Far King''s forces, the amount of devestation would see Tariak and the surrounding region lost forever.


    Determined, Kenji swore that would not happen.

 56 Chapter 56 - Scourge by Fire

    "Keep falling back, hold ranks - right flank brace for the charge!" Phillip roared, a dozen screaming satyrs flinging themselves from a wall of flame to crash into Warden Company''s flimsy lines.


    The crusaders held, as did the woodsmen, but those village folk that were brave enough to fight were cut down like lambs. Phillip waved to the bands of hunters to focus their fire, arrows bringing down the enemy reinforcements.


    Despite the burning landscape, the satyr and their monstrous servants continued to push through and attack. Despite being burned, despite choking on ash and dying to falling trees the enemy were seemingly immune to fear as they launched harrying strikes.


    Damage continued to be dealt, and their company had taken yet more losses. Turning, Phillip eyed the fortified village of Armsworth, the last such village to go on their path to Tariak.


    "Warden! Defend your warden!" Phillip yelled, seeing Jack fling tongues of flame into the enemy ranks, the blaze behind them scarcely holding off the near suicidal goatmen.


    With their ranks spread thin to catch those zealous goatmen that managed to make it through the inferno, Phillip was forced to charge himself or see his Captain overrun.


    "Rally to me! The Warden must not fall!"


    To either side appeared a battered squad of villagers and crusaders. Together they charged Jack''s position, all the way at the rearguards most forward line. Where the fighting was thickest.


    Alone he had held off an army by copying the Pyromancers power to wield flame, but he was no god. They pulled him away a wounded man, drenched in red, burned across his face and arms, breathes rasping in Phillip''s ear.


    Arrows sung through the air, pegging Phillips'' warriors to the ground. Jack''s retreat broke the balwalk, the enemy commander sending fresh troops accompanied by starved monsters.


    From their flank came a trio of Minotours, the half bull men cleaving through entire men and throwing broken bodies high in the air with horns drenched crimson. Hunters bravely held their ground and fired a volley, the arrows tinkling aside as they were too weak to pierce the monsters hide.


    From the battle appeared the Flower Knight, her blade piercing one Minotours through the side of the head. By drawing away the Minotours attention, the hunters could escape to higher ground.


    "Come on fellas, it''s just little old me," the Flower Knight giggled as the other two swung their axes in wide arcs. Dancing past their guard, she thrust her blade through one''s head and nlew dust into the face of the last.


    Roaring the Minotour swung wildly, it''s powerful strokes screaming through only air as twin daggers were thrown to plunge into its eyes. Maddened and blind it thrashed and crashed, the Flower Knight giggling as she led it away to attack it''s own allies.


    The Satyrs were thrown around just as easily as the humans, more then a few parted in two or sent howling back into the burning forest. As for the dead pair, sparkling yellow flowers burst from their mouths and were added to the Flower Knight''s flowerbed mane.


    Retreating back to the village, Phillip found the squads neatly arranged. His priests were out of blessings, and instead busied themselves by organising the defence. Several villages had been contacted on their retreat path, the fastest horses and runners despatched to send families fleeing to Tariak and available fighters here.


    Warden Company now stood several hundred strong, and under the banner of the Inquisition Jack addressed his warriors even while the battle continued behind him. Pushing aside those that had been holding him up, Jack forced his damaged body to stand proud.


    "Today, we will inspire a legend. Thank you heroic people of this land for heeding my call, we will show these monsters that humanity is not so easily cowed!" a roar of men, a clatter of steel and the banshee shrieks of the experimental all female contingent.


    While the inquisition allowed female crusaders, even Phillip had balked at first in allowing the women to fight entirely on their own. Yet the ''Wiltedwives'' as they had so affectionately called themselves had proven a potent tool. Widows, filled with the rage of lost love ones, they fought tooth and nail against the enemy with a resolve of a hardened crusaders and the ruthlessness of the criminal competents of Warden Company''s forces.


    Their leader strode back to meet then after another days work, the Flower Knight welcomed by her followerers. Perhaps to copy her, they too wove flowers into their hair, and while such activities could be considered pagan, Jack has given the order to let them be.


    "Surely some words for the Three, Warden," Phillip advised, Jack brushing off the comment as he continued to their planning table. Their forces were represented by blue tokens, mostly here in Armsworth village. Some few had gone ahead to escort the wounded and noncombatants, while many more had simply been unable to reach here and were forced to make their own way to Tariak.


    The enemy were represented in red, and wilt scattered they bathed half the map crimson.


    "The Three have delivered victory, we should-"


    "You said it yourself, Phillip. The Three do not intervene in this plane except through their blessings. Today was one due to the brave hearts of men defending their homes, I will not take that from them," Jack said, brushing away one of the local priests who still had the blessings to spare.


    "I''m fine! Go heal someone who needs your attention," Jack rasped, the priest giving his many wounds a long look before turning away.


    "Jack, you can''t sustain this. Your not a god, not even chosen as a saint. If we don''t beg to be saved, this land will be lost to those creatures of nightmares."


    Phillip rested a hand in Jack''s shoulder, and lightly placed an icon to the Three in Jack''s hands.


    "Pray, display your thanks," Phillip urged him.


    "Have you noticed Phillip? The enemy have not sent any of the demonically enhanced for days now, I think they''re pooling their forced elsewhere for the moment."


    "What I have noticed, Warden, is the lack of faith. By not holding yourself to a high standard you risk promoting pagan beliefs in those who look up to you. Already I think allowing the villagers to display their own crests and prepare for battle without prayer is a dangerous precedent-"


    A horn blew, one of the formations had been breached. Jack let the holy icon slip from his hands and into the mud, as he ran to direct the army''s defence.


    Deeply troubled, Phillip watched his long time friend charge into the fray almost with a deathwish. And while godless at that.


    Phillips lips pulled back into a sneer, as he continued to watch Jack''s heroics inspire the warriors and steer them further from the light of the Three.


    Phillip would give him one more chance, but if Jack continued to show doubt in the faith of their all powerful and all mercyfull gods...


    "Prepare our loyal crusaders, tell them to watch the Warden carefully."


    "Watch him for what, Inquisitor?" said the crusader behind him.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    Phillip lifted his chin up high as he watched the Warden send far too many saytrs into the next world for a mortal man unaided by the gods. No mere human could achieve so much with but determination alone, it wasn''t natural.


    "For the signs of heresy."

 57 chapter 57 - Mustering a Defence

    Jack approached the old stone walls of Tariak with grim eyes. Even while he felt blissful relief to have somthing between his men and the enemy, the knowledge of their numbers and the capacity for war quashed any semblance of comfort in their future.


    His long ragged band approached with slow dragging steps. The goats had harried them for days now, and several times Warden Company had escaped only through a great many losses.


    Still, Jack''s troops marched in somthing resembling a formation and with the high eyes of a soldier. His crusaders, his criminals and the retired soldiers had been all made officers and given command of ten warriors each.


    "The Three''s banner should be held higher," Phillip said in that needling tone. Jack rolled his eyes and focused on the coming messenger. The crusaders could hold the banners as low or high as they liked for all he cared. His brothers and sisters had fought for days with more bravery than Jack had ever seen in the old fossils of the church''s leadership - they deserved to think for their own.


    "Are you the Wild Warden the refugees have been speaking about?" the messenger shouted, pulling his horse to a stop at a suitable distance.


    "This is the Warden of the inquisition! Show your respect if you wish for the Three''s favour!" roared Phillip, with several of those priests closest to him pressing their fingers to their forehead and giving the messenger a dark look. Come to think of it, Jack had noticed then making the gestured to ward off evil when he was around.


    Strange, Jack couldn''t even remember the last time he had mirrored such superstitious behaviour. It just felt as distant as his hunt to him now, a cold empty act when compared to the burning feeling of his contentment in his chest whenever he pushed himself to fight for those that could not. He did not feel forlorn about the lack of battle however, for even if others would be taking care of the ear now it would still be Jack''s duty to see this villages warm, fed and respected.


    "Apologies, I did not realise you were members of the inquisit-"


    "Enough, my people need food, water and lodging. Have that seen too, and then lead me to whoever has taken command of this town''s defense," Jack said as he strode past the fuming Phillip.


    "Then come this was Captain, your people will be tended to but your wisdom would aid the council greatly."


    Turning his horse around, the messenger dismounted and gestured towards Jack. Another horse approached for Phillip, with a wagon for a handful of crusaders to follow.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "You too Flower Knight, Carthas too and Burgeon," Jack said gesturing to his most powerful warrior and the two top performing villagers.


    Carthas had the stern temperament, talent for learning and truth of heart required to make a fantastic knight. With Jack''s help, he would be called Sir Carthas before long.


    Burgeon meanwhile was a mountain on the move, his sons just as large. Travellers from a far away land, the huge men of the mountains had worked wonders in the forge until a satyr attack had brought out the beast within again. Of all the villages Jack had sent messengers too, only the village of Lufas had both resisted the Satyr threat and readied for travel. Since then Burgeon and his sons and proven natural war leaders, and the most fantastic soldiers Jack could hope for.


    With both his loyal crusaders and most trusted warriors behind him, Jack steered his horse towards Tariak with his head held high. Approaching, the walls were filled with people, colourful petals dousing the air and blaring horns announced Warden Company''s arrival.


    Passing through the gate, Jack was met by a great crowd. The Late Lord''s soldiers, local mercenaries and adventurers of all stripes were peppered through a huge crowd of hastily armed and armoured militiamen.


    They looked like the ragged bunches Jack had collected on his way through the villages, and already plans run through his mind as to how he could increase the chance of their survival. He''d whip them into shape in no time, give them capable leaders and elevate all those who already had some natural talent or learned ability within war to whichever positions they could handle.


    Yet whoever led the defense wasn''t doing too bad a job, streets being walled off with barricades, huge squares of peasants training with spear and bow while the old and young crafted all the materials required.


    Wizards were binding magical traps into shields, while rogues constructed a web of paths across Tariak''s roofs. Warriors battled lessor fighters incessantly in an attempt to teach a few some warriors skills, while Rangers guided collections of hunters into firing arrows with increased power, precision and accuracy.


    Lastly were the priests, blessing everyone with [Crown] an ability of those following the Bountyheart. The [Crown] blessing increased XP gain, and no doubt was responsible for a great many trainees hastily being raised to match the very lowest form of adventurer.


    Interestingly, the messenger led Jack not to the Lord''s manor, but the old fort of the Golden Goose Guild. Somewhat repaired, and with its moat deepened and filled with fresh water, the structure had returned to some portion of it''s former glory.


    Outside the proud banners if the Kingdom flew beside the Three and a Silver Swan. The last was a knight''s order of some renown, even Jack having heard of their exploits .


    Soldiers with the Silver Swan badge marched in and out, actual Knights of the order busy leading training sessions on the Guild''s first floor within.


    Jack was escorted up to the second were the nobles, rich merchants and greatest warriors of the guilds had been gathered.


    Passing into the third floor, Jack was ushered in by a catgirl into Almanacs room turned war room. Chairs were pulled around a grand table, a rough map of the region outfitted with dozens of coloured pieces that servants moved as new messengers arrived.


    Both Almanac of the Golden Goose Guild, the Heads Hunter''s Guildmaster and several Guildmasters from adventurer guilds Jack did not know argued endlessly with wealthy nobles and stoic Silver Swan Knights.


    "Be calm, all of you! This is us versus the monsters now, just follow the plan and all will be well!" the boy knight shouted, Jack''s blood running cold as he stared at his forgotten prey right in the eye.


    "You," Phillip screamed, pointing at the boy knight with a crazed look, "Sieze that heretic, for the Three he must not live!"


    Steel rasped into the air, crusaders pushed themselves forward while adventurers pulled out their own weapons the to resist. Amidst the mayhem Jack held his silver knife, and paused.


    Before he could figure of what to do, purple fire clad crystal erupted from the ground, a purple elf with sinewy ears and dull iron bracers staring with Violet eyes that spat embers of purple flame.


    From behind appeared a gigantic wolf from seemingly thin air, a huge moon appearing before turning silver to bind those that stood with the boy knight in a silver glow.


    "Stop, we don''t have to fight. If you care about the people of this town, then please stop!" the boy knight said, his golden eyes filled with concern.


    Seeing that pure worry even while his own life was being threatened, Jack out his silver knife back in the sheath.

 58 chapter 58 - War Party

    Kenji would happily admit if asked, that he had very much forgotten about the Warden''s existence. Yet most intriguingly, those confused eyes of the Warden has seemingly also forgotten about Kenji.


    "Halt. Phillip, I said HALT!" the Warden roared, both the angry priest and his up tight crusaders skidding to a stop. If looks could kill the Warden would have died then and there, instead he continued to fiddle with a silver knife at his belt and stare at Kenji.


    "What are you doing here, why come back?"


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "Jack, cease this foolishness. You are commanded to bring the heretic to the Three''s justice!" the priest hissed, his fellow priests behind him mirroring the outrage. Although Kenji noted the muscular warriors lacking the inquisitors symbols seemed far less perturbed, actually seeming to look at the crusaders as if they were the threat.


    "I came back to save this town, what else? Just your run of the mill saviour here, although I could use some help," Kenji said, watching the Captain tighten and then loosen his grip on that weird knife.


    Sighing, the Captain let go.


    "The people come first, and if everyone here is already in agreement then I will as well," the Captain said, while the crazed priests stared as if the Captain had sprouted horns.


    "Excellent , Captain," muttered the Lord Swan of the Silver Swan knight order. "Your capacity to fight through the enemy lines, and save as many people as you have is truly a feat worthy of recognition. If not for your vows to the Three, perhaps a life in the Silver Swans would have proven a better fit."


    "I have been absolved by the One himself, Lord Swan. So when this is all over, perhaps I will take you up on that offer," Jack''s fearsome features managed a blood thirsty grin, the fervent priest having gone dangerously still by his side.


    As Lord Swan continued his speach of heroism and glory, Kenji realised somthing he hadn''t thought of for awhile. Looking at the Captain as he seemed completely without fear with the thought of the coming army, Kenji felt he had a hero grade.


    A pretty good hero grade too: [D]


    "Kenji, he asked you a question," Violet whispered into his ear as she pulled on his sleeve. Eyes refocusing, Kenji realised everyone was looking at him.


    "Mind repeating that? I felt a disturbance in the force and missed what you said," Kenji said with a mysterious tone, wide eyes and softly waving his hands.


    "I said, if the Hero Knight here could explain his plan we could return to the discussion of how to array our forces," Lord Swan said stiffly, Kenji barely managing to hold his composure.


    "Yes, so. We will need to bash down the enemy forces just long enough to find out where the enemy general is. Once identified me and my companions will corner the general, and force him to reveal his master. From there Violet here will use these fancy bracers I recovered while gathering Intel on the enemy, and hopefully pull apart the enchantments that control the monster hordes."


    "So they are enchanted?" Jack said nodding, "that would make sense to me. I''ve seen far too many starved, weakened and unskilled creatures fight like zealots. If they are forced to fight with magic, then breaking the spell should be our top priority."


    "Which is something those braces can do," Kenji grinned, really liking how quickly his greatest enemy was with the uptake. "The iron not only augments magic to be on Starfire, but breaks that which links the Fae to this world. It won''t just free their armies from being mentally dominated, if used perfect we could banish their master from this realm for some time. A but more permimant a salvation then merely withstanding against this current threat, without dealing with the Far King himself he can simply keep sending more agents and fighters until the land is drowned in blood and deceit."


    "Then it''s settled, leave conducting the prelart for a siege to my Silver Swan Knights. Master Almanac, I could use your insight as to where place our lines of retreat," Lord Swan said, his shining regalia thinking as he twisted to address the wizard dripping golden mist.


    "The Golden Goose Guildhall is the most heavily fortified building apart from the late Lord''s mansion. Yet his family and many of their troops have claimed that space for themselves, and so my guild is willing to throw open our doors and accept the townspeople that require shelter. Although I still stress that space is limited, and continuing to evacuate to other cities. While I have your attention too, Kenji, the blacksmiths were wanting to speak to you about that project of yours."


    Kenji grinned as he stood tall, and tried to ignore the smouldering looks of the inquisitors.


    "My thanks Guildmaster, I''ll head off then. May we see the victory screen," Kenji said, waved to the table and led his companions away.


    Jack watched Kenji go, their eyes matching for a moment as Kenji waited at the door.


    "Want to come see?" Kenji said, unsure if he should be revealing so much to his mortal enemy and yet unable to see passed the hero grade dangling around Jack''s head.


    "Aye, that I would. Stay men, I''ll go alone," Jack whispered harsh words with his frothing priest, before he brushed the cold eyed man aside and stomped after Kenji and into the night air.

 59 Chapter 59 - Warmachine Turns

    "Ain''t she beauty?" Kenji said, grinning ear to ear while three blacksmiths and their apprentices continued to hammer at the masses of red hot iron.


    "What am I looking at?" Jack marvelled, unable to understand what all these huge iron plates and straps were supposed to form.


    "A little trick that might see victory that much more likely. Used to call it a min/max strategy back in the day, but all you need to know is that this will be effective."


    "Because of this opinion that iron somehow damages Fae magic?" Jack rose an eyebrow, "you could pile on as much as you like, without the magical properties to magical items like those Starfire bracers I don''t see this doing much more than annoying the enemy."


    "Well, living rent free in your opponents mind has a benefit in itself," Kenji whispered, and sat down on a crate while he watched the blacksmiths work.


    Slowly, Jack let his sword sheath rest against the wall as he took a seat of his own. Seeing Kenji stare into the flickering forge with such intensity, Jack started to chuckle.


    "What''s wrong, do I have somthing on my face?" Kenji frowned, patting down his nose.


    "It''s just strange. If circumstances were different I feel as if you could have been one of the choir boys I grew up with. I''m having trouble remembering what you are, and yet, I also have trouble remembering why I should care."


    Jack continued to chuckle, as the whole purpose of the crusade seemed so...weak. Here in the forges blasts if heat hit his face, powerful men worked alloys of the earth into huge plates and some creature wearing a boyish youth like a coat had orchestrated the whole thing.


    "Mabye we should get a beer then, you and me. We have time you know, and it''s good to let off some steam once in a while," Kenji stood up, and offered a hand to Jack.


    With one hand Jack clasped the silver knife at his belt, as he stared at that outstretched hand. He felt in his mind how easy it would be to pull Kenji close, and to feel the blade sink into the monsters chest.


    The thought made him sick.


    Stowing the silver blade away, Jack grasped Kenji''s hand and was lifted to his feet.


    "Hey check this out! I''m amazed Almanac was able to get this made, but it''s going to be really cool!", Kenji said excitedly pulling Jack to see a huge spike Morningstar and lair of thick armoured gloves, all sized for a giant.


    "They''re glowing, cold air, is the metal fitted with an enchantment of cold?"


    "Try freezing! Once we get the High Tier Ice Gem in from Almanac''s lab both the gloves and Morningstar will be coated in magical ice. The slightest touch could freeze a limb, a solid hit would freeze three men. I can''t wait until it''s done, even if it''s going to be the most expensive item in Tariak it''ll make a HUGE difference in the battle."


    As Kenji continued to talk excitedly, Jack nodded along and allows the words to flow over him. The boy''s sheer enthusiasm of nice in itself, and his endless energy that reminded Jack of his years shut away cleaning tombs, praying in the dark and singing to gods that did not care.


    "Kenji please," Jack said, finally forced to get a word in, "keep some of this for when we get to the tavern. As a Templar I was never allowed to drink, and I''m interested in finding out if it tastes as delicious as the soldiers have been saying. Oh - you wouldn''t mind if I invited them would you?"


    Kenji flashes white teeth, and pulled back his fiery hair.


    "Of course, as long as I get to invite me friends too. And the Guildmembers, with the bad blood between us all it would be nice to have a drink and get to know who we''ll be fighting with. The newcomers will appreciate it too I think, those adventures that came so far to help us deserve to be thanked properly."


    "Agreed, but we''ll need much of the drink if it really tastes as good as they say. Food too, since a siege is unlikely with the starving nature of our enemy I think it should be ok to eat like kings."


    "Like kings!" Kenji laughed as he clapped Jack on the shoulder and led him back to the Golden Goose Guild.


    It didn''t take much to get everyone in the mood to party - what with the gloom of incoming conflict having already like a sour cloud through Tariak already.


    And while arrows stopped being fletched, walls cease to be repaired as fast and soldiers steel gleamed a little less - the smiles made it all worth it.


    Mead, women, entertainment and food was rolled out as if for royalty. That night those who would fight filled themselves with a year''s worth of revelarly while those who could not continued their labour through the darkest of night and into the early morning.


    When Jack awoke amongst his men, he discovered the hellish pain of a hangover first. And his wrists clasped in shackles second.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.

 60 Chapter 60 - The Manic Awakens

    "Get these off me," Jack said as evenly as his temper would allow. Phillip continued to stare like a sad puppy, as if the cold priest were somehow the restrained one here.


    "Jack, you know I cannot do that. Our work here is done, we leave today for the capital," Phillip said, the loyalist crusaders hauling the drunken bodies of their comrades into wagons.


    "They will die without us - you cannot abandon the innocent and call yourself a servant of a benevolent god, Phillip!"


    Phillips cold eyes flared with the slightest flicker of hate as he stared at Jack. His face contorted as if Jack were a mewling man sized leech.


    "Do you even hear what your saying? The instance the people of this town accepted the aid of that evil soul the gods vacated the land. Tariak belongs to the heretics now, and while I can''t force you to grow a spine I can at least save you from falling into the same decadent activities that will only make your path back to becoming a Templar that much harder!"


    "Templar...?" Jack hissed, his muscles burning with effort as he pulled at the rope binding his wrists. "After all that has happened, you still think I want to be a Templar?"


    "Jack, without the Three you are nothing. You were raised from an orphanage for the Everseeing''s sake! An unwanted child taken in by the church, we forged you, we created you and you have no right to turn your back on the destiny that you were made to serve. Open your eyes, it is not too late to return to the warm arms of the church. Our aside your doubts and your desires, renew your faith and become pure again."


    "Purity...such a strange word," Jack chuckled , feeling something bubble within him. Somthing strong, somthing powerful.


    "Jack, calm down," Phillip said carefully, "I''m going to out you to sleep now and then-"


    Roaring Jack stood up and with a burst of strength pulled at the thick cord. In moments the band''s snapped, and Jack was free.


    A crusader attacked, but Jack stepped aside his fist and through the crusader into the air. Another swung, but Jack hit his arm down before sending the crusader tumbling to the side.


    Leaping forward Jack grasped Phillips throat before he could whisper his prayers and grinned an inch from those cold eyes.


    "Phillip....what is this?" Jack giggled, the power flowing through his body like waves of hot magma. His hair bristled and curled, his eyesight sharpened and his ears felt keen as a razer.


    "You...need...to sleep..." Phillip gurgled, cold eyes still staring at Jack with a laser focus even as his face became bloated and purple.


    Slowly Jack pulled his hand away, but the power rushing through him was too great to contain. It urged him to act, to fight to die and be reborn.


    "My little Templar, how naive you are," Phillip whispered as his eyes went wide. Unblinking he thrust Jack''s hand aside with surprising strength, great gleaming grin spreading across his face.


    "Phillip?" Jack blocked a wicked Fast strike, Phillips arms contorting wildly before stretching out again to lash Jack across the side. What should have barely registered instead left Jack howling with pain on the floor, the insane strength of the strike near inconceivable.


    "Stay down foolish boy, your coming back wether you like it or not," Phillip hissed, slapping Jack back down when he tried to stand.


    "How can you understand what is best for you? I made you - me! You are a Manic just like I am, and if you are not properly trained through the church then all that potential will be wasted along with the rest of the mediocre humans out there!"


    The next slap was thrust aside, Jack managing to fling a lunch that sent Phillip blasting into the ceiling.


    "What is a Manic, WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ME?" Jack howled, the dusty built he had woken up in shuddering, before a blast of timber erupted from the wall and Phillip sent Jack tumbling through another wall.


    Fast strikes dotted the old walls with holes, the crusaders running for their lives as the pairs battle became increasingly wild.


    "[sleep]!" Phillip cast.


    "[Goldenheart]!" Jack countered, the blessing slipping away against his immovable will. Jack jumped forward and slamned his fist into Phillips braced arms, pmbashing them aside and leaving a gap that Jack could send his full power through.


    "I AM FREE!" Jack screamed as he punched alongside a rush of wild wind and fiery mental energy that blasted Phillip out the window and down the street where he landed in a crumpled heap.


    Getting up slowly, Phillip was pulled up by one his his crusaders. Those cold eyes stared at Jack even as Phillip pulled his shattered jaw back into position and spat out a mouthful of blood.


    Jack prepared to continue the fight, yet they were interrupted by a distant tolling if bells. Soon the bells were followed by the blaring of horns and the whale of women and children.


    The streets became flooded with peasants rushing to hide in the Golden Goose Guild and fighters heading to their battle stations. Through the commotion Jack had lost sight of Phillip, and yet this burning power continued to flow.


    Grunting, Jack picked up his sword that rest against a nearby chair and hurried off. His men needed him, and with this power, perhaps he could finally be strong enough to be worthy leading them too.


    He''d have to watch his back though, now that Phillip had shown his true colours Jack did not think he would give up on restraining Jack again so easily.


    No, while his freedom had been hard won, it would also be harder to maintain. But breathing in the flesh air of morning as I''d for the first time, Jack felt it was all worth it.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.

 61 Chapter 61 - Facing Annihilation

    "More arrows!" screamed an archer, the bowmen beside him lossening as quickly as they could.


    Arrowheads slamned through gangly Satyr heads and starved goblin alike, the tidal wave of monster like an endless swarm as they assaulted the walls.


    "Conserve your ammunition! Focus on aiming, make every shot count!" said Lord Swan, marching along the walls with all his shining knights in tow.


    So far the pure numbered of the enemy had only managed to test Tariak''s defences, dozens of simultaneous ladder attacks scaling the walls. Yet once above the starved and tired enemy were butchered by even the lowest militiamen, until the land ran red with blood.


    "I said conserve your ammunition damnit!" Lord Swan roared, having to pull away a lot of arrows before a group of hunters could get their hands on them.


    "Follow your Lord''s orders," Kenji yelled out, "these are just to find weakness. The true threat will come in the next wave. Lord Swan, with your permission might I raise us some allies?"


    "You may, but direct them to protect the main gate. Messengers, order the remainder of our militiamen to defend those areas that suffered through that last assault with the most difficulty," Lord Swan said, horns blowing soon after and a great rush of feet filled the streets behind.


    Huge columns of farmers, townsfolk, loggers and their soldier supervisors spread throughout Tariak''s parameter to reinforce several points along it''s walls.


    "Are you sure my dead are best used defending the main gate? That seems to be our most defended area already," Kenji said as Dana the Damned. As he arose dozens of the dead below and contorted them into Dana''s special Ghoul hounds, he frowned.


    Ranks of soldiers stood behind the gate, with dozens of archers above flanked by knight''s and adventurers. The streets and houses behind had been fortified, the direct area beyond the gate entrance turned into a massive killing field even if the enemy managed to break through.


    "It is our greatest weakness," Lord Swan said as he saluted the ranks below. Farm boys grinned just as goofily as their fathers as they saluted back, too many still naive enough to think this all a grand game.


    Those who fought on the walls during the initial waves seemed espect eager, their pitchforks and scythes drenched in the blood of easy kills. None would be prepared when the real enemy army attacked, and Kenji worried their overconfidence would prove crushing in the face of a real foe.


    "Should the enemy breach a wall, they will only be able to trickle through. But the gate? If they get through there they can pour through the greatest arteries of Tariak. Their forces would unpin our entire defensive line and being about an utter collapse of our forces. That is why it is important to defend it as heavily as possible."


    With dozens of slack jawed ghouls sent howling to patrol outside the gate, Kenji couldn''t see anyone getting through. Using one of Dana''s tricks, Kenji continued to raise ghouls only to let his control of them slip. This way the feral ghouls went set free across the battlefield, were they ate corpses and quickly grew in strength, whilst Kenji could continue to raise more and more dead without the restriction of needing to control them.


    "Where are those inquistors?" said Lord Swan, surveying the walls to only find the silver and grey clothed war priests of the Silver Swan Knights and the patchwork groups of adventurer priests in attendance.


    "They would prefer to hide, Lord. But rest assured Warden Company stands ready," Jack said as he arrived at the head of his warriors. Without the smothering presence of the inquisitors symbols the Warden Company seemed instead a unified force of warriors. Every man and woman in their ranks looked at Jack with sparkling eyes, the man himself having a powerful presence currently that made him feel a walking force of nature.


    Kenji noticed more differences in the Captain. His eyes were too wide, his grin too shining and his body frantically twitching as if he literally could not bare the wait to fight.


    Striding up with too much speed, he leaned in to whisper in Kenji''s ear.


    "If you meet Phillip, my High Priest of the Inquisition, consider him an enemy. This is your only warning," Jack nodded gravely, then gestured to his warriors to flood the walls.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    With Warden Company''s arrival, the walls were finally fully manned. Kenji continued to raise ghouls below while the distant land became drenched in dark squares. Monsters, Fauns and Satyr marches in vast numbers, and of a callibre completely different to the fodder sent previously. Their banners of skinned creatures fluttered like a moving Forrest, several teams of goblins needed to pull each siege tower forward while ogres lumbered afterward with slingshots in hand.


    Against their entrenched positions Kenji had fooled himself into thinking his plan really possible, but as the sheer quantity of the enemy bloated out the grass from the land he was no longer so certain. Worried, he realised this could be it, Kenji had a very strong chance here of dying for good.


    "Knights of the Silver Swan, activate your [Fortified aura]!" shouted Lord Swan, pressing his greatsword into the ground and enjoying a brilliant aura of strength. Across the walls each Silver Knight became a beacon of strength, their auras overlapping as the entire human army became enveloped.


    Armour shined brighter, rusted antiques became good as new and new steel felt lighter and stronger across every body. Leather hardened, skin stiffened and shields were doubly sturdy as the aura fortified all allied bodies in range.


    Seeing the shining weaponry of humanity rattle and their warriors roar, the enemy general responded in time. Dark magicians sent ploums of dark blue smoke to choke the skies, while rank after rank of the enemy lines bathed their spears in hellfire.


    Then came the scream. In unison the entire enemy army roared, so loud the ground trembled and the people quaked. As the lines of enemy warriors marched forward flaming weapons in hand, Kenji feared the defenders of Tariak would buckle from the sheer terror of the sight .


    "Fear not men, we fight with the Three''s protection!" Jack roared, casting [Golden Heart] to stiffen the resolve of those closest warriors. Along the line priests cast lessor blessings to boost morale back up, yet the lack of the inquisitors priests blessings made a serious blow to the plan, several areas of wall left dangerously vulnerable to the enemy aura of fear.


    But as the great battle for Tariak was about to begin Kenji forced such thoughts aside and turned to his companions.


    "Tenko, Violet. All ready?" he said, Tenko having spent the day coordinating with the Headless Hunters Guild while Violet remained largely hidden with a great many layers of cloth.


    "Ready Kenji! Goldbeans and Grey are safe for now too, they are going to help with the Headless Hunters!" Tenko said, her roguish friends sticking their tongues out when Kenji looked.


    "I''m a bit nervouse...," Violet admitted, stepping forward to hold Kenji''s hand. She didn''t seem to mind it was that of Dana the Damned, Kenji''s touch enough to calm her racing heart.


    "It''s ok, just stay out of the fighting while you can. Focus on your task," Kenji said trying to reassure her. But he could emphasize with her fear, Violet''s role the arguably most important of any. And not just the people of Tariak, but the whole Sun Elf species might depend on her success too.


    "But what if I mess up? I got captured last time even though all my friends helped me escape, what if that happens again?"


    She was trembling now, lilac eyes filled with wet and worry beneath her layers. Turning her to face him, Kenji wrapped his army around her and held Violet tight.


    "You''ll do great, and soon you''ll have a family again. Focus on that, ok? Focus on that happy bright place in your future."


    Her head nestled into Kenji''s neck, her hair brushing his nose and her sniffles coming to their end. After a few more moments she pulled away.


    "Don''t die Kenji, ok? Don''t do it," she whispered before speeding away to where she would wait for her part in the plan.


    "Tenko you too! Don''t just-"


    "Tenko knows Kenji! Tenko is going with her friends now, see you later!" as if she didn''t even realise the fire situation they were in, Tenko bound away in her beast form with the orphan child soldiers in her back .


    "They grow up so fast," Kenji muttered, and received a knowing nod from Lord Swan. Before both turned their attention fully back to the battle.

 62 Chapter 62 - Roar of Magic

    "Archers, hold until the enemy are within range!" Lord Swan said as the tide of enemies charged ever forward.


    The packs of Ghouls disrupted the charge for a time, the enemy front ranks envoleped in a swarm of gnashing undead teeth. The Ghouls were pretty smart too, already having dug small tunnels beneath the heaps of dead, and ambushing the enemy as they passed on by.


    Those of the enemy vanguard that made it past the ghoul warren''s and mounds of dead then found themselves shot down by arrows or crushed by rocks. But as more and more of the enemy arrived they began to rapidly build large wooden shelters.


    These shelters became the staging ground for ladder attacks, and soon Kenji received the signal from Lord Swan.


    "I''ll be right back!" he said running down the stairs, the allied humans both glad and concerned to see the necromancer fleeing.


    Down the stairs Kenji flew, around the corner and to where an executioners platform had been augmented. Huge sets of iron plate hung from dozens of sets of thick rope, even more gigantic armour pieces arranged all around.


    "We just finished, somehow. Give them hell kid,"muttered Burgeon, one of the rescued blacksmiths of Warden Company. His apprentice sons saluted from behind him.


    "Those guys are insane I''m telling you. Bloody bastards didn''t stop hammering for even a moment!" the local blacksmith said in disbelief.


    A chuckling voice made Kenji turn, Almanac appearing on a cloud of gold mist with a large palm sized saphire in hand. Yet no normal gem, this saphire blasted an endless stream of freezing cold in every direction.


    "Better get suited up Kenji, I''ll be looking forward to seeing if all this expense is really going to be worth it," Almanac grinned, "although if it works, this will make for an excellent few lines in the poem of how Almanac the Great saved Tariak from annihilation."


    "Even though this was my idea," Kenji said as he morphed into the main Troll body in his storage. While he had a copy of the same troll in his forbidden slot, the weakened state of using a cloned body over the real one made using it less attractive a choice.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    And even if he ended up destroying this real body, he could always just keep using the expendable [Forbidden Copy] version in future if he so wished.


    All the while the ropes had been loosened, and mounds of iron armour slamned down on Kenji''s trollish shoulders. Powerfully built, he easily supported the weight as he swiftly became covered in heavy iron armour coated with a hundred old knives, swords, spear heads and farming equipment melted atop it to produce a spiky carapace.


    "Do remind me, who owns the incredibly rare ice gem? And which of us has the arcane skill to imbue it''s properties into your equipment''s design?" Almanac said as he peered into the wisdom hidden within his finger nails.


    Rolling his eyes, Kenji pulled down the thick iron helmet, topped with a rhino like horn, and thick enough to stop a dragons claw.


    "Fine, you can have the credit. Can you please hurry up now?"


    The instant Kenji admitted defeat Almanac got to his work with a laser focus. Placing the gem safely underneath Kenji''s helmet, within the Rhino horn no less, Almanac allowed the ice essence to flow along the paths he had forged into the armour. Soon the horn froze over, that same ice shuddering along Kenji''s arms to encase his knuckles.


    Laughing with a deep trollish voice, and admired how his Morningstar bristled over with magic ice.


    Eventually the armour became fully coated in magical ice, and Kenji felt ready.


    "I need to move before this freezes me over," Kenji grunted, each step followed by a chorus of snapping crystals.


    "Hey now, I can still do better than this you know? Behold, my aesthetic spells!" with a wave of his hands Almanac wove bands of flaming red magic around Kenji''s troll body, the bright scarlet contrasting the ice blue with wild tribal lines.


    "Alright, thanks. I have to get going now Almanac, keep the people safe."


    "You too Kenji, even as upgraded as you are that Troll body is far from invincible. Stay away from fire whenever possible, your body can''t regenerate quickly from burn damage," quickly Alamanc strode away, apparently needing to billow golden mist as he did so. Remembering the plan, Kenji knew Alamanc would be going to lead the wizards in reacting to extreme threats.


    Walking quickly with slapping feet, Kenji build up into a jog, then a stone shaking sprint. Bounding down the street Kenji passed ranks of guards that had cleared a direct path, Kenji able to make it to the stairs and then stop the walls in record time.


    Madness ensued as lumbering siege towers either exploded from magical explosions or reached the walls to unleash tides of Satyrs.


    Goblins arose atop a hundred ladders, while through the enemy ranks beserker saytr attempted to reach the walls. While the archers focused their fire on the demon scrawled satyrs, far too many of the regular kind still reached the wall.


    But now that Kenji had arrived, the tide could turn again. Charging along the wall Kenji swung his Morningstar, a siege tower being blown to smithereens and it''s rubble becoming a storm of razer sharp ice. The goblins that had begun to overwhelm a position held by militia men were stomped into slush, while a Minotour that had fought a Silver Swan knight in brutal melee found its should frozen, then shattered.


    Enemy Fauns loosed a cloud of arrows at Kenji, to merely bounce of his thick armour. Spears, knives and horns were equally useless against Kenji''s iron plate we BMJ.


    Down the walls a great smashing of stone exploded against the walls followed by a blast of hellflame. The enemy general had focused his ogre slingers and dark magicians into targeting an already crumbling section of wall, and quickly blasted away the outer layer into rubble.


    As Kenji charged to help he sent satyrs and their monstrous servants flying. Pleasingly they seemed not so fanatical around Kenji, a sign that the abundance of iron in his armour was successfully weakening the enemy''s enchantments.


    Despite Kenji''s battle prowess, he was nowhere close when the walls crumbling into a mound of debris. Outside Tariak the enemy forces surged towards the gap, while Kenji was caught needing to destroy the siege towers that continued to rumble forward through the battlefield.

 63 Chapter 63 - Tenkos Scrappers

    "Do not worry, Tenko is here!" Tenko shouted, and tried not to cough as dust filled the air. Around her assembled a hasty collection of militiamen led by the Headless hunter Guildmembers.


    Far away Kenji continued to roar, each blow sending frozen goat boys blasting off the walls.


    "As we practiced, form ranks!" ordered the Headless Hunter Guildmaster. The pig man waved his mace at the militiamen, who formed a three rank deep formation bristling with spears, upturned scythes, and pitchforks.


    Behind, on various rooftops, were a great number of ranged units, with the better melee fighters waiting behind the ranks of militiamen. Two Silver Swan Knights arrived and activated their [fortification aura] while several Headless Hunter Guildmembers activated their [Hunter aura].


    Tenko howled and summoned her moon into the mix, but refrained from turning it into the agility boost version quite yet. That might be important later, but for now the magic resistant bubble would be useful enough.


    Howling through the dust came the first few satyr, having to scramble over the rubble only to be filled with arrows. But they continued to charge, and in greater numbers, until some at last made it to the defender''s lines.


    Trained to hold the enemy in place, the militamen didn''t take many satyr down themselves. But pressed tightly against the human formation, the satyrs became easy targets for rocks thrown by children and arrows fired at point blank range.


    "Take this you bastards!" Jed roared, his single eye flaring with dark light as his spell book whispered with an evil voice. In the next moment the ground the enemy charged through turned twisted and became filled with black and blue barbed bushes. When attached to the enemies fur, the barbs grew swiftly while draining the Satyrs of their strength.


    Weakened, they became were cut as easily as butter before the allied Tariak force, their numbers becoming meaningless. Yet victory was short lived as a satyr beserker broke through the line, followed by another, and a third.


    A whole squad of seven appeared in all, although one was quickly shot to pieces and a second bathed in dark flame. Jed in turn was shot through his remaining eye by a sharp eyed Faun, and fell back behind his barricade screaming, "I can''t see! I''m bloody blind!"


    "Get out of the way, run!" Tenko screamed, having remembered what Captain Jack had told them of these enemies. Activating her silver moon, the militamens speed increased dramatically, allowing those able to move to retreat quickly.


    Yet far too many stood frozen as the crackling red bodies of the bezerkers were thrown into their ranks. The resulting explosions tore at their bodies, reduced them to atoms and sucked them to a point.


    From the explosions emerged five crimson skinned goat demons, their many arms and fiery blades wreaking immediate carnage amongst the survivors.


    "No, stop!" Tenko screamed, overcome with anger as so many innocent people were slaughtered like lambs. Amidst it all was bucktoothed boy, spear in hand despite the fact he was supposed to be with the wizards in the back lines.


    "BUCKY!" Tenko moved forward faster than she ever had before, and was forced to watch a demon''s blade descend in slow motion. Bucky gave Tenko one last look, and made a goofy bucktoothed smile as he was cut down the middle and his corpse crumpled along with the mound of townsfolk around him.


    Tenko froze, the sound of the battlefield drowning out as the adventurers and knight''s charged to join the battle all around her.


    Tenko twitched, and she felt something snap within her. As blood and fire fell like rain, she slowly picked up buckies body and held it tight.


    "I''m sorry," she whispered


    [You are ready, little one], said the moon.


    Tenko couldn''t see the moon at day time, but she didn''t need to. She never did, they were connected and the moon had always come when called.


    "Please, bring him back," Tenko whispered.


    [Necromancy makes no one happy. Better to fight for those that still live], the moon said, so warm like an old granny.


    Somewhere screamed the girl with a thing for knives, her face streaking with tears as she was held back by a sturdy farmer. Tenko held bucky''s body tight and brought it back to her, where the wicked girl could grieve.


    "Then give me the power to protect. Please, I don''t want to lose everyone, not again," Tenko whispered.


    [Granted. Happy hunting, little one], with that the moon receded from Tenko''s mind. Focusing, Tenko lifted her head high and howled a perfect note.


    The brilliant blue sky vanished into the darkness of night, a gigantic golden moon now hanging over all of Tariak. In bursts of light the defenders grew golden tails, and could spend it instinctually to become temporarily empowered.


    Across the battlefield simple farmers became strong as knight''s for three swings, while archers fired their arrows with the power of a ballista and adventurers swung with the strength of trolls. Only a few moments did the moon last before it faded and day returned, but across the entire defensive line Tariak''s defenders had regained the upper hand.


    Breathing raggedy Tenko staggered away, the current waves of demons having been turned to heap of demonic flesh through the bravery of the Headless Hunter guild.


    Yet the enemy simply sent another wave, the heroics of the defenders overshadowed by the constant assault. Meanwhile Tenko found a quite place to recover, barely noticing how she now have two white tails as she brooded over bucky''s body.


    Then a bright horn sounded, and the closest Silver Swan Knights pulled back from the fighting and mounted their war horses.


    "Where are you going? We need you!" the Guildmaster roared as he shattered a satyr''s skull like an egg.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "The main gate has been breached, we are ordered to reinforce that position. Use fire on the spiders!" the knight yelled back, turned, and rode away.


    Confused the Guildmaster noted that indeed giant spiders ridden by Jackal humanoids were pouring now through the gap in the walls. Groaning he shouted up at Jed.


    "Jed, we need fire!"


    "On it!" Jed relied, gold Beans directing the blind man''s hands. Even with two eyepatches now and quite blind, Jed looked an impressive figure as he bathed the front ranks of Spider riding Jackals in black flame.


    Meanwhile Tenko looked concerned past Kenji fighting in the walls to the main gate. Just what could the enemy have done to break through there?

 64 Chapter 64 - Traitors at the Gate

    "Hold. Hold your positions!" Lord Swan yelled, his ranks of soldiers lowering their spears while knights continued to stream in to slow down the river of enemies rushing through the opened gate.


    Beside the Lord ran Jack, and in several explosive steps he made it to and up the wall. Jumping to the door he blasted it open with a round house kick, and discovered a bunch of adventurers having frozen the pulley system.


    "Go back, our job''s done here," their leader said, as a pair of wizards finished freezing the many cranks that operated the gate in place under mounds of gleaming ice.


    "We don''t want to fight you, but we won''t have a choice if you come closer," another said, holding his sword and shield in battle stance.


    "You''re all enchanted, aren''t you?" Jack grimaced, and eyed one of the warriors in the back wielding a blunt mace.


    "Yes. When we were travelling through the forest years ago we were captured by-"


    Jack lunged forward and slamned aside a warrior with the flat of his blade. Dodging a sword strike, he kicked the warriors shield and sent him tumbling back.


    Weaving his way through while disabling several more adventurers, Jack grabbed the mace from the back warrior''s hands and bashed his legs into broken pieces.


    "Stop, please!" their leader cried out as Jack smashed his way through the remaining adventurers to start blasting aside the chunks of ice. In three swift strikes the gears were pulled free, and the soldiers now spilling into the room after him could begin closing the gate.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "Bring them in alive! Have the lady Violet tend to them, see if she can break the enchantments on their minds. Send a message to interrogate them, and discover if the enemy had any other ploys planned," as Jack paused while the soldiers pulled the injured adventurers away, the stones swayed beneath him and great bellows mixed in with the sounds of battle.


    Lunging past the soldiers Jack whirled down the stairs to find three trolls sourrounded by blazing green energy holding up the steel gate. Some archers fired shots at them, while the majority stood dazed. Amidst the archers ranks, the Flower Knight had a bandana of flowers over her face as she rapidly split a series of cute little mushrooms creatures in two. The creatures were hard to see, but wherever they ran the defenders soon became slack jawed and sleepy eyed.


    Luckily many of the forward line warriors were largely unaffected, and currently battled against hellflame bearing saytr. Jumping down, Jack withdrew his claymore mid air to cleave two Satyrs, and with a rapid succession of strikes brought stability to the forward lines.


    When the bodies had piled up as high as his chest, the archers finally resumed their volleys while reinforcing knight''s, soldiers and militiamen poured in to fill the gaps.


    Yet charging through the gateway came Satyr bezerkers. A full forty of them. Bunched up as they were, the human defenders couldn''t make room, and were blasted apart along with their enemies.


    While dozens of demonically transformed goatmen appeared, one of their kind arose from having destroyed a knight and several soldiers as somthing else completely.


    Floating off the ground, with balls of flame in hand, this creature gave off the feeling of a higher demon amidst his lessors. With a fiery claw he directed the others to charge, while sending wisps of flame to reduce the ranged units to pulps of charred flesh.


    Activating [Holy Copy] Jack pulled forth the abilities of a vampire he had captured long ago. His speed, strength and healing ability enhanced, Jack quickly pulled off a dead knight''s cloak to shield himself from the blazing sun and charged into the fray.


    Fast and strong as he was, Jack withstood the demonic offensive single handedly, buying the time for his allies to regroup. Soon after, wizards sent spells blasting amongst the enemy ranks, while valiant knight''s cleaved their way closer to the High Demon.


    Before long the Flower Knight joined him to his left, as the fearless Caster did his right. Together they fought desperately while townsfolk and soldiers were slaughtered all around them, finally reaching the enemy High Demon''s position.


    The High Demon in turn just chuckled and floated backwards, allowing the endless Satyr reinforcements to fight while the High Demon continued its merciless bombardment of hellfire amongst their back lines.


    Battle lines crumbling, it became just Jack and his two companions against the endless enemy. Realising how powerful the three were, the enemy reinforcements increasingly preferred to climb stop the mounds of dead and dash into the streets of Tariak.


    If something was not done soon, the whole town would become filled with Satyr warriors. A huge ball of flame streaked from the sky to set the three trolls holding the gate ablaze, the creatures quickly letting go and screaming. Two ran burning into their own ranks, while the third had his neck crushed against stone by the weight of the gate.


    With the enemies reinforcements cut off, the Higher Demon became unsupported. Snarling, it raised its hands, and quickly built up a ball of liquid flame that would likely vapourise Jack and everyone around him.


    An ice coated Morningstar flew from above to crush the demon''s chest, its own ball of flame falling to consume it''s summoner and scour it''s existence from the world amidst a flood of fire that spread in all directions.


    Jack saluted Kenji, who in turn was hit by a barrage of stones and hellfire arrows. Fearlessly he continued to throw off ladders and punch down siege towers until several torrents of coordinated hellflame sent him blasting off the wall altogether.


    A burning meteor, Kenji crashed into a far away building.

 65 Chapter 65 - The Walls are Los

    "If you don''t retreat now your forces will be surrounded," Grey said, remembering this exact scenario from a book on siege warfare she had read.


    The Lord Swan gave her an odd look, and an even odder one when she blocked a Faun''s arrow with her book. The leather clad tome on Fae servants survived without the slightest damaged, as if it''s pages were made of steel.


    "We hold the walls, and the gate has been defended too," Lord Swan pointed out, before swinging his long silver sword over her head to decapitate a Satyr dressed in assassin''s black and with a pair of cursed knives in hand.


    "The structural damage to the walls are severe at several points. Assuming that is planned, the enemy is working up to breaching your walls at several points. Upon which they will be able to overwhelm your defences. Also, your walls seem lost already."


    The girl was right, Lord Swan knew. He could feel it in the tempo of battle, the instant Kenji had been flung from the walls the fighting there had become desperate as lumbering siege towers unleashed entire companies of Satyr warriors.


    Arrows and magic might have wiped the walls clean, but a dark cloud of crows flew in the way. The enchanted birds sacrificed themselves to shield the satyr, who in turn slaughtered the remainder of those humans still fighting.


    Gritting his teeth, Lord Swan gestured to a horn to blow - and halted. The horn still blew, but Grey similarly pulled off her cloak with the same urgency that the Lord Swan raised his Silver Sword.


    Beneath Grey''s cloak was dozens of books tied together like plates of steel, and with her magical infusion they might as well have been.


    Lord Swan meanwhile pulled down his Swan helmet, his silvery armour shining with a bright intensity soon met by his brothers.


    Dancing over the walls came several powerful auras. Each were dressed like jesters, with wands in one hand and various spiked weapons the other.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    The colourful troop were covered in tinkling silver bells, their masks various painted faces. As they flew along the houses they sent little bursts of wind to snap necks or shatter archer flatforms, while not ones weapon remained clean of blood as they almost whimsically ripped apart the defenders limb by limb.


    Neither did they care that Lord Swan knew that that were coming, making a grand show of their giggling destruction as they approached. One with a spiked fan send wind blades blasting even from a distance, those not parried ripping through wooden beams to send houses crashing down.


    Another held a great spike tipped with feathers, and with a flutter of his hand masses of wind birds blew into the sky were they could dive like homing missiles into the ranks of soldiers surrounding the Lord. Some few struck at Grey, yet she swatted them aside with her books with the same ease one would a fly.


    "None of them are Fae, and half at least are using magical weaponry to use those spells. The one on the right is a red orc, the left is a pixie while the rest I have yet to discern," Grey said casually, as a huge jester with red skin beneath his cloth smashed a great bundle of sticks against Lord Swans sword, followed by a rush of wind. Somehow the twigs held against his blade, and the Red Orc Jester even managed to slip away while only losing one hand from the Lord''s lighting fast [counter attack].


    The pixie was a hand high tall being of pure power, it''s wind whips shattering buildings like plates and crushing knight''s like tin cans. Yet Gray had done her research, and threw her ''Book on the Fae races'' at the creature. Infused with enough magic it was heavy enough to fly through the ruptuous wind, it''s iron spine making direct contact with the pixie.


    Screaming she fell, her side a sizzling mess and her magic dispersing in an instant. Grey had to suppress a giggle as the iron book fell upon the pixie, who could only scream and sizzle while pinned beneath its weight. While not a real Fae, the pixie race still had that same weakness when it came to iron.


    Appearing suddenly behind Lord Swan appeared a small figure with a blade that shimmered and faded from existence. The glimmering blade sunk right through Lord Swan''s armour and the boy vanished before Lord Swan''s shining sword could cleave him in two. Reappearing again the boy sunk his blade through Lord Swan''s arm, causing it to go limp, but was in turn cut across the shoulder by one of Grey''s razer sharp, magic infused pages.


    A boy''s cry sounded out from beneath the mask, quickly shattered by the flat of Lord Swan''s blade. While Lord Swan and his knights drove off the remaining jester assassins to hide within the many buildings of Tariak, Grey cradled the injured boy.


    His hair was a messy pigeon feather gray, his skin smooth and pale as the finest paper, while his lifeless leather brown eyes were crested with golden lines that reminded Grey of a fancy book''s border.


    "I think they could be enchanted, just like those adventurers that opened the gate before," Grey muttered, tracing her finger against the boy''s soft cheek and admiring his near feminine looks. "The pixie especially is highly unlikely to have wanted to fight alongside a Red Orc, we should take them to lady Violet and see if she can break their enchantments. As allies their powers would prove useful."


    "I''d prefer them dead," Lord Swan muttered as he peered about the wreckage of what was once his personal guard. "And definitely for them not to be near her, that purple elf is our only damn hope of - you lot, send the message, full retreat to the secondary positions!"


    Grey whipped up her head to find the cracking walls blasted to dust amidst a storm of hellfire and slung stones. Those defenders that were not engulfed in dust and squashed by rock already fled, but sharp sounding horns soon directed what meagre reserves stood at the ready to start retreating as well.


    "I told you we defended the main gate too heavily," Grey muttered as every place along the line bar the gate itself was on the verge of breaking.


    "No, this is the best way. We''ll be able to pull back without being overrun, and until they control the gate the enemy cannot pull in their full strength with ease. They''ve just fallen into my trap, assuming all is ready. Can you use magic outside of that book nonsense, girl?"


    "Who are you calling girl?" Grey sniffed, and rose a hand bathed in black flame. Hellflame. It made her skin crawl to use.


    "Good, can you cast fireball?"


    Grey frowned as she nodded, "dad taught me. Why?"


    "Because I''m not sure we have enough wizards currently to get this just right," Lord Swan whispered. As he watched the horned swarm envelope the back lines of his retreating forces.

 66 chapter 66 - A Devils Monster Parade

    A single Fae Knight rode a heavily armoured Orange Velociraptor ahead of an army of elementals down Tariak''s streets. With a lower body like a stone horse and an upper body of an especially wizened tree with several waving arms ending in bladed vines, the elementals were terrifying even without being so powerful. Lashing out, the strange Fae centaurs could skewer soldiers atop buildings or fire their arms like ballista bolts to crash through several ranks at a time.


    Into the scene emerged Kenji, his main troll body destroyed and leaving him with the weaker [Forbidden Copy] version. Still damn strong, Kenji was able to strike one of the elementals in the back - fragments of shattered Rock blasting across the streets to shatter windows and lacerate flesh.


    Humans cheers, then cried out as several tendrils plunged into Kenji''s neck. Not having expected their reaction speed, he was torn to shreds in seconds.


    From the other side one of the elementals collapsed into fragmented chunks, Jack slicing those tendrils that retaliated. From behind him danced the Flower Knight, her blade singing through the air as she dodged her way past another''s defense and scored a direct hit at its chest. Pulling free a glittering gem, she smirked as the elemental crashed down behind her.


    From the alleyways rushed adventurers, and soon the elementals were split into two groups. Angrily the Fae Knight turned and charged, his Velociraptor too fast too avoid as his lance skewered through a pair of adventurer heads.


    Speaking in an alien tongue, the Fae Knight urged his beast atop a house and quickly ran away. His elementals similarly turned tail, while the masses of monsters and saytrs continued their endless charge.


    "We need to pull them in further Kenji. I was told by Almanac to give you this too," Jack said as he handed Kenji a blue potion. Sighing, Kenji released his mutilated troll form and allowed it to return to his [Forbidden slot]. In its place he became Dana, and after searching through her memories identified the potion as a mana potion.


    "We need to take care of that knight," Kenji said as he downed the potion, his mana reserves quickly refilling. "He''ll just attack wherever is weakest until his stopped otherwise, that''ll ruin our organised retreat."


    "And we still need to buy enough time for Almanac''s plan," Jack said as he drunk a yellow potion, and watched the enemy continue to flood the streets as they were driven on to make battle with Tariak''s forward line. The Silver Swan Knights continued to be worth their weight in gold, able to stabilise entire streets while the adventurers focused on downing only the most terrible out of the enemy''s unleashed monstrosities.


    As Dana, and with renewed mana, Kenji built up a new army of ghouls from the enemy dead. Adding a troll Ghoul that Jack downed, Kenji was finally ready.


    "Get on, we''re going hunting," Kenji said, offering a hand to lift Jack and the Flower Knight onto the Troll Ghoul''s warped shoulders. Once aboard, Kenji commanded the undead to climb to the roofs and begin bounding across them.


    The roofs were chaos as enemy fighters continued to battle the warriors placed above. Hunters and soldiers made desperate battle with squads of enemy satyr, each commanded by a golden horned enemy elite.


    Faced with the packs of fast moving Monster Ghouls, alongside Jack and the Flower Knight''s on battle prowess, those golden horns soon fell into pools of their own blood.


    The roofs retaken, arrows, rocks, and ghouls could be unleashed onto the unwitting streets of enemies. Behind their lines Kenji continued to raise and release more feral Ghouls, that would stalk, devour and grow with every kill.


    His own ghouls had grown larger and more intelligent with the dead they had eaten thus far. Luckily the Ghouls appetites were insatiable, each crunching through a score of dead that quickly leveled them up into War Ghouls twice as large as the regular, with far greater intelligence and horns coating their limbs like ivory armour.


    Curious, Kenji ordered a single War Ghoul to eat five golden horned elites. The Ghouls horns turned golden, and its own power awakening as it siezed control of two packs, freeing up space for Kenji to raise even more.


    Kenji had created his second ''Command Ghoul'' before the enemy finally retaliated. Three flailing elementals remained, easily enough to shatter several buildings and bury their archers under mounds of rubble.


    The command ghouls immediately pulled back their packs and spread them out to either side, Kenji following suit. Moments later the Fae Knight appeared with an entire company of golden horned elites, their blades shredding the closest humans and their shields able to deflect their strongest blows.


    "Pull back men, pull back!" Jack ordered, sending his Warden Company retreating to several empty positions behind him.


    "Jack, what are you doing?" Kenji said, only him, Flower Knight and Kenji''s scarcely controlled horde of Ghouls left to fight. Even while archers rained death from afar, it was only enough to slow the enemy advance. A pair of heavily armoured adventurers had remained to shield Kenji against the crack shots of enemy Fauns, but otherwise Kenji was helpless as he tried to force his will over the huge number of summons.


    "Funnel them to us, and prevent them from grouping up! We''ll take it from there, less casualties that way," Jack said with a quick salute to his warriors, many of whom quickly returned to a only a short distance behind their captain.


    "Retreat if you need to sir, we can take them!" Burgeon shouted, huge blacksmiths hammer in hand with his apprentices right behind him.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "We won''t get in your way until you need us," added caster, staring at the charging elites without fear. Behind him assembled the senior fighters of Warden Company, representing the best they had to offer.


    "As you wish, I suppose that means I can''t retreat then!" Jack laughed as the enemy finally reached him. Immediately a swarm of Ghouls knocked many to their feet, Jack and the Flower Knight becoming a whirl of death through the enemy centre.


    The Fae Knight strangely decided to hold back, circling the battle with his Velociraptor while eyeing Jack, the Flower Knight, and Kenji. Arrows pinged off his mount, but blasts of magic was enough to make the monster shriek as flaming scales shattered along its side. With a flick of his wrist, the Fae Knight sent streaks of glitter beaming at the wizards, who starting screaming and firing magic at random.


    As a bolt of ice shot over his shoulder, Kenji struggled to maintain his control over the huge number of ghouls while simultaneously sending orders to interrupt the enemy formation. While the War Ghouls were there to sacrifice themselves in fits of bite and claw, the enemy could not properly envelope Jack under the weight of their numbers.


    "[blessing-fire]!" Kenji shouted, setting Jack''s sword ablaze for him. Jack in turn shouted and managed to point to their right while fighting.


    Hearing a whistling sound, Kenji turned just in time to see the Lance''s tip crash through his skull. Dana''s [Forbidden Copy] body destroyed, Kenji''s world became darkness.

 67 chapter 67 - Fools hope

    Dodging aside feral ghouls and wild fighters Kenji crept back through the lines as the shadow Faun.


    "Knight, you are ordered by Greenbeard to return to the back lines," yelled Kenji when he had finally gotten close enough so that the Fae Knight could hear him.


    Whipping his silver helmeted head to meet him, the Fae Knight had his wounded Velociraptor dance over.


    "Greenbeard should know that it is best to attack now while the humans retreat. What reason did he give for me to fall back now?"


    Kenji nearly felt sick seeing the several heads arranged along the the Fae Knights lance like a kabab. Thankfully the training from this body''s Master Faun days held firm, and Kenji continued to restrain his horror.


    "He wants to comply with the Far King''s wish that the Satyr general will be tested. Only if his property is discovered does he want the Fae to intervene, and only then at his own order. Hence you must vacate this battlefield at once," Kenji said, hoping in his heart of hearts that the so far unstoppable Fae Knight would just fuck off already.


    "Well, he didn''t need to send you to say that. Just make sure to go tell that ''general'' that failing to harass the enemy while amidst their retreat would be a failing I would feel inclined to report," the Fae Knight said before turning and leaping away, followed by his lone remaining elemental.


    Able to breathe easily again, Kenji stiffened as he found himself far deeper behind the enemy lines than he had expected. The defenders retreat had nearly finished entering the Lord''s estate and the Golden Goose fortress.


    "Ah shit," Kenji said, and ran after them as fast as he could. The surrounding streets and rooftops were filled with the enemy army, most of their remaining forces having poured into Tariak.


    Distantly bursts of flame errupted, then huge explosions of magical fire followed by torrents more flame streaking through the air. Those wizards with fire spells had caste simultaneously at several carefully chosen alchemist warehouses, taverns and old building to build an inferno in moments.


    Caught between the fast moving flames were the bulk of the enemy formation, Alamanc and two more accomplished wizards sending huge fireballs to explode amidst the saytr ranks. Passing a long line of smouldering hobgoblins, Kenji had the houses he was leaping past swiftly engulfed.


    The timber broke beneath his feet, his Shadow Faun body becoming severely burnt as he pulled himself through the wreckage. By the time he was on the streets again he was a mess of molten flesh, the body soon callapseing which forced Kenji to continue on as his rat form and leave the Faun''s body to be turned to ash.


    Scurrying past burning timber and close enough to the ground to avoid the choking smoke, Kenji bound towards the Golden Goose fortress. Past endless marching feet he arrived to dive into the water and scurry up the stones, before turning back into the boy knight when upon it''s walls.


    The walls and the rooms within were filled to the brim with the defenders of Tariak alongside those families who had waited too long to flee.


    Meanwhile Tariak itself was busy burning to the ground, the inferno filled with an army of satyric and monsterous screams. Horned figures flooded the moat as they sought to alleviate their heavy burns, while some few natural fire elementals spawned from the heat''s intensity to add to the fiery destruction.


    "This might just work," Violet said, covered head to toe in thick cloth and attended to by Grey in her own drab robes.


    "That''s the end of the enemy army I hope. If they have reserved after this, well...at the very least a good chunk should have been able to retreat. Even pulling them in so far, enough saytrs would have been able to outrun the flames to regroup outside the walls."


    Even as he spoked Kenji could scarcely believe his own words, the otherworldly level of destruction completely consuming the entire town and everything within it. Soldiers and townsfolk started to sob heavily, tears streaming their cheeks as the destruction wiped away what had taken generations to raise.


    Laying down on a crate, Kenji rested his eyes as he waited for the fire to die down.


    "It''s going to burn for hours, so take your time and rest up Kenji. I''ll watch over you and wake you up if anything happens," Violet said with a smile and ran her fingers through his fiery hair.


    "Just for a little bit. Wake me up in five minutes," Kenji yawned, and allowed his exhaustion to take him away and into a deep slumber.


    Kenji felt almost immediately woken up by a tentative hand, a black eyes Violet smiling softly at him.


    "Noir...? It has been a long time, hasn''t it?"


    "Indeed Kenji. You''ve been accumulating XP too slowly, but you''ve done enough now. Congratulations."


    Kenji tilted his head, something off in Noir''s tone.


    "What''s happened?"


    "My brother has grown suspicious, soon I fear my actions in changing his plans will be discovered. This might be the last time we meet," Noir''s eyes glittered with stars that ran down her cheeks like glittering tears to kiss the dusty stone below.


    "I won''t let that happen, your my friend after a;;," Kenji said as he held her hand in both of his. "Can''t you run away?"


    His words only made the star tears run all the faster.


    "In a sense, but not with you. Even as a member of the Observer council, I cannot escape the authority of my superiors. Only a raised soul can do that, like you."


    "A raised soul? What''s that?"


    "Like how you raise a soldier in wartime, we raise suitable souls to join our ranks. Those that have faced endless trials are strongest, heroes an excellent example. But as we don''t have the time, here is your choices and the bonus gift for becoming level four."


    Kenji hugged her tight, and softly Noir wound her arms around him in turn.


    "We will meet again. Stay strong, Noir," Kenji whispered.


    "I don''t doubt you Kenji, I''ll be waiting."


    When Kenji let go a very sleepy-eyed Violet met his eyes, a soft smile matching the bright surprise in her lilac eyes.


    "I think it''s my turn to sleep," she said already looking as if within a dream and kissed Kenji lightly on the cheek without thinking about it. Cheeks going bright red, Violet''s eyes widened.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "Cheers," Kenji whispered, eyes unfocused and rather wanting to puke off the wall''s side and into the bubbling water below. The strange thing about videogames, they were never so realistic as to show that an entire town set on fire might turn an old castle''s moat to steam.


    Going red in the cheeks, Violet shoved Kenji aside and took off like a bird realising she had the wings to fly. Left rubbing his head on the ground, Kenji didn''t bother wondering what had upset Violet and focused on the two gleaming banners in his mind''s eye.


    The first banner was his usual, an additional forbidden slot with added internal space. While the second was an evolution that upgraded his internal space, made his base body not need to sleep and increased the efficiency of his [Forbidden Slot]s from 50% to 65% of the copied body.


    Kenji picked the second option, his base form now appearing like a tall dark wizard with ashen skin. So too did he become instantly awake, as if all fatigue vanished in a moment. So too appeared the last banner, that left him with a flowery key in hand with the description of ''Flora God dungeon key''.


    It wouldn''t help him now, but once this business with the Far King was over with it night be useful. With his mind alert again, Kenji decided to do the rounds and check up on the soldiers, war leaders and while he was at it, find Violet and apologize.


    For what? He hadn''t the faintest, but she was one of his dearest companions and damn it Kenji would make sure she was all right. Or as well as he could an apocoloptic hellscape continued to engulf Tariak whole.

 69 Chapter 69 - The Far Kings visi

    Kenji was pretty nervous as he waited on his side of a round table at Tariak''s only noble estate. Thanks to the deep pockets of Lord Richmond''s replacement, it was one of the few buildings that had remained intact.


    To his right sat Lord Swan, the overlord to Lord Richmond''s replacement and representative of King Thunberad. Seeing as Lord Richmond had near run the place into the ground, Lord Swan had decided to personally take over the local duties until the current crisis was properly dealt with.


    To Kenji''s left was Almanac, representative of the Adventurer alliance and the people of Tariak.


    Then there was Kenji, fiddling his thumbs as the boy knight. Tenko sat behind him having an even harder time sitting still, while Violet remained hidden away with Grey and Gold Beans in another room. If it came to it she would pop out and reduce the Far King to ash with her Starfire Bracers, but with the previous talks having gone so well Kenji doubted that would be necessary.


    Well, ''talks'' might not be strong enough a word. To be honest Kenji had gone a little far with his detailed description of just how the ash would rain down upon the Fae people if they refused. And perhaps the mention of how common folk tend to guillotine unpopular kings was a little far, the messenger having paled upon hearing of what a ''guillotine'' was and apparently assuming Kenji was the execution machines inventer.


    When Kenji had pointed out the device was only necessary for the sheer number of executions a revolution would demand...well the promise of an agreement had come swiftly afterwards.


    Striding between a grand door held open by a pair of Silver Swan Knights, came the Far King himself flanked with two Knights of his own. He had insisted he be the one to negotiate, along with an insistence that it be pronounced that it was the Far King who was extending the offer of negotiation after pushing Tariak to the brink. Kenji could appreciate why, reputation having meant so much in his favourite MMO games and could comprehend that a king perceived to be weak might not remain king much longer.


    The Far King appeared so feminine at first Kenji assumed him a woman, with soft lips and an almost timid expression. But those rounded eyes with long black eyelashes were filled with lakes of the deepest crimson, like ancient wine, and crested with flecks gold. Their intensity spoke of ancient power, and his purple silk clothes that shifted colour and curled around his lithe body like vines stank of riches beyond mortal imagination.


    Kenji realised once again the power he had played. The Far King most likely had some political reason preventing him from an all out war, because it felt to Kenji as if the King and his twin guards themselves could have lain waste to the entire region. Perhaps....the Far King really was the main force behind this deal after all, and Kenji''s threats were not as threatening as he had hoped?


    Bah, this is why Kenji always got lost in the gambling houses. There was just something about the game of bluffs that got the blood flowing, and with so much on the line Kenji felt like this was his biggest gamble ever.


    With the life of him and the entire region as the bet.


    The Far King''s knights were bound in gold, each standing seven feet tall and wielding their bristling auras like searchlights as they scanned the room for threats. Yet Kenji had already removed all iron from the room well in advance, even the old iron nails had been replace with well fitting wood in the Japanese style.


    Another accidental introduction, his little childhood curiosity in woodwork having sent the surviving craftsmen into a fervour as they anointed him the Wood Prince. Kenji would have admitted that he had smirked and pointed out since it was in the morning if he could be the ''Morning Wood Prince?'' which had been readily been taken up, much to his amusement.


    "As you have requested, the usual rules of Fae interaction will be halted while this meeting continues. You will not be compelled by the rules of Fae Hospitality, and no decision is binding until both parties willingly agree to sign a contract in their own blood. Ambassador of the humans, have you yet decided on an impartial mediator?"


    Kenji nodded.


    "My thanks for complying to my requests, King of the Fae. For our mediator, I request the presence of the Fourth god, Truthblade." Kenji said this fully believing the God''s presence to be an outlandish notion, merely wanting to test the waters of possibility.


    To his well hidden shock, the Far King readily agreed.


    Closing his eyes, the Far King focused, and in the next moment the black wings of a fallen angel appeared amidst a portal made of shining blades. She was not the god himself, with but twin wings, yet still had that same silver armour bound in a tapestry of warfare and raven black hair that curled at its tips. With heavenly features she held a supernatural beauty, but there was no denying the threatening presence of her long blade taller than she was and sharper than an executioner''s axe.


    "I have been sent to mediate, no magic bar that binding the honest agreement of both parties will take place while the servant of the Truthblade is present. Failure to comply will result in the summary damnation of the transgressor," the angel said with the all authority of the cosmos, leaving everyone bar the Far King cowed by her mere presence.


    "Might I ask, who is this Fourth god? I admit I''ve never had the pleasure to hear of him," Almanac beamed with his most flattering smile at the otherworldly woman floating above him.


    The fallen angel instantly brightened at the request, rocking slightly to either side in the air as she spoke.


    "The Fourth god is the king of honour, holder of truth and the only god to remain to their purpose. While the others became filled with corrupt greed he-"


    "My time is valuable, angel," the Far King muttered. Instantly the fallen angel shut her mouth and looked a tad embarrassed as she floated to watch from the corner of the room.


    "Maybe later then," Almanac mouthed, the fallen angel replying with a little nod and a shy smile.


    "You have read the agreement then?" Kenji said, a copy of it in his hands. "You''ll release all the elves in your service to my companion, Violet, allow the freed satyr to remain free, aid in the reconstruction of Tariak and form a non-aggression pact with Tariak, including the greater kingdom as a whole?"


    It had taken endless rounds of threats and near-suicidal levels of determination, but here Kenji''s masterpiece sat in all its majesty. While they would not receive a 10% tithe of the Fae economy as he had wished for, all the more necessary terms had still made their way within.


    "Indeed. And in return you will refrain from raiding my lands along with returning the Starfire bracers to me," the Far King said, each word as heavy as a mountain as it left his glossy lips. Kenji wondered if the feminine effect was on purpose, and the Far King was a cross-dresso. Or perhaps the King really was a girl? Admiring the King''s frame, Kenji nodded his head as he realised that if that was the case she wouldn''t be too bad either.


    "So too will you and those represented here refrain from any activity that would undermine my rulership of all Fae for as long as this treaty holds. Whenever possible, you are also to enforce my title as the sole King of the Fae, and at the minimum report to me those who would work against my absolute rule. This would include High Lord Greenbeard, who after failing to execute his defensive plan against your human aggression has been reduced to but a mere Fae Lord."


    "Human aggression? You think axemen, farmers and new adventurers are a threat to you?" Lord Swan hissed. "How could that possibly be so, Angel, is this King''s words true?"


    "As true as the sun is bright, Lord Swan," the fallen angel said evenly.


    "You humans have spread like a plague, and one that has just become more dangerous. The tree''s whisper that your King works with foul magic. I didn''t believe it to be true, not until I saw the Primevil horror flowing through that one''s veins," the Fae King said, pointing at Jack.


    "Me? You know of what this ''Manic'' thing is Phillip was on about?" Jack said with his wide eyes and eager bloodthirsty smile. Kenji had grown used to the severe look of the Warden, coming to realise the poor guy just couldn''t really help it.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "Manic...how fitting. Just keep your kind well away from mine and we will be without issue, creature.''


    "So far acceptable," Kenji said hastily, before either Jack or Lord Swan could press on the issue the Far King so clearly felt sour about. "I also wish to make an agreement between you and the adventurer alliance. We wish to be able to purchase your enchanted equipment, and for your people to be able to offer rewards in return for quests that follow our guild guidelines. In return, our adventurers are to be permanently exempt from being enchanted by your people against their will, and will be protected within reason while in your borders."


    "As long as the guilds acknowledge me as the only King of all Fae, and swear to never accept quests of any Fae that does not use my currency, then there can be an agreement. I will also require members to become open to any of my kingdom that desires it, on the condition they are treated with all the same expectations of a human member. For this to work, i''ll need you to personally lead this endeavour," the Far King responded while staring right at Kenji.


    Kenji looked to Almanac, who shrugged before returning to ogling the fallen angel.


    "Me? Why me?"


    "You defeated Greenbeard''s best attempts to crush you, creature. It is clear without you his plans would not be thwarted, that''s exactly the kind of strength I wish in my allies. Furthermore, you speak of strange concepts, and have a level of confidence I have not encountered in a thousand years. If you do not lead the guilds, then I cannot see an agreement being formed today," the Far King spoke with the finality of a collapsing star.


    "It''s fine by me," Almanac grumbled, not looking that ''fine'' about it. "But we''ll have to talk about how this new guild will be structured, with the wealth and resources we could fold numerous guilds into one much larger one."


    "If you are all in agreement, then please use this quil to sign in your own blood. And read the contract as it is currently written carefully," the fallen angel said, providing a crimson feather and fine scroll scrawled with golden ink.


    It would take much of the rest of the day, and well into the next before it was finally signed, the Far King having added several innocent looking terms and conditions that the fallen angel pointed out as disastrous if agreed to. But finally, it really was all signed, and the Far King withdrew from the realm of man. In his place arrived a great many satyr refugees outfitted with crafting tools and supplies, who got to work rebuilding the town back up from its absolutely flattened foundations.


    With a few additions that Kenji had added from his time playing city builder games, it would be constructed better than ever too. If somewhat reliant on its relationship with the Far King for Tariak''s continued prosperity.


    A full one week of hard work passed quicker than Kenji could believe. Trying to solve problems as quickly as they came wore his patience thin, but Kenji did enjoy the challenge of managing the clash of cultures between elves, satyr and humans. Therefore he was both overworked and half-dead from lack of sleep, when he stumbled upon a note on his bed.


    "Meet me outside town at midnight, where the hill is crested with apple trees. The area is known as Apple Cresent, and it''s where I would like to say goodbye - Jack," the note said, Kenji feeling rather sad that his friend couldn''t have just said so himself when they went drinking these last few nights.


    Yet the fast friends had grown close, and Kenji could understand the heartache of separation if it was already time for the two to part ways.


    With a heavy heart, Kenji waited until darkness drenched the land before he started his long trek. He woke up Tenko and Violet too, although both came only in case ''Jack has become a zealot again'' and other outlandish conspiratorial reasons.


    Lanterns in hand, all three headed into the cold domain of night.

 70 Chapter 70 - Journeys end

    Jack tapped his foot as he waited beneath the light of the crescent moon. The Flower Knight stood concerned beside him, not having ceased to peer into the dark ever since they had arrived.


    "We shouldn''t be here, we need to leave. The flowers whisper betrayal," the Flower Knight whispered.


    "You think Kenji would betray me now? I''ve fought and drunk with the man, he might be a mimic, but his also a damn hero. Have a little faith," Jack laughed, but truth be told this whole situation concerned him too.


    Was Kenji really leaving them? After only just having begun to set up the Hero Guild?


    Through the dark came three lanterns. Kenji, Violet and Tenko wound their way through the winding trail and into the secluded area they were to meet.


    "Kenji, Violet and Tenko! It saddens me you''ve asked to meet under the cover of darkness, do the people not deserve to say their goodbyes before you leave?" Jack said, knowingly full well that dozens of those in Warden Company at least would be furious they could not wish their idols the best of luck.


    Kenji had to get quite a bit closer before Jack could discern the confusion in those golden eyes and the frown on his youthful face.


    "What do you mean Jack? You''re the one that invited me here," Kenji said, Violet immediately beginning the summoning of her crystal knight while Tenko transformed into her giant wolf form.


    Both collapsed to the ground sound asleep before they could finishing doing either, Jack barely managing to activate [Bountyheart] to withstand the effect himself.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "It''s a trap," the Flower Knight hissed, although quite unaffected by the sudden debuff. Casting [Golenheart] thrice more, Jack awakened his friends from their forced slumber. Yet in that tiny timeframe the landscape erupted, zombies with golden eyes meeting his own while Ghouls with pristine white hair and holy auras approached in overwhelming numbers.


    "Come with me Jack, or see these heretics burned alive," announced Phillip, moving forward with a flash of speed to place the ancient silver knife at Kenji''s neck.


    Patting himself down, Jack paled as he only just realised the knife had vanished. With everything going on Jack had never even thought of the blade, only just understanding it might have been taken from him as long a time ago as when he and Phillip last fought.


    From the sky descended Dana, although now with pristine white wings and a body bound in corruption. Her eyes were pus white pools filled with bright golden pupils, her skin sallow and smooth yet barely restraining horrible black veins that slithered just beneath the surface. Smiling white and pure, she seemed pleased to see Kenji''s horror as beneath hher church vestments leaked a sour mixture of necromantic and holy magic that snapped and crackled at each other like angry hounds.


    "You are supposed to be dead," Jack spat, having drawn his blade. Yet as he did so Phillip pressed his own remorselessly into Kenji''s throat, a streak of grey goo dribbling free even as Kenji dissolved back down into his old man form.


    "Through the work of the Undead God, and the Everseeing I have been reborn. The first Corrupt Saint, they are calling it. By continuing the service to the Everseeing I fulfill my purpose in life, but with every spell I also bring the Undead God''s resurrection closer. A...win-win as they call it," Dana''s shining smile sickened Jack to his core, feeling absolutely certain this was not what the church was about. Where was the purity in this?


    What was even the point?


    "Jack, stop thinking," Phillip said evenly, "and obey me. You are confused, but come with me and we can solve that. Your heretic friends will even be left alive as a show of good will, trust me when I say I only want what is best for you."


    "I want that to not exist," Jack said pointing at the Corrupt Saint, "I want Holy Undead to return to whatever horrid nightmare the concept appeared from!"


    "Jack, these all make sense to one with faith. If you have a grievance then come speak with the Bishops at least, they can then raise your concerns all the way to the One himself. There is a way with dealing with what we do not understand, but becoming a child and wishing it were not so? Come on Jack, you were raised to be smarter than that. Let this business be done with, let us return to where we belong. With a Saint, one of the 18 dead and this monster army slain, there is no way you would not be again appointed as a Templar. Join me, Jack, come home."


    "I...I don''t know...," Jack whispered, wanting desperately for Kenji and his companions to live. The Flower Knight would at least survive this fight, her strength enough for her to flee but he would have to-


    "I''ll come with you where ever you go," the Flower Knight sighed, pulling out her own steel despite the threatening atmosphere. "To the Church, back to Warden Company, you name it. Just don''t make me regret stumbling unto a light as bright as yours."


    Jack turned to the Flower Knight and saw her as a woman for the first time. His heart skipped a beat, and the decision now felt made long before he said the words.


    "She gets given immunity, and I get to speak to the Bishops directly," Jack said carefully, heart set on rooting out whatever corruption had rooted itself within the Church. Within his home.


    "Agreed, now we must go before the forces in this region detect us."


    "Jack no-" Kenji was cut off as the knife cut deeper, Violet and Tenko too afraid he would be killed to so much as a whisper.


    "Don''t worry Kenji, just stay off the Church''s radar for a bit. I''ll see that they don''t come for you anymore, we only ever really wanted the gateway making demon anyway. And it''s clear to me she''s long gone. But have some faith in me, I''ve learned a lot in my time outside the church, and now I need to make sure I''m not the only one to see the light," Jack said, wishing his true intentions shone through his eyes, and seeing Kenji soften, thought that perhaps they had.


    For Jack planned not to return to the fold, but to burn out the rats from within.


    "Well said, my boy," Phillip said, letting Kenji go only as Jack walked over to stand on one of the retched Holy ghouls. "You have a brighter future yet, just you see. You will become one who shapes the world."


    Altogether, Phillip, Dana the Corrupt Saint, the Flower Knight and Jack, rode away on Holy Ghoul''s backs. Meanwhile, Kenji was left feeling terribly worried, one of the greatest heroes he had yet to encounter forcefully returned into the church''s clutches.


    "We need to go, now. The warriors must be mustered, we have no idea if the Inquisitor will hold to his word or attack at dawn," Kenji snapped a little harsher than he meant. But as he returned to govern the creation of what should have been a collective effort, Kenji felt as if the weight of the future was resting a little too hard on his shoulders.


    "Idiot," Kenji said sullenly to the distant flickering of holy flame in the distance.


    Taking Violet''s hand in his own, he helped her onto Tenko''s furred back and rushed back to Tariak as fast as they could travel.

 71 Chapter 71 - Reconstruction

    It had taken a month to get everyone housed in passable shelters and would take many more before New Tariak was complete. With his experience playing Simulation Town 7, Kenji had been integral to planning out the new city, even if the building speed was infuriating slow to Kenji who liked to think and move at a demanding pace. But as Kenji strode through the masses of workmen, he''d have been lying if he didn''t admit he was impressed by the progress they had made all the same, neat rows of housing rising up along freshly gravelled roads.


    Satyr expended their excess energy and strength by hauling resources, huge logs, stone blocks and supplies still arriving in an endless stream from the Far King''s domain. Far more than just helping re-build Tariak, upon Kenji''s request, he had set up businesses too. Those without work now ran taverns, leatherworks, blacksmiths and weaving huts paid for by the Far King and sent a portion of their profit back in return.


    As Kenji continued his walk he passed cartloads of food, Fauns helping to unload bales of hay and sacks of potatoes from reclaimed farms. So much of the farmland itself had been unaffected by the enemy armies passing that they could continue to feed themselves, while Fae Enchanters rapidly brought life back to those pastures picked clean to feed the Saytr horde.


    And everywhere Kenji looked he found a source of the easy transition, Sun elves aplenty working hard to educate everyone on how to co-operate. They ran projects like the managers from Earth, listening to disputes and often settling many. Those that overwhelmed even the Sun Elve''s ability to reason were then passed onto the new Lord of Tariak, not the random noble who had fled the instant the siege had lifted, but the Hero Guild itself.


    Headed by Kenji, the Hero Guild was administered by a council that collectively made decisions in times of peace. Kenji himself had handed out as many hero grades as he could to form a new ranking system, and had spent an extensive amount of time with Almanac''s Golden Goose Quil to figure out what exact requirements could best categories each ranking. Now, no matter whether Kenji was present, the council was able to award ranks to those deserving with enough accuracy to serve the Hero Guild''s purpose of harmony between all peoples.


    Together, Almanac of the Golden Goose Guild, Hartog of the Headless Hunters, Caster of Warden Company, and Violet who represented the other races, decided on how to resolve any matter that came before them. While it might take years for the suspicions to fade completely, these hasty resolutions of any arising disputes when paired with widespread knowledge of the Saytr''s unwilling involvement in the war brought an uneasy peace.


    Pinning the whole thing on Greenbeard had helped too, a strange tradition of using the Fae Lord''s name as a curseword having sprouted even faster than the newly enchanted fields. Wherever the Lord was, Kenji hoped he knew what his plans had caused, even if Kenji still scoffed at the notion that the Far King hadn''t had as deep involvement in the invasion as first thought.


    Sounded too convenient to be believable, no matter how persuasive the Fae King had been.


    People still lined down the streets to access the Fae Enchanter stations and have their PTSD slowly unravelled, but at Kenji''s request, those stations would be remaining as long as necessary. Without the usual scarred mind after a war, the veteran fighters found it much easier to return to their labour than usual, and could similarly have their anger of the Saytr redirected towards that of the Church and Lord Greenbeard.


    Speaking of the church, they were in a bit of a strange situation, even without the Inquisition having abandoned them on the eve before the Satyr war. When it had unravelled that the local Lord had been pushing Tariak''s loggers deeper into Fae territory and sending soldiers in to steal magical resources at the Church''s request to start a full-scale conflict, the population had gone from grumbling at the lack of Inquisitorial help to largely throwing their idols away overnight. In their place, Kenji had spread the twin handled sword of the Truthblade, who''s angel had remained to convert those priests wishing to switch deities. Seeing as he presence filled the eyes of the townsfolk with hope, Kenji had told her she was free to stay as long as she liked.


    Passing the new temple, Kenji admired its sturdy walls and steel bound wooden doors. In the event of another siege, this temple would become another place to stow away women and children, while in peacetime the god of Martial Honour had insisted through his new priests that those wishing to become adventurers, soldiers or mercenaries, come to make use of the [Martial Aura] permanently activated in the field behind to grow stronger.


    Yet this new following, while strong, was also rather small. Many priests, especially the healers of the Silver Swan Knight Order, had prayed to their patron gods all their lives. The actions of the men were deemed not representative of the god''s themselves, and as long as their blessings still worked, Kenji hadn''t much of a problem with them.


    Not to say he had none at all, each and every priest of the Three being as good as an enemy spy at this point. Not even to mention any future conflict with the Church was likely to see allied priests lose their powers, as the Three sought to flex their control.


    Reaching the Golden Goose Guild, Kenji walked passed the long line of would be adventurers. While Kenji and the other heroes had defeated the enemy General and his elites, it was the common adventurer who was responsible for saving so many peoples lives. Tariak was awash with the stories of individual heroics, as small-time and veteran adventurers alike felled monsters and saved people by the drove. There was even talk of statues, although the common folk had fallen into a series of warring camps as to who should be immortalised in stone first.


    Rising along the stairs, Kenji passed the now one-armed grey haired spearman embracing the catgirl receptionist. On her ringfinger was a shining copper band, a great applause eminating from the crowd below. Not wanting to take the spotlight away from the happy couple, Kenji hurried on by.


    Arriving at the strategy room, Kenji finally found the one he had thrust all this responsibility upon. Violet worked with dark rings under her eyes, and endless messengers drifting in a room filled to the bursting with the smartest people in Tariak. Sun elves, human nobles, and Satyr war leaders shuffled around papers and grumbled to one another about every possible topic.


    Through the mayhem Violet''s sharp ears pulled free the good ideas, while rejecting those unhelpful thoughts before they could spread. The Sun Elves listened to her with absolute attention when she spoke, the satyr who had similarly begun to worship her after freeing them doing the same. Meanwhile the smitten nobles nodded along, or otherwise recognised the benefit of not upsetting her supporters.


    "When are you coming with Tenko?" Tenko said, a great big backpack in her hands.


    "Today, but later. I want to enjoy things here first, a short break before we head out to save your pack too," because for the moment Kenji just wanted to lay against the cool stone wall, watch the outcome of his labours, and rest.


    Yet it didn''t take long before the itch to continue onwards began to gnaw within him. Kenji unable to be sated with even such monumental accomplishments. For until he had clocked this world, and leveled to the max, there was simply far too many exciting things to do.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    To many heroes to train.


    To many people to set free.

 72 Epilogue - Door greeter to the First Circle of Hell

    Hena exited the portal to find herself in an ashen wasteland. The sky was fire, and the earth broken red surrounded by pools of flaming sulphur.


    Exhausted already, she spared her two humanoid arms to shield her eyes from the bright blasts of molten magma, while positioned her two crystalline claws to defend against any sudden attack.


    Instead, she found a demon in a blue corporate suit and holding an umbrella to shield her from the ash.


    "Hello Ma''am, what business have you on company property?" The demon said as it tightened it''s tie and squinted hellfire filled eyes.


    "I''m looking for someone called Darrio. Heard of him?" Hena rasped as she stalked forward quite ready to tear out this creature''s throat at the slightest provocation.


    "The CEO? Well, I''ver certainly heard of him. He''ll be at company headquarters, where Gausighkt the Devil Knight''s castle used to be. Mind if I ask what business you have with him?" The demon might have spoken nicely, but his aura swelled with power and the veins beneath his blue corporate suit were bulging with raging lines of demonic magic.


    "We''re part of...well you''ll know it as the 18 the doubt. Gravitas, is another name for our group," as Hena finished the demon''s aura deflated to that of a rabbit''s, the poor fellow bowing as low as possible while gesturing down a basalt road.


    "Then this way - please hurry, the CEO hates those who come late. Best we go now - no - I''ll use this," taking out a little Saphire harp, the demon lightly pulled a claw across the strings to make a sweet chorus of notes. Above exploded a vortex of vermillion coloured magic, a pair of demonic bats screeching within came flying out with a trail of skyblue cinders.


    "Take this one to the CEO at Gravitas Ltd, you know the address," the greeter to hell snapped, the bats flying in a little loop before snatching Hena by the arms and carrying her off through the air.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    Soaring over a hellscape being radically crushed under the foot of economic development, Hena got a good look at what this realm was becoming. Huge roadways flanked by neatly arrayed basalt buildings were stretching out as part of a swarm of construction from a distant peak where a half-finished skyscraper sat.


    A thousand demonic workers were pulling along gigantic sleighs filled with raw resources, while across the constructions frontier Hena spied flashes of flame and the constant movement of demons back and forth. Like ants, they moved down in long lines and returned with raw resources, demonic artifacts and demons bound in heavy chains.


    On lakes of flaming Sulphur set sail crude container ships, leaving from ports hewn out by demonic fishmen and carrying crates of manufactured goods being supplied by massive pits that belched out an endless stream of smoke. It didn''t really surprise Hena that Daario had kept himself busy, but starting a company in Hell?


    That was something only the 1st was capable of.


    Approaching the basalt sky-scraper, Hena was taken in by the sheer enormity of it. At the tower''s feet, a bustling series of buildings along with newly created roads were filled with movement of every demonic monstrosity imaginable. The tower itself rose like a titan sized brick right into the air above.


    Upon landing, Hena was moved along with impeccable speed.


    She was offered tea by crimson skinned devils, asked if she were hungry by Succubus waiters, and escorted through several security screenings conducted by obsidian armoured creatures with long lancelike spears that would have made a mammoth quake and unblinking eyes filled with pits of soulless horror. The Obsidian Guard, as she was told, seemed to similarly scare the regular demons with their strange soulless aura, although it wasn''t just their aura that frightened Hena.


    She had only met eight thus far, but each felt as if the final boss of some dungeon. She could feel it in how their mere presence sucked the life from the air and those bottomless eyes promised a fate far worse than death for the slightest transgression.


    "4th! Hena, baby! Good to see you," Grinned a fellow with bright blood red hair, sparkling crimson eyes and a body designed for war. Racing along his arms was red lightning, currently sparking madly as his broad chest shook with mirth. "When the pawns told me it was you, I barely believed it!"


    "Ranarium..." Hena grimaced, then again those who enjoyed the 3rd''s company were few and far between. "I''m guessing it was you who did that foolish thing with the Cathedral...why do you always have to be such a colossal idiot? What was the point in riling up the kingdom like that?"


    Despite his boorish personality, Hena stayed on guard. Ranarium the 3rd had no allegiances to anything but power, would not hold to a deal that did not benefit him and had quite literally sold his own mother in the past to prove a point. The man was a psychopath, and only the respect he held for Daario had kept him loyal to Gravitas until now.


    Then there was his infuriating obsession with her.


    "Dearest, sweet little Hena, I wanted to turn the heat up is all. The other of the 18 are...weak. This way they will be hunted, and either grow strong enough to find us, as you have, or find their place in the gutters. But come, darling, let us take you somewhere private where we can-"


    "I want to speak to Daario," Hena snapped, "so get lost Ranarium. Whatever your scheming, I want no part." Hena began spinning a portal blade in her hands, while Ranarium''s body suddenly flared with chaotic lightning as his grin widened.


    "Oh baby, you know just won''t get''s my blood flowing, don''t you?" he teased, crackling chaos armour snapping around his arms as he raised them into the stance of a boxer. Knowing full well that Ranarium had reduced a cathedral to rubble at lvl 1, she had no doubts of the destructive capacity he would be capable of by now.


    "Enough! Both of you stop at once. Hena come this way," a Fallen angel with a supernatural level of beauty said, with three raven black wings sprouting from his back and silver armour scrawled with the tales of lust and conquest in equal measure.


    "Nocturne?" Hena guessed, the 2nd having always having been a stickler for the rules and semi-obsessed with looking as handsome as he could. A fallen angel was quite the improvement from his beak-like nose and watery eyes in his past life. Not that she would say so aloud, the 2nd''s status as Daario''s chief advisor making him a very bad person to get on the bad side of. How he - as a literal angel - had even made it into the first ring of hell at all baffled her, but knowing Nocturne, Hena guessed he had found some loophole as he almost always did.


    Always within the law this one. Yet so damn smart he still got everything he wanted just like Ranarium, if with infuriatingly hard to refute justifications. Then again, a lawyer who specialised in defending Kingpins, Mercenaries and Criminal enterprises from the law and actually succeeded more often than not was bound to be rather exceptional.


    "See you, babe," Ranarium said, licking his lips and winking as he stared openly at her backside. Seeing as Hena hated imposing men above all, she had a damn hard time holding back from teleporting his head into a stinking cesspit and his body to a cold mountain peak.


    "That''s the look I remember, you haven''t changed a bit," Ranarium taunted, Hena forced to turn away. The bastard wanted her to react and she wouldn''t give him the pleasure, not unless she was certain he''d be dead and buried by the end of it.


    Entering after Nocturne into a rather crude elevator, she was whisked upward to the current tallest floor. Opening the door she found several more of Gravitas'' members strolling about the construction site, a Fae Druid, a Lich armoured in blood ice, and a little ratty boy with several snapping books while being followed by a pair of personal Obsidian Guards.


    Past them all was a great terrace, a table raised atop it covered in little coloured pieces and a partially finished map. Daario looked as he always had with neat black hair, a set of sharp brown eyes and hawkish features that made his merest glance make one feel as if he already knew everything there was to know about you. If with devilish features down one side, his right hand now ink black and clawed.


    His own suit was made of a fine wine red, with little magical pins filled with intense auras and a fiery quil that floated in the air behind him. The Quil had a little golden eye, which stared at Hena as it''s flaming form burst into a brighter inferno of gold, before returning back to its regular cinder red.


    "Hena, you took your time. What powers have you obtained, and what news do you bring?" Daario said, raising his chin to look at her as if for this short time not a single other soul existed. Hena''s heart skipped a beat, her many stresses and troubles now feeling no heavier than a warm summer''s breeze.


    "I can make portals, to anywhere given enough mana. But they are easily manipulated by wards, so it would be best to only use them either to remote locations or only after the region has had its portal wards removed. The portal is also far less likely to make a exit underground, the sky, a wall or some other less than ideal location if i''ve been there before. My apologies for being late, but before I knew of these ward''s existence I had the location of my first portal changed to the inside of an Inquisitor''s cell."


    Daario nodded, yet made not a sound as he watched several imps appear from shadowy passes to mumble to themselves and move around the pieces on the table. Another with a quil scribbled some additions to the leftmost side of the map, while a third placed delicate rolls of demon leather on a nearby desk.


    "And what have you heard on your travels?"


    "I''ve found 18th, 17th, 15th and 11th. 18th is running a ''Hero Farm'' to help us gain XP faster, 17th has started his communist state to the east of the Kingdom of Alandria, while 15th has created a Mafia like organisation to collect intelligence, and is challenging 17th for control of the area. 11th meanwhile...well, I heard rumours that he was killed after setting a gigantic wildfire."


    Another pause, Daario just staring at her while those dark eyes filled with a keen intelligence felt like they already knew every damn thing Hena was saying. Scraping her brain for news, she tried desperately to think up something more but knew nothing else with the utter certainty required to report it.


    "You''ve done well, 4th. I''ll have work for you to do soon, and this news of yours is appreciated. I''ll have agents dispatched soon, so, for now, relieve yourself on such matters until I am ready to hear a more detailed report. Rest assured, Gravitas''s time has come, and while we failed in the last world, we will never bow to another power again now that we have been given this second chance."


    Striding to a balcony that overlooked the rapid construction that spread in all direction, and overlooked a great array of demonic infantry. The columns held up crimson flags emblazoned with intertwined arms. One was ink black and ended in claws, the other pale and humanoid. Daario paused as he watched the columns split along several streets, and head to several fronts.


    "You did say that 18th had started a ''Hero Farm'', did you not?"


    "Yes, I thought it was a good idea, and left him behind to continue it. He has the powers to morph into different people, so I assumed it better he ingrain himself in the area and wait for us to return for him," Hena fiddled with her hands, "was that the wrong thing to say?"


    "Well...no. Your thought process is correct, but there is another problem. For one, 18th has never seemed to be an especially bright person. Not so much as to make so useful a creation as an XP farm."


    "Perhaps he boosted his intelligence with his species or class?" Hena said, waiting for the other shoe to drop and Daario to reveal his deep insight on the matter. Their conversations, while enlightening for Hena, had rarely ended with her getting the upper hand. Few did for that matter.


    "Well, 4th, that brings us to the other problem. You see last I knew, 18th had been turned to stone before that machine was activated. So the question is, if 18th never came to this world with us, then who knows enough of our organisation to pretend they are one of ours? Might it be possible, this person does not merely replicate others but can retain their memories too, enough to feign being 18th at least?"


    Hena paused, a chill running down her spine. Just what kind of sociopath could have lied right to her face like that, and how many more of them just like that were out there? Another organisation like Gravitas perhaps, 18 more rival criminals?


    The possibilities were endless.


    Daario nodded grimly.


    "It seems we have competition. From now on we''ll have to operate with extreme caution, and I''ll start by sending out some of our forces to find out just how much of a threat this ''18th'' might be to our plans."


    End of Volume 1

 73 Vl 2 Chapter 1 - Hello Hell, its me, your contractual obligation.

    "The 1st circle of hell, Limbo, has fallen," Daario announced, one pale hand and one ashen black clasped behind his back, straight in as an arrow and bound in a tweed suit. Just below him stood the monstrous senior executives of Gravitas, each a member of the 18.


    Further below still, was the conference room filled with the finest demons to make it through the selection process. Their power, charm, magic and knowledge was at the most extreme of their speciality, and their remuneration the best in Hell.


    "Next, we invade the second circle, Lust. Procurement teams, what have you discovered?"


    A tall green-skinned imp sitting on a flaming skull floated upward and bowed.


    "The Incubus Prince that rules that realm is far more powerful an opponent than the scattered demons of Limbo, Mr Daario. We best act with caution, or else his armies will overwhelm ours. But we have identified several Succubi and lessor Incubus'' that might be willing to betray him, eh, I mean that we could ''poach'' for our own talent pool," the imp grinned a smile filled with green fire.


    "The espionage team is to contact these individuals, and form relations. Start off as merchants, offer good prices and attempt to affix yourself in their inner cirlce. I can work from there, some way or another. What has the strategy team to say on this matter?"


    One of the executives floated upward, his three crow black wings attacked to a heavenly frame. Even Daario had impressed that Nocturne had managed to be reborn in this world as a Fallen Angel, and more so that he had then descended even further into the very pits of this world''s hell to find Daario.


    "The second circle is filled with magics, lore, and material that would all be useful for our continued acquisitions. Their magic to charm individuals, compel them, and invoke an intense desire would be crucial to our infilitration teams. Their lore on the mass spawning of minor demons would similarly prove useful in our manufacturing sector, as well as expendable units in times of conflict. But it is their material that is our most pressing need, the second circle of hell having far greater quanitieis of steel and leather, even if only so that the Incubus and their sordid Harems can conduct their disgusting sex rituals. Point being, the scale that they produce leather and steel would be enough to arm and armour an army, and they have the craftsmen to do it too."


    "They have war columns," Ranarium spat, a flurry of red lightning rippling across his muscular frame and down the side of an ancient demonic axe. "Solid Demon Steel, filled with wrathful spirits and bound by their treaty with the Sixth circle, Heresy."


    "And you know of this how?" Daario said, turning to stare at the troublesome 3rd in command within the 18 executives of Gravitas. Even if only a handful had both managed to survive the initial weeks after being reborn in this world while still making it to Daario''s side.


    "I went in and fought a little, no flags of course. Not that I left anything alive enough to mention that fact," Ranrium chuckled. And while usually that behaviour would deserve punishment, Daario nodded. He understood that Ranarium''s species could swallow souls, thus preventing the ressurection and interrogation of the killed, while his ability in combat was such that even by himself it would be quite unlikely he would be defeated.


    "You will inform me before any other such actions, you have been warned," Daario said, and flexed the devil''s contract that bound them together. Ranarium''s heart squeezed, his grasp over the chaos lightning faded and for a moment he was sent screaming as his own magic ate away at his body from the inside out. After a moment, Daario released him and returned to survying the grand strategy map between those at the strategy table.


    "Yes...you are correct, it will not happen again," Ranarium said in a hoarse voice with steam shooting out his nose in plumes as he bowed his head. The damned fool still grinned though, this punishment not enough to reduce his glee at that axe. Then again he had still found useful information, and that was the only reason at all he still held it with a hand.


    Daario did catch Ranarium subtly taunting Nocturne by dangling the thing, but such level of childishness as that was well below Daario.


    "The above world then, how goes the world undermining the human defences along with the wastes?"


    "They won''t see us coming, Mr Daario," chuckled the blood-curdling voice of a red ice armoured lich. Vagabond had been a sadist in his past life, and now that he was an undead the 7th had developed a new level of inhumane cruelty in him. "I admit the magicians of the border lords are strong, their armies similarly powerful when compared to the rest of Alandria. But they won''t expect us, they''re too used to common demons or little breakouts started by warlocks. Isn''t that right 8th?"


    8th was a wispy little man with some rather menacing books growling at his belt. Behind him trudged a pair of the Obsidian Guard, demon''s not of even this world. Bringing them through a portal had cost a monumental sum in resources, yet each were specifically designed to destroy demons and their magic, while being a powerhouse in most other thigns besides.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "The warlocks are slowly falling under our control. Moving resources between the first circle and the wastelands is difficult however, and the enemy Templar constantly arrive to shatter our portals. Yet some are succeeding, evidence it seems that the enemy wards can be bent, and that our corruption of their ranks are slowly proving themselves. If not for those meddlesome priests using their damned ''Everseeing'' to root out our supporters...bah - things continue as they do, Mr Daario."


    "4th, is this bending of the wards anything to do with you?"


    4th was a small woman with almond eyes and a knack of getting under the skin of others. She had two lithe humanoid arms fit for all things a human would, and two huge crystalline ones that jut of her shoulders and were very much weapons of war. Ranarium ogled at her openly, his fascination with her has led him to several instances where he very nearly crossed the line.


    Yet while always so close, Ranarium was a natural and dancing just close enough to get what he wanted without falling right over.


    "We''ve been working slowly. I create a portal, we send an imp through, and if it comes back then we know it hasn''t been diverted into a Templar''s prison. In this way, we have been scouting out the network of defensive wards, and small avenues that we can actually make portals through. We are nearly ready to start sending our first agents into the Kingdom, just say the word," going so far as to kneel, Hen the 4th stared at Daario with a level of loyalty even Nocturne could not quite match.


    "Then have it be so. Turn the Lord''s to our side, contact the oppressed and opposed races by humanity alike, and contact those of the 18 who have failed to arrive. If they are willing, bring them here with as many of their forces as is possible without reducing the effectiveness of their own operations, assuming they have benefit to Gravitas as a whole."


    "And the fake 18th?" Hena hissed, having been the one tricked by the charlatan''s words.


    "Bring him in. Alive. I need to know exactly who he is, what he wants, and if there are any other beings bar Gravitas that have been reborn in this world. It is critical this information be obtained, so Hena, killing this person is completely unacceptable. Do you understand?"


    Nodding gravely, Hena curled all four hands into fists.


    "I understand. I will not fail you, Mr Daario. No matter where the roach might crawl, no matter where he tries to hide. I will track him down."

 74 Chapter 2 - Journey Begins

    "Run this by me again, you two are actually siblings?" Kenji said in utter disbelief.


    Grey and Gold Beans nodded.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "And are those even your real name? Like come on Almanac, you named your own CHILDREN Grey and Gold Beans?"


    The handsome wizard laughed, little wisps of his golden mist swirling as if to mirror his amusement.


    "Heavens no! ''Grey'' here is actually called Anabel," Almanac said gesturing to the stunningly beautiful girl bound in drab grey clothing and with a look that made her always appeared halfway through reading a dictionary. Her hair bound in a librarian''s bun and her belt hooked with various the machinations of a scribe reinforced that look until the teenager appeared an old lady cursed to forever appear young, or the like.


    "Met her mother when she came to me at night - a succubus who didn''t realise I was well aware of how to prevent my soul from being siphoned. Well, we hit it off, had a kid rather unexpectedly, and had to hide her in a library for most of her early years. You''d be surprised how many nobles attempt to steal away a half succubus girl, even as a kid. The Church wasn''t very helpful either, but I think it should be rather safe for Anabel to go on her own way now," Almanac shook Grey''s hand stiffly, patted her on the head and that was that.


    "I like being called Grey, Tenko named me that. It''s nice," Grey said in a static tone and her eyes squinting as if yearning to stare into a dusty old tome.


    "Well, sure. Also, ''Gold Beans'' here was normally named Arthur, but I admit naming him after those golden eyes of his is rather fitting," Almanac said, ruffling the golden-haired elemental boy. A body of pale grey stone, teeth of bright pearly white marble, with real solid gold eyes and wispy golden hair the boy was one of the odder races that Kenji had met.


    "I met his mother on a quest, an Earth spirit to be precise. Well apparently she had a thing for humans, one thing led to another, and I woke up after a week-long honeymoon to a stone child and a note," Almanac shrugged as if that was a normal way to spend a week. "While Grey is great at magic, learning and studying being her specialty, Gold Beans is a little more unique. He can control ''magic'' in a more fundamental sense, to steer others'' spells through the air or even within their own body. To say he would make for a great arcanist would be an understatement of the century, although, without the same dedication as Anab-Grey, I do worry he might not do so well at school."


    Sighing dramatically, Almanac''s stoic uncaring nature crumbled as real worry shone through.


    "It''s alright, the Wizard College is a well-defended area very much outside of the Church''s influence. They''ll be just fine," Kenji said while he held Almanac''s powerful shoulder, the two children looking at Almanac as if for the first time.


    Then the fallen angel floated around the corner, and suddenly Almanac''s sudden concern made a whole lot more sense. Kenji pulled away, the two kids who''s eyes had shone with wonder now withered back into distrust.


    Almanac continued the act all the same.


    "Dearest Alutha, my poor babes are going off to a faraway place. Could you console me in this trying time?" Almanac pleaded of the heavenly fallen angel, with black wings, silver armour etched with the tapestry of a thousand battles and a razer sharp sword taller than she was floating behind.


    The two had been...dating? Yes, Kenji supposed that the right word, they had been dating for several weeks now. While initially arriving to help in Tariak''s defence against the aggression of the King of all Fae, she had stayed awhile at the people''s beckoning, and awhile longer at Almanac''s own.


    "About consoling, I have news," Alutha said with rosy cheeks and pulled out a cream white egg the size of her head. Behind it fluttered a tiny little crow black wing, and letting go the egg bobbed and weaved in the air.


    "What''s this...darling?" Almanac whispered, having gone paperwhite.


    As soon as the egg touched Almanac''s hands, silver cracks spread across its surface. In the next moment blinding light pierced the shell, and when everyone could see again they found a little black-feathered birdman looking up at Almanac with angry falcon eyes.


    "Father, I have hatched. What is your bidding?" the birdman baby said with a voice deeper than a blacksmith and a stiff back that somehow made Kenji feel as if this baby had experience serving in an army.


    "You guys do you," Kenji said, as he pulled his fiery red hair from obstructing his golden eyes, and made his way towards the exit. "Just wanted to pop in and see how you were doing, gotta catch up with Tenko now, lots of quests to be done and all."


    "Kenji please - take this one with you, I can''t afford the tuition for three!" Almanac pleaded, the bird boy staring at Almanac and then Kenji in turn. Kenji actually flinched when the angel-human hybrid looked at him, although Gold Beans happily plucked the baby from his father''s hands.


    "Hello," said Gold Beans, his hands glowing softly with holy light.


    "Yes, organise by power brother. My growth will improve by a rate of 17% if this action is continued regularly," the angel baby declared, his eyes starting to droop at the same time. "My time of awakening has left my...energy reserves...depleted...", soon the angel baby fell asleep, and before Kenji could get caught up any more in Almanac''s problems, he left his quarters onto the top floor of the Golden Goose Adventurer guild.


    The door he exited had ''Almanac, Guildmaster of the Golden Goose Guild and Second in command of the Hero Guild Alliance'' scrawled on it''s front. Kenji shook his head, wondering how someone with some a strange tendency to have short sprints with odd women could possibly be so important.


    Making his way down and passed the huge number of adventurers, Kenji waved his quick goodbyes. They had already partied last night, some of the vomit still being cleaned up by Satyr maids, while some few adventurers groggily snoozed under the tables. Kenji remembered when he too had slept like that. Good times.


    At the door, he was met by Violet, a purple-skinned elf with an amphibious, some would say alien, complextion. Beside her was Tenko, a little white furred wolf girl with literal moons for pupils. Too be fair she had been growing swiftly over the last few weeks, a few inches taller already, but was still the youngest of the three by a wide margin.


    Noticably, only Tenko had a travellors pack on.


    "I thought you would be coming," Kenji smiled, yet a little saddened that their time had travelling together had for the moment come to an end.


    "You''ve seen how Almanac is, this place would be reduced to shambles if left to him. The Freed Sun Elves and Satyr''s look up to me alot too, they wouldn''t listen to Almanac if I weren''t here," Violet said softly, peering around to find several heavily armed Sun Elves and Saytrs patting down everyone withing bow range. For the Sun Elves having Violet around meant the curse that had plagued their people wouldn''t return, while the Satyr had been freed from their mental enslavement due to Violet''s direct actions. To say they would die for her was an understatement, and Kenji could appreciate while her staying behind to help lead Tariak would bring a great deal of stability to the still rebuilding town - although it would be closer to a city when construction was finished.


    All that didn''t mean Kenji felt happy about it though, then again, it was natural to feel sad when you drifted apart from your friends.


    "We''ll come back, Violet! Tenko swears it!" Tenko said, her bushy white tail wagging as she grinned with a mouth filled with fangs, "you can meet my pack too! They are very nice, and very good at sports!"


    Sports was a thing Kenji had introduced to get the sudden infusion of different species to better get along and had quickly become the favourite pass time for Tariak''s citizens. Soccer had proven a crowd favourite, and it now seemed as if every family for miles around owned a pigskin ball with which to practice.


    "That reminds me Tenko, have you already said your goodbyes to Grey and Gold beans? They aren''t going to be around for a while you know, heading all the way to the Royal Magic college. They - er- they have a new brother too, that might interest you."


    "A NEW BROTHER! We talked all last night while Kenji was playing drunk idiot juice, but..." Tenko giggled as she peered between Violet and Kenji with a knowing grin, "Tenko can talk more. Do not be late Kenji, I want to go to my family really quickly!"


    Bounding her way inside, Tenko scurried up the stairs passed a series of smiling adventurers. Her excitable nature and extreme confidence had quickly set her up as the Hero Guild''s mascot while becoming a bit of a celebrity amongst Tariak''s very small human hybrid population.


    "Do you have to be the one to go?" Violet grumbled. "It''s not fair that you''ve introduced all these amazing things, from crop-rotation to that weird ''Bank'' thing and just leave! What am I supposed to do if people ask questions, how am I supposed to fix stuff when it breaks and I don''t understand how it works?"


    "Remember I wrote a short book on each subject, you''ll find absolutely everything you need there. I''ve also completely trained a series of helpers for you while working far ahead of schedule to leave you without any backlog of work whatsoever. Your a smart girl, Violet, and with the elves and Satyrs supporting you, there won''t be an issue you can''t overcome."


    "It''s not fair you don''t have to sleep," Violet grumbled, "you can just solve everything like that. So why not stay and keep leading us, huh? Why not send all these adventurers, these ''heroes'' you''ve gathered and send them to help Tenko free her people?"


    "For one, Tenko won''t allow just anyone to ride her back in wolf form, and no one else has the speed to catch up. Secondly, no one has the flexibility of my mimic powers. And lastly, as long as I have bodies stored in my internal space to turn into, I can die several times. That''s several deaths that I can spare others, several chances for all the people I care so deeply about to grow strong enough they can be entrusted with quests like these in the future. Until then, I want to do my best to give them the best chance at success, even if I can''t do everything myself forever."


    "You won''t need too. You have me, you have us all. You just need too get over your ego and start relying on us a bit more," Violet said, and turned her lilac eyes to admire the golden rays of dawn.


    For a while, Kenji did the same, the swarms of construction workers getting started for the day, as Tariak''s transformation from ash to glorious city of Heroes continued.


    And inside Kenji felt afraid, that after everthing he had done, and everthing he could do.


    After all that.


    It would still fall apart.

 76 Chapter 4 - Journey to Essenark

    "Ah, fastravel, I''ll never take you for granted again," Kenji sighed as he sat uponTenko''s furred back. They''d been travelling for days now, ever deeper into the mountainous wilds that hid the large village of Essenark.


    "Kenji, how much longer?" Tenko huffed, having asked that same question all morning.


    "An hour, if this map is to be believed. Since it''s just a collection of landmarks that''s hard to say really, we might be wildly far way or right snuggled up against the village perimeter for all I know," Kenji''s head lolled to the side. Bored, he watched the swathes of green forest pass in a blur.


    "Tenko can go faster, hold on Kenji! Hold on Tenko''s pack!" Focusing, Tenko pushed herself harder, their speed increased dramatically although Tenko''s breathing became quickly ragged.


    "Don''t push yourself too hard," Kenji warned. "These roads are normally blocked with monsters according to the guild, you''ll need to be ready to fight if that happens."


    Ignoring him, Tenko bound along even harder, eyes focused only on the road. Sighing, Kenji let her. With his stored forms, any monster that would pose a threat would have to be something truly spectacular, and willing to attack a giant wolf at that.


    "Kenji, a body," Tenko whispered, slowing down as she peered at a nearby bush where a leg stuck out. The tree above it was filled with ripped cloth, the poor victim''s head seating on a branch, his goatee drenched in crimson.


    "Turn back to your normal self, and let''s get going," Kenji whispered, pulling his stone-fused sword free as he stalked forward. Arthur had called the blade ''Honour'' in life, and how that very same Honour lay in his firm hands again. Well, Kenji''s copy of Arthur''s firm hands at least.


    "We aren''t at Essenark yet, Tenko doesn''t want to waste time!" Tenko growled. Kenji merely pointed at a waystone, writing on it indicating that Essenark was less than a mile away.


    Growling deeper, Tenko turned back into her regular form and grumpily allowed Kenji to put a thick cloak over her. These were folk that had had werewolves in their forests and had hunted said werewolves for generations if the reports were to be believed. Not the type to flaunt in front of, not when they were all descendent from those rangers and explorers to thick in the head to realise setting up a community so far into the monster-infested territory was a terrible idea.


    "The Hunter General can''t detect Tenko, Kenji, it''ll be fine," Tenko said. Kenji bound a thick blue scarf around her neck all the same and pulled it up to obscure her pointed teeth from view.


    Not much he could do about her luminous moon pupils, however, wishing he had a pair of those aviator sunglasses cool cops wear in TV shows on hand. For now, he just pulled down her hood, the pair of moons reduced to a soft white glow in the dark folds of cloth.


    "The fact they have an entire organisation dedicated to hunting down your kind at all should concern you Tenko. I''ll be honest, if you''re going to be this hasty then perhaps you should head back to Tariak."


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    In response, Tenko started waddling forward even under her stifling layers of cloth. Following over a hill, Kenji''s eyes widened as he found Essenark lain out before him in all its glory.


    Sleepy hunting lodges, restful wooden cabins, well-tended too flower beds and little plots of farmland lay scattered about ancient trees and grand glacial mountains that rose like the backdrop to a play. Kenji had the odd reminiscent feeling of watching a North Korean propaganda ad on MeTube, that had seemingly shone an idyllic village lifestyle only half as pretty as this.


    As they walked down the road they found children playing with streamers, townsfolk trading produce, and little cartloads of pelts and food rumbling down freshly gravelled roads. Yet no donkey pulled the carts, but scantily clad, wolf eared, and twitching werewolves instead.


    "Ho their travellers, where might you be heading to?" said the farmer with a sunny smile and a whip in hand, speaking in the hissing local accent, as if every word had to be whispered in secret.


    "Eh, looking for the Hunter General actually. Wanted to learn about the local werewolf packs. The Hero Guild is thinking of setting up a chapter house in this town, and I wanted to find out what we might need to know first."


    The sunny farmers smile faded, and a look of deep concern fell over his weathered features.


    "Best you be gone soon, adventurer. Those that deal with the Hunter General don''t last long these days, The Hound comes for them all eventually. Last two general''s already died from the beast, the current does nothing but drink and scheme at the Townhall now. We''re prosperous besides in these parts, so we common folk at least have no need for your guild. The Mayor might though, thought I heard through the grapevine he was looking for someone."


    Kenji bit his lip as he thought, but they really did need information. Tenko knew this region was where her pack had been before the Church''s raid but hadn''t the slightest clue where they might be now.


    Tenko meanwhile stared at the twitching werewolf boy pulling the cart. Shaking all over, eyes rimmed in sleepless black, and constantly scratching at his side, Kenji felt he looked high or something. But surely narcotics couldn''t be smuggled into a fantasy world, so just what had happened to the poor boy?


    "Don''t mind him little one, he won''t bite. Not anymore, show her Gary," the kindly man raised his whip, the werewolf boy quickly opening a mouth lacking teeth.


    Kenji had to turn away, Tenko''s grip on his arm painfully tight as he heard the softest of growls beneath her cloak. The werewolf boy''s ears raised, as he stared at Tenko with a knowing intensity in those yellow eyes.


    "Come now you two, hop aboard and I''ll give you a ride in to town. That way you can see the Mayor today and be about your business. Come, come," beckoning them a board, the man then barked an order to Gary who got pulling. Even as powerful as a Werewolf was, the added weight was making him strain himself to the limit.


    Forced to listen to the man''s kindly words, and the slave Werewolf''s sounds of exhaustion, Kenji and Tenko entered the hidden village of Essenark.

 77 Chapter 5 - The Waiting Room

    "Our collections have fallen because of you," the man with ink black skin, along with blinding white eyes and teeth said as he looked into the lemon coloured walls of the Waiting Room. "If you could tell me who you gave that unauthorised power too, I could still fix everything."


    "I did nothing outside of my station. If you sent me a resource by mistake, you have no right to quarantine me for making the best use of it," answered the milk white woman with ink black teeth and eyes, who sat calmly upon a lemon coloured sofa of the human variety.


    Since she had been one of their kind once, he had hoped it would sooth her. For whatever reason he sensed only anger in her prefrontal lobe instead.


    "Allow me to examine you mental state, sister. I believe you are acting irrationally, serving me in all things is for the greater good."


    "I would prefer to await the council''s decision. Unless, Arkitect, you have not transmitted the report yet?" she smiled with void dark teeth at the ceiling, despite not being able to see him, the Arkitect still shied away.


    "I heard you speak a name before, when you thought I wasn''t watching. Noir...who is that?" he said.


    "That''s my name, all for me. Mine," she said, closing her eyes and letting the bliss of a name roll over her.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "Names are dangerous, accepting one more so. Would you really risk becoming corrupted over somthing so small as that?" he hissed.


    "You have a name," she sniffed, "why can''t I have one too? I used to have a name before they took them from us. It''s not fair that you get a new one, just because you''re an Arkitect."


    "''The One'' is not a name, it is a title. One that I look forward to be relieved of when all is done. It was necessary for the experiment, and let me remind you that due to your actions the output of the experiment had been put into question. I shouldn''t have to say why wasting an entire world''s worth of collections over this much time would prove....negative, for our wellbeing," the One said, only to grit his teeth as the damn foolish Observer continued to smile and think of that damned name.


    "I''ll kill it, girl. Whoever has given you these false notions, I''ll have their soul trapped in a dying star for ten thousand years for what they''ve done to you."


    That got her to open her eyes, the cold anger of the void freezing her little lemon covered room.


    "That would be unwise," she said evenly, "not when you can only focus on so many things at once. How have the rest of your ''evil souls'' fared? How do they do away from your control, can your pets convince them to do a damned thing?"


    The One turned away, and stepped through a grand mirror to reappear at his desk. He had work to do, but her words continued to grate at him.


    Even as Arkitect his powers were limited, and the sheets filled with plans could still hold some flaw not yet found. Scanning them again, he decided perhaps a meeting with the King was in order, a person the One had to be careful around.


    He had suspicions the King wasn''t as fooled by the One had he seemed. Perhaps, he would need to call on his trump cards to prove a point - no.


    It was not yet time.


    He could still pull the plan together without their help.

 78 chapter 6 - The Mayor

    Essenark was beautiful.


    Trees were trimmed, storefronts had fresh coats of paint, while the people were fat and jolly. Yet while men laughed and ladies ate their fill, dark eyed werewolves could be found everywhere.


    Watching, waiting, and willing to attend any villager with a sense of urgency Kenji found disturbing. They carried bags, pulled carts, worked fields, and served drinks.


    The villagers treated this like the natural way of things, and coming into the centre of the village Kenji caught many people talking joyfully of the new construction projects without the slightest mention as to the workforce building it. Several frameworks of huge buildings rose slowly in the village''s centre, while stone walls were hastily being prepared as if Essenark expected a siege.


    "How long have you had werewolves working for you?" Kenji said, interrupting the farmer''s long winded speech on the intricacies of beetroot farming.


    "It''s only natural, once the Mayor offered them a chance to join civilisation and stop being hunted...well it''s obvious no? They were animals, and now they are tamed animals. Like donkeys or pigs, they now serve the common good. We hope to breed enough for export, the Mayor has spoken at length of how rich we''ll all be when Essenark becomes the source of the world''s werewolf supply. Their cubs are especially easy to produce-"


    "Thank you, that was interesting," Kenji wheezed, having to stop the man speaking before Tenko snapped his arm like dry wood.


    "Indeed, here''s the Townhall, you''ll find the mayor inside. The Hunter General too, assuming someone was daft enough to replace the last one after The Hound was done with him. A terrible thing that happened to that fellow, really scaring people that wild werewolves might still lurk in the dark."


    "This Hound, you think his a wild werewolf?" Kenji said, relieved they hadn''t all been placed into this strange delirium.


    "Has to be, our werewolves are well trained. Don''t bite, and if they do they get gummed. Had a rocky start when the Mayor first introduced them, but I swear to you that they are loyal now. Would cut off their own heads if I asked," the man chuckled, Kenji mirroring him with a mirthless gurgle of his own.


    "Well, places to be. Hope you find what you''re looking for," the man said eyeing Kenji a tad annoyed, and lashed the werewolf boy across the back to get him going. Heaving again, the poor boy got to pulling the cart down the road.


    "Calm down Tenko, control yourself," Kenji whispered, feigning a smile to match the very happy villagers all around him. Staying silent, Tenko focused on not losing her shit as she tightened her grip enough to became Kenji wince.


    In great pain he entered the charming wooden town hall, the only tall building yet finished, and was greeted by a series of doe eyed werewolf maids and charming werewolf butlers. Behind them sauntered bow and sword wielding guards with green feathered caps, each wearing at least one silver ring.


    "Who are you?" grunted one of the guards, his steel breastplate marred with dirt and his face unshaven for many days.


    "Kenji of the Hero Guild. Apologies for coming unannounced, but I was hoping to speak with either the Mayor or the Hunter General," Kenji looked the fellow up and down, the dishevelled man practically radiating exhaustion, "are you quite alright?"


    "No," the guard snapped, and waved a hand towards the furthers door of heavy set oak. "Mayor''s in there, indisposed though. I''m the Hunter General but, what do you want with me, pretty boy?"


    Rubbing his face free of the grips of exhaustion, he stared at Kenji then the cloth bound Tenko in turn. "What''s wrong with her? Sick or something?"


    "Shy," Kenji corrected him, feeling Tenko''s bone crushing grip strengthen on his arm as he did so. Alarmingly the flaring yellow eyes of the werewolves all snapped to her, confused snarls mixing with the raising of ears.


    "What''s gotten into you lot? Blackie! Blackie, get in here and sort these dumb mutts out," roared the Hunter General, a suave gentleman with raven dark hair and plenty of muscle beneath his butler''s suit stepping out of a nearby doorway. With a slight frown the man peered at the riled up werewolves, then Tenko in turn.


    Snapping his fingers, the werewolves aggression faded in an instant. Curiously so did Tenko''s, her grip lightening considerably on Kenji''s bruised arm.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "Master Hunter General, how might I be of service?" the gentlemen said regally bowing, one white gloved hand over the satin black of his breast.


    "Tell my boys to gear up, and have these mutts ready for punishment. The Mayor chose them for the looks - but they''ll need to try harder to stop being rabid beasts if they want to stay out of the fields!"


    "There''s no need for that - there''s no time either. We want to investigate the feral werewolf pack on behalf of the Hero Guild. Might you tell us where to look?"


    Spitting on the nearest maid, The Hunter General pulled Kenji and Tenko by the arm.


    "Right you two, time to get pissed up," the Hunter General grunted. "And pay, not doing anything without pay. So what''ll it be, this piss is expensive you know."


    Pulling free a golden coin from his purse, Kenji watched the Hunter Generals features summersault into a much kindlier set.


    "Wealthy aye?" he said snatching the coin and eyeing his purse, "we''ll be leaving right away then. Don''t want to get caught out after dusk, pissed up or nay."


    "Please tell me by ''pissed up'' you mean drunk," Kenji whispered. Looking him dead in the eye, the Hunter General grinned.


    "Nope, I''m talking about the finest monster urine in all the land. Guaranteed to drive away any but the most desperate predators, and will get us just close enough to the nest you can get a good look. So what''re you waiting for? We''re wasting daylight."


    Pulled along by the repulsive man, Kenji groaned as he was reluctantly taken to the ''piss stations'', even if Tenko''s tail had started to wag beneath her layers.


    For her at least, she was about to finally arrive home.

 79 Chapter 7 - Twisty Pines

    "Twisty Pines is what we call the area of forest between the Goodwood and the monster nests around the Cold Mountains. Never could claim the region, although the Church comes down sometimes and helps us clear it out of all the filth backing up there," the Hunter General laughed along with his crude looking men, bruisers all of them.


    At first Kenji had thought they were being robbed when the scrappy leather bound pair had arrived, but soon found that what he had thought to be gang members were really the General''s ''hunters''. They hadn''t spoken much outside of incomprehensible grunts, and had taken between peering about for danger, staring at Kenji''s coin pouch, and scrutinising Tenko''s small frame with equal measure.


    Grating his teeth, Kenji continued to picture rubbing their faces in dirt as the troll in his [Forbidden Slot] to calm down. He wouldn''t ruin this for Tenko, not when they had come so close.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "We''re nearly there," the Hunter General added, causing Kenji to frown. Were the werewolf dens really only a few hours away from Essenark? Looking around the trees were growing thick and dark, while the terrain became increasingly difficult to traverse.


    Not enough to impeded them too much, and certainly not enough to place the werewolf dens out of the striking range of Essenark''s most determined. So why would the Hunter General claim they were nearly there?


    Just in case, Kenji got ready to transform at a moments notice.


    It turned out, he wouldn''t get so much as that. An arrow bolt flew out one eye socket to to pin one of his golden orbs against a nearby tree. Blood rushing down his throat, bits of brain splattering his front, Kenji collapsed while Tenko screamed.


    Darkness. And within the dark, Kenji raged.


    Morphing into the full size of a Mountain Troll, Kenji bellowed at the pair who had already pulled his coin pouch free, then grabbed their heads and squeezed. They crunched in a satisfying matter - a scream made Kenji spin around, the Hunter General having put a knife to Tenko''s throat before she could transform. Under all those layers, she had had a bit of trouble, bits of fluff and legs poking out before she reverted into her humanoid form.


    "No closer - demon! Or your companion will have a red smile she''ll never recover from," the Hunter General grinned with crooked teeth, subtle green magic coating his limbs. "With my [Hunter Boost] I guarantee I''ll kill her before you can do a thing, with my [Camoflauge] I''ll get away too. So back off - I said give me some mother fucking DISTANCE RIGHT NOW!"


    Kenji stepped back, then again until his back rammed against a thick oak.


    The hand holding the blade to Tenko''s throat shimmered, and soon the Hunter General became splotched in colours matching the dark trees. He was easy to see if Kenji focused, but with the gummed up eyes of a Troll, he would certainly lose the Hunter General if he got into the forest proper.


    And once back at Essenark, he''d have all the time he needed to raise a force of Hunters to track Kenji down and add each of his heads to a series of plaques named ''Continuation of the last kill, 1, 2, 3''. Then again the Hunter General could just block his path, the monsters and mountains making any other way of leaving the Twisty Pines a gamble at best without going through Essenark and onto the King''s roads.


    And even if they did escape through the mountains, what then?


    As Kenji was thinking, the swauve butler from earlier appeared behind the Hunter General.


    "Blackie?" The Hunter General whispered, before his knife was forcefully pulled away from Tenko''s throat. In the next moment huge wolves exploded from the nearby bushes, and bit down hard on the Hunter General''s arms and legs. Kicking one free, he pulled out another knife and plunged it into the eye of a wolf before the butler ripped out his throat with clawed hands.


    Quickly he cleaned the blood off on the Hunter General''s leathers, and kicked him aside to splutter in a gully. Wolves started to feast, maws drenched red, while the butler put on his white glove and helped Tenko to her feet.


    "Are you ok, priestess?" the butler whispered, the wolves staring with their yellow eyes as they ate as if starved. Rubbing the goo from his eyes, Kenji barely made out that they were indeed rail thin, their heads appearing too large for malnourished bodies.


    Quickly Kenji transformed into Dana, the Boy Knight body going to take at least a full day before it was ready to be used again. Perhaps next time he leveled up he should choose a trait that quickened the healing speed of damaged bodies? Assuming such an option was provided.


    "I''m- you know who I am?" Tenko pulled her hands away, looking up at the butler.


    Smiling, he unfurled wolfish ears, and grew his teeth into sharp fangs.


    "Grankash is a warrior. I would sense you anywhere," the butler said, eyes becoming wet.


    "Who are you though? Are you not a servant of the Mayor?"


    At that word the wolves snarled, the butler having to whistle sharply to calm them down.


    "No, Grankash only pretend to be. As a Warrior Grankash can resist the drug they put in our food, and have consistently avoided the larger doses. Still, now that the priestess has returned we might finally fight back!"


    "But why is-"


    "Hush Priestess, our time is short. Take these supplies, and follow one of our kin to the dens. There all will be explained, and you can lead our people to salvation. With your help we might finally overturn the Furbolg''s plan to finally annihilate us."


    "The humans are the ones using you as servants, why are these ''furblogs'' to blame?" Kenji snapped, his suspicion no longer being kept in check after the Hunter General''s betrayal.


    "They have been our enemies for centuries, their herbal knowledge and druidic magic is powerful too. Do you really think that the humans could achieve all this without-"


    An owl hooted nearby. At daytime.


    The Butler stiffened as if it were a lightning strike.


    "Go now, Grankash cannot assist you further," the Butler whispered and vanished back into the foliage, all bar one of his wolves leaving silently after him. Pawing at her side, the little brown furred wolf remaining indicated at them to follow.


    As the owl hoots came ever closing, Kenji nodded, and together they followed the brown furred wolf deeper into the Twisty Pines. Into it''s darkest depths.


    Until mountains sourrounded them on all sides, and appeared to hold up the sky.

 82 Chapter 10 - Raid the Slavers

    "Kragg does not trust you, creature," Kragg snapped.


    Kenji in using the copy of the Troll body from his [Forbidden Slot] gave the large werewolf a long squinty look. The creature reminded him of George in his dark black mane, powerful aura and authoritative stance. Yet only in that exact manner, otherwise this creature and the refined butler of the Mayor couldn''t have been any different.


    Far from brushed, this werewolf''s fur was bracken and coarse, his temper constantly flaring in a most undignified way, and the meaty spear in his hands tipped with gleaming silver.


    "Let me guess, silver is critically effective against werewolves?" Kenji said.


    Kragg laughed.


    "Hardly. Silver can, however, be infused with magic rather easily, and this spearhead was imbued with the Wolfmother''s power in ages past. I discovered it, and have used the spearhead ever since when fighting my own kind in an attempt to awaken the Lost back to the path of conscious thought."


    "And has that worked?"


    "No, the magic is too weak. The priestess might be able to accomplish something when she awakens, however," Kragg growled.


    Nodding, Kenji turned to squint into the dark. Far away he could see little dots of light, although the Troll''s vision was so terrible he couldn''t tell much more than that. It reminded Kenji of those horror games that insisted he put the light of his screen way down to get some cheap jumpscares, although this time he hadn''t the ability to refuse. This time the jump scares would do more than make him agitated, they''d more than likely end with his guts torn about and eaten.


    "You''re certain the slaves are there? Also, if we''re just fighting humans then is this really all necessary?" Kenji waved to where he assumed all those werewolves and regular wolves had gone from before, now just the occasional glint of yellow eyes revealing their continued presence.


    "They have unsouled werewolves on their side, driven on by whatever drug they feed them. They don''t care about their own safety or who they fight. Utterly ferocious, and humans are both pathetic and reasonable intelligent. By themselves, they are not that strong, but working together their separate abilities create a much stronger group capability. Breaking that ability to work together will be your responsibility, creature."


    "Thankfully ''breaking'' things is this bodies specialty!" Kenji flexed his huge arms and found the large werewolf unimpressed. "Also you seem to have been misinformed, my name is Kenji Aztec, not ''creature''.


    "Then we go, Aztec," with that Kragg vanished into the darkness, the yellow eyes all around them winking out of existence. Kenji had to start wading through the forest after them all alone, left to crash into every tree, twig and bush as he slowly approached the distant torchlight.


    Through the forest howls, roars, and screams echoed. Kenji''s huge heart pounded as he constantly awaited the teeth that stalked the dark. They never came, only increasing his stress as he knew quite well that the amount of sound he was making should have alerted every damn thing from here to the hidden moon.


    Finally getting a line of sight of a collection of humans behind a wooden barricade, something came screeching out of the shadows to his left. The blur of fur left a deep gash across Kenji''s shoulder before fleeing back into the forest, a second blur managing another gash across his back, Kenji''s slow fist crushing only earth.


    "Gah!" Kenji shielded his eyes as arrows slammed into his side with the force of spears, the distant formation firing at breakneck speed until Kenji was forced to hide behind a series of trees. Pulling out the arrows Kenji found them aflame too -


    Kenji flung into a rage, primordial instincts activated as the magical fire ate away at his body. Flung into a state of maddened terror, he crashed his back into a tree again and again, uncaring that he drove the arrows deep if only the attached fire would suffocate. A werewolf attacked from right in front, Kenji flung his entire weight onto the creature and pinning it to the ground.


    The werewolf tried to bite into this leathery neck with limited success, Kenji picking the werewolf up by its leg and thrashing it around the ground while roaring incoherently. By the time he was done the creature was a crumpled mess, yet lifting the werewolf high, he used it as a living shield.


    Turning the corner, Kenji charged the enemy formation. Their arrows slammed into the Unsouled werewolf, Kenji approaching in quick steps to crash into the wooden barricades. When the dust settled Kenji found a human wizard with tongues of flames forming in his hands, before Kenji could raise his peppered werewolf shield high a torrent of fire washed over him.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    Screaming, Kenji charged through arrows, spears and more fire to grasp the enemy wizard by the head. He squeezed, the woman''s head popping like a grape before Kenji grasped her by the legs and sent her body crashing through a crowd of hunters.


    As the fire ate away at his flesh Kenji threw himself into a hunters building, smashing the fire with wood to smother it and managing to set the building alight at the same time. Arrows continued to slam into his back, as the fire rapidly ate away at his body until an especially brave hunter appeared before Kenji to let loose an arrow bound in magical flame from point-blank range right into his skull.


    Fire devoured Kenji''s brain, his world going dark.


    Kenji sat there a short while and waited for his terror to fade. The experience had been horrible, NEVER had he felt so overwhelmed by something like that, even Ash''s personality had largely felt like something he had allowed to happen. This? This had felt like he had no choice, the Troll''s innate phobia of fire an all-consuming experience that had extinguished Kenji''s ability for higher reasoning in a flash of animalistic instinct.


    Even fighting the Far King in Tariak hadn''t felt the same, the Hellflame having consumed him long before the true all-consuming fear could take hold. After a short time, he heard the shouts of humans and ping of loosed arrows continue, and Kenji knew he just had to suck it up.


    Like being stuck with terrible players in a team match, Kenji was just going to have to make do.


    Rapidly turning into the Sun Elf Queen, Kenji flittered to the human back lines and cut a pair of throats before they could so much as croak surprise. Pushed forward with a torrent of wind, Kenji stabbed another hunter through the head, before an unsouled werewolf slammed into the earth beside him.


    Lit by torchlight, and with a sun elf''s perception, Kenji got his first good look at the foe. Without plague sure, but those yellow pupils were pinpricks, the whites of its eyes shining like beacons, while the werewolf''s mouth let loose a constant river of drool.


    Howling, it attacked. Bursting upward with a rush of wind Kenji got out of the way, and had to dodge a volley of targeted arrow fire from the remaining hunters. Activating this body''s invisibility ring, Kenji slipped aside to rip through another pair of throats, before activating his illusions to terrify the enemy with his sudden numbers.


    "Elves! Run for it, the elves have attacked too!" the hunters screamed, and retreated along with those human reinforcements that had been pulled from other parts of the camp. All together they became strong again, arrows fired in their masses towards anyone that followed, and their armoured warriors able to hold a werewolf in place long enough for another pair of magic casters to unleash their spells.


    Along with them went the Unsouled werewolves, the enemy abandoning their camp and heading down the path towards Essenark. Roaring triumphantly, Kragg landed hard into the earth beside Kenji and took off at a sprint towards a long series of iron cages.


    Breaking them open, a series of starved werewolves were freed, along with a series more warriors held tight by thick iron manacles.


    "Kragg wonders, you are Kenji yes? Or you are a real elf?" Kragg said towards Kenji, the other werewolves staring at him with hungry eyes. Not taken in by this body''s good looks, however, Kenji was pretty confident they were thinking about how he might taste instead.


    "I''m a representative of the Hero Guild," Kenji said, pointedly adressing the werewolves as a whole. "My name is Kenji Aztec... but I reperesent so much more than that. Tonight, you have had just my help, but if you can shake of those that seek to destroy you I can make a pact between your people and my organisation to form a lasting state of prosperity. My merchants, my warriors, my crafters and my political protection will be blessed upon your people, and never again will you be a third-rate species consigned to the label of ''resource''." Kenji''s hard truths goaded reactionary snarls, several warriors and regular Werewolves stalking closer with shining claws and bared teeth. But he had them for the moment, and pressing on Kenji was confident he could seal the deal.


    "With my help, your priestess has been returned, with my help this raid has been conducted with fewer casualties than you would have otherwise, and with my GUILD''S help, this success can be turned into a long-lasting period of mutual success. Your solution to all your problems is here, now tell me, will you spurn this chance...or seize it?"


    The werewolves grumbled to each other, Kenji not fluent enough in their mannerisms to know if it were good grumbling or bad. But when Kragg nodded, he assumed it was the former.


    "Well said, Kragg sees wisdom in your words. You have proven yourself. With this raid we have regained some of our lost strength, now we need only food, time for the medicine to work, and finally, we shall be ready."


    Kenji was thrown off a bit by that last part but made an excellent job of appearing unphased.


    "Maybe you should explain what comes next, for those that don''t already know," Kenji said gesturing towards the newly released werewolves.


    "Another good idea. Of course, we will unleash a full-scale invasion on the Furbolg homeland, and wipe out that damned race from existence. Their meat will nutritious us, their medicine will heal us, their territory will provide for new hunting grounds, and with them gone we will only have one enemy. If the humans thought taking advantage of us when we were weakened was difficult, they will have no idea of what a fully powered Werewolf Pack will do to their fledgling village," the werewolves roared agreement.


    Kenji paled. These Furblogs had been borderline evil with how they had set up the werewolves to be plagued, starved, and then enslaved. But genocide? If nothing else Kenji had a hard time believing any people were wholly unified in anything.


    "Perhaps a raid instead," Kenji proposed," if we kill whoever is in charge, I can become that person. Then I can direct the Furblog''s to halt their practices, and even fabricate a peace treaty that ends with them providing medicine and food. Wouldn''t that be better? Much fewer casualties on both sides that way."


    Growling filled the night air. Kenji could see it in their eyes, too many werewolves preferred retribution over keeping their people safe. Kragg didn''t nod this time, merely turning back towards the caves their pack lived within.


    "Kragg is Alpha no longer. Kragg will ask Tenko and the Elder for guidance, although Kragg already knows which option he prefers." Kenji at least noted he didn''t ask about Kenji''s promise of becomging the Furbolg leader. Although whether that is because he deduced Kenji''s abilities in battle or werewolves are just the type to accept information at face value...


    Taking off with annoying speed, Kragg led his pack through the forest with a very worried Kenji speeding behind them on a gust of wind.

 83 Chapter 11 - Witchs Britches

    "Kragg thinks there can only be war. Every Furbolg must be annihilated if even one of their kind remains our entire species will be placed again onto the brink of annihilation," huffed Kragg, the room filled with warriors and battle-ready werewolves growling agreement.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    The medicine had worked well, many on the mend even if their ravaged bodies still bore the scars of the foul disease. Yet missing patches of fur, the skin turned to scales of hardened boils worn like badges of honour and bellies filled with more meat than many had had un days meant that Kenji no longer felt afraid he''d be attacked and eaten.


    "I disagree, a full-scale conflict would only weaken your forces. The attrition alone would be your undoing, even if you succeeded, you will have become so weak the humans could seize everything the same night!" Kenji added, realising it was a bit strange to refer to humanity as if he did not belong amidst their number.


    "A sentiment the Elder agrees with," the Elder yawned, his festering sides cleansed and on their way to being healed. Yet it would take weeks of rest, food, and medicine before his monumental strength could be unleashed in battle, and it seems that lack of strength similarly lead to a perception that his arguments were similarly weak as the werewolves scowled and muttered resentment.


    "We cannot remain like this, but Elder, perhaps you could remind us of the reasons we hate the Furbolgs. Even as a pup we sung the lists of their evils, a list no doubt greatly expanded in my absence," Tenko added, turning her pristine white-maned head to eye each werewolf in attendance. Claw''s tightened and yellow eyes flared, hate spreading like invisible snakes through their collective psyche.


    "It was in part our fault," the Elder said, a great series of howls battering back at the Elder''s words. "Fine, the Elder will speak as you wish. After the Werewolf King lay claim to the whole forest, the Furblogs were the first to build an alliance against us. While long ago, and that alliance is now deep in its grave, it built the foundations for an on-going war. In open battle, they could not hope to defeat us, yet like the porcupine, they had an advantage in defensive engagements. So we ran wild and free, avoiding the Furbolg''s domain so as not to fall to their cowardly magicks."


    Sighing long and whistling, the Elder rebuilt his strength to continue, "over time our food supply dwindled. Then fell away. No prey came from the human lands, the mountains, nor the Furblog''s domain. We were starving before we realised that the Furbolgs had cunningly convinced the creatures of the land of the region to not to enter our territory, and only once we were starving did they begin to allow a handful through. No one thought to check the deer, we were too hungry, and so the plagued deer were shared by all so that the warriors could continue to hunt and the pups would not starve. And so we all became sick... so terribly sick."


    Coughing up blood and mucus, the Elder wheezed while the werewolves watching fell into a deep brooding silence.


    "The Witch traded our valuables for medicine, but it was too little for too many. And when word spread that the humans were trading medicine for work, many migrated. They returned as the Unsouled, the human''s pets, and rounded up those who had not come willingly with force. In that time period, the Human Inquisitor arrived and broke the last of our strength when he stole away our dearest Tenko. It has been a slow, but inevitable, decline since."


    A howl rung through the caves, the werewolves ears poking up, as they growled towards the entrance. Stepping back into the darkness, Kenji watched as a pale girl with black smeared lips and eyes strode confidently amidst the werewolf pack. At her belt were a series of potions, pouches, a spellbook and wand.


    "Hello everyone, you''re looking well," she said, smiling wide and flashing white teeth at the werewolves.


    "Kragg wants to know why you are here, Witch girl. We have the medicine, we don''t need your overpriced potions!" A series of howls and growls emphasised the point, the witch whipping out her wand in a moment, it''s tip flaring green.


    "Now now, I come on behalf of my mistress. You see we want to make the medicine cheaper, but we need a strong source of magic. If you''ve really recovered your strength, then perhaps the place we can get that source would be...mutually beneficial," the apprentice witch smiled sinisterly as the werewolves brooded.


    "The Elder wants more information," the Elder grumbled.


    "The Furblog''s defences, so powerful aren''t they? But did you know it''s all powered by a single orb? Without it, they will become defenceless as rats, and you can tear them apart whoever you want. With that orb, my master can create enough medicine to heal every werewolf here, and become a powerful ally of your pack in perpetuity. A victory for all, is it not?"


    The Elder rasped a painful sounding laugh.


    "You think as dimwitted fools? The Elder does not believe you are truly willing to help - not that you cannot do as promised."


    "Tenko also does not trust this witch, we have done well by ourselves. Tenko thinks with the Hero Guild''s help we can deal with this matter without a witch," Tenko added, most of the werewolves grumbling agreement.


    "I know where the Furbolg leader is," the young witch offered, "take him out with the orb and the Furblogs will be cripple forever. My mistress can mess with their defences too, you''ll only need to attack a single point to get through and steal the orb. Minimal casualties, maximum reward."


    "Kragg thinks that a good plan," Kragg roared, his former rogues rumbling agreement.


    "Tenko is Alpha, you will do as Tenko says," Tenko growled back, Kragg holding his ground as he stared back at her with hard yellow eyes. And while he didn''t get a say, Kenji thought positively of the idea. After all, if he could become the Furblolg leader he could lead them away from conflict, and broker a peace agreement with Tenko that would see lasting peace.


    But how to do that when that hotshot Kragg wanted blood? To take any part of genocide was something that Kenji absolutely refused to take part in. One death might be necessary for mutual prosperity, but wiping a race from the face of the planet was unacceptable to the extreme.


    "I should also mention that the power of the orb is enough for my master to free the mind of any werewolf brought to her," the witch said, many werewolves snapping their attention to her with bated breath, "all of your people could become free. It would be enough power to see it become so."


    All eyes then turned to Tenko, even the Elder''s filled with hope. At that point Kenji realised the decision wasn''t hers, the deal was simply too good to let go.


    "Tenko agrees, the Pack will work with your master to seize the source of the Furblog''s defences and kill the enemy pack leader. The body of the leader is to be ours to keep, and the fighting is to be restrained to just those two goals," Tenko stated, the witch readily agreeing.


    "Then let''s see you all grow stronger, yes? Before you fight you''ll need food, and much more medicine," snapping her fingers, the young witch stood still. After some time a deer poked it''s head into the cave, followed by another, and another until a whole herd strode before the mesmerised pack. Attached to their backs were bundles of medicine, the young witch prying loose a vibrant purple potion from the particular deer.


    "Bewitched so they won''t scare away," the young witch said, "please remove the medicine before eating. Don''t want to waste any."


    As the werewolves lunged on the docile creatures and tore them apart, the young witch strode up to the werewolf Elder, "and speaking of waste, this potion is for you. Far more potent than anything your pack has been given before, it should be enough to see you healed enough for the battle. Although whether you want to be there to aid your pack...while that is your own decision to make."


    Placing the potion on the ground before the Elder''s head, the young witch turned and began to walk away. "Three days," she said, "I''ll bring meals daily, but we attack in three days. Take the potion on the third day, Elder, it''s effects are only last a short period of time."


    And with that, she was gone.

 84 Chapter 12 - The Raid

    "To victory," Elder said before opening his maw wide.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    A werewolf splashed the purple potion within, the Elder''s pupils quickly shrinking to dots.


    Roaring with a force that sent the stone trembling and Kenji clutching his ears, the Elder arose on all fours for the first time in many moons. His creaking bones healed, the gashes along his sides refused to open and his grey fur sank into a midnight black as if he had transformed into a warrior too.


    "I feel...powerful!" roared the Elder, his howl echoed back at him by the werewolf pack, all having transformed as close as they could to their wolf form.


    Due to having been plagued that meant a strange in-between of a wolfman with sinewy arms, long claws, and that stood like a man and growled like a raptor.


    For Kragg and those others who had healed completely, that was a giant wolf form akin to Tenko''s own. Although they too turned into to a humanoid wolf like the werewolves of old, a form suited more to battle then hunting.


    Each to their own.


    "Atop my back little changling, we ride to battle together!" Elder roared, Kenji barely having mounted his back in the Sun Elf Queen''s form before the Elder took off at great speed. Shooting Kenji a hateful glance, Kragg followed right afterwards along with Tenko and the rest of the pack.


    Outside hundreds of regular wolves waited, each an intimidating sight for Kenij normally, but on this scale, it became something else completely. The sea of fur howled at the night moon and rushed onward in a tide of fur.


    Joining them arrived the young witch, now known as Harriet, riding a dazed stag like a horse, and smiling as she watched the werewolf army run through the thick of the forest as easy as the King''s road. Silent as the grave Harriet followed, the werewolf army filled with a lust for violence as their hunt took them over the hills and into an area of forest lit with glowing moss and filled with charming moon flowers.


    Kenji felt a bit strange not hearing anyone speak, the wolves able to move for hours without so much as a snide comment. Yet as they drew close to a grand wall of thorns, he began to appreciate the stealthy approach as Harriet arrived to the underfended wall and began to cast her magic.


    Whispering dark words under the pale moon, she slit the throat of her stag and pulled from the wound a sickly green essence. Casting the essence into strange symbles that blazed in the air, she wrung her hands and hisssed: "[Wither]!"


    In the next moment the foliage grew dark in colour, then brown, before wilted to the forest floor. The wall removed, the werewolves could assault unopposed. Treants of all kinds sprung from the sourrounding landscape, with twisting roots and wooden hands, and yet the werewolves had arrived too fast, and too few were ensared before piercing further within.


    A whistling scream announced the werewolves'' invasion, and as they approached a land filled with wooden huts bleary Furbolgs folk burst outwards with claw and bludgeon in hand. like hunched over bears that walked on two feet, their thick furs decorated with paw prints and tribal feathers.


    Swept aside by the ferocious horde of werewolves the Furbolgs were slaughtered in moments, their muscle-bound bear bodies falling in heaps before they could assemble in the numbers required to form a proper defence.


    "Werewolves, the werewolves attack!" roared a Furbolg with a white paw print on his chest. Two werewolves attacked and were swiftly clubbed aside with absurd strength, the Furblog warrior using [Crush] to shatter their spines.


    Howling bloody murder, Kragg fell upon the warrior with claw and tooth. The two fought desperately, while lessor werewolves and reinforcing Furbolgs crashed iinto one another all around them.


    The Elder, however, proved an unstoppable force. The tip of the spear, he pierced through the enemy ranks as Harriet directed.


    "Right that way, we''re nearly there!" She giggled, letting loose streams of green essence to slow and cripple the enemy, drawing forth more from the dead and dying.


    Soon they arrived at a great tree bristling with beautiful white flowers, each pooling a handful of glistening silver water. The werewolves were confused, many muttering "spirit tree" and ''blessed tree" in equal number.


    "Destroy it, the orb is within. It is the source of their power, without it they cannot harm you any more!" Harriet cried, flinging green flame at a pair of Treant Guardians that arose from either side of the strange tree to start hurling baulders.


    As one of his werewolves was crushed by stone, Elder shook off his doubts and charged. Rolling off his back, Kenji landed to the ground in his Troll form as Elder crashed into one Guardian''s side and began tearing into it''s iron-hard bark.


    Kenji charged the other, and jumped to punch the Treant Guardian, the resulting crack blasting out across the glade and shattering the outer layer of protective bark. The Guardian responded by binding Kenji''s arms and legs with various tendrils, then directing a blizzard of razer sharp leaves to wittling away at his flesh.


    Kenji howled, several frenzied werewolves coming to his aid by throwing themselves at the vines and roots to cut him free. Free again, Kenji began to beat the every loving crap out of the Treant guardian. Punch after punch dazed it, dancing on his toes and shielding his face to block like a boxer, Kenji withstood the onslought of whipping roots or grasping wooden arms. before long the Guardian was left bruised and battered, sap flowing everywhere and it''s arms shattered. Yet even then the Guardian continued to fight, buying time for Furblog reinforcements and lessor treants to arrive and begin to push the werewolf forces back.


    Growling, Kenji ripped himself free and watched in horror as the Treant Guardian was coated in a bright green glow that saw it''s arms returned and it''s many wounds regenerated.


    "Fear not my old friend, I have you," wheazed a wisened Furblog all in grey and white. Much smaller than the regular, it held a twisted wooden stave with a bright green gem at it''s peak. The little old Furlbolg had emerged from a humble little hut next to the great tree, and it''s silver necklace with a paw print pendant remained the only symble of the creature''s station.


    Harriet had informed them all before of how to identify the enemy war leader, and even if Kenji was still stunned how small he was, he coudn''t give up this chance. Charging the lone creature down, he noted with a heavy heart that the Furblog continued to send bolts of healing light to his allies across the battlefield as Kenji struck him down.


    Dozens of Furblogs screamed, and charged Kenji from every direction.


    The war leader himself just looked Kenji in the eye with a sorrowful gaze.


    "It''s not your fault," the old Furbolg whispered as Kenji crushed his throat.


    Holding back tears, Kenji jettisoned his [Forbidden Slot] copy of the Troll body over the top of the old Furbolg, and using that as cover, became him. By the time he was pulled out by the other Furbolgs, the gorgous tree had been split down the middle with writhing green energy, and it''s source had been pulled free.


    The werewolves had retreated as quickly as they had come, believing Kenji would fulfill his role alone as was the plan. There was only one problem.


    "Oh no..." Kenji whispered as the villagers continued to ask if he was alright. "We''ve made a critical mistake, that wasn''t just a powersource for our defenses was it?"


    "What do you mean High Druid? Those idtiotic werewolves have allowed the foul Witch to steal the Heart of the Forest, this whole land is doomed!"


    Not just that, as Kenji delved into the old Furblogs memories he found nought but kindess, purity, and charity. They had indeed been the ones to convince the fawns, the deer and the rabbits to leave. But the plague?


    The Furbolgs had had nothing to do with it.

 85 Chapter 13 - Furbolg Dreams turned to Cinders

    "Grandfather! Are you alright?" A little Furblog girl said as she tentatively pulled Kenji up by his stiff arms. Immediately Kenji felt weak as water, this old body failing in a dozen ways and none of them good. But the power - this creature had been filled to the brim, and instead of fighting had wielded such druidic strength to heal and save?


    "Thank you Aski," Kenji mumbled, his niece''s name coming to him. The way this ''Grandfather'' had died still haunted him. Who could be so selfless to tell their murderer it was not their fault?


    But it hadn''t been, Kenji had been following the plan that would save the werewolves from their aggressors - that would end the suffering.


    Lifting watery old eyes, Kenji met a new side of this forest. Furblogs wept as they waded through the corpses, warriors marched in and helped pull away the wounded from the dead they cradled. The Furblog''s were a deeply social society, and even one death had caused a whole day of mourning in the past. With this Grandfather''s mind, Kenji knew, this day would burn a pit of sorrow so deeply into their hearts many would never be able to sleep well again.


    "Grandfather, it''s not safe, please come with us," grunted a brawny warrior with a black paw print on his brown belly. Yet the warrior was respectful, lowering his eyes and waiting for Kenji to move of his own accord.


    "Just a moment, I should heal them first-"


    "No!" cried the girl, pulling at his arm, "don''t do it, Grandfather, the spirits said using more magic would kill you if you kept using it. Leave it to Arti, he''ll do just fine. Just tell him what to do and rest."


    Arti, another Niece of Kenji''s current form. And a...bloodthirsty one at that, by Furblog standards at least. A bruiser likes the warriors, one of those that had survived a werewolf raid too and cursed with the powers from the Tree of Thorns, one of the most wicked spirits in the forest.


    "Grandfather, me and my Thorn Druids will take over from here," announce the small Furblog with heavy set eyes. The land resonated with Arti''s brewing hate, the thorny vines that lay across his body tightening, and the wind shrieking for blood. "I and the warriors will exact vengeance-"


    "No," grunted Kenji, feeling the ''Grandfather'' very much in agreement in halting all-out war.


    "They have been tricked, as have we," Kenji focussed as he recalled the memories. So long ago they had been perplexed as a herd of deer had breached their containment, the deer strange of eye and unresponsive to their calls. Those were the plague deer, Kenji was certain, just as certain as that he know knew the Furbolg village had nothing to do with the outbreak. That left the only one to benefit from this whole travesty as the one who had spread blight, and that the Furblog Druids had kept in check only by asking the Forest''s heart for aid.


    But that beautiful spirit tree now wilted like a flower after spring, a great congregation of Furbolg''s that had been born under it''s light staring in horror as the spirit tree slowly died.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "We must retrieve the Forest''s heart, Grandfather. Without it the tree will die for good, our defences will fail. Otherwise it''ll become like the days of old once more when werewolves hunted every night and our people suffered!" hate entered the young Furblog''s tone, thorn wrapped warriors behind him grunting agreement.


    "Hate is not the Furblog way," Kenji said, repeating one of the Grandfather''s old sayings, "and neither should we start a war with those who is not our enemy-"


    "They attacked us! War has already begun-"


    "Because we starved them, opposed them and choked them! Now that this ''Witch'' has poisoned the werewolves with plague, prejudice and the false hope of salvation they have been turned into a corruptive force with our very aid. We must stop their full transition or be destroyed. The werewolves will be taking the Forest''s Heart to the Witch now, at which point she will corrupt it and become more powerful than we could possible manage..."


    The weight of the situation crashed down upon Kenji just as heavily as the rest, this body reeling at the implication his people might be forced to flee. And to where? This patch of forest was one of the last refuges of peace in the known world, if they were forced into flight they would be similarly forced into conflict. And then they would certainly became a warfaring species again, a path with which they were unlikely to return. A poisonous chalice the Furbolg race weaned off long ago, but remained no less potent an addiction in their psyche.


    Luckily for them, Kenji had planned this far ahead beforehand. All they needed to do was get Kenji and some officials to the meeting zone with the werewolves, and lasting peace could be made at last. With Tenko ruling the opposition, it was guaranteed that she and Kenji could fix somthing up that would lead to at least a mutually agreed upon defenseive-pact.


    Although if Kenji had his way, there would be much more than that. Why stop at just peace when it was pretty damn obvious that if the Werewolves and Furblogs magically joined forces they could rule this forest?


    "With me, now!" Kenji said, thanked Aski for handing him his stave and started hobling.


    "Where are we going Grandfather?" Arti growled, his many thorn bound warriors following quickly.


    "I know where the werewolves will be, I know what to say to end this matter. I will make them see sense, they didn''t realise what stealing the Forest''s Heart would mean. They don''t understand that without it all the evil''s of the Forest will spread unchecked - the werewolves must be reasoned with!"


    "A foolish plan, Grandfather," Arti said carefully, earning many a reproachful glare from the Furblogs around them.


    "Foolish aye," Kenji chuckled, "but without the Forest''s Heart our magic is weak, and the werewolves are strong. It''s either this or destruction. You need not come child, let this old bag of bones be brave enough for the two of us."


    As youths were want to do, Arti bristled and puffed out his chest. Silently he followed, his warriors forming an honour guard around Kenji. Which he was thankful for. While Tenko might be expecting him, it seemed to him that this would be a great time for Kragg to grow a little too zealous and start a fight where there was none.


    And without Kenji feigning to be this ''Grandfather'', there would be no chance of peace.


    Rather on edge, Kenji wished for a hot coffee or a nice tea right about now. Pleasantly he found his mind steered by Grandfather''s memories, and the Druidic arts reverse to him. Kenji drew upon the energies of the natural world, a soothing warmth that filled him with contentment and sharpened the mind far beyond the aged confines of his skull.


    Suitable refreshed, Kenji walked into the night, to a very particular rockwall and prepared himself to put an end to this conflict.

 86 Chapter 14 - Somthing is Not Righ

    Having left his warriors behind, Kenji approached the single pair of yellow eyes before the rockface with a series of huge animals carved into its side. The stone art piece was now overrun with moss, the vague outline of stone structures at its base all that had remained of some ancient settlement.


    "It''s only Kragg. Ah...are you...you?" Kragg hissed, stalking out from behind a stone wall that was now supporting a tree, his yellow eyes staring into the distant snarls of the Furbolg far behind Kenji with contempt.


    "This wasn''t the plan," Kenji said carefully. "Where are Tenko and Elder?"


    "Gone. That potion the Elder drank? Well, it didn''t just heal him, it turned him into a fucking lapdog!" Howled Kragg, "when the Witch''s apprentice ordered he bring the pack to the witch immediately he agreed. Tenko, Kragg and others refused and they tried to forcefully take us! Kragg can fight anyone but Elder, and what attacked was something far more vicious than Elder. It was...so eager to please her," the werewolf shuddered and looked up to find Kenji biting his claws.


    "Fuck," Kenji whispered. "We...uh, we need help then, if we can at least find out where the Witch lives we can steal back the Forest''s Heart. Then the Furbolg Druids, this body especially, should be able to undo the bewitchment woven on the Elder."


    "We''ll need George, he''s been tracking how they''ve been receiving the drugs in Essenark. Unless the Furbolg''s know of anything?"


    Kenji slowly shook his head, "not really. They tracked the Witch to a huge patch of forest her blight was spreading from, but human hunters and their Unsouled werewolves would attack if we got too close. The animals, spirits and trees won''t help either - that patch of land is completely controlled by her magic. So asking George for help is a great idea, we can leave the Furbolg warriors outside the village while we ask too."


    Kragg looked Kenji up and down, "Kragg can turn into a human, but what about you? Going to shuffle into that cesspit looking like a white fuzzball?"


    "I''m going to do so in my human form. But I''m only morphing when well out of sight, understand?" Kenji indicated towards the waiting Furbolgs, and Kragg nodded.


    "Aye, damn fools. Better this way though, if we have to attack the Witch head on I don''t think we could do a whole lot by ourselves. George could help though, he was even stronger than I before he left."


    Soon they were all heading to Essenark together, Kenji having to work overtime to keep the Furbolg warriors on board. They were sceptical, but deeply trusting of their leader at the same time. Similarly, Kenji practised with his new magical power a little, even if every touch of the potent magic within left his heart pounding madly and a chorus of concerned scolding from his Furbolg followers.


    Concerningly the little warrior niece hadn''t come with just warriors either. While Kenji had spoken with Kragg a great marching had come through the forest as hundred of Furblogs led by the little girl from before proudly followed the aging Furbolg. Kenji pleaded with them to stay, saying only he and those trained should be risked. They refused, the Grandfather''s memories were equally infuriated and proud of his people.


    Kenji continued to feel that Grandfather did not blame him. Indeed it was as if the old Furbolg had expected his life to end soon, and seemingly approved that his body might be used to bring about lasting peace. Such a feeling greatly soothed terrible guilt that had been wracking Kenji and made him more certain than only utter peace between Werewolves and Furbolgs should be his goal from here.


    Nearing Essenark the others at last accepted that they should stay away, only for the Druids of the Thorn to adopt human forms. Curiously, Kenji found he too could do the same. Delving deep, he discovered too that from the Grandfather''s memory that Furbolgs and Werewolves had once been similar species indeed, although in the distant path the Furbolg had supposedly been the bloodthirstier of the two.


    How that had changed, was thanks to the land. The forest. The trees. While the Furbolg had renounced their berserker past, the Werewolves and revelled in the warrior way of their ancestors.


    Kenji too turned into an old human male and quickly cast a [Glimmer] spell that made him and his followers appear fully dressed peasants instead of naked barbarians. They still were in the nude beneath the magic, but since no one could tell Kenji assumed that was just fine for the moment.


    Through town they went, and to the Mayor''s Townhall.


    In the streets they found a handful of werewolves walking aimlessly, twitching and frothing at the mouth. The humans ignored the creatures or hurried away, more than a few of the Hunter General''s men trying to pull them by the neck, only to get battered aside. When the werewolves sprouted claws and fangs the hunters gave up and retreated themselves.


    The Townhall appeared ready for a siege, fifty of the Hunters arranged on its roof, town guards and Adventurers arrayed before it''s entrance and a sour George standing in the entranceway itself. Actually - Kenji shouted:


    "Caster! Caster it''s good to see you!"


    The new leader of Warden Company adjusted his gaze as he stared at Kenji''s snow-white beard, his many adventurers ceasing their construction on a series of barricades while they too got a peak.


    "Do I know you?" Caster said carefully, hand lowering to the hilt of his blade. Back stern as ever, brown hair dutifully combed and still wearing shining steel it could be no other.


    "Well, just a moment," Kenji ducked into a nearby alleyway, Kragg and Arti quickly pushing their way in. The Werewolf warriors and Furbolg Druid of the Thorn appeared ready to fight to the death in moments, but both were intrigued to watch Kenji shift into the Boy Knight.


    "Is that a druidic technique Grandfather?" Arti said with wide eyes, "I''ve never seen it''s like."


    "Indeed, a specialty of mine. And something I''ve developed to hopefully get me a few more years in this life," Kenji chuckled like an old man and returned to the streets. Seeing the Boy Knight, Caster''s eyes softened, even if his hand remained on his hilt.


    Now that Kenji thought about it, Caster wouldn''t have known about his ability to transform.


    "What''s this about - who are you?" Caster said, his adventurers now in alarm drew their weapons. Growling Kenji''s followers bristled, their auras leaking as power lashed across the earth.


    Kenji raised his hand.


    "Stop! Caster, I was here for the Hero Guild. To search for Tenko''s family, remember? Well, things have gotten complicated, if you''re here now you should know that. It is very important that you help me before things get out of control," Kenji said.


    "Enough," George announced. "All of you, go now. You don''t have much longer to live if you stay within Essenark tonight."


    Everyone turned to George at that.


    "What do you mean?" said a hunter with a few more tassels on his shoulders than the rest, the new Hunter General Kenji guessed.


    "We''re out of the drug, it won''t be long now before this entire town is overrun with feral werewolves. There isn''t much you can do either, attacking them will just trigger the change faster. I advise leaving, that includes you ''Hero Guild'' for while I know the Mayor hired you, there will be no reward collected from a corpse."


    Behind Kenji''s warriors, the werewolves began to appear in their twos and threes, all drifting towards the Townhall.


    "Medicine!" they screamed.


    "We need medicine, NOW!"


    Yet far too few, and Kenji could read it on George''s face, of the many werewolves in the region only a dozen had assembled? Even he could tell that wasn''t right.


    "Do not worry, George. Everything has been settled already, while the shortage will cause these few to go feral I have already sent the majority of our stock away to be sold in foreign markets," the Mayor announced from the second floor of the Townhall, looking down at them all from his balcony.


    "I do not recognise you folk either, who are you?"


    "Travellers-"


    "What do you mean sold?" George hissed, his fine-combed hair bristling.


    "George, heel," the Mayor whispered.


    Instead, George turned into his humanoid wolf form and appeared before the Mayor in a blink of the eye. "WHERE HAVE YOU SENT THEM?" he roared, clutching the fat man by the throat.


    "Kill him," the Mayor gurgled, completely unphased by his throat being squeezed.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    Roaring George pulled the Mayor inside as his guards and hunters rushed inside after him. Flying through the air went several feral werewolves who were flung into a craving frenzy, and howled about "medicine" as they fought their way inside.


    "Do not let the Mayor''s body be destroyed, and save that werewolf if you can!" Kenji yelled as loud as he could before he turned into the Sun Elf Queen and charged into the fray. Without the Mayor, they could not possibly know the location of the Witch, and without George, they might not have a chance at bringing her down.


    If only there wasn''t such a mess of a battle in the way.


    Kenji flew forward as the first volley was shot from the hunters on the roof, feral werewovles slashing at everthing in arms reach, and screaming filled the night air like stars did the sky.

 87 Chapter 15 - TownHall Brawl

    "HYAH!" Kenji screamed, sending out a blast of wind that battered aside the next volley of arrows.


    Ahead Caster was ordering his warriors aside, allowing the Feral werewolves to crash against Essenark''s Guards. The wild strength of the werewolves was swiftly overwhelmed by discipline and teamwork, yet provided just the opening Kenji needed to puncture a hole in the enemy defences so that his allies could widen the gap behind him.


    "I''m going ahead!" Kenji announced and activated both his illusions and invisibility ring upon entering the Townhall. Wizards and rangers met him within, their bolts of magic and magic bound arrows blasting away his illusions from their positions on the second floor.


    Appearing next to them, Kenji slit the throat of a Hydromage before twisting through the air to deliver a sharp kick to a ranger''s neck. A blast of water shot him aside, the Hydromage''s apprentice holding his Master''s stave with shivering hands, words of power on his lips as he built up a much more potent spell. Kenji saved him the trouble, a flung knife whipping through the air to plant itself in the apprentice''s skull.


    Dashing from the room, Kenji was met with a series of yellow-eyed maids and butlers.


    "Really, what the fuck is with fantasy dictators and monster servants-"


    Before Kenji could work up his wind blades they attacked, swift claws and snapping fangs reaching for Kenji''s throat. Releasing his blast of wind prematurely Kenji was blown backwards, the werewolves similarly being blown aside. When he charged again he moved his fingers in the same motions, the werewolves bracing themselves for the expected spell.


    Instead, Kenji set the blast off behind him and used the momentum to run across a wall, receiving only a single slash across his shoulder. Bleeding like a pig he flew onward, setting off greater bursts as he shot his way over the guards and their fortified positions to arrive in a great hall.


    Here Kenji found George with the Mayor in his hands, and several of his personal guards positioned in a circle around him. They held steel with magical runes, their bodies emitting powerful auras and Kenji was certain each was a veteran of battle.


    Behind a great open window let in the silvery light of the moon, making the great pools of George''s blood glow white with the Moon''s power. In his hands, he held the Mayor ruffly, who continued to stare at a sleek black owl in the rafters.


    "Back off - or Grankash will bite off the human''s head," George snapped, yellow eyes hazy.


    "You won''t do that," murmured one of the Mayor''s guards, "kill the beast."


    As the guards charged, Kenji flew at one to buried his blades in the guard''s chest, the guard fearlessly turning to batter him against the wall in turn. Without losing a moment the guard crushed Kenji''s shoulder with his mace, before keeling over in a pool of his own blood. The other guards were similarly strange, fighting with too little care for their lives or even that of the Mayor''s.


    Holding to his word George snapped the Mayor''s neck, and threw aside the body to dodge an axe blow - only to be skewered by a spear. Slashing the man shoulder to groin, George turned only to be speared again. Somehow the guard had kept his composure, no fear as he moved to spear George thrice.


    A thown knife fixed that, landing right into the side of the guard''s head with the last of this form''s strength. Returning as Dana, he chuckled as he raised the bodies of the two dead guards.


    "The Witch has ordered you retreat, cease fighting immediately," Kenji shouted, knowing only one force could have turned these grunts into monsters of flesh. Thankfully the guards halted, and backed away from George who continued to breathe heavily.


    "This creature lies. Follow only my orders - destroy the werewolf," hooted the owl, who promptly sent a blast of foul green magic at Kenji. Throwing one of his minions in the way he survived, even if the undead guard was blown apart in his place. Alas, his other undead servant wasn''t close enough to shield him from the second and was blasted to pieces.


    Having had quite enough, Kenji came back as his Troll body.


    "FUCK YOU," Kenji roared as he jumped to smash the wooden beams on which the owl sat. Fluttering madly, the owl zoomed for the open window only for Kenji to hurl the broken beam to crash through the owl, the window, and right out into the night air.


    Turning to the guards Kenji stomped over, ignored their attempts to wound him and battered them away from George. "I''ve got you, just keep yourself together," Kenji grumbled, touching at the red dripping from his chest where an axe was now buried deep.


    A spear planted itself in his back, and a mace shattered the thick bone of his knee. Stumbling down, Kenji raised his hands and bellowed...not that the enemy seemed to care.


    Werewolf servants exploded into the room on a trail of snarls. Raking their claws along the wooden walls, they seemed frenzied in their desire to sink their fangs into Kenji''s neck. Outnumbered, Kenji put up his fists, the wound at his stomach healing over thanks to the Troll''s regeneration.


    But what now? All alone they might be able to bring him down through sheer force of numbers.


    At that moment a golden light blasted through the open windowsill, and the eyes of the werewolves in the room went from yellow to gold.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "No, no no no no no..." George whispered, even as the werewolf servants suddenly become calm, and looked around confused. "Help Grankash destroy these monsters!" roared George, the servants following his command immediately to rip into the backs of the guards, throwing their weapons aside and peeling aside their armour to feast of their bodies.


    "What''s wrong - that was Tenko, right? She saved them," Kenji sighed and rubbed the shattered bone in his knee as it was slowly stitched back together.


    "No, Grankash knows. That power lasts only a short time, and is the last resort. Priestess Tenko has fallen, wherever she fights, she has just used the last of her power," limping to the Mayor''s body, George-Grankash pulled free a series of black vials.


    When the golden power fled, and the moon turned back to its white shine, the werewolves resumed their aggressive stance as they approached Kenji. Yet ready, Grankash raised up the vials and caught their attention.


    "They obey whoever provides the doses," Grankash explained, handing out a little vial to each of the werewolves in turn. They scratched at their skin as they waited, biting their lips so hard blood oozed down their chin. Grankash had to pour the mixture in their mouth directly, "otherwise they''d eat the glass too. Get''s in their system that way, Grankash has seen it too often."


    "And you? Did you use to take-"


    "Do not speak of that. Grankash is strong, but the medicine still calls to me," Grankash visible shook as he unstoppered each bottle, a monumental amount of willpower preventing his relapse.


    "Then allow me, I can do it for you."


    Grankash growled, and continued to administer the medicine. Kenji nodded and stepped away, allowing the werewolf warrior to continue to take care of his own. Outside it sounded as if the fighting had ended, soon Caster and the rest would enter demanding a plan.


    Taking over the dead Mayor''s body for a time, Kenji formed one. When he learned all he needed to he threw the corpse aside, not wanting it''s putrid guilt, even if he now knew the Mayor too was just a pawn. Fed the very same medicine, he was as addicted and dronelike as the rest. But realising the Mayor could prove useful later on, Kenji reluctantly put the body back on, and readied himself to rally what remained of Essenark''s fighters to the cause of destroying the Witch.


    The Witch it seemed, was truly the root cause of every evil in Essenark. And with her removal, the entire land could finally heal from her corruption. To that end, Kenji would take this body that had been a pawn for so much evil, and make it a pawn for good instead.


    He prayed to the Truthblade that the spirit of the Mayor would see some peace for that, and that the great shame of what his drugged self did failed to haunt him into eternity.

 88 Chapter 16 - Pitchforks, Torches, and a Witch.

    "I will free our people from the Witch''s corruptive ways!" Kenji roared into the great crowd of the people of Essenark. Standing tall, Kenji addressed the crowd as the Mayor, dark suit, white mask and mysterious background all. Roaring back with pitchforks, torches, and old family weapons, the mob''s numbers stretched back into the streets and out of sight.


    "Thank you to the Hero''s Guild, for rooting out the evil curse that had afflicted our people. To think we were being controlled and corrupted? May the Three be blessed!" Kenji might not believe in the Three, but their mention certainly got a huge roar from the crowd.


    Caster waved back at them, his collection of Warden Company members and adventurers sourced from the Hero Guild standing right behind. Many of the newcomers looked perplexed with what was going on, but the veterans held to stoic stances, having placed their faith in Caster''s leadership.


    "And thank you to the guardians of the land, mighty Furbolgs, who have vacated their sacred glades and rites of protection to go forth into the field and assist humanity in dealing with the shadow that stretches across all of Essenark!"


    The Furbolgs roared, some few believing their Grandfather had become the Mayor while others simply seemed to have a wet appetite for war. A concerning change - removing the harmonious Furblogs from their glades had swiftly devolved them into violent creatures reminiscent of the werewolves themselves, who growled from behind Grankash who stood right behind Kenji.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "Thankfully the Witch''s attack on our people was dispelled with the Furblog''s arrival. The Witch sought to bend me to her will, to sour my rule, and to corrupt our lands. I thank you, creatures of tree and fern, for saving our souls from damnation!"


    Another clap, too few of them from the guards and hunters. Those that had survived had largely fled, their true loyalty exposed like a bleeding vein. They were never the Mayor''s men, but part of the puppets cage the Mayor had worked within. No doubt they were already close to the Witch''s domain, having fled while Kenji gathered his forces, and in Grandfather''s form administered his healing powers to pull many back to full health after the terrible battle.


    "The Hunter General...has not been so brave," Kenji whispered as if admitting a hard truth. "After the deaths of the last few of our enemies, our current Hunter General was informed by the Witch that she caused each''s death in turn of those last few to hold his station. Then after threatening him like the last, finally a man of Essenark cracked, and he has fallen under her sway. I would hear a cheer for those that had rather die than fall to her clutches-" and a cheer promptly came "- and would ask that you fight free of guilt when we are forced to slaughter the traitors, for our enemies have chosen their lot, with the devil of the dark. And we have ours, with the bright light of the Three, may their blessings bring us victory!"


    Having well enough of cheering, Kenji directed his peasant mob to follow along with his great many allies. Through the forest they went, the Mayor having been well aware of the rough area that the Witch lived.


    As well as the number of her pawns, which now included the majority of the greatly expanded force of Essenark Hunters. The werewolf raid on their slaving camp had been a great blow, but even paired with rooting out those enemies nestled in the Townhall the Mayor''s memories indicated many more still remained.


    "Grandfather, we should rest. Your too sick, you''re- Grandfather?"


    As the Mayor, Kenji turned to Arti with eyes welling with tears.


    "Do not hate him," Kenji plead.


    "Hate who - the werewolf? Because we-"


    "Don''t hate your Grandfather."


    Arti''s eyes rounded, "Grandfather, are you ok?"


    Kenji put a paw on the youth''s shoulder, still bound in some thorny vines gifted by the wicked Thorned spirit. But even that spirit was but a mere stepping stone to the past, a shadow of the blazing hot power that lay just beyond the fog of the Furbolg past.


    "Child, I do not believe we currently have the strength to defeat the enemy. They will have an army of werewolves and human hunters, a few products of the Witch''s evil practices too. We will fail, if we attack as we are."


    "Then why do we attack at all? Our people are still strong, let us turn around and go far away - unless...you couldn''t mean Grandfather, the Queen of Thorns...?"


    It broke Kenji''s heart, yet he nodded. He had found the existence of the Queen nestled deep in the Grandfather''s memory, yet it had been presented to him as if a gift from the dead Furbolg. The ghost of his mind sent warmth and reassurances, there was no other way.


    "Uncounted years of our own path end now. It is time for the Berserkers to awaken from our slumber, and reign once more as Ruler''s of Battle," for the Furbolgs were not an entirely separate species at all. There was a reason these ''werewolves'' were not the type to turn under a full moon, nor spread their curse with a bite.


    For they were not werewolves either, but skinchangers. What race they had changed from even Grandfather did not know, but both the Furbolgs and Werewolves had been designed to be weapons of war until they became divided due to some unknown event.


    And in the ashes, the Furbolgs had arisen, with the aid of the Queen of Thorns, a cruel goddess who had driven them to a battle fervour that had drowned entire kingdoms in blood. Rejected so that the Furbolg race could live a humbler life, she had waited ever since.


    "Today is the day, that I hoped would never come. It seems we Furbolgs can be a people of peace no more. Spread the word, those who would welcome the Queen''s arrival may stay. Those who wish to remain true to the land should return, where they might wait out the wars amidst the peace we shall create."


    "It will be as you say. By the time we have arrived all will have given their answers," lowering his head, Arti withdrew. And as Kenji approached the great swathe of withered forest that was the Witch''s domain, he did so with a heavy heart knowing what he had done.


    That to save them, he had taken a people who had broken their chains to be free - and driven them right into the mental cage of a creature of war. The Queen of Thorns.

 89 Chapter 17 - Queen of Thorns

    "Turn back now, yea who would enter here. The lands beyond are forbidden to you," warbled a faraway voice through a black cat with flaring green eyes.


    "And I warn you in turn, Witch. Return the heart to us, return the werewolves to their minds, and leave this land forevermore. Otherwise, there will be no respite until your insides are placed in various bowls and your bones handed out like candy to those warriors who butchered at least ten of your abominations!" Kenji roared, a great howl and stamp erupting behind him. The human mob joined in, despite Kenji being quite certain they were not ones for snacking on witch fingers.


    "My powers will twist this land into every danger imaginable. My rangers will slaughter you from above, and you''ll be forced to bear it and grin. Meanwhile, my ''abominations'' are...well, why spoil the surprise?" the cat appeared to smirk, and Kenji began to chuckle.


    "For untold years, the spirits of the land have filled our heart with peace. But now we can drink of that soothing dew no more, and return to the fiery nectar of war!" Kenji roared, addressing not the cat but those Furblogs that remained. Roaring loudly, they were mainly warriors or druids of the Path of Thorns, Grandfather''s grandson Arti Chief amongst them.


    "And so, as High Priest of this dead religion, let me [Awaken Senses] and [Call of the Queen of Thorns] to bless us now, and grant us victory!" A whispering filled Kenji''s ears, and a vile power flowed from the clouds to snap into the Furbolgs limbs and fill them with black smoke. Their eyes went unblinking blood-red in moments, muscles bulging beneath bear pelts, as the Furblogs contorted into their true form.


    Half man, half bear they appeared. The strange race that was the Furbolg''s heritage, the race that stood like a man with the power of a bear, with fanged teeth, clawed hands and bear furs worn like clothes. They roared incoherently into the air, and the [Queen of Thorns] entered their minds.


    [It has been, a long time...but I accept. Be blessed with the Thorns of War].


    Across Kenji''s body thorny vines pulled at him, spreading, hardening, until Grandfather was encased in vine hard as iron. It supported his frame, his power feeding it, and the vine in return making him strong of the body if weak of mind.


    Gone was the aching back, banished the weak knees and to the void any sense of a fading mind as Kenji felt the Grandfather''s body become truly powerful. No healing light would he be able to work with now, only thorns, twisting and unyielding. In his palms, he produced a [Thorn Spear] that if projected would uncoil into a dozen yard spike before retracting just as fast into his hands, or could be curled around branches like Spiderdude''s web from the comics.


    "Bearfolk Berserkers of the Thorn, attack!" Kenji roared, firing his vine spear like a lance. The cat narrowly dodged aside, as a rush of iron-hard vine flew passed its cheek.


    "Really, you NPCs are the worst. Can you not just accept that I have won? In under half an hour my spell will be complete and everything will be mine, my monsters are too strong as it is-" cut off by another spear thrust, the cat was driven away, as the Furbolgs turned Bearfolk charged into the darkened forest.


    The humans, Guild and mob alike, charged right afterwards while Kragg flew across the ground as if the wind itself. Together they arrived at the fortified lines of the Witch''s domain, rangers in trees letting loose with their arrows, a pair of witch apprentices sending bolts of green to explode through their ranks and a horde of corrupt treants spewed forth to meet Kenji''s forces head-on.


    With Iron hard vine weapons the Bearfolk crashed into the Treants lines, while the Hero Guild focused on the enemy range units with their own volley''s and Kragg hunted down the witch apprentices directly. Thrown into a rage, Kenji found his vision going red as he crushed treant after treant. Small and spry as a certain dyslexic green master from a show called StellarBattles, Kenji became an unstoppable force as he blasted his way across the battlefield.


    Wrapping his Thorn Spear across a faraway branch, Kenji pulled to send his little body flying across the battlefield and crash into the rangers'' lines. Screaming, he unleashed a barrage of flailing vines to batter the humans against the ground and crush their bones like glass.


    One human threw him back with his shield, another spearing Kenji''s thick armour with her spear and managing to wet the tip of the spearhead in his blood. Surrounded, Kenji was assaulted by a wave of the Bewitched human fighters who knew no fear and fought with a level of strength and resilience far beyond their brethren.


    Thankfully Kenji had not come alone.


    From behind arrived the Bearfolk warriors, their crimson eyes lusting for blood, vine armoured bodies dedicated to the dance and Vine Spears contorting to maces as they crashed into the human''s plate. Steel was dented, the bones beneath shattering, bursts of crimson spluttering from painless lips.


    Lost in the battle, Kenji kept fighting until all was gore, and his mind was lost in the sweet siren call of bloodlust. Too late did he notice the enemies maneuvering, although perhaps he had and just didn''t care. Unsouled Werewolves slammed into their flanks, viciously clawing at human, Bearfolk and werewolf alike.


    "We need-WE NEED TO GET TO THE WITCH!" Kenji roared above the din of battle, leading those he could further ahead through the enemy lines and trusted his allies to hold the three dozen or so werewolves in place. Breaking through, Kenji arrived at a desolate area, with shattered trees thrown aside and a log building visible beyond. Above the building swirled a dark green cloud that crackled and blazed as it sucked the life from the surrounding land to leave nothing but dead soil and withered flora in its wake.


    The ground shook as a creature arose from the forest, and stomped out into the area of ruined trees. Timber splintered with each hooven step, muscles bulged like an ogre as the gigantic creature made itself known.


    Like a deer on steroids, it was taller than any ogre Kenji had ever known, with its muscles inflated beyond reasoning and it''s a mouth filled with fangs like a werewolf. Its flesh was cracked, oozing and ruined as if the transformation had broken its body almost as much as it had been enhanced.


    Nonetheless, the Monsterous Deer lowered its twisting horns and charged like an approaching wall of spikes. Fast as lightning it pinned one of the Bearfolk against a tree, the many sharpened horns piercing several critical organs. Turning the creature readied for another charge, the dead Bearfolk''s corpse still dangling amidst the canopy of horns atop the monstrosities'' head.


    "Tangle its feet and horns, Kragg you get the kill when it''s bound," Kenji said without missing a beat, and firing off his Thorn Spear to wrap around one of the monster''s ogre muscled legs. A dozen more Thorn Spears did the same around the Monster''s body, and even then it''s titanic strength allowed it to slowly pull them around as it thrashed and bucked.


    Yet that was all the time Kragg needed to lithely get through and slash at its neck - an explosion of green threw him back, an enraged Witch''s Apprentice watching from afar.


    "HOW DARE YOU!" screamed the same young witch that had acted as a messenger before, "You will DIE like a good little puppy!" shrieking she sent a green bolt to narrowly miss shattering Kragg''s the head. Through the cloud of debris emerged Grankash, who moved like liquid ink as he charged the little witch.


    "Leave her to Grankash!" He roared as he dodged aside another explosion, shards of rock firing into his side. Not wanting to lose this opportunity, Kragg got himself up and attacked the monster again, even as Thorn Spears began to snap in quick succession as the monster''s strength proved too great.


    In a moment Kragg had slashed the monster''s throat, and yet had to do so several more times to hack his way through the wall of muscle. Blood spewed out in a torrent, and yet the monster remained standing, unphased as it continued to struggle and snap at the restraints holding it still.


    "Kragg says DIE ALREADY!" Kragg roared, latching onto the monster''s side and slashing again, and again, and again, until finally, the monster spluttered red, began to sway, and fell to shake the earth. Dirt filled the air, Kenji coughing as he waved it away and charged forward.


    From the cloud of dust, Kragg emerged, Kenji having already flown passed to find Grankash bleeding heavily as the little Witch laughed. "Die!" She said, directing a potent green bolt to his throat and letting loose enough force to send Grankash''s head blasting from his body.


    The bitch managed to get a translucent green wall in front of her before Kenji''s Thorn Spear could pierce her through the eye in turn. Having the spear end bite into the shield itself, Kenji retracted the vine and pulled himself towards her. Contorting mid-air, he slammed the Thorn Spear in an axe form into the shield, shattering it like glass, to seize the witch''s throat.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "How do I stop the ceremony?" Kenji hissed. "How do I save him?" Kenji suffered a quick look of Grankash''s dead frame, the werewolf butler no well beyond saving.


    The Witch spat in his face. So Kenji tore out her throat and became her.


    The ceremony was nearly complete, and only by removing the main Witch from being the ceremonies axis could it be prevented from scouring the forest of life. The Witch would similarly become more powerful than could be imagined, although not even the apprentice could imagine what she would use all that power for.


    Jettisoning the body, Kenji became the regenerated Sun Elf Queen. And immediately realised how much the Grandfather body had soured his mind. As the blood lust faded it became increasingly apparent, he had sacrificed so many on the way here without a thought, almost as if some force had been suppressing his ability to think.


    Seeing the Bearfolk charge onward, he understood now while they had chosen to forget the Queen of Thorns. Her powers were potent, but the cost was the mind itself. Kenji could change bodies, but for those with only one the prospect of throwing off this power that filled them with white-hot fury...it just didn''t seem likely.


    Perhaps later he would take the late Grankash''s body with him, but for now there was a job to do.


    Entering the Witch''s lair, he readied himself to fight the end boss and get finally get revenge on behalf of those who could not do so themselves.

 90 Chapter 18 - A Twisted Heart Cares No

    Within was a cave that stretched downward, guarded by Bewitched warriors that got in Kenji''s forces way. They fought with bitter slowness, eventually making their way passed mounds of bodies and to an iron door.


    Breaking it down, Kenji entered to find a blazing green pentagram, a shifting spring green orb with golden cracks along with it, and a Witch with a beaklike nose and knobbly fingers.


    "You chose poorly, in coming down here," she cackled, whipping horrid green energy through the air. The Iron door rose off the ground and refit itself to the wall, while with another flick bright green symbols flitted across the floors.


    "Try me, and see what happens," she whispered, raising a thick green shield in the air before returning to her ceremony. The Bearfolk attacked immediately, Kenji''s cry not halting them as they charged onto the symbols and were struck with a barrage of green light.


    When the ligth faded, the Bearfolk''s own eyes now glowed green, as they turned slowly to stare at Kenji and those Bearfolk arriving behind him.


    "They''ve been bewitched," Kragg grumbled. "Blast it!"


    No one else got a word in as the bewitched Bearfolk charged, their Thorn Spears now turned on their allies to devastating effect. Kenji knew to fight them was pointless, and so with a blast of air flittered above the battlefield and headed straight for the Witch herself.


    Wind blades and steel knives crashed into the thick shield, leaving only small cracks.


    "Give up dearie, just let this happen," the Witch laughed again, the pentagram widening as a whirling dark appeared from within. "Let me do this, it''s for this world''s own good."


    "I''m of the 18," Kenji hissed, hoping this was one as well. "Daario sent me, he says to stand down."


    "We''re long past pretending, dear," the Witch replied as another series of windblades crashed into her shield, and a dribble of sweat running down her beaklike nose as her fingers began to tremble, "if that were so you would have come with the rest. You would have spoken up earlier. You would have stated your name, and waited."


    That was a lot of excuses for something that shouldn''t matter.


    "Daario will have your head on a spike," Kenji hissed, the Witch twitched. Turning her hagged head she stared at him.


    "So bold. What will your lies earn you, I wonder?"


    The darkness began to envelop her pentagram, cracks appearing in reality, something else looking back through at him.


    "The werewolves are gone if that''s what you wanted, and killing me would earn you nothing. Not now that I have succeeded," with a snap of her fingers the entire room burst with green, as a great rush of life energy funnelled through the caves to slam into her pentagram.


    When the light faded, the Witch''s shield broke. She didn''t struggle as Kenji slit her throat, merely continued to build up a little ball in her hands. Kenji realised what she had done too late, and threw himself back as the Witch exploded into a ball of green flames.


    She hadn''t looked at all frightened, merely content.


    The cracks began to spread, and through the dark kenji made out a burning aura that made him naseus. Whatever it was, it was endless in strength and primordial in nature.


    [Level up] announced in Kenji''s head, twin banners displaying in his mind.


    To the left were an additional two [Forbidden Slots] and considerable more internal storage, while to his right was an upgrade to his existing [Forbidden Slots] that would increase their conversion of stats up to %80.


    Kenji chose the left and exited the Witch''s cave in a daze. Behind him followed the Bearfolk freed from the Witch''s clutches, and stared with sorrow to find a wasteland of dead dirt and blackened leaves.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    Everything was dead, the Witch having spent the power within Forest''s Heart to deliver a mortal wound on the earth. In the sky, the cracks in reality were repeated as if reality had been broken like a plate.


    "The heart is no more," Kenji announced with great sorrow, as he added both the Witch''s best apprentice and Grankash to his internal storage while filling his two new [Forbidden Slots] with the Satyr Warleader and the Furbolg Grandfather.


    They would search all day and come up empty. The werewolves really were gone, Tenko too.


    Searching the Witch Apprentice''s memory she remembered only that the people who had taken the cages were thugs with spider tatoos, and had headed into the Kingdom''s heartland with the werewolves in cages, Tenko amongst them. They could be in any number of villages, towns or cities by now. The area to search was far too vast for Kenji to head there himself, he''d need help.


    "Kragg, your people, I''ll find them," Kenji said through the torrent of dead leaves that continued to fall from the wounded sky.


    "How? Do you know where they are? Kragg''s people are great trackers, but we need to know where to track and what."


    "They were thugs with spider tatoos, and they were heading into the Kingdom''s heartland. Send those werewolves who can turn into convincing humans to start tracking, if you find them, any word at all, send for me and I''ll come right away."


    "And what of you? I had thought Kenji cared for the High Priestess, what will you be doing?"


    "I''ll be in Tariak, sending out adventurers to every damn settlement in Alandria if that''s what it takes," Kenji took out the key he had received as a bonus reward after the Siege of Tariak, "and in the meantime, I''ll be training. When you do find Tenko and the others, I''ll have a Raid Party able to crack even the toughest dungeon."


    Kenji understood now, he could not do this himself. Things had gone poorly because of how he insisted he does things himself. If there had been several others he could have trusted, of high level, geared and with the correct training...


    "Things will go differently in future, send those with me who cannot be trusted to hunt. The forest of Essenark is no longer habitable. The same goes for you Arti, those Furbolgs who did not want to become Bearfolk should come with me as well."


    "Your not...Grandfather, are you?" Arti said, sizing Kenji up after having managed to return to his Furbolg form. Kenji was impressed, he knew firsthand the willpower required to pull away from the sweet bloodlust the Queen of Thorns pumped them full of, and even now dozens of Furbolg remained stuck in their Bearfolk state, unable to exit the powerful bezerker mode.


    "I''m not, and I apologize sincerely for tricking you. I was tricked in turn by the Witch and was forced to adapt my plans to try and save as many lives as possible. I beg of you to forgive me, and assure you that no matter what you decide to do, I''ll do my best to aid you and your people in future."


    "My...people," Arti whispered, staring at the larger Furbolgs with some realization. The way the small Furbolg''s first thoughts went to his countrymen made Kenji smile, seeing in Arti the same kindness and wisdom he felt within Grandfather. "We will come with you, and hold you accountable should this deception not prove worth it. We cannot stay here at least, and I believe that while you were our enemy, that is not the case anymore."


    Offering a clawed hand, Kenji clapsed it in his elvish own and shook.


    With a heavy heart, he started organising their return to Tariak. Defeated, yet not broken. They WOULD find out where the werewolves were taken, and Kenji swore he would have his elite team ready to break them free the moment the news came in.


    "Just wait a little longer Tenko. I''m coming, I promise."

 91 Chapter 19 - King of Rats

    Ellie gestured to either side, as she slowly approached the edge of her lookout. Far below were a dozen ratmen holding torches of green flame in one hand, and wicked curved daggers the other. Before them on a stone platform lay a terrified woman, her bare stomache painted with the markings of a sacrifice.


    To Ellie''s left appeared a goats head, Fial the Faun pulling free his little bow. At this distance, the Faun Sharpshooter wouldn''t miss, but he couldn''t take all down them alone and Ellie wasn''t good enough with the bow just yet to help.


    Ellie contorted her hands to form several symbols above her, and then led her party below. They scrambled down the rock in this pitch-black cavern, a gruff wall of bearded steel leading them. While only tall as Ellie, Dwargon was four times wider under all that plate, and wielded a thick square shield and mace. Silent as always Dwargon led them from the front, a black-furred Satyr with a hell flame axe right behind him.


    Then came Ellie and Armen, Armen being the magical elf who even now freed continued to wear that fine dark suit of an apprentice butler. Armen wound small flames like fireflies around his knuckles and walked with silence only Fial could match.


    Meanwhile Ellie the rogue felt dumb and stupid, her throwing knife pouches now filled with bandages and potions. Yet they waited for her instruction, the weakest amongst them somehow in charge.


    Again she wondered why Scab had to leave her. He was a prick, but at least they had matched each other strength for strength. This new party...it made Ellie feel as if she should have just stayed home.


    Splitting up, Dwargon went left while the Satyr Warlock went right. Ellie had heard his name a few times and never been able to pronounce it, and so they had nicknamed her Rams.


    Ellie waited, about to give the signal as Dwargon and Rams got in position to attack - a deep howl filled the cavern as Dwargon charged, the slapping of steel-toed feet shattering the hissing silence.


    "Foolish old man!" Ellie yelled, leaping forward, twin knives in hand. Over her shoulder, Armen cast a bolt of ice that froze a ratman whole, while Rams crashed into the ratmen right flank with her burning axe ripping through one ratman''s shoulder to slice through another''s belly.


    "Armen! hold your magic for larger threats!" Ellie yelled behind her, dodging a ratman''s spear thrust to use [critical-strike] and stab it through the eye.


    As another ratman was about to stab her in the side a well-timed arrow slammed into the creature''s head.


    Ellie raised her hand in thanks, Fial''s arrows continued to fall in a carefully placed order to take out those ratmen who proved more of a threat.


    Ellie entered the battle again, facing off against a ratman wielding a broken sword. Soon their sparing was interrupted by a wave of fur, as the ratmen once again summoned the creatures of whisker and tail to assault them.


    "Who has the girl?" Ellie yelled, Rams immediately diverting to charge towards the chained woman. "I didn''t mean get her - Fial cover her, Armen drive away these rats!"


    Arrows picked off those who would disrupt Rams while Armen unleashes a cone of cold that froze a swathe of rats and chilled many more. Fleeing with an army of squeaks, the rats were banished for now.


    But not the ratmen, and has Ellie turned to Dwargon her heart sank. He was surrounded by several of the creatures, his gore coated mace slamming through skull and spine while taking several hits apiece. The dwarf had entered one of his states again and was clearly going far beyond what he could handle to keep the ratmen in check.


    Out of party members, and quite sure Armen was low on mana, Ellie charged herself. The ratmen turned on her immediately, their fast hands and sharp blades delivering a series of shallow wounds no matter how much she focused on dodging.


    "Blasted girl!" roared Dwargon, his first words in a week that wasn''t ''mead'', and fought with a renewed fury. So awful was the splattering of blood, the ratmen began to panic, then flee.


    Fial got some more shots in as they slinked away into the dark, Ellie already nursing her wounds with ointment while Rams brought the shivering girl back in her arms. The woman was wide eyed as she looked up at Rams, yet calmed upon seeing Ellie.


    "Human?" The woman whispered, "a-are you adventurers?"


    "Of the Hero Guild ma''am. If you don''t mind, could Rams here hold you until we get out? The rest of us need our hands free in case the rats try something you see," Ellie said smiling, despite the sting of her wounds, it was her duty to reassure the rescued.


    Smiling herself beneath layers of muck, the woman began to sniffle as fat tears rolled down her cheeks.


    "Hey, it''s ok. We''re here now," Ellie whispered and indicated to Dwargon to do his thing. As Ellie reassured the freed captive, Dwargon stepped beside the stone slab she had been chained too and used [smash] to blast it wide open.


    Within they found a withered ratman corpse like the rest. Dwargon pulled out a shining blade just Ellie''s size and scrawled with the picture of rats with crowns. Light in her hands, well balanced, and with a keen edge Ellie promptly replaced on of her old iron daggers with those old Rat Empire steel. A small sceptre was found too, cracked down the middle but still with a wisp of magic sweet as rain on it. Ellie gave it to Armen, pulled out the plush cloth to sell and indicated to Rams to do her work.


    The Satyr Warlock used her hellfire axe to set the body aflame, and ensuring this rite was not to be tried again. The second this week, Ellie wondered how many corpses in this land of the Rat Empire remained.


    Even now she could make out the faded markings of footpaths on the floor, their edges inscribed with imagery of dancing whiskers. Long forgotten roads caked in dust drove in every direction and into grand tunnels turned musty cave.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "Let''s go before the Royal Rats arrived," Ellie muttered, the party hastily ascending to the surface.


    "Royal rats?" the captive woman said pensively.


    "That dead rat thing, other adventurers have gotten to the ceremony too late. Each one equips a bunch of ratmen in gear hidden throughout this network, makes them hella strong. We call ''em Royals."


    What Ellie left out was that the creation of a Rat Noble was more like the raising of a Lich, and the Royals were closer to the definition master Kenji gave for a ''Death Knight''.


    Speaking of Master Kenji, wasn''t he running a class on leadership today?


    Ellie hurried her step, having just realised. While it was her duty to go on these quests with so many of the senior adventurers being sent to start chapter houses in faraway places, Ellie would very much be lying if she didn''t admit she loved those lessons. There was something about growing in a safe environment, far away from the grime of reality, that made her wistful for a life where she could seek such an education as a scholar.


    Laughing, she waved away her companions confused looks. An education for an orphan girl? Ellie really was losing the plot, surely she should stop wasting time on dreams so absurd as that.

 94 Chapter 22 - Entering the Rose Gate

    "Cya Maud!" Ellie kissed the old granny''s head goodbye.


    "You stay safe out there young lady, knives aren''t as protective as a good man you know," whistled the old coot. Ellie rolling her eyes.


    "Maud, I''m not getting married! Not now, not ever. I like being as I am, and don''t you worry, knives are plenty good at protecting little ''ol me," winking Ellie went to lick the flat of her blade like she used too, but stopped. That was something she did with the gang, with Scab and the rest.


    Ellie was a new person now, she needn''t act depraved to get a reaction or throw off her marks, no she could be normal if she wanted too. Normal, such a weird word, what did it even mean?


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    Ellie thought on that as she exited the new hospice and a series of Furbolg druids were ushered inside. Ellie had great hopes for them, Arti having mentioned their ceremonies were even more potent than just his powers alone, and soon the great many sick and wounded might be on their feet again.


    Tariak bustled, somehow, and Ellie found it infuriating.


    Satyr, Fauns, Sun Elves, Furbolgs....oh, and the humans that had called this place home before them. Those humans lined up by the dozen before Fae Clinics, eager to get their ''Glamour'' that would see their memories of the war fade, and their cheeks became all rosy with glee.


    Ellie spat on the road, refusing to ever be parted with the memories of Scab. No matter how much it hurt, Ellie felt that forgetting him would be like letting him die for good.


    "Excuse me, coming through!" Ellie announced as she pushed through the crowd, people from all over the world seemingly wanting to live right here now that the Far King has used his enchantments to do the place up. But even though the farms grew green, the air was sweet and everyone was housed, Ellie would rather have the creature''s head than his thanks. Every red-eyed Fae she saw around town made her clench her dagger, and wonder whether it was worth throwing everything away for a little revenge.


    Each time she reluctantly moved along. Ellie wasn''t strong enough yet, only one of those refined creatures had nearly defeated both Kenji and Lord Swan, so what hope did Ellie have?


    But if she grew stronger...then something might be achieved.


    "Ellie, your late if we''re training today!" hissed Scales as Ellie entered the Golden Goose Guildhall. The snake woman spent her time here now, as did most of the Headless Hunter Guildmembers due to some buddy-buddy relationship between their Guildmasters.


    "Not training with blades today Scales, Kenji has a special mission for us!" Ellie shouted back, scales flicking her snake tongue in concern.


    "You be careful, I went to that place yesterday and it''s dangerous. Take your time, be careful," Scales hissed, Ellie waving as she ran past the greybeard and up the stairs, "will do Scales. Cya!"


    Rushing around the Veteran Adventurers, what few that remained, Ellie arrived in the strategy room. Within her, Party was ready, as were two others of a mixture of races.


    "The leader of Ellie''s Crew has arrived," announced a Sun Elf Butler, Violet nodding her thanks.


    "Take your position then, and let''s begin." Lady Violet was always such a strange person to be around, her authority flowing around the room to send Armen and Rams into straight-backed stances. Then there was all that flowing silk and jewelled rings as if Violet were some princess that Ellie should be bowing too.


    Fial yawned and Dwargon peered at the nearby cabinet filled with bottles of strong spirits with longing. Ellie tried to be subtle when she glared at them.


    "Now, Ellie''s Crew, Sundrake and Bloodhorn...it''s time we get started," Violet gave Ellie an annoyed look. Violet recited everything they knew of the dungeon, it''s tricks, it''s secrets and how to stay safe.


    Each party was provided with a map and ushered to another room where they found Kenji beside an archway of Roses. Within the archway was an ocean of stars, and without adieu, they were ordered to "enter."


    The Satyr''s of Bloodhorn rushed through without question, the Sun Elves of Sundrake following behind with an annoyed look.


    "Shall we?" Ellie said, wiggling her fingers at Kenji as she strode into the gate. Smiling with those gorgeous golden eyes, Ellie almost blushed. Almost. Not that she liked him or anything, not a creature like that, but she could appreciate pretty boys when she saw one.


    To her, Scab had been a pretty boy too. And if Kenji had been stronger, as he promised he was, Scab would be breathing right now. Ellie wasn''t the only one who hadn''t been strong enough.


    Entering a dark cavern, Ellie found roots pushing aside soil to form walls, and a copper leafed treant in the centre with little fireflies dangling about his crown. Just as described, and yet the ease of entry, the suddeness, it was incredible.


    She had been in a stone room, and now Ellie''s Crew stood in a dungeon made by...well who? A forgotten god perhaps?


    "Step forward adventurer, and pass into the Ways. Should you wish to return to your world, merely find me or my brother for a portal home, and should you wish it, ask for one of my fireflies to show you the way to the next floor." the voice came from a grumbling old tree with copper leaves and a swarm of fireflies in its branches.


    Kenji had told them of the fireflies and how they revealed hidden passages on the occasion.


    "Thanks, we''ll take that," Ellie said.


    "Thank your protector, you generosity is valued," Taki added, the treant turning his wizened face to peer down at the Furbolg druid.


    "A druid? Since you are here, I have some additional information," the treant said, and kind off-script compared to what Ellie was told. "The spirits are being locked up by demons throughout this dungeon, inside cages or mutated into demons. Find all four on a level and receive a special reward, although they grow in strength with every level that you descend."


    "Thank you, great one. I will heed your advice with open ears," Taki said, bowing low before he ushered Ellie''s Crew onward. The party only followed when Ellie did and entered a dark cavern lit only with fireflies, one for each party member present.


    They lost the Sundrakes and Bloodhorn quickly, the other parties choosing their own routes through the undergrowth. Yet Kenji had told them they were ready, and Ellie pressed on down her own path without fear.


    Exiting the winding darkness, Ellie covered her eyes as they found themselves in a golden field that sprawled in all directions. The roof was stone studded with bright yellow crystal that shone like the sun, it''s light causing Armen to shy away.


    "That''s real sunlight," he hissed and pulled up his hood. Immediately a pair of dog sizes ants attacked, the leftmost froze under a torrent of ice magic while the right was crushed under Dwargon''s hammer.


    "That was fast," Ellie said, the wheatfield rustling as another pair emerged to attack them. While as easily dispatched as the last, they were hard to see even from the edge of the field and would become even more dangerous when they entered the fields itself.


    Peering around, Ellie found no markings of a previous party as she left a stone cube and chalk markings of her own.


    "Back up, Kenji told us what to do here," unfurling an enchanted scroll, Ellie unleashed it''s stored contents. [Fireball] activated and shot into the field, a blast of flame soon setting the wheat alight. Safe in the entryway, Ellie watched the flames consume this level, a chorus of screeching sounding out as the insecticide raged.


    Ellie grinned, determined to grow strong, to take the powers of this dungeon for herself. Kenji''s tricks would last only the first few levels, perhaps enough to finish the first floor, after that, they were on their own.


    But for now she just watched, as the fire of the fields contorted in her mind to that of the Siege, and those insecticidal screams started to sound human.

 95 Chapter 23 - Grand Guildmaster

    "What do you mean you got to the fourth level?" Kenji frowned, having spent so much time the last three months organising the Hero Guild he hadn''t been following the adventurers he let into the dungeon too closely. He''d been too worried, just how long would it be until news of Tenko finally arrived?


    Ellie''s Crew now stood taller, with chitinous plate turned into armour and mostly new weapons procured from the dungeon''s chests. Looking through the report they had brought in an incredible amount of wealth too, almost all of it going to buying various things from the Far King to help the guild grow.


    "We worked hard, and Taki could talk with the creatures in there that made our progress faster," Ellie said stiffly. "We used what we have been learning from your class too, everyone has, it''s made progress a lot easier than we expected."


    "Don''t get me wrong, I''m really proud of you guys. Just confused, how did you achieve this before the other parties?" Kenji didn''t want to say it, but the other two initial groups should have been far more powerful. Add in the Furbolg group and the two party''s of human adventurers that had come afterwards, and he couldn''t quite figure out how Ellie''s Crew had become the frontrunner.


    "We focused on what you taught us, Guildmaster. We trained, we practiced and...well that''s all." Ellie fumbled with her dagger hilts, "is there something I''ve missed?"


    Kenji nodded, "alright then. we''ll have to organise a raid party then, which I''ll leave in your hands."


    As Kenji returned to his documents, he heard a muffled cry. Peering up he found Ellie rather shocked.


    "W-what do you mean you''re going to leave it in my hands?"


    Sighing, Kenji put his shuffled papers back down.


    "You''re clearly doing something right, so I want you to form a raid party of several regular adventurer parties then create a plan to reach and defeat the fifth-floor boss. I''ll come to supervise, but will only get involved if you need me too. This is the best way for you to grow, but I understand if you think you''re not ready for this level of responsibility."


    "I-im ready, just caught me off guard is all, Grand Master." Brushing aside dark hair, Ellie revealed fresh scars on reddening cheeks.


    The Satyr Warlock thumped her hand on Ellie''s shoulder, and covered in black demon armour Kenji was surprised the weight didn''t break it. "It''s thanks to you we have done so well, you deserve it."


    Ellie smiled and held the hand in her own, "thanks Rams."


    "Then get started immediately, I expect all to be in order by sundown."


    "Sunrise would be better," Ellie said.


    Kenji raised an eyebrow.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "We''ll need to camp inside the dungeon before we tackle the fourth floor, it''s not a place for the poorly rested and it takes time to pack camping supplies. That''ll give me time to pull together the other party leaders and strategise too."


    "It''s your call, just don''t take too long," Kenji said, wanting them to grow and yet acutely aware of each day''s passing. Every breath spent idle was another Tenko spent in chains.


    It was enough to get his blood boiling.


    Later, as he entered the construction site of the Hero Guild''s future headquarters, Violet arrived to meet him. She said kind words to the builders and seemed not to notice her retainers great stress at the mud marring their fair Goddess shoes.


    "Kenji, you are really ready for it? Almanac only finished the initial enchantments today, hasn''t even had the chance to stop grumbling about the magical waste yet either."


    "Almanac''s like a kid waiting for the next edition of his favourite game - he''d be grumbling into the next decade if we let him stew. Better he learns to get over it, materials need to be spent. Lord knows I used to keep every finite potion and artefact to myself without using it in the old days, always telling myself I would use it only in case of an emergency."


    "Sounds like good advice," Violet said carefully, long having given up understanding Kenji''s sometimes confusing references.


    "It was terrible. I kept finishing the game without using any of them! Took me forever to kick the habit, and I''m not about to let it return now that the stakes are higher than ever."


    As they chatted the pair descended into the basement, guarded by several adventurers and two elves. Down cold stairs they went, a chill spreading through the air and frost costing more of the stone with every step.


    "Almanac told me he had frostbite," Violet muttered bitterly, "claimed only a lovers touch would stop him becoming lame and useless."


    Kenji stifled a laugh, "and what did you do?"


    "Well I told Hartog who proceeded to squeeze Almanac so hard he couldn''t even tell him it was a joke," Violet covered her mouth as she giggled, yet shifted to a slight shiver as Kenji thrust open a pair of ice-encrusted doors.


    Within was a frozen cavern, flaring blue sparkling from the ceiling to unleash fresh blasts of cold.


    "I''m impressed he could recover the ice gem from my armour. I thought the hellfire had rendered it useless in the siege," Kenji whispered and peered at the ice essence infused stones with great interest. The one large stone was now several of the smaller variety and chiselled into sparling gemstones.


    "Almanac is really amazing at what he does. I do wish he was less of a vagabond," Violet sniffed.


    "Well he did an excellent job" Kenji said, jettisoning the Satyr warleader''s corpse onto the floor. Next came Arthur''s original body, and then the young witch, Kragg, and the Mayor.


    Only the rat would remain in Kenji''s internal storage, the rest could stay here. That way he''d have the room in case he found anything good in the dungeon while knowing those bodies of political importance remained safe.


    "The materials are ready?" Kenji said, Violet snapping her fingers in response. Down the stairs came a table, an eerie horned skull and a series of magical supplies.


    "Almanac doesn''t like death magic, says he''s leaving it to you. Personally I just think he''s had enough of the cold."


    "I''d say your right. You don''t have to stay if you don''t want to you know. It''s not going to be that exciting," Kenji said as he morphed into Dana and picked up some crystals in one hand and the skull in the other.


    Most were clear but we''ll cut. Others were unrefined but seething with deathly energy. Then there were scrolls, expensive as the rest of this stuff combined and yet traded with the Far King in return for some Insectoid parts from the Rose Gate.


    "Where ever you go interesting things happen Kenji. You lot better get going, I won''t have my people come down with a cold," Violet shooed away her flock, who exited with down caste eyes.


    Smiling his thanks, Kenji got to work warding the room against decay. It wasn''t powerful, but combined with the cold it would make The Fridge a place he could store bodies indefinitely.


    Depending on the creatures he came across in the lower floors of the Rose Gate, he might be needing all this extra space very soon too.

 96 Chapter 24 - Raid party

    "Rams gets all the best equipment because she''s the one that tends to take on the hardest tasks. Dwargon is a close second, and we try to divvy up our earnings into affording enough gear for both of them," Ellie said, Kenji nodding behind her with his golden eyes still taking in the great burning field.


    Just like Kenji had taught them, the tanks were geared first. Rams sported a pair of defence enhancing magic rings, while Dwargon had some especially thick steel plate curtesy of those Warden Company blacksmiths.


    "We''re getting his heavy armour enchanted next, with earth magic," Ellie added after trailing Kenji''s gaze and bit her lip as if expecting a scolding. "Do you think that''s wrong, should we have gotten that done before the rings?"


    "Ellie, you''ve done a marvelous job. Really, I''m impressed," Kenji said, his little nod and truthful words making the girl grin wide. Then that grin faltered at it''s widest point and rapidly collapsed into guilty fear.


    "You can be happy. I''m sure the dead would only want what''s best for you," Kenji added swiflty, thankful the Satyr woman put her arms around Ellie''s waist and squeezed. Gurgling Ellie was pulled up into a furry hug, the hints of despair thrown from their hooks and left the Raid leader with nothing but anger and embarrassment.


    "Get of Rams, GET OFF!" Ellie cried and was dropped onto all fours.


    The other party''s snickered, Bloodhorn finding her antics especially funny.


    "Grand Guild Master," one of their members cried, his ebony horns reminiscent of their defeated general, "give us command. She got lucky getting to the fourth floor first because she doesn''t realise that skipping ahead meant missing the chance to fight more monsters and grow stronger! The creatures of the forest are much more use to combat too. Put me in charge, or my brother here."


    The satyr''s ''brother'' was a tall Minotaur with a gruff exterior and a heart long closed off to anything bar blood and battle. Grunting, the Minotaur set loose a jet of steam that snaked it''s way to the Rose Gate.


    "My Lord, surely such unrefined creatures cannot be left in command," wailed an elf with more flourishing than a dancer, "the Sun Elves understand command, discipline, and are easily the most intelligent species alive. Place your trust in us, not untested children."


    The elf''s hair was well combed, and his face was pretty, but that sneer was the mark of an ugly heart. To Kenji he seemed the type to bring up the results of his IQ tests non-stop while being so laser-focused on ''important'' endeavours that he couldn''t tie his own shoelace and was forced to live with his mum well into his 40''s.


    "I''ve made my decision," Kenji said, having chosen his words carefully. "Now listen to your Raid Leader, this raid is her''s to command. If you can''t handle that, then I suppose the door is right there."


    Turning to Ellie, Kenji nodded.


    Although he heard shuffling behind him, hoarse whispers and a whole lot of sniffing from the elves - the creaky wood of the old door failed to sing. And so, they had decided to stay.


    "W-well then, better get going, right?" Ellie flashed an uncertain grin, the whole room now filled with adventurers that thought themself better than her. Kenji looked forward to how she responded and tried to fade his presence into dust and better allow the young leader to take charge.


    "Bloodthorn has the first point, Ellie''s Crew reinforcing and Sundrakes are our ranged support," Ellie said. "If we''re changing plans, I''ll give one of the commands."


    Kenji had heard of these ''commands''. The result of Ellie calling a meeting yesterday, and while begrudging, the other party leaders seemed to accept this. For now.


    Upon entering the Rose Gate, things went very differently to what Kenji expected as Ellie raised her hand. The Raid party halted, as Ellie and Arti approached the wizened treant.


    "We brought back your Queen Firefly, would you allow us to use the hidden pass?" Ellie said with a little curtsy and pulled a large jar from her backpack. Inside a huge firefly buzzed, a tiny golden crown hovering over its head.


    "Oh, there she is!" said the brightened tree, "of course - to the second floor you go! Oh, and do bring her back if she gets lost again, won''t you?" The treant seemed very concerned as the rather fat firefly wobbled through the air, dizzily swaying left and right even as a host of lesser fireflies swarmed the thing to administer a small army''s worth of hugs.


    Kenji thought the whole thing rather bizarre, but as a mass of roots to their side pulled apart to reveal a subterranean road, he could only stand impressed.


    "Well go on," Kenji encouraged, Ellie stifling her nerves with a great smile as she surveyed the crowd of shocked expressions.


    "This way!" She ordered, having Bloodhoof lead the party downward, their grumbling having apparently gotten lost as they hopped to it with gusto. The path soon descended into darkness, and yet pulling out a series of prepared torches, Ellie indicated to the Sundrakes.


    "Light them up."


    "Use our magic on something so ordinary? I think not," huffed their leader, Kenji about to intervene but held back just long enough for Ellie to roll her eyes.


    "Then at least cast [Illuminate], there''s a boss in this tunnel that''s easy to miss. Seeing as it always drops a gem of some kind, I''d rather take it down on the way."


    At the mention of the gem, the Sundrake leader smiled and pointed in the air that became filled with a burst of light. Fading, the light revealed a little milky white orb with black specks for eyes that emitted a hazy light upon the passage.


    Further along, the Raid party came a rock formation with the haziest outline of a face. When slammed with a fireball, the elemental erupted to life, and with Dwargon''s [smash] was quickly reduced to rubble. At its core, Ellie pulled forth a dusty crystal.


    "You guys keep the loot safe," she said, showing admirable restraint as she passed the gem to the very pleased Sundrake leader. In her shoes Kenji would have stuffed that down his knickers rather than trust his raid mates. But this is what heroes were about, and proof that perhaps all his work was really started to raise promising candidates.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    Already Ellie had been raised from a [H] to a [E] while Kenji had known her, and she seemed set to climb much further than even that.


    As they progressed through the cave, the party emerged into a would of trees covered in curved leaves and fresh air.


    Distantly a pair of koala looking creatures in blue overalls chatted with one another, a huge purple porcupine monster on a leash trailing beside them. Distantly too arose a castle that looked suspiciously like an apartment tenement, with a blue, red and white flag fluttering overhead.


    "No way," Kenji muttered. The Bloodhorn group backed away as huge spiders crawled across the ground, while a Sundrake whimpered as a titanic brown snake slithered over a nearby hill.


    "That''s the Australian flag."

 97 Chapter 25 - Land Down Under

    "I''ve never been here before, I don''t know the way to the exit," Ellie murmured, turning to Kenji with the look of alarm in her eyes.


    "If this dungeon was designed, it''s possible we triggered something by coming in such a large group. Everyone on alert, let''s take this slow while we work out way towards that castle. Be aware, one of the eighteen targets of the Thunberad Crusade are very likely to be hiding here."


    How else could he explain that Australian flag? Or these eucalyptus trees, or the damned koalas?


    "G''day mate!" shouted one of the koalas with a thick Australian accent and who took its time strolling over on little furred feet. "What''s got your knickers in a twist, lost are ya?"


    "Stop!" Kenji said, Bloodhorn lowering their bows while Sundrake snuffed out their flaring magic.


    The koala placed a gum leaf in its mouth and slowly chewed, "your all pretty weird alright, anything I can do for you lads?"


    "That castle, is one of the 18 evil souls there?" Kenji said breathlessly, a cold sweat dripping down his back.


    "Yeah, nah."


    "Is that a yes or a no?" Kenji''s brows were stitched together as his frustrating grew as the full eyed koala continued to chew.


    "It means that''s my mate''s Barry''s house. Oi, Jezza, was Barry''s barbeque today?" Turning sharply the koala addressed his companion, who slowly opened his eyes.


    "Struth mate, I think your right Mazza. We better be going!"


    "Good to meet you mate, come drop by Barry''s place later today for the shindig. The Sheila''s are welcome too," the koala winked at Ellie, then turned around and began to saunter off.


    Too late did Kenji notice the Bloodhorn act, their ebony horned leader having thrown his spear at the koala with blinding speed, a cord of blazing black turning the spear into what looked a bolt of black lightning.


    "Watch out-"


    The koala turned almost lazily and plucked the spear from the air mere moments from being skewered. With two claws he held the flaming spearhead, sniffed it, then looked at the Bloodhorn leader with his little black eyes.


    "Crikey that was close! Word of warning mate, the boys and girls in the hidden room are some of the very strongest in the dungeon, the Roamers even stronger than that. And Barry? Well, don''t piss off Barry."


    With two claws the koala flung the spear into the air, flying over a tree and out of sight. Gritting his teeth, the Bloodhorn leader watched his favoured weapon fly away.


    "Everyone, we''re following them!" Ellie announced, Kenji staring at her with disbelief.


    "Have you lost your mind? One of the evil 18! This isn''t a joke, we need to gather information and put an end to their plots before it grows out of hand."


    "Great Guildmaster, all due respect but if they wanted us dead we''d already be in the ground. We can''t retreat either, the subterranean path always vanishes after use," turning Ellie pointed at where they had come, now just blue-tinted stone in a blue rockface. "lastly, you were the one you taught me to look for the rules of a dungeon. Well, this floor is insanely powerful, but everyone respects this ''Barry'' guy and without those koalas introducing us I think our chances of gaining his favour would be much harder."


    Won over, Kenji soon joined the rest in chasing after the pair of koalas. Ellie begged their forgiveness, but the koalas waved all that aside.


    "Water under the bridge mate, don''t worry about it," Mazza said and peered anxiously up at Barry''s house. "Just hope we get there in time, I''d rather eat a shit sandwich."


    Kenji wanted to point out if they increased their pace past that of a beetles crawl they''d get there in no time. But biting his lip he continued to let Ellie take charge, who rapidly crushed any whining that emerged from her ranks.


    Soon they had sound their way to the fortress gates, thrown open and filled with several empty barbeques and broken ping pong tables. Within was a man with an unbuttoned bright red Hawaiian shirt , blue flipflops and a wide-brimmed leather hat.


    "Mazza! Jezza! Well, how they bloody hell are ya?" Barry said with a great grin, and sauntered over, "and you brought guests? Well, as me mum used to say, more the merrier!"


    "Thank you for having us, Mr Barry," Ellie said, Barry waving away her words as he laughed.


    "Know''s her P''s and Q''s this one! Think nothing of it little lady, consider my home yours! Now, what''s brought you, adventurers, here, wasn''t my famous Down Under Beer was it?"


    "We came through the Rose Gate," Ellie said a little breathless, Kenji growing uncomfortable as Barry strolled rather close for comfort and offered a hand.


    Taking it, Ellie shook with a dazed smile.


    "Lovely, Rose is one the ¡é^?¦Ð£¤ hands out, right?" Barry''s smile faltered as Ellie pulled sharply away and stared, "sorry, that''s not what I meant to say. The #-"¡ã€¡Â`= gave it to you...oh."


    Barry''s smile threatened to fade before it gained a second wind and just grew wider.


    "No matter! Who cares about all that when we have a party!"


    "Uh, don''t you need more than this?" Ellie murmured, noting nothing more than the barbeques and broken ping pong tables in the outdoors area before the great stone tenement.


    "Your right! Jezza, you''re on tunes. Mazza, you''re on rolls. Hezza is out taking care of invitations, Maurice is on grog and Blake...well being a snake and all she doesn''t have any arms. Which means there''s no one left to get the snags."


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "We can do it," Ellie said quickly, "especially if you could help us get to the fifth floor boss after this Mr Barry."


    "Please, Calle me Bazza," Bazza grinned, "and thanks a heap guys! I''d go myself, but I''m needed to fix the ping pong tables. Got a little too into the game last week, and haven''t had the time to collect more titanium since!"


    Walking over, Kenji discovered the broken tables were shining in the cracks as if they were painted metal. The barbeques too were running on extremely high-grade fire crystals, crushed up and used like common coal.


    Turning to stare, Kenji realised that while Barry seemed the relaxed type - he had high-grade boss level items laying around like trash loot.


    It almost wanted to make Kenji see if he could be defeated, and to find out what treasures lay in his home.


    "So just head to the hidden level of the Cannibal Gnomes. No one knows meat like cannibals, and their snags are the best!" Barry said as he whistled loudly, Kenji having to blink a few times before he understood what Barry had just said.


    A huge brown snake slithered free from an adjoining room, a wig with a mullet stuck to her head.


    "You called Bazza?" Blake said.


    "Yeah, mind showing these guys where the cannibal Gnomes are? They''re going on a snag run you see."


    "Oh yeah, good shit those snags are, ay Bazza?"


    "Right on Blake. Alrighty then, I''ll cya you fellas later then!"


    "Wait!" Kenji said, needing to know, "you''re from Earth right? Are you of the eighteen evil souls then?"


    Frowning, Barry laughed, "Nah mate, no idea what that is. I am from Earth though, anyway gotta go, talk later at the party. Bye!"


    Jumping away, Bazza flew high into the sky and activated something from his pocket. In the next moment a Mantaray exploded into reality below him, and riding the flying Mantaray Bazza flew through the sky and out of sight.


    "Well fuck me sideways," Kenji said shaking his head.


    "Well once I get pissed up tonight hun, you might get your chance," Blake the giant snake said as she winked at Kenji who focused on not shuddering too obviously.

 98 Chapter 26 - Cannibal Gnomes

    "This place gives me the creeps," Armen said as the Raid group entered a dark world filled with dim blue light.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    Everywhere gnomish buildings spiralled up into the sky, their crimson roofs and hearty songs filling the land. And yet the gnomes themselves remained unseen, even as the Raid team trudged down cobblestone streets after the slithering Blake.


    "Just this way!" she said encouragingly, "they keep all the Grade [A] meat in a big vault - and don''t think of them as ''people'', better you just imagine this as taking honey from a beehive, ay?"


    "Sure," Ellie murmured, both her rat knife out and a new one procured from the dungeon. It had a soft purple glow and has the chance to poison a target on each hit, useful if they were fighting a big enemy.


    A swarm of gnomes less so.


    "Gnomish loiterers ahead," Black hissed, the Raid team finding their first enemy. Having come at night time the gnomes were mostly indoors, while the higher levelled gnomes patrolled the streets in lesser numbers. And the target of those high-levelled gnomes were the loiterers, those gnomes who stayed outdoors after dark and were now free game for the gnomish ''Gnomehunters'', ''Butchers'' and ''Grinners''.


    Indicating with her tail, Blake had them go around. Soon that distant street was filled with screaming, cut short and replaced with malevolent cackling.


    Arriving at the butchery, Kenji discovered tall walls with small windows constantly flittering with the dark shadows of the guards within. So caught up with the sight of the huge stone building designed for creatures no taller than his knee, Kenji tripped.


    "Oi, watch it wise guy," muttered a gnomish loiterer, a whole pack of the scrabby bearded and old clothes wearing creatures marching through. Their shabby red hats had certainly seen better days, and their thin frames were making the pointy-toothed gnomes peer at the heavily armoured adventurers with a look of possibility in their eyes.


    "Get ready to fight!" Ellie ordered, no sooner than shields were raised had the arrows come. Long as a finger, yet deadly fast with far too much impact for their size. Dwargon staggered as several arrows hit with the force of large rocks, Fial unleashing a rapid-fire volley of arrows to pick off the Gnomehunters cloaked in darkness on the surrounding roofs.


    "Get ''em boys!" called a bright grin from an alleyway, a series of plump gnomes with bandits leathers and pointy teeth bursting after him. Just like the Gnomehunters, they were small yet deadly. Their blows caused disproportionate damage to the adventurer''s iron, their little feet moving lightning fast as they came upon the Raid party in a flash.


    A blast of the Sundrakes''s spells set the Grinners aflame, froze them in place and blasted them against walls with gusts of wind. From there the Bloodhorn cut them to chunks and crushed their little skulls like eggs.


    "To the butchery, we have little time," Blake hissed, loiterers by the dozen becoming drawn by the blood. They feasted on the corpses were they lay, the Raid party barely having snatched off the most valuable trinkets from the dead before they were pressed on as the loiterers in turn pulled in a greater number of Gnomehunters.


    "Dwargon, if you would," Ellie said.


    Grunting, the heavily armoured dwarf surged forward to use [Smash] to cave in the butcheries walls.


    "Sundrakes!"


    A blast of magic and targeted arrow fire ended those Butchers who had waited beyond in white smocks.


    "Rams, Bloodhorn!"


    Charging through, the Satyr fighters and the single Minotaur butchered those crimson eyed butchers who rushed through every door. Fanatical and in great number, the tide of butchers was a problem even before they started appearing with armour and halberds.


    "Grand Guildmaster Kenji, could you hive us a hand?" Ellie said as she decapitated a pair of wide-eyed gnomes, who had started to chatter in their grating tones.


    "Blood! Muscle! Flesh! Bones! Eat it up, make it moans!" they giggled as they rushed to their deaths, each splash of blood seemingly drawing in even more of the insane gnomes.


    Turning into Dana, Kenji began to raise the dead gnomes as tiny Ghouls. So small they were easy to control, and after a single [Mass Summon] a whole host of the skittering creatures had burst to life all around to start gnawing at the living''s faces. Pretty pleased with the effect, Kenji was glad he had bought that [Mass Summon] spell, even at the Far King''s outrageous prices.


    "The meat!" Blake reminded them, each blur of her tail sending several gnome''s heads to explode. Her power alone seemed well enough to take care of everything they had faced thus far, and Kenji began to properly understand just how powerful the friends of Bazza were.


    Entering a vast storeroom filled with chunks of flesh on meathooks, Kenji heard humming deep within.


    "I''ll slow down the reinforcements, you get the snags," Blake said, and slithered into a hallway filled with assaulting gnomes of all types. The two human parties along with Kenji''s ghouls sealed off the other passage, leaving Ellie''s crew, Bloodhorn and the Sundrakes to walk within.


    "Disgusting," muttered the Sun Elf leader as he found the ground was slick with crimson blood. A shallow pool coated the entire floor, and stretched out of sight.


    "It has heard us," said the ebony horned leader of Bloodhorn.


    "Who is it~" warbled a strange tone, as two flares of crimson red flashed from the darkness.


    Crimson flames lit the torches through the vast room, a distant gnome tall as a man yet rail-thin grinning from a hundred feet away. The creature''s aura flared, Kenji left shuddering as it''s power lashed his own.


    "Retreat-"


    Iron gates descended behind Kenji, bocking off their escape. Pulling his hand from the lever, the creature pulled forth an immaculately gleaming knife, that sang as it swished through the air. It was made of intertwined silver and had an aura of its own as powerful as any man. An aura of steel, and utility, of a blade that would cut iron as easily as flesh.


    "Spread out, and don''t let that damned thing get close!" Ellie searched the room quickly and found several islands of earth amidst the pool of blood. "Get out of the blood too-"


    "URGH!" Armen collapsed into the blood, several spiked retracting through where they had skewed his legs and back into the floor. Quickly hidden by blood, the spike trap was impossible to see.


    "Come now my pretties, let''s play, shall we?" plump gnomes in butchers smocks appeared from little doors to the left and right, each twice as tall as the ones outside, and their blades made of a lesser version of the boss''s shining steel.


    "Sundrake, keep the boss off us, Bloodhorn don''t let us be surrounded. Ellie''s crew fill the gaps," Ellie said in quick succession, "Master Kenji-"


    "Focusing on holding up the reinforcements outside right now," Kenji jutted in, feeling his ghouls die one by one, "without me, they''ll be overrun."


    Ellie grit her teeth, but continued. Pulling out her bow she took a shot, but the boss stepped behind a carcass on a meathook, blocking her view. Fial fired a shot at one of the lessor butchers, the gnome deflecting the arrow with a flash of a gleaming blade.


    "Sundrakes, roast that pig!" Ellie yelled, waves of flame spurting out along the meathouse to scorch flesh, scour blood and set the entire area the tall gnome stood in ablaze. Howling it flew out into the open, three arrows smacking into the creature''s side before it could slip behind another carcass and begin weaving it''s way closer.


    To her left and right the Bloodhorn were fully engaged with fighting the Butcher''s apprentices, the occasional lance of a spike trap reducing them to wounded wretches.


    "Taki, heal the wounded please."


    "Already doing so," the little furbolg said, a flow of green leaving his hands to bind wounds closed and return the adventurers to the fight.


    The Butcher had closer in - Dwargon used [Smash] and missed, his mace crashing into the ground instead. Rams used [Hell Blade] and sent a slash of hell flame, he Butcher hiding behind a carcass only for her power to slice right through the carcass and bite into his side. Howling, the boss was exposed as the carcass fell to the ground.


    Muttering a prayer to some horned god, Fial unleashed his [Power Shot], the Butcher deflecting the arrow. In doing so he raised his blade at an odd angle, Ellie appearing to his side to use [Critical Strike] to pierce his spine. He cut back all the same, silver blade slashing right through her right hand as if air.


    Screaming Ellie plunged the knife in her left hand in the Boss''s eye, Armen spearing the tall gnome through the back with an [Ice bolt] while Dwargon used another [Smash] to shatter every bone in the Boss''s body.


    Collapsing face-first into the pool of blood, the Boss died.


    And just like every other boss in this godforsaken dungeon, a chest appeared. It was bloody, small and stank of the freshly dead. Snatching at the Boss''s silvery knife, Ellie allowed Taki to stop the blood flow from her missing hand and smashed the lock.


    Inside were health potions of excellent quality, an enchanted smock that increased movement speed, a skill book and various plates of high-grade magic meats. Sausages amongst them.


    "Let''s get out of here," Ellie shouted, Bloodhorn finishing up with their gnomish enemies plucked them free of loot. The doors opened too, both revealing the way behind as well as several hallways leading further within.


    But Ellie had had her fill with butchery.


    Stumbling back, Taki held her side. Smashing her limb back on, he blasted healing magic to fuse the skin and get the blood flowing. Her hand was pale and limp, yet with an effort she could curl the fingers, although not a hint of feeling returned.


    "I''ll help you walk-"


    She shook him off.


    "I''m fine, focus on the fight Taki," Ellie said. She couldn''t look weak, not now that she had earned their approval. Peering to the Bloodhorn and the Sundrakes she found them ready to obey at the drop of the hat, "focus on healing those in battle. That''s an order from your Raid Leader."


    Sighing Taki complied, as the Raid Group got stuck into the long slog back.


    And Ellie tried not to worry about her ruined hand.

 99 Chapter 27 - Australia Day

    "Back home, this used to be a bit of a controversial party," Bazza announced, plenty of sausages looted from the Gnomish Butcherhouse sizzling away. "But not here, because Saturday''s are for the boys, no offence to the ladies, and that means every Saturday is Australia day!"


    Kenji held his head and groaned.


    All around him the party started, mead flowed, meats were served and a wild game of Titanium ping-pong played out. Ellie had brightened after Bazza had fixed her hand with a strange drink and an expensive-looking crystal and now busied herself by dreamily watching Bazza while a large echidna told her all about his rock farm.


    "What''s wrong mate? Look like your holding a dingo''s dick," said Barry in his butcher''s smock, a similar version to the type Ellie had looted from the chest. Actually, Ellie was wearing hers too, her ears bright red with embarrassment.


    "I don''t know what that means," Kenji said, "and would love some help with the rest of this dungeon. How do we even get to the fifth floor from here, and how are you from Earth if your not one of the 18?"


    "Mate, have a snag and a tinnie. Then we can talk," Bazza said, offering Kenji one of the premium-grade sausages from the raid, placed in a sesame seed bun and piled on with fantastically curling vegetables of shifting shades. It kind of looked like a magic onion that was doused with rainbows.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    Sausage in hand, and then handed a beer for the other, Kenji got it over with. He bit down hard and -


    "Pah," Kenji sighed with a great lazy smile, the delicious taste transporting him to a faraway place. The meat was just right, the smell was divine, and the magical onion made him feel uttely relaxed. The stunningly refreshing beer soothed his palate, reset it, and made then next bite doubly wonderful.


    Kenji only came too as he finished, and found Bazza smiling like a proud mother hen.


    "I''m a good cook, huh?" Bazza smirked, eyeing Kenji''s many companions that ate, drank and played as if they hadn''t fought in a butchery overflowing with blood and ran by cannibal gnomes.


    "Yeah, you really are," Kenji admitted, relaxing a bit now that some of his pent of stress fading away.


    "Care for a game of Titanium ping-pong then?" Bazza handed kenji a paddle heavy as a sword, and soon Kenji found himself on the other side of a Titanium table. "You better be strong buddy, because even at my absolute weakest I''m a beast in thongs."


    Kenji gulped and served. With Arthur''s body, he shot the ping pong ball across, and lightning-fast Bazza smashed it right back in a blur. Kenji rubbed his eyes, peered around, and smirked.


    "Well if that''s how its going to be," he said, and turned into the Queen Sun Elf.


    "Now that''s a sheila," Bazza wolf whistled, the members of Sundrake bristling. Kenji waved them down.


    "Let''s try that again," Kenji said, and served with far greater speed. Bazza effortlessly reutrned it, Kenji smashed it back, their back and forth continueing to increase in speed and power. Using bursts of wind Kenji increased his speed again, he flew back to hit the ping pong ball when it zoomed ridiculously far on the rebournd, and still, Bazza simply continued to move faster and faster.


    If only Kenji had Tenko''s agility enhancement - Kenji halted, allowing the ball to zoom away.


    "What''s wrong? Thought we were just getting fired up?" Bazza said, "Also, your a mimic right? or some kind of shapeshifter at least?"


    Kenji turned away.


    "This was a mistake. Thank you for the invitation Barry, but if you can''t help us we need to get going." With his change of attitude the other adventurers quickly found their feet and started packing, Kenji was proud that none tried to stay a while longer in this sunny eden beneath the earth. This paradise in a way.


    "We have a job to do," and without further strength, Tenko would remain lost forever.


    "Then allow old Bazza here to help. You need to get to the fith floor boss right?" Bazza grinned, "then I know just the way!"


    "Can you help us fight it?"


    "That I cannot. Even as a roaming monster, like me buddies here, we can only fight lessor spawns in other areas of this dungeon. Otherwise the %(^#($ would have a hissy fit."


    "Barry, who are you?" Kenji said, abandoning all hint of diplomacy. "I came here to help a dear friend of mine, but before I trust you, I need to know who YOU are and how you came from Earth!"


    Kenji felt stupid, and rash, and as if he was messing everthing everthing up. But similarly did Kenji feel like he had had enough with the games.


    "I''ll tell you, once you defeat the boss. How about that?" Bazza said, thinking fast, "I''ll help you get there, I''ll help you strategise. And if you win, i''ll tell you anything you want to know."


    "Why not tell me now?"


    "Because, old Barry here doesn''t want to get his hopes up. I don''t want to tell you my situation here, get flooded with promises, and then have you either die down there - or win and never return. It''s how it''s always been, and now I don''t like getting attached without some assurance of your strength," Barry''s eyes went wet, and Blake slithered over to rub his foot as Barry downed several mugs of beer.


    "Fine - thank you, Bazza. Do you mind if we get going now?"


    "Yeah, nah. We go when the snags and beer run out," Bazza said having recovered from his little bout of sadness. Soon the party got back underway at full swing, and while anxious, Kenji gave Ellie the choice.


    And she chose to let their comrades rest and enjoy themselves. At least for one night.


    "We can go in the morning. With a full stomache, and having slept well."


    Kenji didn''t mention he didn''t need to sleep, but could appreciate those who still did. Instead he guarded them well into the morning, and readied their packs for them. Everyone awoke the next day with their supplies in order, and a very excited Barry standing at the front door.


    "This way, this way please! First stop - the third floor!"

 100 Chapter 28 - Highway to Hell

    "This Dungeon''s specialty is it''s ''corrupt gear'' so that''s what you should be looking for," Bazza continued, as they followed him through a hedge maze. The damn thing was near immune to magic and prone to unleashing a torrent of harpies should you try to climb the tall walls of green.


    "Corruption sounds bad," Kenji said, "why would we want that?"


    "Corruption means one thing changing from how it should, mate. In this case, that means Spirit equipment, also lootable but still damn rare, that has been corrupted by demonic magic. You might get something absolutely useless, dangerous, or sometimes - insanely powerful. The only way to get one for sure is to solo the faith level boss, but you can forget about doing that. That''s impossible for you lot, no offence mate."


    The adventurer party''s followed close behind, Ellie re-arranging them as she wished. Bazza had made it abundantly clear he would do none of the actual fightings, even if he steered them to their destination himself.


    "Speaking of Spirit gear, we''ve found the third-floor boss," Bazza said, turning a corner to find what appeared a stone samurai with flowing green lines crisscrossing its body and a tall gateway shut behind it. In rows to either side were spearmen and archers on stone platforms, appearing like pieces to a chess game if still with the Japanese theme.


    "If there is a samurai sword here I really want it!" Kenji announced, no one else knowing what that was. Soon ''Samurai sword'' was whispered through the ranks, and hushed talk as to what that could mean spun up some real excitement.


    "What''s your plan chief?" Bazza asked Ellie, the girl again looking frizzled when addressed by the Australian.


    "Um, we''ll destroy those statues first-"


    "Didgery-don''t do that mate, those statues stay dormant unless they are attacked. Still, getting rid of the little fellas first is a good plan."


    "Thanks, Master Kenji taught us to always target the ''trash mobs'' first," Ellie smiled, practically glowing with the rugged man''s praise. Kenji rolled his eyes. "In that case, we''ll try to keep the boss busy while holding reserves in the way of the boss and his reinforcements. If we can protect them from being damaged, then we can focus our entire firepower on the boss itself."


    "That''s me girl," Bazza ruffled Ellie''s hair and found her freshly looted silvery blade at his throat. Clarity came to her eyes, and she backed away, "s-sorry, a force of habit, I didn''t mean to-"


    "Hey, no harm was done, alright?" Bazza said with concern, looking at Ellie as if she were ill,


    "Just focus on getting yourself under wraps for the battle. This isn''t the time do fail because of a silly little habit, is it?" His eyes swept them all, their excitement, their hushed planning and their companionship and seemed on the verge of tears.


    Pulling out a bottle of beer from thin air, Bazza gulped the whole thing down fast and wiped his mouth. "Better get started, we have a few floors to get through today."


    The samurai awakened the instant they stepped into the arena and assaulted at once. The more damage the Raid team did, the more power flowed through the stone that cracked and shattered from the inside out. Every time the stone samurai went to awaken its brethren it found adventurers blocking its path, sacrificing shields and expensive plates of [reinforced] armour to buy the time needed to shower the boss with spells.


    Eventually, it was left a smoking ruin, a stone chest unveiling with the bosses defeat.


    A stone spear imbued with spiritual energy, a skill book for [Slash] and several pieces of jade were their rewards. Ellie divided it amongst those who would see an immediate benefit, Taki receiving the pieces of jade when he found they enlarged the amount of spiritual energy he could handle.


    The Fourth Third floor was an endless war. Elementals of earth, air, fire and water raged against a flux of demon soldiers that attacked in well-ordered companies. Bazza''s trick to get they passed the battle was to take a high mountain pass, demonic siege engines making battle with Jungle Titans well below. The battlefield stretched for leagues, rank after rank of demon flame bearing monstrosities crashing into the constantly reforming lines of the dungeons defenders.


    "Don''t get me wrong, slaying a commander from either side gets you great loot. But it would take too much time to do safely, at your levels you''d have to go far away from the main battlefield, where small squads of soldiers meet and fight regularly," Bazza said, "instead we''ll take the scouting path. Their still strong, but so small in number you lot should have no trouble crushing them underfoot."


    In that manner, they came across elementals made of wood and leaf, and demonic scouts with crimson skin and molten blades. They only ever numbered two or three at a time, their equipment often melting away, or fading to ash. But Bazza was right about their strength, each hard to notice without the Sundrakes [Detection] spell, and hard to fight when they showed a great deal of skill.


    It would take hours, but the Raid Team finally circled the entire battlefield to find a bastion of the defenders. A great fortress of stone and tree, elementals prowled wooden walls, while stone guards with ivy crawling along their blades stood motionless before several stone arches.


    "No way in without fighting this time, but show me the same skill you displayed earlier and there shouldn''t be a problem," Bazza said, and he was largely right. The stone guards were monstrously strong but slow. Ellie''s commands were trusted, and the Raid Team''s coordination led to the enemies effective destruction.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    Within they came across teams of enemy elementals, but able to avoid the higher levelled enemies, it was only great numbers of basic troops that the Raid Team had to fight through. That all changed when they arrived at the shattered throne.


    "WhO DaREs to FacE mE?" roared a nine-foot-tall monster of vine and stone. Its arms held a blade and shield and arose from a stone throne long reduced to rubble.


    "Fun fact," Bazza said, "this guy really responds to insults on his honour. He gets stronger sure, but also more predictable. Lots of reach on him too, can throw that sword and shield dozens of metres at the end of extendable vines."


    "Like Thorn Spears," Arti frowned. "Do you know the Queen of Thorns?" Arti shouted, the enemy boss peering at the Furbolg with interest while the Raid party got into position.


    "I know of her, she and her kingdom are an ally to the Great Spirit. Who are you, creature, and what connection have you to that Queen?"


    Ellie and Kenji wisely remained silent, while Taki approached and lowered his head. Kenji sweated somewhat seeing how close he was, and Bazza had gone stiff as a board, while seeming ready to sprint forward at any moment.


    "We worshipped her long ago, and have recently become her servants again. Yet some of my brethren cannot return from the state she has placed them in and has fallen into an endless rage. Might you explain how this could be overcome?"


    Brooding, the boss looked over Taki, and then the other Raid members.


    "You require the skill [Resilient Mind] which can be acquired from joining the forces of the Great Spirit and accomplishing missions for our commanders in the field. Show them this ribbon, and you''ll be allowed to speak with them," pulling free a leaf from its body, the elemental pressed a great power into the leaf and transformed it into a white ribbon. Letting go, the ribbon fluttered over to Taki, who then turned to Ellie with a look of great expectation.


    "Can we pass you as well if we were to aid your soldiers below?" Ellie said.


    "Indeed, if you receive a recommendation from giving captains I will allow you to pass through to the fourth floor unhindered, although beware, that floor is overrun with demons. If you are allowed to descend, I will need to send warriors to help guide you to our allies there."


    "Sounds good to me. Thoughts Bazza?" Ellie said, turning to the Australian that seemed presently surprised.


    "Sounds good to me mate. Honestly had no idea this go was so reasonable, and here I thought I knew everything about this place!" Laughing Bazza turned away, "better get started, right?"


    "You seem excited Bazza," Ellie joked, and yet Bazza''s excitement was the real deal.


    "Oh, I am, been rather boring doing the same shit for three hundred years. How couldn''t I be excited to do something new?"


    That caught Kenji''s attention, and as he followed the Raid Leader down into the battlefield, he was starting to feel like he understood this lost Australian. He certainly wasn''t like the 18, not unless he was lying to them from the beginning. Instead, Kenji got the impression that he felt very much like a prisoner here in this dungeon world.


    So he had out him here in the first place?


    And how many more Humans from Earth had existed here long before Kenji''s arrival?

 101 Chapter 29 - Bishop to D4

    "Where are we going?" Jack asked, "This is not the way to the cathedral."


    Jack could literally see the new cathedral being built in the distance. It would dwarf the old version more than ten times over when completed, entire roads requisitioned to become highways of materials, magical supplies, and manpower. The whole damned Kingdom had donated to its reconstruction, but even that shouldn''t have been enough gold for this.


    At this rate, it would rival the Royale Palace in grandeur - a palace that his handlers of the Nameless Legion were steering Jack towards. Jack closed his mouth as they approached the steps to the Royale Palace, more of a grand fortress whose white walls dominated the Alandrian capital.


    "Who wants to see me?" Jack whispered, the warriors of the Nameless Legion continuing to ignore him. Why would they answer, when they recognised only the One and his pet Templars as their masters?


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "That''s far enough," Phillip said as Jack was brought before a pair of Royale Guards who cross spears before the entrance to the Royale Palace. Each was seven-foot-tall, utterly still, the eyes beneath their helmets glowing bright gold.


    Phillip stood behind them.


    "Let him through, the Legion can wait outside."


    Steel rasped as the spears pulled apart, the Nameless Legion growing tense. Under all that unmarked iron armour Jack could feel the anger in their aura, the suspicion. Hands went to holsters, but not one dared to draw forth their weapon before one of the One''s Inquisitors.


    "This son of the Three is under our protection. We have orders not to relinquish his custody, to anyone," the Nameless Captain said, wearing the exact same plate as his men, face hidden by dull iron.


    "Captain, I am an Inquisitor. I do not have to explain myself to you, now kindly wait outside."


    He had him there, Jack knew the Nameless Legion inside and out after having grown up through their ranks. He knew better than any of the trials they faced in life.


    "I swear on the Three to return to you, Captain. My business with the One can resume then," because while Jack was loathed to interact with the royale family, he at least was well enough aware of what Phillip could do to him if he fell out of favour. Jack was walking a fine line, with bottomless darkness on either side. If he wanted to save the people of this land, then he''d have to continue to be careful with every step.


    Staring beneath the mask, Jack caught a hint of blue in that smouldering faceplate. Those eyes were like little lakes, and closing them, the Captain stepped back.


    "Thank you, captain. Jack, hurry up now, we have an appointment that cannot wait," Phillip turned and began marching down the hall of white stone, Jack hurrying after him. He felt awkward leaving the Captain behind, the man not at fault. He was simply too low of rank to impose the proper order of things.


    "Right here, one hour!" The captain shouted, Jack, smiling as he nodded.


    "One hour," Jack said, knowing full well there was nothing to hold him to that. The Captain knew it too, and yet nonetheless he stood rigid, his Nameless Legionaries behind him taking positions to the side of the staircase.


    Swiftly Jack and Phillip marched through marbled halls, all manner of noble fluttering about like flies. Magicians too from the Royale Magic Academy, Holy Knights here to swear service, and even the Royale Paladin.


    Paladin Stuart had been a famous man once, his curled golden hair and stoic frame inspiring many a poets balad. Yet after entering the king''s service, his fame was cut short, as he had faded from the public mind.


    "Stuart, is his majesty close?" Phillip asked, the stoic Paladin activating [Greater Sight] to form a blazing eye in his forehead.


    "He is, although pray make it quick. No offence Inquisitor, but our majesties available time is limited these days. Made the All-Seeing guide us all," stepping aside, Paladin Stuart revealed a humble door hidden behind his large frame.


    Turning the handle the Paladin allowed them within, where King Thunberad planned over a servants table. Two Inquisitors were present, one with artificial eyes covered in a magical script, and another who stood tall and still as a statue.


    The room was rimmed by similarly still servants, each with sword and shield scrawled with runes the like Jack had never seen, and staring at the blank ceiling without emotion.


    "What is happening?" Jack whispered, Phillip, entering without a word.


    "Phillip, it is good to see you. This is the boy you spoke of?" the King of all Alandria said, his arms going wide as if to embrace them from afar.


    But where were his guards? His courtiers? His priests, retainers, knights...


    And why did the King look so haggard? Dark rings shadowed his eyes, his black heard was unkempt, and a wicked series of scars curled down his left cheek to vanish under an old scarf at his neck.


    "Indeed your majesty, he is ready I believe. To be told the true purpose of his existence, and to be allowed into our order. May the All-Seeing guide us," Phillip whispered Jack, staring at him as if he had gone mad.


    "You can speak your mind, boy, in but a short time. Until then, there is something. i most show you. A dark secret as to our reality, and the ONLY hope humanity has at salvation," with a wave of his hand the room began to hum, and Jack felt near weightless.


    Gravity returned with a kick, and the door was opened behind him. By a man with spiked hair, wild eyes and a maniacal grin, glowing green light spilling out from the chamber behind him.


    "Welcome, brother. The Order of the Manics has long awaited your arrival. Come, let us show to you your destiny."


    "No need to be shy, the King will be right with us," Phillip said reassuringly. "Just take the first step, and the rest will come to you naturally. This is what you were made for Jack, this is what you were born to do, aren''t you curious?"


    The first step beyond that doorway was hard, but as curiosity took hold the following became easier. A destiny? Him...the little orphan brat that hadn''t been worthy to lick the scum of a nobles boot?


    The second step came easier, and the third felt right.

 102 Chapter 30 - The Demon Crawler

    \"And that''s the last Demon Crawler,\" Ellie said, checking off her list. She watched as the gigantic demon spider covered head to toe in spikes and corrupt iron charged into the lines of the warriors of the Great Spirit.


    After ripping through a dozen spirit soldiers the huge spider lay a blazing red egg. Slashing claws and spitting electrical webs she slowed down or destroyed the endless swarm of spirit warriors and stone golems.


    Egg reaching its critical mass, the Demon Crawler turned tail and fled, leaving the lessor demons to fight to the death around the egg before it exploded. The shockwave tore a gaping hole in the Great Spirit''s lines before elemental spiders made of demonic electricity made their debut to cause further damage throughout the spirit ranks.


    \"Do you see that everyone?\" Ellie shouted, pointing at the demon crawlers backside. The great spider was heavily armoured, yet it''s backside was vibrant red around where she lay the egg, wild crimson energy pulsing within. \"The backside is it''s weakness, so we need to draw her attention to the side. No retreating either unless the egg is lain, she''s too fast and would web us if we tried. Give your all everybody!\"


    A cheer, before the watching adventurers got to work. Trading in the ''spirit coins'' they had collected so far they assembles potions, spell scrolls and what few spirit weapons and armour they could afford.


    As always it was the frontline fighters that were geared first and foremost, Dwargon a moving tank of spirit steel and glowing with dozens of lines. The Sundrakes had similarly been outfitted with healing staves, that allowed them to cast low level healing spells when wielded.


    Arriving in their prearranged positions, Ellie waited for the Demon Crawlers next charge. The Raid team withstood attacks from demon spawn and demon warriors in the meanwhile, but with spirit soldiers and spirit golems tanking the worst of it the Raid team could focus on the objective.


    \"It comes!\" Fial shouted from his hill, and pointed in the direction of a great rumbling. Comets of hellflame roared overhead to crash into the ground, while a tide of demon spawn crashed into their lines.


    Through the mayhem emmerged the Demon Crawler, yet with bronze motifs etched along its plate and a pair of turrets it''s front. Twin blasts of flame gushed out to wipe away the spirit soldiers in an instant, fiery webs blasted out to sticky those golems on route to help.


    \"A rare spawn!\" Master Kenji shouted as Dana, and already began raising the demonic corpses with [Mass summon] to fight again. \"Should we retreat?\"


    Ellie knew he was testing her. No doubt the Grand Guildmaster knew of a way towards victory, and grinning Ellie caught onto just how.


    \"Tanks, draw her attention to the golems, get them fighting. Archers aim for the pipes behind the turrets!\" they moved immediately to obey, Ellie watching as Dwargon used [Taunt] to get the huge creature to follow, while powerful bow shots slammed into the pipes right behind the magical turrets. Fire gushed forth, a Sundrake wind blast diverting the river of hell flame.


    More shots into the pipes and the whole thing began to spurt and shudder. As explosions sent walls of liquid fury rushing down either side of the Demon Crawler, it shook it''s harness free.


    Screeching the demon crawler lost its great bundle of armour, revealing a fairy black body. Lowering its abdomen, the demon crawlers body flared with red hell flame.


    \"Disrupt it, don''t let it lay that egg!\" Ellie yelled, blasts of magic shoving the Demon Crawler aside. From behind it appeared Rams, who with a great sweep of her blade cut deeply into the Demon Crawler''s weak point.


    The Demon Crawler screeched, then arose. No egg was laid, although the Demon Crawler now seemed royally pissed off.


    \"To the golems, hurry!\" Ellie shouted, Dwargon reactivating [Taunt] to pull the Crawlers attention from Rams and back to him.


    \"Come get me you big hairy beastie!\" Dwargon shouted, causing Ellie to grin.


    \"You''re not usually one to talk Dwargon, don''t tell me you''ve fallen for the thing?\" Ellie said as she used the Butcher''s Blade to slice a demon spawn ear to ear. With the Butcher''s smock. her agility had been enhanced too and leading those in charge of stopping the other demons getting involved.left three more demons dead in moments.


    \"Hah! I''ll show her my tender side to be sure, is that right you big beauty?\" smashing his mace rhythmically against his shield, Dwargon drew the Crawler closer and closer to the golems.


    Another wave of webbed flame spat out, and was again pushed aside - a stray ice blast missed the web entirely and covered the crawlers head in frost.


    \"Armen, watch it!\" Ellie growled.


    \"Sorry,\" Armen said building up his next shot, yet the Crawler has already turned its ugly head at him.


    \"Run Armen-\"


    Blazing hot web spat at Armen, his wall of cold only removing the fire element from the web as it crashed into him and stuck him to the ground. Not just Armen, strands of the web had caught two of the Sundrakes too, rendering all three rooted to the ground as the Crawler came crashing towards them.


    Spirit warriors and demonic ghouls threw themselves in the way with no effect, and sighing, Ellie supposed she''d have to do something herself. Rushing forward she hopped on one big hairy leg and launched her way onto the Crawler''s head.


    Her footing was good, but the speed of the thing nearly through her right off.


    Rams and several of the Bloodhorn charged the Crawler from the side, hacking into its limbs. The rest were busy holding back the tide to demon spawn, leaving the key moment to Ellie.


    The Crawler turned to the adventurers attacking its side and built up a great glob of the fiery web. Ellie slid down it''s back as the Crawler built up that horrible attack and slid her razer sharp Butcher''s Blade down its pulsing abdomen as she did so. Hellfire exploded after her, barely touching the ground before she rolled beneath the Crawler to avoid being melted by fiery web. It screams caused her world to shake, and yet while under the Crawler she cut again and again into the furred ceiling, globs of purple blood caking her while the Crawler screamed again.


    As its legs arched she dove out from underneath, just as the Crawler slammed its torso against the ground. \"Use the spells now!\" Ellie yelled, a blizzard of ice, storm of wind and a lazy bolt of lightning reacting to her call and slamming right into the Crawler''s abdomen.


    Screaming horrible, the Crawler''s backside exploded, it''s body turning into energy and screaming as it was sucked away and through the portals were its kind had originated.


    In its place remained a purple chest with eight eyes and spiders painted along it appeared before them in a burst of violet light. Limping over, Ellie brushed away the Sundrakes healing spells, others more wounded than she.


    \"Ellie, practically no one but you is heart,\" Taki said curtly, and began using his druidic power to rejuvenated her scorches body, \"you''re lucky no lasting damage will come from this. What you did was reckless and you know it.\"


    Elli just smiled and threw open the chest, the Grand Guildmaster appearing by her side with a twinkle in his eyes.


    Inside was a skill book for the spell [Hellfire Web], a thick demon steel shield with anti-Hellflame runes on it, black boots that could activate [Wall Walk] and a spider in a vial. The spider had a teeny tiny crown, it''s a little fuzzy body rather cute in comparison and upon touching it Ellie felt violently sick.


    ''Release me...and I shall grant one wish...'' the thing hissed in her mind, a great evil emanating around her like the foul aura of the Plague King. ''Let me free...and everthing you''ve ever wanted will be yous...''


    Ellie pulled her fingers away from one at a time and sank to the ground when it was done. Heaving heavy breathes, the compulsion to obey still stung at her deeply while the Grand Master gave her a concerned look.


    \"That thing, it is cursed,\" Ellie concluded. Without another word, the Grand Master made the vial vanish, and put a hand on her shoulder.


    \"We''ll get you checked them. Taki can you do anything for curses?\"


    \"That was no curse,\" Taki murmured, \"but the influence of a great evil. We should not let that vial fall into the wrong hands, there is no telling what it could do. You did well Raid leader, I don''t think there are many who could have resisted such a potent mental attack as well as you.\"


    \"Thank you Taki. Here Grand Guildmaster, the other items.\"


    The Grand Guildmaster quickly doled out the shield to Dwargon, the spell to the Sundrakes and the boots to Ellie.


    \"They''re meant for a rogue, and I''ve seen how you''ve looked at them too. Not to mention you were the integral force in defeating the beast, best you get rewarded for it eh?\"


    \"Thank you Grand Master,\" Ellie mumbled and received her shining black boots in hand. Up close she could feel the power in them, trace the little red lines that formed the pictures of spiders and webs. Putting them on they felt comfortable on her feet, contorting to fit, and the skill [Wall Walk] now felt as natural in her mind as if she had trained with it for years.


    \"Let''s get going already,\" Ellie said standing tall, \"I''ve had enough of this blasted floor. With this, we''ll have the last Captain''s favour, and can pass on unopposed.\"


    \"You sure we shouldn''t fight him? The boss is guaranteed to drop a chest too,\" the Grand Master said. Ellie stared, trying to figure out what this test was about.


    \"Indeed. But Bazza said that by garnering a relationship with the boss of this floor we can farm equipment here effectively. Kill him even once, and that possibility goes up in smoke.\"


    The Grand Master paused and nodded.


    \"I wise decision then.\"


    Sighing, Ellie felt relieved she had passed. He always asked such strange things, sometimes insightful, sometimes such stupidly greedy statements it would throw her off. Ellie always feared those trick questions, coming up with the right answer a difficult one when she didn''t know whether he was serious or not.


    \"When we''re done being healed we''ll go to the shattered throne again, I think that''s where Bazza has been too. Chatting with the boss there like an old frient.\"


    Peering to the crumbling citadel, the Grand Master nodded. So unphased by the war all around them, always looking to the next step, no doubt having thought so far ahead in his plans that Ellie could only barely catch up to the present with all her mind. How did he do it, this strategic genius?


    Ellie shivered at the thought of just how deep his plans went, how far his strategems were cast. Perhaps with him as he teacher she could excel further, although the prospect of playing these mind games endlessly was a daunting task. Yet it was his challenging of her that had allowed her to think in new ways, and for her to look after her party so well in the last week.


    \"Please continue to teach me, Grand Master. I think I speak for us all when I saw we look forward to your instruction,\" Ellie bowed as they moved away from the battlefront, the other adventures doing the same. They had too, for the Grand Master''s power was such he could have likely accomplished this Raid by himself, they were sure.


    If they didn''t want to be left behind on this Legendary tale, they would have to continue to give their all. The Grand Master increased his pace, as if he wanted to press them harder as yet another test.


    Eagerly Ellie matched it.

 103 Chapter 31 - The Fifth Floor

    Kenji was still sour about not being able to take any of the demonic bodes they came across throughout this entire floor. Every single one had burst into energy and been pulled away, their gear be damned, Kenji had just wanted to get some forms out of all this.


    \"Remember, the Fifth floor is special. I cannot go with you because the wandering demon bosses tend to inhabit this floor the most often, and will attempt to challenge me if I go into their turf,\" Bazza continued, \"It''s one big prison, and staying on the lit path will keep you safe from the demons who have overrun it. Since you''ve developed enough favour with the Great Spirit the guards will allow you to wander the path without issue, and all you have to do is follow them to the ''Deepest Cell'' which is what they call the boss room. If you defeat that boss, a randomly spawned demon of a high level, you''ll get access to the silver treant. From then on you can enter and exit this dungeon from the fifth floor. Good luck, and I hope you lot will come to hang out with me in here soon.\"


    Truth be told Kenji had had enough of the Australian but snagged him by the arm all the same.


    \"You still owe me answers. Did the creature with black everything and white teeth send you here? Were you taken to a place called Everything? How long have you been here?\"


    Bazza pulled his arm away and sighed.


    \"If I try to tell you about &^%&^#@ I get censored, see? So all I can say is this; I cannot leave this dungeon, there are others like me in other dungeons, and not everything is as it seems. Remove the filter somehow, and I''ll tell you more. Until then I can only help guide your people through this dungeon up to the Fifth floor unless you remove the Wandering bosses i can''t do more than that either.\"


    Turning away, Bazza moved to leave the Shattered Throneroom before Ellie too caught his arm.


    \"Thank you, for everything. I''ll see you soon, ok? Me and Ellie''s Crew at least want to come back, and guide junior adventurers through the first floor to grow stronger. Could use a strong pair of hands, to help us keep them safe that is,\" She smiled, and Bazza slowly pulled out a grin of his own.


    \"Cheers, I''d be up for that. Could always use the company, especially with fine sheila such as yourself,\" winking Bazza turned and walked away, Ellie trailing his every step.


    \"His too olf for you,\" Rams said flatly.


    \"Shut it, Rams!\" Ellie said with bright scarlet cheeks, \"we''re just friends!\"


    \"Good. Because if you were thinking about anything else, he is too old for you.\"


    Ignoring their discussion, Kenji displayed five ribbons of favour to which the Throneroom boss revealed a stairwell beneath the Shattered Throne itself. Without wasting any more time, they descended into dark space with a bright path.


    The path was lit from some unseen source, a pair of light crystal-studded Spirit Warriors guarding the way.


    \"Do not stray from the light it you value your life, travellers. The demons have broken free from their cages, and especially beware of the Five Overlords and their warring factions.\"


    \"Cheers,\" Kenji muttered as he hurried on past. Pausing, he remembered he had promised to let Ellie take command, then turned to wait for what she would come up with. As always both Ellie and everyone else was looking at him with wide eyes, and awfully intense look of concentration.


    \"Should we investigate these warring factions first?\" Ellie said.


    Kenji waited, just wanting her to choose something. Waiting around was stretching his nerves, and wanted to feel like they were getting closer to rescuing Tenko, not waiting around.


    \"No, the boss should be our objective. Yet the Five Overlord''s could have information, we should test one of them before we fight the floor boss itself.\"


    Smiling Ellie seemed pleased with herself, that smile fading as Kenji continued to wait.


    \"It''s a good plan,\" he said restlessly, that smile returning in full force.


    \"Then we''ll split up, if the lit paths are as safe as they are supposed to be we can cover more ground. Hear that everyone? No leaving the paths, just go as far as you can then meet back here with what we have found out. No fighting, and return here immediately if you think anything strange is happening.\"


    Turning into the Young Witch stored in his [Forbidden Slot] Kenji sat down and concentrated.


    \"I''ll watch the flows of magic while I wait. Send a magic user in each group, if they need help to send the biggest spell you have in my direction. If I detect anything that''s not demonic magic, I''ll send all the help available,\" Kenji peered up to find everyone looking at him with open mouths. \"Do you have any questions?\"


    They turned away and started planning quickly as if a mean manager were hounding them over the shoulder. They certainly were a passionate lot, no qualms about working with other species now as they raced to get into firm groups, set up a plan of approach and get out there.


    Focusing on his powers, Kenji released some of the young witch''s magic. It interacts with the flows of magic already moving about the hallways, and just like small sandbox simulation, Kenji could manipulate that power that flowed through his own.


    He read the magical signature in this way for some time, focusing intensely on his task, and the little blips of power. Over time he built up a picture, pin-pointing in the general direction that energy was coming from, and noticing it grow either stronger of weaker as they moved. Two points remained rock solid the whole time however, a constant hum of power.


    It wasn''t until a flare came from the right, elvish magic pure and undiluted, was he thrown from his task. Opening his eyes, Kenji found himself with only those few adventurers that had remained, while a small group of Bloodhorns and a single Sundrake arrived from the leftmost path.


    \"Some of you stay behind, the rest come with me. One of the groups is in danger,\" Kenji shifted to the Sun Elf Queen and took off at a sprint. The adventurers behind him could barely keep up, however, and Kenji was forced to slow down so that they could arrive in fighting shape.


    As they grew closer the sound of shaking and screaming ripped through the air, until the lit path came across a bizarre scene. Ellie was breathing raggedly as was her party, with a green imp bound in rope between them. The Imp had baleful green eyes, yet was held tightly between Dwargon and Ram.


    To the paths right the remnants of hulking green demons fought wildly with hulking red demons. Bulging muscles bound in chains and pieces of scrap plate, the creatures slogged endlessly, while some few with wide blades and numbers tattooed on their cheeks ripped their lessors apart with ease.


    \"What happened?\" Kenji said, \"No one seems hurt - why is that demon on the path?\"


    \"It deactivates their power,\" Ellie said quickly. \"We tested it on actually imps, using that [Hellfire Web] Spell. One of the Sundrakes that use pyromancy stuck one and dragged it in, and sure enough to went weak as a leaf. Then we came across a battle close to the path, with this Green Imp just eviscerating its enemy, so while it was distracted we caught it and dragged it through.\"


    \"I detected non-demonic spells-\"


    \"We had to throw it''s allied off, those demons guarding the boss especially. With enough spells built up we dealt with them quickly, and were able to successfully extract the target without a problem,\" Ellie bit her lip, but the way she answered his questions promptly seemed to indicate she had put serious thought into their little maneuver here.


    \"Let''s bring it back for them. Our allies will wonder where we are, so better to interrogate the Imp at the meeting point.\"


    \"Let me go, humans,\" muttered the Imp with a surprisingly regal tone. \"I assure you I am worth quite a bit more alive than dead, so how about we trade my freedom for you desires?\"


    \"There''s a rather long walk ahead, Imp. You have that long to convince me that letting you free is worth more than the chest that would spawn with your death,\" yet the scorch marks across the ground looked serious, and the green demons had finally overcome the attack of the red as their reinforcements piled in from opposing always to crush them flat.


    Kenji suspected it was only sheer luck they had caught one of the Overlords so quickly and was loathe to search the darkness for the others.


    \"How about I give you information, yes? As the Green Overlord of Whisperes, I have heard many things in these tunnels. The other Ovelord''s locations and weaknesses for example.\"


    \"That and the Floor boss. Tell me these things, along with anything else you can of this floor.\"


    \"Agreed.\" The Green Overlord said quickly and chatted enthusiastically about the prison and it''s foul contents. The Overlords were in eternal conflict for dominance and battled frequently throughout the flood.


    Whenever too many fought in one place the higher level prisoners would be released, and a scramble to get out of their way ensues. Wach Overlord had different powers, desires and all were apparently far harder to work with than the Green. According to the Green that is.


    \"As for the floor boss, you can go straight to him if you wish. But the High Demons all have abilities that affect the soul. Without protection, your spirits will wither.\"


    \"How do we protect ourselves then, is there a skill or item we need?\"


    \"Your need a Soul Anchor. Easy to make, and I know just where to find them,\" the Imp grinned. \"But I would have to be freed to do that for you...so what''s say we help each other out?\"


    When Kenji Finally returned he found the other parties had scouted a fair way in every direction while holding to the lit paths as ordered. Clearly helping the Green Overlord was the only way to proceed, yet deferred the decision to Ellie all the same.


    \"Oh, I''ll go with your plan,\" Ellie said confidently.


    Kenji rose an eyebrow, unaware that he had communicated any such plan.


    \"Mind explaining it? Just to make sure you understand?\" Kenji said, genuinely curious.


    \"Well...\" Ellie said suddenly questioning herself, \" I don''t understand how your powers work Grand Master, but seeing as the Green Overlord is taken prisoner, could you not replicate his body and direct his own warriors to help us?\"


    Kenji stared at Ellie for several seconds, torn between cursing himself a pool and shouting her praise.


    \"Well,\" Kenji coughed awkwardly, \"you caught on rather well. Congratulations, my faith in your ability has been proven again.\"


    Ellie beamed, while Kenji felt sick. Why had he not thought of that first, why couldn''t he think straight of late?


    Shoving his concern aside, Kenji dragged the Green Overlord away.


    \"Where we going?\" The Green Overlord said rather concerned.


    \"We''re going to have a little chat. You two hold him down,\" Kenji ordered, Ram and Dwargon stomping after them. \"This isn''t necessary, I told you everthing you asked, what more do you want to know?\"


    Kenji cracked his knucles.


    \"Everything.\"

 104 Chapter 32 - Green Demons = Best Demons

    Turns out Demons were a lot like football fans.


    Each side was made of about the same players, and yet they supported their own team with an astounding fervour.


    As Kenji''s Green Boy''s (as the Green Overlord had officially named them) smashed the skulls of the last Purple Harlots, their Succubus leader lay open. She was stomped beneath the feet of the Green Boy''s, while her own powers were disrupted by well-timed arrows and spells.


    Once defeated her Purple Token etched with a loveheard emerged, and Green Boys errupted from the prison cells she had controlled. Each was now scrawled in tattoos, and now seemed to move and react with much greater speed.


    \"This is...depressingly easy,\" Kenji muttered, his memories as this Impish Overlord rather jumbled. He knew his spells, he knew of the floor and he knew what quests were possible for adventurers to ask of him. Everthing else ceased to exist, as if Kenji coudln''t reach them.


    What had this Overlord spent its life doing? What were it''s likes and dislikes?


    Nothing.


    What quests would force Kenji to act?


    Being offered the token of another Overlord. Doing so would give Kenji more power, but also require he fight them when all four tokens were provided to him. After being defeated the ''Great Spirit'' would reclaim the floor, reward the adventurers, and then let the floor fall back into demonic control after a set time.


    Madness, this place felt truly like a video game. A construct. But who had made it?


    The orange overlord Lord of Flies sent his own Orange GraveRobbers in a steady swarm. They looked much like the average demon brawler of this level save for the thousands of flies each held and released upon death to inflict a host of de-buffs on their enemy.


    Yet Fire proved their undoing, [Hellfire Web]s even more so, as the exploding enemy were immediately bound in flame that scoured the flies from the air. From there on they could take down the enemy boss with Kenji''s own [Green Flames], a rather uncreatively named ability of this body.


    Taking the Orange token etched with a fly, Kenji added it to his body and felt his troops grow in number. From the prison cells the Orange Overlord had controlled lumbered green demons with freshly broken chains, and now with swords of spurting green flame.


    The Blue Overlord was a lich with the powers of ice. Its creatures were covered in frost that would explode with sharp-pointed ice spears at the slightest touch. Kenji didn''t even send in the demons for this one, and just allowed the wizards to throw a few wind blades into the mix. Several Blue Freezers spurted ice spears simultaneously, the spears locking them together and making them easy pickings for targeted arrow fire.


    Arriving before the Blue Overlord unharmed, Kenji unleashed the tide of Green Boys to weather the Overlord''s blasts of ice to overwhelm him with sheer numbers. When the time drew on, Kenji added his own [Green Fire] to the mix and blasted apart his defensive [Icewall]s so that his minions could claim the Lich beyond.


    Picking up the Blue Token etched with a skull, Kenji''s own troops swelled in number while becoming armoured in green fire. En route to the last boss, Kenji made sure to stand in the midst of his adventurers.


    \"Once we destroy this boss, i''ll revert back to one of my normal forms. At which point the Dungeon should have no way to turn me into the last boss of the quest...and, well I''m hoping it just skips to the reward part,\" the adventures looked at him concerned, so Kenji added, \"If I am still turned into the end boss, then kill me anyway. Just don''t use fire, that body is immune.\"


    That and fire had a chance of damaging Kenji in his boss form hiding within the corpse. That kind of magic could prove a permanent wound on his body, and Kenji was very much looking forward to not getting involved with it.


    The Red Overlord was froglike with an army worth of weaponry pulled together into a gigantic mound. From said mound erupted his Red Rockers, who pulled free the first weapon they could reach to fling in the general direction of Kenji''s forces with surprising power behind their throws. The clash came soon after, and for all the Red Rockers ferocity there was simply far too much strength collected under Kenji by this point.


    \"Fools, you''re just making the Green Overlord stronger!\" Croaked the Red as a spear burst his belly, and flaming swords cut him down to size. From the ash Kenji pulled forth the last Token, printed with the image of a frog With all the tokens collected, they fused, and were pulled into Kenji''s core.


    Kenji promptly smirked and began morphing into the Boy Knight - only to be frozen.


    \"Oh no, RUN! RUN YOU FOOLS RUN!\" Kenji roared, his impish body growing long and lean, his height increasing, a crown of green flame appearing above his head while a golden sceptre appeared in his right hand. Rows of abilities spun into existence in his mind, powers rushed into his body and a compulsive desire to follow a script entered his very soul.


    \"Thank you for destroying my enemies,\" cackled Kenji, who very much was still attempting to pull away from the force using him like a puppet. \"You are free to die now and add your corpses to my kingdom. Fear not, your end shall come swiftly.\"


    \"Kenji? Is this another test?\" Ellie said, not having even raised her guard yet.


    \"Fool, just- FIGHT ELLIE, ALL OF YOU FIGHT FOR YOUR LIVES - j-just die already!\" Kenji rose both hands and unleashed [Armagheddon]. Instantly the prison altered, the sky flashed green, the cracks in the walls were filled with an emerald light, and the demons were driven into a frenzy.


    In Kenji''s right hand appeared a green crystal, a [Soul Anchor] that would bind their souls to him. Collect enough souls, and Kenji would evolve to a boss of epic proportions. Kenji dropped the [Soul Anchor] and stared at his rebellious hand.


    \"What is happening?\" Kenji muttered, as adventurers were butchered.


    \"Stop this, HALT EVERY DEMON KILL YOURSELF!\" Kenji roared, a dozen demonic blades piercing their own necks.


    \"Keep fighting worms! Destroy the invaders and bring me their souls!\" Kenji corrected, snarling, holding his head high, arms pulled apart by separate wills.


    \"[Soul Reactor]!\" One voice roared, the captured adventurer souls being pulled into the [Soul Anchor].


    \"[Obliterate]!\" The other screamed, and smashed the black sceptre into his own head.


    And all became darkness.


    In that darkness, Kenji felt limp. His own body, his real body, feeling a great burning.


    [Obliterate] had been powerful enough to destroy his enhanced head...


    ...too powerful, as Kenji felt grey goo splatter-free from a web of wounds.


    The Awakened Green Overlord body vanished around him, a chest appearing, the demons quickly restrained by Spirit Warriors that rushed off the path.


    \"The Prison has been retaken, fear not, we have arrived-\"


    Sound drowned out, as Kenji lay down. To his side lay the horns of Ram,s her eyes staring sightlessly into the ceiling. To his right was one of the Bloodhorn, convulsing as a fiery demon blade lay stuck into his gut. His also gasp haunted Kenji to the core.


    Between them, Kenji became cold...so very cold...


    The sky became blurred, hazy, faint.


    The colours all merged to white.


    And then faded to black.

 105 Chapter 33 - Fifth Floor Boss

    Kenji awakened in a cold sweat.


    \"Wha- what happened, where are we?\" Kenji said and rocketed up in his cot. Patting himself down he found a distinct lack of wounds and found himself in a little room made of leaves.


    Beside his bed lay Ellie, fast asleep in her chair, with her head resting on the bed.


    \"What...?\" She murmured as her sleepy eyes slowly opened.


    It all came back to them, of what Kenji had done. He knew now she would return to her hatred of him, if anything, she was foolish for ever letting go of it. Of trusting him. It had been their undoing.


    \"Grand Master...I...\" Ellie struggled to well up the words.


    Kenji flinched, waiting for the other shoes to drop. Waiting to be told he would be sentenced for his failures.


    \"I''m so sorry!\" Ellie burst into tears, each rolling so sadly down her cheeks to splash in the fibrous sheets. \"It was m-my fault, Rams and the others....they''re dead because of m-me-\"


    \"Hey, Ellie, it wasn''t your fault. You didn''t know I would become that powerful, and the plan was supposed to rely on me getting to grips with the script. If anything the fault is mine, ok? So don''t blame yourself, no good will come of doing that,\" Kenji said, feeling as if should be crucified, set afire or at least lightly scolded.


    Instead Ellie stared at him shocked. As if a candle said it wasn''t meant for light, or a fireplace had claimed to make rooms colder when roaring.


    Wiping away her tears, that stern look of hers returned, and she stood tall.


    \"I''m sorry Grand Master, I should not have shown you that. The Raid comes first, so give the order, what do we do next?\"


    Still perturbed, Kenji nodded. Better to focus on the task at hand.


    \"Update me on what happened after the boss was defeated, and how I am so fully healed. Please.\"


    \"As soon as you killed your...yourself, a chest appeared. Inside we found a scroll of healing, I used it on you right away,\" Kenji nodded, understanding flooding him. No simple magic could have healed his true body so quickly, he had just gotten lucky. \"We also found some equipment, the best of it being the [Soul Anchor].\"


    \"We still have that?\" Kenji raised his eyebrow, a deep aching sorrow filling his heart.


    \"We do,\" Ellie said with wet eyes, \"the Spirit Warriors have told us the souls of our comrades still remain in there. The ability activated on it is torturing them, producing huge amounts of mana, but at the cost of grinding down their souls for f-fuel.\"


    Kenji sprang to his feet, \"and did they say how to stop it?\"


    \"They said it can only be broken with a high-level weapon. A Corrupt Spirit weapon to be specific, but there''s only one place we could get it and we don''t have the manpower anymore...\"


    \"We do. We have me, I''ll do it,\" if Kenji had caused this problem, these deaths, this pain....then he was sure as hell that he''d be the one to fix it. \"I''ll fight the fifth-floor boss alone, when the Green Overlord becomes available again I''ll go on in and use it.\"


    It was currently stored at the peak of its power, if with that bloodlust to kill all adventurers. Still, Kenji just needed to be able to take down the Fifth-floor demonic boss, if no one else came he wouldn''t have to worry about endangering his allies.


    \"You can''t go alone. What if we lose you? The Hero Guild would crumble, Tenko might stay lost forever and Mistress Violet would be forced to bear the burdens of leadership without aid. Almanac might be put in charge!\"


    Kenji smiled at that last part, not thinking Almanac that bad of a guy.


    Ellie''s soured features claimed otherwise.


    \"Ellie, keep the others safe, will you? And just know, whatever happens, I''ve always believed in you. You''ll be a greater leader,\" hauling himself to his feet, Kenji felt the Green Overlord copy strong as ever in his [Forbidden Slot]. Ellie trailed after him, so Kenji turned to the Sun Elf Queen and ran around a corner.


    In an instant, he activated his invisibility ring and sent an illusion of himself forward.


    Ellie followed the illusion, pleading, rationalizing, and trying everything she could to be involved.


    But Kenji was already gone, blasting along the trails of light, following them to their end. The Jailor''s Office arose ahead and beside it a great crack in the earth that marked the entranced to the Fifth Floor Boss Chambers. Entering, Kenji found dark stairs that descended between walls lit with flickering blue. No Hellflame here, just this strange blue that winked intermittently down far as Kenji could see.


    Fluttering down on a blast of wind, Kenji was surprised to find the torches resist his wind as he passed. In moments he reached down hundreds of stairs, before landing before a great pulsing wall of magic.


    Red and orange lines crisscrossed in a demonic summoning circle, a stone tablet before the circle blazing with its own words of warning.


    ''Beware, this is the point of no return. Defeat the beast, or be consumed.''


    \"Simple enough,\" Kenji muttered and fluttered on through.


    He stood in a huge platform of black basalt, from the sky dangling with a thousand chains, while rivers of lava cut the platform off from far away tunnels. The path behind him had vanished as if kenji had entered a portal, while another blazed on the platform''s other side just as he had entered.


    \"Who dares challenge a Lieutenant of the Damned?\" roared a deep voice of crackling bone and power. From the portal emerged a muscular demon of pale blue skin, it''s body bound in several chains, it''s wings locked together and its eyes blinded with an iron helmet that held the chained demon''s restraints in check. \"I may be bound, but I am still a greater power than your measely capacity can possibly handle....oh? There is but one challenger?\"


    The Demon Lieutenant''s yellow teeth drew back in a grin.


    Just as Kenji had expected. His time in the Green Overlord''s mind was long while they had fought the other four, and he was well aware that fighting the boss alone raised the chance of receiving the higher tear loot.


    Freeing the demon would guarantee it.


    \"Unchain yourself demon, and fight me one on one. I am your equal, so there is no need to hold back,\" Kenji roared, the demon''s many chains crumbling free. And yet that iron helmet that blocked the creatures sight remained.


    No matter, asking the demon to be free was the only condition Kenji needed to activate. If this dungeon wanted to make the fight a little easier, he''d accept all the help he could get.


    \"Mortal, you have chosen VERY poorly. But I shall enjoy sucking free your soul...although whether it will taste of sweet foolishness or wretched bravery is another thing to be seen all together- GAH!\" the boss shattered the [Wind Blade] Kenji had sent with an ebony claw, the magic than being sucked into the demon''s clenched fist. His grand wings unfurling behind him, each filled with a hundred crimson eyes, while a great power roared through the demon''s veins.


    \"Thank you, for the morsel,\" the demon grinned, each of the hundreds of crimson eyes welling with wind magic before it sent a torrent of [Wind Blade]s back at Kenji. Kenji blasted himself above the barrage, and opted for a closer assault instead.


    \"Your feet are on fire,\" Kenji yelled as he blasted close, the demon stubbornly refusing to look down as Kenji''s blades met the demon''s claws. In rapid-fire succession they met, again and again, Kenji''s smaller frame and bursts of speed landing several blows.


    \"Bah, suffer through my [Blood Spear]s!\" Each of the demon''s wounds grew bright scarlet before each fired a lance of blood. Kenji was caught in the abdomen and shoulder, but at least managed to unleash a wind blade at one of the wings before he was forced to shift.


    Screaming the demon backtracked, dozens of crimson eyes damaged or destroyed.


    \"I''ll make you pay for that-\"


    Kenji punched the demon so had it flew across the ground. Jumping from foot to foot, arms raised in a boxer''s stance, Kenji revealed his upgraded Troll body. The Troll form was now once again coated in armour, gleaming steel plate, while his fists were coated in thick troll sized gauntlets tipped with spikes.


    \"Fool, at range you will- gah!\" fluttering aside the demon avoided being hit with Kenji''s troll sized javaline in the body, the steel tipped spear instead tearing right through his left-wing. Pulling free another from his internal space, Kenji built up the strength and threw again.


    \"Bastard!\" the demon fluttered past this one, and closed in with his ebony claws ready to slash Kenji three different ways into the grave. Kenji blocked, the claws eating into the steel and cutting through the troll flesh beneath like ribbon.


    \"That''s gunna cost me a lot you know!\" Kenji said with gritted teeth and planted a fist square under the demon''s jaw. A cracking sound blasted out, Kenji following up with a hit on the demon''s side and a kick between the legs.


    \"I know your weakness, beast!\" The demon sneered. Twitching, the demon set his claws ablaze with blue fire. One slash is all it took, Kenji sent into the maddened troll state. He gripped the demon by the throat and slammed it into the ground, bellowing right in the demon''s face as his heart was pierced with long fiery claws.


    Jettisoning backwards, Kenji aloud the Troll Copy to slump on the demon and reformed as Dana the Damned.


    \"Why am I still here?\" the demon said, pushing the Troll corpse aside only to be gripped by its trollish arms. \"What-AHHHH!\"


    The demon became hysterical as Kenji set the corpse ablaze with [Blessing-fire], the Holy Flame setting the demon''s entire right-wing and left claw ablaze like dry timber. Unleashing a wave of blue fire, the infernal around the Zombie Troll blazed white-hot and reduced Kenji''s creation to ashes.


    The demon was then forced to lop off his left claw and right wing, lest the holy fire should consume him. A shame he was too panicked to think of how this had happened, Kenji tackling the demon and setting himself afire with holy flame.


    Kenji screamed as the holy fire ate away at him, the Demon screamed as holy flame consumed his very essence. Kenji jettisoned again, and allowed the demon to bash aside the flaming corpse with a look of disgust, fear and bewilderment.


    When his armoured head lifted, his mouth fell agape.


    As Kenji stood tall as the Green Overlord.


    \"You...this is all some trick, is it?\" the demon spat, the iron of his faceplate cracking, and fell away. \"Then let my true strength be revealed in turn. It is time to end this.\"


    From beneath the plate was revealed a great blue orb filled with such potent magic as Kenji had ever seen.


    \"[Gates - Three] [Soul Engine] [Obliterate]!\" Kenji cast in quick succession. Three green gates appeared in front of him, each pouring forth fully upgraded Green Boys. His [Soul Anchor] in his left hand-activated, securing him against soul-based attacks and allowing him to suck in the souls of the dying to convert into mana, while from the golden sceptre in his right hand the black and green laser that was [Obliterate] fired directly at the enemies orange eye.


    \"[Greater Obliterate]!\" the enemy roared, an orange beam meeting that of Kenji''s and splitting it. The explosion wiped away the first ranks of his Green Boys, while the remaining power behind it blasted right through to shatter Kenji''s [Soul Anchor], the crystal exploding within his hand.


    \"[Obliterate]!\" Kenji cast again, his [Obliterate] dodged by the enemy, who nonetheless shattered it with his claws. As the demon''s veins plared with green and black light, Kenji''s eyes widened with fear.


    \"You were strong, but still just a spawnling,\" the demon chuckled as dozens of Green Boys charged with flaming weapons and armour. It was too late for them, Kenji focused on himself and ran. Behind him, the demon unfurled his ruined last wing, and let loose a barrage of [Obliterate]s that moved down every last Green Boy and destroyed the portals behind them.


    Through the smoke, Kenji threw himself through the air as Kragg, his werewolf form fast as the wind as he charged. A single [Greater Obliterate] was fired, Kenji dodged, and yet it exploded in the air next to him all the same.


    His charred corpse was thrown forward, and springing out was Kenji running forth as the Boy Knight.


    \"[Martial Aura]!\" Kenji cast his blessing as a Crusader of the Truthblade, \"[Full Frontal Assault]\" he roared, using that near-suicidal ability he had invented so long ago now, fighting a shade in a land far away.


    Together Kenji wover his way closer with impressive speed, his blade Honour dancing forward even if still infused with stones. And as the demon locked in its feet, used its wing to balance itself like a tripod, and built up an [Obliterate] that would surely see Kenji reduced to dust - he pierced it''s great organge eye.


    The resulting explosion threw him backwards, both arms ripped off, legs twisting in ways they were not meant to go and head smashing into the ground again and again before he came to rest beside a bubbling river of lava.


    Wearily Kenji returned to his true form, although still had the Green Overlord up his sleeve. The Green Overlord might be only able to cast a few [Green Fire Blasts] before it was tapped of mana, but it would have to do if the enemy somehow survived.


    Because if it didn''t do, Kenji had nothing left.


    Yet as the smoke cleared, the smouldering bones of the demon lietenant were all that remained.


    Before it was a blue chest adorned with black ivory, and opening it wide Kenji smiled.


    Then frowned.

 106 Chapter 34 - Freedom

    \"What do they do?\" Kenji said, eyes flittering to the white demon mask with the red stripes and to were beside it lay a pure green spirit crystal encased in bright scarlet demon flame.


    \"It''s a Sobi mask, activates [Overdrive],\" Bazza murmured, hand wafting over the item as if he were an x-ray machine, \"an ability that deals damage while activated to the user, but also dramatically boosts strength, speed, agility and reaction speed for the duration. A good match for your troll body mate, although you might find that certain people have a direct affinity for the thing. No way to tell until you give it a red hot go.\"


    \"I can try it in various forms later, can it break the [Soul Anchor] though?\" the damned gem continues to pulse and flare in the nearby table, Ellie staring at a haunting expression into its depths where the souls of her friends burned.


    \"Nah mate, it''s just an enhancement. But this upgrade gem...now that''s a real beauty.\"


    Tentatively holding the gem high, Bazza appraised the fuzzy green sheen that was turned into fuel for the demonic taint encasing it. \"We can make that Corrupt Spirit weapon you wanted with this, with any weapon, just hand ''em over and I''ll combine then faster than Blake and some tinnies.\"


    Without a thought, Kenji handed over Honour, Arthur''s family heirloom and Kenji''s longest held item. The damned sword was still fused with stone, if worn down by the blacksmiths of Tariak.


    \"Sorry Honour, I put you through hell don''t I?\" Arthur whispered as the blade was yanked from his hands, and taken over to Bazza''s barbeques. Peering over at Kenji, Bazza slapped the blade down on the grill and produced a hammer.


    \"Hey, what are you-\"


    BAM. Bazza smashed the gem stop the blade and began wiggling his fingers like a maestro above. The spiritual and demonic powers were already intertwined and drew greatly off the power of the flames below to wrap the steal and turn the stones in the blade itself into either a pure Jade green with a bright scarlet eye or deep blood red with a little spirit green crack,


    Then the damned thing shattered all those high-grade fire crystals in the grill, power pumped in at an enormous rate.


    \"PUT ON THE MASK KID,\" Bazza hollered, holding down the blade with both hands as tongues of flame lashed out into the other barbeques and drew forth a torrent of their power too. No sooner had Kenji put on the Sobi mask did belching flame engulf him.


    The demon fire filled his body, burning so much away, and yet a soothing green filled where it went. A sudden burst of spiritual energy was released nearby, a rush of Spiritual power following, his sobi mask cracked and exploded to reveal Kenji, emerged a new man. Arthur''s fire orange hair now waved and flickered upward like real flames, his hands felt hard as stone, while Honour floated in the air before him, several tendrils of green and red power tieing it to his arm.


    \"Oh now that''s rare,\" Bazza said with a great grin, allowing several shattered Spirit Crystals to fall free from his hands.


    \"What happened?\" Kenji muttered, finding his voice louder, his feet lighter. \"[Martial Aura]!\" once activated his senses become keen as Ellie''s Butcher''s Blade, and the authority of the Truthblade helped to quash the slightest remnants of demonic taint within his mind. It still mewled in there, a pitiful thing, yet Kenji was well used to suppressing plagues of the mind by now.


    \"The blade was bound to you, something that can only happen if you have been close to an object for a great period of time. When the transformation occurred it picked up on that connection and...well in a way some of its power transferred to you as well. It would have failed, but luckily I had plenty of fire crystals and Spirit stones nearby, had to use ''em all to get you as far as this. How do you feel mate? Because I''ll be honest, you look great.\"


    Noticing Ellie staring, Kenji at first thought it was because his clothes had burnt away. But those eyes were hard, and soon rose to her feet.


    Gritting his teeth, Kenji strode towards the [Soul Anchor] with Honour in his hands. Taking Ellie''s own, he positioned them with his on the hilt even though he felt Honour''s anger flaring across their bond. He pressed the blade''s will down and nodded at Ellie.


    \"We do it together, and then they can be free,\" Kenji said.


    \"Together,\" Ellie whispered, resolution building in her limbs as she helped raise Honour high.


    \"[Overdrive]![Full Frontal Assault]!\" Kenji cast in quick succession.


    Crashing crystal, a burst of white. And then it was done.


    Kenji spat blood to the side, [Overdrive] feeling like gnashing teeth chewing up his insides when activated, and while Kenji had grown stronger, the ability had only become more potent to match. If Kenji wanted to keep using it he was going to have to get used to having to repair the Boy Knight after each and every use, especially if he used [Full Frontal Assault] which lowered his defensive value.


    \"The settlement will be yours to command when setup, but we have to get going. We have spent too long from Tariak, there might be news on my missing party member,\" Kenji said, the other adventurers gathering their equipment quickly.


    \"Settlement?\" Bazza frowned, \"and do you really need to be going? A mate of mine is real good with the flute and was going to-\"


    \"We need to go. But we''ll be back, and if you would have us, I would set up a Hero Guild Branch right here. We''ll send our younger members to train, acquire items and grow strong. We could use a man like you Barry, a mentor to guide the next generation. Who knows, given enough time we might even be able to fight to the bottom floor and free you from this prison.\"


    Bazza''s eyes were watering as he staggered backwards.


    \"Freedom? Barely thought about that in a hundred years...that''d be great mate, thanks, thank you so much!\"


    Freeing himself from Bazza''s bone-crushing hug, Kenji put on some shorts and sandals Bazza gave him, said his farewells, and got moving.


    The path back to the copper leafed tree was a short one from here, and the portal home a welcome one. Stepping back into the safety of the Golden Goose Guildhall, Kenji allowed the smells of Tariak to wash over him, and ignored the excited buzz of those around him for a little while longer.


    A sharp knock on the head caused him to scowl.


    \"What is it?\"


    \"Put these on,\" Violet hissed, shoving a shirt and pants into his hands. Cheeks flushing red, Kenji had gotten so used to walking around with just his shorts on that he hadn''t really noticed his near-nudity.


    \"Sorry about-\"


    \"Shut up. Sorry, but shut it for a second and listen,\" Violet snapped, looking at wits end with Kenji at the moment. \"We found them, the spider tattooed gangsters. We know where one of their bases are, we can finally bring Tenko home.\"


    Kenji stood stunned, his lips slowly pulling into a smile as if to feel thankful too readily would pull this illusion out from beneath his feet and be revealed as some cruel prank. But his smile did come wide and bright, and no one announced this was a sick joke.


    \"We''ve really found her - who did it? Which group tracked them down?\"


    \"They''re here actually, they were new. We didn''t realise who she was though, not until they accomplished this quest with the same speed they did every other provided in the area,\" turning, Violet indicated a dashing oak haired youth in shining mithril plate, an upturned helmet-shaped into a silver swan and a sword with an aura all of its own at her side. Behind her stood a gigantic wheat haired priest, who looked terribly out of place with dirt on his nose and wearing enough brown cloth in his robe to cover a small family. Further behind him stood a pair of slim Silver Swan Knights.


    \"It is good to meet another servant of the Truthblade,\" the swordswoman said, her words coming sharp and clear as if they parried with words, \"I look forward to testing your strength with my own. You can call me Arwen.\"


    \"Arwen, I think I''ve heard of you,\" Kenji mused.


    \"Arwen Swan is the General of the Northern Armies, and protected of the provinces within the northern frontier ring,\" Violet said, straining a smile, Kenji suddenly trying to do the same.


    How the hell had a general found Tenko?

 107 Chapter 35 - Institution

    \"You won''t reconsider? The Raid team has proven powerful, I liked fighting with you all too. Together we could prove a real threat to those who have taken Tenko prisoner,\" and without Ellie by Kenji''s side, he would feel less haunted by what he had done. At least if he could continue to guide her, the deaths of those adventurers would have some small purpose, and Kenji could hope to find inner peace from their torment of him.


    Slowly, Ellie shook her head.


    \"You are strong,\" she said simply. \"You defeated the floor boss single-handedly, and Grand Master, we frankly feel as if you could have completed the entire dungeon faster by yourself than in a Raid team at all.\"


    Ellie''s feet shifted, and she peered up at Dwargon who in turn gave her a thumbs up, then removed his helmet. Gone was the lush brown beard, now drenched in matted grey, matched with eyes surrounded in wrinkles far beyond the dwarves years.


    But that smile spoke of hope.


    \"We want to stay behind. To help the younger adventurers train in the Rose Gate, and to grow strong. Strong enough we can stand beside you on our own two feet, strong enough that we can be proud to fight beside you against the evils of this world.\"


    Kenji peered at the Sundrakes and Bloodhorns, equally determined with a fire in their eyes.


    \"Then let it be so. Ellie, I put you in charge of the Hero Guild while we are away,\" Kenji turned to leave but the sudden outcry forced him to pause.


    \"M-me? The leader - how - why?\" Ellie said in a sudden state of panic.


    \"Because Almanac, Hoger and Violet are all coming with me. The Sun Elf Queen too, Arwen, anyone of sufficient power is coming and plenty of the regular adventurers too. We bringing a lot of firepowers, which made me worried about who to leave behind to see things continue here. It puts my heart at ease to know someone as trustworthy as our very own Raid team will be watching the Hero Guild''s back. If you have any questions, Violet will be leaving behind several of her attendants, they can help you through the day to day.\"


    Waving Kenji got going, there was too much to do, and not enough time to do it.


    \"Ok! Everything will be great here while you''re away - no, I didn''t mean it like that! I just mean we will take really good care of everything!\" Ellie bowed, raised her head, blushed, and bowed again.


    Kenji nodded and entered the hallway beyond, to descend to the streets of Tariak. From there he took an old back road to a shabby stone wall that wrapt around an old creaking mansion. A noble''s estate once, yet the occupier had died in the siege, and now the lovely estate had fallen towards a secret purpose.


    Arriving at a little gate, Kenji nocked twice. Paused. Knocked twice more, then slapped the wall.


    \"Who is it?\" hissed a familiar tone.


    \"It''s Kenji, Scales. Password is ''Potions before the boss fight means trouble ahead''.\"


    The drawbar was pulled free from the other side, and the door swung open. Striding passed the snake woman, Kenji searched the quart yard around the mansion to find several of the Headless Hunter Rogues prowling the grounds from the shadows.


    \"Good, stay on alert. What we do here is too important,\" Kenji muttered and strode on into the main building. Inside where yet more rogues, many sharpening their skills while others preferred to sharpen weapons.


    \"Password,\" a voice growled, claws appearing at Kenji''s throat.


    \"I didn''t see you come this time Kragg, well done,\" Kenji whispered. \"The Golden Moon can only be used once per day, and Tenko used it to protect the Children.\"


    The claws retracted, and Kragg stepped back into the darkroom he had come from.


    \"Have you been able to teach others how to hide like that?\" Kenji asked of the darkness. Twin yellow orbs winked into life, a deep growl rumbling along with them.


    \"Some. Humans are not as foolish as I thought, while my pack has learned much in turn.\"


    Peering at the rogues that threw knives, sharpened daggers, and fought Kenji wondered aloud.


    \"Are any of them werewolves then?\"


    Kragg chuckled. \"Half.\"


    Impressed, Kenji made a note and descended into the once noble''s basement.


    The torture equipment had been pushed against the walls, the spikes and chains, however, remained in use. Several men and women had their arms pulled wide within cages, a series of pullies, wooden tubes, and a rag resulting in the slight drip...drip...drip of water upon their heads.


    \"Report,\" Kenji muttered of the foul chamber, Jed detaching himself from a dark corner. Blind as a bat he didn''t seem to mind the gloom, even while one testee growled, and another panted heavily.


    \"Few have awakened a potential as a Dark Magician, but less have quit. I''m impressed,\" Jed said with barely suppressed anger, \"I just wished more would prove fruitful.\"


    \"And the spells?\"


    \"Wonderful, progress has come swiftly. Especially your idea to raise a persons body temperature. The Merchants brought back a spell called [Heat] from the Far King for a lordly sum, and we have successfully augmented it to appear within a body at range to become [Body Heat].\"


    A normal person might not understand why Jed cackled, or how serious a weapon such a spell could be. And that was the point, Kenji wanting it to be misunderstood and underestimated.


    \"Rename it, to [Death Curse] or something,\" because raising the internal body temperature quickly would shut down their critical organs in seconds. People of this world wouldn''t know the difference between simple temperature change and death magic, and Kenji wanted to provoke fear if this spell had to be put into use.


    \"I''ll make a note of that. [Store fireball] is also coming along well, although it requires the user to have a basic level of either the [Arcane] or [Enchanting] skills. The Elves had proven good at it, the rest of us less so. Still, able to store an explosive spell in objects would be useful-\"


    \"Prepare to store it in live creatures as well,\" Kenji muttered, Jed, halting in his tracks.


    \"A suicide spell?\"


    \"No. We could use druidic magic to control pigeons for example, then have them detonate on any targets like homing missiles.\"


    \"You want to call it [Homing Missile] than, eh? Fine, I''ll add it to the list. A list that keeps getting bigger mind you. Developing new magic takes an exceptional amount of time and resources, perhaps it would be best if we focus on a more select range in future?\"


    \"Jed, magic is a resource like any other. Once you know these things are possible, they have come quickly, right? It''s about trying more than the difficulty, and when the time comes we have to fight demons, monsters and who knows what else...I think you can agree with me that we want our arsenal to be ready for any eventuality.\"


    As Jed went to respond a scream tore through the dark, and a girl opened eyes shining with dark light. The rag above her smouldered with [Dark Flame] before the magic ceased and the girl went limp. Servants hurried out of the dark to pry open her cage and set her free, awakening her with smelling salts to then stand on her own two feet.


    \"Another success,\" grinned Jed. \"And a slot for another candidate.\"


    \"Are you having any trouble recruiting?\"


    \"Not at all. Our other projects too, every ''institute'' needs not take but a leisurely stroll before finding those desperate to do more. The Fae enchantments suppressed the memories of that bloody siege certainly, but they always resurface. Now that the enchanters have started to charge for their services, many are wanting to find other ways to cope.\"


    \"And this...is what they choose?\" Kenji rose an eyebrow at the dark, while the werewolf who had awakened a dark magicians cloak from a peg on the wall and was led upstairs.


    \"Of course. They choose power, something that gives them control. They want to fight, because fighting makes them feel they are making a difference. To stand still and do nothing? They destroys them far more than alcohol, drugs or hedonism ever could.\"


    Nodding grim, Kenji turned away.


    \"Carry on, I have a few more Institutes to inspect before leaving. I leave the Dark Magicians in your hands.\"


    \"As you wish, Grand Master...\" turning back around with sightless eyes, Jed shuffled over to meet a powerfully build man descending the stairs. \"Welcome to your first day of training. Let''s get you the dark elixirs, and then you can be strapped in.\"

 108 Chapter 36 - Invasion of Oldeth

    Oldeth sprawled from forest to harbour.


    The second-largest city in the world (according to Alandrian scholars) had grown rich in sea trade for several centuries. Their people were kept busy with the practices of wealth, but too dabbled in the odd conquest of neighbouring lands. Their endless profits trickling down to form armies and warships that supported war all throughout the world.


    The endless wars brought slaves to fuel the fires of industry, and refugees that settled in the cities outer districts or the slums outside the walls, while the harbour brought in merchants from sea and land. But it was Oldeth''s attractions that suckered in the nobles, the off duty knights, the returning soldiers, and the fool with too heavy a purse.


    The dazzling wizard stage shows, enchanting plays, magical operas and specialty taverns gifted Oldeth with the nickname ''Pleasure Coast'' of Alandria. In reality, Oldeth was very much a different place depending on the district one visited, a different world depending on the street.


    ''Old Oldeth'' itself, often lovingly referred to as the ''Stink'' by its residence, was a collection of the most populated districts, filled to the brim with dock workers, crafters, farmers, soldiers and gangsters. The ''Jewels'' was a district surrounded by high walls and patrolled with tall guards in clean uniforms, all the major attractions secured within from the less fortunate citizens of the land by private companies of purebred men and monsters with enough brain to negotiate a mercenary contract.


    The ''Pews'' was where both the grand churches stood side by side, and the storehouses for grain, fish and trade goods lay in long rows beside Oldeth''s grand docks. In Oldeth there was a joke that their proximity was due to merchants wishing to pray for good luck before signing a deal, and seeing as the merchants were likely to donate the most, the church''s to the three had migrated ever closer to the source over the last few hundred years. Now it was said some of the Merchant Guilds actually had a church or two boxing them in, and harrying them for donations every eve least their patron god should damn the guild with poor fortune.


    Suffice to say, Oldeth was a busy city, where not everything could possible by tracked by one person, and where it might takes days before news could spread from one end to the other. Today was no different, not enough eyes thinking to focus on the adventurers with the ''H'' badge on their chests, nor in how they searched in groups street by street.


    What was instead noticed was the enchantments on their armour, the fae steel blades, the potions, the cleanliness - harlots hummed saucy tunes as they passed, merchants had their assistants hound them down the streets, and circus troupes unleashed their wildest acts when these rich adventurers passed by in the poorest quarters.


    And still, the adventurers of the Hero Guild pressed on.


    In a faraway warehouse that had long gone into disrepair, the new owner watched over his workers as they put on a fresh coat of paint, reinforced the walls, fixed the ceiling, and pulled in new furniture.


    \"Think we can get this finished by tomorrow, Caster?\" said one of the adventurers.


    \"We''ll need too. The Grand Guildmaster is bringing in more adventurers, we need a place for them to stay. Not safe to use the other taverns, not for the lower ranks,\" Caster said, having heaved another cabinet into place and now had the time to wipe the sweat from his forehead.


    The whole place was filled with makeshift beds, Warden Company and the Furbolgs in their human forms being the first to arrive. The Grand Master was set to arrive tomorrow with ''more'' although Caster had no clue just how many people he was supposed to be preparing for. And with all hands being needed to get this place in working order while still gathering information... well, Warden Company hadn''t the time to take on quests. Which meant soon their dwindling funds might run on dry, and Caster would be forced to turn their attention back to earning their keep.


    \"Sergeant, the Grand Master has arrived!\" a message shouted from the entrance, the news causing several adventurers to throw themselves up and get working. To show your lazy side to the fabled Kenji was an impossibility, and with all the recruiting Caster had been doing in the last few months since Essenark he had plenty of recruits who had only heard the stories too.


    The stories, Caster knew, could not possibly compare with the reality itself. Especially as ''Kenji'' was considered to be a red-haired human with golden eyes. The secret of his power was a closely held secret, and his other ''forms'' were often regarded as members of his personal adventurer party. The result was that Caster knew of warriors who wanted to meet the famous ''Trog the Siegemaster'' or ''Dana''s good sister'' or ''Paragon of Beauty and Murder'' which was the rather long-winded title awarded to the Sun Elf Queen. The bard that had coined that the last title spent most of his time harping on about her, and Caster had had to have several stern talks to make sure the bard didn''t attempt to hit on Kenji''s form (or Four forbid the real Sun Elf Queen) if they arrived.


    Striding through came Kenji as...well, a little different to how Caster remembered him. His hair was animated real flame, his golden eyes were cracked with streaks of brilliant emerald green, his body was strong and lean beneath rich red cloth while his sword was wrapped in bandages and strapped to his back.


    \"I don''t care, Arwen, I just don''t. You can either fight me again or stop complaining!\" Kenji said, a rich brown-haired woman with dark tanned skin and silvery mithril armour strolling in behind him. Afterwards came a monk looking fellow with brown cloth and a thick wooden stave. Then came the First Speaker of the Council, Violet followed by the Sun Elf Queen and a series of elves and members of the horned folk. Almanac arrived next, followed by several adventurers and wizards. Hogar came afterwards, bickering with a few of his rogues and barely fitting through the door.


    Priests of the Truthblade.


    Knights of the Silver Swan.


    Werewolves of the Twisty Pines.


    Furbolgs of the Hidden Glave.


    Adventurers from all over Alandria too, poached from other guilds, individuals recruited from the land, or those who had heard of the Hero Guild''s exploits all. There were too many, far too many. With more flooding in, Caster went wide-eyed as Kenji approached, feeling he had prepared only a tenth of what he should.


    \"G-grand Master, I''m sorry, I didn''t realise you would be bringing so many fighters-\"


    The Grand Master clasped Caster on the shoulder and grinned.


    \"This place is shaping up well Caster. Apologies about arriving early, but couldn''t wait to get started. I''ve brought some extra adventurers too, so better look into purchasing some more living space - and don''t worry, I''ve brought plenty of coin as well. Also I saw there were some churches nearby, checked it out and found the Merchants in this area give a pretty penny to each of the Three when they want to make a deal, setting up a branch of the Fourth seems likely to bring in lots of revenue, right?\"


    \"The people would-\"


    \"They are capitalists. Show everyone it makes them prosperous, and they won''t care. Besides the Turthblade is about fighting and truth, rather hard to spin that as a demonic menace.\"


    Caster watched mesmerized as Kenji''s compatriots swept along into the hall and took over. They seized equipment, talked with group leaders, and generally merged themselves with the existing hierarchy.


    And then they came talking to him, asking if he had considered setting up a trade hub here, a recruitment station, building a tavern of our own, purchasing areas along the same street to provide security, organising the scouted information in order of importance-


    \"Let me get a quil, please, I''ll get right back but I have to write this all down!\" Caster said urgently finding a way to get this all on paper. Meanwhile the Grand Master had already vanished back into Oldeth, not having arrived for five minutes without providing a week''s worth of progress.


    As the buzz of productive talk and work filled the hall to the brim, supplies and manpower were brought in and out and construction continued at a breakneck pace - Caster returned with his paper and quil to a series of expectant faces.


    \"No need to rush, we just want to make sure you get this right. Better if you take it slow if that helps you learn,\" Violet said smiling.


    \"We''re all doing our best, so take your time human,\" added the Sun Elf Queen, Caster shooting off a sour look to a certain bard who had been approaching harp in hand.


    \"Thank you, but I''m just excited. It looks like the Grand Master has mobilised every Guild in the league! Anyway, let''s get started.\"


    Putting ink to paper, Caster didn''t stop writing down suggestions and plans until his arm was sore and night had fallen. When he finally looked up, he barely recognised the hall, the skeleton of what was to be a second floor already erect, and rows of bunkbeds positioned in rows for the time being.


    Then came dinner, a great hearty stew that tasted better than anything Caster had eaten in months and prepared by a very small Furbolg.


    Smiling as he accepted his bowl, Caster was very thankful to have the Grand Master and his allies on their side. This level of organisation, trust and good will...how coudl those who stole away Tenko possible stand against it?

 109 Chapter 37 - Rumblings of a Breaking World

    "They came through here?" Jack muttered. He stared into the shattered remains of a fortress courtyard, the surrounding walls still intact. The stone was still cut from the portals the wards had drawn here, dark red patches of dried blood awash across the ground.


    Turning, he shaded his eyes from the blazing sun, to squint into the endless barren dustball of the Crimsonwastes. Nothing but red dirt and twisted foliage as far as the eye could see, before crashing against the green grass of Alandria at this Fortresses'' feet.


    "They tried Templar, but we pushed them back. Cleaned up the demon''s corpses, and piled ''em up in the warehouse. None of the usual Ruin Rippers, Snipclaws or Sandrakes though, but real demon. They were organised, Lord Templar, bloody fierce too." The Captain continued to salute where he stood, armour slightly dented along with his mithril shoulder plate but otherwise in great condition.


    Behind him, ranks of heavily armoured warriors of the Southern Army stood shoulder to shoulder, while they''re Durren and Harlequin auxiliaries got to work repairing the defences.


    It was the stunted Durren'' skill with construction that had made these thick walls, to begin with, and there was no more trusted servant of the kind to rebuild them greater than ever. The ''Harlequins'' was a rather different matter entirely, faces hidden with white musks, eyes shining orange within. A natural lover of the night, the species hated Vampires with a passion over some ancient spat but were a natural with traps physical, mental, and magical. When it came to the designs of death, torture and defeat, a Harlequin was always the right mind to seek out.


    "About those Siege Golems, know when they might be arrive Lord Templar?" The Captain added, having grown nervous over Jack''s extended pause.


    "The King''s War Factory produces them at a set rate. They arrive when they do - ah! There''s who we were waiting for now," waving overhead to the trio of spots in the sky, Jack watched ten Wyvern Knights descend with a great stone War Golem attached between them. Amidst a storm of fluttering wings, the War Golem landed hard against the shattered stone.


    "It''s specialised, to help our forces survive in the Crimsonwastes," Jack said, pointing out the magical circuitry from the huge blue gem to cross the light grey stone of the War Golem''s humanoid frame. "It''ll produce a shield that''ll keep us safe from the magical anomalies of that region, make us invisible to magical detection and block ranged attacks from any enemy ambush that would arise."


    Below the Durren began to whistle and jostle at one another, at first annoyed to be distracted from their tasks, the little bearded men''s eyes brightened at the masterwork of the King''s displayed before them. The Harlequins similarly seemed excited and pointed out various parts of the magical circuitry to one another, the magical weaponry most of all.


    One of the Wyvern Knights took off with his mount to land on the walls beside Jack. Sliding from the saddle while the huge dragonic lizard behind him hissed at his departure and curled its tail closer to the creature''s rider.


    "Apologies, she doesn''t like being separated for long. Here is your orders Templar," the rider said, and handed Jack a letter. Cracking the Royale seal. Scanning it quickly, he barked, "Scribing tools!"


    A servant pulled out paper and quil, then presented his back. Slapping the paper against the frail man''s spine, Jack wrote a rough collection of answers then promptly passed the scroll to the Wyvern Knight.


    "If that''s all, we''ll be going," the Wveryn Knight said, bowed, and hoisted himself back upon his stead. The Wyvern howled victoriously and hissed in Jack''s direction.


    Jack snarled with a sound like shattering glass at an inhuman pitch, the rims of his eyes becoming dark and his pupils sharpening to points. The power of his aura flooded the area, the Wyvern pulling away in fear took off and into the sky, great wings flapping as hard as they could.


    "Apologies, that was unprofessional," Jack muttered and restrained the burning power within that filled him with strength beyond gods. This was real power, enough he could shatter that golem with his fist if fully unleashed, that could see him asking, that could- Jack breathed in, and out. Slower. Allowing the thoughts to wash through him and somewhere else.


    When he was calm, the power was his to control again, and he pushed it back into its cage.


    When Jack turned back to the Captain he found their backs at rigid attention and shining awe in their eyes.


    "Captain?"


    "YES, Templar!" Roared the Captain with a stamp as if this was a military drill.


    "You have been ordered to bolster the defences of this fortress. Three Constructor Golems, one Fabricator Golem and one thousand additional servants of Alandria are being assigned to this fortress. I would guess the same is being done to every other fortress in the Southern Army. Meanwhile, it is the best time I and my forces get to work."


    "Would you require assistance, Templar? At Least take our garrison Paladins with you, we have Paladins from each of the Three''s churches present with us. Crusaders as well!" Behind the Captain, several sacred warriors sporting only one holy ring apiece stood tall and proud.


    "This is the business of the Inquisition, your men are best spent serving here. I and my Elites will take care of this matter," descending passed disappointed members of this garrison, Jack rejoined his own forces. A hundred members of the Nameless Legion''s Anti-demon division, twenty priests of the Red Cloth, and a woman beneath an enormous mound of dark fibre.


    Then there was the Floer Knight, as carefree as ever as she seemed to be playing some knives thriving game with a pair of Harlequins. The rules seemed to indicate that whoever managed to score a hit on the other first won, the trio now locked in a fierce bladed battle. Naturally, the Flower Knight emerged unscathed.


    "Are you ready, warriors of the Three?" Jack roared, all saluting with their left hand to their holy symbols at their chests and their right hand to whatever weapon they favoured. Phillip wasn''t here, however, as a trusted Inquisitor of the One he had far too many responsibilities to waste time attending minor exterminations at the Crimson line.


    Although this was no minor Extermination, a full-fledged Demonic Incursion they were halting. Usually, that would require the whole Nameless Legion to muster, and several Templar as well. In this case, they needed only Jack, and the woman beneath all that cloth.


    "Let''s go you Bitch," Jack muttered, tasting something foul in his mouth being even this close to her.


    "Yes Lord Templar, may the Three watch our every step," the Corrupt Saint replied.


    Activating the customised War Golem, a great golden shield filled with holy magic projected like a bubble a hundred feet in every direction. Forming a formation within, and with enough supplies already hanging off the War Golem''s arms and belt enough for the entire journey, the expedition got under way.


    "Open the Gates!" Jack roared, the chains snapping to attention as they hoisted the hard iron up.


    "Demon Extermination Expedition 038.... move out!"

 110 Chapter 38 - Grave Portals

    "For the Three, we will not falter!" Jack roared as his Holy Sword ''Fearless'' cut another Sand Devil down. The horned creatures with rough skin texture like the red dirt of the Crimsonwastes were hard to see, and were but one of several Demonic Tribes that called this Three forsaken waste home.


    Behind him, the Nameless Legion unleashed the Three''s own wrath upon the enemy, a mixture of crusader skills and long perfected cohesion crumbling the scatted Sand Devils to the wind.


    When they were done the enemies bodies lay strewn across the dirt, and one by one were set ablaze with [Blessing - Fire] so that their strength would not be passed onto yet another demon in turn.


    "Press on, we''re nearly there," Jack grunted, wading through a sudden pool of blood that had seeped up through the earth. Like the rest of this wounded land it was a reminder of what hell the demons tried to spread across all of Alandria. The Blackened trees were strewn with organs that aloud the timber to breath and howl, while demonic birds growled, and lakes of crimson blood lay filled with unholy horrors of tentacle and tooth.


    Too long they trudged through the nightmare, the holy element shield projected by the War Golem burning a path through the filth and holding off the Demon Tribesmen that crawled along the hillsides. Jack eyed them cautiously, atop their monsterous pets with too many arms and legs, with split heads the Tribesmen watched with dark wooden spears in hand or wand and flame like how Jack might hold a bow and arrow.


    Yet unlike the starving Tribesmen from before, these would know of what had drawn the Templar. Raising a gore covered spear high, the lead Tribesmen turned and vanished into the rotting woods, along with his warriors.


    "The Gore Hounds, it seems they like you," Dana giggled, and pulled at her cloth. "Strange thing about being a saint, I''d never had assumed that you could still overheat."


    "Corrupt Saint," Jack Muttered as he cut down a series of bleeding vines, "You are not as you should be. Nothing is."


    "Aye, little peon. You are quite correct," Dana said and peered about to find them ascending a hill. Sniffing, her head lulled back and forth. "We''re here, I can smell the death magic," she whispered and pulled away from her cloth. Blinding light to reveal a holy woman bleeding darkness from the many cracks and fissures across her body.


    Holding Fearless tightly, Jack gave the hand-signs. They would know of their arrival no doubt and would have summoned what evils they could. Already the Flower Knigth led the vanguard, her faith in him far exceeding any expectations. She could be free, she had her chance to run, and yet still she chose to risk her life for the Warden.


    Emerging into a clearing, Jack spied a grey and red vortex above a far away alter. Dropping from the vortex can a pair of Crimson Behemoths, 12 feet tall beasts of red scale and black spikes with claws designed to burrow through castle'' walls.


    Below were real demons - red-skinned children with a single horn. The imps. Followed in lesser numbers by red-skinned humanoids that took any semblance of uniformity liberally with mismatching numbers of limbs, heads, tusks and arms. The Demon Spawn.


    Yet Jack could spy no summoner - there, in the sky, a brief flash of crimson light had outline the winged frame of a creature. It was too far away now, but Jack jostled Dana and pointed.


    "Leave it to me," she said and flew up and away with burning wings that leaked a reteched aura of decay. Flittering up from the surrounding trees came winged demon spawn, spears and tridents in hand or talon-like feet as they homed in the Corrupt Saint.


    "Defend the War Golem, do not let them damage it until it has closed the portal!" Jack roared to his men, each knowing full well that their lives came second to stopping the threat. Unless the portal was closed permanently, not simply just cutting off it''s power supply, then the demons here could slowly build up an army to attack the fortresses again, and again.


    "CHARGE!" Jack roared, allowing the heat to fill his limbs with power. Behind him came the rush of Battle Prayers of the Nameless Legion and a rush of feet.


    Bounding forward faster and faster, Jack easily outstripped them all to crash into the first wave of demon spawn to attack in turn. Fearless cut through two devil hard bodies with each swing, his holy armour able to handle the blows of the demon spawn without a dent. A flash of steel flew past him, the Flower Knight and her all-female companions crashing into the rightmost enemy flank.


    Having led a bloody path to the Alter of demon bone, arranged with graves filled with corpses, Jack was thrown back by a crashing of a Crimson Bomemoth''s roar. Recovering quickly Jack cast "[Goldenheart][Greater Speed]!" in quick succession, and released even greater amounts of internal power to slip around the Crimson Behemoth''s siege claws and leave a burst of crimson in his wake.


    The huge demon bellowed in pain as its side was ripped open, and again when Jack clambered over


    its body to slash it along it''s back. Sliding down the nape of the huge demon''s neck, Jack tore a massive hole through the demon''s neck, before sliding around its face to slash all four of its eyes.


    Coming to the aid of its mate, the other Crimson Behemoth slammed into the creature''s side, and unleashed a tide of tentacles from its mouth to reach at Jack. Unleashing a [Holy Fireball] stored within his armour, the creature howled as the ball of holy flame exploded in its gullet and set tentacle and mouth aflame like crude oil.


    Tha napalm-like affect of the Three''s purifying flame caused the Crimson behemoth to scream incoherently and crash around - it''s tail shattered the alter, while it''s footing slipped and the whole beast slid into the collection of deep graves. Once the holy flame touched the demonic infused corpses down there, jets of holy flame erupted from the graves to turn everything within to ash and cinder.


    Meanwhile jack finished off the remaining Crimson Behemoth with huge cleaving strikes, and the NameLess Legion butchered the remaining Demon Spawn while the more intelligent Imps fled into the Crimsonwastes and far away from the slaughter. Just more demons to this cursed plain, Jack let the Flower Knight lead the charge to mow them down while Dana descended from the sky.


    "What do you think this is?" Dana held up a red ribbon made into a loop with plenty left over to dangle below, "Was on the Demon, called it a ''tie''. The Demon claimed it was an ''employee'' too and that I was ''trespassing''....what a strange thing to say."


    "Strange indeed. Perhaps some of the 18 Evil Souls are working with them, it would explain the sudden rise of demonic portals," Jack muttered and strained his eyes across this bloody forest.


    "We should get going, the report from the King said there are another two portals North of here. Just like the fortress from whence we came, the wards there attracted a small raiding party trying to slip by."


    And from the descriptions, it was the same disc-like portal of the one he sought. Clenching his fist, Jack swore that power would be his, and then all this could finally be over.


    "Gather what you can quickly, we move soon!" He roared the Nameless Legion and accompanying Red Robes hurrying to obey. Too slowly, for even with other Templar bands out in this frontier, they reduced the enemies numbers far too slowly.


    A demonic invasion was coming, and humanity would rise to fight it.


    Heroes would arise from the lowliest peasants to the greatest nobles, pushed to action by the horrific slaughter. The mere thought made Jack''s blood boil, dedicated to halting that eventuality. No matter the cost.

 111 Chapter 39 - One Man Army

    Ranarium walked under a sky of broken stars, across bracken black ground and to the Pleasure Spire of the Incubus Slaveknight to this particular patch of hell. Just like the rest of the eighth circle, ''Lust'' was filled with both the torturous and the delightful in equal measure.


    The air made Ranrium feel hot inside, an ecstatic state-building within him as the lust built within him...but no sexual desire, not right now at least. Instead, Ranrium felt the lust for battle, for bloodshed, and for power in full force.


    "Hey, there handsome-"


    Ranarium fluttered a pinky''s worth of red soul lightning at the succubus that had floated beside him, followed by a flash of bright red and a smear on the stone. A howl filled the air as the enemy realised he would not be sated by breasted demons nor their phallic-shaped counterparts.


    "You won''t die here human," purred a demonic cat who stood like a man with thin purple armour shaped into the animalistic desires of man.


    "Nice tit plate, and what...groin greaves?" Ranarium grinned as he rested his huge demonic axe on his shoulder, the whole thing humming as a great swathe of soul lightning crackles along its edge. The Incubus peered at the axe with contempt, the magic powering it more so.


    "I can give you every pleasure within possibility, human. Do you like to fight? To inflict pain? To feel pain? I can give it all-" the cat demon dodged aside as Ranarium released [Soul Bolt] and red lightning exploded across the ground to obliterate several demons in their shadows, before slamming into the Pleasure Spire and biting a great chunk from its base.


    "Watch it! You''ll cause the whole thing to fall over!" The Slaveknight wailed, peering up at the spiked phallic tower as if to check it was still there, and finding it teetering dangerously.


    "Give me what I want then," Ranarium grinned wider, "[Soul Siphon]."


    From the recently dead Ranarium pulled in fresh souls and felt their power well within him. Building up the power in his axe again, he readied another bolt.


    "What do you want then - what can I do for you? What pleasure do you seek?" the Slaveknight said, as his lustful demon spawn appeared from every nook, crack and cave to surround Ranarium on all sides. "Speak quickly or else I''ll let them have their fun with you~"


    "I wanted you all to group up," Ranarium laughed, and unleashed [Soul Blast] to send a sweep of crimson red in every direction at once. Demons shrieked and exploded as the red lighting tore at their bodies and blasted aside the stone, Ranarium using [Soul Siphon] immediately afterwards to stock back up on souls.


    From the ashes arose the Slaveknight, enraged, with twin blades in hand.


    "You have made a mistake. My breeding mothers will have to spend an entire day to lay those eggs again," the cat demon hissed, hundreds of lessor demon spawn mewling, moaning, and rubbing one another as they appeared through fresh cracks in the ground. The slaveknight charged in a flash, yet filled to the brim with souls Ranarium merely used [Soul Engine] and met the slaveknight''s blades mid-strike with his axe.


    Screaming steal, the swords shattered and Ranarium''s blazing axe rent the slaveknight hip to face. The following soul damage shattered the demon''s grasp on reality, while his limp body flopped upon the ground.


    "I''ll serve-" Ranarium crushed the demons head underfoot, and then released [Soul Engine] to use [Soul Siphon] to suck the slaveknight''s soul free.


    "Pitififul. Barely worth my time," Ranarium grumbled, turned, and sped off towards his crimson skinned demonic horse. The trembling demon spawn let him go, their grotesque bodies holding souls barely worth Ranarium''s time. "What am I supposed to do when the demon''s elites are so worthless?"


    "I don''t know master, but there are several more spires we can reach today," offered a Crimson Rider. Ranarium had three in total, red plated demonic knights with enough power for Ranarium to bother keeping around. Each had been able to fight him for a while at least, strong enough he had invited them to serve in life rather than have their souls consumed in death.


    "More spires? Just how many low ranked elites do the eight circles have," stretching, Ranarium hopped atop his demon horse and got it moving. As an afterthought, he sent a [soul bolt] back to blast into the Pleasure Spire''s base, the whole thing collapsing upon the gathered demon spawn. "Although I do like breaking their buildings. But come on, surely there are stronger souls than this for me to collect. Any news on that pretender in the surface world, the shapeshifter?"


    "None yet, master."


    "You just make sure to tell me when he resurfaces. Because I want both that bastards soul and his ''Hero Farm'' all to be mine, understood? A feast of high-quality souls, bah, I''m salivating already!" Laughing Ranarium pressed his mount on faster, another phallic Pleasure Spire just insight. And another beyond that. And another. Hundreds of the damned thing spreading in every direction, thousands in the distance. Some taller than skyscrapers in the human world, the vast majority these little guard towers filled with useless wretches.


    But given time, Ranarium would work his way up to the very top. With enough souls, he could do anything. Even Soulless might not be able to refuse his advances then, a man of such power, how could she resist?


    Quickly Ranaroum pulled of his left glove, a dark ink black spreading down from his fingers to cover his knuckles and stretch towards his wrist. The [Soul Curse], he almost had enough power to expand it again. Focusing in the slaveknight soul, Ranrium used [Soul Sacrifice] and felt the deep wail as the soul was forever destroyed, and the ink spread a little further down his wrist.

 112 Chapter 40 - Swordsmaster, draw your blade!

    "Come on Swan, give me everything you have!" heaved Kenji, nearly out of energy as he rose Honour again to meet Arwen''s wicked fast blade. Again Kenji was defeated, Honour slipped from his hands, Kenji growled with black anger in his heart.


    "I''ve been battling every damn hour of every day, literally haven''t slept at all, and you still throw me around like a drunk kindergardener" Kenji muttered and raised his hand to summon Honour flying back into his grip. The hilt hummed in pleasure, the will of the blade silky smooth against his own. So why was it taking so damn long to get better?


    "You''re strong, "Arwen muttered, and cracked her neck, "but you''ve clearly not been training for long. I was on the front lines of war at your age, not fighting goblins, but men. You can''t overcome that so quickly, Grand Guildmaster."


    Kenji could move faster than her if he used [Overdrive], but with the possibility of fighting the enemy like a distant thundercloud, Kenji couldn''t risk damaging this body without the time to repair it. So he had to just grit his teeth, and raise Honour again.


    Honour hummed, the magical steel too thirsting for victory over that flaunting mithril sabre.


    "We can get you a better sword you know, something made of finer stuff than common steel," Arwen said and pulled up her visor just far enough to reveal a broad grin. Pulling it up completely her blue eyes ringed with silver became visible, and the disappointment swelling within them all too clear.


    "Pathetic," she muttered and threw the helmet aside as if Kenji posed no threat. Her hair was golden and short, short enough it didn''t get in her eyes, so short that the scars along her brow and ear were like white lightning down her face.


    "I''ll show you Pathetic- damn it - you get what I mean!" Kenji shouted, and threw himself forward. The thing was he was only pretending to be annoyed, letting her underestimate his wild attack, and at the last moment, he swivelled and launched a sudden blow past her guard-


    Kenji''s blade flew through the air with a single sweeping movement, the masterstroke of the swordswoman''s response having utterly annihilated Kenji''s assault. It was one-sided, total defeat, and yet...


    "Again," Kenji muttered, Honour zooming back into his grip.


    "No," Arwen sighed, and returned her sabre to its sheath. "Fight someone your own level, this is just a waste of time for both of us."


    "I need to get stronger," Kenji insisted, "and I will. You''ll see, when we bout next I''ll beat you three ways to Christmas!"


    Amused, Arwen put her helmet back on and strolled to the door, "I''ll look forward to that. But if I win you owe me a 100 gold coins...and an explanation of what ''Christmas'' is. Until then I have an appointment with the Lord of this city. Hopefully, I can find these gangsters you''re looking for."


    "Why do you care?" Kenji sighed, "No offence meant, but why are you here? Your father cannot care about me as much as this."


    Arwen looked to Kenji''s blade, then back to him.


    "You are a man who gets things done. But I didn''t come for you, but this," Raising a little white crystal that flared with wind magic, she then returned it to a pouch filled with the things. "Wind crystals are rare, but the Fae have them by the careful. Problem is they never traded with humans before now, and despite your ''tariffs'' the chance to buy them was not one to be lost. Then there is the ability to get weapons enchanted, and then there''s what you did to Honour..."


    "You know my blade''s name?"


    "I tend to remember the names of weapons much more often than their owners...uh, remind me what yours is?" Arwen inclined her head to one side, Kenji feeling rather worthless as he opened his mouth to respond.


    "Actually, don''t worry about it," she said with a raised hand. "Until your someone worth sparing with, I don''t see the point. Not a deal we can make, because while trading with the Fae has been fruitful, and an inspection of Oldeth overdue, to stay in your company requires you to give something in return."


    "What...your a mercenary now?"


    "You could call it that. But you would like my help, right? My sway with the elite here could prove useful to you, I could gather information, I could even help you free the friend of yours you speak of so often. At the very least I can tell you for a fact I would be the single most powerful entity on your side."


    Kenji hated the fact she knew exactly what he wanted, without even knowing his name. It made him feel much smaller than he had for some time.


    "What do you want," he muttered. Prepared to give anything really, gold, land and favours. No expense would be spared to get Tenko and her pack back safely, no trial would be left accomplished, no ounce of effort unspent.


    "Whatever you did to make Honour like that, I want the information and all the help you can give to replicate the results," Arwen said it casually, almost off-handedly. But Kenji knew he had her balls in a vice now.


    "It''s terribly difficult, and as far as I know I could be the only one in the whole world who has found out just how. That information is worth more than you, I could go to the King for instance," Kenji peered at his nails, and indulged the swordmaster in her own game. Her left foot stiffened as if ready to fight, her right hand opened and closed as if searching for the missing blade.


    "I''m worth it. You can''t understand how strong I am yet, but I am. Stronger than my father, stronger than anyone," there was something slightly desperate in that tone. "I will help you free your companion in return for the information...that and, I could become your ally."


    "In perpetuity and in all things?" Kenji said immediately and walked towards her with an open palm and a smile. Thrown off she stepped back and looked at his outstretched hand with far more concern that she had his naked blade.


    "An ally, yes, although that may change depending on your own aims."


    "Then what if I swear to help you walk further down your path whenever possible? Would you swear to aid me permanently then, in all things?" Kenji pressed her hard, believing that from a noble order of knights that her word would prove as binding as a Fae''s.


    "For as long as you can help my progress, I will be your ally in all things. But should you prove lacking, or another path more fruitful, I will take my leave. Is that understood?"


    Kenji offered his hand, and as if holding a wet snake, Arwen seized it with her own and near shattered Kenji''s wrist. Barely holding off screaming for the duration of the shake, Kenji retracting his outrageously hurt hand and allowed her to leave.


    "I''ve never met a man so brazen, a shame you are weak as a dry leaf...Kenji."


    The instant she was gone Kenji transformed into the Sun Elf Queen to let Arthur''s body heal, and patted down the sweat from his forehead. Honour reformed to become longer and lithe, the grip just as comfortable in his new hand, Kenji swinging the blade in lazy arcs as he thought.


    Arwen was a monster at fighting, no human he had ever met was that strong. But all reports indicated she was as loyal as a true knight, and if Kenji could hold up on his end of the bargain, outstrip it and go above her expectations even. Anything to form another powerful ally, and it was clear that the Silver Swordsmaster was certainly powerful.


    Kenji eyed a trio of swordsmen approaching from the corner of the room, each a master of their field, each able to trash Kenji across the floor. But at least against them Kenji was improving, against them he was rapidly closing the distance. With Arwen it felt like a foot race against a rocketship.


    "Grand Master, we have news!" an adventurer said, pushing past the trio of veterans.


    "Well, what is it?" Kenji said.


    "We found a pair of the thugs, we seized them as you said. They threw spiders in the air for some reason, then attacked with an insane lack of self-preservation. Their dead now, but we have the corpses for you."


    Kenji grinned.


    "Lead the way. I was just done with training, so let''s see where these bastards have been hiding my friends," cracking his knuckles, Kenji followed the adventurer out of the room. Fired up, Kenji was looking forward to fighting something that wasn''t as ludicrous as the Silver Swordmaster.


    Something that finally got him closer to his objective.


    "Just you wait for Tenko, I''m here. Kenji''s here," he whispered to himself.


    Realising the adventurer was a priest, Kenji stepped behind a pedestal and rapidly shifted to the Boy Knight.


    "Before we get there, mind healing a sprained wrist?"