《Reincarnated as a Fallen Angel》 1 Im Alive? Waking up suddenly screaming, Alice looked around in a panic. The last thing she remembers is a devil like creature ripping her wings off and killing her. Seeing that no one is around and that she is fine she tries to feel her wings. Instead of what should be there, she feels like a part of her body has been stolen, noticing that she no longer has wings. In fact, she doesn''t remember having white skin or her hair being this long. Forcing herself to stay calm, Alice tries to think about the situation calmly. ''I don''t seem to be hurt other than the fact I don''t think this is my body'' Standing now she looks around finally realizing she''s in an open field with nothing around except for a forest to the north and an ocean to the south. Suddenly a transparent window comes out of thin air saying; | Quest - kill 5 monsters | | Reward - Map Skill | ''Kill monsters?! With what my hands? And what is a quest? Where did this window come from?'' Alice had way more questions than she did answers. Thinking about everything calmly, she chose to try to complete the quest and headed to the north. Looking around for anything to use as a weapon, fearing what kind of monsters could be around, Alice found a very solid looking stick. ''I need to at least sharpen the end of this if I plan to use it to kill.'' Rubbing the tip of the stick repeatedly with a jagged rock, she manages to sharpen the stick just enough to stab if she must. Cautiously searching the forest, she spots a green slime hopping around. To her surprise, she is able to see the name and level of the slime. | Green Slime - Lvl 2 | Charging forward as fast as she can, she lunges the makeshift spear at the Slime, killing it instantly. She then sees a notification pop up. | Quest - Kill 5 monsters 1/5 | ''Ugh¡­ Just four more I guess.'' she says to herself and begins searching for more slimes. Making good time, going deeper into the woods, she manages to find three moving her way. She rushes forward as fast as she can wanting to end things with one strike if possible. She lunges forward again, piercing through the 1st and stabbing the 2nd killing both instantly. Swinging the spear around as if she knew exactly when to strike, she impaled the 3rd slime mid jump as it moved towards her. | Quest - Kill 5 monsters 4/5 | "One left to go." she says aloud to herself and pausing realizing how soft her voice sounds. Her normal voice was much crisper from all the yelling and shouting she would always do in her real body. Getting back on track, she spots the final slime and moves as quick as she can lunging forward once more as she finishes the quest. | Quest Complete | Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. | Reward Map Skill | | Learn Skill Y/N? | "Yes!" she says proudly and waits for something to happen. Moments later she starts to see a map. When she thinks of a map, it is small, just big enough to see her general area. Showing on the same kind of transparent window the quest showed up on, Alice couldn''t help but think how convenient this skill was. Traveling deeper into the woods, another Quests pops up. | Quest - Find Rudham Kingdom | | Reward - Rudham Language Skill | ''Rudham kingdom? I don''t remember there ever being such a place... Where in the world am I?'' Alice questioned. Pausing and looking at the map, she could just barely make out what looked like the outer walls of a kingdom. While concentrating on that area a marker appeared and a faint light could be seen above the trees in that direction. ''Yup, very convenient. Who even put this, whatever it is, together?'' Picking up her pace she would kill slimes along the way until eventually she leveled up. Name - Alice Race - Fallen Lvl - 2 HP - 25/25 MP- 30/30 STR - 12 VIT - 8 INT - 9 DEX - 13 DEF - 10 AGI - 18 Skill points - 5 ''The F*** is all this about?'' Stopping halfway to the kingdom. As an Angel, she was a being blessed by God from birth. She had set stats and they only grew as she got older until she matured into an adult. Talent is what set all Angels apart from each other as every Angel was very strong. Realizing the ability to get stronger as she leveled, she wondered just how strong she could become. ''Can I get strong enough to take revenge on the Devil who killed me?'' Alice began to smile thinking her situation might not be that bad. Resuming her sprint toward the kingdom, she decided to leave her skill points as they were, in case she needed them for later. Finally reaching the outer walls of the kingdom, the quest completion message displayed in front of her. | Quest Complete | | Reward Rudham kingdom Language | | Quest Reach Lvl 5 | | Reward Tier 1 weapon | Seeing this new quest only reminded her she was basically using a stick to kill monsters. ''For now, I''ll just enter the kingdom and see if I can''t find out any more information'' Seeing two Guards at the front gate, she discarded her stick and walked up to them. "Hello, I just came from a long journey. May I enter the kingdom for some rest?" she asked the two guards who looked at her a bit shocked. ''Is there something on my face?'' Alice wondered. ''Ahem, the first guard cleared his throat a little slightly blushing. "Where did you come from and how long you plan on staying?" he asked. "I came from the other side of the forest. I just happened to see your kingdom''s walls by luck. I''ve been traveling for days and I''m exhausted." Alice said, hoping to get in a bit easier with the excuse. "Do you have your adventurer''s ID with you? If not, I''ll have to accompany you to the guild until one is made for you." "No, sorry. I was robbed of all my belongings, so I have nothing. I had to use a stick to kill the slimes on my way here." she replied hoping to get a freebie. "If that''s the case then it should be fine. The Guild has temporary lodging for beginners, if you''ll follow me, I''ll show you the way." The Guard motioned for Alice to follow him. 2 Adventures Guild Entering the kingdom''s outer gates, Alice''s eyes widen as she sees multiple different races. A chance she never got when living in the Angel kingdom, she was an elite warrior who was always kept within reach of the royalty. She rarely had the chance to see, let alone talk to other races. So, this was a welcome experience for her. The buildings were much different from what she was used to. They were humble and small, made from brick, and had a reddish color to them. While she could see much taller and grandiose buildings further into the kingdom, she was still pleasantly surprised to see how the other races lived. Thinking of races, she remembered hers as being Fallen. "Err... Guard, can I ask a question?" Alice tried to think of a way to ask the guard about what was on her mind. "My name is Adam, and you can ask whatever you need to know." He continued to lead her through the city. "I''m just curious. I heard about a class called Fallen. Do you by chance know anything about that?" Alice asked nervously "Fallen is a rare class, it''s one that you can''t obtain unless you have a relation to the Angel Race. You probably won''t have to worry about that. No one has seen a Fallen or an Angel in quite some time." Adam answered as he stopped and turned towards Alice. "We have arrived at the guild. If you go to the receptionist and inform her you were robbed, she can issue you a new ID, as well as, help you with any other questions." Adam stated before walking off. Walking in toward the receptionists, many of the adventures stopped talking, and silently stared at the beautiful girl standing before them. Feeling the eyes on her, she felt uneasy as this was a first for her. She was a beautiful angel standing at 5''8". Short, blonde hair. Blue eyes and a slender yet curvy body. While this body was at most 5''4", had long, grey hair, light purple eyes, and a petite body figure. Wondering what her face looked like she snapped out of her daze "Hello. I just arrived in this kingdom; I was robbed of all my belongings. I am told that you can issue me a new ID and provide a temporary room for me?" As the human receptionists looked up, she smiled and nodded her head. She grabbed the paperwork from below the counter before instructing her. "I''ll need you to fill this out. We just need the basic info, whether or not you need a civilian ID, and more details if you wish to become an adventurer to take on requests." "What information do you need for the adventure ID?" Alice asked politely. "We will need to know your Name, Age, Class, and level. A talent test will be given to see if you can survive in a battle as well as a magic aptitude test. OH! By the way, my name is Jess! I can assume you would like the adventure paperwork?" Jess asked with a smile. "Yes please." She replied, taking the paperwork and filling it out. ''I wonder if I can lie about my class. I''d hate to cause more issues for myself by being known as a Fallen. I also have no idea how old this body is.'' Name - Alice Age - 17 Class - Swordswoman Lvl - 2 Turning in the paperwork, she wondered about the tests which were mentioned before. "When does the talent test and magic test being?" Alice asked, hoping Jess wouldn''t pry into the class. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "Since you''re only Lvl 2, we can have that done in about an hour, when Mathew returns from his meeting. As for the magic aptitude, we can do that right now." The receptionist answered and began pulling a crystal the size of a watermelon out onto the table. "Please place your hand onto the crystal and close your eyes, try to imagine the power within your body being pushed toward your hand and keep this up for about 30 seconds." Doing as Jess asked, Alice placed her hand on the crystal and imagines all the power in her body being pushed into the palm of her hand. "Oh, wow. A duel aptitude." One adventure said to another, as many more started to watch and whisper. "Did Jess say that right? The brat over there has two elements," "Haha, who knows you''re just drunk, " said two men at a table near by. "Wind and shadow are your elements." Said Jess with a slightly surprised look on her face. "You''re quite lucky normally people only have one element. Only about 1 in every 100,000 have 2 elements let alone the shadow element. I''m sure you''ll make it pretty far as an adventurer." Jess said happily. "I can pretty much guess what can be done with wind, but what about shadow?" Alice asked wondering what use shadow could even be. "The shadow element is great for sneak attacks, de-buffs, self-buffs, and movement. A talented Shadow mage can solo fight a boss monster if they know what they''re doing" responded Jess. "Is there a place where I can learn about my elements and how to use them? I''d also like to know where I''m sleeping." Alice asked wanting to know more about magic, seeing as she was a melee Angel and not able to use magic in the past. "Of course! There is the Mage''s guild. You can join them as well and learn everything you need to know regarding magic there. It''s the building directly across from this one if you would like to use this time to register with their guild. "Thanks, I think I''ll do that." Alice made her way to the Mage''s guild wondering how to kill the hour she had since it only took 20 minutes to register at the adventurer''s guild. ''Maybe I can learn a trick or two to help me with my Talent test. I should also increase my INT while I have the time.'' 3 Mages Guild Now that Alice gained a small boost in MP, she was ready to try to learn some magic. As she tried to open the doors to the mage''s guild, she phased through the front door and landed on her face. The door has magic in it to allow people to walk through the door without opening it. "What the F***!" Alice yelled out in surprise and anger. The other mages just looked at her and chuckled to which she glared at the rude people surrounding her. "Are you alright?" A young mage named Samuel appeared, offering his hand to her. "I''m fine, but what is wrong with your door? Shouldn''t there be a warning or something?!" Alice grabbed his hand accepting the gesture. "We don''t get many newcomers to the guild and most everyone in the kingdom is already aware of our door. If you knew you needed to come here, then someone should have warned you." said Samuel holding on to her hand a little longer than needed. "Well, at least someone in this place is decent¡­ I''m here to register to become a mage. I just found out my elements are wind and shadow." Alice told him. ''I''ll have to pay Jess back for this door later.'' She thought to herself. "SHADOW?!" Samuel exclaimed getting the attention of others. "That''s amazing! You''re the 1st shadow mage I''ve ever seen!" "Is being a shadow mage really all that great?" she asked. ''That was quite the unexpected reaction¡­'' "Yes, it is. It''s a very rare element. You will have no issues trying to join the mages guild having that element!" Samuel stated bringing her to the front desk excitedly. "Sarah! I''ve brought us a new mage who wants to join. Guess what her element is?!" "Sigh, let me guess. Light?" Sarah said looking unimpressed. "Nope, the exact opposite." Samuel stated proudly as if it were his own element. "I also have the wind element." Alice said, speaking up before they kept going on with their conversation. Both Samuel and Sarah stopped talking and stared at Alice waiting for her to tell them she''s joking. ''What''s with these people¡­?'' Alice thought. "I think we better test your elements here to be sure that you''re telling the truth. Not that I don''t trust you but having duel elements and having the shadow element is way too much." Sarah said pulling out a crystal a little bit smaller and smoother than the one at the adventurer''s guild. "You should already know what to do, so can you please place your hand on the crystal for me?" Sarah instructed. "Sure thing." Alice placed her hand on the crystal and began to focus as much power as she could into the palm of her hand. Seconds later, she felt different than the last time. She felt like power was really flowing out of her hand. ''Am I feeling like this because of the sudden increase to my INT stat I gave before coming here.'' Alice wondered as she heard whispers when finally, she opened her eyes. Seeing not two but three colors brightly filling the crystal and everyone''s jaws hitting the floor. "Shadow, Wind, and now Fire sounds like fun. When can I learn?" Alice asked happily "Well, well, young lady. You''re the very first tri-element user this kingdom has ever seen" An old man said. He was coming down a set of stairs while he spoke matter-of-factly to her. ''Who is this guy?'' she wondered. "Let me introduce myself. My name is Albert and I am the master of this guild branch. May I ask what your name is young lady?" "My name is Alice I''m looking to join this guild to learn magic." "Sarah, please be sure to process her paperwork. You don''t have to worry about all the extra info just update her ID card. When you get a moment Alice, I''d like you to come and see me." Albert said ascending back up the stairs. "Here is your updated card. If you''d like I can have Samuel show you around." Sarah offered. "Thank you that would help." "Come this way. I''ll show you to the magic practice room." Samuel grabbed Alice''s hand leading the way. "Is holding my hand necessary?" Alice asked uncomfortably ''He''s not bad looking, but I just don''t feel comfortable with him dragging me around.'' "Oh no... Sorry I was just excited." He stated, finally letting go of her hand. "If we walk through this wall, we will be in the magic training room." Samuel said as he passed through the wall. Following his lead, she took a step and entered the room seeing an impossibly big room with targets placed everywhere. "This is where you can train what you learn from either level skills or spell books I can demonstrate if you''re curious about magic." Samuel spoke confidently. "Yes, please do. What kind of magic do you---"? BOOM!!! "Fire magic," he said smiling triumphantly as he managed to use a quick cast thanks to his wand blowing a target up. "Normally, you would have to chant, but with certain high-level staffs and wands you can quick cast a specific magic ability or spell without the need for a chant." "That''s amazing!" she said honestly praising his ability. "Can I try something?" "Sure, go for it but don''t be upset if you can''t do anything. You haven''t even been trained in magic yet." Samuel said curious to see what she would do. Alice touched a target closing her eyes focusing all her power into her palm while imagining fire. A few moments later, the target busted into flames leaving Samuel dumbfounded. "HOW??? You didn''t chant or even know a spell yet!" Samuel asked. "I felt the power during the crystal test, so I thought of just focusing on fire as the element for the power. The next thing I knew the target was on fire." Alice said honestly. "But anyways, I have to get back to the adventurer''s guild. I still have my Talent test to finish before I can be an adventurer. "Sigh, I understand but please come back immediately after that, the guild master will really want to talk to you now after that display of genius." Samuel said adamantly. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "Sure, I''ll be sure to come back and talk to the Old Geezer." Alice said as she darted out of the room toward the front door. 4 Talent Test with a Gian Leaving the Mage''s guild and heading across the street to the adventurer''s guild to take her test, Alice runs into a monstrous sized man. | Mathew - Level ??? | "Woah there, little miss, are you okay? Where are you off to in such a hurry?" Mathew crouches down lending her a hand up. ''Did his mother die during birth?? How can someone be so big?!'' Alice thought to herself taking his hand. "My name is Alice. Sorry, I''m on my way to the guild to meet with you for my Talent test. I did not want to be late as I spent a little longer at the mage''s guild than I wanted." Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "Oh, well then you have great timing. I just returned from a meeting. Follow me and I''ll take you to the Testing room" Mathew said as he stood back up and crouched down to enter the Guild. Mathew had to be 7'' at least with short black hair and a well taken care of beard and Muscles on every inch of his body. ''I wonder how high his level is for it to show up as question marks?'' Alice thought while following along. Entering the Test room, Mathew stretched a bit informing Alice she could choose from any of the wooden weapons in the rack on the far wall to use during the test. "The test will consist of you doing your best to attack me and trying to either dodge my attacks, I''ll hold back as much as I can, so I don''t kill you in 1 hit. Keep in mind though it will hurt if you''re hit since I have 56 Levels on you" Mathew said with a smirk, curious as to what weapon this small framed little girl would choose. Eyeing the weapons in the rack Alice decided to go with a short sword as well as a dagger for her off hand since a shield would prove useless against the beast she had to attack. ''A sword is probably best since I lied about my class and a dagger may prove useful if I can use it right.'' Alice thought to herself while walking onto the test area. "I''m ready when you are. Feel free to¡ª" Before he could finish his sentence, Alice had already launched herself at full speed towards him trying to land an early blow in. "What a feisty little one you are!" Mathew said, grinning as he threw a light punch her way still having the power to knock her unconscious if landed. Narrowing her eyes giving this 120% of her concentration, she pulled the dagger out slashing at his wrist, and turning her body quickly using the momentum to swing her sword at his feet. It caused Mathew to jump back out of the way in surprise. "It seems you''ve got some moves." Mathew said lunging back towards her, not giving her time to recover. Rolling to the side barely escaping his attack, Alice took advantage of his massive size grabbing onto his shirt as he passed her, swinging her body onto his shoulders and fixing the dagger at his throat. Seeing this, Mathew decided to put his hands up in defeat not expecting Alice to have this kind of battle power even when he was suppressing himself. "You pass with flying colors, Alice. Where did you learn to fight like that?" Mathew questioned with a smile on his face. Alice jumped down from his shoulders. Panting a bit from having used everything she had to get the upper hand with the limited stamina she had, Alice replied to the large man. "I just moved the way my body wanted me to. I''m only a level 2 after all." The girl then thought to herself, ''If I was in my Angel body, I could have killed you with one attack.'' "Well that''s some damn good instincts you have. Go inform Jess that you''ve passed, and you can be shown to your room and use the rest of the day however you want." Mathew said leaving the room 1st. ''I should have put some more points into DEX I''m already worn out.'' Alice thought, making a mental note to do so in her next few levels. "Mathew told me to let you know that I''ve passed the test." Alice said with an exhausted face. "Wonderful Mathew isn''t an easy opponent. If you''ll follow me, I''ll show you to your room so you can have a rest and shower." Jess said motioning for her to follow. "What is a shower?" Alice asked "I''ll show you once we get to your room. The Mage''s guild just developed this as a way to conveniently bathe in privacy in the comfort of your own room." Jess said as if she''s had to explain it 100 times before. Entering her room, she was slightly shocked at how nice it was, there was a nice bed, a window, a bathroom and a closet. ''So luxurious¡­'' Alice thought. "To use the shower, you step onto this pad and remove your clothes. You will have to insert around 10 MP points into this Water stone and the water will start to fall like rain so you can wash yourself. Seeing how you were robbed I thought I''d give you a free bottle of shampoo and body soap so you can relax in style." Jess said with a wink. "That sounds amazing thank you" Alice said with delight. "I''ll leave you to it then. If you have any questions or needs, please feel free to let me know." Jess said before leaving her alone. ''I should probably shower I smell like death.'' Alice thought with an excited expression. After enjoying her shower and feeling slightly drained from using 20 MP to take a longer shower, Alice laid on her new bed passing out before she even realized she was sleepy. Fighting a battle against an intruding enemy, Alice flew toward the Castle after slaying numerous invaders. Observing all the Chaos around her, she jumps into action to save a small child from being abducted by the unknown enemy. The arm of a powerful foe, dressed in black robes, using magic, and sheer power, he planned to take the Angel kingdom by surprise. "Are you Okay? Where are your parents?" Alice asked panicked to the little girl. "I-I-I don''t know mommy hid me in a cabinet when we heard all the fighting. My Mommy and Daddy ran off to help and they haven''t come back. I''m scared." The little girl said crying in Alice''s arms. Looking around for a safe space for the little girl to hide, Alice gets hit with a surprise attack, leaving her shocked. She dropped the little girl. Yelling for the little girl to run she gives her a small push in hopes of getting her to run and escape. As if time stopped, an arrow shot from behind her cuts her neck just barely not killing her as it sinks into the little girls back. Watching the little girl fall dead, she feels her blood boil as she lets out a scream in horror and anger. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!~ Waking up in a cold sweat remembering some of the horrors that took place before her death she breathes heavily. ''I''m definitely going to take revenge; I will kill every last one of those bastards!'' Alice thought to herself. 5 Ignited Determination After finally getting some rest Alice headed downstairs to check if she could do any jobs to earn some money and level up. ''I won''t be strong enough to slaughter those bastards if I just sit on my ass.'' Alice thought with a cold and murderous aura around her. "Jess I''d like to go kill some monsters to level up. Can I use a spare weapon and take a request flyer?" Alice asked. Request flyers are able to be taken within your adventure rank, the ranks go from F > E > D > C > B > A > S > SS. "Sure, but your current adventure rank is only F right now. You''ll need to be Level 5 and complete 2 requests to rank up to take E requests." Jess said with a worried look, seeing the look Alice had in her eyes. "That''s fine, I''ll take the request for Slime killing, and the request for gathering low rank medicinal herbs since they''re both in the same location." Stated Alice, not wanting to waste any time. "I''ll approve your taking of the requests, which weapon would you like to use? You''ll have to return it once you return or you''ll be charged for the price of the weapon." Jess said as she pointed to some of the weapons on the wall behind her. "A sword and a dagger please." Alice asked waiting patiently. "If you''ll just sign this contract for the weapons, you''ll be all set and can be on your way" Jess said giving her the papers. Leaving the kingdom gates Alice rushed towards the forest spotting a group of slimes in no time at all. Throwing the dagger with great accuracy the instantly killed one of the slimes and made her way through the others with easy. Picking up the dagger alive thought to herself, ''This is much quicker with actual weapons. I need to hit level 5 asap.'' Continuing her quest to level up before she gathered the herbs, Alice made quick work of the slimes in the area, pausing to take a rest she decided to check her status noticing she leveled up twice in the few hours she been at it. Name - Alice Class - Fallen HP - 50/50 MP - 40/40 Level - 4 STR - 13 > 16 VIT - 10 > 13 INT - 11 DEX - 13 > 16 Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. DEF - 10 > 11 AGI - 18 Skill points - 10 > 0 ''Great! I only have one more level, then I''ll complete the system quest and gain a weapon of my own.'' Alice thought with a smile. Coming into a clearing she could see the herbs she is supposed to gather, not wasting this opportunity she gathered all the herbs. Wishing she had more space to store things so she could take extra, a new window appeared. | Inventory | ¡è¡è¡è¡è¡è¡è ¡è¡è¡è¡è¡è¡è ¡è¡è¡è¡è¡è¡è ¡è¡è¡è¡è¡è¡è Seeing this surprised her so she tapped one of the boxes a question appeared on. | Store Low Rank Herbs Y/N? | "Yes." Alice said not knowing what to expect as all the herbs she gathered disappeared from her bag and appeared in the Inventory. | Inventory | ??¡è¡è¡è¡è¡è ¡è¡è¡è¡è¡è¡è ¡è¡è¡è¡è¡è¡è ¡è¡è¡è¡è¡è¡è | x15 Low Grade Herbs Stored | Closing out the window, she once again praised the convenience provided to her somehow. Gathering and storing 20 more herbs, she looked up only to see a little green creature. | Goblin - Lvl 5 | Seeing Alice, it started to run toward her with a dagger in hand clearly with the intent to kill. Not giving the situation a second thought, she picked up her sword and threw the dagger at the goblins face. Tiching- The goblin parried the dagger only to be stabbed through by Alice''s sword. ''Well, that was easy. Poor, stupid creature.'' she thought to herself as she gathered her dagger and taking it from the goblins body, storing it in her Inventory to inspect later. A new screen appearing before her slightly caught her off guard. ''Damn system.'' she cursed under her breath. | Quest Complete | | Reward - Weapon | | Sword | Dagger | Rapier | Scythe | Claymore | Seeing the selection before her ''A sword would be good since that''s what I''m currently using but the same goes for the dagger. I could probably make good use of a Rapier, but I''ve never tried it before. I''ve also never used a Scythe, but it looks like I could take multiple enemy''s down with one swing pretty interesting. While I have the strength required for a claymore, I''m a little small to wield it.'' Taking all aspects into consideration Alice used her finger to select the Scythe as to kill more enemies fast. Materializing from thin air, a grim looking scythe appeared into her hands. It had a long slightly curved staff with the end of it having a long dark and beautifully curved blade. | Scythe of Revenge | | Growth type weapon | | +10 Str | | +10 Dex | | +5 Vit | Seeing her weapon and the bonus stats, she let out a little squeal of excitement. '' Growth type weapons are crazy rare. Even the Angel race blessed by God only had 2 of these kinds of weapons.'' Storing her sword and dagger, she decided to use her new Scythe to test out her compatibility with it, swinging it around and twirling it in her fingers felt oddly natural. "Oh! Right I must have leveled up to 5!" "Status" Name - Alice Class - Fallen HP - 60/60 (85/85) MP - 50/50 Level - 5 STR - 16 +10 VIT - 13 > 15 +5 INT - 11 > 13 DEX - 16 > 17 +10 DEF - 11 AGI - 18 Skill points - 5 > 0 Feeling as though she got a massive power spike, she decided to hunt down another goblin to test the power of her new weapon and stats. Dashing through trees, swinging the scythe around, using its weight to carry her up further when she jumped, she made amazing time in locating a group of 3 goblins. Launching herself off a tree, Alice spun her body quickly slashing a wide area leaving behind an after image of her weapons path. As soon as the goblins noticed her and turned their heads to see her, their heads rolled off their shoulders as their bodies collapsed, trying her best to avoid most of the blood splatter caused by her devastating attack. She looted the goblins, storing 1 Short bow, 32 arrows, another dagger, and a short sword. ''Today has been pretty productive. I should head back and turn in the requests. It''ll be a good idea to store my Scythe and walk back with the weapons I came here with.'' Alice thought with caution. Returning back to the Adventures guild, she handed in the herbs and showed her ID card since they record every monster you kill. "Wow! Good work! You even killed a few goblins and made it to level 5!" Jess said with wonder as most people don''t level up so fast. Handing Alice her reward of 1 small silver for the herbs and 90 copper pieces for killing the slimes Jess asked, "So will you be returning the weapons, or do you wish to buy them?" "I''ll be returning the weapons since the goblins dropped theirs when I butchered them" Alice said with a blank expression. ''What an... odd way to refer to that.'' Jess thought as she took the weapons back. "Thank you for lending them to me. I''d also like to update my ID card, seeing as I''m level 5 and have completed 2 requests." Alice said, pretty happy about ranking up in a day. "Sure, I''ll just update your Rank and you can take E rank requests from now on, to rank up to D you need to be level 10 and complete 5 Requests as well as take another Talent test to see how you''ve progressed." Jess said handing Alice her ID back. "Okay, thank you. I''m going to get some rest and meet the old man at the mage''s guild tomorrow, see ya!" Alice said rushing off to her room 6 Using The Shadow Elemen Waking up from a much-needed night of sleep, Alice went out to the kingdom''s market to see if she could sell the goblin weapons and remaining herbs. Walking through various stalls, she finally found a weapon shop. Entering the shop, she was greeted by a Half wolf - half human girl that couldn''t have been older than 25. She had silver hair with cat like ears poking out and a fluffy long tail. "Hiya~ Welcome to my weapon shop! I''m Yumi, what can I do for ya cutie?" Feeling excited to be able to talk to another demi-human she began to show the merchant her items. "I have some weapons I looted off some goblins I killed, and I''d like to try to sell them as well as buy some armor if possible." Alice said with a smile. She took the 2 daggers and short sword out of her Inventory, keeping the bow in case she wanted to use it for later. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "Woah~ how rare to have a storage skill! I can give you 2 silver per dagger and 4 silver for the short sword, so 8 silver all together. Oh, and I''ll give you a discount on the armor you want, so feel free to look at my wares!" Yumi said giving Alice a playful wink. Looking around at the different armor sets Yumi had, skipping past the heavy armor as it wasn''t a good fit for her. She finally, after some time, came across an interesting set that caught her eyes. | Shadow Chest Plate | | +5 DEF | | Shadow Cloak | | +5 INT | | Shadow gloves | | +5 DEX | | Shadow boots | | +5 AGI | "Yumi, how much for this shadow set?" Alice asked since this set matched her perfectly. "Hmmm, I''ll sell it to you for 9 silver. Normally it would be 15, but I want you to only come to my shop in the future for your weapon and armor needs. If you can promise me that then I''ll sell it for 9 silver." Yumi said trying to rope in a cute new customer that she''d get to see more of and make a profit on since she got the set for free from a dead body she found in her travels. ''Hmm¡­ I''ll have only a few copper coins left if I buy it, but I can still sell the herbs I have and there''s always the option to go and kill more monsters as well as more requests she can take.'' Alice thought agreeing with her terms. "Deal. I promise I''ll use you for all my armor and weapon needs in the future." Walking up to the counter with the armor set, she hands Yumi the 9 Silver coins she had. "Do you have a room I can use to try the armor on?" Alice asks hoping to make use of the stat boost as soon as she can. "Sure, if you go into the back there is a storage room you can use. Just let me know if you need the armor adjusted." Yumi happily replies. Being in front of a mirror for the 1st time, she is slightly shocked at how she looks, Alice knew she had a nice figure, but she didn''t expect her beautiful light purple eyes, as well as her full soft pink lips. Her hair was long and light grey. ''I can see why people stare now.'' Alice though to herself while changing into her new armor, keeping her tight-fitting black leather pants on. She quite admired this look, and the armor fit perfectly. Walking back to the front of the store, Yumi, who had turned her head hearing that Alice had returned, dropped the shield she was hanging onto her foot. "GAHH!" Yumi yelped out in pain. "Sorry! I just didn''t expect you to look so good in the armor set!" Yumi said drooling a bit half from pain half from attraction. "No problem. You should sit down and tend to your foot. I have to go meet an old geezer at the mage''s guild" Alice said as she left the store happy with her purchase. Moving slightly faster than before she smirked wondering how fast she would be if she invested her next level up into the AGI stat. Walking through the tricky front door of the Mage''s Guild, she ran up to Sarah at the receptionist counter. "Hiya~ I''m here to see the Old Geezer." Alice said still happy from her stat boost and her new armor. Sarah, trying not to stare too much, looks toward the stairs. "If you go up the stairs, Albert is there and expecting you" "Thanks~" Replied Alice darting up the stairs. "I''m here as I said I would be, Old Man" Alice stated looking around for the old man not seeing him. ''Maybe Sarah didn''t see him leave?'' She thought. "I''ve been expecting you, young lady. It''s rude to make people wait you know." Albert said from above floating in the air near the bookshelf, reading. "Sorry to make you wait. I wanted to level up and get some new armor before I came." Alice said while looking up. ''Will I be able to fly again with magic?'' Alice wondered feeling a little sad since she missed having her wings. "Here catch this, I managed to find a Grimoire for Shadow users. It''ll prove very useful for you, and since you''re the only Shadow user we have. You can just keep the book, just make sure to take care of it." Albert said as he tossed her the Pitch-Black Grimoire. Before she could touch the Grimoire, it floated above her hands, looked at the old man pouting, she lowered her hands back down. To her surprise, the Grimoire followed her hands and began to open. The pages flipped around quickly giving off a Black aura making it seem like the pages were shapeless. "It seems the Grimoire already recognizes you as its owner, probably since you''re the only shadow user to touch it in a hundred years." Albert said already expecting this to happen. "We can talk later, I just wanted to give you this. You should head to the practice room. The Grimoire will naturally bring out your element and you should be able to read the spells. Just think of an attack or buff etc. and the Grimoire will automatically flip to the page best suited to what you want." He said as he snapped his fingers and she appeared by Sarah in a flash. "AHH!!" Sarah jumped back as Alice appeared from thin air in front of her. "Curse you Old MAN you''re going to kill me if you keep doing that." she shouted towards the stairs. "I''d like to use the training room to test out the Grimoire." Looking down at her hands she realized the Grimoire was gone. "If he gave you a Grimoire you just have to think of it being in your hands and it''ll show itself. As for the training room, you should already know where it is, so feel free to use it as long as you''d like." Sarah said as she put her head in her hands still trying to compose herself. Thinking of the Grimoire, as instructed, it really did appear in her hands. Since she has the damage already, she thought of a movement, buff, or skill, wondering if the Grimoire had a skill like that. Reading what Alice wanted, the Grimoire flipped towards the end of the book showing a skill that will allow her to sink into the shadows near her and appear in a shadow she can see a further distance out from. As if she already learned the skill, she sunk into the shadow of the target next to her as if she was below the ground. She could see little shadow orbs floating all over the place. Concentrating on one, she changed places with it instantly and rose from the shadow across the room from where she had been standing. Taken back by the usefulness of this skill she put the Grimoire away to see if she could use it without having the book out. She instantly appeared in the place she started. "This is freaking amazing!! I''ll be able to take on more monsters and kill them so much faster with this skill!'' Alice thought with a victorious smile. 7 A Insane new Combat Style Eagerly looking at the request board she takes 3 requests. Subjugate 10 Goblins, Subjugate Goblin Leader, Subjugate Low level bandits. Pulling the 3 E rank requests off the board Alice rushes to the counter where Jess is in Hope''s of setting out As soon as possible. Looking up and seeing Alice bringing 3 requests to her she raises a eyebrow. "You want to do all three of these at once?" Jess asks while reading over the 3 papers. "Yes they''re within my rank and my armor set gives me a stat boost so it should be quick work. I have already killed 4 goblins and they didn''t give me a fight at all." Alice says proudly waiting for them to be accepted so she can rush to try out some combos shes been thinking about. "The goblins should be no problem, but a Goblin Leader is level 7 and much stronger. Not to mention the Bandit request is for a party of 3 E ranks not a Singular level one so I''m afraid I cant allow the last request but the other 2 I shall let you have." Jess said sternly half way guessing that Alice is probably stubborn. ''I guess i can just kill the bandits anyway and loot them then turn in the proof, what''s the worst the guild will do to me?'' Alice Pondered but accepted her terms on the surface. "Will you be needing the Sword and dagger again for this?" Jess asked not seeing any trace of a weapon on Alice "No that''s alright I''ll go buy one from Yumi." Alice responded not exactly lying to her. "Ok fine but be safe and don''t take on more than you can handle" Jess said in warning seeing Alice already half way out the door. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Testing out her AGI boost even though small proved to be faster by a noticeable margin putting strength into he legs she jumped as high as she could clearing a small house landing inside a shadow before exiting the shadow closet to the Guards at the front gate. Seeing the cloaked girl seeming appear from thin air beside him Adam jumped back in surprises. "Alice was it? please refrain from doing whatever it is you just did I almost attacked you." Giving her a stern warning it was almost to late as she was already almost out of sight before he realized. Slowing down to conserve energy and let her stamina build back up she entered the woods remembering where she remembered seeing the goblins. When randomly a quest popped up. | Quest - Kill 25 Monsters | | Reward - 20 Silver, Title | "The system can give money out as well? I wonder what other surprises you''ll show me." she said to herself as she approached 4 goblins eating. Pulling her Scythe from her Inventory she rushed forward swing the Scythe in Hope''s to kill all 4 in one go. but to her surprise one goblin managed to duck in time seeing the lethal attack coming. Still managing to one shot 3 out of the 4 she composed herself as she dashed forward again. The goblin dodging a second time managed to let out a yell before falling victim to Alice''s 3rd strike. ''Annoying bastard that yell was to probably call for help'' she thought as she looted the 4 goblins. standing back up she barely had enough time to react as a arrow flew from the tree cover whistling by Alice''s ear. Had she been any slower she might have died, locating the goblin she sunk into the shadows leaving the goblin to panic wondering where she went. Before the goblin who shot at her had time to flee Alice came out of the shadows near by decapitating him before he could turn and see her. ''Well this skill has already paid off it takes about 5 MP per second to use this skill so I need to get faster at it in case I need to escape or I''m low on mana.'' Having killed 5/25 of the goblins Alice was happy to see she leveled up again. Name - Alice Class - Fallen HP - 65/65 (90/90) MP - 65/65 (90/90) Level - 6 STR - 16 > 17 +10 VIT - 15 +5 INT - 13 > 15 +5 DEX - 17 (+10 +5) DEF - 11 +5 AGI - 18 > 20+5 Skill points - 5 >0 Putting some points into her INT and her Equipment boosts put her HP and MP both at 90, seeing this she felt more confident about fighting the Bandits later. Deciding to end her rest she continued hunting Goblins while she looked for the Goblin leader. Using her Shadow skill along with her Scythe she made quick work out of all the goblins she came across till she finally spotted the Goblin leader who was surrounded by 5 more regular Goblins. | Goblin Leader - Lvl 7 | The goblin Leader was much taller than the other goblins who were only about 3" to begin with as well regular goblins only had a dagger a sword or a bow, while the Leader was about 5" Equipped with a sturdy looking shield and a long sword. Charging forward at great speed she lopped two of the goblins heads off in one swing while the other 2 and the Leader faced her. The 2 smaller goblins charged forward hoping to kill Alice to please their leader, however they failed miserably as they were easy targets freely coming to be slaughtered by Alice''s Scythe. Seeing that the only one left was the Goblin Leader she ran to his right disappearing into a shadow cast by a tree. Not being able to find Alice the Goblin Leader let out a yell as if to taunt Alice for being a coward. Reappearing to his left from another shadow the leader sensed danger and put his shield up deflecting her strike, just as soon as he did Alice disappeared once again and came from above this time while launching her self twords the leader from above the gave the Scythe a wide downward swing as she did a front flip not being able to defend the Leader stood shocked not able to move as his body slowly split in half. ''The leader was a lot more difficult than the regular goblins ugh I used up so much MP just to kill him without taking a hit myself'' Alice thought looking at her MP being drained down to half. Avoiding the pools of blood she looted the goblins around the area that she killed and decided to take a break. Luckily killing all those goblins gave her another Level up, jumping up onto a tree limb she sat back and relaxed as she looked at her status. Name - Alice Class - Fallen HP - 70/70 (95/95) MP - 85/85 (110/110) Level - 7 STR - 17 > 19 +10 VIT - 15 +5 INT - 15 > 18 +5 DEX - 17 (+10 +5) DEF - 11 +5 AGI - 20+5 Skill points - 5 >0 Putting +2 into STR so she can hit harder and +3 Into INT so she can use her skills more Alice felt satisfied. ''I wonder how many more monsters I have to kill till I finish my quest'' Alice thought as she said "Quest'' aloud seeing the window pop up. | Quest - kill 25 Monsters 24/25 | | Reward - 20 Silver, Title | Walking around the forest trying to find the last monster Alice happened to see some shady looking men camped out, curious as to if they were the bandits she used Shadow movement to perch herself on a tree limb above them. While listening to them talk she learned that they were the bandits from the request and apparently they had captured a magic beast egg. 8 Bandit Camp Hearing the men talk about the Beast Egg piqued Alice''s interest, Magical Beats are able to become a pet through a blood contract. The Beasts can level up and gain abilities the same as their masters, in some cases they can even share abilities and communicate with their masters via telepathy. ''How the hell did these low level bandits come across something this valuable'' Alice thought to herself while planning out a strategy to kill the bandits and take the Egg for herself. Leaning over the branch falling gracefully she lands beside the 2 bandits taking them both by surprise. "Hey there cutie where did you come from don''t you know its dangerous to be out here all alone, why don''t you come with me and my brother here we will take real good care of you hahaha" Said the bandit with clear motives to take advantage of her. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. ''che~ what scum.'' Alice says under her breath while taking her Scythe. Seeing Alice bring out her weapon both men scrambled to take out their swords, even if Alice herself doesn''t look intimidating anyone would freak out seeing someone bear a hulking evil looking Scythe at them. "Pathetic" Alice said coldly as she swung her Scythe as had as she could, cutting both men in half. Picking up the 2 swords and other things of value from the 2 men''s bodies Alice leaped up to the nearest tree jumping from tree to tree looking for the rest of the bandits in hopes of finding them before they can do anything with the Beast egg. Coming into a clearing she finally sees the Bandit camp.''One.. Two.. four.. eight.. thirteen.. twenty-four.. che~ why are there so many bandits? No wonder this is a E rank party request. luckily their levels are all around 7 with the highest level being their leader at level 9. Maybe if i just use my Shadow movement i can kill them quick enough to keep my position hidden long enough to kill the majority of them before i actually have to fight.'' Alice thought to herself giving a lot of thought into her plan of action since she was not about to abandon this opportunity unless she absolutely had to. Obtaining a loyal ally this early on would make things much easier. Using her shadow skill she moved to a tent close by without being seen, knowing that the scythe was big and caused a bloody mess when she killed with it she chose to use one of the daggers she previously looted until she was found out to make thing more quiet and effective. Moving at full speed she ran by one of the bandits quickly cutting his throat before he had a moment to react he fell to the ground bleeding out. unfortunately catching the attention of another bandit she hid herself behind a crate. "Paul if you''re going to fucking take a nap take it in a tent why the hell are you laying on the ground." Another bandit said slowly approaching the falling bandit. Hearing this Alice took the opportunity to act and launched herself at the bandit as fast as she could, seeing a figure come out of no where at him the bandit yelled "INTRUDER" before having his throat cut as well. ''Well this ruins my plan of being sneaky. Damn i still have 22 more to kill before i can search for the egg.'' Alice thought to herself before jumping back into the trees to observe what happens. Seeing 8 more bandits rush to see what happened they called out "BOSS 2 OF OUR MEN HAVE BEEN KILLED" looking in the direction he called Alice could see the Leader and 4 more bandits jogging to the scene. Taking out the bow and notching an arrow Alice aimed at the leader hoping to land a head shot so she wouldn''t have to fight him later being 2 levels under him, waiting until he was standing still above the two bodies she fired the arrow. Deciding against staying to see if it hits Alice enters the shadows and moves to another tree a little further to the left, exiting the shadow she see that the arrow managed to hit him in the right shoulder. "Find the assassin they must be after the Beast Egg!" The Leader shouted in pain as the bandit quickly spread out running to the woods where she is while leaving the Leader behind. Watching the Leader make his way back to his tent Alice knew she couldn''t miss this opportunity and she acted fast. Quickly using her shadow movement she rushed twords the Leader while he was injured and had his back turned. Putting her bow away she took out her scythe and swung as fast as she could hoping to end him as quietly as possible to have more time before she was noticed by the other bandits. Sensing danger the Leader ducked and rolled forward drawing his sword as he landed and turned to face Alice. "Why don''t you just lay down your life and give me the egg and ill be on my way? I''ll even let your friends live" She taunting him since she could no longer end things quickly. Charging at her swinging his sword Alice jumped back returning the attack and parrying his strike, lunging forward she uses the small end of her scythe and jams it into his stomach knocking the wind out from him, following up he attack she roundhouse kicks the side of his head sending him rolling. Pulling a dagger from her inventory she throws it at him while disappears into a shadow and reappearing from the shadow cast by the tent behind him as she swung her scythe down impaling him between the shoulder and head as the blade easily went though his neck down into his body killing him instantly. "This would have been much harder if he wasn''t injured and had more experience" Alice thought to herself thankful at the relative ease of this battle. Causing her victory to be short lived she heard more of the Bandits headed her way. Running twords the 3 bandits coming her way she swung her scythe with as much power as he could as the blade cut through 2 men and being stopped by the shield of the last. Moving back the two locked eyes with each other. "Are you here for the Egg?" The Bandit asked clamly. "Id prefer to end the day not having to fight the rest of you for now if possible." Alice replied wondering what the bandit was up to but deciding to hear him out as she still had no idea where the Egg actually was. "I know i cant defeat you and while the rest of us together might manage to kill you, most of us would probably still die considering you''re a shadow mage on top of having great combat experience. Ill show you to the egg so long as you leave here and not return. I am next in line to be Leader so naturally i benefit from losing the egg in exchange for my life." The bandit said with a serious look in his eyes. "I''ll agree to that but you''ll have to bring the egg to me, id rather not walk into a ambush. I''ll keep my weapon out and hide in the tent behind me. Since you know im a shadow mage you know that trying to ambush me in a tent will not work, come back when you have the egg. Ill give you 5 minutes." Throwing him a bag she waited to see what the Bandit would do. Picking the bag up and putting his sword away he turned and casually walked away headed to the biggest tint in the area. ''i wonder how long its been, I''m growing impatient.'' Alice thought considering just killing them all.'' Alice thought but decided against it and to wait longer since she only managed to kill 5 of them so far. A few moments later the Bandit walked into the tint with no weapons on him and the bag. "As you requested the egg is in the bag you can inspect it if you would like, but as soon as you verify it you should leave the bandits will see the leader dead soon and all hell will break loose." He said handing Alice the bag. ''He really came through i guess.'' Alice thought as she opened the bag clearly seeing the Beast egg. "Since you kept your world ill keep mine. You should also move out of this forest there is a request at the guild to wipe you allout." Alice said as she disappeared into the shadow and reappearing in the shadow of a tree just outside of camp. Storing the egg in her inventory Alice made her way away from the bandits and back to the goblin area so she could finish up her system quest. 9 Little Shadow Making it safely away from the Bandit territory Alice walked up to a small pond to take a drink of water. Leaning down cupping her hands in the crystal clear cool water she took a refreshing drink of water and sat under the shade of a tree to cool off. Pulling the bag with the egg in it out of her Inventory she grabbed onto it gently to get a closer look at it. | Shadow Panther Egg | | Form blood contract Y/N | "Yes" Alice said calmly curious as to what would happen. Setting the egg on the grass Alice sat with her legs crossed leaning forward waiting, the egg slowly started to crack. After a moment a small cat exited the egg and looked at Alice. The small cat had onyx black silky fur, piercing blue eyes, and a tail about the length of its body. Letting out a small "nyaaaa~" opening its mouth as much as it could as if to yawn. ''Cute...'' Alice thought as she reached her hand slowly out gently petting its head. Suddenly and rather violently the Shadow Panther cub bit down on Alice''s write causing her to jerk her hand back in pain. "You little prick the hell did I ever do to you?!?!" Alice said angrily when a new messaged appeared. | Blood Contract Started | | Name the Shadow Panther? | Thinking for a bit and forgiving the little guy for his violent outburst she pet him again this time a bit cautiously. "I think I''ll call you Little Shadow." Alice said, "Purrrrr~" could be heard. "I guess you like the name huh." | Named Pet - Little Shadow | | Blood Contract Complete | | Little Shadow - Level 1 | Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. HP 40/40 MP 40/40 "Well aren''t you lucky, you''re just born and already have almost half my HP and MP. Shall we go hunt a bit and level up Little Shadow?" Alice asked getting a "Raaawr~" from Little Shadow with a confident look. Petting him one last time Alice gets back up and lightly jogs so her new friend can keep up. Seeing the slimes she 1st started with when she woke up in this new body she smiled as she made her way to them. Lightly licking the slime she asked Shadow to attack it so he could gain the experience. Taking the opportunity to impress his new owner shadow pounced onto the slime digging its sharp claws into the slime and biting down the slime slowly struggled and died. "Good job Shadow now let''s keep this up!" Alice said proudly seeing the quest completion window appear. | Quest Complete | | Reward 20 Silver | | Title - Hunter | | Title Bonus - Eagle eye, +10 AGI +5 VIT +DEF | "Wow that''s quite the boost." Alice said to herself as she looked to see where Shadow was. Not seeing him she yelled out "Little Shadow come back where did you go????" worriedly. Hearing a rustling coming from the trees to her left she looked to see Shadow casually walk out carrying a level 2 Slime in his mouth. Even more surprising Shadow had gone off and leveled him self up. | Little Shadow - Level 2 | HP 50/50 MP 50/50 ''Freaking brat get 10 points to HP and MP each level while I only get 5?'' She thought with a bit of jealousy. ''I guess there is a reason you''re a Magical Beast'' Alice told herself to feel a little better about it. Dropping his kill and running to his masters side he pawed at her leg wanting to be held and praised for his kill and hard work. "nyahh nyahh" "Yeah yeah you did a good job" Alice said somehow knowing what Shadow wanted as she picked him up to pet him. "Let''s keep going though I wanna get you leveled up once more so you can try to help me with some goblins I''d like to hit level 8 before we head back to the kingdom." Alice said as Shadow leaped out of her arms running to the right knowing where the next slime was. Alice ran along side Shadow as he made quick work of a few slimes as he finally hit level 3. "Good job Shadow, ready for a bigger challenge?" Alice asked "Raaaawr~" he replied eagerly. ''How Cute...'' Locating 3 Goblins with the help of her Title Kill Eagle Eye which allowed her to see further for a short duration. Alice took out her Scythe Killing one easily as Shadow distracted the other two using his agility to run circles around them slowly clawing and whittling away at their HP. Looking at the sight she crept up on the distracted goblin decapitated both of them with one swing of her scythe leveling up in the process. "Good job shadow I''ll loot these guys and you can keep watch while I adjust my stats." Alice said petting his head. Name - Alice Class - Fallen HP - 100/100 (125/125) MP - 95/95 (120/20) Level - 8 STR - 19 > 22 +10 VIT - 15 +5 INT - 18 > 20 +5 DEX - 17 (+10 +5) DEF - 11 (+5 +10) AGI - 20 (+5 +10) Skill points - 5 > 0 Getting her status updated with no issues she looked around to see Shadow busy playing around in the grass attacking and chasing whatever bug he finds. "Okay okay enough play time, let''s head back to the kingdom I''ve got quite a bit of loot to offload and I want to learn some more magic." Alice said as she picked shadow up and ran full speed back to the kingdom occasionally using Shadow Movement to gain distance reducing the time it took to get back to the kingdom greatly. "Hiya~ Adam, I managed to get my hands on a pet we have a blood contract is it okay if he comes into the kingdom with me?" She asked not knowing if it was allowed while putting on a slight pout to try and sway him. "Ehhhh where in the world did you get a Magic Beast Alice?? There shouldnt be a problem you''ll just have to register it at the guild." He answered kind of shocked that a Magic beast would appear so close to the kingdom. "Thanks I''ll do just that! Come on Shadow let''s go!" Alice said joyfully as she took off twords the guild to hurry and register her new ally. 10 Shopping In The Kingdom Arriving at the Adventures Guild Alice happily makes her way up the receptionists'' desk to register Little Shadow. "Um, Alice are you okay? and when did you get a cat?" Jess asked with concern seeing blood splattered on her armor and face. "Yeah I''m perfectly fine, why do you ask? And this is Little Shadow I managed to complete all my requests and I even killed the Bandit Leader! That''s how I got this little guy he is a magical beast and I have a blood contract with him so I need to have him registered." Alice said joyfully. "Oh, right I almost forgot about the blood I did a lot of hunting and ran into some trouble, sorry I''ll go wash up after we are finished." "YOU KILLED THE LEADER ALONE? I told you that was a party request stupid girl you could have been killed!" Jess said a little louder than she meant to garnering some stares toward Alice which she ignored. "Yeah I know but I didn''t manage to kill all the bandits just like 6 of them plus the leader I had to bail or I might really have died," Alice said calmly still smiling happily about today''s progress. "Sigh... I guess there''s no helping it now, let me see your ID card so I can verify the kills so I can give you the rewards. I won''t be able to give you a full reward for the Bandits but I can probably pay you something for taking out the leader and a handful of the Bandits." Jess said giving in. "Sure thing!" Alice said handing over the Card to Jess. 12 slimes, 34 Goblins, and 7 Bandits is what her kill count for the day showed, handing Alice her card back "I''ve registered Little Shadow as your pet, the reward for the Goblins will be 17 Silver, for the Goblin Leader its 32 Silver, and I can give you 60 Silver which is half the original reward for the bandits since you took out the Leader of the camp which means they will probably move somewhere else." Jess said handing Alice 109 Silver. "Also in case you didn''t know in this kingdom 100 copper is equal to 1 Silver, and 1,000 Silver is equal to 1 Gold. While 10,000 Gold is Equal to one Holy Coin." Jess informed Alice as she was running up to her room. Taking her armor off Alice didn''t realize how much she looked forward to taking a shower, Inserting 30 MP into the Water Stone she planned to take a nice long relaxing shower. Finishing up her shower she got to cleaning her armor and washing off all the blood, walking to the closet she realized she really has nothing to wear except her Armor. ''Blah I really need something to just wear around the town, I''ve still got a ton of stuff to sell to Yumi so maybe I''ll go shopping later." Putting her armor in her closet she put the shirt she woke up in back on and tied up her hair as she ran out the door telling Shadow to come. _______________________________________________ "Hiya~ Yumi how''ve you been? Miss me?" Alice said playfully. "Of course I have cutie, what''ve you got for me today?" Asked Yumi curiously. Pulling All the weapons and armor pieces she looted off her hunt today out of her Inventory which only had one space left, Yumi couldn''t believe she looted all this in a day at such a level. "Mmmmm I''ll buy it all off you for 80 Silver coins, will you be needing to buy anything today?" Yumi asked. "I still have a weapon I managed to loot that I plan to use but I do plan on going shopping for more outfits after this," Alice replied wondering if she should buy a weapon anyways, now that she had 180 Silver and some copper change. "Ohhh that sounds super fun! I close up shop in like 10 minutes mind some company?" Yumi asked as she just imagined seeing how cute and sexy Alice would be wearing some of the clothes and underwear sold in the kingdom. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Finishing closing Yumi caught up to Alice who was waiting by the water fountain in the middle of the Business District. "Hey did I take to long? I''m sorry if you got bored." Yumi said hoping she didn''t make Alice wait for longer than she wanted. "No not at all, you do you girl! So where are we going 1st Miss local?" Alice said since she didn''t know what shops had good clothes. "Julia''s Fashion Empire'' has some great looking clothes they''re all the craze right now! let''s start there." Yumi suggested as she grabbed Alice''s hand leading her through the crowded street to the shop. Felling people stare at them Alice felt kind of uncomfortable she could feel some of the thoughts some of the men they passed by. ''Oh my, this store is huge and the clothes are all so cute..'' Alice thought to herself as Yumi took the lead grabbing everything she thought would look good on Alice. Eventually making their way to the underwear section if the store Yumi turned to look Alice in the eyes with a serious look. "I''ve noticed for a while now but you don''t wear anything do you?" Alice''s face glowing red "That''s none of your business I have what I need." Upon hearing this and seeing Alice''s face "Well this is my treat so you have no choice its payback for not buying a weapon from me yet." She said sternly hoping that Alice would agree. "awhhhh FINE just 1 set! I''ll come back for more later by myself!" Said Alice embarrassed. "This one time will hold me over for a while," Yumi said chuckling lightly. Settling with a Purple lace pushup and a matching pair of panties, they headed to the dressing room to try on everything Yumi selected. "That was more fun than I thought it would be," Alice said wearing one of the new outfits she purchased. A Black and white dress with frills and a low cut, fishnets, and some new flats. "Duh this is a must for stress relief after a long day''s work plus you look H ~ O ~ T ~," Yumi said spelling out the word rather than saying it which only embarrassed Alice more. Storing away the bags of other clothes, Yumi was once again leading Alice around the town visiting different stalls, buying jewelry and sweets till dark. "Thanks for letting me tag along I had a lot of fun on our date." Said Yumi with a playful wink. "Can you stop already, you were the one who dragged me along so I guess you''re welcome," Alice said letting out a laugh. "Anyways I''m going back to my room to get some sleep me and shadow had a very eventful day today and I can''t wait to sleep!" "Make sure to come to see me again soon," Yumi said waving as she headed back to her shop. Finally making it back home Alice hung up her new clothes and fell back onto her bed while shadow jumped onto the bed laying down beside her. Softly petting her Alice slowly fell asleep. 11 Magic Basics Waking up feeling rejuvenated, Alice got dressed in one of her new dresses. Another frilly black dress that came about knee length and sympathizes her figure in certain key places. Feeling satisfied with how she looked she set out to the Mages Guild to learn some more magic, knowing it could prove very useful in battle. "Hiya Sarah I''m here to see about learning some fire and wind magic to increase my overall battle capabilities. Is there anything I can do or an instructor available to help me?" Alice asked casually walking up to the front desk. "Hmm which element are you wanting to learn about, you''re on your own when it comes to the shadow element though unfortunately," Sarah answered back. "Hmmm let''s start with fire, I need a long-distance damage ability so I can have more options when fighting monsters above my own level," Alice said while trying to think of future battle strategies. "If you want you can go to practice some of your shadow magic in the practice room while I see if we have anyone to come help you out, I''ll let them know where to find you once I find someone to help teach you," Sarah said giving a hand gesture in the direction of the practice room. ''I wonder if I can use my shadow movement to go between rooms? I''ve only used it in open areas so far, '' Alice pondered before activating her shadow movement. Sinking into her own shadow she spots numerous shadows she can appear out of picking one that looks like it''s far enough away to be the practice room she reappears next to a target in the practice room narrowly being missed by a fireball being sent her direction. "Shit are you okay? Where in the world did you come from I could have killed you!" The fire mage said as he rushed over to see if Alice was okay stumbling to a pause noticing how beautiful she is. "Yeah I''m fine, sorry for the scare I used my shadow magic to see if I could move between rooms and I didn''t expect anyone to be in here. I''ll be sure to be more careful next time, my name is Alice it''s nice to meet you." "...." "Hello?" Alice said waving a hand in front of his face, "Oh right sorry my name is Derrick I''m a fire mage it''s nice to meet you as well, " He said slightly blushing. "I''m actually here to try to learn fire magic! Do you think you could try to teach me how to use it?" Alice said excitedly. "Yes! I''d be happy to teach you the basics, " Derrick said jumping at the opportunity to get closer to Alice and spend some time with her. "Fire magic is pretty simple to learn when it comes to the basics, the way my master taught me is by having me sit down closing my eyes and imagining the mana at the tip of my finger heating up slowly. It takes a lot of concentration and it takes a little while to do but with enough practice, you should be able to create a candle-like fire at your fingertip which is pretty useful when you''re camped out in the forest." Derrick explained. "That sounds easy enough mind if I give it a shot?" Alice asked walking over to a safe part of the room as she sat down. "Sure I don''t mine ill keep quiet and let you concentrate just ask me if you''re having trouble and I''ll gladly assist in any way I can." He said as he sat next to her. Crossing her legs and holding a finger out she closed her eyes and tried to imagine the mana in her body being pushed to her fingertip. Feeling the mana at her finger she started to imagine a fire being created at her fingertip. ''Hotter...hotter...hotter'' Alice thought in a concentration not losing her train of thought she felt the room warming up as she opened her eyes only to see a rather large fire slightly above her finger. Acting on impulse she flicked her finger which caused the fire to swirl into a ball and launch towards the targets missing the targets in front she just barely hit a target at the back by sheer luck as the target caught fire before gradually dying down. "HOW? It took me months to be able to gather enough fire to light a campfire but you gathered enough to launch an attack in 5 minutes on your 1st try!" Derrick said in amazement. "I guess I''m pretty gifted when it comes to magic since I have 3 elements altogether, " Alice said trying not to brag. ''Is she the fucking reincarnation of a legendary hero or something, '' Derrick thought before saying, "That''s just too amazing, do you know how many high-level adventure parties would kill to recruit you to their team? What''s your 3rd element? "My third element is Wind I''m hoping to learn how to use that later on, for now, I just want to increase my damage output so I can fight against higher level monsters better, " Alice said truthfully. "Well considering you can now use FireBall I don''t see that as being much of a problem, how much mana do you have? Since you''re level 8 it should be around 60 right?" Derrick asked curiously. "Hmm well I have 60 mana left right now but when I''m at full it''s a little over 100," Alice said not knowing that having 100 mana at level 8 is just ridiculous. "Sigh, I guess I can''t be surprised by your mana when you can learn fireball in 5 minutes. So what are your plans now that you learned what you came here for?" He questioned. "I guess I''m going to take a few more requests and try to level up some more so I can hit D rank status at the adventures guild. Having D rank status comes with the perk of a passive income of 1 silver a day at the guild and the ability to be a party leader for E rank dungeons. " That sounds like a good idea, well come find me once you rank up and we can go challenge a dungeon if you''d like me and some of my friends go every now and again to get better loot, " Derrick said hopefully thinking about bragging to his friends about being able to spend time with a beauty like this. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "Yeah, that sounds like fun ill be sure to come to look for you later so we can go conquer an E rank dungeon, cya later, " Alice said waving as she left to go get her armor, shadow, and a few more requests. 12 Lets Level Up Shadow Waking up a little early Alice gets her armor equipped and wakes Little Shadow up. "Come on Shadow let''s go see what kind of requests we can do today, " Alice said petting Shadow and waking him up. Jumping off the bed and following behind Alice the two go downstairs. ''Hmmm, there are 6 rank E requests right now. Subjugate the Goblins that are taking a farmer''s crops, Gather spirit water, Gather Iron Ore from the mine, Kill the Slime King, Capture a Goblin alive for research, Kill/Capture the Thief Nina.'' Looking over the requests Alice decides to take down; Gather Spirit water, Kill the Slime King and Capture a goblin alive. "Hey, Jess I''ve got some more requests id like to do today, " Alice said as she handed the flyers to Jess. "Giving yourself a full plate today are you?" Jess questioned wondering what level she would come back as today. "I''ve approved your requests but remember to take it easy you''ve been going pretty hard at things you even came back covered in blood last time." "Thanks, I''ll keep that in mind!" Alice said already on her way out the front door with Little Shadow right behind her. Picking Shadow up Alice uses her Shadow Magic to appear next to Adam again. Without even looking at her he just shakes his hand and waves her away knowing even if he tried to stop her by the time he looked down she would almost be out of sight already. Reaching the forest Alices takes out the flyer for the Slime king to try and find clues about his location and any information related to the request. Request - Kill Slime King. The Slime King is hard to miss, it is roughly 6 times the size of a normal slime and dark red. The king''s level is 8 and is partially resistant to physical attacks since they mostly just pass through him. It''s recommended to use magic to deplete his HP once killed the King should drop ''Slime Kings Ring''. You can find the Slime King by entering the forest where slimes are located and traveling deeper into slime territory. "Well, that not much of a hint I could have guessed he was around the other slimes. but the drop seems pretty interesting, " Alice said as she put Shadow down. "Think you can keep up Shadow? She asked wanting to see how fast her adorable pet was. " Rawr~" Shadow growled out accepting the challenge. Taking off about half speed Alice looked to her side seeing Shadow keeping up with ease so she picked up the pace. Pleased to see she could run at almost full speed and Shadow keep up with her the two made it to the Slime''s territory relatively quickly. Leaving the small slimes for Shadow to deal with so he could work on leveling up Alice finally spots the Slime King. Being almost half her height she couldn''t help but find the slime kind of creepy looking. "Shadow just have fun killing the small slime ill kill the king, " She called out to Shadow as she watched him run off to kill more slimes. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Forming a large fireball in her hand she throws it at the slime king putting some power behind her throw trying to increase the damage. "BOOM!!" The fireball explodes on impact with the Slime King causing it to take burn damage and even roll over a few times. Happy with the firepower behind her attack she launches 2 more at him not wanting to get any closer to the disgusting monster. "BOOM BOOM!" Catching fire the Slime King tries his best to roll over to put out the fire to no avail. Struggling for a few minutes the King caves in on himself dying. ''Luckily it only took 3 Fireballs I''m starting to run low on MP this skill takes quite a bit of mana to fire off, '' Alice thought in disappointment at the drain to her MP. Leaping off the tree Alice picks up the drop. | Slime Kings Ring | | +10 DEF, +10% resistance to physical damage | Raising an eyebrow at the second half of the rings boost Alice wasted no time putting the black ring with a bright red gem. ''How can something so disgusting looking drop something so pretty?'' Alice wondered as she noticed her level up Name - Alice Class - Fallen Title - Hunter HP - 105/105 (130/130) MP - 125/125 (150/150) Level - 9 STR - 22 +10 VIT - 15 +5 INT - 20 > 25 +5 DEX - 17 (+10 +5) DEF - 11 (+5 +10 +10) AGI - 20 (+5 +10) Skill points - 5 > 0 Putting all her free points into INT she could feel her mana pool grow considerably. Feeling happy about the growth she attempts to call out for Shadow when she sees a system quest appear. | Quest Reach Level 10 | | Reward - +50 skill points, Class up | "Holy shit, that''s quite the reward the skill points alone are enough to make me stay out here till I level up, I wonder what class up means though?" Alice said aloud having a new reason to level up even quicker. "Little Shadow come back!" Alice cupped her hands around her mouth as she shouted. Seeing Shadow run back to her side she couldn''t help but notice that he grew a few inches taller. "Well don''t you look a little bit more intimidating, " she teased giving him a head rub inspecting his level. | Little Shadow Level 5 | HP 80/80 MP 80/80 "Just how many slimes did you kill? did you get bigger from eating them?" Alice questioned With the Slime King killed and plenty of daylight left Alice and Shadow set out for their next destination, Capture a Goblin alive. "Shadow when we reach the goblins I''m going to disarm one and tie him up, you keep the ones close by at bay or eat them for all I care just have fun." "Rawr" Shadow let out agreeing with the plan of action sounding quite a bit more like a Beast rather than a house cat. Taking off at full speed towards the goblin territory Alice was surprised to see Shadow actually passing her up. ''You little shit don''t kill them all before I can catch one, '' Alice thought to herself slightly annoyed that a level 5 Beast was faster than her. Thinking of the Grimoire Alice wanted a spell to teleport forward a short distance to close the gap that Shadow was putting between them. "Swoooooosh" The pages of the book turned quickly showing her the spell ''Rift Warp'' A spell allowing the caster to quickly blink to a location in front of them as long as they can see the spot they want to move towards. Putting the Grimoire away she uses her new spell. Instantly disappearing from her spot leaving a black fog that slowly faded away in the direction of the caster, Alice instantly appeared next to Shadow in another puff of black fog. "I guess your not fast enough to beat me just yet little guy, " Alice said before blinking further ahead. 13 Spirit Water Spotting a group of 5 goblins Alice lightly swatted one of the goblins with the back of scythe sending the goblin flying back into a tree. Instantly putting her weapon away she launched forward to bring both knees up smashing them into the goblin''s shoulders breaking them on contact. Grabbing the now useless goblin and jumping onto a tree limb above her she ties the goblin up and secures him to the tree as she broke his jawbone with a swift punch so he can''t call for help. Looking back she sees that Little Shadow has successfully killed the remaining goblins as she jumps down landing gracefully. "Good job Shadow all that''s left now is to find the Spirit water and return with the goblin to collect our reward, " Alice said patting his head. Request - Gather Spirit Water The Spirit Water can be found to the east of the forest just beyond the goblin territory. The water can be found in a clearing and is protected by a level 9 Magical Beast. "I wish they gave more information about the Beast that''s guarding the water, " She said as she took off to the east at half her speed to give her HP and MP time to recover since she doesn''t know how hard the upcoming battle will be. "Let''s stop here Shadow I can see the clearing and I wanna regain my stamina before we fight him, he is 4 levels higher than you and the same level as me. If you get hurt in the slightest I want you to back off and let me handle things, " Alice said sitting down and petting Little Shadow as he curled up on her lap taking the opportunity to get loved on and regain his own stamina. "No matter how I look at you you''re just an overgrown house cat, " Alice said teasingly pulling at a whisker. To which Shadow replied "Graah" in a low tone as if he was pouting. Standing back up and stretching Alice and Shadow once again make their way to the Spirit water and the guardian, seeing the Beast in the distance a massive Grey snake can be seen. Catching his eye the Massive Snake raises his head. "Hisssssssssss~" Spinning the scythes Alice jumps up using the force of her scythe to carry her higher and holding all of the Beasts attention she waits till she starts falling and uses Rift Warp to instantly appear in front of the snake as she swings as hard as she can cutting the snakes tail from his body. "Hiss" The snake lets out a cry of pain before opening his mouth wide and lunges towards Alice only to be knocked off course by Shadow crashing into his head at full speed causing the snake to bite into the ground next to his severed tail. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "Good job Shadow, " Alice calls out praising Shadow for protecting her as she once again swings her scythe at the body of the snake ripping open the side of his body. Becoming enraged the Beast starts slamming his body around violently hitting Shadow sending him flying back towards the forest. "Shadow!!!!, " Alice called out to her dear pet in a panic seeing him hurt. Turning a cold gaze back to the Beast she charges up mana in her hands visualizing 4 Fireballs. Seeing 4 glowing red magic circles form around her while they turn the mana into massive fireballs. "HAAA, " Alice screams out in anger causing the fireballs to bombard into the Beast as she falls to the ground drained. "BOOM...BOOM...BOOM...BOOM!! Looking at the Beast with hatred in her eyes she sees the Beast lit afire as it flailed around before collapsing dead. " Shadow are you okay?" She asks sliding next to Shadow with worry. | Little Shadow level 5 | HP 8/80 MP 80/80 With a tear running down her cheek she picks Shadow up holding him close. "You can''t die on me Shadow you''re the only real friend I have, " Alice says gently petting Shadow as he sleeps. | Level Up | | Quest complete | | Reward +50 skill points, Class up | | Class up Y/N | "Yes..." As soon as Alice said yes her body started to glow slightly as she could feel small change happen. Name - Alice Class - Fallen > Demi Angel Title - Hunter HP - 130/130 (155/155) MP - 150/150 (175/175) Level - 10 STR - 28 +10 VIT - 20 +5 INT - 30 +5 DEX - 20 (+10 +5) DEF - 21 (+5 +10 +10) AGI - 24 (+5 +10) Skill points - 55 Skills; Familiar Telepathy, Blessed by God (Passive) Looking at her new Class and status Alice couldn''t help but look at it with a dropped jaw. ''That''s one hell of a boost all my base stats shot up over 20 and I even gained 2 new skills, '' | Familiar Telepathy - Can communicate with contracted Beasts | | Blessed by God (Passive) - HP and MP regen increased +25%, +25 extra skill points per level up | | Race - Demi Angel, A half breed of the Angel race that was wiped out | Not believing what she is reading Alice couldn''t help but believe that she really could get her wings back and take revenge with the help of the system. Deciding to wait until they get back to town to allocate her skill points, Alice looks at Shadows HP again and sighs in relief seeing his HP having gone back up to 20. Picking Shadow up and carrying him to the small pond the Beast was guarding she takes out an empty water sack she had and begins to fill the container completing the request. "Are you feeling good enough to walk yet little shadow?" Alice asked with concern. "I''m feeling good enough to do that at least, " Shadow said to Alice. "YOU CAN SPEAK?" Alice was taken back. Looking at Alice and shaking his head, " No you can just understand my thoughts now." Replied Shadow as he leaped out of her arms. Remembering her new skill she quickly regained composure. "Are you sure you''re okay? I was really worried you almost died" Said Alice still unsure. "Yes I''m sure you can always carry me and treat me to some good meat when we get back to reward my hard work, " Shadow said making what he wanted to be known without shame. "Okay fine but promise me you won''t ever scare me like that again, " Alice said as Shadow jumped back into her arms happily, "It''s a promise, now let''s go collect the goblin and go home." ____________________________________________ Dropping off the Goblin at the designated spot and receiving the token of completion Alice and Shadow made their way back to the guild to collect their reward and relax a bit. "Hiya~ Jess I''m back and I''ve finished everything!" Alice said trying not to show how tired she is this time. "Welcome back just hand me the Spirit water, token and your ID card and I''ll process everything." Replied Jess. Handing Jess everything she sat on the chair resting her head on the palm of her hand leaning against the table. "Took a lot out of you this time huh, your total reward this time is 225 Silver," Jess said. Collecting her money she headed to her room discarding her armor on the floor and falling face 1st into the bed letting her muscles relax as she faded into sleep. 14 Welcome to the Party ''I guess it''s time to upgrade my status and go update my rank and actually start going to dungeons, '' Alice thought to herself while cleaning her armor and preparing for the day. "Status" Name - Alice Class - Fallen > Demi Angel Title - Hunter HP - 180/180 (205/205) MP - 250/250 (275/275) Level - 10 STR - 28 > 38 +10 VIT - 20 > 30 +5 INT - 30 > 50 +5 DEX - 20 > 5 (+10 +5) Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. DEF - 21 (+5 +10 +10) AGI - 24 > 34 (+5 +10) Skill points - 55 > 0 Skills - Familiar Telepathy, Blessed by God (Passive) Adjusting her stats Alice felt a surge of power enter her body and slowly settle down. ''Giving myself this much of a boost really feels great, '' Alice thought with a smirk. "Stay here for a bit Shadow I''m going to take the Test to rank up, I''ll be back soon, " She said petting Shadow who was laying on the end of her bed. "Hiya Jess is like to rank up, is Mathew available for the test?" Alice asked feeling more than ready to take on Mathew. "He should be here soon, you''re welcome to go wait for him in the Training room ill let him know that you''re in there when he gets here, " Jess said as she continued reading her book. _______________________________________________ Stretching and picking a wooden sword and dagger from the weapon rack Alice started thinking of some combos she could use for the pair of weapons she selected. "Already Level 10? It''s only been a few weeks since you got here. Well seeing how you''ve already got you weapons let''s get started a morning sparring season is always a great way to start the day, " Mathew said taking a fighting stance with a smile waiting for Alice to make her move. Giving Mathew a smile she teasingly waved as she sank into a shadow. ''Where did you go brat, '' Mathew thought to himself not willing to let the girl get a hit off so soon into the spar. Reappearing from the shadow Mathew cast she lunged her sword towards his back, only to be met with the man grabbing her sword and sending the first flying towards her. Using Rift Warp to blink behind him abandoning her sword she takes the dagger and slices at the back of his neck accurately ending the Sparring season. "I guess I still underestimated you a bit, it really threw me off with you knowing two shadow spells already, " Mathew said gently rubbing the back of his neck. "Well I thought about just standing back and setting you on fire, " she said as four fireballs appeared around her. "No no no, I would much prefer you not do that, " He said waving his hand looking impressed. "You can go let Jess know that you passed again, congratulations." Skipping out of the training room and up to the reception desk, Alice handed her ID over with a smile. "I passed id like to rank up please." "I kinda figured you would, I''ve updated your rank from E to D. With the new rank you can lead dungeon parties for E rank raids and participate in D rank dungeons as long as you find a party that will accept you. Naturally, dungeons are much harder than what you''ve experienced until now but with that comes a higher payoff in the form of monster drops and various other factors. You can apply to join a party at the Dungeon board at the other end of the tavern located inside the guild, " Jess said in a slight monotone like she''s said it hundreds of times before. "Thank you ill head to pick up a new weapon before I try and find a party, " She said as she headed out the door to go see Yumi. Walking through the business district Alice enters Yumi''s shop as an older man is being yelled at and kicked out. "Woah, what happened here?" Alice asked as she started browsing the swords. "OH! Alice, I''m so happy to see you, that old man decided he would rather buy a night with me than any of my wares. Disgusting pig I only have eyes for my adorable Alice, " she said hugging her and stepping back. "Is there anything I can help you find?" "I''m just looking to buy a good sword and dagger and anything else I might need for a dungeon, " She replied picking up a Silversword. "Oh you ranked up to D? that''s amazing feel free to ask me if you need any help or find something you want I have to go work on an order I received so ill be in the back," Yumi said before resuming her business. Keeping the Silversword in hand she picks up a random dagger deciding to buy then both since they''re not her main weapons just the one she plans to show for now. After buying the rest of what she needed she headed to the tavern to try and join a party. ''There are quite a few open spaces in various different parties, it would be nice to be in A small one with a healer, '' Alice started thinking to herself trying to decide which one to join. "Hey, Alice you finally ranked up? that''s amazing it only took you a day, we have an open spot in our party if you''d like to join us, " Derrick said smiling. Turning around to greet Derrick she noticed his friends. A tall hulking man that reminded her of Mathew who must be a tanker class, a short blond girl that looked like she was no older than 15 sporting a staff with a cross at the top showing she was a healer recognized by the church, and a Demi-human with two swords on her right hip. "Allow me to introduce you, the tall guy is Seth he is our tank, the girl in the robes is Nira our healer, and the girl with the cat ears is Nikita our main damage dealer, and of course there is me the fire mage but you already know that, " Derrick said with a light chuckle. "So are you willing to join us we have been looking for another Damage dealer and you fit the bill with your magic and ability to fight. Mathew even sent us your way vouching for your abilities." "Sure, It''s nice to meet you all my name is Alice and I''ll be in your, from now on, " Alice said warmly. "So which dungeon do you guys plan on doing?" "Our plan is to take a dungeon to the west, its famous for its sheer quantity of monsters it has 5 floors and 3 boss monsters that are level 13, 14, and 15. From what we have been able to gather it''ll take roughly 5 days to clear the dungeon depending on how fast we can clear the mob monsters. We are setting out tomorrow first thing in the morning if you want to meet us here tomorrow." Seth said as he outstretched his hand to shake Alice''s. "Sounds like a good plan ill see you guys in the morning, " Alice replied as she shook Seth''s hand. 15 Dungeon Part 1 Making sure all her preparations for the dungeon were complete, Alice stocked some extra food before leaving her room to meet up with the others. Only seeing Seth, Alice walked up sitting beside him at the bar. "When are the others going to get here?" Alice asked. "They should be here soon. I imagine Derrick is double and triple-checking how he looks right now to try and impress you! " Seth said chuckling. "While we are chatting, mind telling me how you got your hands on a Magical Beast?" He asked, looking at Shadow sitting on her lap. "I managed to find him during one of my quests. Some bandits had stolen the egg and I took it from them." she said with a shrug. "Does he have any skills yet?" Seth questioned, attempting to pet Shadow only to pull his hand back hearing the creature let out a low growl. "Be nice! " Alice said pulling on Shadow whiskers gently. "Not yet. Shadow is only level 7 right now." "But he is very useful in a fight and I can communicate with him via telepathy, so if we want to scout out an area without attracting attention, there probably isn''t a better kitty for the job. " Alice said teasingly hearing Shadow protest being called a lowly kitty. While Alice and Seth were chatting, the rest of the party arrived and began to join in on the conversation. "I think it is about time we head out. It will take us roughly four hours to get there on foot." Seth announced, signaling for the party to head out. _______________________________________________ "Alright, so here is our main course of action: Since I''m the tank, I''ll use my agro skill ''shout'' to draw the mob''s attention and focus them on me. Nira, I want you to keep an eye on everyone''s HP and heal us as needed; meaning if we drop below 50% HP, start healing. Don''t heal us for minor injuries since we will be in the dungeon for around five days. Nikita, I would like it if you could use your flexibility and agility to get behind the mob, if possible, to attack at weak points. Alice, since you''re also a damage dealer and have pretty high agility, I would like you to assist Nikita and show us the extent of what you can do. Also, because Little shadow is a little under leveled, I''d like you to instruct him to hang back a little so that he doesn''t get injured and die. We will use him for recon and that''s it during this dungeon. Derrick, we have gone through this before a few times, so you already know to stay behind me and to blast away the mob monsters who try to get around me," Seth instructed as we all nodded knowing our roles and what to do now. "Let''s get going then. And remember, if you get overwhelmed, to shout for help so Nira can heal and buff you if needed until we can save you." Seth reminded everyone. He began leading the way into the dungeon entrance which looked like a door with visible, swirling mana. Following Seth''s lead, everyone entered through the doorway, only to be met with an amazing sight. A vast, star filled night sky with 2 beautiful moons. They looked so close to them, one might be able to reach out and touch them. "Woah..." They all spoke in unison, marveling at the beauty before them. Barely having any time to compose themselves, they hear monsters headed their way. "Looks like this dungeon is filled with Kobalds, " said Derrick getting his spells ready. Seth runs forward waiting until they''re close enough before using his skill ''shout''. "Huuaaaahh!!!!" Seth let''s out a deafening roar, pulling the kobolds agro. Using his gigantic shield, he slams it down causing a shockwave to erupt outwards stunning the kobolds in front of him. Nikita rushes forward stepping off Seth''s back and jumping over the group of monsters. She pulls a sword from its sheath, letting out a quick strike, before decapitating one of them. ''Wow, she seems pretty skillful.'' Alice thought to herself, not wanting to be left out of the fun. Using Rift Warp, Alice appears behind the group of monsters, taking her sword out stabbing one through the back and killing it instantly. The party makes quick work of the first mob, only taking a few minutes to kill the last of them. "Good job everyone! If the rest of the mobs go down smoothly, we will be able to clear the dungeon in no time!" Seth praised everyone''s hard work with pride in his voice. "Let''s collect the best weapons they have to sell and leave the rest of the loot. There will be plenty of better drops the further we go." Derrick suggested, making a good point. "Good idea. Let''s head further into the dungeon and try to finish this floor as quick as we can, so we can have some free time to make camp and rest, " Alice said, wanting to have some time to admire her surroundings and have a look around. | Quest - Find the Kobold''s Treasure Chest | | Reward - Level up, Random skill | ''Oh? Looks like I can get quests from the system that are even related to dungeons. How convenient.'' Alice thought to herself, becoming slightly excited to receive her level up and new skill. Continuing their routine, they have a relatively easy time slaying mobs moving from one mob to the next, hardly taking any damage. It was all thanks to Seth''s excellent ability to tank the mobs and Nira''s timely healing. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Seeing the entrance to the next floor, a huge hole in the ground that seemed to go on without end, Seth suggested them to make camp where they were. Pulling out some of her dried meat, Alice feeds herself and Shadow while everyone conversed among each other. "Since we have killed everything on this floor, I want to take the opportunity to explore around this area and admire the beauty of it. You don''t see something like this every day you know?" Alice says to the others, remembering her system quest. Wandering around aimlessly, Alice had come across a massive lake wondering why no one noticed it before. Lowering her hands, she soon realizes the water has a very high concentration of mana in it which gave her the idea to take a bath. She is covered in Kobold blood after all and she doesn''t know when she will get this chance again in the next few days. "Do you want to take a bath Shadow? You''ve been pretty quiet lately." Alice asked, wanting to finally have a moment alone with her most loyal companion. "I''d rather just lick myself clean. Thank you, though." Shadow replied, pawing at his reflection in the water. "If you say so. Keep watch for me because I would absolutely hate for Derrick to try to peep at me!" Alice said slightly shivering at the thought of having to be stuck in a dungeon with him if he turned out to be a pervert. Giving a nod, Shadow wandered off leaving Alice to soak in the lake. Upon getting into the water, Alice instantly started to feel her MP recharge at a rapid pace. "This is amazing! I feel so rejuvenated already. It would be nice to take a bath like this every day. I should definitely come back when I''m a higher level to bathe here." Alice said to herself wishing the night would just continue like this. ''Alice, I found a hidden entrance. I have no idea where it leads, but I can feel the presence of a Magical Beast inside.'' Shadow said. ''That sounds quite interesting. I''ll head your way.'' Alice replied putting her armor back on, ending her bath faster than she wanted. 16 Dungeon Part 2 Sprinting towards Shadow, Alice arrived at the entrance he was referring to. A wooden door with strange carvings that decorated it beautifully, hidden between a grouping of trees. It looked like it opened into the biggest tree at the center. "What an odd place for a door to be. I wonder what could even be inside a tree. " Alice said to Shadow feeling puzzled. "No other way to find out than to open it. Just be careful, there is the presence of a Magical Beast, although, it isn''t much stronger than I am." Shadow said giving Alice a warning. Even a low-level Magic Beast can have an attack power many times their level. Putting her hand on the doorknob and slowly pushing the door open, both Alice and Shadow were surprised to see a gigantic room hidden within the tree. The whole room, much to their confusion, was made of smooth creamy marble that was illuminated by a crystal chandelier making the room seem to glow lightly. Peeking further into the massive room without entering, Alice could barely make out a wolf cub at the end of the room. "That must be the magic beast you felt. Why is it even in this weird, empty room all alone?" Alice questioned almost expecting Shadow to have some idea as to why the wolf was sleeping in the room. "I have no idea, but I am pretty confident that I can defeat it. Who knows? Maybe there will be a good drop for you." Shadow said taking a few steps into the marble room. Letting out a loud growl, Shadow managed to wake the cub from his slumber. Seeing Shadow, the wolf cub jumped up and lowered his head growling, showing he had no plans of backing down from the challenge. ''Looks like this will be rather fun to watch.'' Alice thought while sitting down, leaning against the door, having faith in Shadow''s words. "Let me know if you need my help, we still need you on the other floors, so don''t getting hurt too bad. " Alice said still slightly worried not wanting to see her precious friend hurt. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Shadow took the initiative to start the battle and ran full speed at the wolf cub. Pouncing and clashing with the wolf, both were sent tumbling backwards. Alice watched on, seeing a near cartoon like scuffle as the two magic beasts rolled around, biting and clawing at each other. Moments later the scuffle died down until Shadow was standing over the wolf, victoriously, letting out a roar so loud it hurt Alice''s ears. It echoed off the marble walls making the volume feel amplified. "I get you''re happy and good job, but I almost went deaf with that." Alice said proud but slightly annoyed having a ring in her ears. "Sorry, but I managed to level up! Being level 8, I am only two levels away from my first skill. " Shadow was feeling very proud of himself. "In any case, it looks like you grew a little, keep that up and I won''t be able to hold you anymore. " Alice said. "We also need to get back to the group and take a quick nap before we go to the second floor and start battling again." Walking up to the camp, everyone was asleep except Nikita. "Hey girl. You''re still up? There are no more monsters left on this level." Said Alice just now noticing how pretty Nikita actually was. She was a Cat Girl with black hair, tied up in a ponytail that. She had cute little ears that poked out of her hair, yellow eyes that had the same kind of pupil as Shadow, making her look beautiful yet fierce, and a bust that made Alice slightly jealous. "Yeah, I waited up for you. I don''t sleep too much inside dungeons. The mana in the air makes my body tingle too much to get solid sleep. You can go on and sleep if you would like to." she replied with an honest smile. "I will take you up on that offer. Also, there is a lake further to the east if you would like to take a bath. Goodnight." Alice said entering her tent and going to sleep. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ A few hours later everyone was awoken to Seth shouting for them to wake up. "Sorry to wake everyone up, but we should not sleep for too long. We still have four more floors to complete. We can take a longer rest after we clear the next floor." he said as everyone repacked all their camping gear. "Thanks for the info on the bath. That water felt amazing! " Nikita said happy to be clean. They arrived on the second floor only to be met with the same environment as on floor one except for it being very bright and sunny, not to mention quite a bit warmer. "Nyaaaaa!! It''s so hot I''m going to die!" Nikita complained, waving her hand by her face. She received nods of agreement from Nira and Alice. "Remember to stay alert Nikita. It may be hot on this floor, but you can still really die if you get careless." Seth said with just as much authority as everything else he says. Walking further into the dungeon, more Kobalds could be seen wandering around in the distance. They were slightly hunched over and their fur was a lot less thick. Two red stripes starting at their nose and going over their heads and down their back could be seen. "Looks like these guys have a high resistance to fire based attacks." said Derrick. He pointed out that the color of their stripes indicates what element they are most resistant to. "Let''s get this over with." Seth said using his ''shout'' skill drawing the attention of 5 of the kobalds. Successfully taking aggro and tanking the 5 of them, Derrick sat back since he was useless on this floor leaving all the damage to Nikita and Alice. Getting behind the group of kobalds, Nikita managed to land a critical strike on one while only inflicting minor damage a second to another. Alice on the other hand used her Rift warp to get behind the biggest of the 5 only to have her attack parried as the kobald punches her hard in the stomach, sending her flying back into range of the other mob of kobalds. Giving another shout, Seth gets the aggro of the first mob back in control, not noticing that Alice was sent flying. Being surrounded by kobalds as she stands up, she wipes some blood from the corner of her mouth losing about 45 HP from that one attack. ''Shit what am I going to do now?'' Alice thought as she parried attack after attack slowly losing more HP. As her situation looked like it was about to take a deadly end, Alice starts feeling her HP raise slightly faster than the damage she was taking. "YOU HAVE TO HOLD ON AS LONG AS YOU CAN! WE CAN''T COME TO YOU YET; I WILL DO WHAT I CAN TO HEAL YOU, BUT DON''T DIE!!" Nira yelled, panicking, having to heal both Seth and Alice while still trying to defeat the last 3 kobalds of the first mob. Thankful for her passive HP regen and the heal she received from Nira, Alice struggled to hold off all the attacks as cuts could be seen opening up on her arms and she was suddenly back to not being able to parry all the attacks being launched her way. Somehow managing to kill one of the kobalds through all her parries and dodging, she lightens her load slightly turning her focus on the next monster wishing she had enough time to take out her scythe. Trying to save his master and friend, Shadow leaps into action, landing on the shoulders of the kobald that was attacking Alice from behind. When he began clawing at the monster''s eyes, Shadow managed to blind the kobald and leaped onto another set of shoulders doing everything in his power to save Alice from certain death. 17 Dungeon Part 3 Clawing and biting at his second Kobald, Shadow failed to blind him. Instead, he was grabbed and thrown into a tree losing half of his HP. Deciding that he should rest a bit to recover, so he wouldn''t die, he climbed up the tree." Alice, I am sorry that I cannot help any more. My HP is already at half. Please survive this. " Shadow said watching Alice and praying for her safety. Seeing her HP drop to 30% and her movements slowing, Alice shouted starting to panic even more. "Heal me please!" Just as she was giving up hope, she hears Seth''s ''shout'' taking the aggro off of her and her HP started to slowly go back up. Taking a much-needed moment of rest, she looks at the rest of the party. They managed to finish the first mob and were now able to come to aid Alice and take the mob off her. With a slight tear in her eyes, Alice yelled out a thank you and dashed to the back of the mob. Attacking them ferociously she began stabbing her dagger in the kobald''s neck that was attacking her from behind moments ago, getting a small amount of revenge. Nikita had both of her swords drawn and was attacking beautifully, dealing a massive amount of damage to the kobald in front of her, killing him in a short amount of time and moving to the next enemy as Seth managed to maintain aggro. Derrick, on the other hand, was firing off as many attacks as he could hoping to help in killing the mob faster, even though the attacks were weak against the koblad mob. After struggling for what felt like an hour, the party managed to kill the last kobald in the mob, giving the exhausted members a chance to catch their breath and recover. "How many more mobs are on this floor I wonder." Nikita asked looking off in the distance trying to count. "From here, it looks like there are 4 or 5. On the bright side, I leveled up again. I am truly sorry that I was not able to hold all of the aggro and you suffered Alice." Seth said, feeling guilty that his abilities were not enough to keep his newest team member safe causing her to almost lose her life. "It''s okay. These things happen. I am just happy that we all made it through this. I even managed to level up as well. " Alice said while pulling up her status window. Name - Alice Class - Fallen > Demi Angel Title - Hunter HP - 285/285 (310/310) MP - 305/305 (330/330) Level - 11 STR - 38 > 40+10 VIT - 30 > 40+5 INT - 50 > 60 +5 DEX - 25 > 27(+10 +5) DEF - 21 (+5 +10 +10) AGI - 34 > 40(+5 +10) Skill points - 30 > 0 Skills; Familiar Telepathy, Blessed by God (Passive) Once the pleasant feeling of her body started powering up, Alice laid back calling Shadow over, so she could love on her little savior. ''Thank you for doing what you could for me and keeping your promise. '' Alice said to Shadow, gaining a nudge to her head feeling his soft fur rub against her face with affection. "Good, it seems that we all gained a level except for Derrick." Seth said, trying to formulate a better battle plan to prevent something like this from happening again. " Not being able to come up with a better plan on the spot, Seth only suggested to Alice and Nikita that they attack and be cautious. "If it looks like I am losing aggro, tell me and I''ll use ''shout'' again. I don''t want anyone to lose their lives in this dungeon. " Seeing the two damage dealers nod, the party moved on to the next mob. Fighting this mob more effectively, the group began to form a rhythm in their battle fighting and shouting to warn Seth when to use his aggro ability. Fighting mob after mob the party slowly made their way to the end of the dungeon floor without much trouble aside from the occasional kobald trying to attack Alice or Nikita. Most of the time, the pair were able to fend off the attacks since they had a good understanding of the way the kobalds would move, and how they would normally attack after a brief pause of losing aggro. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "Nyaa!!! This is exhausting! There are so many mobs on this floor and the last mob looks a little different than the ones we have fought up till now." Nikita said stretching and preparing for the last fight on this floor. | Red Kobald Elder level 13 | | Red Kobald Elder level 12 | | Red Kobald Elder level 13 | | Red Kobald Elder level 11 | | Red Kobald Elder level 12 | The Kobald Elders stood a good foot taller than the normal kobald. Their fur was red with onyx black stripes while they had a menacing glow to their eyes. Most of them carried clubs while the level 13 ones carried large iron axes that looked unimpressive. "Okay, our plan remains the same, even though they look a little stronger. We should still be able to kill them with our current plan of attack." Seth said while making sure all his equipment was good to go. He sported a large shield made of steel that had what looked to be a family crest on the front. There was a Lion standing over a corpse while letting out a roar and two spears were crossed behind him. As well as having a silver, short sword, much the same as Alice''s silver sword. Looking at the party, everyone just nodded to each other knowing it was time to get this floor''s last battle started. Rushing forward, Seth used ''shout'' gathering their aggro and slamming his shield into the one directly in front of him, causing the Elder to fall. This gave Alice and Nikita the opportunity to stab their swords in his chest finishing one of the five early on. Noticing that he is starting to lose aggro as the two damage dealers are attacking without end, he lets out another ''shout'' pulling the aggro back to him. He blocked the onslaught of attacks thrown his way. Nira, seeing Seth''s HP slowly drop from the force of the attacks, starts to heal him every now and then while keeping an eye on everyone to see who needs healing. Derrick on the other hand was trying his luck at using a bow, notching an arrow and aiming for the Elder''s heads missing miserably. "Keep trying Derrick! You can do it!" Shouted Alice, noticing that Derrick was trying everything he could to help and not be useless on this floor. As the fight continued, Alice and Nikita managed to deal enough damage to kill three more Elders leaving just one more alive. "All together now!" Seth shouted eagerly wanting to end the battle so they could get some proper rest. Alice and Nikita both let loose a fury of attacks, Alice attacking low and Nikita attacking high in almost perfect unison. During this, Seth would let out another ''shout'' as needed to keep the Elders attention on himself. Landing the killing blow, Alice pulled her sword out of the Elders back, swinging it to the side to get the blood to fly off, making a semi-circle of blood around the place she stood. Seeing this, Derrick couldn''t help but to stare at her and admire the war goddess in front of him. Patting Derrick''s shoulder and leaning in to whisper, "Girls like that normally only go for guys who are as strong or stronger than they are, so keep on training my friend." "Alright, everyone. You all did a great job! Now get your tents put up and take yourself a much-deserved nap. We head to the third floor in 8 hours." Seth said. pulling out his camping gear and discarding his heavy armor. 18 Dungeon Part 4 Waking up a little before everyone else Alice took the opportunity to study her grimoire, ''i really need a attack spell or something that will help me out with these mob battles. '' Alice thought to herself flipping a few pages of the book to explore what she can potentially learn. Turning the pages one by one she eventually came across the spell ''Shadow Zone.'' | Shadow Zone | | Effect - Creates a Zone around the caster that slows enemy movement | Reading the skill Alice decides this would be the perfect skill to use in a party attack on mobs, not only will it not slow her party it has just enough range to slow all the monsters Seth is tanking. Which may even make things easier on Seth. The only down side is the skill is less effective if the monster is a higher level than her. On the other hand if the monster is two or more levels below her the skill gains +25% effectiveness. Feeling pleased with her new spell Alice wakes Little Shadow up from his nap, "Its time to wake up and get the next floor started Shadow." Packing up her tent the other party members start to wake up and do the same. "I hope you all got some good rest the next floor will have less mobs but there is also a boss monster, " Seth said standing up and stretching after getting his camping gear packed. "I just hope this floor is not resistant to my fire magic, " Derrick said letting his head sink a little remembering how useless he was on this floor. "I am sure you will be able to help us on the third floor Derrick don''t be so down, " Said Nira trying to cheer him up. "Alright enough standing around lets get things going its already been two days and i want to try to get thing done sooner my daughters birthday is coming up, " Seth said leading the group into the next floor. Shielding their eyes from the blinding light with their hands, the group is finally able to see what the floor looks like. "Oh wow, " Said Seth, slightly shocked at the layout of the floor. The floor had a bright sun in the clear blue sky, tree were all around and the party could hear the sounds of a beach in the distance they couldn''t see any monsters yet because of cover from the trees but the floor was beautiful. Off on the other side of the forest a black brick building that towered over the trees could be seen. "That tower must be where the floor boss is, " Seth said stating the obvious. Heading into the forest the group keeps their eyes open as the look around taking the time to admire the foreign plants and bugs, there were neon flowers that lined the forest ground everywhere and some bugs the size of Alice''s hand. Luckily for the team no one was scared of the critters or it would mean they could potentially be distracted in battle. "Hey, Derrick it looks like it is your lucky day, the kobald''s on this floor have green stripes. " Said Seth looking at Derrick with a grin. "Time to shine! Alice just sit back and watch me kick all these kobald''s asses for you, " Derrick said getting pumped up thinking of impressing Alice with his fire attacks. "I can use fire magic two, " Alice said with a straight face knowing she was crushing whatever fantasy he was living out in his head. "Don''t go crushing his spirit now Alice, " Nikita said laughing lightly as she patted Derrick on the back. "Oh! Leave the rest two us Alice and I will be a perfect duo launching fire wherever enemies may be, They will flee in fear when they see this unstoppable duo! " Derrick said bouncing back almost instantly putting an arm around Alice. Sinking into his shadow she comes back out from a tree next to Nikita. "..." "..." "Okay enough playing around you two lets get going since they are weak to fire Alice you can continue to attack from the back and make use of your magic from there, Derrick you get in your normal position, Nira and Nikita you know what to do." Seth said moving the party along. Firing off fire balls one after the other Derrick made surprisingly quick work of the green striped kobald''s as the party went from one mob to the next. The only issue with progress was traversing the wooded area and trying to find the next mob, it would normally take the group roughly 30 minutes before they would find another mob to attack between each battle. "Lets head towards the beach i really want to have some relaxing fun this is just boring and I am covered in sweat, " Nira said wiping her face off with the sleeve of her robe. "I guess that we may as well look for mobs in that direction as well, we can just head to the tower after we have some fun, " Seth said agreeing with Nira since he too was drenched in sweat. Making good time as they head to the sounds of the beach the group only encountered four mobs along the way. Alice wanting to play at the beach would charge up five fireballs and launch them at whatever mob she saw as soon as she saw them almost killing them on the spot making their travels much faster. Derrick on the other hand would try his best to launch attacks as fast as he could to keep up with Alice but would only hit one at a time dealing the rest of the damage needed to kill the kobalds. Arriving at the beach the team was surprised to a massive ocean and white sand beach in front of them. They knew there would be a beach they just did not expect a beautiful one where the sand was hot and the water was crystal clear allowing you to see the ground no matter how deep you went in. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Having had their fun and washing the sweat off their bodies the team made their way to the Black tower feeling refreshed and ready to take on the floor boss. "Okay since its very likely the floor boss is weak to fire i want Alice to stand back and make use of your fire magic with Derrick to try to lower his HP quicker that was we can enter the tower and find his loot, " Seth said explaining the battle strategy to everyone. Getting nods of understanding from everyone they came into view of the boss standing in front of the entrance to the tower. | Kobald Lord level 13 - BOSS | HP 21,000/21,000 MP 9,000/9,000 Letting out a slight whistle The group took a moment to examine the boss for any potential weakness. He stood at a good 7 feet tall, had large red eyes, light silver fur with only one White stripe. His weapon was two shiny looking scimitars one in each hand. "Looks like he has no resistance to fire thankfully but his HP on the other hand is outrageous, " Seth said slightly jealous at the sheer amount of HP a level 13 boss has. "Lets go! " Seth said as they all ran into position surrounding the boss quickly. Using his skill ''shout'' Seth attracted his attention as Alice and Derrick both charged up multiple fire balls to launch, Nikita launched a fury of attacks at the back of the Kobald''s trying to limit his movement as Seth used ''shield bash'' to stun the Boss. "NOW!" Seth shouted signaling to Alice and Derrick to launch their attacks. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "BOOM...BOOM...BOOM..BOOM...BOOM...BOOM...BOOM" The fire balls launched at the boss all collided with his head and torso causing the boss to take a step back. | Kobald Lord level 13 - BOSS | HP 16,000/21,000 MP 9,000/9000 Using ''shout'' again to ensure the Boss didn''t take his eyes off of himself Seth put his shield up blocking the onslaught of attacks the Boss unleashed in a fit of rage. Nira not letting Seth''s HP drop below 70% continued to heal him as Nikita stabbed both of her swords into the Boss''s leg right behind his knee causing the Boss to stumble down onto that knee. using one of his swords to help keep himself standing the Boss used the other sword to swing with all his power crashing into Seth''s shield sending Seth flying back a few feet and damaging his HP greatly. Nira jumping into action used her skill ''Mass Heal'' to quickly restore Seth to full HP, the down side to her using this skill is it can only be used once a day so if they end up in a dire situation again Seth may die. Nikita seeing a bright orange glow from the other side of the monster saw that Alice had both of her hands raised above her head fusing the five fireballs she had into one massive fire ball. Knowing what Alice planned on doing Nikita ran and picked up Nira jumping further away as she yelled "RUN!!!" to Seth. Using ''shield bash'' one last time Seth quickly ran out of the way of Alice''s attack yelling for her to attack letting her know he was safely out of the way. Moving her hands towards the boss the massive fire ball that scorched the ground it passed over flew at the Boss hitting him in the chest before he could move away. "BOOOOOOOOOOOM" The massive explosion of fire send a small shock wave out and setting the nearby grass and flowers ablaze. Falling to the ground having completely drained her mana Alice panted and drank some water before passing out. 19 Dungeon Part 5 Waking up in her tent still feeling a little sick Alice looks around to see Shadow laying down resting his head on her stomach. "You awake? " She asked petting him from his head to his tail. "Yeah, it seems like you''ve recovered enough to regain consciousness, " Shadow replied letting out a low pur. "What happened I remember taking a drink and then next thing I knew I am waking up in my tent. " She asked curiously. "You drained all of your mana for one attack, thankfully it wasn''t in vain as you managed to kill the Boss. " Shadow said rolling over to face his master. "Looks like I leveled up again from killing him I should feel better once I edit my status. " She said pulling up her status window. Name - Alice Class - Fallen > Demi Angel Title - Hunter HP - 390/390 (415/415) MP - 410/410 (435/435) Level - 12 STR - 40 > 45+10 VIT - 40 > 50+5 INT - 60 > 70+5 DEX - 27(+10 +5) DEF - 21 > 26 (+5 +10 +10) AGI - 40 (+5 +10) Skill points - 30 > 0 Skills; Familiar Telepathy, Blessed by God (Passive) "Yep there is nothing like the feeling of leveling up. I feel 100% now, what about everyone else?" Alice asked as she got up to exit the tent. "Alice! you''re okay! " Nira and Derrick said in unison. "Yeah I am fine now i just needed some rest after that attack. " Alice said brushing off their enthusiasm as she joined the party by the entrance to the tower. "We decided to wait for you to enter the tower to see what loot we can find, seeing how we owe this victory to you. " Said Seth as he handed her some dried meat. "Thank you, shall we go in? I can imagine Derrick is probably losing his mind waiting to see what loot he can get his hands on, " Alice said jokingly On Que Derrick rushed to the door and swung it open, revealing a Black stone interior with a few doors and a metal spiral staircase leading up the tower. ''Shadow run up stairs ahead of us and see if you cant locate a chest I need it for a system quest, '' Alice asked Shadow using her telepathy so the others wouldn''t hear. Without answering shadow sneakily made his way up the stairs searching for the chest. Walking over to one of the doors Alice opens it and to her surprise sees the room has weapons much like the ones the Boss used. Storing 2 of the scimitars Alice called out to the rest to let them know of the weapons rooms as she continued her search of another room only to find nothing. ''Alice i found a chest, it is pretty big and had golden trim it might be what you''re looking for, '' Shadow communicated with Alice. Hearing this Alice used her shadow movement spell to appear from a shadow located in the room Little Shadow was in. | Kobold''s Treasure Chest | "Good job, " Alice said praising Shadow. Walking up to the chest Alice lifts the top open lifting a brow seeing a ornament that attaches to weapons. Weapon ornaments are usually pretty rare because they can give your weapon unique attributes. "This is some treasure for it to be in a low level dungeon, " Alice said reaching in and taking the item storing it for later. | Weapon Ornament of the Kobald King | | When attached to a weapon gives the a random attribute depending on the users specialty | | Quest - Find the Kobold''s Treasure Chest | | Reward - Level up, Random skill | | Skill - Demonic Gaze (A simple look using this skill can cause your enemy to be tempted to flee) | "Oh, that is pretty useful and i even managed to gain another level, " Alice said deciding to hold off on leveling until a little later as to not cause suspicion from the rest of the party. Joining the rest of the group again Alice decide to try her new skill out on Derrick for fun, looking at Alice he suddenly feels i sense of danger coming from Alice as he steps back and shallows his spit trying not to scream. To Derrick what he saw when he met her eyes was a Demon who would eventually devour him. "A-Alice, are you by chance angry? " Derrick said with a slight stutter. "Sorry no I learned a new skill with my level up and I decided to try it out on you to see how effective it was, " Alice said apologizing. "Well don''t use skills on team mates unless its a buff Alice he is clearly scared of you now, " Seth said slightly annoyed she would go that far for a joke. "In any case we should head down to the fourth floor we all managed to level up again and we are making good progress. " He said leading the way as the rest of the party followed. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Entering the new floor Alice was happy to see it resembled the 1st floor having a clear night sky full of stars and two huge moons. She found this scenery perfect and calming and the temperature was just right making her feel like she could go on fighting endlessly without breaking a sweat. "Shadow go look around and tell me what kind of Kobalds are around, it''ll be good to know before hand. " Alice instructed Shadow as she walked over to Derrick slightly bowing, "I really am sorry i had no idea what would happen with my skill, i just knew it wouldn''t hurt you." "Its fine honestly speaking I was so scared I wanted to run away but thinking back on you it also gave you a glow of untouchable beauty so i wouldn''t mind seeing the skill again, who knows maybe ill gain some tolerance to those kinds of skill. " Derrick said making a joke. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "Oh really now, maybe i should use the skill again and see how long you can last mister flirt, " Alice said with a smirk waiting for him to take the bait. "Okay you two lets not get too comfortable we are in a dungeon after all, " Nikita said trying to save Derrick from himself. ''Alice the Kobalds on this floor are resistant to wind magic, other than that they seem to travel in mobs of six, there are also less mobs than the previous floor the Boss is probably quite a bit stronger, '' Shadow reported back to Alice. Conveying Shadows message to the group they decided to with their previous plan of attack. Getting into their positions they moved towards their first mob of the floor attacking with the same strategy as before with just as much effectiveness. The enemy may be a bit stronger but so were they, finishing their first mob and moving to the next deeper into the floor they could start to see a glow just beyond the trees. Slaying mob after mob making good progress the party made it to a clearing where they say a huge bonfire with a Kobald sitting on a makeshift throne. | Koblad King level 14 BOSS | HP 28,000/28,000 MP 12,000/12,000 Skill - Quake The Kobald King stood at a astounding 8 feet tall having Jet Black fur and no stripes. Instead he had small horns creating a little crown on his head and glowing yellow eyes, while wielding a claymore. "Damn looks like this boss has a skill and a crowd control one at that, " Seth said clearly annoyed. For tanks crowd control skills that can knock them down can spell death in combat. He would suggest everyone turn around and leave the dungeon if it wasn''t for Nira being a top tier healer even as a low level. Taking his stance Seth charges forward using his ''shout'' and ''shied bash'' in succession, Nikita and Alice rush to opposite sides of the King and swing at his ankles hoping to disable the King from the start. Unfortunately the Kings hide is to thick and the attacks only leave minor wounds dropping his HP by only 800. Launching 3 fireballs at the boss hitting him in the chest and head Derrick grins gaining a person best for his magic attack. Blocking attack after attack and using ''shout as often as needed Seth stands strong as he tanks all of the damage being sent his direction. "Alice try to use some of your magic just don''t over do it this time, " Seth shouted out hoping that she could deal a chunk of his HP and make things a little easier. Jumping back a little Alice raised both hands above her head as a magic circle formed and grew larger and larger until it was slightly smaller than the one she used on the previous boss. Nikita seeing Alice''s attack charged up dashes to the side a few times to avoid any collateral damage. BOOM! Alice''s attack crashes into the Kings back dropping his HP by 12,000 leaving him with just under 13,000. Jumping back into action Alice stabs her sword into the back of the Kobald causing the King to become enraged. The King took a step closer to Seth and let out a deafening roar as it took its claymore and swung it wildly crashing into Seth''s shield sending him flying into Nira. Getting the Kings aggro Alice uses her ''Shadow Zone" spell and slow the King down slightly trying to give Nira and Seth time to recover as she puts just enough distance between the boss for it to miss its attacks. Rushing back into action after receiving a heal as well as a stamina buff from Nira, Seth uses ''shout'' gaining aggro from Alice again. "Good job stalling him Alice, do you thing you can join Derrick and use some magic for now? Nikita and I will do the physical damage for now. " Seth asked wanting Alice to assist Derrick. "Derrick I have been curious but is there a way for us to combine out fire attacks? " Alice asked urgently trying to think of a way to deal as much damage as possible. "We might be able to boost the attack power of one of our attacks if one of use channels our MP into the other, " Derrick said slightly surprised by the suggestion. "I will channel my remaining MP to you and you can fire off an attack ill leave just enough MP for myself that I don''t pas out again but I will leave the rest to you after that, " Alice said standing behind Derrick placing her hands on his back and pushing her MP into him. Blushing slightly Derrick start charging up the biggest fire attack he has with the assistance of Alice''s MP "Hell Fire come to my aid and Burn thy enemy to ash, take my MP as a sacrifice and burn the enemy till nothing remains, " Derrick chanted in the language of magic arts as a very complex looking magic circles appeared in front of him glowing a deep red as a single small fire shot towards the King hitting him continually in the chest draining his HP at a rapid pace. Moments later the King struggled flailing around trying his hardest to put out the fire that was burning him alive. Failing to put it out the King went down to his knees and fell down with a loud thud as his body continued to burn away. "That is one hell of an attack why didn''t you use that attack sooner? " Alice and Nikita both questioned. "Well that attack requires 125 MP to fire off and i only have 58 MP, thanks to Alice channeling her MP into me i was able to use the spell, " Derrick said scratching the back of his head with a smile feeling proud that he was the one to finish the Boss off even though he needed Alice''s mana to do so. "Well thankfully we killed him when we did, I am not sure how much longer my shield will hold up, " Seth said looking at his beaten shield. "Well on the bright side after this dungeon you should have plenty enough money to buy a Great shield, " Said Nira as she checked on Seth to see if he had any injuries. "Lets take a rest and get ready for the last floor, hopefully my shield will hold up for the last battle. If it breaks we will have to retreat and give up on the dungeon and restart after a few days. " Seth said praying his equipment holds up. 20 Dungeon Part 6 Approaching the last floor the temperature began to drop slowly the further down the party descended. "Fuck, why is it so could on this floor? " Nira said shivering and rubbing her hands together. "Shadow go ahead of us and scout the floor out some, since it is so cold on this floor we may have an advantage having two fire mages. " Alice asked giving Shadow a pat on the head as he ran off. "We should stay behind a little till your magic beast returns with a report, " Nikita said standing closer to Derrick who conjured up a fire in his hands. After a few moments of the group standing around the fires Alice and Derrick made to stay warm Shadow returns with a slight limp. ''The Kobalds on this floor only travel in groups of three but they have blue and red stripes. They also seem to be quite a bit smarter as they sneaked up to attack me while i was trying to scout further into the floor to get a look at the Boss, '' Shadow conveyed his report to Alice. Letting the others know of his findings the party decided it was best for Alice to rejoin Nikita as a damage dealer. With everyone on the same page Seth led the party out into the floor. The floor consisted of a dark cloudy sky lightly light by a single red moon that gave the the forest in front of them a eerie feel to it. Quietly making their way through the forest keeping an eye out for any mobs trying to sneak up on them the group encountered the first mob. The kobalds had white fur, blue and red stripes, and carried axes. Just as shadow said the first mob only consisted of three kobalds which gave the party a slight amount of relief. Rushing forward and using both ''shout'' and ''shield bash'' Seth gained aggro and stunned all three of the kobald''s as Nikita and Alice sprinted forward striking the kobalds with efficiency landing critical hits while they were stunned leaving just one to take care of. Making very short work of the mob Seth couldn''t help but feel relieved as the less stress puts on his equipment right now the better chance they will stand against the Boss later on. "Good job everyone lets keep this up so we can fight the Boss without damaging my already damaged equipment. " Seth said moving deeper into the forest. Slaying mob after mob the group took a moment to rest again as battling in this climate was taking its toll on them. "I think I am going to use my Shadow skills to get a better look at the Boss," Alice said running off without giving them time to protest. ''Shadow stay with them and let me know if anything happens that requires me to return, '' Alice said to shadow leaping from treetop to treetop making her way to the end of the forest. ''Understood, '' Shadow said giving a simple reply. Reaching the edge of the forest without much effort Alice was able to see the Boss. | Kobald Queen level 15 BOSS | HP 32,000/32,000 MP 17,000/17,000 Skill - Blizzard The Queen had a crown of horns much like the king while she stood a little shorter and had Snow white fur and no stripes causing her to almost blend in with the background if not for the fact that she wielded a large club and sat on a throne. ''She might be a pain in the ass for Seth to tank and the rest of us to fight with her skill and weapon, '' Alice thought to herself heading back to join the party again. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Letting everyone know of her findings on the boss they still set their sights on defeating her and finishing the dungeon. "Well only thing left to do is keep moving forward, so lets get going, " Seth said once again leading the party forward. Fighting against mob after mob the party struggles a little bit as the temperature drops even more the closer they get to the Queen until they reach the edge of the forest and see her sitting on her throne. Watching as the Queen slowly stands up giving the group a glaze showing she is ready for battle they waste no time in rushing towards the Queen. Before Seth can even use his skills the queen swings her club slamming it into Seth''s shield. BAM! Seth slides back a few feet taking her blow, taking the opportunity Seth recovers and runs forward using ''shout'' causing the Queen to face Seth once again abandoning her attempt to attack Nikita who was preparing for the worst. Alice let lose a fury of attacks trying to take as much of the Queens HP as possible took a second to peek the Queens HP causing her to curse under her breath seeing that the queen has only lost 1,000 HP. "Shadow Zone" Alice said activating her skill causing the queen to move only slightly slower. Nira was continuously using ''heal'' on Seth to keep him in the batlle which earned his eternal thanks as the Queen hit hard taking 18% of his HP with every strike. Derrick tried his hardest to assist in the battle throwing fireball after fireball at the Queen which didn''t do much other then annoy her. Lucky for Derrick the Queen was drawn towards Seth as he kept using his ''shout'' every time she looked away. Growing increasingly annoyed with the puny humans that could only take a few hundred HP off her every 30 seconds, decided to unleash her skill. GRRAAA!!! The Queen shouted as the wind and snow started picking up drastically, "She used her skill be careful. " Alice shouted trying to attack the Queen as best she could in the blizzard forming around them. Taking a hit to the ribs while trying to shield his eyes from the freezing wind Seth spat out blood as he is sent flying into the forest. Abandoning her station as everyone''s healer, Nira ran off into the forest after Seth to make sure he was not dead. Happy to be free of Seth''s skill the Queen poured more of her mana into the blizzard causing it to swirl in a frenzy. Nikita not wanting to be hit by the snow and wind that felt like daggers piercing her skin ran off after Nira. No longer able to see anyone in the party due to the Blizzard, Alice put her Sliver sword away and took out her Scythe. "If you want to play like this then allow this Angel to play with you. " Alice said as she activated her Shadow Zone again. If she had to move slower so to should the Queen. Spotting the Queen Alice spun her scythe and leaped into the air using the wind of the blizzard to carry her closer as she swung as hard as she can landing a hit as her blade sunk into the Queens back. Kicking herself off the boss Alice lands in the snow as her opponent rushes at her and swings its club hitting Alice in the leg as she tries to jump out of the way. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ "Seth are you okay? " Nira said worriedly as she placed her hands on Seth healing him to the best of her ability. "Bare- Cough cough cough, " Seth tries to answer coughing up some blood into his hands. "Nikita, Derrick where is Alice? Is she okay? " Seth asked panicking at the idea she died from his incapability to properly tank the Boss. "I thought she was following us, " Said Derrick with a worried look starting to show on his face as he thought of he solo fighting the Boss in the middle of the Blizzard. "We need to hurry if she dies i don''t think I will be able to live with myself, " Seth said standing weakly as he started walking back out of the forest trying to see through the blizzard. "Seth stop i haven''t fully healed you yet if you go out there right now Alice wont be the only one to die! " Nira shouted in anger with a tear in her eyes. "Not to be harsh but hurry up and finish I refuse to let anyone in this party die. " Seth said bluntly. "So you would rather us all die than just one of us? I get it we had a lot of fun being with Alice, she is a great team member and is strong, but can you really be sure we can kill the Queen if we go back in there? Your shield is already falling apart and we can barely move in the Blizzard not to mention Derrick cant cast any of his magic in that. " Nikita said trying to talk reason with Seth as she bit her lip regretting that she couldn''t go assist Alice and save her but rather suggested they leave her to die. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "Y-You''re right but that doesn''t change the fact I am going to help her.Stay here if you would like but i am going to help her the same way i would if it was any of you out there. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Using ''Rift Warp'' Alice dodges all the Queens attacks in the nick of time landing a few blows her self here and there. "Fucking Queen, i am going to show you who the real Queen is here and fucking make you bow down to me. " Alice said in anger as she tried to plan out her movements in the middle of battle. Rift Warping in front of the Queen, Alice pours half of her MP into her skill and uses ''Demonic Gaze'' as she locks eyes with the Queen. Looking into Alice''s eyes the Queen stops in her tracks and the blizzard starts to die down a little giving Alice the chance she needs. Rushing forward using ''Rift Warp'' Alice appears closer to the Queen in the blink of an eye swinging her scythe as hard as she can severing one of the Queens legs from her body just below the knee and dealing a massive chunk of her HP. | Kobald Queen level 15 Boss (Weakened) | HP 8,000/32,000 MP 3,500/17,000 Skill - Blizzard "Hoo looks like this battle wont go on much longer Miss Queen, it is about time you bow before me, " Alice said as she warped in front of the Queens other leg swinging her scythe again. Jumping back and falling to the ground the Queen struggles to get up from dodging Alice''s attack. "I am going to take your other leg as well unless you submit to me Miss Queen. I promise to make your death quick if you can do that, " Alice said as she used ''Demonic Gaze" again trying to intimidate the Boss in its weakened state. Walking with a limp to the boss Alice is surprised to see that the Queen seemed to understand her taunts and started to prostrate before Alice causing her to stop her movements wondering what the hell is going on. "Haha since i am an benevolent Queen i shall keep my word and give you a quick death. " Alice said with a sadistic smile having a Boss bow to her. Just as Alice got close and raised her scythe the Queen punched Alice hard in the stomach causing Alice to fly back rolling to a stop half buried in the snow leaving Alice with only 65 HP left. "You dare hit me you filthy overgrown dog, " Alice said weakly trying to get up. Standing back up facing the now standing Queen, Alice uses her Rift warp skill to appear next to the queen sinking the blade into the queens shoulder and retreating away having no MP or HP left to fight. "If only i had more MP you would be long dead right now, " Alice said as she tried to flee into the forest to give her HP and MP time to regenerate with her passive. "Alice you''re alive?! " Seth said as he rushed to her helping her stand. "Where did you even get such a evil looking weapon? " Seth questioned as he looked at the small girl holding such a huge weapon. "Don''t worry about that right now, where is Nira the queen is almost dead. " Alice asked looking around for Nira to heal her. "Nira is taking some time to gather her mana back she drained herself bringing me back from deaths door. " Seth said not wanting to tell her they wanted to leave her for dead. "Whatever, my MP has recovered enough to let me fight a little longer i just needed a small break, " Alice said as she limped back towards the Queen that was using her club to give chase to Alice. "Let me help you at the very lest, " Seth said running in front of her. 21 Dungeon Part 7 Using her Rift Warp, Alice appeared in front of the Queen as Seth used ''shout'' taking advantage of the fact he can just hold aggro while running around without being hit. Letting loose and spinning her scythe Alice landed hit after hit slowly chipping away at the Queen as she was forced to try to engage Seth. Jumping up with her one good leg Alice lands on top of the Queen lowering her blade below the queens neck. "Time to die," Alice said as she pulled the blade hard against the Queens neck and throws herself to the side using the Scythe to swing around the Queen slowly cutting away at the Queens neck as blood starts to spill and fly in a circle as Alice continued swinging around her neck until the Queen fell onto her hands. | Kobald Queen level 15 (Weakened) | HP 200/32,000 MP 800/17,000 Skill - Blizzard Landing back on the Queens shoulders Alice yanked her scythe up hard causing he head of the Queen to fall from her shoulders as her body hit the ground lifelessly. | Title Quest - Queen 1/5 (Make 5 Boss monsters kneel to you before you kill them) | ''Like hell i want to go through this much trouble again you damn system, '' Alice thought slightly annoyed at the systems timing with a random quest. However she was quite curious what kind of skill or ability would come from having such a title. "I am really happy you''re alive, and I am sorry having you go through that almost all alone. I understand if you want to find another party, " Seth said not able to look her in the eyes. "Relax i don''t plan on leaving the party because of something as small as this, i could have done more to help sooner but i didn''t want to reveal all of my cards to you guys. " Alice said patting Seth on the shoulder as she sat down trying to relax a little bit. Seeing that the Boss was dead, the other party members came out of the forest and repeatedly apologized to Alice. Assuring them that it isn''t a problem and that they only made the logical decision. "Well since we have all had time to rest and recover from the battle we should go ahead and head to the exit portal, once we exit we can head back to town to sell all the loot and split it. " Seth said helping Alice stand up. "We should go celebrate the success at the tavern! " Nikita said with excitement. "I am so down to celebrate, " Nira said with a slight laugh. "I think ill join you guys before i head back to the Mages Guild to train some more, i may try to pick up training with a bow so i can be of more help when i cant use my magic. " Derrick said still remembering being pretty useless during this dungeon. "Well lets get going, " Alice said as she led the way to the exit. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ "Hey Yumi, I am back from the dungeon and i brought my party so we can sell our loot. Seth will also be needing new equipment since all of his got wrecked. " Alice said surprising Yumi who did not see them come in. "Alice! You''re finally back yay! " Yumi said as she tackled Alice giving her a hug. ''Must be nice to be loved, '' Shadow said jumping on top of the two to join in on the fun. Seeing Yumi hug and play with Alice, Derrick couldn''t help but feel jealous as he continued to stare at the two. "Hey now, it is not nice to stare you know, what will you do if Alice notices and turns her gaze on you? " Seth said jokingly as Derrick shivered remembering what that gaze felt like. "Good looking out, " Derrick replied. "So for all of the weapons, armor, and hide you guys have i can pay a total of 1,350 Silver, " Yumi said setting the big bag of Silver on the table. " Thank will be great thank you, " said said as he gave everyone their share (270 silver). "I will meet you guys at the tavern i plan on looking at other armor if that okay, " Alice said as the rest of the group headed to the tavern leaving Alice and Yumi alone. "New armor already? What kind of armor do you need? " Yumi questioned. "I just wanted to see if you have anything better than what i have currently, " Alice said looking around. "I mean i have armor that is of better quality but to be honest you wont find another armor set in this kingdom like the one you have on. With the stat buff it gives the wearer it is already better than the other armor in my shop. " Yumi said sitting with her legs crossed and her back leaning against her table. "Then why did you sell it to me so cheap? Shouldn''t it be worth at lest double what your best armor is worth? " Alice questioned trying to think of any possible reason she would let something so valuable go for a small price of 9 silver. "I just had a feeling that the armor wouldn''t fit or help anyone as much as it would for you, not to mention you look super attractive wearing it. " Yumi said smiling wanting Alice to take the compliment. Alice was never really one to have a relationship but she could clearly see that Yumi liked her. "Thank you, ill have to repay you sometime in the future, " Alice said not really sure what else to say. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "How about you join my party, i will be closing up the shop soon and heading to another kingdom with a lot higher level monsters. Honestly i could use your help getting there, plus the kingdom of Samaria has a ton of clothing shops so we could go shopping more, " she said with eyes full of hope. "I don''t see why not, I have reasons of my own for wanting to become stronger and if the monsters over there are stronger then it is the perfect place for me to go to achieve my goals. " Alice said expecting a big reaction. "I guess this is goodbye then... Wait you said yes? " Yumi said completely shocked the only thing she thought of was her saying no and this being the last time she got to see her. "Yup, I want to get stronger and if you''re going some place where i can become stronger i want to go, " Alice said as she walked out the door leaving Yumi to day dream. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Sitting at the table with the rest of the party as they all drank and had fun, Alice contemplated how to let them know she was going to be leaving the kingdom without making them feel like it was their fault for abandoning her. ''Any clue how i should break it to them Shadow?'' Alice asked while taking a big drink. ''They left you for dead even i would have come to your aid if i could but i would have held you back. If you ask me just get up leave and don''t even give them the honor of letting them know you''re leaving, '' Shadow said coldly, still angry at the lot of them for leaving his master to fight and almost die alone. ''Sigh, i don''t blame them and i had fun together being with them so i should at lest tell them. '' Alice said staring at her mug. "Alice, hello are you there? " Derrick said waving his hand in front of her face. "Oh, sorry i was just thinking about something, " Alice said without emotion. "We were just talking about taking on a easier dungeon and getting better at our team work and maybe having some battle practices out in the forest to tone up our team work, " Derrick said slightly drunk and slurring. "That sounds nice, but i have something i have to tell all of you. I am leaving for the Kingdom of Samaria with Yumi very soon, it has nothing to do with you guys. Yumi says there are stronger monsters there and asked me to join her party, i have my own reasons for striving to be stronger and I don''t think i cant reach my goals if i stay in this Kingdom. So this is both a celebration and a goodbye, " Alice said looking at the group before drinking the rest of her beer. Hearing this Derrick stood up and simply said a "I am sorry." as he left the tavern with a miserable looking face. "I think Derrick probably just needs some time to accept your decision, " Seth said getting up to go after Derrick. "Is it really because of that? " Nira said feeling guilty again for what happened in the dungeon."It is," she replied while reaching over taking Niras hand. "I really don''t blame you guys, so don''t feel guilty okay? " "Fine but please promise you will talk to derrick and sort things out with him so he isn''t a mess later, " Nira said as she to drank the rest of her beer believing Alice. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Having said her good byes and talking things out with Derrick, Alice packed up her belonging and headed to Yumi''s Shop. "You made it! " Yumi said giving Alice another hug still overjoyed that she said yes. "You all packed up and ready? " Yumi said putting Alice''s bag in the carriage. "Yes but how in the world can you afford to travel to another kingdom in this? " Alice said genuinely curious as something like this is normally only used by families with a ton of money or high status. "Well let me fully introduce myself my full name is, Yumi Kim Astala the third daughter of the Astala family in Kingdom Samaria. " Yumi said slightly bowing before getting in the carriage and reaching her hand out for Alice to take. Grabbing Yumi''s hand and sitting on the soft cushioning Alice couldn''t help but be impressed riding off in a carriage made from such high quality material, the inside of the carriage even had light stones to keep it illuminated during the night without the need for a torch. "So are you royalty or what? " Alice couldn''t help but ask. "My father was a businessman and helped the kingdom stabilize their economy so much that they have never in history been as stable as they are right now. So the king granted my father the title of Duke, " Yumi said proudly. "So did you run a shop in this kingdom for so long if you have life made over there? " Alice questioned again. "Because i wanted to prove to my dad that i could run a business successfully, he doubted me and i proved him wrong so now its time to go back and start my life back over, " Yumi said while looking out the window. "How far away is your kingdom from here? " Alice said pulling up her mini map trying to see the two kingdoms to try to figure out a way to judge distance using the mini map. "Probably about 5 days give or take its been a few years since i have been back, it will also depend on if we encounter any issues along the way. While petting shadow Alice brings up her status window to use her level up from the system quest. Name - Alice Class - Fallen > Demi Angel Title - Hunter HP - 395/395 (420/420) MP - 515/515 (540/540) Level - 13 STR - 45 > 50+10 VIT - 50+5 INT - 70 > 90 +5 DEX - 27 > 30 (+10 +5) DEF - 26 > 30 (+5 +10 +10) AGI - 40 > 48 (+5 +10) Skill points - 30 > 0 Skills; Familiar Telepathy, Blessed by God (Passive), Demonic Gaze. Finishing her level up Alice starts to feel a little better about having to fight a stronger monster if she needs to. ''Wake me up if anything happens, '' Alice says to shadow as she starts to nod off. 22 Journey to Samaria "Alice! come on your father is waiting on you, today is the day you try out for the Royal Guard! " Alice''s mom said as she held her hand and flew bringing Alice with her. "Dad I made it! I hope I am not late. " Alice said landing beside her father giving him a hug before saluting him. "I have told you countless times to call me General while at the Palace, do you even want to be part of the Guard silly girl? " Her father said patting her head and giving a warm smile. "Yes of course I do, " She said smiling happily, this is the day she gets a chance to show her father all of her hard work and hopefully join him as a member of the Royal Guard to defend against all invaders. "Good, join the rest of the recruits in line so we can get things started. " He said sternly no longer smiling. "Listen up everyone, today you will be proving if you are worthy of joining the Royal Guard. If you fail the test today you may still join the army, now take your chosen weapon and pick one of the Royal Guard lined up on the training field. You will pass if you can either overpower your opponent, or last 5 minutes in a spar with them. Keep in mind they will not be going easy on you, they have been instructed to battle you as if you were an enemy. " Her father said giving the new recruits time to pick their weapons and opponents. Picking up a Long Spear Alice walked over and chose a Guard that was about two heads taller than she was, spinning the spear around she pointed it at him signifying she is ready to start the spar. The Guard a young man with buzzed blonde hair, blue eyes, and a toned body raised his sword and paused a moment before lunging at Alice in an attempt to prevent her from effectively using her spear. Flipping backwards and kicking her opponent in the chin as she used the back end of the spear to launch her self further back Alice landed and took her position again. Not letting the Guard recover Alice let out a fury of jabs towards him hitting him a few times in the chest as he narrowly avoided being hit in the head. Grabbing he spear as it passed by him he pulled it from her hands, using the momentum caused by the guard Alice launched herself forward using her wings to twist her body she wrapped herself around her opponent putting him in an arm bar. Putting as much pressure on his neck with her legs as she could the Guard jumped up flapping his wings breaking free of the arm bar. Diving back to the ground and taking her spear Alice took to the air to fight her opponent while flying. Changing blows and blocking each other strikes in a intense aerial battle the two hear a single bell, letting them know the battle is over. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Being shook awake Alice sees Yumi staring at her with a worried look, "are you okay? You kept squirming around, I thought you might be having a nightmare. " "No I am fine I was just having a dream where i was in a battle, " Alice said as she sat up and looked around. "Do you enjoy fighting so much that you dream about it? " Yumi said with a sigh as she brought out some food. "Miss Astala, your father has sent a message. He wants to inform you that he is sending some strong adventures to meet us half way seeing how there has been some trouble with some people targeting the family at the Kingdom, " The carriage driver said through a metal tube to convey the message. "Thank you lets pick up the pace then, " She said. " I wonder just who could be targeting us for my father to send adventures to assist us in our travels. " "This happen often? " Alice asked curiously. "Not to often but every now and then a business rival will try their hand at taking my family down, but they never even get close to succeeding. " Yumi said not even trying to hide her annoyance. "Must be tough Princess Astala, " Alice said jokingly. "Ha. ha. It''s your Royal Princess Yumi or My Beloved Yumi, " she said returning the joke. Their travels continued without a problem as the two continued to talk and laugh which made the time fly by. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. A few days pass as the terrain starts to visibly change, in stead of a vast forest that seemed to go on forever mountains so tall the reached the clouds and large lakes could be seen, while still having a forest it looked to be much less condensed. The trees were tall and the leaves and tree limbs didn''t form until they were almost at the top of the tree letting you see further into them. Wild animal could be seen peacefully going about their own business only looking up to see the carriage every so often. It was a beautiful and peaceful scene one that reminded Alice of home, causing her heart to ache with memories of her family and friends. Alice still had no idea how much time had passed since her death and reincarnation. "We are getting close, I would say a days travel at most until we reach the Kingdom. I wonder where the adventures are, we should have met up with them a while back. " Yumi said as she stuck her head out of the window looking at the path in front of them as she slightly wagged her tail. "Your tail seems to show that you''re pretty happy Yumi, " Alice said as she lightly laughed. Sitting back down and blushing a little she picked Shadow up, "You understand my pain down you? " Yumi said with a serious face looking at Little Shadow. ''I have no idea what this woman is referring to but tell her to put me down. '' Shadow said to Alice. "Looks like he knows what you mean, even his tail gives him away, " Alice said lightly chuckling seeing Little Shadow''s tail move back and forth while being held by Yumi. Letting out a small growl Shadow freed himself from Yumi and sat as far as he could away from the two for teasing him. "Such a sassy magical beast, " Alice said still smiling. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Finally able to see the kingdom walls the two couldn''t help but be happy that they can finally get out and stretch their legs soon. "I was thinking you''re basically coming to a new kingdom without anywhere to stay so I would be more than happy if you lived in my estate with me! It has way to many rooms that are not even used and you''re in my party now so it would be super convenient, what do you think?" Yumi couldn''t help but ask as shes tried to think of a way to ask for the last few days but couldn''t find a way to ask. "That works for me, i was just going to try to rent a room at the guild but if you have a free room I am all for saving some money, " Alice said as they got closer to the Gates. Upon seeing the carriage approach the guards quickly moved all of the adventures out of the way so they could pass through with no trouble. Looking out at all the different shops and admiring the difference in culture in the Kingdom Alice barely noticed they had stopped moving. "We are here lets go say hi to my father, its been a few years since I have seen him he surely will be happy to see me!" Yumi said as she took Alice''s hand and ran towards the massive front doors to her fathers mansion. Her fathers house looked like a fairy tail home for Royalty, It stood three stories tall and had beautiful stained glass windows along the top depicting her fathers lives journey, while the grass was clean cut and the home itself was made from all white brick. Entering the house Alice couldn''t help but marvel even more at the gorgeous interior made from a mix of white and black marble and velvet carpet that lined the steps of her stairway leading to the second floor that had a portrait of her father and mother standing embarrassing each other lovingly. "This place is something else, I figured your family had money because of the carriage but this is more than what i imagined a real princess would have. " Alice said as they passed countless art pieces and maids as they entered her fathers study. "Daddy, I am home did you miss me? " Yumi said as she let go of Alice''s hand and jumped into her fathers arms giving him a big hug. "Of course, you should have came back sooner you have made me wait so many years to see you again. " Her father said returning her embrace before turning his eyes on Alice. "I see you brought home a friend mind introducing me? " He said as he stood up walking over to Alice before outreaching his hand to her. "Alice this is my father Arita Ken Astala Duke of Kingdom Samaria, " Yumi said as Alice shook him hand not knowing of the proper etiquette for meeting a Duke. "It is nice to meet you Alice i hope you enjoy your time in the Kingdom and you have my thanks for joining Yumi on her trip back home, I hope she did not cause you to much trouble. " Arita said as he motioned for a maid to come. "Jasmine prepare a feast for tonight, we need to celebrate my daughter''s return. " He said as the maid bowed and left the study. "Daddy can Alice live here for a while in one of our spare rooms? I already told her she can, she is going to be my party member for when i go back to the guild. " Yumi said giving he father a slight pout. "Okay, okay no need to throw in a pout i would have gladly let her had you asked or not i still owe her for keeping you company over the last few days. " Her father said as Yumi happily grabbed her hand and ran to show her to the room next to her. ''I am starting to feel like the side character to Yumi''s life with as much as she leads me around'' Alice thought. ''Well you do let her do as she pleases you have no one to blame but yourself, '' Shadow chimed in. "Hey, Yumi tomorrow can you show me around the Kingdom to the Mages and Adventures Guilds, I have some things i want to do, " Alice asked trying to get Yumi to slow down a bit. "Yeah sure, we can go shopping after that! " Yumi said not giving Alice a choice. After having been shown her room and various other rooms in the estate as well as the garden and her favorite maids, butlers, and staff members that she hasn''t seen in years Alice finally got some alone time in her new room. "I guess if i was taking a friend home to see my family i would probably have just as much energy and excitement as well, " Alice said remembering her Father and Mother slightly tearing up. "Ugh this is harder than i thought it would be, maybe Arita would know something about my race I need to find a chance to ask him later. " Wiping the tears from her face Alice composed herself before unpacking her belongings from her inventory and bags. Laying on the fluffy and luxurious bed Alice pet Shadow, ''You still promise not to die and leave me right?'' She asked Shadow feeling insecure. ''I would never leave you behind master, even if the whole world turns against you I will always be there at your side.'' Shadow said nudging his head against hers fully able to feel her deep sadness. 23 Trouble at the Astala Estate Petting Shadow and almost falling asleep on the comfortable bed Alice can faintly hear shouts and sounds of swords clashing against each other. Sitting up quickly the only thing Alice could remember was Yumi talking about people targeting her family. Quickly equipping her armor and taking out her scythe Alice dashes out of her room and through the hall ways to the sounds of the battle taking place. Exiting the hallway near the stairwell she sees Duke Astala his daughter, and some of the servants Yumi introduced her to fighting against hooded mercenaries. Having flash backs as her heart starts racing Alice sees the scenes of battle that took place before she was killed. As if a switch flipped in Alice her gaze turns cold as she unconsciously lets out her ''Demonic Gaze'' skill and grips her scythe so hard her knuckles turn white as her finger nails cut into her hands causing them to start bleeding. ''Alice are you okay whats going on with you i can only feel rage from your right now, '' Shadow says slowly backing away from her feeling danger. Before he can take 2 steps back Alice uses ''Rift Warp'' To appear between Duke Astala and his opponent taking them both by surprise. Not giving the hooded man a chance to react Alice quickly swings her scythe decapitating the man sending his head flying into the hands of one of the other mercenaries. Putting a little more mana into her ''Demonic Gaze'' causing the man to freeze unable to move Alice sinks into the shadows leaving everyone in the room to pause a moment to wonder where she went. Coming out of the shadows behind the mercenaries as they still looked around for her, giving the residence of the Estate time to react and land a few kills. Ignoring her surroundings Alice raises her hand as five magic circles appear around her forming large Fireballs. "You will all die for taking my family from me, i could have had a normal life if it was not for you devils, " Alice said about to launch her magic attack only stopping because Yumi was holding onto her. Trying to break through her gaze Yumi decided to act rashly to bring Alice back to her senses kissing her. Almost instantly Alice comes back around breaking free of her rage pushing Yumi away, "What the hell was that now isn''t the time to flirt kill these devils. " She said as she dashed past Yumi leaving her feeling defeated and rejected before Yumi decided to take her anger out on the mercenaries. After a seemingly endless battle against the invaders the battle was finally won, only resulting in the death of one of the house servants a butler who was a former D rank adventure, as well as all of the mercenaries. "You really gave me a scare there Alice, if it wasn''t for Yumi my home would be needing some serious repairs, but you have my thanks if not for you we may have lost and my daughter and I may have perished as well. " Duke Astala said bowing slightly. "I am sorry for losing control.. they brought up some very unpleasant memories and i lost control, " Alice said feeling bad as she might have tried to kill everyone if she ended up killing all the hooded men and her rage had not died down. "I am sorry for kissing you... I just panicked and didn''t know how to snap you out of it... " Yumi said blushing and feeling like she took things to far. "It''s okay, if it wasn''t for me you wouldn''t have had to go that far. Thank you for doing everything you could. " Alice said trying to cheer her up a little. "Yumi why don''t the two of you go to bed while i attend to some things, I will leave some money out so you ladies can go shopping tomorrow and blow off some steam, " her father said before taking his departed employee away with the other staff following. "He is right lets go to bed and go have some fin tomorrow. " Yumi said running to her room still feeling kind of down. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ After waking up and having breakfast with Yumi the two girls headed out to explore the kingdom with a large amount of money left by Duke Astala, whom also left a note with the money. | I have left for each one gold worth of money to go spend and unwind a little bit please have fun and try to forget about last night if possible, I have informed all of the shops we control to give you whatever you two would like so be sure to visit those shops. -Daddy- | "Your father sure is generous i wonder how long it would take to earn this much money on your own? " Alice said feeling the weight of the money in her hands. "Don''t be silly Alice you cant just hold a bag full of money in plain sight for everyone to see, that is just asking for trouble. " Yumi said taking Alice''s bag of money and storing it quickly. Following Yumi around to various shops and buying a lot of different clothes which seemed to cheer Yumi up a great deal. "Do you mind if we head to the Mages guild? " Alice asked feeling slightly exhausted from all the shopping, half of her inventory was already filled with clothing bags which is saying something since 4 bags can fit in one inventory space. "We can stop by, there is still the auction hall i wanted to show you it starts in a few hours so we have some time to kill at the Guilds. " Yumi said while leading the way humming. ''I wonder if i should sell the weapon ornament i got from the dungeon, i may be able to make enough to buy something good, '' Alice thought to herself as she walked still debating if she should equip it to her scythe. Arriving at the Mages Guild she was very happy to see people entering through the door like normal. "This reminds me, can you use magic Yumi? " Alice asked as they entered the Guild. "I have the Earth element although my magical abilities are lacking pretty greatly so the most i can do is make small earth shields, " Yumi said slightly jealous of Alice''s magical abilities. "Hello welcome to the Mages Guild, how may i help you? " A young elf girl asked while reading her book only half looking up at them. "My name is Alice i came from the Rudham Kingdom and wish to learn some wind magic if i can, " Alice said hoping to learn something useful. "Ah well currently all of our Wind element instructors are out at the Auction hall either selling items or trying to purchase items, if you come back after then i would be happy to scheduled a lesson for you. " The elf girl said getting back to her book. "Well we were going to go there anyways we may as well go, " Yumi said taking Alice by the hand and leading her to the Auction hall. "I actually have two scimitars i obtained from a dungeon that have decent stats I would like to put up for auction, can you help me? " Alice said following Yumi. Arriving at the Auction hall and standing in line to speak to an organizer the two chatted and Alice talked about her time in the dungeon and about the last boss. "Ugh no wonder you agreed to come with me, how could they just leave you like that? " Yumi said as she started to plot revenge on the group that left her dear Alice for dead. "Shush I have already forgiven them all that matters now is that I am continuing my journey. " Alice said as they walked up to the gentlemen in charge of listing new items. "Please take your item out and set it on the table so I can appraise the item, this Auction hall only takes items of D rank or higher. Anything below that rank wont be scene. " The young man said casually sitting down waiting to see what Alice has to sell. | Kobald Lords Twin Scimitars 2/2 | Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. STR +10 DEX +10 VIT +5 Seeing the items the young man just shrugged and took the items, "D rank weapon set, it just barely passes the only real factor to look at is the stat boost. Keep this ticket on you and turn it in after the auction is over, if your items sell then you can collect your money after we take a 8% cut. " He said handing Alice a ticket before showing the two into the main hall. "Where should we sit, " Alice said completely clueless where to go. "Since my father donates a lot of items and money to this place we have our own VIP section to sit in, " Yumi said leading Alice upstairs. Walking through the long hallway they eventually arrived at their room, as soon as the door opened Alice was able to clearly see the same type of luxury as the Astala estate. A crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, the furniture was made from polished wood with fluffy silk seating, the room even had a fully stocked bar with very expensive looking liqueur. "Does everything your family has look so expensive? " Alice questioned. "It is to be expected from the Duke who saved the Kingdom in financial crisis you learn to live with it, " Yumi said just shrugging it all off since it was second nature to her. "There are a ton of people here, must mean that a lot of good things are being auctioned off today, maybe I will be able to get a good weapon to use on our adventures. " Yumi said looking hopeful as she leaned back in her chair slowly kicking her legs like a little kid who couldn''t reach the ground would. "What kind of weapon do you prefer to use? I have only seen you with a sword so far, " Alice questioned trying to picture Yumi with different kinds of weapons. "I am most skilled using a Kyoketsu-shoge. It is a weapon that has a double edged blade, with another curved blade attached near the hilt at a 45¨C60 degree angle. This is attached to 12 to 18 feet of rope, chain, or hair which then ends in a large metal ring. " Yumi said as she pulled out her old broken one. "That''s new, i have never seen a weapon like that before, " Alice said inspecting the weapon wondering how you would even fight using it. "It is a weapon from my ancestors Kingdom far far away, my father says i could try to travel there but i may not make it before i die of old age, " Yumi said storing her broken weapon away again. Alice sat back in her chair trying to visualize her and Yumi fighting together in a party with her using such a weird weapon, ''It''s no use I just cant see that weapon being used to fight monsters. '' Alice thought to herself waiting on the auction to start. "Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for gathering this evening at our humble Auction Hall. As many of you already know we have quite the list of items being Auctioned today, many of the high ranking families have decided to join us today for this Auction as well. I will now explain the rules for those who are new and do not know yet. If you bid on a item and do not have the fund to pay then you shall be sent to the mines to work off your debt, after your debt is paid you will receive your item and be set free. There is to be no altercations in the Auction Hall, as always we have two A rank adventures contracted with our Hall to put a stop to anything you may cause. As soon as you''re done purchasing you may head to the receptionists at anytime to pay for the items you have won bids on. Anyone breaking these rules will be subject to a fine and or banishment from the Hall. " The Auctioneer said speaking loudly and clearly. "Without further delay let us get on with the Auction.." 24 A Chat with the Duke "We are kicking this auction off with a new entry to the list of items to be sold here tonight, it is a weapon set effect! " the auctioneer said as a man came onto the stage holding the Twin scimitars Alice put up for auction which caused a small amount of commotion as the auctioneer told everyone the stat boosts it gives. "These scimitars will help any D rank adventure to have a leg up in dungeons and killing monsters out in the world, the starting bid is 18 silver coins! " the auctioneer said as he started to call out the bids of people on lower floor of the auction house. After a brief moment of bidding between four different D ranked adventures a slim young elf-man man won the bid at 128 silver. Continuing on with the auction many different weapons, armor, and potions where being sold all well above the price range Alice had even with the money that Yumi''s father left for the two girls. "What''re the odds that we even come across something we can afford? " Alice asked looking over only to see Yumi fast asleep. ''I guess this is pretty boring when you cant even bid on things.. '' Hearing a commotion taking place Alice turned her attention back to the lower floors, two men where fighting over a bid driving the price up rapidly. The item being auctioned was a weapon ornament that gave the users a burning effect. "500 silver! I dare you to out bid me see what happens to you. " A large beast man said with black hair and white tipped wolf ears making him seem slightly less intimidating than he actually was. "550 silver, bring it on old man you don''t scare me lets see how much money you have on you today! " The other man said equal in size but human with signs of his hair turning gray. "Enough both of you, I have decided to buy this item. 800 silver. " One of the men sitting in a different VIP booth called out. "It seems that Young Master Vaugn has taken a interest in this item will there be any other bids? " The auctioneer called out waiting to see if anyone would bid. "Then it is settled Master Vaugn has won the bid for 800 silver! Now onto the next item. " The auctioneer said bring out a great shield that was B rank and completely useless to Alice. After not being able to buy a thing Alice poked and pulled at Yumi''s cheeks until she finally woke up, "Mn.. Is it over already? " Yeah you could have told me that we would not be able to afford anything I was pretty bored, " Alice said as she stood up stretching. "My bad it has been so long since I have been here that i forgot how things went on big nights, but it is still good to experience the auction hall and get a feel for how things work and for who the big players are. " Yumi said getting up and sleepily walking out the door. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Having collected her money from selling her weapons, Alice and Yumi headed back to the estate. "We should avoid staying out to late today, I want to stay close to my dad in case we come under attack again. " Yumi said worrying about her father. "Then lets go back, I was hoping i could speak with your father some more anyways. " Alice said as the two headed back home making small talk and laughing about the fun they had today. Walking into Yumi''s fathers study she sees him sitting quietly while reading a old book that looks like it could fall apart at any moment. "Duke Astala, I was hoping i could talk with you for a moment if you have some time to spare, " Alice said trying to be as polite as she can. "Please call me Arita, you are a close friend of my daughter and even helped defend my home. You do not need to be so formal with me, what would you like to talk about? " Arita said putting his book down and sitting up in his chair and faced Alice. "I wanted to know if you had any information on Angels, what happened to them? " Alice asked nervously. "Is this due to you being a Demi-Angel by chance? " Arita asked causing Alice to almost jump up in shock. "How..." Alice tried to finish her sentence but couldn''t. "Don''t worry, i assume you don''t know much of what happened 50 years ago. You''re at most the same age as my daughter, so it would not surprise me if you didn''t. 50 years ago the Demonic Army found a way to reach the Angel kingdom and they waged a war that the Angels did not see coming. Angels may have been blessed by God and protected but that protection only went so far and the Angel race got to relaxed. The Demons used weapons forge in their own blood to slaughter the entire Angel kingdom. It is said that there is not a single survivor of the Angels, the Demons even went as far to kill any race that hand wings or killed anyone that had major ties to the Angels. Due to this reason less and less information about the Angels stays known to the other races. " Pausing a bit seeing Alice visually shook at the information he was telling her he decided to give her some time to process what he was saying as he got her a glass of water. "It is also said that the Angel race can be brought back from extinction, there was a prophecy of a Fallen Angel that would appear to the would some years later and she would fight her way through the Demons. Only by killing the race that destroyed the Angels can that Fallen Angel regain their wings and begin to restart the Angel race. The Demons have tried for a long time now to snuff out this prophecy so that the world would completely forget the Angel race. " Arita said sitting back in his chair looking at Alice seriously. "I have a blessing from God that allows me to see people for what they truly are, lies and masks are no use in front of me. I knew from the moment I saw you that you were probably the one from the prophecy. With all that being said I want you to know I will do everything i can to protect your secret, I believe the reason I received this blessing for this very task. " Arita said relaxing a bit waiting for Alice to fully grasp the situation. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "If I am found out the Demons will come for you and your daughter are you not worried about that? " Alice said weakly realizing now that her being around people can put them in danger. "I don''t believe that you would let yourself be found out so easily, nor do I believe that you would let harm come to my daughter. You''re not a evil person and i can see that my daughter while pushy and clingy is still a important person to you. " He said confidently. | Main Quest discovered | | Wipe out the Demon Race | | Reward - Final Class up, Gods Wings, Element of Life | Alice paused at seeing the system message appear after learning the full story of what happened to her race and the ones responsible. ''Is the system a part of my blessing from God? '' Alice questioned to herself feeling weaker than she ever has. "Try not to bear this weight alone, i cant even imagine having the fate of an entire race on my shoulders. You have me, and I will do everything in my limited power to assist you. " Arita said now standing in front of Alice holding out his hand. "Right, you have my thanks.. " She said taking his hand and standing before leaving to reflect on everything she has learned. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Entering her room and unpacking all the new clothes she bought today, Alice wished that she could see her family again. If there was one thing God could give her it would be to get her parents back. Thinking back to her time in the Angel kingdom Alice recalled all the good memories she had growing up and playing with her father. ''I hope you and mother are at peace, '' Alice thought to herself before hearing a knock at her door. "Hey Yumi whats going on? " Alice asked opening the door. "How did your chat with my father go? I wanted to join you guys but it looked like a pretty serious talk. " Yumi asked curiously sitting on Alice''s bed. "Honestly I learned a lot of things I wanted to know for a while now, do you want to know what it was about? " Alice asked. ''If she is going to be in danger because of me she may as well have a choice. '' "If you don''t mind, I don''t normally see my father talk with someone with that kind of expression. " Yumi said listening closely. Alice begun to explain to Yumi her who situation as Yumi sat and listened to the whole thing finding it hard to believe that a member of the Angel race was actually her closest friend. "So in short your whole race was wiped out leaving you behind, and if the Demons find out about you then anyone associated with you will be targeted by the Demon race and the only way to bring your race back is to wipe out the Demons the same as they did to the Angels? " Yumi asked seemingly brushing off the severity of the situation she is in. "That is correct, I understand if you want to cut ties with me I will back my belongings and find lodging somewhere else.. " Alice said standing up as she starts to pack her things trying not to cry. "Well you cant take on a race of Demons on your own, so I guess I will have to get stronger with you wont I. " Yumi said with a smile causing Alice to drop the clothes she was packing. "You might die..." "I am going to die eventually anyways, " Yumi said with a grin. "Then you''re not allowed to die before I do,if you promise me that I will stay." Alice said turning to face Yumi. "Its a promise, as long as you promise to not keep anymore secrets from me. " Yumi said while picking up Little Shadow and petting him feeling victorious. ''Congratulations on getting a new ally, '' Shadow said purring as he was reviving attention. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The next day Alice woke up early and headed out going to the Mages Guild to schedule with a Wind Element Instructor. Arriving at the Guild Alice headed inside to talk to the receptionist, "Hello I was here the other day trying to get a teacher for the Wind Element. " "Right, well sit on the bench over there and wait until someone comes to get you. " The receptionist said pointing at the bench at the far corner of the lobby. Taking her seat Alice begins to read from her grimoire to kill the time until her new teacher arrives, casually flipping from page to page she becomes slightly consumed in her study not noticing her teacher trying to get her attention. "Hello, are you Alice? " The elderly gentlemen asked as he stood in front of her. "Yes sorry i was doing some reading and got pretty absorbed into it. " Alice said as she stood and shook his hand, "I see you have a Shadow Element grimoire, do you perhaps have a reason you asked to see a Wind Element teacher? " The man said curiously. "I have three elements and i am curious about learning my third which would be the Wind Element, it is nice to meet you teacher, " Alice said politely. "Oh my, how rare to have three elements especially the Shadow Element, If you would like you can follow me to the training grounds and we can start our first lesson. " The man said whilst offering his hand to Alice. 25 Wind Elemen Reaching the training grounds behind the Mages Guild the elderly man instructed Alice to start by standing in the middle of the training grounds, a small arena like structure made from regular brick. "Firsts things first, in order to use the Wind Element properly you will need to feel the mana around you. You will have to single out the mana you feel from the breeze you can currently feel and ignore all other sources. " The man instructed. Closing her eyes and clearing all thoughts from her mind, Alice felt the gentle breeze run over her as she tried to focus and feel the mana the wind pass by her. Seeing that Alice was grasping the feel of the mana she needed to focus on he started to smile a bit. Normally it would take a few days for someone to be able to get the feel for the mana they needed to use, Alice however only needed a few minutes. ''Maybe it is because she has three elements and can use two already that she is able to catch on so quickly. '' The old man thought to himself quite pleased that his new student seemed to be a prodigy. "Good now slowly try to take control over that mana and change its direction,if done correctly you should be able to make the wind move in slow circles around you, I need to go talk with the guild head but i will be back soon. " The man said as he walked back into the guild to find the guild master. Walking with a small amount of haste the elderly man opened the doors to the Guild Masters room, "Alister, i have a new student who was able to grasp the feel for the Winds mana in minutes, and to make it better she has three elements. " The man said eagerly to the Guild Master. "Oh, that sounds pretty interesting. Where is this girl right now? " Alister asked curiously wanting to know more about this supposed genius student. "She is outside on the training arena trying to make the wind move, i figured that would give me enough time to let you know about her and get back. Normally to move the wind around your body it takes years of practice. " He replied. "Lets go take a look at the little miss and see what she can do. " Alister said walking through the guild lobby towards the training grounds. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Alice started to understand how to move the wind around her, she started by imagining the wind as streams moving past her and then willing the streams to move in circles around her body. ''I wonder if I can speed the flow of mana and make the wind blow faster... '' Alice thought to herself as her hair started to go from lightly blowing in the wind to almost violently whipping the air around her. The wind started spinning around her so quickly that the dust from the arena grounds slowly got sucked in and forming a small tornado around her. ''Faster...Faster... Faster...'' Alice thought wanting to know how far she could take things. The wind was moving around Alice so fast that she started to slowly lift off the ground making her float a few feet off the ground. ''Am i floating? This feels amazing I feel like I am able to fly again! Alice thought with a smile. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Walking out the back doors Alister and Ron were met with fierce winds being sucked towards Alice making a small tornado around her while she floated at the center. "I thought you said she just started to feel the mana... How can she make a tornado around herself only 30 minutes into learning the Wind Element for the first time? " Alister asked the dumbfounded old man. "All i did was tell her to move the wind around her i never told her to try anything near this magnitude. " Ron said as he snapped his fingers causing the wind to instantly come to a halt causing Alice to fall back to the ground. "Ow what the hell! " Alice said as she landed on her butt, "Forgive us for putting a stop to your fun but had you kept going and lost control you really might have set a tornado loose on the kingdom." Alister said as he helped Alice stand back up. "Alice have you had your mana measured yet? " Ron asked quite curiously thinking that a low level mage shouldn''t have the mana capacity to use the Wind Element this well. "I already know how much mana I have. " Alice said wishing she could have kept feeling like she was flying again. "How much, if you don''t mind me asking Miss Alice. " Alister asked. "515, it is 540 with some of my gear equipped. " Alice said thinking nothing of it. "And what level are you? " Alister asked again. "I am level 13, " Alice said still not understanding why she is getting the third degree. "My last question, what race are you Alice? " Alister asked slightly more serious than he was before. ''Fuck, I hope I didn''t give myself away already, way to go Alice, '' Alice thought to herself before answering. "My race is not important, and it is none of your business. " Alice said bluntly hoping the two would just accept the answer. "I see, if that''s your answer I suppose there is nothing more I can say on the matter, My name is Alister. I am the Guild Master for this Mage''s Guild it is nice to meet you, but I have somethings to take care of for now. " Alister said as he walked away not prying for more information. "That reminds my I have not introduced myself yet, my name is Ronald but you can call me Ron. " Ron said before shaking Alice''s hand. "Nice to meet you Ron, I think I should head back home for now. " Alice said cutting their chat short and running back home. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Closing the doors and locking them behind him Alister walked over to the large mirror on his wall and waved his hand over the surface causing a tall man in black robes to appear on the mirror. "I have found someone that may be of interest to you Lord Kira, " Alister said as he gave a deep bow. "Please tell me about this supposed person of interest i do not have time to play around right now. " Lord Kira said coldly. "A new mage appeared in our kingdom, she is a low level but she has the mana of a level 40 mage. That is not all either, she also posses the Elements, Wind, Fire, and Shadow. I believe that she could prove useful. " Alister said still in his bow not daring to look up and face the Lord of the Demon Race. "If she is not dangerous I will send my son to fetch her. She has been a pain in my ass lately and I could use a task to keep him busy. Thank you for informing me, my son will arrive in a weeks time. Be sure to inform me when he arrives. " Lord Kira said as he ended the communication. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Arriving back at the Astala Estate, Alice ran inside and looked for Yumi''s father. "Whats wrong Alice, what is the rush? " Yumi said curiously as she walked down the stairs. "I need to talk to your father, Alister the Mage''s Guild Master questioned me about my race and I want to know more about Alister from your father to know if I should be worried or not. " Alice said trying not to panic. "He is in the garden lets go talk to him, " Yumi said as she grabbed Alice''s hand to calm her down. "What a nice surprise girls, what can i do for you two? " Arita said as he continued to read his book while sitting on a bench next to a rose bush. "Alister from the Mage''s Guild questioned me about my level, mana, and about my race. I want to know if you know anything about him, I did not tell him about my race but I am still scared. " Alice said with her heart still racing not wanting to put the family that has been so nice to her in danger. "As far as I know Alister has been in the kingdom for about 10 years but not much is known about him before that time, what caused him to question you? Arita asked curiously closing his book and focusing on Alice. After finishing hearing what happened from Alice he pondered what the best course of action would be, "I will try to dig up his past a little more and see what i can find out, but using magic like that likely surprised him, it isn''t impossible that he just wanted to know more about the amazing mage that can use magic on that scale at a low level. " Hearing what Arita said made Alice feel a little bit better but she still had a uneasy feeling about the whole situation. ''Ugh Shadow what do you think? '' Alice asked shadow who was currently sitting above the fresh fish tank in the kitchen. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. ''I would say to keep your eyes open, while it is possible he was just interested in you that may be a bad thing. Who knows if he told someone about your abilities people have been abducted for less and you''re one of the only Mages with three Elements. '' Shadow said as he pawed at the fish swimming by taunting him behind the glass. ''That doesn''t make me feel any better but thanks..'' Alice thought feeling a little more dreadful. "Yumi, when are we going to get a party together and go to dungeons or kill forest monsters? " Alice asked wanting to level up as much as possible. "We can go to the Adventure''s Guild tomorrow to find a party and a good dungeon for us to do. We are a lower level than most of the adventures here so it may be hard to find a group. " Yumi said. "Why dont we find a good blacksmith to fix or make you a new weapon? Seems a lot better than waiting for one to just show up. " Alice said thinking back about Yumi''s weapon. "That''s a good idea, wanna head to one now? " Yumi said excitedly. "Sure lead the way! " Alice said happily, she needed a distraction anyways. The two girls walked around the kingdom and looked at various stalls as they made their way to a local blacksmith. Stopping at small stall on the way Alice felt drawn to a ring she saw sitting ontop of a purple silk cloth. It was a shiny silver ring with runes carved into it and small purples gems embedded in it. | Ring the Fairy | | A ring once worn by the Fairy King, useless acknowledged to the Fairy''s | "Sir how much for this ring? " Alice questioned, "This ring is basically useless since the Fairies don''t show unless they have no choice, the ring is 300 silver though. " The stall owner said. "I would save your money Alice, it might be pretty but that is super pricey for a useless ring, " Yumi said trying to convince her friend not to make a stupid purchase. "I guess you''re right. " Alice said as they continued their walk to the blacksmith workshop. | Lazlo''s Blacksmith Services | The two arrived at the blacksmith''s workshop that looked like a small two story building made from red brick. "Hello ladies what can I do for you? " Lazlo said while polishing a shield at his work station a few feet away from the furnace. "I was curious if you could repair my weapon or make me a new one, " Yumi said as she pulled out her Kyoketsu-shoge. "Interesting, this is the first i have seen a weapon like this. With the material i have right now i can repair it but I also believe i can make one that is much better than this if you would like to commission me. " Lazlo said still inspecting the weapon. "Can you repair this one since it means a lot to me as well as make me a better one? " Yumi questioned unable to control her tail. "Sure the repair will only cost 39 silver, and the new one will cost 480 silver, if you want it made from top tier materials it will cost 1,200 silver. " Lazlo said putting her weapon on his table. 27 Unexpected Surprise After the chamber of spiders were defeated the party regrouped and ate a quick meal before setting out deeper into the cave. To Alice''s surprise she saw the level up notification that she must have over looked while fighting the spiders. ''It''s about time I leveled again, '' she thought to herself before bringing up the ''status'' window as they slowly made their way through a narrow passage way. Name - Alice Class - Fallen > Demi Angel Title - Hunter HP - 425/425 (450/450) MP - 570/570 (595/595) Level - 14 STR - 50 > 58 +15 VIT - 50 +10 INT - 90 > 100 +5 DEX - 30 > 40 (+15 +5) DEF - 30 (+5 +10 +10) AGI - 48 > 50 (+5 +10) Skill points - 30 > 0 Skills; Familiar Telepathy, Blessed by God (Passive), Demonic Gaze Feeling the familiar rush of power over take her, Alice was excited to see how much more damage she would be able to do to the spiders. "We have reached the last chamber, after this we can go down to the second level so lets finish this pretty quick. " Eric said as he and Josh stepped out to the center of the chamber and held aggro of the spiders that quickly rushed to attack them. Fighting the spiders with a little more efficiency than the previous chambers the party made quick work of the spiders not taking any damage. Not wasting any time the group started to walk down the stairway until they reached a huge room with slightly larger spider webs covering the walls and ceiling. "Remember to be careful for the webs the spiders will shoot, Yuki, Alex be sure to watch above us and use your spells to protect the rest of us from web attacks. " Eric said as he brought his shield up and moved to the center of the large room. "HHHUUUUUAAAAAAA!!!" Eric used his ''war cry'' skill without warning knowing his party was ready. Spiders twice the size of the ones on the first floor came crawling out from webs and lowering themselves from the ceiling as the party got into formation. Yuki, and Alex both used their magic to attack the spiders coming from the ceiling while Alice used her ''Shadow Zone'' spell to slow the movements of the spiders on the ground. While not as effective as the first floor her spell still slowed their movements giving the party just enough time to think before they acted. Suddenly five webs shot towards Eric and Josh while the two Mage''s where preoccupied with the spiders trying to come from above. Seeing this Alice jumped behind Yumi and quickly charged up five ''Fireballs'' and firing them at the webs destroying them and gaining the thanks of Josh and Eric. ''I am happy I decided to let the two girls join the party, '' Eric thought to himself as he blocked the attacks of numerous spiders and used various different skills to counter attack them. After fighting for what felt like a hour the party started a small fire to take a breather after the room was cleared. "Nice work everyone as long as we keep this up we should be able to finish the floor pretty quickly, the last floor only has one chamber before the boss room. Hopefully we can finish this today, once we let our MP recover a little we will move to the next area. " Eric said as everyone continued to take a rest. "KiKiKiKi " The party heard a monster quickly approaching them as they shot up into formation and prepared for more spiders. Crashing though part of the wall the Spider Queen slowly crawled out of the hole she made. Long creepy blade like legs slowly pulled the Queens body out of the hole to show her smooth black exoskeleton with red stripes covering her body. | Spider Queen level 20 Boss | HP 50,000/50,000 MP 100,000/100,000 Skills - Web Shot, Poison Bite, Blade Rush, Call of the Spider Queen "Fuck it''s the Queen everyone be careful get behind me! " Eric said as he used ''War Cry'' getting the Queens attention. Blocking attack after attack from the Queen, Eric called out asking for a buff causing Josh to give him a defense buff then jumping next to Eric to help tank the Queen. Yuki not wanting to let the queen move from her position slowly raised both of her hands ''Hands of Ninigi'' two large hands made from the cave reached up grabbing a hold of the Queen causing her to lose control of four of her legs and not be able to move very well. Alex Let out ''water blade'' one after another attacking the Queens eyes while Alice made one huge ''Fireball'' and sent it flying at the Queens head. Sensing the danger the Queen shot out a continuous string of web at the ''Fireball'' coming at her slowly pushing the attack away from her at the cost of 15,000 MP. Breaking free of her cage the Spider Queen jumped back onto the wall and let out a cry. "KKiiiiiii!!!!!!!!" | Spider Queen Level 20 Boss | HP 38,000/50,000 MP 72,000/100,000 Skills - Web Shot, Poison Bite, Blade Rush, Call of the Spider Queen Having used her ''Call of the Spider Queen'' skill she went back into her hole and left the party to be attacked by all the renaming spiders on the second floor. "Josh, hang back and focus on healing for now! " Eric said as he used his aggro skills to try and hold back as many spiders as he could. "Shadow let''s go all out, just make sure to stay alive, " Alice said to Little Shadow as the party faced a hundreds of spiders coming their direction. "Shadow Zone" Alice said out loud activating her spell, to her surprise the spells range and effectiveness had increased by quite a bit due to her now having 100 INT. Knowing they were still in a bad situation Alice took out the weapon ornament she had received as part of her last dungeon and system quest. She quickly attached it to the weapon and watched as it seemed to get absorbed. | Scythe of Revenge | | Growth Type Weapon | | +15 STR | | +15 DEX | | +10 VIT | | Ornament - Shadow, Fire, Wind Attributes | Putting some mana into her weapon her blade caught on fire and turned a bright red, feeling pleased Alice dashed forward and swung her scythe taking out four spiders killing them tanks to her added item effect. feeling it Drain 5 MP every few seconds she knew she couldn''t keep using this forever. Picking up her pace and fighting her way through the spiders she felt her MP slowly start to raise back up. Thanking Josh for his buff she kept on killing one spider after another. Not falling behind Yumi attacked with wide spinning strikes keeping a zone around herself where spiders couldn''t pass without being killed she moved to help Yuki and Alex. Fighting for hour to the point of collapse the party finished off the rest of the spiders as they made a small camp for themselves to recover. "That was freaking terrible, I am going to get my revenge on that Queen, " Yuki said. "I agree that bitch attacks us runs away and swarms us with all the second floor spiders. She needs to die I feel like taking a nap after that. " Yumi said while laying back on the cave ground. "Don''t get to comfortable, the Queen can still come back and attack us. " Eric said while cleaning his equipment and taking a bite of some dried meat. "I can keep watch if you guys want to take a nap, " Alice offered, she had leveled up again due to the volume of spiders she had to kill that were a higher level than she was. Waiting until everyone had fallen asleep Alice brought up her ''status'' window. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Name - Alice Class - Fallen > Demi Angel Title - Hunter HP - 430/430 (455/455) MP - 575/575 (600/600) Level - 15 STR - 58 > 78 +15 VIT - 50 +10 INT - 100 +5 DEX - 40 (+15 +5) DEF - 30 > 10 (+5 +10 +10) AGI - 50 (+5 +10) Skill points - 30 > 0 Skills; Familiar Telepathy, Blessed by God (Passive), Demonic Gaze Putting most of her free points into her strength Alice felt the power course through her muscles toning her stomach and giving her a slightly better figure. ''Oh I changed a little bit, hehe how nice. '' Alice thought to herself as she let the party rest a little more before deciding to wake them up a few hours later. "Wake up everyone, lets go kill the Queen! " Alice started saying loudly as she kicked the feet of her teammates. After waking everyone up they all set out towards the third floor entrance, passing through empty chamber after chamber they finally reached the third floor. "Okay guys, this floor has only one chamber of spiders and then it is the Boss room. Save as much energy as you can and lets get this done safely. " Eric said slowly leading the party out into the open chamber. The spiders in this chamber were all half the size of the queen but there were only five of them. They had red glowing eyes, shiny black bodies and long red legs. | Spider Queen''s Guard level 18 | | Spider Queen''s Guard level 18 | | Spider Queen''s Guard level 18 | | Spider Queen''s Guard level 18 | | Spider Queen''s Guard level 18 | Charging out Eric used ''War Cry'' as he quickly brought his shield up blocking the spiders attacks giving the rest of the party the chance to get attacks in. "Focus on one spider at a time! " Eric shouted as he continued to hold aggro. Going with the spider closest to Eric''s side the party attacked it together bombarding it with spells and physical attacks all at the same time overloading its aggro causing it to swing one of its lets hitting Alice in the ribs as she few back a few feet landing on hers. Reviving a heal Alice regained all the HP she had just lost. Rushing to a new spider as the one who hit her fell down defeated the party kept the same attack pattern every now and then overloading the aggro and taking a massive blow. Getting down to the last Spider Guard they attacked from all sides of the spider not giving it a chance to defend they killed it almost instantly. Looting the items the five spiders dropped they gave Josh a chance to rest since he had to use a massive amount of MP to keep healing everyone during the fight that just took place. Finally entering the boss room the party was slightly nervous seeing the Queen no where in sight, looking around Yuki pointed up and used her ''Earth Spikes'' causing the Queen to take another 1,000 damage as it fell from the ceiling crashing to the floor. "KKiiiiiiii!!!" The Spider Queen yelled out in anger as it was pissed it was found so easily, putting three legs out and spinning itself the Queen rushed at the party letting its blades swing wildly. "She is using blade rush! everyone move! " Josh said as he gave everyone a agility boost so the party could effectively dodge the Queens attacks. Coming out of her attack Alice used her Fire Element on her scythe again and spun her blade while jumping above the spider slashing it against the top of the spiders exoskeleton burning the spider taking 800 HP from her. Feeling that she could do the Alice continued to attack as Eric used his skill to hold aggro. Yumi using her weapon to wrap two of the spiders legs together to reduce her mobility held the spider in place allowing the party to attack better. Having an idea Alice used her ''Rift Warp'' skill to get under the spider without being cut by the Spider Queens bladed legs. Using the Shadow Element on her scythe Alice swung at the belly of the spider, seeing her blade phase through the exoskeleton and removing the Element the scythe became lodged in the Queens abdomen causing the Queen to slowly loose HP. 29 Drago Laying in her bed Alice reflected on her lack of power and focus in battle, when she was a Angel she didn''t have these issues not that she went out adventuring. She was still recovering from the battle in the carriage when she received the notification that she had managed to level up twice. Name - Alice Class - Fallen > Demi Angel Title - Hunter HP - 535/535 (560/560) MP - 580/580 (605/605) Level - 14 > 16 STR - 58 > 68+10 VIT - 50 > 70 +5 INT - 100 +5 DEX - 40 (+10 +5) DEF - 30 > 60(+5 +10 +10) AGI - 50 (+5 +10) Skill points - 60 > 0 Skills; Familiar Telepathy, Blessed by God (Passive), Demonic Gaze, Putting most of her free status points into her Defense and Vitality she felt much better than she did even before she was almost killed. "This system really is amazing, I can build myself however I want, " she said while petting Little Shadow who was currently balled up on her stomach sleeping. ''Knock Knock'' Alice looked over to see Yumi peeking in her room still looking sad, "Come in, you don''t have to have that expression anymore I promise I am fine now. " "I was just really worried... " Yumi said while sitting next to her. Alice had rested in her room for two days while recovering the blood she had lost. "Eric and the rest of the party are waiting at the tavern for you, Josh almost injured himself continually drying up his mana to keep you alive. " Yumi said hoping Alice felt good enough to go meet with the rest of the party. "Then I should go meet with them, " Alice said standing up. Entering her room before the two could leave Arita gave Alice a warning, "I just received word that the Demon is only a few hours away, so stay away from the Mage''s Guild for a while. I am told that Alister has something to do with his appearance. " "Thanks, I am just going to the tavern to let my team know I am back to full health. " Alice said with a smile reassuring Arita that she would be okay. Taking Yumi''s hand for once she headed out to the tavern to meet with the rest of her party, "I am level 16 now by the way!" Alice said with a smile, "Woohoo, I reached level 19! " Yumi said with excitement. Arriving at the tavern Josh stood up as soon as he saw Alice come through the doors, "Thank heavens you''re alright! We all were worried when you slept for two days. " He said while giving her a hug followed by the rest of their party. "I am sorry to worry all of you, " Alice replied somewhat happy, she hasn''t felt like shes had friends in a long time. "So did you hear the rumor about the Demon coming to the kingdom? " Alex asked in a hushed voice. "Yeah apparently he has some business at the Mage''s Guild, the last time a Demon came it destroyed a few buildings because someone pissed it off. " Yuki replied. "Do you guys know what business he has to come all the way here? " Alice asked curiously since the whole thing was still a mystery. "Not a clue but he will be here really soon, we should all just head home and wait till he leaves. " Eric said not wanting to be dragged into a conflict with a Demon. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ "Finally I can see the kingdom, I wonder if the people are friendly.. " Drago said to himself while standing by a tree looking toward the kingdom walls. "We should hurry Young Master, " said one of the escorts sent by Alister. "I guess you''re right, I need to meet with the Tri-Mage my father told me about. " Drago said getting back into the black carriage. "Tell me more about this woman I am to meet and bring back to my father, " Drago asked the escort. "All I know is that she should be level 13, and uses Shadow, Fire, and the Wind Element. I have only seen her once and she is very beautiful. " The escort said remembering all the information he had on the young lady. "Maybe my father wants her as a concubine.. " Drago said shivering at the image of his father with someone his age. Sitting back in his seat Drago moved his short red hair back over his horns sticking out of his forehead, "Wont be long now i guess. " Drago said while enjoying the new scenery. "Master Drago, I have been waiting for your arrival I hope your travels went smoothly. " Alister said while giving a bow. "Yes I enjoy the scenery in this kingdom, now where is the Tri-Mage? " Drago asked while sitting in on of the chairs in Alister''s office. "Her name is Alice, from the information i have she currently lives at the Astala Estate, she was injured in a dungeon a few days ago. She is either at the Estate or with the Astala''s daughter, Yumi, I believe her name is. " Alister said while waving his hand over the mirror in his office. "Lord Kira, your son has arrived, " Alister said while bowing. "Good, Drago I need you to do what you can to convince the Tri-Mage to join our kingdom. If she refuses then you may try to take her by force. " Lord Kira said before waving his hand over the mirror. Where is the Astala Estate? I wish to finish my task as soon as possible. " Drago said while standing ready to go. "I must advise against going to the Astala Estate Master Drago, the Duke is very influential in this kingdom. If you provoke him then then you may find yourself in a battle, while you''re strong the Duke is still much stronger than the current you. " Alister said with warning. "Fine then point me to the nearest tavern, if i cant go to the Astala''s Estate then i at lest wish to have a drink. " Drago replied. Heading towards the Adventure''s Guild Drago ignored all the stares and whispers around him, his father had warned him that this would happen and it would be best not to provoke the kingdom without a good cause. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ As the party started moving through the tavern to leave they paused, seeing a young Demon standing at 6"2 with red hair and long black horns protruding from his forehead he turned and looked at their party with deep yellow eyes. "You there I am looking for a drink and information, your party should join me. " Drago said to Alice and her party bluntly. "Our friend here was injured a few days ago, we are on our way to take her back home after being stuck in bed for so long... " Josh spoke out hoping the Demon would let them pass. Raising an eyebrow Drago walked towards Josh who was holding onto Alice''s shoulders, "Injured you say? Could you be Alice? Keep in mind if you lie that I will find out. " Drago said leaning down a little to meet Alice''s eyes. "Yes I am Alice, can I help you? " Alice said coldly. "No need for the hostility I just wish to talk with you privately, your friends can sit at a table further away to make sure I do not do anything if it makes you feel better. " Drago said while pulling a chair from someone motioning for Alice to sit. "Just sit over there guys, I should be okay.. " Alice said reluctantly sitting down and looking at Drago trying to see his level. | Drago Level 32 | ''Shit, even if things go bad no one can help me. '' Alice thought to herself before saying, "What business do you have with me? " Alice asked as politely as she could. "I guess it doesn''t hurt to get right to the point. My father Lord Kira of the Demon race has received word of you being one of the only Tri-Mages in the world. He has tasked me with talking with you about joining our kingdom as a Royal Mage. We would provide you with everything you could ever need to level and to become stronger, you would receive many other benefits that no other kingdom would be able to offer you. " Drago said calmly. "And if I do not wish to join? " Alice said expecting the worse. "You should know that my father wants you no matter the cost. If you refuse me then another will come, your friends, family and the people you care for will all fall victim to my father and his desires. " Drago said leaning back in his chair. "Why does your father want me so bad? " Alice said trying to find out everything she could. "Having the Shadow Element already makes you desirable, but you also have the Fire, and Wind Elements making for a very lethal combination once trained. If you don''t come back with me my father will see you as a threat and do everything he can to kill you. " Drago said knowing that he had the upper hand. "If I go with you then my friends will be safe? " Alice asked not wanting her friends to suffer because of her. "If you come with me then I can promise no harm will befall your friends, you will be treated as royalty and eventually obtain a high ranking. " Drago said making things up as he went knowing he was only told to bring her back and nothing more. "I want proof, if i have proof I will go. " Alice said trying to hide her fear and sadness. Not expecting her reply Drago though for a bit before saying to her, "Fine I will get your proof but you and you alone must come with me to the mages guild. " Drago said knowing his father would probably agree. Walking over to her parties table Alice explained things to them and then told them to make sure that Yumi doesn''t do anything stupid while she is at the Guild. "Lets go." Alice said walking past him to the Mage''s Guild, "Glad to see that you''re smart. " Drago said as they both walked to the Guild. Walking right into Alister''s office Alice gave him a death glare using her ''Demonic Gaze'' skill to show him she was pissed. "Call my father now, I have things to discus with him. " Drago said to Alister. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Waving his hand over the mirror Alister bowed before being pushed to the side by Drago, "Hello father, I have Alice the Tri-Mage with me. She has her own terms which I have come to talk with you about. " Drago said to his father. "You have done what I have asked of you son, you and Alister leave the room I wish to speak with her alone. " Lord Kira said sternly. Bowing to him both Alister and Drago left the room leaving Alice to face him, "So you''re the young mage I have heard so much about, it is nice to meet you. " Lord Kira said being surprisingly polite. "Yes, it is nice to meet you as well. " Alice said using every ounce of control she had not to lose her temper. "What are the conditions you have for coming to my kingdom? If they are within my ability I shall grant them. " Lord Kira said hiding his surprise at how smoothly things were going. "I will come to your kingdom if your swear on your life that my friends will never meet any harm by your kingdom or anyone hired by your kingdom, I also want to ask that you let me stay here with my friends for a year before I come to your kingdom as this is so sudden. " Alice said wanting to buy time for herself. Sitting in a chair in front of the mirror Lord Kira thought about Alice''s terms. "As for your friends I will give my word to it. Concerning your request to stay for a year I do not wish to wait a year. " Lord Kira said coldly seeing how he had plans for the young mage. 30 A Chat with the Demon King "We both know that everything would be much better for everyone if I went willingly and became a part of your kingdom of my free will rather than you sending countless people to chase someone they cant catch. I have lost everyone I love once already, if it happens again I am sure it wont hurt as bad as before. " Alice said knowing she could at lest run with her Shadow Element. "I suppose you''re correct, I will need a show of good will in order for me to accept. " Lord Kira suggested. "My show of good will is talking to you now rather than running and making you try to hunt me down. You might find me if I ran but then again my mana pool should already be known by you and it has increased so I am confident I could escape for many years before being caught. Spreading a small army of Demons around the world will cause suspicion by all the kingdoms which wouldn''t be good for you I imagine. " Alice said glaring at Lord Kira. "Hahahaha! Good, I like you all the more now. I expect great things from you when you come to my kingdom in a year. Be warned though girl, I may be letting you have your way but if you cross me I will capture you and kill you in the worst was imaginable. " Lord Kira said still smiling. Leaving the room Alice thought to herself ''I have already been killed in the worst way possible, next it will be your turn. '' Facing Drago she let him know about the conversation with his father and then left the building returning to the Astala Estate only to be met with the sight of numerous Royal Guards standing guard in front of the Estate entrance. "Excuse me, may I go inside? I need to talk with Arita and Yumi, " Alice said slightly shake as she came down from the adrenaline from a moment ago. "No one is to enter the Estate, move along woman. " The guard said coldly. "But I live here how can you keep me from entering my own home? " Alice said annoyed. "I will send word inside, if you really do live here then you will be able to enter, wait here. " the guard said before leaving the post to his partner and going inside. After a few moments of waiting both Yumi and her father rushed out of the front door, pushing her way past the guards Yumi jumped into Alice''s arms. "I was so worried what happened? When I told my father he was so furious he almost tried starting a war to get you back. " Yumi said clinging to Alice. "Come inside we have some things to discus I imagine, " Arita said letting her through the gates and walking her inside the Estate. "I talked with the Demon races King, the Demon who arrived here is his son. They do not know anything about me other than I am what they call a Tri-Mage, they want me to join their kingdom no matter the cost. I agreed to go in one years time as long as they do not touch any person I care about, it is the only way I could ensure your safety. " Alice said with a sad look. Yumi stood to argue but her father raised his hand the moment she did, "If it is like that then I can assume they are prepared to take you by force, thank you for looking out for my family but I can handle this without you selling yourself to the Demons. Do you even have a plan to survive and continue your journey in the Demon Kingdom? " Arita asked with a serious expression. "That is why I demanded a year of staying here with my friends in return for going peacefully, I want to level up as much as possible in that year. After that then i plan to use the Demons to get even stronger so I can learn the inner workings of their kingdom and maybe even gain allies. " Alice said trying to think of a way to survive. "Don''t be stupid Alice! Do you think this will be so easy??? " Yumi protested. "By no means do I think this will be easy but I have the weight of an entire race on my shoulders, what would you have me do? Run and leave you and your family to suffer in place of me?" Alice shouted back. "Take it easy you two, Alice was not wrong in her choice. In fact being able to get the Demon King to agree to her terms shows just how much they want her to join them, I wouldn''t doubt the Demons starting a war with this kingdom over Alice. Mage''s with Alice''s level of potential can turn the tides of wars, the only reason this kingdom has not approached Alice is due to her living with me and being under my care. " Arita said trying to calm his daughter down. "Be sure not to waste any time of this year that you bought yourself, I will talk with the King of Samaria and try to get the Kings help with anything you need to become stronger, but the King will want things in return. " Arita said again thinking of ways to help her. "I will do whatever I can but I can not go back on my word until I have the strength to stand up to the Demons alone. " Alice said clenching her fists. "Fine... If you really will go willing to the Demons then I am going with you and we will spend every day leveling up. " Yumi said with a stubborn look in her eyes. "I will have to go and talk to the Demon King about that but even more than that your father must agree. " Alice said hoping Arita would be against it. With both girls looking at him Arita''s expression lifted a little, "If that is what my daughter wants then I will not be against it as long as the Demons promise not to harm her. " Arita said causing Alice to get up and leave the room angrily. Storming into the Mage''s Guild, Alice made her way into Alister''s office swinging the door open taking both Alister and Drago by surprise. "What can I do for you Alice? " Drago said motioning for Alister to stay seated. "I need to talk to your father. " Alice said coldly. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "Alright, but I cannot imagine my father has already managed to make you this upset, " Drago said giving Alister permission to call for his father. Waving his hand over the mirror Alice was met with the sight of Lord Kira holding a set of stuffed Angel Wings. Seeing what he was holding Alice could not help but release her Demonic Gaze passively causing Lord Kira to raise an eyebrow. "Drago and Alister leave the room, if you disrupt me then neither of you will live to see tomorrow. " He said causing the two to leave the room quickly. "I don''t know why you have called for me but I demand a explanation as to how you have the ''Demonic Gaze'' skill, humans can not obtain that skill no matter what method they use girl, speak. " Lord Kira said with a slight tone of authority. Not even thinking of the consequences Alice held back her rage as she said, "My mother was a Demon, I don''t know anything of my parents other than the fact I can use Demonic skills. My friend who is very dear to me wont agree to me going to your kingdom unless she is allowed to go, I am here to ask if that is okay. " "I do not mind, the only thing I care about is you joining me. Our agreement stands no matter if your friends are in that kingdom or mine. " Lord Kira said thinking about the new information her learned about Alice. "Young lady, can you describe your mother to me? If things are the way I am thinking then you may be more valuable to me than I first thought. " Lord Kira asked sitting on his chair wondering if Alice was his lost wife''s daughter. "I told you I don''t know much about my parents, all I remember of her is that she was beautiful and loved to wear a necklace she wore with everything. When I was still a child my mother disappeared and i never saw her again. " Alice said remembering how beautiful her mother was and the necklace she would never take off. "Contact me if you ever need anything, and I mean anything we will talk more of this later when you arrive, tell me son he is to return home at once. " Lord Kira said waving his hand over the mirror and thinking to himself, ''Is it possible she is my wife''s daughter she always wore a necklace I gave her after conquering the Angels... Alice does resemble her in a small way, I cant remember the last time my wife gave me that very look. '' With tears leaking from her eyes no longer able to hold back her rage Alice started destroying Alister''s office setting his books on fire and slicing his desk in half before calming down a little and letting Drago know what his father said. Returning to the Estate with her eyes red and puffy Alice walked past Yumi and went to her room to spend some time alone. ''Do you want to talk about it? '' Shadow said gently crawling onto her lap. "No I just want to cry, I was forced to lie about my mother all because I couldn''t control my emotions when I saw the Demon King holding a pair of stuffed Angel wings. " Alice replied burring her head in her pillow. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ After having composed herself and taking the time to remember every detail about her parents while praying for forgiveness Alice made her way to the dinning room in time for lunch. "Nice of you to join us Miss Alice, " A older man said sitting beside Arita. "Allow me to introduce you Alice, this is the King of Samaria Mark, " Arita said standing and pulling out a chair for her. Giving the King a bow before sitting down Mark began to talk, "I have heard a lot about you Miss Alice, Arita has informed me of your situation with the Demons. " Mark said with a warm smile. "It is nice to meet you King Mark, and yes unfortunately Alister sold me out to the Demons and I, " Alice began speaking before being cut off by the King. "I have sent someone to deal with Alister, he will be interrogated thoroughly by my best people, I can not let a spy for Demon''s live in my kingdom. After all he has just cost this kingdom a very promising young lady, I will help provide what I can for you to get stronger but in return I want you to send me any information the Demons have regarding this Kingdom when you arrive there in a year. On top of that I wish to form an alliance with you Miss Alice, if the demons go this far for you I would be a fool to not establish a good relationship with you. " King Mark said signaling for the food to be brought in. Looking at the delirious looking feast being brought out Alice''s mouth began to water a little as she ate and thought about what the King was offering. "Of course I will send information if I can as long as it does not put my friends in any danger, as far as an alliance I don''t want any harm to come to my friends home so I will promise that I will do my best to prevent any harm from coming to your kingdom, " Alice said drinking some wine. "That is all i ask, I have prepared some weapons and armor sets from my personal collection to be brought over to help you in your adventures. " King Mark said as he began to eat as well. "I do not need any weapons, I only need to go on dungeon raids and supplies for my travels, " Alice said while sitting back waiting for the the maid to finish cutting the roasted pig. "Then they shall be yours you merely need to put a request in with a Royal Guard." 31 Training at the Castle Waking up feeling anxious Alice made her way to the Mage''s Guild to learn more about her Elements and how to better use them in combat. Trying to quietly make her way out the front door Alice came face to face with one of the Royal Mage''s, "Hello Miss Alice, my name is Geoffrey and I was instructed to wait for you to begin your training. " he said with a smile. "What happened to the Mage''s Guild? " Alice said curiously wondering why someone from the castle was here so early to train her. "The Guild has been deemed untrustworthy and the King is currently having a team investigate, for now I shall be training you. Like you I also have more than one Element so the King thought it best that I be your Instructor. " Geoffrey said motioning Alice to follow him. Following her new instructor Alice tried asking him many questions about the Guild and what the current status was only to be met with silence until he finally spoke out. "Miss Alice I am sure you are aware that the kingdom has just found out of a Demon spy so all matters regarding this are being kept under wrap, we can talk more about this when we reach the castle were there are no prying ears. " He said hiding his annoyance. Walking though the stalls Alice once again stopped in front of the ring that caught her attention before, "Geoffrey, the King said I could make requests for equipment if I thought it would help me is that correct? " Alice said picking the ring up. "That is correct, how much is the ring old man? " Geoffrey asked the stall owner. "The ring is rather useless but I am selling it for 300 silver. " The stall owner said holding out a hand knowing the sale was made. Taking out a large pouch of gold and silver Geoffrey gave the man his money and continued the walk to the castle. "If you want anything else I can give you a spending allowance later, you will just have to document what you purchase and turn it in at a later date. " He said as they reached the Castle and made their way to the training grounds where multiple Guards were sparing. Seeing Alice and Geoffrey the other Guards moved to the side line wanting to see her capabilities, "For today I will be having a mock battle with you so I can get a better feel for how to train you. You may start whenever you wish and use whatever weapon you have. " Geoffrey said while holding a shield and a long staff. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. ''That''s new, '' Alice thought trying to remember if she has every seen a mage use a shield with a long staff. Pulling her scythe out Alice put some mana in changing the blade to a glowing red color while she used ''Rift Warp'' to close the distance. Seeing Alice starting Geoffrey moved his staff slightly causing a barrier made from ground in front of him to quickly raise up blocking Alice''s attack while he jumped to the side striking Alice lightly in the ribs. "Not a bad start but you will need to be quicker if you want to land a hit on me. " He said while launching himself in the air. Looking up Alice lost sight of him due to the sun making her give a pout before sinking into the shadow cast by the barrier still standing narrowly avoiding a ''Wind Blade'' attack she was barely able to sense coming. Coming out of the shadow''s near one of the Guards outside of the ring Alice watched as Geoffrey seemingly hovered in the air looking at her waiting for her to enter the ring again. ''Bastard if only I had my wings, '' she thought as she ran full speed at the barrier kicking off the top sending herself at Geoffrey. Moving to the side and swinging his shield to block her attack he almost instantly hit her in the stomach with the staff sending her flying back at the ground. Thinking quickly Alice used her ''Rift Warp'' and appeared above the shadow instantly sinking into it to avoid the fall damage. ''Thank god that worked or I would have been out for the count. '' Alice thought once again appearing by the Guards only to hear them give applause to her quick thinking. "That was very good, your battle experience is above average and you are able to make very good use of your Shadow Element. However you greatly lack in defending yourself as well as knowledge in how to effectively use your other Elements. " Geoffrey said landing with a loud thud on the ground. "Are all Royal Mage''s as good as you? " Alice asked. "No, most Mage''s are only able to use one Element, while being strong they don''t have the variety of attack and defense that I do. It can be said that the more Elements you have the stronger you can be, this is because while a Fire Element user has high destructive power they lack in defense, now if that Fire Element user also had lets say the Earth Element then he would be many times stronger due to being able to defend himself while also dealing out heavy attacks. For someone like you when it comes to a ground battle I am almost certain you would have put up much more of a fight because of your Shadow, Fire, and Wind Elements even if two of the three are at early beginner stages. " Geoffrey said trying to teach Alice the difference in value between a single element user and a user like her. "Now lets say that you were level 50 and had a strong grasp on all of your Elements, not only would you be virtually untouchable your attack power would be on a whole other level compared to mine. I hope you take this into thought, because the stronger someone like you gets the more of a threat you are to enemies. " Geoffrey said while offering her a HP potion to recover from her wounds. "I see, thank you very much for helping me to understand that. With that being said though would it not make more sense to kill me rather than let me go to the Demons? Alice asked ready to escape if she needed to. "No need to be on edge, while some Royal advisers do in fact wish for that route the King is a smart man thus he formed an alliance with you, with you at the Demon kingdom we will have plenty of warning if the demons plan to attack our kingdom which will greatly increase our odds of winning. Not to mention I do not think you would betray the kingdom that is home to your friends. It is indeed a risk but it is a risk that has the potential to pay off vastly, if you were to die due to our Kings orders it would be the same as waging war on the Demons seeing how they sent their prince to come and get you. " He continued to say as he put his weapon and shield away. "Now that we have spared and had this insightful talk can you teach me more about the Wind Element, I would love to be able to fly honestly, " Alice said not able to hide the excitement in her eyes. "Yes, I will teach you more of the basics. I have heard from your other instructor that you are already able to sense the mana in the air which is a great start. " Geoffrey said bringing a hand up and making the air in his hand swirl around rapidly forming a ball. "This is your first assignment, much like you did at the Mage''s Guild I want you to control the mana and recreate what I am doing. Instead of controlling the mana around your body I want you to concentrate it to you hand and nothing more. " He said while walking away with a wave. Letting out a sigh Alice sat down putting out her hand while closing her eyes, sensing the flow of mana around her Alice tried to move it in her hand. Slowly making progress Alice opened her eyes to see a small ball of wind dissipate as soon as she opened them. ''Damn, '' Alice thought to herself while repeating it over and over while it dissipated every time she opened her eyes. Trying this time with her eyes open not wanting to miss it, Alice concentrated on the flow of mana and was surprised to see the ball of wind slowly take form in her hand. "I did it! " Alice yelled out happily. Not noticing Geoffrey sitting net to her he leaned over and blew the ball of wind causing the mana to be disrupted and dissipate again. "Why did you do that?!? " Alice asked upset. "Don''t complain and do it again until you can move the ball without it falling apart like that, don''t even think about stopping. I have a supply of MP restoring stones with me so even if you run out I will get you filled back up to start again. " He said laying back and juggling a few of the wind balls mockingly. "No need to show off, cant you be useful and you know INSTRUCT ME! " Alice said annoyed while quickly forming another wind ball and trying to move it only for it to fall apart again. "Control your emotions Alice, you will never be anything more than a failure if you let your emotions get the best of you all the time. " He said poking at her wanting to teach her she needed more than control of her mana to use the Elements properly. Ignoring his attempts to provoke her Alice started to concentrate again this time forming a more solid Wind Ball and being able to move it with ease. "Good job now throw it, " Geoffrey said throwing his as well hitting a target. Alice gripped the ball which was surprisingly firm and threw it hitting the target as well. "Good with this understanding of the Wind Element your wind attacks will be more solid and do more damage, now take your scythe out and try to use the Wind element with it to preform a "Wind Blade" attack. All you need to do is control the mana letting it solidify and release as you swing. " Geoffrey said giving a demonstration with his staff. Using her mana she controlled the flow of mana around the blade of the scythe causing a small vortex around her weapon, "Stop. Do not rely of the ornament you have attached to your weapon Alice do it alone by yourself. " He said not letting her take the easy route. "Ugh, fine. " Alice said while concentrating to control the mana around her blade and swinging her scythe causing a small gust of wind. "Almost but remember how to properly control the mana and to solidify the attack otherwise the only thing you will do is knock your enemy back a little. " He said while eating an apply enjoying his free time. Sending attack after attack at the target the only thing Alice was able to do was send wind out which was gradually getting stronger. Taking a deep breathe Alice swung hard like she was actually attacking a monster and sent a Wind Blade crashing into the target cutting through it a little. "Hooo, you actually managed to cut the target that is quite good. " Geoffrey said giving her a small applause. "You have came pretty far today so we will end our training for now, I set the bag of money next to your belongings remember if you buy something you need to document it and turn it in. For now you''re free to go meet with your party and go on an adventure, meet me back here as soon as you get back and we will teach you the starting stages of using your Wind element to hover off the ground. " He said knowing that would make her come back in a good mood. 32 Ghoul Leader Taking her money and leaving the Castle, Alice walked around the kingdom going from shop to shop looking for possible things she may need or want. While walking through the stalls buying some potions and better camping gear Alice ran into Eric. "Hey Alice it is good to see that you''re okay we have all been worried about you after the whole Demon thing. What are you doing out here anyways? " Eric said while putting away some of the items he had just purchased. "I am fine now, currently I am buying more equipment and items for our next adventure, " Alice said with a smile happy to see Eric again. "That''s great news! Our next dungeon will happen in a few days if you want I can help you do some Guild requests and level up. " Eric offered wanting to help her out still feeling bad for Alice. "I think I will go do some requests on my own to try and level, I need to push myself if i want to get stronger. Thank you though I really appreciate it! " Alice said waving as she headed to the Guild to see what requests she could pick up before heading to the Estate to get Little Shadow. Walking into the Guild, Alice noticed that the Guild was pretty empty so she walked up the request board and started to read off the ones that are in her rank. Request - Kill Wild Boar King and return with tusks Request - Collect 5 Red Serpent Vines Request - Kill or Capture Bandit Brothers (Higher Reward if captured alive.) Request - Kill Ghouls near Jakar''s Grave Yard Request - Kill 10 Kappa (Green goblin like creatures with webbed feet often found near the river) Looking over the requests she could take Alice settled with taking the Red Serpent Vines, Killing the Ghouls, and lastly capturing the brothers. With her requests processed and approved Alice headed back to the Estate to pick Little Shadow up so they could both start leveling up more. "Ready to go have some fun mister house cat? " Alice said petting Shadow who was sleeping on her bed comfortably. ''Yes, it is about time we headed out just the two of us again, '' Little Shadow said while hopping off the bed and following Alice as she closed her door after him. Leaving the Kingdom gates Alice and Shadow started to run toward''s the forest to find the Red Serpent Vines. Making their way slowly though the forest enjoying the summer weather the two would occasionally fight off the monsters that would make their way to them. Alice would work on using her ''Wind Blade'' attack to get some more practice that way she would have a easier time learning other Wind Element spells. Due to her high INT value she was able to deal quite a bit of damage with each attack. Getting deeper into the forest Alice looked around finally spotting Red Vines and carefully made her way to harvest them not knowing what kind of danger would be around them. Reaching her hand out to grab onto the Vine closest to her Alice jumped back instantly as a Red Serpent blending in with the Vines launched an attack at her. Sending a few ''Wind Blades'' at the Serpent she managed to kill and cut down a few of the Vines getting just enough to finish the Request. "Well that was relatively easy, " Alice said to Shadow as she stored the Vines away and took what materials she could from the Serpent. ''We should make our way to the Gave site, we would just be wasting time on something so easy for now, '' Shadow pointed out as Alice brought out the Request paper to find the location of the Grave site. Request - Kill Ghouls near Jakar''s Grave Yard Jakar has been having issues with Ghouls destroying Grave Headstones and digging up the graves, he requests an adventure come to his grave West of the Kingdom to get rid of the monsters. Once the adventure has completed the Request they should receive proper paperwork from Jakar to turn into the Guild. "Looks like we need to head to the West to get to the Grave Yard, " Alice said as the two headed in that direction. | Special Timed Quest | | Level up to 17 within two hours | | Reward - ??? | | Failure - Lose a random skill | Stopping as soon as she saw the quest window appear Alice couldn''t help but be more fascinated with the system, it had been so long since she had actually gotten a quest from it and now the system wanted her to level up within two hours. To top it off the reward for the system quest was just a bunch of question marks. Even worse she would lose a skill if she failed to level up in two hours. "Well looks like we need to hurry Little Shadow, I have a time limit that I cannot afford to go over. " Alice said while picking up her pace and running at full speed to the Grave Yard. Making good time Alice managed to reach Jakar''s Grave Yard in twenty minutes. | Time Remaining 1:39:36 | "I have just under a hour and forty minutes to get this done lets get started, go scout for the Ghouls and tell me if you find me. I will go scout the other side and let you know if i find any of them. " Alice said to Little Shadow as she ran to the left of the Grave Yard. It didn''t take long before Alice was met with the sight of tall grey and smelly creatures eating some of the corpses they had drug from some of the graves. Taking out her scythe Alice let out a few ''Wind Blades'' and followed up those attacks by using her scythe infused with the Fire Element to behead the Ghouls almost instantly not giving them a chance to react. Unfortunately for Alice she had failed to realize there was a Ghoul near a tree behind her, feeling a sharp pain on her back Alice took a knee and sunk into the shadows while reappearing by a tree further away. Putting a hand on her lower back Alice felt a cut and blood covered her hand, pulling out a HP potion from her inventory she quickly drank the bitter potion and launched herself at the Ghoul sinking her blade in the Ghouls chest. Not able to pull the blade from its chest Alice put a hand up and lunched a ''Fireball'' at the face of the Ghoul giving her time to infuse the Shadow Element into the scythe pulling it free. Recovering from the attack the Ghoul ran at Alice swinging wildly, dodging his attacks Alice infused the Wind Element into her scythe letting out a devastating attack causing the Ghouls head to fly off its shoulder deep into the forest. Not able to check her wound again Little Shadow called out for help while he was being chased down by four Ghouls. Running as fast as she could to aid her familiar Alice jumped high into the air pushing herself further with help of the Wind Element she reached Shadow quickly and landed on top of the shoulder of on of the Ghouls putting both hands on his head she created ''Fireballs'' causing the Ghouls head to heat up and explode. Moving to the next Ghoul, Alice cut the legs off of the one right behind Shadow and swung her scythe in a wide circle around her body sending out a massive wind ring cutting the other Ghouls deeply. Seeing that the Ghouls were almost dead Little Shadow took his opportunity and pounced from Ghoul to Ghoul using his ''Devour'' skill finishing them off. ''There is still one more Ghoul, he is much bigger than these guys and looks quite a bit stronger. '' Little Shadow said taking a moment to rest. "We should go finish him off then I am on a time limit and I currently only have forty-five minutes left before i fail the system quest, " Alice said as she motioned for Little Shadow to hurry and show her the way. Following behind Little Shadow as they moved quickly in the direction that he saw the Large Ghoul the two stopped just short of a poorly made structure in the shape of a Alter. ''The large Ghoul should be close by '' Little Shadow said as the two of them cautiously looked around. Seeing Little Shadow land with a thud beside her she didn''t have time to ask if he was alright before she sensed someone trying to attack her. Grabbing Little Shadow in her arms and launching herself forward rolling on the ground Alice quickly got back up in time to dodge another attack by the Ghoul. Jumping into a tree Alice looked at the monster attacking her. | Ghoul Leader level 18 | HP 10,000/10,000 MP 100/100 Not having anymore time to think she jumped up high as the Ghoul used his tree trunk of a club to attack the spot she was just standing at. Infusing the Fire Element into her scythe Alice spun her body attempting to deal as much damage as she could only to have her attack blocked by the Ghouls weapon. "Fuck! I don''t have time to waste on you, just DIE! " Alice yelled out as she used the Shadow Element to go right through the wood and stab into the Ghouls neck before jumping off of his body landing on the ground gracefully. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Seeing that attack deal a quarter of his HP she decided to keep aiming at his neck to finish things as quickly as she could. Using her ''Rift Warp'' skill to get behind the monster and confuse it she turned her body and quickly used her ''Wind Blade'' to attack the back of the Ghouls neck dealing a large amount of damage again. As soon as she was about to attack again she noticed the Ghouls status change. | Ghoul Leader level 18 (Enraged) | HP 3,280/10,000 MP 0/100 Letting out a loud yell the skin of the Ghoul changed from a creepy grey to pitch black, letting out another ''Wind Blade'' Alice noticed her attack barely did 300 damage to the Ghoul. "Of course you would have to get stronger, " Alice said changing from wind to Fire and sinking her blade into the Ghouls back and yanking it loose. Letting out another yell the Ghoul turned towards Alice and swung the club wildly at her destroying everything it hit. ''I would probably die if I got hit by that, '' Alice thought as she started launching ''Fireballs'' from a distance landing a few hits and watching as the Ghoul hit the others away with ease. Sinking into the shadow she came back out sitting on a tree limb and decided it was best to send her most lethal attack in hopes of killing it instantly. Raising both hands above her head five glowing red magic circles started to fuse together forming a red ball of fire that only got darker with the more mana she poured into the attack. Waiting until her mana was almost exhausted Alice yelled at the Ghoul and launched her attack. Turning to face Alice the Ghoul was met with the sight of a giant ''Fireball'' inches away from his face before engulfing his body in flames. Sitting on the tree limb panting she watched as the Ghoul struggled as his HP rapidly dropped until he was no longed moving and dropped to the ground with a loud boom. | Time renaming 0:02:19 | | Level up | | Quest complete | | Reward - Eye of God | Looking at her reward Alice couldn''t help but wonder what in the world the ''Eye of God'' would give her ability wise, the quest was so sudden and didn''t give her information. Looking over she saw Shadow sitting by a tree laying against it. Jumping down to be near him she checked to see it he was okay. ''I am fine now no need to look so worried, '' Little Shadow said while licking her hand. "Good you still have to keep your promise! " Alice said thankfully while bringing up her status window to check on her reward. 33 Bandit Brothers ''I am fine now, no need to look so worried, '' Little Shadow said while licking her hand. "Good, you still have to keep your promise! " Alice said thankfully while bringing up her status window to check her reward. Name - Alice Class - Fallen > Demi Angel Title - Hunter HP - 580/580 (605/605) MP - 635/635 (660/660) Level - 17 STR - 68 > 80 +10 VIT - 70 > 78 +5 INT - 100 > 110 +5 DEX - 40 (+10 +5) DEF - 60 (+5 +10 +10) AGI - 50 (+5 +10) Skill points - 30 > 18 Skills; Familiar Telepathy, Blessed by God (Passive), Demonic Gaze, Gods Eye (Passive) Gods Eye - With help from Gods Eye you become able to see the flow of others mana, any hidden status effects, and spirits. Raising an eyebrow Alice wondered if this would allow her to see the levels of people who are far beyond her level. ''What do you think it means by being able to see the flow of other peoples mana?'' Alice asked turning to see Little Shadow surprised to see her answer. Looking at Little Shadow she saw exactly what the description meant, she was clearly able to see what looked like lines inside of his body circulating like blood. "No need to answer I can see the mana flowing through your body it is pretty weird to see. ''Your right eye has changed from purple to a bright golden color Alice.. '' Little Shadow said staring at Alice. "What? really? Well in any case we should get the letter from Jakar so we can move onto the Bandit Brothers. " Alice said standing up and making her way back to the grave yard where Jakar lived. Knocking on the door a elderly man hunched over using a cane answered the door asking how he could help Alice. Letting the man know that all the Ghouls have been taken care of, Jakar wrote a letter and handed it to Alice giving her his thanks and walked with her to the end of his property. "Time to go get the brothers! " Alice said excited to be almost done for the day having already leveled up once. Request - Kill or capture the Bandit Brothers. The two Brothers Jack and Logan are know to attack lone adventures and merchants on the main road heading to the Kingdom. Recently they took out a merchant who was delivering goods for a wealthy business man in the Kingdom, that man has offered a high reward for their heads. A bonus reward may be given if brought back to the man alive. Anything found during the request may be kept or sold. "Sounds like fun, my aim does tend to sever monsters heads from their bodies... " Alice said putting the paper back in her inventory as she started running in the direction of the main road to the Kingdom. ''How long do you think it will be until we find the brothers? '' Alice asked Shadow who was running beside her along the road. ''Hard to say, we might have better luck if we just keep running away from the kingdom and use the road to walk back. '' Little Shadow replied. Taking his advice they traveled a few miles down the road and then stopped to catch their breathe before heading back to the kingdom. ''Id say we managed to get far enough away from the kingdom, '' Alice said to Little Shadow getting a nod as a reply from him. "Hey girly, we have a nice bed you can rest on. Why don''t you come back with us, it can be dangerous to travel alone you know. " Jack said while laughing with his brother as they exited the edge of the forest. "Now that you mention it I could use some rest, " Alice said causing the two brothers to grin evilly. "That''s more like it haha, we will be sure to treat you really good. " Logan said motioning for Alice to follow them. ''Alice what are you planning? '' Little Shadow asked concerned. ''Don''t worry they don''t have a very strong mana circulation I just want to know where they keep their stuff. '' Alice said to shadow while inspecting the two men. | Logan level 17 | | Jack level 18 | The two brothers looked similar, both having slicked back and greasy black hair and muscular builds using axes as their weapons. ''I don''t think killing them will be much of a issue but I would like to capture them if I can which may be a lot harder.. '' Alice said to Little Shadow thankful she had her Shadow Element to escape if they tried to touch her. Following them to their home Alice made the choice to talk with the men to lower their guards while asking them all kinds of questions making them believe she wanted to join them. "Why would a pretty young lady like you want to be a bandit like the two of us? " Jack questioned with a serious look. "Well think about it, with my stature if I faked being injured on the side of the road who would question it? You and your brother would be able to sneak up and kill the merchants while I distracted their guards. " Alice said with a convincing smile. "She has a good point brother, " Logan said to his brother. "I guess you are right, but I think we need some proof of loyalty if you know what I mean little lady, " Jack said casually wrapping his arm around Alice''s waist grabbing her butt. Holding back her anger she felt her eye twitch a little before she used her ''Shadow Zone'' spell and diapering into the shadows. Appearing from the shadow behind their tent she took out her scythe leaving the two men to panic while searching for her. "If you had not touched my you might have lived, " Alice said coming out in view of the two men. "Hey now little lady I didn''t mean anything by it, why don''t you be a good girl and come back to my side where you belong. " Jack said with a mocking smirk. Taking the large axe from his waist band he motioned for her to come while his brother tried to sneak around her slowly. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "You barely have any mana and you think you stand a chance little man? " Alice said while catching her scythe on fire sure it would cause the man to fear her a little. "I see you have a sense of humor, that''s good you will need it for later tonight, " Jack said blowing her a kiss before trying to run at her only to notice he was moving much slower than he wanted. Going from Fire to Wind, Alice sent a ''Wind Blade'' flying at him knowing he couldn''t dodge the attack. Taking his axe he swung the it hard hitting the ''Wind Blade'' causing the attack to fail catching her off guard. "You will have to do better than that. " He said signaling for his brother to attack. Swinging his axe at her Alice jumped up trying to dodge only to get cut on her exposed leg, using ''Rift Warp'' Alice put some space between her and the two men, before limping and taking out a HP potion and drinking it. "Think we should kill her and use her brother or should we break her arms and let her feel everything? " Logan asked his brother with a smile knowing they could easily over power the beauty before them. "Leave her Alice of course I like it when they struggle, " Jack said laughing and charging at Alice again getting use to being slower than normal. Launching ''Fireballs'' at the two men she started to panic a little when she saw their axes could break through her spells. Jumping back again landing on a tree limb Alice began making a larger ''Fireball'' and launching it at Logan wondering just how much they could counter her attacks. Swinging his axe and cutting the ''Fireball'' in half she was happy to see that the attack still hit him and caused a burn even though he sliced her spell in half. "Agh! You bitch! Get down here and surrender or I really will kill you, " Logan called out in anger from taking damage. "Like hell I would do that! " Alice retorted before sending three more ''Fireballs'' at him watching as he cut through the first two and getting hit square in the chest by the third. Seeing her opportunity she used ''Rift Warp'' again closing the distance before he could recover and swinging her scythe at his neck decapitating him. Seeing his brother drop dead to the ground Jack let out a loud yell before breaking free of her ''Shadow Zone'' by sheer will and charged at her as fast as he could. Being taken back by his ability to break free from her Zone spell Alice quickly sank into the Shadows barely dodging his swing knowing if she is hit that it is game over. "If you surrender and let me bring you to the kingdom alive I promise you will get to see your bastard brother buried before you get sent to prison or die. " Alice said mocking Jack. ''Little Shadow sneak up and attack his legs to slow him down, '' Alice instructed Little Shadow who was hiding behind the now dead Logan. Rift Warping to get Jack to face away from Little Shadow, Alice taunted him again about his brother sending him into a rage as he ran at her again. Taking his chance Little Shadow ran up behind Jack and used ''Devour'' to take a large chunk out of Jack''s calf. Falling to the ground and rolling in the middle of his charge due to missing a chunk of his leg Alice slowly walked up to the man and kicked him hard in the chin knocking him out. "Good work Shadow, search the camp for anything of value while I tie him up. " Alice said while taking some rope she had purchased out of her inventory. ''I wonder if i still get paid extra for only bringing one back alive? '' Alice thought to herself while tying Jack up making sure he couldn''t move. Walking over to Logan''s head she picked it up and put it in a sack and stored it while putting the two men''s weapons in her inventory to auction off since they could cut through magical attacks. ''Alice, come inside the tent they have quite a lot of money and other things you may be interested in. '' Little Shadow said looking at a small chest full of silver. Entering the tent her eyes widened seeing what had to be a few thousand silver coins as well as some crates of crafting materials. "Good find, " Alice said while storing all the silver and materials away. "I wonder how I am supposed to carry that guy back to the Kingdom, " Alice said while looking towards Little Shadow. ''Don''t look at me I can not carry that much weight, '' Little Shadow said not even wanting to try dragging the guy. Slowly dragging the bound and knocked out Jack, Alice made her way to the main road and started to slowly drag him to the kingdom wishing she had brought a horse or carriage for this part. After about two hours of dragging the Jack who had woken up and made things more difficult they were finally able to see the Kingdom Gates in the distance. Happy to see the sight of the Kingdom Gates, Alice didn''t notice a merchant wagon approaching behind her. "HALT!! " One of the guards with the merchant wagon yelled out to Alice finding the sight very suspicious. "You have to help me this crazy bitch attacked me and killed my brother! " Jack yelled out hoping they would help to free him. Kicking him in the jaw again Alice turned to face the guard before handing him the request flyer. "I just captured this brother and killed the other, the two of them were bandits who made an enemy of a business man in the kingdom. " Alice said bluntly annoyed with Jack and the fact she had to drag him so far. "Hahahaha! You killed Logan and captured his brother Jack? My boss will be over joyed, Joey load the tied up man into the back of the wagon. Young Miss would you like to sit beside me for the rest of the trip? I can take you right to my boss to collect your reward? " The merchant asked with a big smile. 34 Wealth "That would be nice, " Alice said taking the merchants hand while taking the seat next to him. "I haven''t introduced myself yet, you can call me Sam. " He said whipping the horses and starting the rest of the short distance back to the kingdom. "It is nice to meet you Sam, I am Alice. " She replied happy to be able to relax after a hard days work. Arriving at a large building surrounded by stalls Joey took Jack out of the back and walked him inside to be brought in front of their boss. "Come with me Miss Alice and I will take you to meet Master Hogan, " Sam said offering her his hand as she got off the wagon. Walking up the stairs and facing large thick wooden doors Sam pushed them open and motioned for Joey to bring their prisoner inside with them. Walking across the large room Sam called out to his boss telling him he had great news with excitement. "Is that one of the bandit brothers? " Hogan said turning his chair around to face them. "Yeah, and this little lady here is the once responsible for his capture, the other brother was also killed due to her efforts. " Sam said patting Alice on the shoulder with a smile. Looking at Alice and walking around his desk he held out his hand to shake hers, "My name is Hogan, you have my thanks for completing the request. However I only see one brother where is the proof of the other? " He said asked sitting on the edge of his desk. Pulling the sack out of her inventory she removed Logan''s severed head and held it out for Hogan to take. Is this enough proof? " Alice asked as Jack cured at her and tried to break free from his bindings. Picking up on of the pens on his desk Hogan swiftly threw it at Jack puncturing through his eye and into his brain killing him. "The reason I wanted them alive was so that I could kill them myself. They''re the reason my son is dead, " Hogan said with a depressed face before turning back to Alice. "You have done a great favor for me by saving one of them for me to get a small amount of vengeance Miss Alice, if there is anything you want just name it otherwise I can just give you one gold coin for the request and bonus reward. " He said pulling out a large coin pouch taking out the golden coin. "The money is enough, I already have enough items. I even received two axes that can cut through magic spells with ease. " Alice said pulling out one of the axes to show him. "If you wouldn''t mind could you sell the both of them to me? " Hogan said while inspecting the well made axe. "I don''t mind I was planning on putting them up for auction but they don''t have any use to me or any of my team mates. " Alice said pulling the second one out and handing it to Hogan. Taking another gold coin and a handful of silver out he placed them into a coin pouch and handed it to Alice, "If you ever come across items like this again please bring them to me, I will happily purchase them for a fair price. " Hogan said while writing a letter of completion for her to turn into the guild. "Sure, I need to be going now to turn in my other requests though, " she said before giving a smile and leaving his business. Looking through some of the stalls next to Hogan''s business Alice decided to buy more MP potions before heading to the Adventure''s Guild. Walking slowly through the street looking at more stalls and buying some sweets to eat she saw everyone from her party. "Whats going on, what are you all up to? " Alice asked finishing a cookie she was eating. "Hey Alice, we were just discussing going to the Guild Tavern to talk about our upcoming dungeon, would you like to join us? " Eric replied. "Sure, I was headed there to turn in some requests anyway. " She said while walking with them the rest of the way to the Guild. Entering the Adventure''s Guild she parted ways with her party and went to the receptionist to turn in the requests she had completed. Handing the middle aged man the request flyers and proof of completions Alice waited for them to be processed. "For completing the Red Serpent Vines request the reward is 80 silver, as for Jakar''s request the reward is 115 silver. Remember to let us know if there are any other requests you with to take. " He said while handing her a pouch full of silver coins. Walking over to join the party Alice took her seat next to Yumi who was happy to see Alice again after her being gone all day. "How did your requests go? " Yumi asked while waiting for Eric to get back with the information on the dungeon. "I managed to level up again and I got a lot of benefits from them. " Alice said pulling a very large bag full of silver coins out of her inventory that she took from the Bandit Brothers camp. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "Oh my gosh Alice! " Yuki said looking over curiously, "How on earth did you earn all of that in a day??? " She continued to ask. "I killed the Bandit Brothers and got to keep everything I took from their camp, I even sold a man named Hogan two axe''s that can cut through magic spells for some gold coin. " Alice said happily knowing she made a small fortune. "Do you even need the allowance the king gave you... " Yumi said curious just how much money Alice really had. "Well I figured I can use the King''s money to help us buy potions and camping gear for our Dungeon runs. " Alice replied while pulling out some potions and camping gear she had purchased for everyone to share. "Looks like Alice has done the shopping for us, " Eric said returning to the table with some beers and a stack of papers. "Well in any case I have the information about our next dungeon, this one will be a little higher level and will take roughly four days to complete. " He said taking his seat and passing out the beer before reading from the papers. "The dungeon is called ''Lair of the Satori'' from the information provided the last Boss is a monster called the Satori. He resembles a large monkey that has the power to read minds, his level should be around 22 and his weapon changes from a club to a staff. Once his HP gets below a certain point he will begin using magic attacks while reading our minds to know our next moves. The information also states that this dungeon has four floors and the terrain is consistently forest like while having different seasons on each floor. " Eric read from the paper while drinking his beer. "Does it say anything about the average level of the mob monsters? " Alex asked already boarder-line drunk. "Take it easy on the drinking Alex you still have to wake up in the morning. Yes the average level for the first floor should be 18, increasing by one level for each floor as for the mob monsters they should all be monkeys. Once we reach the third floor some of the mob monsters should have some basic magic attacks they will use so we will have to be prepared to defend against them. " Eric said putting the papers away and asked if anyone had questions. With no one having any questions Eric told everyone to meet him back at the tavern at sunrise the next day. "Hey Yumi is there a auction tonight by chance? " Alice asked wanting to spend some of her new found wealth. "Yeah there should be, want me to go with you? " Yumi asked as she finished her drink. "No I can handle it this time, mind if I use the VIP booth though? " Alice asked not wanting to admit she got used to living with luxury. "That should be fine, just show this token to the receptionist, " Yumi said tossing Alice a large bronze badge with her family crest on it. Catching the token Alice looked at the crest seeing a large wolf with a small crown and money around it. ''Well I guess I am not to surprised that the family crest shows their wealth, '' she thought as she walked to the Auction Hall. "Are you here to purchase to sell? " The Auction Hall receptionist asked while sitting behind the counter. "Buy, " she said as she showed him the crest and continued to walk in towards the stairs. Finding the Astala VIP room Alice sat down in a large comfy chair overlooking the seats and stage below. Hearing a knock at the door Alice turned to see a man in his early twenties open the door, his slim but healthy figure and washed blond hair let her know he was probably another VIP. "Can I do anything for you sir? " she asked curious who the man was and why he was at the Astala VIP room. "Sorry to intrude but my name is Jesse Vaugn, I noticed you come here alone and was curious if you would mind sharing a VIP room with me. These auctions can be pretty boring at times as I am sure you are aware. " Jesse said while taking a step into the room with Alice. "I don''t really mind, my name is Alice. " She said while turning her attention back to the stage waiting for things to get started. "You do not strike me as a member of the Astala family Alice, could you be a close friend to the family? " He asked sitting in the chair next to her. "I currently live at the Estate and Yumi is my best friend as well as party member, and what of you? How is it you know the Astala family? " Alice asked figuring talking would pass the time faster until the auction started. "Our families are business rivals to be honest, I don''t really have much to do with any of it other than spending my father money to get back at him for ignoring my mother and I. " Jesse said surprising Alice a little. "Would you not get in trouble with your father for being seen in the Astala VIP booth? " She asked now looking at him. "It isn''t like I really care to be scolded by father, if he paid enough attention to me to actually scold me I would have to thank you for letting me in this room. " He said while turning his attention to the stage as the Auctioneer started the auction. "For our first item tonight we have a Magical Beast Egg! The beast should be a eagle when hatched from its egg we are starting the bid at 200 silver! " The man said loudly as a bidding frenzy started off going from 200 silver to over 1 gold in the matter of second with Jesse winning the bid. "They really started things off with a good item this time around, " Jesse said happy to have a Magical Beast. "They are very nice to have, I personally have one and he is now the same as a family member to me. " Alice said finding it easy to get along with Jesse. "The next item up for today is a Captured Fairy!! You heard me right we have a Fairy up for auction the starting bid will be 250 silver! " He said while taking bids rapidly. Seeing the Fairy she saw this as her chance to get use from the ring and yelled out 1 gold coin topping the previous highest bidder of 780 silver. "It seems someone from the Astala household wishes to purchase the Fairy, will anyone top the bid? " The auctioneer yelled out trying to increase the bid. After someone stood to bid looking Alice''s way to taunt her into wasting all her money she used her ''Demonic Gaze'' skill causing the man to pause long enough to lose the bid. "SOLD to the Astala house hold! " He said with a smile knowing what Alice did but not doing anything about it. "It seems you have obtained a very valuable item Alice, " Jesse said giving her a smile. "Same to you Jesse, I got what I wanted so I shall take my leave now. " Alice said as she waved and left the room to go pay the money and get the Fairy. 35 Favor of the Fairy "I am here to pay for and pick up the Fairy I just won. " Alice said as she pulled out her money to hand to the man at the counter. "Follow me please, " He said as he lead Alice into a back room with other monsters in reinforced cages. Looking around she saw some pretty unique monsters and even some that had intelligence. "Seeing how the purchase was above the amount we expected we are offering to preform a free slave contract for you. Once the contract is complete you should be able to communicate with the Fairy and give it commands. " He said while taking the cloth off the top of the bird cage showing the Fairy sitting with her hands between her legs and her head hung low. "I wont need that, I will take the cage and be on my way. " Alice said picking up the cage with the fairy and headed back to the Astala Estate. While walking through the street she raised the cage a little so the Fairy could hear her as she said in the Angel language, "I do not want to harm you or enslave you wait until we get to my home and we can talk when I free you. " Hearing Alice''s words the Fairy fluttered her wings and looked at Alice with a shocked expression, even as a Fairy she still knew the Angels were eradicated. She never imagined she would hear the Angel language again. Entering her room Alice gently set the cage down on a table and slowly opened the door letting the Fairy out of her prison. Seeing Alice keep her word the Fairy hovered in front of Alice giving her a deep bow showing her thanks before they started talking in the Angel language. "Thank you for freeing me, I thought I would end up as materials or worse a slave I do not know how to repay you. My name is Lillian, " she said not believing she escaped slavery so narrowly. "I am Alice, it is nice to meet you Lillian. You have probably guessed by now but I am part of the Angel Race.." "Are you the one the prophecy spoke of? " "Yes, God has given me a mission to revive the Angel Race and I want to complete it. " "It has been so long since I have talked with a Angel, I wish you success on your quest. Now that Angels are gone the Fairy Race is being hunted down to no end our only safe place is the Ruined Angel Kingdom. " Lillian said lowering herself and sitting on Alice''s hands. "I will bring the Angels back and protect the Fairy people don''t worry, " she said while gently wiping away a tear from Lillian. "I am so happy to hear that, the only thing I can give you is my blessing as a Fairy Elder, it will give you the ability to use items we Fairies have enchanted. It is not much but it is all I can offer you as my savior. " She said while flying up and putting her forehead against Alice''s and chanting letting out a soft warm glow as Alice felt her body get a massive surge of mana due to the Fairy Rings stats being unlocked. Name - Alice Class - Fallen > Demi Angel Title - Hunter HP - 580/580 (605/605) MP - 635/635 (1,660/1,660) Level - 17 STR - 80 +10 VIT - 78 +5 INT - 110 (+5 +200) DEX - 40 (+10 +5) DEF - 60 (+5 +10 +10) Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. AGI - 50 (+5 +10) Skill points - 0 Skills; Familiar Telepathy, Blessed by God (Passive), Demonic Gaze, Gods Eye (Passive) | Ring of the Fairy King | | Effect - +200 INT, Loved by nature ( +20% MP regeneration in Forests ) | Upon seeing her new INT stat she couldn''t help but look at the ring she bought for 300 silver, If she had to guess the true value it would probably be close to a nation treasure. Noticing that Alice possessed the previous Fairy Kings Ring, Lillian gave her a smile before giving the ring on Alice''s finger a small bow of respect for the departed King. "I believe that fate has brought us together today, now that you have my blessing and that ring when you''re in a forest Fairies will not fear you and may come out of hiding to speak with you. You will not have to hide your identity from any of us. I have a request that you take me to the forest safely so I can be reunited with my family if you don''t mind though. " Lillian said sitting on Alice''s shoulder. "I can do that, I will be going to the forest in the morning with my party to conquer a dungeon. You can ride on Little Shadow and he will take you quietly away from my party so you can leave safely without being seen. " She said while laying back as Lillian flew to sit on her head. The two talked for hours about flying and Angels and how the world has changed in the last 50 plus years up till the point Alice was reincarnated. Waking up Alice put Lillian safely away in her bag as she met with Yumi before heading out to meet the rest of the party at the Tavern to eat breakfast before going to the dungeon. "Hey Eric, you''re here early, " Yumi said taking a seat next to him while they waited on Josh and the others to arrive. "Yeah, Josh and the others are on their way and then we will set out. " He said while eating some eggs and drinking coffee. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Having entered the forest Alice put Lillian on Little Shadow and sent her on her way while they continued deeper in the forest to the dungeon entrance. Coming into a clearing they saw the entrance of the dungeon called ''Lair of the Satori'', checking all their equipment Alice and the others gave Eric a nod letting him know they are ready to begin the dungeon. One by one the party entered the dungeon, being blinded by the light as the group entered the first floor of ''Lair of the Satori''. Letting their eyes adjust they were met with the sight of a thick forest and a bright sunny sky. "Okay everyone be on guard, we have no idea if they will attack from the tops of the trees or not. " Eric said bringing his shield up as he started walking into the forest. Hearing the distant taunts of the monkey-like monsters the group kept their eyes on the look out while searching for any sign of movement. "Above us! " Alex yelled out as he sent a magic attack blasting into the trees. Yelling out using his ''War Cry'' skill Eric called the aggro of the nearby monsters who dropped from the treetops to attack them. Yumi who was not able to take advantage of her main weapon pulled out a short sword and started attack the nearest monster while Alice used her scythe infusing it with her Shadow Element allowing her to swing through the trees and still attack the monkeys dealing large amounts of damage. Yuki who was comfortable with her surroundings shielded the party with her earth spells from projectiles being thrown at them from the tops of trees while Alex would send out blasts of water knocking monsters off the trees. Little Shadow would run through the trees quickly taking chunks out of the necks of the monsters who fell hitting the forest floor adding to the damage making them easier to kill. Josh had no issues keeping the monkeys off of Eric''s back while healing and buffing as the party needed it. Clearing the first mob they decided to keep moving not wanting to lose any momentum, killing mob after mob they came across another clearing showing a staircase that seemed to have half of it vanish in a portal leading into the next floor. "We ended up making really good time for this floor, the terrain seems to work in our favor. " Eric said with a smile as he saw his party was ready to go to the next floor. "If you two need to rest and regain some mana then I can take over for a while since I still have plenty of mana to use. " Alice said not telling the party her mana pool grew by a thousand and her mana regeneration in this terrain could keep her going for a long time thanks to her passive and ring a secret for now. Drinking some mana potions both Alex and Yuki thanked Alice but decided to refuse her offer. "Off to the next floor we go! " Yumi said as she ran up to the stairs waiting on the others to catch up. Being met with another forest they were surprised to see snow cover the whole forest and the temperature drop quite a bit from the last floor. "I will use my Fire Element to help keep everyone warm, " Alice said as she warmed the mana around her acting as a human heater for the people around her causing Yumi to stick quite a bit closer to her than normal. Giving Alice their thanks they entered the snowy forest and continued their routine while sticking closer to Alice so they wouldn''t freeze. ''Amazing my mana regenerates almost as fast as it drains in the forest, '' Alice though as she sent ''Fireballs'' flying at monsters with every swing of her scythe, something she learned how to do while continually using her Fire Element to keep the party warm as she attacked monsters. Fortunately due to her fire attacks, she was able to kill the mobs with ease since they had a weakness to fire based attacks making things easier for the rest of the party as she could transition from close range to long range attacks when needed. Only moving slower through this floor due to the thick snow the party still managed to make good time killing the mobs that tried to stand in their way. "Alice, do you think you could send a few ''Fireballs'' in front of us to melt the snow in our path? " Eric asked curious if she could also make moving through the forest easier. Raising her hand and forming a few glowing red magic circles she let loose ''Fireball'' after ''Fireball'' hitting the ground further in front of them clearing a path. "Thanks Alice, " Eric said before the party started to follow the path she made for them. Suddenly the party was met with large amounts of rocks being thrown at them from the trees, jumping in front of the party Yuki made a huge earth shield to protect them from taking unnecessary damage from the larger mob. Letting out his ''War Cry'' Eric gained all of the monsters aggro as he blocked the onslaught of attacks being thrown at him giving the mages time to knock them off the tree branches. Yumi who moved closer to Eric made a earth shield to cover the top of his head so he could focus on tanking the monsters who fell from the trees that charged at him. Alice took full advantage of her new found mana pool and used her Shadow spells to effortlessly move from tree to tree knocking down a large amount of the monsters in a short amount of time before standing behind the mob and launching as many ''Fireballs'' at their backs as she could. Managing to kill monsters with ease Alice worked on controlling the mob so they could not go around to attack Yuki and Alex. Killing the last few monsters the party decided to walk the rest of the way to the entrance of the third floor before setting up camp to take a rest before continuing their journey. "I think we all managed to level up so be sure to get a rest and eat a good meal before we continue the mobs on the third floor can use basic magic so we need to be at our best to defend against their attacks. " Eric said pulling out a bag full of jerky and eating it before he set up his tent. 36 Abyss Vines Packing their gear up the party prepared themselves for the next floor by doing some stretches after a long rest. Climbing the stairs they slowly made their way into the third floor hoping that it would be warmer than the previous one. Hearing a loud boom in the sky the party was met with a dimly lit forest that barely protected them from the downpour of rain. "This sucks, not only is visibility low but we have to spend who knows how long being cold and wet. " Yuki said while doing her best to stay as dry as she can. "While it is not a ideal environment we still need to be careful since the mobs can use magic on this floor so try not to lower your guard. " Eric said holding his shield over his head to keep the water out of his eyes. "Little Shadow and I can go scout for the locations of the mobs, with our speed and my Shadow Element we should be safe going out alone if we don''t stop to fight. " Alice said to Eric wanting to help lighten the burden of this floor. "Yeah just be sure not to engage with the mobs or bring them back to us. " Eric replied standing under the small cover Yuki had built for the party. Giving a nod both Alice and Shadow sped off into the forest to locate the mobs as best they could. Leaping from tree to tree as fast as she would she quickly made her way through the forest making mental notes of the mobs she passed along the way. Quickly dodging to the right she managed to dodge a blast of fire hitting the tree next to where she was standing. ''Shadow make sure you are not followed and head back to the party, '' Alice instructed as she sank into a shadow to move closer to the party without being seen by the monster that attacked her. "That was pretty quick did you see any of the mobs? " Eric said seeing her come out of a shadow net to them. "Yeah, I was attacked by one of them further out but I made sure to use my Shadow Element to escape without being seen. " Alice said taking some shelter to warm up by a fire they managed to start. ''Alice, one of the closer mobs spotted me and is following me, I need help. '' Little Shadow said urgently. "We need to move Little Shadow is being followed by one of the mobs closest to us and is in trouble. " Alice said leading the party towards Little Shadow. Quickly darting behind the party safely Little Shadow climbed a tree waiting for his moment to attack while Alice and the others fought the mobs. Gaining aggro Eric made use of his Fire Element giving Alice quite the surprise, thanks to ''Gods Eye'' she knew he had a decent amount of mana for his level but she didn''t know he could use the Fire Element. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Sending small ''Fireballs'' out to help the party see better in the dark, seeing his mana go down at a quick pace she called out, "Eric! I will take over with using the Fire Element you save your mana! " Infusing her scythe with her Fire Element Alice''s blade caught fire making it look like streaks of red were left behind after every swing. With visibility slightly better than before the group managed to fend off the magic attacks being sent their way while taking the mob down one monster at a time. Killing the last monster of the first mob the group sat in another shelter to discus a battle plan to make things go a little smoother. "Alice, as long as you can keep a ''Fireball'' going without launching it at a enemy I think we will have just enough light to see the mob monsters lurking in the trees. Yuki we will need you to use your Earth Element to protect us from the magic attacks while Yumi and Alex attack the monsters still in the trees to knock them down. Josh and I will tank as much as we can while Alice keeps the mobs from getting to anyone other than Josh and I. " Eric said forming a battle formation for the party. "Sounds like a good plan to me, " Yumi said understanding what her role was for this floor. "I also have no objections, " Yuki and Alex said together. Having a solid plan of action the party follows Alice and Little Shadow to the location of the next mob. While walking she pulled out her Grimoire and looked for more crowd control type spells to help with this kind of situation. Seeing the book stop flipping on a spell called ''Abyss Vines'' she raised an eyebrow reading the spell to herself. ''Using 200 MP the spell caster will place their hands on the ground in a place with trees or vines. The spell caster will take control of five black vines that pull the target(s) to the place the spell has been cast rooting the target(s) in place for 30 seconds. 1,000 mana can be used to use the upgraded spell ''Vines of the Shadow Monarch'' ''Vines of the Shadow Monarch'' is activated the same way as ''Abyss Vines'' but will allow the caster to control 25 Vines pulling the target(s) to specified potion draining 20 MP per second from target(s). Almost tripping while reading the skill Alice settled with only using the ''Abyss Vines'' spell when she needed not wanting to waste over half her MP just to use a single spell. Successfully learning her new spell she started to wonder about the term ''Shadow Monarch'' wondering how many more spells have a upgraded version to them. ''I will have to read more of the Grimoire when I get a chance, '' Alice thought to herself as the party arrived at the next mob location. Jumping into their formation Alice conjured up a large ''Fireball'' above the party giving them enough light to see the monsters hiding on tree limbs. Alex and Yumi went to work knocking the monsters off the trees while Yuki defended against the magic attacks being sent their way using her Earth Element to block and destroy the attacks before they got close to Eric who had used ''War Cry'' to get their attention. Placing her hands on the ground she activated her new spell feeling the mana rush from her body to the ground as a small shadow slowly spread from her hands. Suddenly five large Black Vines rushed out in all directions pulling monsters from treetops and the surrounding area pulling the moneys quickly to the center wrapping around the monsters and rooting them in place. Swinging her scythe at neck level she managed to decapitate all five monsters in one attack causing the rest of the party to slow down due to shock at the sudden new spell. "What the hell was that Alice??? " Yumi shouted wanting to know where that spell came from and why she didn''t use it sooner. "I did some reading on the walk over here and wanted to try something new out but it takes a lot of mana, " She replied looking at her renaming mana. Name - Alice Class - Demi Angel Title - Hunter HP 583/605 MP 1,233/1,660 Smiling due to the fact she still had over 1,000 MP even with keeping the ''Fireball'' going and using her new spell she continued to attack the mob mercilessly. Finishing up the second mob and taking another short rest Alice was amazed seeing her mana regenerate at a alarming speed almost having all of her mana back in a few moments. "How much mana does a spell like that even cost? " Yuki said also getting Alex''s attention as he wanted to know as well. "It costs 200 mana to use the spell, there is also a upgraded version called ''Vines of the Shadow Monarch'' that costs 1,000 mana to activate but it also drains 20 mana per second from up to 25 targets. " Alice replied with a bragging tone and a smile. "That''s just insane!!! " Alex yelled out not believing her words. "Even a level 40 mage has barely over 1,000 mana! " He continued to say in shock. "Well it isn''t like I can use that skill yet you know, " Alice said lying knowing she could use the spell if she wanted to. "I guess that is true, it would be crazy for someone who isn''t even level 40 to have that much mana. " Yuki said as the party continued their talk while walking to the next destination. Following their new battle formation the party made quick work of the next few mobs as the reached the entrance to the last floor of the dungeon. "Well thanks to our ability to work as a team we made really good time despite the rain and lack of light at the beginning. " Eric said while pulling out some more food to eat. "Yeah, we should probably head to the last floor after we get some rest, " Josh said pulling out his tent while Yuki shielded the party from the constant rain. Laying down in her own tent Alice decided to level up after gaining enough experience to get the system notification after killing the last few monster of the floor. Name - Alice Class - Fallen > Demi Angel Title - Hunter HP - 610/610 MP - 1,715/1,715 Level - 17 > 18 STR - 80 > 90 +10 VIT - 78 +5 INT - 110 > 120 (+5 +200) DEX - 40 > 45 (+10 +5) DEF - 60 (+5 +10 +10) AGI - 50 > 55(+5 +10) Skill points - 30 > 0 Skills; Familiar Telepathy, Blessed by God (Passive), Demonic Gaze, Gods Eye (Passive) Feeling the rush of power again she smiled before closing her eyes and falling asleep even though she didn''t need to. Little Shadow on the other hand laid beside Alice while feeling the same rush again after having leveled up quite a few times in the dungeon. | Little Shadow level 16 | HP 340/340 MP 670/670 Skill - Devour, Fear (Lets out a primal growl causing enemy''s to feel a sense of fear) ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Waking up to the sounds of everyone packing their gear Alice woke Little Shadow up and did the same before joining them next to the entrance to the last floor. "Alright everyone we will see what the plan of action is once we enter the last floor so be prepared for the worst. " Eric said leading the way. Coming into a clearing the group saw that the forest was not as think as before and the sky was sunny and clear. "Thankfully we have good weather on this floor, " Yumi said taking a deep breath of fresh air. "It is pretty weird that we can basically see through the forest to where the boss is though, " Alice said pointing in the direction of the boss. "We cant see that far, " Yumi said looking in the direction Alice was pointing. "Oh well I am certain the boss is that way.. " Alice said seeing a large beast far out through the trees. "Lets go then, " Eric said trusting Alice''s words and leading the way through the loosely wooded forest. Keeping an eye out for possible mobs they were suspicious when they couldn''t see any signs of mobs. Slowly walking forward they were able to see the Boss of the fourth floor. | Satori Level 22 Boss | HP 43,000/43,000 MP 60,000/60,000 Skills - Mind Manipulation, Mind Reading, Illusion, Chain Lightning Whispering to the party Eric instructed that they stay spread out due to the ''Chain Lightning'' spell the Satori had not wanting his whole team to get stunned or killed in one go. Taking his instructions the party spread out in the forest before rushing out on different sides of the boss to take it by surprise. Using his ''War Cry'' skill Eric blocked the first attack being sent back a few feet before being healed by Josh. Seeing them spread out the Boss used his spell ''Mind Manipulation'' to confuse Yuki into seeing Josh as the Satori. Turning her attention at Josh she raised her hands and started to cast ''Earth Spikes'' in hopes of dealing massive damage to the Boss not knowing she was attacking her own team mate and friend. 37 Battle with the Satori Seeing Yuki aiming her spell at Josh, Alex sent a ''Water ball'' crashing into Josh''s back sending him forward enough to avoid death as one of the spikes impaled his leg. Yelling out in pain Alice took the initiative to guard Josh so he could have time to heal himself. Yelling out for Yumi to restrain Yuki Eric did everything in his power to hold aggro and keep Satori''s attention. Swinging the Disk end of her weapon Yumi wrapped Yuki tight with her chain preventing her from attacking Josh any further as he began to heal himself. "Alice, start doing as much damage as you can! " Eric called out trying to keep control of the situation. Not needing to be told twice she sent a few ''Wind Blades'' flying towards the Satori as she positioned herself behind the boss while changing from long range to close range attacks. Slicing away at the thick skin of the massive beast she danced circles around it while cuts started to visibly appear. Changing to the Fire Element she swung harder with each attack dealing even more damage until Eric no longer had aggro of the Satori. Unaware of having the Satori''s full attention, she kept attacking until she saw its club headed right at her head. Ducking as quick as she could Alice dodged the strike while using ''Rift Warp'' to put some distance between her and the Boss. Glaring at she could tell he was about to use a Magic attack when he threw his club at her and pulled a staff out of the ground. "Alice RUN! " Eric yelled only to see her already running towards a shadow by a tree to try to escape. "Zizzzzzzzzk - BOOM" Jumping into the Shadow she was hit in the back with the Satori''s ''Chain Lightning'' attack causing her to be stunned while in the Rift. Coming back from her disabled state she looked at her status to see just how much damage she took from that attack. Name -Alice Class - Demi Angel Title - Hunter HP 402/610 MP 582/1715 Level - 18 STR - 90 +10 VIT - 78 +5 INT - 120 (+5 +200) DEX - 45 (+10 +5) DEF 60 (+5 +10 +10) AGI 55 (+5 +10) Skill Points - 0 Skills: Familiar Telepathy, Blessed by God (Passive),Demonic Gaze, Gods Eye (Passive) Seeing that her MP was draining by the second and that her HP was lower than she thought it would be she made the choice to exit the Rift behind a tree behind where the Satori should be. Giving herself some time to recover her HP and MP with her passive she rushed back towards the Satori only to see that the group was busy fighting each other. Placing her hands on the ground she used her ''Abyss Vines'' spell on her teammates to hold them in place so they couldn''t kill each other. Launching a few ''Fireballs'' at the Satori to get the bosses aggro she turned his attention away from the rest of the party as she dodged attacks and did her best to attack when she could. Rift Warping beside the Boss she infused her scythe with the Shadow Element and lodged it into the Satori''s body causing it to take damage every second. Leaping back and leaving her weapon inside the boss she narrowly avoided being grabbed by the Boss. Having some room to breath she charged up a large ''Fireball'' and launched it at the Boss''s chest. Not being able to move very quick due to the weapon stuck in his body the boss had no other choice than to take her attack head on. | Satori Level 22 Boss | HP 18,111/43,000 Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. MP 38,000/60,000 Taking out a spare sword she had in her inventory she continued with her attacks frowning at the lack of damage the sword has compared to her scythe. Seeing the Satori''s staff crackle with lightning at the top she knew he was about to let out another attack. Using ''Rift Warp'' to get out of his sight this time she dodged the attack then rushed back to continue attacking the boss. Hearing Eric call out that they were back to normal she released them from her ''Abyss Vines'' spell and backed off a little letting Eric try to take aggro again. Seeing Eric fail to take aggro no matter what he did she realized that her scythe was slowly killing the Satori causing her to maintain aggro. Launching a ''Fireball'' at his face she quickly withdrew her scythe from the Satori''s body ending the damage-over-time effect she had figured out she could do in the last dungeon. Taking her scythe and disappearing from sight long enough for Eric to resume his role as the tank she regained some more mana before trying to use the ''Abyss Vines'' spell on the boss so they could finish him off. Placing her hands on the ground she activated the spell as the Vines shot out of the ground wrapping themself around the Satori. Becoming enraged the Satori broke through her spell and turned his attention towards Alice again. ''Shit'' Alice thought to herself before using her ''Demonic Gaze'' skill to cause the Satori to pause, yelling out "Sit!!" She took advantage of Satori''s state and slammed the back of her scythe against his face causing him to fall on his ass. | Title Quest - Queen ? | Seeing the display she grinned as she was one step closer before getting her new title which she really wanted. Attacking together the party chipped away at the last remaining amount of HP the Satori had left before finally killing him. "Well we had a few close calls but no one died so we can call this a good dungeon run! " Alex said, stretching. "Thank you for tying us down when we were being manipulated Alice, " Eric said knowing that she is the main reason no one got killed during this fight. "Don''t mention it, you guys saved my life it''s the least I can do! " She replied with a smile sitting on top of Satori''s dead body kicking her legs back and forth. Looting the surrounding of whatever they could including the satori''s staff they party started heading towards the exit completing the dungeon. "You guys head back and turn everything in first. I want to see if I can''t find any monsters around for me to fight. I feel like I am close to leveling up again. " Alice said while running off into the forest with Little Shadow by her side. ''I am close to leveling up again as well, '' Little Shadow said while keeping pace with her. "I guess we will both be leveling up again! " Alice said hearing the good news. Killing small monsters in the forest they two kept going further into the forest while looking for something strong to kill so they could finish leveling up. Just when Alice thought of giving up looking and heading back to the kingdom to she spotted a large beast in the distance. | Wind Lion Level 20 | Seeing that the beast has a specific element she wondered if it was capable of long range attacks. ''What do you think? Should we take this beast on? '' Alice asked her companion Little Shadow wanting to know what he thought. ''It might be a tough battle seeing how he has an element but I believe with the two of us we can probably kill him. '' Little Shadow replied waiting for Alice to make her move so he could follow. Pulling out her scythe she waited until the beast had its back turned before she used her ''Rift Warp'' to sneak up behind it to land the first attack. Successfully managing to land the first strike she jumped back and fired off a ''Fireball'' quickly to add to the damage she just dealt. Turning around and getting hit in the face with a fireball the beast let out a loud roar before rushing at Alice. Seeing the wind swirl around the Lion''s paws Alice sank into a shadow avoiding being hit as Little Shadow jumped on top of the distracted Lion and used ''Devour'' to take more of his HP away. Turning and swiping its large paw at Little Shadow the Lion''s unknowingly turned his back to Alice again letting her get another heavy attack in. Infusing the Fire Element in her scythe she sent small ''Fireballs'' toward the Lion. Not wanting to be hit anymore by her annoying attacks the Lion dodged and jumped back giving Alice the distance she wanted. Having already prepared a larger ''Fireball'' she launched it at the Lion before using ''Rift Warp'' to appear next to the Lion attacking him before the ''Fireball'' hit forcing the Lion to take one attack of the other. Choosing to take the ''Fireballs'' attack not expecting it to be stronger than the previous ones he howled in pain as the attack crashed into his rib cage exploding on impact causing serious burns. "Here kitty kitty, " Alice said yet again further away with a taunting finger motion. Mad and at half HP the Lion knew he could not defeat his opponent and tried to run away. Seeing the Lion running away at a fast pace she used every ounce of agility she had to catch up and launch more attacks at the Lion. Seeing that running was useless the Lion turned towards Alice sliding to a halt before letting out another howl. Covering his body with a small barrier of wind he charged at he again this time with more speed. Not having the time to think Alice jumped up as high as she could while watching the Lion crash through a tree knocking it over and turning to see her. "Seems like you decided to play seriously, " She said while falling back to the ground. Seeing the Lion distracted again Little Shadow tried to use ''Devour'' again only to be sent flying to the side because of the Lions ''Wind Barrier''. Seeing this Alice wondered if her attacks with her scythe would even damage the monster, spinning before she landed she swung hard with her weapon only to see it stop at the barrier a hair away from hitting the Lion. Taking his chance the Lion pushed forward landing a hit on Alice sending her flying back a few feet while red lines slowly appeared across her stomach letting blood flow out. Jumping into a tree and sending more ''Fireballs'' at the Lion she pulled out a potion and drank it letting her wounds slowly close. "I guess I will try my new spell out on you since no one can see me! " Alice yelled out angrily having taken over 300 damage from that one attack. Landing on the ground she slammed her palms on the dirt and yelled out "Vines of the Shadow Monarch". Almost as soon as she said it she felt a large amount of mana rush out of her body and into the ground as large portion of the surrounding turned black and large tentacle like Vines shot out of the ground around them flying at the Lion. Grabbing onto the Lion and lifting him into the air before dragging him forcefully to where Alice was the Lion was completely wrapped in the Vines unable to move. Looking at her mana increase at a rapid pace due to all 25 Vines latching onto the same target the spell disappeared in a black mist showing the dead body of the Lion. "What the heck I couldn''t even attack it just drained him dry¡­ " Alice said to herself looking at the shriveled up body of the Lion and then back at her mana which was almost back to full. | Title Acquired - Apprentice of Nyx | | Using the Shadows to kill a enemy without mercy Nyx has given you her blessing +25% efficiency with the Shadow Element, Shadow Eye (Allows you to see in the dark just as one can during day), +20 Skill Points per level up | "Who is Nyx? This Title bonus is just crazy¡­ " Alice said before seeing that she also gained a level after killing the Lion. Pulling up the status window she was happy to see she really did get 20 extra points to level up with. Name -Alice Class - Demi Angel Title - Hunter, Apprentice of Nyx HP 665/665 MP 1820/1820 Level - 18 > 19 STR - 90 > 110+10 VIT - 78 > 88 +5 INT - 120 > 140 (+5 +200) DEX - 45 (+10 +5) DEF 60 (+5 +10 +10) AGI 55 (+5 +10) Skill Points - 50 Skills: Familiar Telepathy, Blessed by God (Passive),Demonic Gaze, Gods Eye (Passive), Shadow Eye (Passive) 38 Demon Threa Heading back to the kingdom Alice and Little Shadow chatted about her life as a Angel while re recalled memories of her family and friends. ''I would have liked to meet your family.. Once you bring the Angel Race back I am sure you will create a family of your own. '' Little Shadow said rubbing against Alice''s leg as they walked. Reaching down and petting Shadow a little they picked up their pace to reach their home before the sun went down. "Hey Yumi I am back I managed to reach level 19! " Alice said walking though the front doors of the Estate seeing Yumi sitting on the stairs while talking with one of the maids. "That''s amazing, you will overtake me in level in no time at this rate. " Yumi said with a smile. "Yeah.. So did Eric say when we are going back out? " Alice asked eager to keep leveling. "He said he needs some time to get better gear and relax while spending time with his family so it may take a few weeks before we go back out. " Yumi replied. "Alice you should also know that my father received word that two people from the Demon Kingdom visited the Kingdom of Rudham.. A few people died and the rumor is they were asking on information about you. Two of your previous party members died at their hands. The Kingdom is building up a army to retaliate and they also are trying to find information about you. " She continued to say with a serious expression. "Is there a chance that the Demons will come to this Kingdom? " Alice asked kind of worried. "We still don''t know, but the King is hiring high leveled adventures and plans to make them stand guard at the kingdom gates for the next few day. " Yumi replied not knowing what else to do other than tell Alice. "Alice, would you mind coming with me to the Castle in the morning? The King wishes to have a talk with you. " Arita said while coming down the stairs. "That should not be a issue. " Alice replied wondering what the King will have to say about this matter. "Thank you, you girls should head off to bed. Tomorrow will be a little busy for Alice and myself. " Arita said while motioning for the maid to follow him again. "I guess I will have a early morning tomorrow, goodnight Yumi, " Alice said while going to her room to prepare for the meeting with the King. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Walking through the Castle Gates the two where greeted by a Royal Guard with orders to bring them to see the King for today''s meeting. Walking through the large hallways with countless rooms and suits of armor lining the hallways she couldn''t help but to think that the amount of money spent on all the armor sets could probably feed the kingdom for a few months. "Honorable Guests please enter the strategy room. " The guard said while opening the door for Alice and Arita. "Thank you Steven, " Arita said to the guard while leading Alice into the room where the King and a handful of other people sat around a table. "Thank you for joining us Alice, I am sure you have already heard of the Demons who paid a unfortunate visit to the kingdom you came here from. We have not been able to verify the location of these Demons yet but we have reason to believe they will visit this kingdom next. With that being said we would like to ask if you could talk with the Demon King Kira seeing how you have a agreement with him. All we ask is that you try to prevent any harm to the citizens here, without your help there will most likely be innocent life''s lost. " King Mark said gripping the handles of his chair tightly. "I would but I do not know how to activate the Mirror in Alister''s office, that is the only way know of to talk with the Demon King. " Alice said wanting to help but not knowing what happened with Alister. "That wont be a problem Alister still lives in this kingdom and we have moved the mirror to one of the rooms in the Castle. One of my men with fetch Alister and bring him to you where the Mirror is currently located. " King Mark said while telling one of the men in the room to take Alister to the room and wait for Alice to arrive before taking his shackles off. "If the Demon King wont make any promises? " Alice questioned after the man left. "Then we will fight if it comes down to it as well as evacuate the area surrounding the Gates. Let us pray that it does not come to that though. " The King said while standing now. "Arita, take Alice to the room where we would often talk about the good of the kingdom while drinking. " King Mark said while offering his hand to Arita to help him up. "Those days still live fresh in my mind, I long for the day when we can once again drink like that. " Arita said while standing by the door waiting on Alice to join him. "I will do what I can to help the Kingdom your highness, " Alice said with a slight bow of respect before leaving the room with Arita. "I know you want to help but don''t agree to anything troublesome for yourself, " Arita said leading her through the long hallways of the Castle. "I don''t plan on offering him anything, " Alice said trying to work out what she was even going to say to the Demon King. "This is the room, Alister should already be inside so be careful I will stand outside and wait for the news. Be safe for Yumi''s sake please. " He said before closing the door behind her. "Why hello there Alice, It has not been that long since our last chat. Did you perhaps miss me? " Lord Kira said with a smile having already been called on the Mirror. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "I wouldn''t miss someone who threatens my friends and loved ones even if they died in a horrible way. " Alice said not hiding the disdain in her voice. "Now now that is no way to talk to your future King is it? " Lord Kira said jokingly. "Future King? A King is someone honorable who keeps their word, unlike a certain someone. " She replied with a cold glare. "I wonder what it is you''re referring to Alice, " Lord Kira said while waiting for her to explain what was going on. "You mean to tell me you didn''t send two of your Demons to the Rudham Kingdom to kill and question people I knew? People who I use to be a party with? " Alice said in a sarcastic voice not believing he didn''t have anything to do with it. "Why it is true that I sent one of my men to investigate your background I did not tell them to kill or harm anyone. " Lord Kira said growing annoyed thinking about how he would punish the two who went to the kingdom. "You have my word they will be punished accordingly, I would be more than happy to let you watch their punishments. You can even tell me when to stop? How does that sound Alice? " Lord Kira said wanting to see if Alice shared his taste for torture. "While I would enjoy nothing more than seeing the ones who killed my friends killed I am afraid you cant do that for me since they are currently on their way to this kingdom. I don''t need to remind you of our deal do I? " Alice said trying to trap him while giving herself a opportunity to get out of the deal with no fault of her own. "If they set foot in that kingdom I would like you to meet with the two men. They have strict orders not to harm you so they will at a minimum listen to what you have to say. When they let you talk tell them I said ''For someone who is so eager to make his King happy and be given more tasks to accomplish you have managed to piss me off. Come back now and I can look past this, stay longer than your talk with Miss Alice and you will be seen as a enemy of the kingdom.'' That should get his attention, but if things go bad for you then I will just compensate the Kingdom for their losses. " Lord Kira said clearly angry. "Compensating the Kingdom wont be the only thing you do. I have many friends in this Kingdom and if anyone of them are harmed then you will have broken our deal and I will go into the wind so keep that in mind Mister Demon King. " Alice said before turning around to leave the room. "Are you sure that is the way you want things to go Alice? You may be my daughter so I wont kill you no matter how much you piss me off run but your friends wont be able to escape unlike you. Think carefully before you leave the room. " Lord Kira said now glaring at her. Turning around and walking up to the Mirror close enough to feel as though she was standing directly in front of him she said, "Your people have taken who i care about the most once already, what makes you think I wont survive and come back to destroy you if you do it again? You''re old and I am young even if it takes me 40 or 50 years I will still swear a blood oath to God to kill you. A man like you could never have the right to call me father. " Alice said now infuriated once again letting her ''Demonic Gaze'' out passively causing her purple eye to turn a blood red color. "You sure do take after your mother Alice, no one in this world other than her would dare say such a thing to me. I will stand by my threat though so don''t feel to good about yourself, I will do what I can to make the two Demons return to me but don''t think I will be letting you go so easily. " Lord Kira said leaning in closer to the Mirror meeting her gaze with his own. Looking at his she wondered if she could use ''Gods Eye'' on his through the Mirror. | Kira Ashkin Level 150 (King of the Demon Race) | "Guess you better hope that your men don''t mess things up for you then. " Alice said before sinking into the shadow cast by the mirror keeping eye contact with him to show she meant what she had said. Reappearing from a shadow cast by a suit of armor in the hallway beside Arita she only looked down with a sad expression knowing she may have just killed off her friends with that exchange of words. "I did what I could, I think it would be best for you and Yumi to leave the kingdom and head somewhere far away.. " Alice said almost begging him. "If we die than we die, life is not forever I would rather die protecting someone truly important to the world than running away. " Arita said pulling Alice in for a hug to let her know he does not blame her. "But.. He will really kill you and Yumi... I wont be able to become a Angel anymore if I loose the two of you.. The last of the good in my life will have been destroyed all by one race.. I will be driven by hatred. " Alice said in tears not wanting to be strong anymore. "I wish my father was here.. He always knew what to do... " She continued to sob in his arms. "Your father may not be here but as a father myself I know he would not want you to cry Alice, he would say the same thing I would tell my daughter. Pick your head up and always look forward, never let someone make you give up. " Arita said trying his best to find the words to say to the broken girl in his arms. 39 Marriage Proposal "Looks like this is the Kingdom that the girl Kira is after lives in, " Kayle said while riding his familiar, a large bird like monster as large as some high leveled boss monsters whose feathers were bright red and orange. "I shouldn''t have to remind you that Lord Kira has ordered you not to interfere with Drago''s assignment in this kingdom. We got to have our fun in the Rudham Kingdom so make sure you don''t cause too much trouble. I can only do so much to protect you if you mess up. " Kayl''s father Obon said while taking Kayl''s swords from him as he jumped off his familiar launching himself at the Kingdom. ____________________________________________________________________________ Walking through the streets trying to take her mind off of her talk with the Demon King Kira she felt a large presence quickly coming towards the Kingdom. Looking in the sky where she felt it she saw a bright red aura flying her direction. As if picking Alice out of the crowded streets Kayl luckily managed to land right in front of the woman he was searching for. Taking a small step back due to his dominating presence Alice quickly looked to see his level and took her scythe out feeling danger. | Kayl level 125 | ''Fuck there is nothing I can do, '' She thought to herslef seeing the tall Demon with black armor, red hair and yellow eyes stand in front of her. "No need to take your weapon out little girl I am only here to speak with the girl named Alice, if you tell me where she is I promise I will not lay a hand on you. " Kayl said now hiding his presence letting Alice and the people around him breathe a little easier. "We can talk but you should know that your Kira is quite unhappy with you coming here. He is even more pissed off that you violated our agreement when you harmed my friends in the Rudham Kingdom. " Alice said, still ready to escape if she needed. "I take it you''re Alice then, take us to a place to talk and I will leave without any trouble after our little chat. " Kayl said while taking a step closer to Alice and placing his hand around her arm to let her know she couldn''t escape. "Then I ask we have our chat outside of the Kingdom Gates, I do not wish for you to kill anyone here if they come to interfere. " Alice said while leading the way out of the Kingdom hoping that no one would follow. If she was going to be captured she didn''t want anyone to die over it. Walking with Kayl behind her she felt the looks of everyone they passed along the way wanting to know what a Demon of this level wanted with the pretty girl. "So what is it you would risk punishment from Kira just talk with me about? " Alice asked trying to relax a little bit seeing Kayl look more relaxed himself. "I want to know where it is you came from, the information I got in Rudham left me to believe you have two purple eyes so I would also like you to explain your now gold eye. Other than that I wish to talk with you about the matter of becoming my wife. Tri-Mages with your Elements are very rare and I believe you will be worthy of me after some nurturement. You will be coming to the Demon Kingdom anyways so it would be very beneficial to you if I took you as my wife. " Kayl said while letting go of her and taking a seat on the ground. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "What makes you think that I would marry you?!? " Alice asked shocked listening to him basically purpose to her. "You''re looking at things from the here and now point of view. I am looking at the future Alice. I want someone powerful as my wife and with some work you will surely be more powerful than any female demon in the Kingdom. Of course it has some part to do with your beauty but if you agree just know that I will only ask for one offspring in turn I won''t restrict you no matter what you want to do. " Kayl said while motioning her to sit with him. "I understand you are in a weird spot. Kira plans to force you to come to the Kingdom to serve him but what I offer is something different. You may even have more rights being my wife than you will being controlled by Kira so think about it. " Kayl said before she could reject forcing her to think of her future in the Demon Kingdom. Taking a seat not wanting to anger him while he is being so civil she replied with what she felt was her only choice. "You should know that Kira is my father, do you think he would agree so easily to you marrying me? " Hearing her words his eyes widened in shock not knowing exactly what to say. "So that is why he is so determined, we have taken two other Tri-Mages in the past and he has never once cared if they died. I will ask him for his permission then when I return to the Kingdom so we can have this conversation at a later date. I still wish to know about your gold eye though, seeing how I plan to marry you I don''t think you should see me as the enemy any longer so please try not to be on edge around me. " Kayl said while showing a softer side and being more gentle with his tone. "I almost died recently in a dungeon and when I was able to wake back up my eye had changed color. That is all I know about my eye it really isn''t anything special that needs questioning, It isn''t like it can shoot out attacks you know. " Alice said hoping he would just believe her and drop the subject. "If you were not of Royal Demon blood I would still be curious but my last question would be where is your mother? I am sure that Lord Kira also wishes to know this information. " Kayl asked. "My mother was taken from me a long time ago, I have been all alone for a long time now.. I just recently found a family to call my own here in this Kingdom one of them will even be coming with me to the Demon Kingdom. " Alice replied still shocked that things have turned out so much differently than she was expecting. "I am truly sorry to hear that Alice, I have only just met you but please think of me as a friend and an ally from now on. I will try to come and visit you when I can so we can better get to know each other before you give me your answer. " Kayl said while standing up and offering his hand to Alice to help her stand up. "You utter fool, you think that Lord Kira will let you marry his daughter? " Obon said while landing beside them on the giant bird. "It has nothing to do with you father, I have made my mind up and Alice has been kind enough to not reject and give the offer time. You should be more happy for you son you know. " Kayl said annoyed with his father pointing out the obvious hurtle he will have to overcome. ''I wonder how long I can pretend to be Kira''s daughter, '' Alice thought to herself hating the fact she has to continue lying in order to survive. "Miss Alice please continue to grow and make sure to honor your promise with our Lord, " Obon said while handing Alice a necklace. "What is this for? " Alice questioned while taking the necklace which had a black star encircled by gold. "This is the symbol of our family while I do not think that Lord Kira will approve of your marriage. I as a father would fail if I did not give a dowery present to the woman my son has proposed to. This necklace has the ability to speed up ones growth, it also serves as a token all Demons will see as you being part of the Royal family so they will leave you alone and in some cases listen to your words. We must return now, " Obon said while mounting the bird once again. "Since my father approves I will net time return with news of Lord Kira''s approval, please give me your answer at that time Alice. " Kayl said while following his father and taking off on the bird. ____________________________________________________________________________ Walking into the room they held the meeting about what to do with the news of the demons coming to the Kingdom she was met by Arita and King Mark. "It is good to see that you''re unharmed Alice, please tell us what happened and what did they want? " King Mark questioned. "The two Demons that came to the Kingdom are known as Obon and his son Kayl, the son wished to ask me where I came from as well about my gold eye.. He also asked for my hand in marriage¡­ " She replied while waiting for a response. "It is good news then! If Obon the destroyer of Kingdoms came with his son only to ask you to marry Kayl then that means there is no threat to our kingdom right now. With that being said I will not tell you want to do regarding this matter but just know that Obon is not someone to offend if you accepted then you no longer have a choice. " The King said with a smile now that his people are safe. "I didn''t answer, I told his son that I will answer after he gets ''My fathers'' permission¡­ " Alice replied. "Your father? " Arita questioned knowing that wasn''t possible. "Demon King Kira believes that I am his daughter. " She replied not knowing what else to say. "I see, then you plan to continue pretending to be his daughter? " King Mark questioned again. "I don''t see any other option, if he believes that I am then it makes things easier for me when I go to his Kingdom. He may even try to kill me if he finds out that I have been lying to him about this. " Alice said, knowing that she could trust the King and Arita with this information. "I think Alice has had quite the day your majesty, we should have a drink later. For now I wish to take Alice back home to have a private discussion. " Arita said while now standing by the door. ____________________________________________________________________________ "So what do you plan to do regarding the marriage and what is all this about the Demon King thinking that you''re his daughter how did that even happen? " Arita asked while taking his seat in his office. Explaining everything to him not leaving anything out they failed to realize that Yumi was sitting outside the door listening to their conversation. "If you ask me then I think you should do it. Kayl seems to want to help you which will prove useful for you later on when you start living in the Kingdom. While you may have reservations about this keep in mind you can ask the wedding be put off for a longer period of time. This is not an uncommon thing for people in high status to do in the Demon Kingdom. His main concern also seems for you to become powerful so he may be looking for a War Maiden to be his partner on the battlefield. " Arita said thinking things through with Alice trying to help her make the smartest decision she can for her situation. "I guess I will tackle that problem when the time comes, for now I need to focus on leveling. All the Demons I have encountered so far are much stronger than I currently am. " Alice replied while leaving his office only to see Yumi with her head hanging down depressed in front of the open door. 40 Yumis Confession "Yumi, what''s wrong?? " Alice asked not thinking about how the marriage proposal she overheard might affect her friend. "Can we talk¡­ '''' Yumi said, wiping away her tears before walking away not even looking to see if Alice was following behind her. Following behind Yumi she started to think about the bigger picture when it comes to the Quest she is on and Yumi''s dedication to following her.. Not to mention the kiss she received when she lost control of herself during the Estates invasion. "Yumi I- " Alice was cut off when they reached the garden as she was once again met with a kiss that took her by surprise. "Before you say anything I want you to let me say what I have to say and after that I will accept whatever you say¡­ So please listen¡­ " Yumi said red faced and glassy eyed while looking at her. With a simple nod of her head Alice showed Yumi that she was ready to listen to everything she had to say whatever it might be. "I was always even as a kid a little different from everyone else and I didn''t really understand why until I got a little older. I have never had a boyfriend or liked anyone enough to care about personal relationships. The day you came into my shop started a domino effect inside me and I have struggled with it for a while not knowing how to tell you or even what to do about it. The more time I spent with you the more I began to not want to be away from you.. Then I found out about you being an Angel and having this whole Holy Quest laid on you by God and I was happy just being able to be a part of your life even if I had to go to the Demon Kingdom with you to help you. " Yumi said while drying her eyes with her shirt sleeve and finding the courage to continue confession without chickening out. "My whole point is that I love you¡­ I love you as a precious friend, adventure, and every part about you from your past to your present. Hearing that someone proposed to you made my chest tighten up to the point I didn''t know if I could breathe again.. I know you''re only thinking about your future and bringing your race back to life but to me.. You are all I think about and I couldn''t stand letting you get closer to someone else without me letting you know how I feel even if you reject me¡­ That.. Is all I had to say.. Thank you for listening to all that I understand if you hate me now but I had to tell you. " Yumi said trying not to tear up again while not being able to meet Alice''s eyes afraid of what she might say. Seeing Yumi put herself out like this while trying her best not to cry Alice was not as surprised as Yumi thought she would be since Alice already somewhat knew that Yumi might be interested in her. "For starters don''t be silly, I already kind of guessed you had feelings for me I just didn''t know that you were that serious. I could never hate you no matter what you did in case you didn''t realize unless you''ve killed my family I have more pressing things to worry about so don''t ever think I will hate you. While I was indeed proposed too that doesn''t mean that I have feelings for the person. Incase you didn''t realize who it was that asked me it was a Demon, do you really think I will give myself to a Demon of all people? Your father and I were talking about ways for me to buy time while in the Demon Kingdom seeing how being engaged to someone of high status on top of being perceived as Kira''s daughter basically ensures mine and your safety while we are there. " Alice said while hugging Yumi to cheer her up. "You promise you don''t hate me? You don''t think I am weird? " Yumi looked up and asked feeling a lot better while still feeling her chest tightening waiting to see if Alice would accept her feelings or reject her. "Of course I don''t hate you and no I don''t think you''re weird Yumi. I don''t really know how to respond to your feelings right now though.. " Alice said honestly not knowing what she should say since she didn''t like or dislike the idea of being with Yumi. "I understand.. I will wait for your answer then! " Yumi said quite a bit happier now that she confessed and didn''t necessarily get rejected. She saw hope in Alice''s answer which was good enough for now. "Then do you want to go on an adventure just the two of us? " Alice asked already knowing what her answer would be. "I would love too! You still have to catch up in level to me seeing how I am level 20 now and you''re level 19. " Yumi said while taking off to her room to get all of her equipment before they set off to the Adventurer''s Guild to find some requests to take on. ''Seems like she is in a better mood, '' Little Shadow said laying on one of the tree limbs a few feet away. "So you heard all of that huh. " Alice said while holding her arms out to catch her familiar. . ''Every word, so what do you plan on doing about the proposal and Yumi? '' He asked while jumping out of her arms to walk beside her as they walked to their room. "For now I plan to take advantage of the Demon Kayl and his father for everything I can to help me reach higher levels as fast as I can. As for Yumi I honestly don''t know she has been really good to me and everything I just don''t know how I feel so I will give her an answer when I know. " Alice said while putting her armor set on. "KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK~" Opening the door and walking into the room Alice was expecting Yumi but instead saw her father which made her feel a little awkward. "So how did things go with you and my daughter? she might not tell me everything but I still know if she is interested in someone. " Arita asked while taking a seat on one of the chairs near the door in her room. "She did confess to me, I don''t know how I feel about her romantically so I told her I could not give her an answer yet. " Alice replied, feeling even more awkward. "She is happy when she is with you so that is good enough for me but please try not to hurt her I always imagined I would have this talk with a guy but I guess life works in unseen ways. " Arita said while getting out of the chair and walking closer to Alice. "I know you wouldn''t hurt her on purpose but she is my daughter so please look out for her the best you can. Even more so when you two leave for the Demon Kingdom. " Arita said again before leaving the room. ''He is a good father, '' Little Shadow said laying on the bed upside down with his head slightly hanging off the edge. "He kind of reminds me of my father to be honest which is why I think it is so easy to talk to him, ready to go? " Alice said now standing in the doorway waiting on him to stop being lazy on the bed. Meeting up with Yumi in the hall way the two girls and Little Shadow left the Estate to go and find some requests to take at the Adventurer''s Guild. | Request - Kill Wind Lion | | Request - Kill Kobold King that escaped dungeon | | Request - Gather Fire Lotus | | Request - Kill the Basan | "We can take all of these but what is a Basan? " Alice asked, looking at the flyers Yumi took down. "It is basically a bird the size of a horse that breathes fire. It sounds much harder than it is so don''t worry about it too much. " Yumi said recalling the time her father had to kill one on their travels when she was younger. Taking the flyers up the the receptionists the two got permission to go on the requests before leaving the Guild to buy some potions and camping gear before they left the Kingdom to go start their Requests. Already having a general idea where to find Wind Lions Alice lead the way to where she thought they were located. Walking through the forest Alice got curious if she could bring other people with her into the shadows since it would make their travels a little faster. "Hey Yumi mind if we stop for a bit? I kind of want to try something. " Alice said, stopping on a shadow cast by a large tree. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "Sure what do you want to try? " Yumi asked curiously. "Here stand close to me and hold on. " Alice said pulling her close when she got in arms reach of where she was causing Yumi to blush with a big smile she tried her best to hide. "Ready? " Alice asked as the two of them slowly started to sink into the trees'' shadow. "ALICE WAIT WHAT ARE YOU DOING!!?? " Yumi cried out in a panic not knowing what to do. Fully entering the tree''s shadow Yumi couldn''t even see Alice who was holding her close and before she knew it they were almost half a mile away from where they were just standing. "That was scary! How are you able to move us so far?? " Yumi questioned before waving the question off and just accepting the fact Alice was a skilled Shadow Element user. "I was curious and now I know if we get in trouble I can bring you with me to escape. " Alice said happily now that she could bring others with her. "We should be getting close to where the Wind Lion''s are so stay alert. " Alice said while pulling out her scythe causing Yumi to take her weapon out as well. While looking through the forest the two girls left the lower leveled monsters for Little Shadow to kill so he could work on catching up to them in levels as well. Not having any luck after searching for a few hours Yumi suggested they look at the fly to try to find more information about the location they needed to go to. Pulling out the flyer Yumi saw that Alice was indeed correct about the location which just caused the two to wonder where the Wind Lion''s could have run off to. "ROOOAAAARRRRR~" 41 Yumi meets Kayl Jumping to the side as fast as she could Alice was grazed by the Wind Lions claws as it jumped down from the trees to attack her. Rolling on the ground Alice looked around only to see the Wind Lion ignoring Yumi and rushing at her again. "Fuck can you leave me alone?? " Alice said in anger as Yumi wrapped her weapons chain around the Wind Lion''s neck stopping it just short of her giving her time to get back on her feet. Placing her hands on the ground Alice uses her spell ''Abyss Vines'' grabbing the Lion with the vines and holding it in place. Attacking together Alice and Yumi both started chipping away at the Lion''s Health while it could not move free from the vines. Roaring out in anger the Lion broke free from her spell and used his element to form a small barrier around his body. Feeling powered up the Lion rushed at Yumi seeing her as the weaker one of the two girls attacking him. Jumping in the air dodging her attack the Lion landed beside her swatting her away with his paw sending her flying at a tree. Seeing Yumi about to crash into a tree she Rift Warped and caught her while letting herself be thrown into the shadow avoiding damage from the tree. "Thanks Alice " Yumi said not able to see anything but knowing that Alice had saved her. "You''re welcome, when we come back out I will use a large spell so buy me a few seconds. " Alice said exiting the Shadow Realm close to the tree they almost crashed into. Jumping free from Alice she started fighting the Wind Lion as best she could to give Alice all the time she needed to use whatever spell she had planned to finish off the Wind Lion. Placing her hands on the ground a large black circle spread out before large black Vines shot out from the ground around Alice all charging forward at the Wind Lion as the spells only target. Crashing into the Lion and wrapping it up almost instantly the Lion was quickly dragged back to her as she felt her mana start to replenish quickly due to her spell as it drained all the mana from the monster. Moments later the spell broke and left behind the shriveled corpse of the Wind Lion giving Alice another level from defeating the monster. Name - Alice Class - Demi Angel Title - Hunter, Apprentice of Nyx HP - 670/670 MP- 1,975/1,975 Level 19 > 20 STR - 110 > 130 +10 VIT - 88 +5 INT - 140 > 170 (+5 +200) DEX - 45 (+10 +5) DEF - 60(+5 +10 +10) AGI - 55 (+5 +10) Skill Points - 50 Skills: Familiar Telepathy, Blessed by God (Passive), Demonic Gaze, Gods Eye (Passive), Shadow Eye (Passive). Putting most of her Skill Points into her INT stat she felt a rush as if the mana in the air around her was being drawn into her body. Not knowing that Yumi could see the effects of her level up as she watched as the wind seemed to be drawn to Alice the moment she finished putting her skill points into her INT. "What was that? " Yumi asked, pointing out that the air around her had changed the moment she had leveled up. "I gained about 150 more mana so I guess my body was absorbing the mana around me to make up for the change in my body. " Alice said, guessing perfectly. "How much mana do you even have now? " Yumi asked already knowing it was higher than normal people for her level. "It is just below 2,000 now after I level up again it should be over that. " She answered honestly seeing how she planned to put all 50 Skill Points into mana on her next level so she could use more spells in battle since her Grimoire still had a lot of spells she had not learned yet. After finishing the first request the two debated on which request they should complete next. Agreeing on finding the Kobold King who escaped the dungeon close by they started their travel in the general direction while chatting about the future and all the fun they plan on having once they reach higher levels together. "We should split up and try to find the Kobold King, the monsters are pretty scarce right now for some reason. " Alice said pointing out the lack of monsters in the forest for some unknown reason. Splitting up they looked everywhere they could up until the point where they did not know where each other had gone to. "What are you looking for Alice? " Kayl said landing softly beside her, taking her by surprise. "I thought you went back to the Demon Kingdom what are you doing here??? " Alice questioned not knowing what to expect. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "I sent my father back alone. I decided to stay back and help you level up. After all who can protect you better than I can in this region. " Kayl said with a smile. "Would you leave if I asked you too? How do you expect me to get stronger if you just plan to protect me the whole time? " Alice asked wanting to leave as fast as he could before Yumi showed up. "Don''t worry about that, When you fight the only time I will step in is if your life is in danger. Now what monster are you looking for? My familiar can find the monsters in this forest quite easily. " Kayl said genuinely wanting to help her out. "I am looking for a monster called ''The Kobold King'' for a request my friend and I have taken at the guild. He should be a tall creature with white fur and a weapon or two seeing how he escaped from a dungeon. " Alice said knowing things would be easier if he just located all the monsters she needed to kill. "I will tell my familiar to find the monster you seek to kill, your friend I assume is a female with beast ears? She should be pretty close shall we go meet her? " Kayl said pointing in the direction Yumi should be. "I guess. " Alice replied with a sigh not knowing what else to do. Walking through the forest with Kayl she tried playing out in her head all the reactions that Yumi would have and none of them ended very well. "I have something to talk with you about. " Alice said, getting Kayl''s full attention. "My friend that I am with on this adventure has confessed her feelings for me and she is very important to me so if she freaks out seeing you I want you to promise that you will not get in an argument with her. Fighting her is also off the table if you even touch her I will take her and run. " Alice said trying to plan ahead for anything that may happen. "I don''t see any issue with that, I believe I already told you the purpose in my proposal. I do not plan on keeping you from any love interest you may have as long as you are able to be mine during battle and come to see me as someone you can trust. " Kayl said walking beside her brushing off the question as if it was a small thing that didn''t matter. "With that being said though I will still want a child in the future but I do not plan on that being an immediate thing so if you like her and she is fine with this fact then I will not say another word. " He continued. "You''re honestly nothing like what I imagined someone so close to Kira being. " Alice said as they saw Yumi inthe distance as she looked for the Kobold. "Hey Yumi.. " Alice said standing behind Yumi. "What are you¡­ doing.. Here.. " Yumi asked while noticing the Demon standing next to her. "Yumi this is Kayl the one who proposed to me, he stayed behind to help me level up and he does not mean any harm. " Alice said while praying she would not freak out and cause any trouble. "It is nice to meet you Yumi. My name is Kayl and I wish to help you and Alice level before you two come to the Kingdom. I should also point out I do not wish to keep Alice from you if she were to see you as a lover. " He said with a small bow causing her to blush at the thought of her and Alice as lovers. "I-I guess it is fine then¡­ Has Alice already told you what we are looking for? Yumi asked taking things better now that she knew she still had a chance with Alice even if she got married. "My familiar has just relayed the location of the monster you two are searching for, if you follow me I can take you two there. My familiar currently has the monster held in place so it can not escape. " Kayl said while taking a few steps ahead of them waiting on them to follow him. "Oh by the way Yumi I have given Alice a necklace which helps her level faster at these low levels, I have a spare if you would like to use it so you do not fall behind. " He said while tossing her the same necklace Alice had been wearing. "I guess that''s why you wore that, " Yumi said slightly under her breath now feeling much better about things. As the two of them walked behind Kayl the three of them chatted about the Demon Kingdom and the current state of things which taught them quite a few things they did not know about the Demon Kingdom. The first being that while Lord Kira is the current ruler there are factions that oppose him still for the destruction of the Angel Kingdom which had never once attacked their own Kingdom. Some of the opposers even held high positions of power only following Kira until they worked out a strategy to defeat him. Many of the Demons used relics left behind by the Angels to advance their own Kingdom allowing them to create things such as the necklaces that Alice and Yumi now wore around their necks. The factions that opposed the King have been secretly been trying to amass a army of supporters for the day when they kill Kira and take his throne. One of the reasons for the delay in attack is due to the fact the major players all want to lay claim to the throne for themselves. With no clear leader for the rebellion they are smart enough to wait until the timing is perfect and either strike and decide later or wait until they have a clear front runner for the throne. The reason why he was telling the two girls this is because his father belonged to one of the factions that opposed the king. Obon while being a fierce opponent feared by many kingdoms was still on good terms with a few Angels back when they still lived. Learning this Alice began to wonder if she really had to kill all the Demons to finish her quest from God and why God would wish for the slaughter of an entire race to begin with. The second thing he informed them of was that Lord Kira while having opposers also had a great deal of powerful supporters who would not hesitate to lay waste to the whole world if he let them loose. If the two factions were to go to war with each other the entire Kingdom might be destroyed which is why a war has not taken place since everyone has someone they do not wish to lose. The last thing he talked with them about was the Angelic Prophecy left behind and Lord Kira''s relentless pursuit of silencing it. The Prophecy itself was a source of power for the opposing faction. That group of Demons believe that if they help that Angel that they can right the wrongs of their race and be given mercy by the God who seeks vengeance for the crimes of eradicating the Angels children and adults alike. 42 Steak and Wine "What would happen if the existence of the Angel was found? " Yumi asked curiously wanting to know more about what will happen when Alice reveals herself. "The two factions inside the Demon Kingdom would race to either Kill or protect the Angel, it would all depend on who got to the Angel first. If the Angel was lucky then they would be able to help the faction supporting them take over the Demon Kingdom for good. On the other hand if Lord Kira was to catch the Angel first then the Angels would be forever gone from this world. If that happened the Demons who support the Angel''s return fear that the God who wishes for the Angel Race to return would strike back harshly. It is all assumptions though since nothing about this prophecy is clear about what or how things will happen. " Kayl replied as they came into a clearing where Kayl''s familiar was keeping the Kobold King from moving by using gusts of wind from its wings to trap the King against the side of a boulder. "That is enough Percius, " Kayl said to his familiar instructing him to let the monster go so Alice and Yumi could fight it fairly. "Remember not to help. " Alice said pulling out her scythe and rushing towards the Kobold King to attack. Following behind her Yumi swung her disk end of her weapon wide wrapping the chain around the Kobold''s legs preventing it from walking or running giving Alice the perfect chance to land a attack. Infusing her scythe with the Fire Element she jumped in the air and dug the blade into the Kobold Kings arm. Pulling it free causing a large amount of damage she Rift Warped behind the monster sinking her blade in the monsters back while increasing the amount of fire being released causing the Kobold to begin burning from the inside while Yumi sent the blade end of her weapon crashing into the monster''s neck. Dropping to the ground defeated Kayl began to clap trying to show he was impressed with their teamwork. "You two make a good team. What shall we do next? " He asked. "Next would be gathering a Fire Lotus plant, the only problem is that we have no idea where to find it. The request did not give a location or a time limit to complete it. " Alice said looking over the flyer trying to find any clues on how to find it. "That is easy, I have a few with me. Fire Lotus plants can help Fire Element Mages increase the power of their attacks. I don''t mind giving you two one seeing on how I already gathered all the ones in the area previously. " Kayl said while tossing Alice one of the plants. "I guess if there are no more around we have no choice but to accept the gift. All that is left is killing a monster called a Basan. " Alice replied, putting away the Fire Lotus. "I will send my familiar to search for it, in the meantime we should have some lunch. " Kayl said pulling out everything needed to cook some meat with. "Kobold meat actually tastes pretty good would you two like to try some? " He said again while cutting the corpse of the monster up and preparing it to cook. "I didn''t know that you could eat them.. " Yumi said, watching him prepare the meat. "It is very good when you know how to cook it. " He said salting the meat and pouring some oil in a skillet to fry it. Starting a fire with the snap of his fingers the skillet started to warm up the oil slowly while Kayl cut a few 12oz steaks seasoning them with various spices making sure to thoroughly season each slice. Gently setting one steak into skillet making the oil make a crackling sound paired with a pleasant aroma that soon followed both Yumi and Alice felt their hunger increase with the passing time it took him to cook the steaks. "Why don''t you girls go find us something to drink while I cook. " Kayl said, still focusing on cooking the meat in front of him. "I just so happened to bring some wine with me, " Yumi said pulling out an elegant looking bottle of red wine with a golden label on it. "That is some high quality stuff you have there Miss Yumi, normally one would drink that with a lover. " Kayl said a little more excited to eat now that he would be enjoying such fine wine with the steak. "I just like the taste¡­ " Yumi replied not wanting to share it with him but still wanting to drink it with Alice who also seemed eager to eat and drink. Yumi used her Earth Element to create a small table and some stone chairs for the three of them to sit at while they ate. "I have never seen someone use their element like that before, " Kayl said watching Yumi craft a place to eat while he finished the last steak. While enjoying the food and wine which seemed to lighten the mood of all three of them Yumi decided to ask a few hard hitting questions to Kayl to find out if he would be a threat to Alice in the future. "Kayl I have been curious for a while now so I hope you do not mind me asking this but what faction are you a part of? " "Speaking honestly I support the return of the Angels, while it is true I support and serve Lord Kira in whatever he needs I do not see a point in putting a target on my back to help a Angel who may not even return in my lifetime. Does that answer your question? " Kayl replied finishing up his steak and drinking the last of the wine in his glass. "Sort of, Just for fun let''s say that Alice was the Angel what would you do then? " Yumi asked, causing Alice to start sweating a little. "Haha, if Alice was indeed the Angel then I would have all the more reason to want to be with her. My father would be so overjoyed that he might fight Lord Kira on his own. With that said there is no way that Alice could be the Angel. In all of recorded Angel history there has never been an Angel with the Shadow Element. Almost every Angel has the higher tier Light Element called the Holy Element and as far as I know the only Elements Alice has is Fire, Wind and Shadow. " Kayl said, enjoying the laugh Yumi gave him. "Honestly that is crazy how could I be an Angel? " Alice said relaxing a little more knowing that Kayl did not suspect her in the slightest. "I mean she is even Lord Kira''s daughter so how would that be possible. " Kayl continued. "If I am being honest with you, I do not know if Kira is my father he mostly just assumes it because his wife and I look similar while I share a certain gaze that she would apparently give him. " Alice replied. "Well only the Royal Demon''s have the Demonic Gaze which I assume is what you are referring to so if you have that then I would also be inclined to suspect you of being his daughter even with lack of proof. Not that being his daughter will be a bad thing. In fact that alone will be enough to secure you some degree of safety in the Kingdom. Anyways my familiar has located the Basan it is currently attacking a group of merchants it seems. " Kayl said getting up and putting his things away. "Let''s go then, we need to save them if we can! " Yumi said standing up waiting for a direction to run. "Don''t worry we can fly there on my familiar who will be here in a moment. '''' Kayl said, letting out a loud whistle. Landing close to Kayl the familiar got down low allowing them to get on his back before flapping his wings hard sending them flying up in the air. Flying quickly towards the Basan they made it in time to see one of the merchants guards being burnt to a crisp by the Basans breath attack. Jumping off the familiar before if landed Alice used Rift Warp while falling to close the distance in a blink of the eye. Infusing her scythe with the Wind Element she sent a large ''Wind Blade'' flying at the Basan landing a hit on the monsters back with a lot of force knocking the monster down. "We will let her fight this alone. I want to see how well she can do alone Yumi. " Kayl said, keeping them flying in the air to watch, not letting Yumi go to Alice''s aid. "Let me go damnit! What if she gets hurt??? " Yumi cried out trying to break free of his grip. "Relax I will not let anything happen to her. I just wish to see what she is able to do when she fights alone in a battle. Looking up to see Kayl holding Yumi back she was able to guess that Kayl wanted to test her abilities. Knowing that she had to fight this alone she quickly placed her hands on the ground and used her spell ''Abyss Vines'' rooting the Basan to the ground and keeping it from attacking her with his flaming breath attacks. Infusing the Shadow Element in her scythe she passed the blade through the vines and then lodged the blade deep in the Basan changing the element to fire and increasing the mana output causing the Basan to let out a Fire attack in a attempt to get rid of all the fire burning inside its body. Seeing her attack not working due to the nature of the Basan Alice withdrew her scythe from the Basan and attacked any openings the Vines gave her until her spell ran out of time setting the monster free again. The Basan now free and severely injured turned towards Alice and let out a large fire attack trying to get revenge and burn her to ash. Rift Warping out of the path of the attack she used all her might while swinging the scythe low cutting the Basans legs off. Almost dead the Basan looked at Alice before admitting defeat by laying flat on the ground waiting on her to deal the finishing blow. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Giving the monster what it wanted she sunk her blade deep in the monsters neck finishing it off for good. "That was a great job Alice, I did not know you had a spell to restrict an enemy''s movements. That will be very useful on a battlefield. " Kayl said letting go of Yumi as they landed next to her. "T-Thank you for saving us.. " One of the merchants said trying not to show his fear seeing Kayl who was standing next to Alice. "No problem, the guild issued a request to kill the monster anyways I am just happy that I got here in time to help. " Alice relied with a smile having saved them while also gaining a level. 43 Face to Face at Las Name - Alice Class - Demi Angel Title - Hunter, Apprentice of Nyx, Sorceress HP - 735/735 MP- 2,070/2,070 Level 20 > 21 STR - 130 > 150 +10 VIT - 88 > 100 +5 INT - 170 > 188 (+5 +200) DEX - 45 (+10 +5) DEF - 60 (+5 +10 +10) AGI - 55 (+5 +10) Skill Points - 50 > 0 Skills: Familiar Telepathy, Blessed by God (Passive), Demonic Gaze, Gods Eye (Passive), Shadow Eye (Passive). | Title Gained Sorceress - Having invested your blood, tears and sweat into expanding on your magic capabilities you have been granted a title by God. Grants the bearer a decrease in mana consumption required by spells by 50% +25% mana regeneration | ''That means i can use the Monarch version of ''Abyss Vines'' for only 500 mana meaning I can use it 4 times I really lucked out with this title.. '' She thought to herself. "Alice! Are you okay? You have been standing here silently for a while now the merchant has even left. " Yumi asked while shaking Alice bringing her back to reality. "Yeah I am fine my mana went past 2,000 after my level up and I guess it took me some time to adjust. " Alice said, making an excuse. "Did you say your mana pool is over 2,000 while you''re still in the early 20''s level wise? " Kayl asked curiously. "Yeah, I seem to gain quite a bit of mana when I level so my body goes through small changes after I level every now and then. " Alice replied knowing he wouldn''t pry too much at this point. Having completed all the Guild''s requests they got on the back of Kayl''s familiar now used to doing such an odd thing. "Mind giving us a ride back to the Kingdom? " Alice said while helping Yumi get on the giant bird. "I do not mind but you should quickly gather more requests or even better turn them in and let me take you and Yumi to a place filled with monsters so you two can level faster. I will make sure only monsters you can handle get past me. " Kayl said as they flew towards the Kingdom. "What do you want to do Yumi? " Alice asked. "I don''t mind going to level some more, Guild quests seem kind of pointless at this point. " She replied wondering if they should even go back to turn the quests in since it would waste daylight. "We will be right back after we turn the request in! " Alice said as her and Yumi ran into the Guild leaving kayl and his familiar in the middle of the street for everyone to stare at. "Do you plan on telling him? " Yumi asked while they waited on the receptionist to come back with their rewards. "Why tell him if I am going to have to kill him later? I would rather wait to find out if it''s possible to only kill the bad faction before I make a decision like that. Telling him could end up with me dying before I get strong enough to protect us. " Alice said honestly as they took the small amount of money and left the Guild. Getting back on the familiar they quickly left the Kingdom so people would feel safe to leave their homes again. "So where are you taking us and how long will we be gone? " Alice asked holding onto the back of his armor so she didn''t fall. "Close to the Demon Kingdom there is a valley that is filled with monsters of all levels at the bottom the monsters levels should be around 25, but I will help weaken them and let you and Yumi kill them until you reach level 30 or so before letting you two fight alone. " Kayl said calmly. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "Um¡­ How close to the Demon Kingdom?.. " Yumi questioned now a little worried. "About a day''s journey away from the castle, many demons like to train there so you will probably encounter more of my race while there. As long as neither of you remove your necklace you will be safe if you meet one. If I am around they will not even approach us, if they knew who Alice was some might even bow their heads seeing her. " Kayl replied with a chuckle. "I sent a message to my father about my plans so there is a good chance he will come to meet us. " Kayl continued to say while looking up at the clouds just above them. "We are so close to the clouds¡­ " Alice said reaching up letting her hand pass through them reminding her of when she and her father would go flying for one of their father daughter bonding days they did every week. "What is wrong Alice? " Kayl questioned seeing a small tear fall from her eyes. "Just a very old memory of good times. '''' She replied, keeping her hand in the clouds. "You talk as if you have lived a long life, you can''t be any older than 20 years old. " He replied not saying anything more. Picking up the speed Yumi and Alice both held on tight as they started passing mountains at a rapid pace quickly clearing a days travel time if they had to walk in the matter of minutes. Keeping the pace for roughly a hour they slowed down to a slower pace letting them both release their death grips they had on Kayl who just rubbed his arms a little. "You can see the valley if you look down. " Kayl said as they hovered in place in the air. Looking down the two girls saw a huge valley lush with green trees and flowing waterfalls covering the whole valley in a beautiful sight. At the top of the mountains they could see flying monsters circling the sky above the mountain peaks. Lower down the mountain they could see all sorts of monsters they had only read about in the estate. Monsters from Behemoths all the way to large scorpions with fire lighting the ends of their stingers. "Do you think you could land from this height Alice? " Kayl asked before pushing her off the bird. Screaming as she fell she managed to compose herself when she saw him falling next to her with Yumi on his back clutching him tightly as she screamed as well. "Do your best for me, " He said before increasing his speed and rushing towards the ground landing safely. "Just how do you expect me to survive?!?! " Alice yelled out in anger swallowing her fear to try to find a solution. ''I guess I could aim at a shadow but at this speed I might just fall into hell.. Maybe I can rift warp a few times and land in the river¡­ ugh. " Just when she thought of screaming for help she remembered when she had caused a tornado using her Wind Element. Closing her eyes she focused on making the Wind around her twist around her as fast as she could make it go pouring as much mana as she needed to into the air around her. Looking up waiting on Alice to figure things out his eyes almost burst from his skull see wind violently circle around her at an increasingly rapid pace. The longer she fell the slower she would go as the clouds around her eventually got pulled in her direction and the ground beneath her started kicking up leaves causing the trees to bend as the monsters in the area began to panic. Opening her eyes that glowed white at the concentration of the Wind Element she was using she formed a full tornado connecting it with the sky and her controlling it at the center. To her surprise the tornado began using less and less of her own mana as the thick mana in the air served to help keep the tornado going. Not realizing that the less she used her own mana the more the tornado lost control she lowered herself slowly down as she could barely hear Kayl and Yumi screaming at the top of their lungs for her to stop. Closing her eyes again as she gently landed on the ground she willed the tornado to stop causing the disaster to slowly fade away leaving her surroundings in ruin. Trees were uprooted and smaller monsters were flung clear across the valley. "ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL US WHAT WERE YOU THINKING CAUSING ALL OF THAT?!?! " Yumi yelled out still fighting the adrenaline caused from her fight or flight instinct telling her to run and find shelter. "To think that you could use the Wind Element to this degree, " Kayl said giving her a small applause. "If you used that on the battlefield then no enemy would ignore you some may even give up on the battle. " "I had no choice but to fly or die. " Alice said punching him in the chest feeling her mana regenerate at a rapid pace. "How much mana did you use just now? " He asked. "Probably 1,800 or so, but my mana seems to regenerate pretty quickly here I am already almost back to full. " She said being honest. "That is honestly pretty frightening. " Kayl said, and replied , hearing her say those words. Someone like her could cause a natural disaster and wait a few minutes and do it all over again, she was much more dangerous than he had realized. | Skill created Call of the Wind - In exchange for 1,750 mana you may call forth a devastating tornado and control it freely for 2 minutes. Mana may be added to keep the skill going for a longer duration. 1,000 mana = 1 minute of time. | | Title Gained Daughter of Aeolus - Using the Wind Element uses 25% less mana | Seeing the systems notification Alice thought she was hallucinating in exchange for almost all of her mana she could freely control something of that magnitude. "Do you think I killed any of the monsters around here? " Alice asked curiously seeing all of the damage she caused. "Probably but if you did they are no where around here anymore. " Kayl replied as a monster fell to the ground in between them giving Alice another level for killing it. "...." "...." "I killed one¡­ I also leveled up because of it.. '''' Alice replied seeing both Kayl and Yumi''s faces now blank not wanting to believe what they just witnessed. "It is nice to see you in person Daughter. " Kira said, exiting a black gate that appeared next to them. Hearing his words her blood ran cold knowing exactly who it was that was making their appearance. "Lord Kira, " Kayl said as he kneeled on the ground with his head down. "So nice of you to help her level by taking her here Kayl, why exactly did you not inform me of your activities? " Kira said exerting large amounts of pressure causing both Yumi and Alice to barely be able to breath. "I wish to help Alice level, you did not give me a task to complete so I wished to aid Alice as someone I have asked to marry. " Kayl replied, keeping his head down pulling Yumi down with him so she could avoid Kira''s anger. "Keep your head down if you want to live Yumi. " Kayl whispered to her. "Did I give my permission for that? I do not seem to recall ever saying you had permission to go near Alice nor help her. " Kira said, picking Kayl up by the neck. "STOP! I can decide for myself who I marry. A father who has no love for his daughter has no right to say anything about this matter! " Alice yelled out fighting the pressure as best she could. 44 Leveling and War "Who exactly told you I have no love for my own flesh and blood? " Kira asked dropping Kayl to the ground where he kneeled once again. "Would a father who loved his daughter rather strangle a man before hugging his daughter the first time he sees her? " Alice replied now angry she has to call him father to his face causing her to passive release her Demonic Gaze skill again. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "Your Gaze has gotten much stronger from the first time you used it on me dearest daughter, have you decided to come home early? " He asked now standing in front of her. "Like hell I would want to come to you early. " Alice snarled not able to hide her disgust towards him. "A cub should not bear her fangs at their father, bad things could happen. " Kira said, forcing a hug on her. "And a father should be a respectable role model to his daughter, and you are far from having my respect. " Alice replied, pushing him away. "Kayl be sure to keep the future leader of our Kingdom safe. I do not need to tell you what I will do if anything happens. " Kira said before leaving back through the summoned gate. "Are you two okay?? " Alice asked rushing to help Yumi up who was visibly shaken. "I am fine¡­ " Yumi replied, trying to calm down. "Okay the worst thing that could happen while being here happened already so now we just need to focus on leveling you two up. " Kayl said while giving Yumi a hand. "Sounds like a good plan, where do we start? " Alice replied ready to vent some anger. "The monsters are a little too strong for you two to handle right now so I will weaken them until you are able to catch up to the lowest leveled monsters here. After that I will leave things to you ladies. " Kayl replied, erasing his presence allowing the nearby monsters to come out of hiding. Following Kayl as he immobilized numerous monsters that came out of hiding Alice and Yumi both took turns finishing off the monsters that were already on the brink of death allowing them to gain a good amount of experience at a decent pace. Hours passed by as the two girls slowly racked up enough experience to level up a few times bringing Alice''s level to 25 and Yumi''s level to 24. Having reached the level requirements to fight monsters in the area Kayl gave the two time to prepare themselves for when he stops protecting them and lets them fight alone. Name - Alice Class - Demi Angel Title - Hunter, Apprentice of Nyx, Sorceress HP - 1,005/1,005 MP- 2,190/2,190 Level 21 > 25 STR - 150 > 200 +10 VIT - 100 > 150 +5 INT - 188 > 208 (+5 +200) DEX - 45 (+10 +5) DEF - 60 > 100 (+5 +10 +10) AGI - 55 > 95(+5 +10) Skill Points - 200 > 0 Skills: Familiar Telepathy, Blessed by God (Passive), Demonic Gaze, Gods Eye (Passive), Shadow Eye (Passive). Having reached level 25 and putting her points into the areas she believed would help her the most Alice could not have imagined that when she finished the process would cause her body to undergo such drastic changes. Her hair became a little darker, her body became even more toned and fit while her aura gave off a sense of pressure not yet comparable to Kayl or Kira but still there all the same. Alice felt even stronger than she did while she was an Angel but knew that this feeling was only due to the fact she got so much stronger all at once. "Seems like you are quite a bit stronger now Alice, " Kayl said noticing her aura and hair changes. "Yeah I feel stronger after having had time to adjust to my leveling. " She replied. Looking at Yumi who was also feeling quite a bit stronger the two girls turned to Kayl and let him know they were ready to begin. Jumping into the air and leaving their sight the monsters began to act normal again allowing Alice and Yumi to treat this like any other adventure they would go on. "I will distract them and you attack, " Alice said to Yumi that replied with a nod as she readied herself. Seeing a large scorpion in the distance Alice dashed forward and sliced its stinger off only expecting to do a small amount of damage. Seeing her attack be so effective Alice repositioned herself and kept attacking the monster to get a grip on her new found strength so she would be able to gauge her abilities better during the rest of their fights. Having killed the scorpion before Yumi could even get off a attack Alice felt proud of the fact she could solo the level 25 monster already. "Maybe let me help next time¡­ '''' Yumi said a little sad she didn''t get to help Alice in the fight at all. "Yeah sorry I did not expect to be able to cut through them so easily, " Alice replied honestly. "Together this time! " Yumi said as another scorpion made its way to them. Holding herself back a little she fought beside Yumi as they worked on taking out the scorpions legs before killing it. Having done this a few times the improved their teamwork, Yumi would use her weapon to wrap the scorpions legs preventing it from moving while Alice would get rid of its stinger. Moving on from fighting one monster they began to fight two at a time increasing the stress and difficulty forcing them to learn to sense when a monster was going to attack even if they were not directly looking at the monster attacking. Learning to develop this battle sense they took a few attacks while pushing through killing the scorpions until they finally leveled once again. Moving further away from the river they began encountering monsters a little stronger. The first one they came across other than the scorpions was a Minotaur. The beast stood roughly 6 feet tall and held a large axe. Ready to attack Alice ran towards it without telling Yumi causing her to follow behind her in a panic not having a strategy in place for this kind of monster. Throwing her scythe in the air to distract the large beast Alice leaped forward landing on her hands and pushing off the ground doing a front flip while casting ''Abyss Vines'' to target the monsters as she caught her weapon and took a hard swing at its back damaging the monster before it was dragged away by her spell. Throwing the bladed end of her weapon at the monsters exposed head Yumi cut through a portion of the monsters face spraying blood on the grass as it struggled to break free. Jumping on the Minotaur''s shoulders Alice lowered her scythe to his neck and yanked the weapon up hard decapitating the monster something she had not done in a while. Yumi cringing at the sight said a small prayer for the now headless monster as the first of his kind to be killed by Alice. Jumping off the monster and releasing the spell Alice stretched as her stomach growled. "Guess I am a little hungry after fighting for so long. " Alice said, rubbing her stomach. "I am a little hungry as well, you are pretty hard to keep up with. " Yumi replied while digging through her bag to take out some dried meat. "Done already? " Kayl said who had been keeping watch close by. "Just hungry, " Alice replied. "Well it is getting dark and we should head back soon, " Kayl replied handing the two girls some food he had managed to cook while they focused on their battles. "Thanks, you are probably right. Yumi''s father is probably really worried about us. " Alice said happily eating the food. "Lets head back then, meet me by the Kingdoms Gates tomorrow and we can come back here. " Kayl said, calling his familiar down from the sky. Flying back and arriving at the Kingdom a little faster than the two expected they said their goodbyes to Kayl who waved before taking to the sky and flying away. Walking back into the Kingdom they noticed a large military presence all over the place patrolling the streets in full armor. "I wonder what happened? " Alice asked while they casually walked through town. "We should just head home, my father will probably tell us. " Yumi replied. "Miss Astala your father is waiting for you and Miss Alice inside with the King. Please make your way immediately to them. " A guard standing at the Estates Gates informed them. Looking at each other Alice grabbed onto Yumi and took her into the shadows and brought them into Arita''s office almost instantly where King Mark and Arita were seated and talking. "When did you two get back? " Arita asked not surprised Alice was able to bring Yumi with her in the shadows. "A few minutes ago what is going on? " Yumi asked while taking a seat next to her father. "The Kingdom of Rudham is waging war on our Kingdom because of the Demon attack that took place there. They see it as us taking sides with the Demons since there have been growing cases of the Demons showing up and leaving with no casualties here. We have explained the best we could but they refuse to talk, they are set on war. " King Mark replied. "This is all my fault.. " Alice replied. "There is nothing we can do about it, you can not back out of your deal with the Demon King and I do not plan on backing out of our alliance so if a war takes place so be it. " King Mark replied with a long face. "Is there not anything we can do to prevent this? " Alice asked. "The only way would be killing you, and if that happens out Kingdom will not be the only one in trouble with the Demons. I am quite sure the Demon King is already aware of what is going on. " Arita replied. "Should I just leave¡­ " Alice asked again. "NO! " Yumi blurted out at the thought of her leaving already forgetting she would be able to go with her. "Yumi is correct, you don''t need to leave we will wait until they march and then we will take a defensive position. Our allies in the west have agreed to take refugees while the battle happens, I am confident we can win but I still do not wish to be in a war against Rudham I have many friends there. " King Mark replied. "I will help fight then. I am level 26 now and have a large magical attack I can use to chase them off and hopefully prevent them from attacking. " Alice said while explaining her new Wind Element attack she had developed at the Valley. "That kind of attack is quite amazing, if they do march on us then I would be happy if you could use it without taking any of their lives. " The King replied thinking of ways to use Alice''s power without anyone losing their lives. "Just call on me when you need me. " Alice said while giving a bow to the king before leaving the room. "Alic- " Yumi tried saying before she was cut off by her father. "Let her have some time, she feels to blame for this war she could probably use some time to think. " Arita said while asking his daughter to sit back down. ''Why give me this system God? Why do I have to be the one responsible for all of this? The quest, war, Demons I just want my family back.. '' Alice thought to herself not expecting God to reply as she laid on her bed where Little Shadow was sleeping. 45 God and Decisions Laying down on the bed Alice tried to make her thoughts heard to God telling him she wanted answers. She NEEDED answers as she drifted off to sleep from such an exhausting day. Opening her eyes Alice was no longer in her room, instead she was sitting at a table made of gold surrounded by statues of Angels and a vast blue sky without clouds or a sun. "How did I get here? " Alice said out loud as she looked around trying to find some sort of hint as to where she was. "Hello my child, I have heard your prayers and I have brought you here to answer whatever questions you may have. " A tall handsome man stood in all white clothes that looked like they had never seen dirt before. "Are.. You God? " Alice questioned. "Indeed. " God said while taking a seat across from her. "Why me? " Alice asked. "Because you are the only one of my children that can accomplish what needs to happen in order for the Angel race to be brought back to the world. " He replied now holding a cup of tea that appeared from thin air. "You are God right? Can you not just bring them back like you did to me? " Alice asked. "You are the third one of your race I have reincarnated and the one most likely to succeed in this mission. I may be God but I am not all powerful, to bring you back it took me 10 years of draining all of my power. However if you can manage to complete the quest then you will have the power to create Angels. You will be the mother of all new Angels in the world, from you will be born a new era in the world. A world where Angels and all the races live together, this is my wish. " God replied with a smile. "But you are asking me to eradicate the Demons, I have met a Demon who is not a bad person. Am I still to kill this Demon? What about the Demons who wish for the Angels return? " Alice asked. "I will make you a deal, you can let the Demons live who forgo their dark god and worship me instead. " God replied. "Once they bow to you as my apostle and take an oath in front of you to worship me only then will they be allowed to live. " He continued with a more serious demeanor. "About you saying I will be the mother of all Angels, how am I supposed to do that when I am the only Angel alive? " Alice asked, now thinking of how in the world she is supposed to just push out Angels. "It is about time for you to wake up now pray to me again anytime Alice, " God said snapping his fingers. Quickly standing and getting off of her bed Alice looked around realizing she was back in her room where she had fallen asleep. ''What is wrong Alice? '' Little Shadow asked while stretching on the bed. "I met God I think. " She replied. ''Did you get any answers? '' "I got some but not enough to be happy about it. " Alice said, hearing a lot of commotion outside the estate. "ALICE COME QUICKLY " Yumi said busting through her door. "What''s wrong Yumi what is going on? " Alice asked as Yumi dragged her outside. Looking in the sky Alice''s eyes widened in shock seeing the sky giving off a white glow as trumpets sounded from the sky above them. "What is this? " Yumi asked in a low voice to Alice. "I had a dream where I talked with God¡­ " She replied, still looking at the sky while it slowly faded back to normal. "Maybe it was not a dream. " Yumi replied, still holding her hand. "I assume you know something about this?" Arita said now standing next to her and Yumi. "I spoke with God about my mission to bring back the Angels, " she replied in a hushed voice. Remembering that Kayl would be waiting outside the Kingdom for them Alice''s expression got a little darker wondering if she would be found out so soon. Reading her expression Yumi also recalled who would be outside of the Kingdom and let her father know they would be back after a few hours as she and Alice rushed off out of the Kingdom. Seeing Kayl and his familiar hiding their eyes still they stood next to him and asked what was wrong with him. "The light above your Kingdom has Holy Magic in it and it burns to look at, is it gone yet? " Kayl asked, not wanting to go blind from the light. "Yeah it is gone, sorry we are late. " Alice replied, while trying to think of a way to talk with him about swearing an oath to her God. "Good, I assume that the Angel that Lord Kira is looking for is in this kingdom. What happened just now was likely a sign to the Angel from their God. " Kayl replied, rubbing his eyes a little. Panicking, Yumi slowly grabbed her weapon while he was not paying attention to her. She looked at Alice to see what they should do. Seeing this Alice decided to just blurt out the truth and hope for the best. "It''s me.. I am the Angel and God was talking to me in my dreams. " Alice said getting ready to evade and run with Yumi if she had to. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "That''s a good joke Alice, but there is no way an Angel would have the Shadow Element like you do. " Kayl replied with a bit of laughter. "Alice what are you doing? " Yumi asked, looking just as scared as she was. "Wait, you''re being serious? " Kayl asked, now looking serious as he focused on Alice. "I am. I was given a mission and that is why I am telling you this. I hope that you will listen to what I have to say. " Alice replied seeing that Kayl didn''t show any hostility towards her yet. "Then speak. " He replied, giving off no emotion. "I will start from the beginning¡­ I was born as an Angel a long time ago, I lived a happy life just as anyone else would in times of peace. My people stayed in the kingdom and kept to themselves living off of God''s grace and life was good. One seemingly normal day it happened, the Demon''s invaded our kingdom in full force with no warning. I do not know how they managed it or why they attacked us but they did. I remember the chaos that came that day vividly as if it happened yesterday. To everyone in the world it happened a long time ago but to me it was less than a year ago. I was chosen by God to reincarnate, when I woke up I was in a new body with no wings and no idea where I was. Not long after I was given my mission to help bring back my race, by getting stronger along with other things I must accomplish in order to do so. " Alice said in what she felt was one breath. "You expect me to- " Kayl started to say before being cut off by Alice. "I''m not done please let me finish¡­ " Alice interrupted before continuing with her story. "What you saw above the kingdom just now was the result of God talking with me. I was really stressed and decided to try and pray to him. Surprisingly he responded when I was sleeping and I had some of my questions answered regarding bringing back the Angels as well as other aspects of my mission. God wants me to get stronger, he wants me to get strong enough to the point where I can defeat Kira along with any other Demons who try to stop me¡­ He also wants me to bring him into the Demons lifes by letting them choose to worship him while forsaking the Dark God they serve now. Telling you this is a risk but I don''t think you''re a bad person like the Demons who eradicated my race¡­. " Alice said before taking some time to calm her racing heart as Yumi held onto her hand trying to support her and face whatever happens together. "You''re lucky I am the only Demon around, if any of the others heard this I doubt it would take long to reach Kira''s ears. Putting aside some of the things you said you clearly have Demonic abilities and you might be Kira''s daughter. How do you explain that? " Kayl asked, trying to process everything Alice was telling him. "I can''t explain any of that.. " Alice replied honestly. "It is pretty much a given that the Angel in the prophecy is going to take revenge somehow, mind clueing me in? " Kayl asked, keeping his emotionless tone. "In order to bring back the Angels one of the things I must do is wipe out the Demon race, I pleaded with God after meeting you and listening to everything you told me about the two factions to spare the Demons. He has agreed to let all Demons who forsake the Dark God and Worship him be allowed to be spared¡­ " Alice replied while taking a step to the side slowly into an area with shade cast by the walls. "Basically if I do not worship your God now in the future you will kill me? But what happens if I kill you where you stand? " Kayl replied coldly. 46 Danger in the Valley. Hearing the words come out of Kayl''s mouth send a shiver down her spine as she held onto Yumi''s hand as she was already half way into the shadows. "Alice wait, I am not going to kill you. I didn''t know if it was the truth or a joke and this seemed like the best way to find out for sure. " Kayl replied pulling her out of the shadows and showing a face that showed how sorry he was. "That was seriously messed up, I almost died of fear. " Yumi half yelled with tears still in her eyes. "Does this mean you will worship my God? " Alice asked still trying to calm down. "No, I have not decided yet. The way I see it I have plenty of time until you''re strong enough to kill me so once the time gets closer I will be sure to let you know my decision. " Kayl replied calmly. "You don''t plan on telling anyone do you? " Yumi asked concerned for Alice''s safety. "Not just yet, when she is strong enough to defend herself then I will put the word out to her supporting faction within the Demon Kingdom. Until that time I will help the both of you level as much as I can. " He replied with a smile thankful he did not scare the two of them off with his test. "Alright, so what is the plan for today? " Alice asked petting Kayl''s familiar. "I want to take the both of you back to the Valley and let you two train for a few hours. I do not have as much time today as I did the other day unfortunately. " He replied as they got on the large bird. Flapping its wings hard the familiar lifted them into the sky and began flying at a rapid pace above the clouds. "I love the view from up here, " Yumi said watching the land below them quickly fly by. "So do I, It feels amazing to fly through the sky with your own wings. " Alice replied closing her eyes while trying to remember the feeling she got when she was a Angel flying with her friends. "Since you''re a Angel can you use the Holy element? " Kayl asked wondering what else she is hiding from him. "No, In the future I might be able to. For now I cannot unfortunately. " She replied honestly. "We are getting closer, I will take Yumi to the ground. This time I want you to jump down Alice and try not to cause such a mess this time please. " Kayl said grabbing onto Yumi and jumping off of his familiar. Looking down Alice longed to have her wings back even more. If she had her wings this would be as simple as breathing, but now she had to rely on her Wind Element which was growing stronger. Taking a deep breath Alice jumped off the large bird and let her self free fall for a moment enjoying the feeling. Opening her eyes she began to use her Wind Element again but this time she caused a powerful gust of wind to slow her speed as she feel until finally she landed gracefully on the ground causing Yumi to clap a little. "You''re really getting the hang of your Elements it seems. " Kayl said while climbing a tree and laying back showing the two that they are on their own for now. "Should we stick with the lower level monsters or head up the valley a little and make it a harder fight? " Alice asked pulling her scythe out of her inventory. "Mmn lets push ourselves I mean Kayl wouldn''t let anything happen to us anyways right? " Yumi said taking her weapon out as well. Taking things slow the two girls carefully made their way through the lowest level monsters of the valley. "Do you wanna see who can kill a scorpion the fastest? " Alice said with a grin trying to make a game out of it. "Your on! Loser has to eat a scion pepper! " Yumi replied laughing referring to one of the hottest edible peppers in the area. "Deal, there are 2 up ahead. I will go left you go right when I will come help you when I finish. " Alice said teasingly as she ran off to get a head start on the solo battle. Following behind her not wanting to lose Yumi sent her blade flying into her scorpions head successfully getting its full attention. Jumping out of the way and sending her weapon flying out wrapping the legs of the scorpion immobilizing it she pulled a dagger she kept as a spare weapon out and began to chip away at its health. Not any further behind in damage Alice danced around her target letting her scythe swing around her dealing large amounts of damage to the scorpion as it took all of her attacks head on trying to get close enough to deal some damage to her. Not realizing she was releasing mana while she swung her weapon around thin steams out air seemed to be cut around her making her look like her attacks were made in the dark with fire. Swinging her weapon hard she sunk her blade into the scorpions body and infused her weapon with the Fire Element burning the monster from the inside out killing it. Looking over to Yumi she noticed that she had also just finished up with her fight. Walking over with a smile Alice began to gloat, "Hey loser good job on winning your fight! " "Damn, I really tried my hardest to beat you! " Yumi replied pouting. "I guess you will have to try harder next time, but I am really proud of you for keeping up! " Alice said patting her on the head. Getting praised by Alice made Yumi feel like she got a reward even if she didn''t win the bet. "We shouldn''t stay in one spot for too long, I still need to put more effort into getting stronger you know. " Alice said as she took Yumi''s hand and ran further up the valley darting past the rest of the scorpions since they no longer put up a good fight. Slowing down they both realized almost at the same time that they couldn''t find any monsters in the area which seemed strange since up till now the whole valley seemed packed with them. "I think we should probably head back down Alice, I don''t like how its so quiet.. " Yumi said trying to convince her to turn back around. "Don;t be such a chicken Yumi, " Alice replied letting go of her hand and facing her. "Are you okay? Why so cautious all of the sudden? " Alice asked curiously. Trying to think of a way to reply Yumi''s eyes widened in fear as she had trouble moving or finding the words to warn Alice of the danger behind her. "Yum-- " "CRSSSSK " Yumi screamed out in fear and worry as Alice was thrown violently into the trees by a tall ogre like monster who didn''t make a sound as it walked through the forest. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Trying to get up and look around while fighting the blurry vision and throbbing pain in her head Alice was able to see Yumi standing helpless in front of the monster as it lowered its face to hers and let out a deafening yell sending saliva flying at Yumi. "Kayl help... " Alice tried to yell out only to find her voice horse. | Jaskar the Ogre Demon Level 52 | "He-lp.. Me.. " Yumi said in a soft frightened whisper before getting picked up in the monsters large hands and lifted into the air above his head. 47 Death Not able to move fast enough to save Yumi or yell loud enough to call for help Alice had no choice but to watch as Yumi was dangled in the air above the Ogre Demons mouth. Knowing things were helpless Yumi turned to face Alice and while holding back her tears she smiled one last time for Alice before the Ogre Demon swallowed her whole. Seeing yet another person she cared about taken from her Alice stood up slowly as the anger and hatred inside her built up with every passing second. Hot tears fell from her face as she just let her anger consume her causing the mana around her to become unstable forming a dark mist around her. Every step she took left a scorching foot print behind as she used her scythe as a crutch to get closer to her enemy. "You.. took my... family " "You.. took my... family " "You took me family. " "WHY DID YOU HAVE TO TAKE EVERYONE I CARE ABOUT AGAIN???! " She shouted powerfully as her golden eye glowed brighter and her other eye looked as if there was a endless void in its place. Loosing all reason she moved purely on instinct and reflex fulled by all the hatred she held in her heart. Controlling the wind around her she managed to keep the Ogre Demon steps away from her while pushing him back every time she took a step. "GRAAAAAAA " The Ogre Demon yelled out annoyed as he threw a large wooden club hurling at Alice even against the wind. With one swift motion she raised her blade sending two large halves of the weapon flying by each side of her crashing into the ground. "I will KILL Y- " Alice started yelling only to be knocked unconscious having exhausted her mana. "Sigh, I told you that I wouldn''t help so why did you have to wander off so far? " Kayl said throwing Alice over his shoulder and throwing a dagger into the Ogre Demons skull killing it instantly. "To think you made me save you and now I have to try to save Yumi. " He said to him self as he cut through the monsters body pulling Yumi''s limb body from his stomach. Checking her pulse Kayl found her to be on the verge of death from having been deprived of oxygen for so long. "I guess there is no other way. " He said before holding her nose closed and putting his lips to hers blowing air back into her lungs. "Cough-- Cough--- Cough-- Alice run... " Yumi said weakly before passing out. Carrying both the injured girls to a opening he called his familiar. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ''Alice Alice wake up Alice'' Shadow said calling out to her repeatedly as she laid asleep on her bed covered in bandages. "What Shadow? I don''t feel good let me sleep. " Alice replied still mostly asleep before quickly trying to jump out of her bed as the memory of what happened in the Valley came rushing back to her. "Ouch, fuck I am so sore. Shadow how did I get back home??? I have to go back! I have to go get Yumi!! " Alice said starting to panic wanting nothing more than to retrieve her friends body to bury her. ''Yumi is here, she is safe. Try not to move so much, you have broken ribs. '' Little show replied jumping onto her lap and pushing his head softly against her stomach to get her to lay back down. "I could''t protect her.. " Alice said with tears in her eyes feeling guilty that she didn''t just listen to Yumi when she wanted to go back. "I almost got her killed.. I almost lost my family again.. " She said sobbing and holding Little Shadow close to her. ''She is alive though thanks to Kayl, but you''re right you did almost get her killed. If you know that then learn from your mistakes and pay attention to your party members and your surroundings or next time she really will die.'' Shadow replied knowing that if he coddled her she wouldn''t grow from the experience as a person or a leader. Hearing his words send needles stabbing into her heart as she cried more. "Knock Knock~ " "May I come in? " Arita asked from the other side of the door not knowing if it would be a good time to see her or if he should leave her alone for a while more. "Yes.. " Alice replied just barely loud enough for him to hear. Opening the door Arita along with Kayl entered the room which took Alice by surprise that Kayl was even aloud inside the estate. "What.. What is going on? " Alice asked while wiping away her tears on her sleeve. "I brought you and Yumi back home after you exhausted all of your mana in a fit of rage. I thought it would be best if. I stayed here to make sure the both of you woke up. " Kayl replied taking a seat on the couch in her room. "If it wasn''t for Kayl then both you and my daughter might be dead. " Arita said looking sad while taking a seat next to her. "Where is Yumi?? " Alice asked trying to get up. "She is in her room resting but I assure you she is fine now. " Arita said placing his hand on her shoulder. "Kayl and I have been discussing what to do about things for now and we both agree that it would be best if you and Yumi stayed in the kingdom for a while and did things as normal Adventure''s to let you both develop your senses without having a safety net. So for the time being Kayl will be going back to his kingdom until you have reached level 50 and can stand on your own at the bottom of that valley to train. " Arita continued while rubbing the top of her head before giving her a hug. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "Please dont scare me like this again, I may not be your real father but I see you as my daughter and I couldn''t bear seeing anything happen to you. " He said again before getting up and leaving for Yumi''s room. "You''re lucky to have a father figure like him. " Kayl said almost jealous. "So you''re leaving? " Alice asked. "Arita is right I rushed into helping you two to fast. The both of you need to learn how to read the situations you enter, with me around you wont take things as a life and death situation. " He replied tossing her a small scroll. "What is this? " Alice asked looking at the scroll in her hands. "if you need help just destroy this and I will come as fast as I can. But be careful I wont be able to get here for a few hours so be sure to not get yourself in any trouble you cannot handle. I should be leaving now I hope I can see you again soon. " Kayl said jumping out of her window into the sky and flying off on his familiar. ''He seems like he is a true ally. '' Shadow said curling up on her lap. "I think so as well.. " Alice said hoping she never has to kill him. "I want to go see Yumi. " Alice said slowly getting up and walking out of her room. "Knock Knock " Knocking on Yumi''s door she slowly entered her room and saw her laying in her bed looking weak and peaceful sleeping as if it was all a dream that she was swallowed by the monster. "I will give you some time with her. " Arita said leaving the room. Nodding her head as he passed by her Alice took a seat on Yumi''s bed next to her and brushed the hair out of her face gently. "I am so sorry I didn''t listen to you.. I hope you can forgive me.. " Alice said trying not to tear up again. "I know you''re asleep but you did a really good job not dying and leaving me behind.. you would probably yell at me for doing this when you are asleep but that''s the best I can do for now. " Alice said leaning over Yumi letting her hair gently fall and brush against her skin as she gently gave Yumi a soft kiss as a reward. "I promise next time I will be able to save you my self. " Alice said laying down next to her falling asleep. 48 God, Nyx, and the Demi-God Not wanting to wake Yumi up she sank into the shadow next to her bed planning on going back to her room. As soon as she was completely in the shadows Alice started to panic not being able to leave. \"What the fuck??? Why can''t I leave?? \" She said to herself trying her best to find a way to leave and return to her room. \"No need to panic my child. You will be able to leave after our chat. \" A mysterious figure said revealing herself next to Alice. Trying to use her eyes to see any information she could about the strange landy approaching her she was even more surprised to see that no information would show. \"Trying to read me without permission is rude, you know all you have to do is ask. \" The lady replied, snapping her fingers and changing the area they are in to a well lit room with strange decorations everywhere. \"Who are you and where are we? \" Alice asked not wanting to anger someone clearly more powerful than she is. \"I guess I can''t blame you for not knowing but my name is Nyx the goddess who gave you your left eye. It is nice to finally be able to speak with you in person Alice. \" Nyx replied with a smile. \"Why have you brought me here? \" Alice asked, looking around at all the decorations noticing there was no door or windows, she was in a room completely sealed off from the world. \"To chat of course, this is a room I bring all of my children to at one point or another. \" Nyx said brushing her hair to the side as she sat in a chair across from Alice. \"Please take a seat so we can talk. \" Giving her a nod she took a seat on one of the elegant looking seats next to her. \"What do you want to talk about? \" Alice asked not sure what to say or do in front of a Goddess she has never heard of. \"What would you say if i could offer you a different path than that old man you worship? \" Nyx asked. Before even being able to think of a response the room began to violently shake as a deep voice began speaking. \"Nyx what do you think you''re doing with my chosen one? \" God asked in a furious tone. \"Oh relax, she may be your chosen one but she has my power flowing through her. It is only right that I am allowed an audience with someone who can use my power. \" Nyx replied in a bratty tone. \"Nyx how dare you taint my creation! \" God yelled even angrier. \"If all you''re going to do is yell then you can leave! \" Nyx said, snapping her fingers causing the room to stabilize, getting rid of God''s voice. \"Sorry about that, he is a grumpy old man. Have you thought about what I asked? \" Nyx asked, crossing her legs with a smile. \"What path are you even talking about?? \" Alice asked trying to process what was going on, when she was a angle she had only ever prayed to her God and now she has come face to face with two different God''s. \"The old man wants you to bring back your race by eradicating the Demon race as they did to your Angel race. I however can offer a better path to what you want. It is as simple as that. \"Can you tell me about it¡­ Alice asked genuinely curious about the new path before her. \"Instead of causing a blood bath that will last for decades you can take me as your Goddess and become my Apostile in return I will transfer enough power to the old man to recreate two Angels. A male and a Female it will be enough to bring the Angel race back and you will be able to walk the lands a free woman. The only thing I will ask you to do is build a Kingdom with little ole me as the Goddess your people worship. Sounds like a good deal yes? \" Nyx said with a smile, taking a sip of a drink that she seemingly got from nowhere. \"I won''t have to kill anyone? \" Alice asked nervously. \"Who you kill is your business as long as you continue working towards the path I gave you. \" Nyx replied without expression. \"What if i fail? \" Alice asked, now making eye contact. \"If you do then you will simply cease to exist, I will take you from the world and your body and soul will be gone forever. \" Nyx replied coldly, returning her look. \"Can I have some time to think about it? \" Alice asked not knowing what to do. \" I will give you 3 days. After that my offer will be gone forever. \" Nyx asked snapping her fingers, returning Alice to her bedroom in the Astala Estate. \"Goodness girl you scared the shit out of me! \" One of the maids said, putting a hand on her chest trying to calm down. \"I am - Sorry.\" Alice said now in front of God in the same room she was in when she was dreaming. \"What did that bitch tell you? \" God said, clearly annoyed. \"Can you two maybe ask me before just pulling me all around the place I am actually starting to wonder if I am just dreaming! \" Alice said, annoyed herself not even knowing how much time has passed since she tried leaving Yumi''s room. \"Excuse me?! You should be thankful I am letting you meet me in the flesh! Now tell me! \" God replied angrily, losing his patience with Alice. \"She wants me to be her apostille and said if I agree she will transfer enough power to you to restart the Angelic Race! I won''t have to kill anyone! I can live my life freely! \" Alice said, overwhelmed. \"Hahahaha! You would believe that evil bitch? \" God said with a chuckle. \"And why shouldn''t she? At least I am not using her for my petty revenge. \" Nyx said, stepping out of a black mist next to her. \"Insolence! You dare step foot in my domain?! \" God said so angry the sky above them turned grey. \"So barbaric, I swear you have always been this way. Do you even plan to tell her the truth? \" Nyx said overpowering the drained God with her own pressure making Alice feel like she was about to burst into thin air. Falling under the intense pleasure she looked up and met Nyx''s eyes once more causing Nyx to draw back her power. \"I am sorry about that Alice I just got so annoyed at mister high and mighty here. We are all going to have a chat now so bring out some chairs for us. \" Nyx now glaring at God who reluctantly did as she said. \"She has no right to know the business of God''s Nyx, if the other Gods saw this we would become outcasts and hunted by the others. \" God replied trying to bite his tongue from saying too much in front of Alice. \"Let them come then. She is the first Demi-God in a eon and you would have her believe she is just a lowly human that you ''Chose'' who is the one with nerves here? \" Nyx replied. \"What Demi-God?? \" Alice asked puzzled. \"It is time your father and I finally told you who you are. \" Nyx said, causing God to slam his fists down on the table in anger. \"Nyx watch your tongue! \" \"That isn''t possible my father and mother are angels¡­ I am an angel¡­. You are mistaken.. \" Alice said, trying to keep her sanity. \"This is your father''s fault he wanted revenge for what happened to his creations so he implanted the memories of one of his creations in your mind to have you do his bidding since Gods can not directly kill another God''s creation. \" Nyx said grabbing onto one of Alice''s hands. \"That.. can''t.. NO I HAVE PARENTS AND NEITHER OF YOU ARE THEM!!! \" Alice yelled now holding back tears as she felt the world crashing around her. \"I should kill you for doing this to our daughter, you''re no better than your shit creations. \" Nyx said, grabbing Alice and taking her back to her room. \"Listen Alice, everything I said is true, that is why I offered you a peaceful life away from your father''s desires and take all of the time you need to think. If you ever wish to speak with me just think of the room I took you too next time you go into the shadows and you can meet me there. Try your best to live your life how you want to live it, I will always be here for you. I just can''t play as an actor in your father''s play anymore. \" Nyx said, wiping a tear from her eyes as she vanished without a trace. 49 Wings of Sorrow Standing alone in the middle of her room Alice slowly fell to her knees trying to process everything. She realized none of it was a dream. She was wide awake, she came face to face with two Gods and learned she might actually be a Demi-God and that she may not have to kill anyone. At the same time she struggled deeply with the thought that her parents that she remembered so clearly may just be someone else''s memories implanted in her head so she would take revenge for her father. | Quest - Meet with Nyx and find out more about who you really are. | |Reward - ??? | \"...\" \"Why would i be given this Quest¡­ \" Seeing the systems Quest pop up after so long it brought even more questions. \"Just what is this system.. God clearly does not like Nyx. Why would he tell me to go see and speak with her.. Maybe the system is actually Nyx''s creation..\" \"Fuck it I need answers. Alice said to herself before going back into the shadows with the room Nyx took her to in mind. Appearing in the room just as fast as she submerged herself into the shadow cast in her room she was met with Nyx facing away from her destroying a table in the corner in a fit of anger. \"...Should I leave¡­\" Alice asked, taking a step back. \"No! Sorry I was just venting some anger. I didn''t think you would come to see me so quickly I am really happy you came please take a seat. \" Nyx said composing herself and sitting on the chair pretending nothing happened. \"I have a lot of questions¡­ You seem like the only option for answers to be honest.. \" Alice said hating herself for doubting who her real parents are. \"I can read the first question.. You have it written all over your face so I will just start from the beginning so please listen carefully. Around 50 years ago the Demon race wiped out Soron''s precious creations, the Angels. Soron was furious but knew he could not directly retaliate against another God''s creations so he Reincarnated 2 of the most powerful of the Angels that once worshiped him. He gave them the same task that he gave you. Eradicate the Demon race and he will allow them to bring back the Angel race as a whole. Believing his words without question the two Angels set off to the Demon Kingdom and wreaked havoc. However two Angels alone are far from powerful enough to wipe out the whole demonic race and thus they were defeated a day into their quest. \" Nyx seemed to say in one breathe. \"So God''s real name is Soron? \" Alice asked, getting sucked into the story Nyx was telling. \"Indeed, while this was happening Soron and I would regularly meet and pass the time¡­ As immortals who have lived since the beginning of time we sometimes pass the time in the ways of humans and other creatures.. We could have never known that a child would come from our actions. A child born between two God''s has not happened in a eon such occasions would normally be celebrated. Soron however had his power drained constantly while I was pregnant.. It is so rare for God''s to have children together that neither of us could have guessed that you would put a drain on his power for such a long time. As soon as you were born you did not cry instead you used my power and vanished from our grasps. Fearful that someone would take you and use you against him, Soron implanted a young Angel''s memories in your head. The young woman by the name of Alice did indeed exist at one point in time but that is not who you are. \" Nyx said trying to hide the fact she was nervous Alice would just leave hearing all of this. \"That¡­ Is just too much for me to handle, if I was really the child between you two why do I not have Godly powers? And what about the Quests I am given by God? The ones that just appear in front of me? There is so much that does not make sense about what you''re telling me! \" Alice said, still not having any answers. \"I don''t know why you don''t have the power you should have, As for your father''s quest to wipe out the Demons I can tell you that doing that will not bring back the Angels..\" Nyx replied honestly. \"Can you give me Quest''s as well?? The reason I came here so quickly was not to see you but because I was given a quest to come and talk with you! I even will get some reward for this visit! Are you the one who gives me the rewards?!? Even my scythe was a reward the quests gave me! \" Alice said losing control of her emotions, feeling like she was just a tool for the God''s to use and play mind games with. \"I have no idea what you''re talking about Alice I can promise you that, Soron may just be using the Quests to mess with you and prevent us from having a good relationship¡­ \" Nyx replied not knowing what else to say. | Quest complete | | Reward - Wings of Sorrow | Having completed the Quest Alice stood up feeling sick of all the stress and mental abuse she was feeling. Suddenly time felt as if it was slowing down as wave after wave of magic power erupted around her. Screaming in pain beautiful black wings tore through her skin and expanded sending blood and a black mist swirling around her. Watching in utter shock at what was happening in front of her Nyx stared at Alice''s beautiful black wings as they slowly moved closer to Alice''s body. Crying and curling her knees to her chest she let all of her pent up emotions come out as if second nature to her Alice hid her body behind her wings as she sat on the ground not wanting to face reality anymore. \"Alice¡­ are you okay? These wings are not from Soron I can promise you that whatever quests you are receiving are not from him nor me.. \" Nyx said, putting a hand on her wings causing her to feel intense emotions of sadness. \"You poor child¡­ I can feel how much pain you''re in. I will free you from your father if that is what you wish. \" Nyx said, trying to be as genuine as she could. \"NEITHER OF YOU ARE MY PARENTS I KNOW WHO THEY ARE LEAVE ME ALONE! \" Alice said, flapping her wings hard and leaving the room returning to her own falling onto the familiar and warm floor she felt like she had not seen in a long time. \"Alice¡­ is that you¡­ \" Yumi said standing in her doorway in awe of what she was seeing. Looking up in tears Alice got up rushing over to Yumi embracing her in a tight hug as if she was the only real thing in her life that she would refuse to let go of. Wrapping her arms around Alice she returned the hug and let Alice cry on her shoulder as she just played with her hair. \"I don''t know what happened to you since I was asleep but I am here and not going anywhere so cry as much as you need too then we can talk. \" Yumi said, wondering just how long she was asleep. Having cried so much no more tears would come Alice let go of Yumi and took a few steps back. \"I missed you.. \" Alice said, wiping her eyes. \"How long was I asleep? When did you get your wings back.. \" Yumi asked not being able to help herself from asking questions. \"I don''t know how long and a few minutes ago.. \" Alice replied, taking the chance to finally be able to look at her own wings. \"These¡­ are my wings? \" Alice asked, touching the silky smooth feathers that looked nothing like the white ones she remembered having as an Angel. \"Looks like it! Honestly they''re the most beautiful things i have ever seen.. It is going to bring a lot of attention to you next time you go outside. \" Yumi said, making a good point. \"That is true.. Alice said, bringing up her quest panel to look at her wings'' information. | Wings of Sorrow - Living through life and death the Wings of Sorrow will reflect the owners emotions. Wings of Sorrow will allow the user to fly freely through the sky with no use of Mana. Bringing the wings out used 35 Mana, storing the wings returns 35 Mana. | 50 Jannat the Storm Magnus \"I can store my wings away it seems. \" Alice said curious just what it meant by being able to store them. Thinking of putting her wings away they slowly faded away into a black mist until they were completely gone. \"That is a pretty crazy skill.. Anyways I need to rest today I don''t seem to heal as fast as you do unfortunately. Have you seen Little Shadow? I was hoping to cuddle him since I cant leave the house yet. \" Yumi asked while looking around Alice''s room. \"Now that you mention it I have not seen much of him lately, I wonder where he has been. \" Alice said while sending a signal to him to let him know she wanted him to return. Taking Alice and Yumi both by surprise Little Shadow leaped out of Alice''s Shadow looking up at the both of them as if it was nothing strange. \"Where have you been? How can you come out of my shadow like that? \" Alice asked curiously. ''Since we have a blood tie to each other I was able to take on some of your power as I leveled up. I am close to your current level at the moment. '' Shadow said while flicking his tail a few times obviously proud of himself. \"What else can you do? \" Alice asked wanting to know more. ''I can use your shadow movements as well as a few new attacks. '' He replied not noticing Yumi sneaking up behind him. \"It''s not fair that you can talk to Alice and not me! You have to cuddle me to make up for it! \" Yumi said carrying him off to her room. Deciding to get some fresh air Alice made her way out of the Estate. As she walked through the streets she was able to notice a large presence of soldiers and high level adventures crowding everywhere she could see. Not watching where she was going Alice bumped into a beautiful brown skinned woman dressed in leather. \"I am so sorry I was not paying attention to where I was going. \" Alice said noticing the woman had a streak of silver in her dark hair that fell over her face. \"No worries just watch where you are going there is a lot of tension right now so others may not be so kind. \" The woman said with a smile. \"What is going on anyways? \" Alice asked curiously. \"The kingdom is preparing for war with the neighboring kingdom. My name is Jannat, who might you be? \" Jannat asked curious if Alice was also a Adventure taking part in the upcoming war. \"My name is Alice, It is nice to meet you. You are here to fight on our side in the war? \" Alice asked using her eye''s ability to check Jannat''s level. | Jannat the Storm Magnus - Level 78 | \"I am indeed how about you? You give off a thick magical aura so I assume you''re a mage like me. \" Jannat said happily to meet another mage around her age. \"I use a scythe as well as a few different elements. \" Alice replied pulling her weapon out of the systems inventory. \"You can use dimensional storage???? \" Jannat said more surprised at Alice''s ability to store things than her menacing looking weapon. \"Mn I was born able to use it. \" Alice said. \"So what about your elements? What all can you use? \" Jannat asked genuinely curious now. \"Fire, Wind, and Shadow. I mainly use my scythe that I can combine with my elements when I battle. \" Alice replied expecting a big reaction but was kind of upset when Jannat just smiled like it was a normal thing. \"What about you Jannat? \" \"Technically I use the Wind and Light elements but I am known as the Storm Magnus since I can use large scale spells. Lots of them involve lighting and tornado''s pretty cool don''t you think? \" Jannat said proudly, also feeling a little upset by Alice''s lack of astonishment by her abilities. \"So are you taking part in the war Alice? \" Jannat asked pushing through the awkward tension between them. \"I plan to level up a few more times before it starts that way I can be of more help. \" Alice said honestly while wanting to go back out to train some more. \"Mind if I tag along? \" Jannat asked having some time to kill anyways. \"I am only level 25 currently so having you tag along would probably scare away the monsters I plan on killing. Sorry maybe next time! \" Alice replied wanting to be alone while she vents some of her pain and anger as well as not wanting anyone to see her flying around just yet. Saying her goodbyes to Jannat she quickly made her way through the crowded streets and out of the Kingdom walls. Once she was sure she was out of sight of everyone she brought her wings back out and took to the skies eagerly missing the way flying with wings felt. Flapping her wings hard and going as fast as she could Alice could not help but smile and laugh a little at the familiar feeling of flying. Now completely sure she was a Angel and not the child of two God''s she felt like a weight was lifted from her shoulders and she could breathe again. Remembering that her wings would reflect her emotions she glanced to the side to look at them to see if she could notice a change. Looking over she saw that her wings did not change much in color except for that the wings almost looked grey instead of a silky black. Feeling a little disappointed that they were not pure white like her old wings the color slowly darkened back to the silky black color they were before. Deciding not to look anymore she instead used the Hunters eye passive to search through the forest from the air for monsters that would wive her a decent bit of experience. Her goal was to reach level 30 before the war started if possible. Spotting a group of bandits further in the forest she decided to take a closer look to see if she could see anything interesting. Flying high above the camp she hovered in one place as she watched a few of the men take turns going in one tent and leaving after 10 minutes letting the next in line have their turn. ''I wonder what is in the tent? '' Alice thought to herself but decided she should wait a little longer to see if anything would happen before she took on the bandits. Not having to wait very long she noticed the men starting to go crazy. Flying a little lower to see more clearly her eyes widened in shock seeing a very large man exit the tent dragging the corpse of a female with almost no clothing on and bruises all over her by the head. The large man lifted her body up and threw it at some of the men who stopped their yelling and instead fought over who would be allowed to take the body to their tent. Seeing this Alice became enraged which caused her wings to emit her murderous intent in a mist of red with every flap. Pulling out her scythe she flew down as fast as she could swing her weapon all around her as she landed cutting two of the unsuspecting men down instantly while taking the others in the camp off guard. \"MEN GATHER WE HAVE A INTRUDER! \" The larger man shouted while racing towards a tent to grab his weapons. Only seeing red Alice infused her weapon with her Flame element making her look like a god of death sent to seek vengeance on behalf of the abused and deceased woman that laid on the ground next to her. Without giving much thought to her actions she quickly flew around attacking everyone in her path injuring some and having her attacks blocked by others. Growing even more angry that the men didn''t just lay down their life''s for her to take she landed and used \"Vines of the Shadow Monarch\" to grab almost all of the bandits and drain them of all their mana killing them slowly leaving the ones who did not get grabbed no choice but to either run or try to face her head on. Wanting to set a example for the ones who still had fighting spirit she made the vines line the captured men up around her while she swung her weapon quickly decapitating all 25 of her prisoners sending blood spraying at the rest of the bandits for a short moment. \"Who are you? What do you want?! \" The large man asked taking a step back in fear. \"You do not deserve to know my name. I was looking to kill monsters and I found some so come die. \" Alice replied coldly flapping her wings hard closing the distance between them in a instant as she swung her blade in attempt to take his head from his shoulders. Having her attack blocked repeatedly Alice pushed herself harder picking up on the speed of her attacks forcing him back a step with each attack. Getting annoyed the man jumped back and yelled out \"Armor\" causing the ground to erupt around him and form around his body making him look more like a monster than a human. \"Lets play you damn monster. \" He said now rushing at Alice punching her hard in the stomach sending her flying back. Using her wings to stabilize herself she changed her weapons element from Fire to Shadow and rushed at him this time. 51 Micheal Rushing at the man she swung hard in hopes of being able to end things quickly. To her surprise the man had some sort of ability because even using her shadow element she was not able to pass though his armor made of the earth beneath them. "You''re not the 1st monster I have faced that can use the Shadow Element little miss. " He said seeing her surprise while grabbing he weapon and pulling it towards him landing a crushing punch to her stomach again sending her rolling on the ground letting go of he weapon. "Get up! You don''t get to just kill all my friends in front of me and then just lay on the ground after a few punches. " He said tossing her weapon to the side. "Fine. You asked for this. " Alice said taking to the air and raising both of her hands above her head creating a large red magic circle. "You think hitting me with a puny fire attack will do anything to me? Bring it on... " He said looking up at her and realizing her attack was not small in the slightest. In fact she was pouring so much mana into her attack that he could feel the scorching heat through his armor. Quickly making a earth shield around him he couldn''t do anything but pray her attack was nothing but a show. Seeing him put up his defenses after taunting her she put almost all the mana she had into her fire ball making it grow even more in size and start catching the trees closest to them on fire even though they were still a distance away. Lowering her hands slowly she send the enormous ball of fire crashing down with him as the target. The closer her attack got to the ground the more the man started fearing for his life since he was basically being cooked inside his armor. Alice watched calmly as her attack crushed and burned everything it came into contact with into ashes leaving nothing but a crater behind. | Level up | Name - Alice Class - Demi Angel Title - Hunter, Apprentice of Nyx, Sorceress HP - 1,010/1,010 MP- 2,350/2,350 Level 25 \u003e 26 STR - 200 \u003e 220 +10 VIT - 150 +5 INT - 208 \u003e 238 (+5 +200) DEX - 45 (+10 +5) DEF - 100 (+5 +10 +10) AGI - 95(+5 +10) Skill Points - 50 \u003e 0 Skills: Familiar Telepathy, Blessed by God (Passive), Demonic Gaze, Gods Eye (Passive), Shadow Eye (Passive), Hunter''s sight(passive). | Quest - Meet with Nyx | | Reward - ??? | "Another quest to meet Nyx? " Alice said out loud to herself still curious why the system wants her to talk with Nyx so much. "I can go see her later it doesn''t matter I still want to level some more" She said to no one while flying around looking for more monsters to fight with. As Alice was flying around she noticed a large cave in the distance high up on the mountains, getting closer she was able to see the remains of a freshly killed animal. ''Maybe some sort of beast lives here? '' She questioned while landing at the entrance wanting to know more about the place. Hiding her wings Alice formed a small fire in her hands before going into the cave further and looking around cautiously. As she slowly went deeper into the cave she was able to smell a familiar smell of barbecue the same kind they sell in the kingdom. Lowering her guard some she walked a little quicker. "Hello is anyone here? " She called out expecting a reply. When no one replied she became a little more cautious as the fire and meat being cooked came into view. She was surprised to see that not only was meat being cooked, there was even a table and bed and other furniture you would find inside a house. "Excuse me, Is anyone home?.. " She asked again this time stopping in her tracks feeling a blade against her neck. "Who are you and how did you get up here? " A man said in a deep voice pressing his dagger against her neck a little harder showing he would kill her if she didn''t answer. "My name is Alice, I am a adventure and I used the Wind Element to get up here. " Alice replied not saying any more than she needed too. "What do you want and what do you think of the Demons? " He questioned still holding his dagger still against her neck. "I do not want anything from you I did not know anyone lived here. As for what I think of the Demon''s I can tell you that I hate the Demon Lord Kira. " Alice answered honestly. "Last question, what would you do if you met a Angel? " He asked moving the dagger a little to remind her to keep truthful. "I would probably cry I was so happy, if i was to meet one here. " She replied honestly again. Withdrawing his weapon he walked around her and took a seat next to the fire and his food revealing his face and bringing tears to her eyes as she saw his perfect white wings. She finally was able to come face to face with another Angel. "You actually started crying... My name Is Micheal take a seat. " Micheal said moving a log off the wood pile next to him and placing it down for her next to the fire close by. "I have so many questions.... " Alice said trying to keep her thoughts from clouding her mind to the point she couldn''t speak anymore. "I have a few of my own but I will let you start. " Micheal replied removing his food from above the fire and taking a bite. "It has been so long since I have seen someone like me you have no idea how happy I am right now.. " Alice said with tears running from her eyes as she took a seat and tried drying her eyes. "Like you? What do you mean? " Micheal said while handing her some of his food. "It will be easier if I show you, after that I can tell you a story.. " She replied while taking her wings out which let off a white so bright it illuminated the cave further showing just how happy she really was. Seeing this Micheal felt his heart skip a beat, he had not seen wings so beautiful since he was with his daughter over a hundred years ago. "You.. are a Angel? H-how can this be??? You are so young! Has our race been brought back?! I failed God.. Did someone else finish my mission???? " Micheal began shooting off questions and dropping his food. "My name is Alice and no the quest has not been completed yet. I was given the same quest to complete. As for being a Angel I still do not know for sure... " Alice replied honestly. "How can someone with such radiant wings not be a Angel? To have such wings you would have to be God''s most prized Angel. Did God bring you back as he did with me? " Micheal asked trying to sort his own thoughts as he asked. "I was given these wings through a quest given to me by the system. the only reason they are so white is because of how happy I am to see you.. A Angel.. I am currently not sure if God brought me back or if that is because I am the child of Nyx and God.. " Alice replied a little dizzy from bringing back all of the confusion that surrounded her life. "The system? What is that? A Child between two Gods has not been seen in eons. " Micheal replied a little confused himself. "I only woke up a few months ago, at that time I received a notification from the system to kill monsters and go to a kingdom close to where I woke up. I didn''t even have my wings, the only thing I had was my memories of being a Angel. I followed the system''s quests and received all sorts of benefits. I was convinced it was God trying to help me out until recently if I am being honest with you. Eventually I met with God in a dream where he explained how If i eradicate the Demon race he would bring back the Angel race through me as the mother of all Angels.. A while after that I met with Nyx... This infuriated God and lots of things happened, I was face to face with both Nyx and God where they proceeded to tell me that I was actually their child and that God had implanted the memories of ''Alice'' a loyal Angel into my mind so that I would do God''s bidding. Nyx took me away from God''s place where ever that may be and treated me as if I really was her child.. I have no clue what I really am and there are a bunch of things that don''t make sense now that I am saying everything out loud. " Alice said in almost one breath. "That... " Micheal began before Alice continued cutting him off. "The fact that God brought Angels back before me and promised the same things to them confuses me... Men can not give birth so how did he plan to use you or the other Angel to bring back the Angel race? I can not understand this no matter how much I think about it. To top everything off If God loved us Angels why wouldn''t he just create a male and female Angel to re populate the Angel race? Nothing makes any sense! " Alice said now putting some of the clues together about herself and the situation. 52 Shadow Monarch Seeing what God told her was obviously a lie she wanted to talk with Nyx again even without the system quest telling her to do so. "God would not just lie to us! " Micheal spat out fearing Gods wrath from hearing such things come out of a Angels mouth. "While I do not know everything I do know that only an Angel could have wings such as ours. " "What if I really am the child of God''s? Would it be possible then? " Alice asked now certain that Nyx was telling her the truth. "It is impossible to say.. " Micheal replied. "I will come visit you again. " Alice said walking into a shadow and entering the room Nyx brought her to before. Not seeing Nyx anywhere Alice decided to take her Grimoire out and do some reading while she waited for Nyx to show up. "Show me more skills related to the Shadow Monarch. " Alice said putting the book down on the table letting it flip through the pages until it finally stopped towards the end of the book. ''Shadow Monarch''s Control'' A single target spell that uses the targets Shadow to control their body. Upon activating you may control the target for as long as your mana allows at a rate of 10 mana per minute. If the target has a higher INT value than the caster the spell becomes null. ''Armor of the Shadow Monarch'' A defensive type spell, requires 1,800 mana to activate. Once activated the armor will last for one hour. The armor shrouds the user in a black armor completely making it next to impossible to see the user in dark places. The armor has the special ability to ignore physical attacks three times per use. Almost as soon as she tried asking for another spell to be shown Nyx appeared in the room and took a seat next to Alice. "I see you managed to find the Shadow Monarch''s Grimoire how interesting. " Nyx said with a smile. "Did you know him? " Alice asked curiously. "Of course I did. I know everyone who can use my element. It has been maybe 300 years since I last thought of him though. " Nyx replied recalling some memories of when he use to visit her. "I came here because of the system I told you about... I also think I believe you now. " Alice said with a sad expression. "That is amazing news!!! Why do you look so sad though? " Nyx replied wondering why Alice was not happier. "Because that means all of my memories of my parents in the Angel kingdom are just a lie implanted in me by a man who just wanted to use me to get what he wanted.. " Alice replied. "We can not help what your father has done to you, all we can do is move forward. What is your name? " Nyx said pulling Alice closer and getting her to meet her eyes. "What do you mean? " Alice replied. "What is your name? It is a simple question. " Nyx repeated. "My name is Alice... " "Who do you remember raising you? " "My father and mother in the Angel Kingdom... " "Then it is simple. I may have birthed you but they are the parents you know. While I am jealous of that fact it doesn''t change anything. I can be your mother now or even just your friend, I am here for you no matter if you want to do that lowly mans bidding or just live your life as you are. " Nyx said warmly hugging Alice in a way only a mother could. Alice was unsure of what to do but slowly returned Nyx''s embrace and was only able to whisper "Thank you.. " "No lets just forget about all of that stuff for now. We can talk more about it later if you wish, but I have a present for you! " Nyx said instantly disappearing for a moment before returning with a small box in her hands. "What is it? " Alice asked curiously. "Just a gift, think of it as a inheritance from the former Shadow Monarch. " Nyx said handing her the small normal looking box. "You don''t have to open it now.. " Nyx began only to see Alice already opening the box. "I didn''t expect you to be so excited haha. " "It''s beautiful... " Alice said holding a light purple and black ring so well crafted she wondered if a god created it. "It is a little to big for me to wear but still thank you. " Alice said happily wishing she could wear such a pretty ring. "Don''t be silly, try putting the ring on. Stand up before you do though." Nyx said taking a seat next to her again. Listening to Nyx she stood up and slowly put the ring on her middle finger and watched it shrink in size till it fit snugly on her like it was part of her finger. "Why tell me to stand? " Alice asked curiously. "Pour some of your mana into the ring, I think you will really enjoy this item. " Nyx said waiting for the show to start. Doing what Nyx said she held out her hand looking at the ring and started putting some of her mana in the ring. A short while later a black cloud slowly started coming out of the ring swirling around her hand and worked its way up her arm until it was completely engulfing her in the black cloud. Pouring a little more mana in she felt like her armor and clothes felt different than usual. Eventually the cloud was sucked back into the ring revealing Alice in a completely new outfit. She no longer had the armor on, in stead she was in a pitch black dress that showed a little more than she wanted to show. It barely reached her knees and hugged her body tightly, she was also now wearing white and black checkered thigh high stockings. "You look absolutely stunning! What do you think? " Nyx said happily. "I am a little uncomfortable.. " Alice replied looking at her self in the mirror noticing she has changed quite a bit from the last time she looked at herself. "That is not all the ring does! It should have also given you around a thousand more mana and a decent boost to your defense and agility. There are a total of 4 items the previous Shadow Monarch left behind but you are not ready for the others yet. " Nyx said motioning for Alice to take a seat again. "What other items are there? " Alice asked curiously. "A necklace, A key to unlock the grimoire you have, and a few other things but you will need to be much much stronger before even thinking about them. " Nyx replied. "A key to unlock my Grimoire? " Alice questioned again. "The Grimoire you have only has a very small amount of the Shadow Monarchs spells and skills. Once you obtain the key and fully unlock the book you will be able to learn everything the previous Shadow Monarch knew. However it is a path that not many are able to take, you''re special so it shouldn''t be a problem for you but it will still take some years before you get there. " Nyx replied. "You should probably be getting back now, it may not seem like it but you have been here with me for a few hours. " Nyx said giving her a hug again. "Bye, I will come again soon. " Alice said before leaving the room and coming back out in her room in the Astala Estate. "Alice is that you? " Yumi called out before opening her door. "Yeah I just got back what is going on? " She asked forgetting all about her new appearance. "Woah, I love the new look! " Yumi said slowly walking over and checking Alice out. "Thanks.. So what''s new? " Alice asked wondering if anything major happened while she was away. "Nothing much the war is in a few days so the kingdom is super lively right now, even my father is taking part in it. " Yumi replied. "What? Arita is going to be in the war?? " Alice questioned. "Yeah, he feels like it is something he has to do and there are a lot of people who are supporting him and serving under him during the war. " Yumi said with a sad face. "Don''t worry I will be taking part in the war as well I wont let anything happen to your father. " Alice said with a smile trying to comfort Yumi a little bit. "Thanks, anyways It is getting time for me to go to bed you have been gone all day so I just wanted to check in on you. Goodnight Alice. " Yumi said heading to her room leaving Alice alone. "She feels a little left out if you''re wondering. " Little Shadow said while yawning and stretching his paws out on the bed. "Not much I can do about it when she is still injured, did you get bigger? " Alice asked seeing Little Shadow looking twice as large as normal. "I woke up this way earlier. Must have to do with either your power increase or mine. Either way I''m going back to sleep. " He replied half rolling onto his back clearly very comfortable. "Alright well ill be walking around the Kingdom i kind of want to join a regiment for the war. " Alice said leaving the room and making her way to the Adventure Guild. 53 War Preparation Pt 1 "Alice! " Jannat called out seeing Alice come out of the Estate''s gates. "Oh hey Jannat what''s up? " Alice asked wondering what she wanted. "Nothing much I just got my duty details for the war, have you registered yet? " Jannat asked wanting to see if they got put in the same unit. "I was actually on my way to register to take part in the war right now. " Alice replied. "Awesome follow me and I will take you to get it done! Maybe we will be put in the same unit. " Jannat said taking her hand and leading her through the crowded streets to the Adventure''s Guild. "Okay go talk to the bald guy sitting behind the booth over there. " Jannat said pointing across the crowded room where a small sign could be seen that showed ''Recruitment'' could barely be seen over the top of peoples heads. Giving a nod Alice moved in between people as best she could not getting very far, annoyed by this she sank into the man''s shadow next to her and came back out beside the man in charge of recruiting for the war. "Good god woman. Wait in line like... " He started but decided to just take care of her first. "I am here to join the war and help any way that I can. " Alice said happy she got to skip over the line she had not noticed before. "If you are a warrior.. No you must be a mage. I will need to know what Element you use as well your most powerful attack. " The bald man said thinking it was silly he almost treated her like the average adventure since there was no way she could be useful with a weapon. "I am good at both close range and long range combat. I use Fire, Wind and Shadow for my Element''s. My main weapon is a Scythe that can be infused with one of the three elements that I control. " Alice replied with a smile rather proud of her abilities. "There is no need to lie miss. " The man said with a look of doubt. "Is there a place you can test me? " Alice asked curiously. "Hey Francis, this little one says she has three elements on top of being skilled with a scythe. Take her out back and have a spar with her. Place her wherever you would like if she does well. " He said waving her off. "Come with me miss. " Francis said with a smile. Following behind the man she wasn''t to surprised to see people naturally moved out of his way. He had to be one of the largest men she had ever seen. Not to mention his large battle Ax''s strapped to each side. "This should be a good spot, come at me whenever you would like. " Francis said pulling one ax out and doing a small stretch. "Sounds good to me. " Alice said pulling her scythe out of her inventory and taking advantage of her boosted mana pool to infuse her weapon with the Fire Element. Seeing her weapon glowing red with flames Francis got into a defensive position knowing that if he didn''t block her attack it would leave a nasty wound. "Ready? " Alice asked with a smirk seeing him already in a defensive position. "Bring it on little girl, keep in mind we are just sparing before the war starts though. " Francis said with a serious expression wishing Corey would have just let her into a random unit. Hearing him give the okay Alice started running to the right and used her ''Rift Warp'' to appear to his left giving her scythe a heavy swing aimed at his chest. Almost unable to follow her sudden position change he barely was fast enough to move his Ax to parry her attack. Following up with a punch aimed at her stomach hoping to land the blow and call the match he was surprised to see she had already warped away again. This time pulling the mana out of her weapon so it wouldn''t burn him Alice appeared to his right from a shadow and turned her blade away from him sweeping his legs out from under him and pointing a large fireball right at his head while standing over him. "Give up yet? " Alice said confidently. "You pass, but what of your wind Element? I over heard you say you could use that as well. " Francis said getting back on his feet. "I can do you need proof? " Alice asked with a evil smile wondering how far she could send him flying with a tornado. "No need... " Francis replied not liking the look she was giving him. "What about your most powerful long range spell? This is something I need to know before I assign you to a unit. " "Hmm.. I would have to say for numerous enemies it would have to be one of my Wind Element attacks I just recently learned. I can conjure up a large tornado and control its path by riding in the center of it. " Alice replied thinking back to when she first used it in the valley Kayl took her and Yumi to train at. "Ah so we have two in our ranks now that can use large scale attacks like that now. We are sure to win at this rate. I believe it would be beneficial to our efforts in this war if you joined unit one. It is led by a man named Arita. I will introduce you to him tomorrow at noon, be sure to be here at that time to meet him and the rest of your unit. " Francis said rubbing the back of his head. "I will be here, if you''re talking about mister Astala then you do not need to introduce us since I currently live with him and his daughter is my best friend. " Alice said with a smile putting her weapon away. "I guess I will see you tomorrow to meet with the others as well as discuss plans of action for the upcoming war. " Francis said waving to her as he walked back to the Guild. Having time to kill Alice decided to wander around the streets to see if she could find anything interesting to buy since she has just been sitting on her money and adding to it for a while. Smelling the same kind of barbecue she smelled in Micheal''s cave Alice followed the smell and found Micheal selling the food in a stall on the side of the road wearing a very heavy looking coat making him look homeless. "Micheal? What in the world are you doing here? " Alice asked curiously. "I didn''t imagine I would see you here Alice, how are you doing? You left my home rather quick after telling me all that. " Micheal asked. "I am good, sorry about leaving like that. Are you not worried someone will find out what you are? " Alice questioned. "No one thinks my look is out of place with so much going on right now so I decided to get out and be around the people of this land. Would you like some barbecue? " Micheal said while taking some of the food and handing it to her. "Thank you, things are a little hectic with the war about to happen, by the way if you need a safe place to sleep go to the Astala Estate and tell the guards I sent you. The owner and his daughter know about me and God so they should be willing to let you stay without you having to hide who you are. Arita the owner would probably enjoy talking with you as well. " Alice said with a smile handing him some money. "They know about you and still let you stay? Are you sure it is safe? " Micheal asked curiously. "It is probably the safest place in the kingdom for you to show your wings as long as it is just around him and his daughter. We can go there together right now if you want. " Alice said motioning for him to follow her. Deciding to trust her Michael got up and followed close behind Alice constantly checking his coat to make sure his wings didn''t slip out or show at all. "If you want I can get us there really quick if you''re worried about people seeing. " Alice said grabbing both his hands. "What do you mean? " Micheal started to asked not realizing he was halfway into a shadow already. "Wait what is happening? " Micheal asked trying not to panic as people stopped walking and watched them. "It is something I can do because of my shadow element, we will be inside in a moment just don''t let go of my hands. " Alice replied as they completely disappeared from the road and came back out in Aritas Office. 54 War Preparation Pt 2 "Alice, how did you bring us here so fast?! " Micheal said clearly freaked out at the sudden change of location. "I can use the Shadow Element and I used one of my spells to travel us through the shadows in order to get us here quickly. It is also how I left your cave so suddenly. " Alice said not expecting his reaction. "Do you plan on introducing us Alice? " Arita said sitting behind his desk curiously. "Oh right! Arita this is Micheal, he is an Angel! " Alice said excitedly. "ALICE! It is for me to decide who knows my secrets. " Micheal said angrily. "Micheal, please try to calm down I am sure Alice here was just excited to meet with another Angel after everything that has happened with your race. " Arita said trying to calm him down and offering him a drink. "I am sorry.. It just has been so long since I have been able to be myself that I am still fearful of being hunted down by the demons. " Micheal said taking a drink of the water. "I hope it is okay but I told Micheal he could stay here for a while and stretch his wings without worry. " Alice said giving Arita a sad look. "That.. will be fine just stop pouting. " Arita said turning to face Micheal. "I will have a room prepared for you, as far as your wings go no one in my house would tell a soul so feel free to take your coat off at any time. " He said offering Micheal a hand showing him he could relax a little bit. "Thank you.. I think I will keep the coat on for now if you don''t mind though. " Micheal said shaking Arita''s hand. "Oh right, do you want to go to the Guild together tomorrow Mister Astala? " Alice asked with a smile. "Sure, may I ask what for though? " Arita replied curiously. "I will be in your unit during the war, tomorrow we meet everyone so I thought we could just go together! " Alice said proudly. "Somehow I figured you would end up in my unit, sure I will come get you first thing in the morning. " Arita replied. "Sounds good to me! " Alice said turning to leave the room. "By the way Alice, since your father cant be here to tell you this I will tell you for him. You should try to dress a little better. You''re showing to much skin try to change if you can please. " Arita said getting a headache thinking of how worried he would be if his daughter wore what Alice was wearing. "Mmmm, I will think about it but no promises. " Alice said closing the door behind her. ______________________________The next morning_______________________________ "Ready to go Alice? " Arita said knocking on her door. "Yup! Lets go. " Alice said opening the door and walking with Arita out of the house and through the streets to the Adventure''s Guild to meet with Francis and the rest of the members of their unit for the war. Entering the Guild Alice was surprised to see almost everyone sitting down at different tables being rather quiet talking with their groups and planning things out. "This place is normally pretty loud it is kind of weird seeing it so.. orderly. " Alice said quietly to Arita. "I see our table come on Alice. " Arita said changing his demeanor to that of the serious hero of the Kingdom that he was known for. Seeing this change she just nodded and quietly followed him and took a seat between him and Jannat who was more than happy to see Alice there. "I knew from the moment we met we would have lots of fun together in the future. " Jannat said giving Alice a hug and scooting closer to her. "Don''t be weird about it.. " Alice said trying to escape her hug. "Settle down ladies, It is time we talked and introduced ourselves to the people we will be serving beside for this war. " Arita said seriously standing up causing the rest of the room to immediately go quiet. "Most of you here know who I am already so I will skip over introducing myself but I will however say this. We are gathered here to protect this Kingdom that we all love and do not want to see under the rule of another Kingdom. I would like to ask that each and every one of you no matter how weak or powerful you are take today seriously and to heart. Take the time to get to know your neighbor and know that you may not see them again in the days to come. Remember that no one asked you to fight you are here of your own free will to protect this Kingdoms people. It is not just another quest given by the guild this war will decide the outcome of the normal citizens that live peacefully here. So give this your best effort and do what you can to help the people of your unit, from today on you are all my family. I will let your unit leaders take things from here so be sure to pay attention and don''t speak out of turn. " Arita said powerfully before taking his seat again. "Nicely done as always. " Said Francis shaking Arita''s hand. "I will start things off, My name is Arita Astala and I will be this units leader. If you listen to my orders I promise you will have a higher chance of coming back alive even though we will be fighting on the front lines. I am happy to meet you all, Alice would you go next please? " Arita said turning his attention to her waiting for her to introduce herself to the rest of the unit. "I am Alice, I don''t know if I will be fighting as a warrior or a mage during the war but I am skilled at both! It is nice to meet you all. " Alice repled with a smile. "I guess I''m next, my name is Jannat I fight as a mage using long range large area of effect attacks. I will only be useful for a short time during the war but I can promise I will take out as many enemies as I can. " Jannat said happily. "You can call me Roger, I am normally at the front of my group during adevtures. I can use the Light Element so I can blind my enemies while taking any damage they throw at me using a pretty large shield so if you need to rest just stay behind me. " Roger who was only a little smaller in size than Francis said. "Nice to meet everyone, I am called Siana and I mainly use a bow. I can use the Wind Element to change my arrows course after firing it so I will have your backs during the war. " Siana a skinny girl with blonde hair and grey eyes said cheerfully. "I am Francis, but you all know that already. I will deal out as much damage as I can to the enemies that get close to us. I assure you that it will be much different than what you experienced when you spared with me. " Francis said flexing his muscles. "Now that the introductions are out of the way we can discuss a formation that would be best for us to use. " Arita said while motioning for one of the Guild employees to bring some food and drinks for them. "Francis, Roger and myself will be located at the front of our formation with Roger being in the middle. Siana, you should be behind us if possible. I will use the Earth element to create a high up platform for you allowing you to keep watch and warn us of anything we may not see. Jannat I want you to use your most powerful move as soon as they are in range to lower their moral and take as many out as you can. Once you have done that stay close to Alice and let her protect you while you recover enough to fight again. " Arita said while using their cups to show their positions on the table. "What about me? " Alice asked feeling a little left out. "I believe it would be best if you watch both sides of us and deal as much damage as you can to the enemies that pass by us. It shouldn''t be a issue with how fast you can move around. If we see trouble coming use the Wind Element and go crazy with the tornado I have heard about from Yumi. " Arita said still not sure what Alice could really do and how sever her tornado would be. With everyone knowing their roles and positions for the war to come they began to chat amongst themselfs not knowing that the invaders were already only a few hours away. "What is everyone freaking out about? " Alice asked noticing a guy causing a scene at the front of the Guild. "I''m not sure. I will go check it out though. " Francis said walking over telling everyone to calm down. "LISTEN UP EVERYONE! THE WAR WILL START SOONER THAN WE THOUGHT! OUR ENEMY IS COMING AS WE SPEAK GET READY AND MEET OUTSIDE THE GATES WITH YOUR UNITS! " Francis''s voice boomed through the Guild. 55 War Pt 1 Rushing out of the guild Alice along with all of the adventures made their way to the front gates where the Kingdoms army was busy setting up their defenses along the walls surrounding the Kingdom making quick progress putting up traps and heavy weaponry. With this sight in view the reality of what was happening quickly set in not with just the adventures but with the people living in the Kingdom as well. Alice was able to see the streets lined with the citizens standing on the sides of the roads shouting their words of encouragement and luck to those who would be laying down their lives to protect them. Among the people Alice thought she saw Yumi waving at her but she vanished in the crowd before Alice has the chance to run over to talk with her. "Alice, focus and don''t fall to far behind us. We need to stick together otherwise you will be separated from us in the crowd of people. " Arita said sternly. "Right, sorry I thought I saw Yumi and I wanted to talk with her before all of this starts. " Alice said looking a little sad she didn''t think to talk with Yumi before going to war. "It has already started, try not to think to much about it until after we come back alive. " Arita replied a little softer this time also wanting to spend a little more time with his child. For the next few minutes Alice and the others walked quickly in silence before reaching the front of line where they would lead the Adventures and Kingdoms army to war. Shortly after a large man on a horse yelled out march! giving the signal for everyone to begin their short journey to where the battle would take place. "You don''t have to feel so uneasy Alice, if anyone gets close to us I will blow them so far away they wont know where they are. " Jannat said keeping pace with her seeing Alice still looking a little sad. "Thank you, I just feel like something bad is going to happen so I feel a little worried. " Alice said not being able to think of a reason she felt this way. | Quest - Achieve a noteworthy performance during the war. | | Reward - +10 levels, Title, ??? | "I get a quest at a time like this.. " Alice said to herself. "What do you mean a quest? " Jannat asked curiously. "I was just talking to myself, giving myself the quest to stay alive.. " Alice replied. "I am on the same quest, I will have your back if you have mine so cheer up a little just vent all your stress to our enemies! " Jannat said with a smile. "Yeah you''re right I will be sure to do that. " Alice said not realizing the enemy was already in sight. "GET IN YOUR FORMATIONS AND SPREAD OUT! " The commander of the army yelled out already noticing the enemy in the distance. Hearing his command all of the units got into their forms and slowly marched forward as the army slowly followed behind them ready to take on anyone who got past the Adventures. Moving through the tree''s and coming into a open clearing the enemy launched the 1st attack sending out large fireballs at Alice and the rest of the warriors on her side. Almost mesmerizing Alice she watched as the fireballs and other attacks crashed into an seemingly invisible shield that stopped the attacks in their tracks sending waves of bright blue rippling around them. "That can happen when a lot of Light Element users work together to form a barrier its always interesting to watch. " Francis said as they slowly continued to move forward through the attacks thanks to the people working to shield them from harm. As soon as the enemy was close enough Jannat slowly began to lift off the ground while she chanted causing the sky to become grey letting off a few bursts of thunder before she finally finished her chant and let out a yell fully activating her spell. Both armies stopped moving seeing Jannat use her spell and some even began thinking it was a bluff when nothing happened right away. Everyone''s eyes widened in shock as massive lighting bolts rained down on the enemy instantly killing countless people and stunning the ones who where lucky not to be directly hit. Landing softly on the ground Jannat took a few deep breaths while following the plan and joining Alice who was already standing where she was needed. "Get ready! " Arita yelled out while slamming his fist on the ground creating a tall pillar for Siana to stand on and keep watch over them while providing support where needed for her unit and those who would need it. "Try your best to recover and leave the rest to me. " Alice said while pulling out her scythe and getting ready for the enemy that was now charging at them. Before Alice had the chance to do anything Francis was already swinging both his ax''s powerfully sending the smaller framed enemies flying over their heads while Siana took the opportunity to use their air born state to land the final blows with her arrows. Both Roger and Arita had fully covered themselves with armor made from the ground beneath them and worked to control as many enemies as they could taking blows and dealing out as many as they received without slowing down. Remembering her job Alice put her ''Rift Warp'' skill to use and masterfully moved from one side to the other knocking down some enemies and seriously wounding others as they did their best to push through the front line and break their formations. Continuing the formation perfectly Alice was yanked to the side before she could warp again, "Alice they are not stopping some of us need a breather. It is time you showed us all what you can do with your Wind Element. " Arita said for a short moment before stomping on the ground sending a shock wave forward giving Alice just enough time to get in front and start her spell. Rift Warping as close to the enemy lines as she could she began letting the wind fly in circles around her rapidly as she activated the spell causing the grey clouds that still lingered in the sky to start funneling down as she lifted into the air disappearing from view. The enemy started to retreat as far back as they could trying to avoid being sucked in and thrown across the land. Not giving them much time to run Alice enjoyed the feeling of controlling a natural disaster and went full force at the enemy rapidly catching up to the ones fleeing. Now right behind them she watched as enemy after enemy was sucked in and flown in all different directions. Adding more mana to her spell the Tornado grew in size and even trees began to uproot and fly into her spell knocking over and taking some enemies during the process. "This is the power of that little girl? " Francis said drinking some water and watching the show Alice was providing for them. "She is a little special, but it is good that we have two power house mages on our side. If not we wouldn''t have the time to catch our breath like this. " Arita said while pulling the pipe out of Rogers mouth. "Alice is giving us a break to catch our breath not take it away. " He said crushing the pipe under his foot. "My father gave me that pipe ass hole. " Roger replied. "You said that about the last 4 pipes I crushed. " Arita said with a laugh. "I am almost all good to go again. " Jannat said sitting on a dead enemy using him as a chair while she held onto a special stone that allowed her to recover her mana faster than normal. "Good, does anyone know how long Alice can keep this up or does she plan on taking all of them out herself? " Roger said giving an whistle to one of the people he could see flying to meet their maker as they went out of view. "I just know she has a very large mana pool so I couldn''t begin to guess. " Arita said watching Alice go crazy. Taking a peek at her renaming mana she was happy to see she still had over a thousand mana left as her tornado was coming to a end. The tornado started to dissipate in the middle of the enemies army allowing them to surround her in hopes of taking out the person responsible for so much carnage. When the tornado was competently gone both sides were shocked to see that Alice was not in the center she was completely out of sight of both sides. "Good thing I took the time to fly above the clouds otherwise that would have been the end of me. " Alice said taking a moment to enjoy the breeze high up in the air thankful no one could see her taking the chance to stretch her wings. 56 War Pt 2 Looking down she could see the enemies army regrouping, off in the distance behind them she saw something that made her feel a sense of hopelessness. She was able to spot two demons quickly approaching with reinforcements to aid their army that was being pushed back so early into the war. Flying as quick as she could Alice lost all reason and forgot all about hiding her wings. She flew right back to her unit where everyone stopped what they were doing just to look at her making her way back. "TWO DEMONS AND REINFORCEMENTS ARE COMING!! " Alice shouted as loud as she could to warn everyone that was able to hear her as she landed next to Arita. "You got your wings back? " Arita said to everyone''s surprise. "It is not like that.. We do not have time for this right now we have to retreat! " Alice said in a panic recalling the memories of the Angels being exterminated. "I am afraid we can not do that. " Francis said placing a hand on Alice''s shoulder. "Everyone here is fighting to protect something we love be it friends or family. No one here will retreat even seeing a Demon, our numbers are great and unless it is the Demon Obon we should be able to push back. " "Francis is right Alice, what would happen if we surrendered? What about Yumi, I know how highly you value my daughter. This is war and casualties will happen, the best we can do is fight with all of our might. Siana I need you to go inform the army that two Demons are coming to help out our enemy. " Arita said turning to Siana who gave him a nod and quickly made her way back to relay the massage. Putting her wings away Alice took her place in the formation and stood next to Jannat who was staring at her back. "Is that a spell or a special skill that you have? " "You can call it a skill that I have... " Alice said wishing she had taken a few more seconds to just use the Shadow Element to return somehow. "That is amazing! Those wings looked really pretty if it is something you can teach you will have to show me I wonder how they would look on me. " Jannat said making Alice feel a little better about showing her wings. | Quest Complete | | Reward - +10 levels, Title - War Maiden, Light Element | Looking at her new title and the Light Element being given to her Alice began to wonder just what was the System and who exactly gave it to her. Title - War Maiden, A title given to Alice by ??? for striking fear into her enemies hearts while causing destruction to everyone in her path. Title grants +100 STR, +100 DEF. Name - Alice Class - Demi Angel Title - Hunter, Apprentice of Nyx, Sorceress, War Maiden HP - 1,060/1,060 MP- 4,4000/4,400 Level 26 \u003e 36 STR - 220 (+10 +100) VIT - 150 +5 INT - 238 \u003e 438 (+5 +200) DEX - 45 \u003e 245 (+10 +5) DEF - 100 (+5 +10 +10 +100) AGI - 95 \u003e 195 (+5 +10) Skill Points - 500 \u003e 0 Skills: Familiar Telepathy, Blessed by God (Passive), Demonic Gaze, Gods Eye (Passive), Shadow Eye (Passive), Hunter''s sight(passive), Wings of Sorrow. Having put all of her points into her stats and getting the boost from her title the air around Alice was sucked towards her lifting her up slowly as her body adapted to the change in power. The people around her could not help but watch in awe as they could feel a noticeable change in her aura. "Alice what happened just now? The mana in the air was so thick that even I am feeling fully recharged. " Jannat said feeling like she was just pumped full of mana standing next to Alice. "I was given a title by a unknown god I think.. I am not to sure but I feel really good right now. " Alice said not knowing how else to explain herself to so many people. ''On that note just who gave me the title? '' Alice asked herself not knowing who could have given her the title. She thought it was just a system reward but reading the title information let her know that someone besides the system had given it to her through the system. Settling back down Siana had returned and relayed a message that the Army had given her to tell Arita. "The Commander said that he is sending the Light Element users forward to assist with attacks to help weaken and defeat the Demons assisting our enemy. " "What are those people even thinking? The whole reason this war started is because they blamed our kingdom for the attack by the Demons and now they are working together with the Demons. It doesn''t make a lick of sense. " Francis said picking his Ax''s back up and getting ready for the enemy that was now charging forward again. "Focus everyone we will have time for questions later. " Arita said taking advantage of the resupply of mana and sending a large chunk of the ground hurling at the enemy. Crashing on the ground in front of them the enemy forces stopped in their tracks and took up formations of their own while the two demons made their way to the front standing between the two armies. "Kingdom of Samaria and all of those fighting here today listen well! We are here for a girl by the name of Alice! Hand her over and we promise there will be no more need for bloodshed here today! " The taller Demon dressed in a mages robes said projecting his voice for everyone to hear. "That is right, we know you are here today fighting Alice! Come forth and spare your friends the trouble of fighting a war that does not need to be fought! " The second Demon said who was wearing heavy armor. "Alice do not move from your position, no one here has any plans of letting one of our own be handed to Demons. " Francis said surprising Alice. "If we can avoid the war maybe it is just better I go with them... " Alice said taking a step forward. "It is your choice but they will not just forgive the casualties they suffered today a war will happen even if you go with them. " Arita said grabbing her arm. "Ah there she is! " The taller Demon said quickly closing the gap and now standing next to her and Arita. "Come now Alice I promise no harm will come to your little friends here. " He said coldly. "Kira has given me a year. That year is not up yet so return at once! " Alice said pulling out the necklace Kayl had given her. "Foolish girl that little trinket means nothing to me, Kayl has long been under suspicion and it has been confirmed today seeing that you have wings. You must come with us so that we can figure all of this out. The wings, how you are apparently Lord Kira''s daughter, all of this needs to come to light and it has to come out today. " He said putting his hand around her other arm pulling her to him. "Get your hands off her! " Arita said striking him in the jaw causing him to stumble backwards. Standing up right the Demon looked Arita in the eyes and snapped his fingers, giving the other demon the signal. Hearing the snap he quickly took his sword out and stabbed it through Arita''s stomach and pulled it out just as quickly as he put it through him. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! " Alice screamed releasing her aura and wings making the people around her with a weak mana pool fall to their knees feeling sick. Letting the rage take over Alice''s wings turned pitch black and released a blood red mist with the smallest movement. Quickly flying forward she grabbed the tall Demon by the next using all of her strength and slamming him into the ground with a loud thud breaking the ground beneath him making him spit up some blood. Pulling out her scythe Alice flew to the sky and infused it with the light element pouring a massive amount of mana into it causing the blade to shine so brightly everyone on the battle field shielded their eyes. Alice yelled out in anger while diving down as fast as the could swing her weapon quickly tearing the unconscious demons body in half sending the upper half flying at the enemy army. Pulling out his shield the other demon let out a battle cry of his own bolstering his strength and charging at Alice. Alice blocked his strike with the tail end of her weapon and kicked the man hard in his gut cracking the metal plate armor and sending him a few steps back. Not seeing anything other than the only Demon left standing she Rift Warped in front of him and quickly brought her weapon down on his shoulder almost cutting his arm off. "I wonder how far of a fall you can survive. " Alice said so coldly he could not begin to understand the depths of her rage and hatred. Remembering a spell she read in Nyx''s room Alice placed her hand on his back and whispered ''Shadow Monarchs''s Control'' seconds later the Demon''s shadow vanished and he stood still waiting to be given a command. "Take my hands and do not let go until I tell you. " Alice said slowly walking around him and putting her hands out. "What is she doing why is the demon holding her hands now??? " Jannat said resting Arita''s head on her lap while a mage worked hard to close the wound and stop the bleeding. "I do not know but I don''t think that is Alice right now... " Siana said quietly to herself watching Alice slowly take the Demon off the ground and into the sky above them. Flying high up Alice still did not think the height matched the crime the Demon committed so she flapped her wings harder flying well above the clouds. "This is high enough. " Alice said looking down seeing the Kingdom in the distance look tiny. "Let go of my hands and stay awake until you die. " Alice said letting go of his hands and watching as he fell through the sky with fear in his eyes. 57 War Pt 3 Flying alongside the Demon Alice enjoyed the look of fear on his face more and more as she thought of what he did to Arita. Spreading her wings before they reached the ground Alice hovered in the air above the small crater the Demon made on impact with the ground. Looking down still at his shattered body Alice was unaware everyone on the battle field was silently watching her waiting for her next move. Her allies felt like they had a God on their side who could defeat two Demons on her own. Her enemies how ever felt like she was an Angel of Death sent to eradicate them with ease. "DON''T GIVE UP MEN SHE IS ONE PERSON!! " The enemy commander said trying to bring the moral of his troops back to a acceptable level. Hearing his shout the people supporting Alice yelled out already feeling victor was within their grasps with such a powerful figure aiding them. Remembering what sent her into a rage in the first place Alice turned to face her unit and quickly made her way to them to check on Arita. "CHARGE!!!!!! "The enemy commander yelled out leading the rest of their forces seeing Alice having her back turned to them. With her allies rushing past her to match their charge Alice feel to her knees next to Arita who was barely holding onto life. "Alice, I need you to do me a favor. " He said coughing up blood. "Anything just please don''t die.. " Alice said with tears falling from her face. "Tell Yumi that I love her and I could not be more proud of her. She has grown into a beautiful young lady and I am sorry I did not get to spend more time with her. She is now in charge of the Estate and business, I know she will do a amazing job.. " Arita said growing weaker. "Why can''t you heal him! " Alice said turning to the mage still working to heal his wounds while exhausting all of his mana in the process. "Alice, it is not his fault. The demons blade was coated in poison I do not have long left. I have thought of you as a daughter for a-- " Arita tried saying before closing his eyes for the last time. Holding onto Arita''s hand and crying Alice felt the heart break of loosing a father once again which caused her wings to grow slightly bigger as the sorrow in her heart doubled in size in that moment. "Alice.. We can fight the rest of this war without you.. Someone will be coming by to take Arita back to the Kingdom.. I think you should go with him. " Jannat said placing her hand on Alice''s to get her attention. "No. I will finish this war. " Alice said taking to the sky again needing to vent her sadness with no other option of what to do. Seeing Alice flying above them the enemy commander ordered the reserve mages to fire off any spell they had that could take her out of the air so they could get ride of her for good. "I know you can here me. I do not know why you are giving me the power of the system or who you are but I need answers I am sick and tired of not having any answers. WHO AM I?! " Alice said not caring who could hear her while launching fireball after fireball down at the enemy at random. With half of the enemies mages trying to bring Alice down while protecting the rest of their army from her attacks, Alice''s allies were able to deal with things much easier allowing them to push back with little to no resistance from the mages. "Fuck it. " Alice said flying above the clouds again. Putting her hands out Alice began to form the Meteor spell she had managed to learn in the fight with the bandit. Seeing that it did not take as much mana as she thought it would she began pouring all of her mana into the meteor almost doubling its size and sending it crashing down while she tried her hardest to stay in the air fighting off the feeling of passing out. With the battle raging on intensely both side''s army commanders looked to the sky in horror seeing the Meteor slowly falling from the sky with Alice no where to be seen. Almost at the same time the commanders yelled out "RETREAT NOW!!!!! " Through voice amplification causing the war to stop in its tracks as they all began to feel the scorching heat above them. With both sides fleeing as fast as they could from the area Alice passed out and began to fall from the sky behind the meteor. Crashing on top of the slower enemies and instantly turning them into ash before hitting the ground and causing a massive explosion that sent a shock wave so violent and quick it sent both armies flying and knocking most unconscious clearing the battle field in a instant. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Waking up feeling the world around her spinning making her sick Alice sat up and puked on the floor next to her. "Where- " Alice tried saying before getting cut off. "Do not speak yet child. Your body exhausted more mana than it could handle so you''re in a dangerous spot right now. Lay back down and drink this. " A man she had never seen before said handing her a cup with purple liquid to drink. "Keep quiet for a while we will talk more after you get some more rest. " The mysterious man said leaving the room as she passed back out. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ "WHERE IS ALICE?! I can''t handle loosing both her and my father! " Yumi yelled out in anger at the commander of the army who was holding a small ice block to his head which was bruised from being sent flying off his horse. "No one knows where she is or what happened. You know no one here would lie to you, we are all indebted to your father and no one is not morning his loss right now. You must believe me when I say we have no idea where she is. " The commander said laying back and closing his eyes. "Miss Astala you know I am doing everything in my power to find her. Your energy would be better spent near- " King mark said before turning his head to the side at the thought of mentioning Arita being dead. "Do not even say it. " Yumi said fighting tears and the feeling of utter loneliness with both her father and Alice being gone. "Come with me, I have some things I want to show you. " Mark said taking Yumi''s hand and helping her up. "Where are you taking me? " Yumi questioned as they made their way through the streets. "Something to show you that even though your father may not be here with us he will never be forgotten. " King Mark said holding back some tears of his own. Coming to view of the middle of the Kingdom Yumi fell to her knees and began to cry even harder seeing what the King was trying to show her. "Your father and I have been friends for a very long time and no one but you will morn his death more than I will. I had planned on this being a present for his safe return.. It will now serve as a memorial to this Kingdoms greatest hero. " Mark said placing his hand on the two story high statue of Arita in his prime with Yumi standing next to him as a little girl. "He would have loved it.. " Yumi said crying and leaning against the statue holding her knees against her chest. "I will give you some time.. For now I will keep people away from here so morn your father in peace and know that I will always be here for you. " Mark said before waving to his guards to clear the area for Yumi. Jumping out of Yumi''s shadow and nudging his head against hers Yumi took Little Shadow in her arms. "I wish more than anything i could speak with you Shadow.. You''re all I have right now.. " Yumi said sadly hugging Shadow tight. Hearing her wish Little Shadow opened his mouth and cut her arm before licking the wound to heal it. "What the hell Shadow! Fine if you don''t like me that much just leave like everyone else!!! " Yumi said emotionally. ''I only did that so I could grant your wish, but I can leave if that is what you want. '' Little Shadow replied laying on her lap knowing she didn''t want him to leave. "Thank you... " Yumi replied wiping away some of her tears. "Is Alice still alive?.. " Yumi asked almost not wanting to know the answer. ''She is very weak right now that is all I can tell for the moment but yes she is alive. '' Shadow replied. "Cant you go to her through her shadow? " Yumi asked hopeful. ''Where ever Alice is she is in a place not reachable in this world. I am also worried about her but I know if I try to her that I will be lost in the rift she uses to move between places. '' Little Shadow replied having thought about going to her many times already. 58 Realm of the Gods "Goodmorning Alice. " A woman with blue hair wearing a robe said. "Morning.. " Alice said, rubbing her eyes feeling like she had just slept for a year while sitting up on the bed. "Did you sleep well? My name is Kia. " She asked with a smile while handing Alice some sliced apples. "I don''t think I have ever slept that good before to be honest, thank you. '''' Alice replied, taking an apple slice and eating it. "How can an apple taste this good?!? Alice asked, shocked, still able to taste the pure bliss that entered her mouth. "All food in the Realm of the God''s will naturally taste much better than it would in the mortal world. " Kia said, pleased to hear she enjoyed the food. "Wait.. Realm of the Gods?? Why am I here? '''' Alice asked, realizing what Kia had just said. "Jun brought you here as you lost consciousness in the mortal world so that he could speak with you. As for the rest of your questions I think it would be better if he answered them himself. Jun will be back shortly, you are free to look around if you wish. '''' Kia said, leaving Alice alone in the room. Looking around the room Alice was shocked to see the room looked pretty average, in fact it was not even as luxurious as her room at the Astala Estate. Getting up she decided to leave the room and take a look at the rest of the place while she waited on the man named Jun. Walking around the house Alice felt a little let down seeing how it was just as bland as the one she was staying in. "What kind of God lives in a place so run down looking? Alice asked herself while picking up a wooden plate. "I am sorry it is not to your liking. I do not live here though, this is just a house I built to remember one of my followers who prayed every day for 50 years without fail. When he died I also brought him here but that was a very long time ago. " A well toned shirtless man said while entering the house. "Are you Jun? " Alice asked curiously. "Yes I am, would you like to talk somewhere of more grandeur? " Jun asked, snapping his fingers instantly warping them to a palace made of black and while marble. "The other place was fine... " Alice replied looking around in amazement at the statues so well crafted they almost looked real. "Those are all of my followers who have done their best to worship me since they came to know of my name. This is just how I honor them when they pass away in the mortal world. " Jun said, walking over to one and placing his hand gently on the cheek of one of the statues. "Why did you bring me here? " Alice asked curiously. "Do I need a reason? I am a God. Jun said, taking a seat next to the statue. "I have never heard of your name before, the only God I have met is Nyx. " Alice replied. "Oh? I believe you have met the God of the Angel''s have you not? " Jun questioned. "No offense but he is no God. He is just a pathetic man who uses people. " Alice replied more coldly than she had meant to. "Hahahahaha! That is great! Hey Soron did you hear that? " Jun said, snapping his fingers again, bringing Soron the God of the Angel race into the room. "You un- " Soron began to say before being warped away by Jun again. "..... " Alice stood still in silence not even knowing where to begin or what to say at the sudden spectacle she just witnessed. "Relax. Soron cannot come here without my permission not to mention he barely has enough power to stay a God right now. " Jun said calmly to try to ease any fear Alice may have had. "Are you the one who gave me the system? " Alice asked without thinking. "You have good intuition if you pick that as your first real question. Yes, what you call the system was my gift to you. " Jun said with a smile waiting for a thank you. "So you are the one who gives me the quests and rewards... My weapon and my wings are both created by you then? " Alice asked, wanting to get all the answers she could. "I guess your intuition is not as good as it first seemed. " Jun replied slightly upset that Alice did not thank him for his gift. "To answer your question, yes. Everything in regards to the system is my creation. " Jun said trying to remember Alice had no idea how Gods interacted with each other and to just let her go without the gratitude. "I''m sorry.. It looks like I am annoying you. " Alice said, seeing him looking both bored and annoyed. "No it is fine, I brought you here so I will answer any question you ask before I begin to ask my questions. " Jun said in a better mood almost instantly. "Who am I? " Alice asked the question that has haunted her the most, fearing the answer. "It is not my place to say too much about this, I may be a higher ranked God than Soron but Nyx and I share the same Rank. I can however tell you that you are not a mortal, the gift I have given you can allow you to go further than you can believe is possible. " Jun said, finding a way to completely answer and not answer the question at the same time. "So I really am a Demi-God then.. " Alice said not knowing who her parents are but knowing she isn''t mortal changed the way she thought about things from that moment. "If your questions are done, mind if I ask some of my own? " Jun asked politely. "Ask away.. " Alice replied. "Why do you care so much about who your parents are? I have watched you since you became you and it has always held my curiosity. " June asked Alice throwing her off a little bit. "I¡­ "Alice began to answer when she realized she had no reason a God would understand. "I do not know¡­ " "Alice! What are you doing here? " Nyx asked while running over and giving her a hug. "Jun brought me here. " Alice replied which caused Nyx to give Jun a small glare sending Jun on the defensive. "I just figured I would save her and ask a few questions while she was here that is all. " Jun replied, rubbing the back of his head while looking away from her eyes. "Since you are here, come with me Alice, I am sure Jun will accept me taking you for a moment. " Nyx said, taking her hand and walking away with Alice not caring what Jun thought. "I just recently learned of the gift he gave you, I planned on telling you about that the next time I got to see you. " Nyx said while leading Alice through the street that almost instantly turned to nothing but a void. "This is my Domain, since you have come here you will be able to use the void to come here anytime you wish now. " Nyx said happily. "Do Gods not believe in asking permission before dragging people around? " Alice asked curious if this would be here life, would she just be dragged around by Gods for the rest of her life. "You''re my daughter so unlike Jun I don''t need it. " Nyx replied, still looking very happy. "Fine.. " Alice replied just giving in without fighting. "Have a meal with me and I will send you back to the Astala Estate. I have been keeping an eye on your friend Yumi and she misses you quite a lot. " Nyx said, bringing Alice into her home. "Mom... If I come back later to have a meal with you can I go back now? Arita is dead and I really need to be there for Yumi.. " Alice said almost having a panic attack calling Nyx mom while knowing it would make her happy enough to let her go back to the mortal realm. Hearing Alice call her mom Nyx turned and gave Alice a tight hug. "Yes of course baby girl but be sure to keep your promise and come back to see me! " Nyx said before snapping her fingers and sending Alice back to her room at the Estate. ''Yumi Alice is back! '' Little Shadow said loudly. "No need to yell Shadow I will go get her, she can not understand you even if you meow loudly. " Alice replied while petting him before jumping in surprise when her door almost burst off the hinges as Yumi ran through and hugged her tightly. "I am so happy you are safe and back¡­ " Yumi said, crying into Alice''s neck. "I am sorry about Arita¡­ " Alice said feeling guilty she could not do anything to protect him. "Don''t. You are basically a hero for what you did to the Demons. No one in the Kingdom does not know your name now. " Yumi said, recalling everything the adventures told her about how Alice went into a frenzy when Arita was stabbed. "I know you cared about my father a lot. I am sorry you had to see him taken from us. " Yumi said, still holding onto Alice not wanting to let go. 59 Death of a Hero Not able to sleep, Alice took to the streets to walk around and enjoy the peace and feel the breeze while the people of the Kingdom partied and enjoyed their victory. Nearing the Adventurer''s Guild she was almost instantly spotted by the staff causing them to rush over and greet her. "Miss Alice! You have to come to the guild and join us if you plan to be up at this time of night, everyone would love to see you there. " "Everyone? " Alice said curiously. "Come with me! " The woman said excitedly. Walking through the doors everyone who was having a great time drinking and having fun with the others in the Guild slowly quieted down until it was silent. Not knowing what to say or do Alice began to feel a little uncomfortable as everyone just stared at her. "On behalf of everyone here I want to say thank you for helping us win the war! " One clearly drunk man yelled out while walking over and offering his hand for her to shake showing his respect. Shaking his large hands Alice felt a little more at ease as everyone slowly took turns greeting her and thanking her for her help. "Can we see your wings?! " One of the younger girls in the crowd yelled out hoping to see her wings up close in hopes of touching them. "I.. " "Yeah! I also want to see your wings! I didn''t get to see them clearly with how fast you moved on the battlefield! " Another man said from a different side of the room. "Everyone should let her relax. I am sure she has a lot on her mind as you all surely remember what happened and the people we have lost. " King Mark said at the entrance of the Guild causing everyone to take a knee and go quiet. "Care to join me for a walk, miss Alice? " King Mark asked with a serious look. Nodding her head she followed him out of the Guild and into the street as they were escorted by numerous knights back towards the castle. "Is there something you wanted to talk about? " Alice asked quietly. "There is. " The King said while dismissing his knights as they entered the castle grounds. "I wish to hold a festival as a celebration for everyone''s hard work and sacrifice during the war. I believe it will be a great thing for the people of this Kingdom. With that being said the people have lost a hero they looked up to, which brings me to my point of meeting with you in private. The people have already chosen their hero, your name has spread to every resident of this Kingdom. I would like to ask you to be part of the festivities and bring joy to the people that live here. " King Mark said uncertain of how she would respond to his plans. "It sounds like a lot of fun.. but I do not feel like I would be able to be part of something like that just yet. " Alice replied thinking back on how she hasn''t even had time to morn Arita''s death nor has she got to see Yumi for anything longer than a few words in what felt like weeks. Seeing Alice''s face and expression he could pretty much guess what she had on her mind. "The festival can wait until after we hold a proper funeral for my old friend. I will keep in touch with you about what I plan to do for the funeral. " Giving him a nod Alice took her wings out and took to the clear sky and flew back to the Estate to try and get some sleep while thinking of ways to spend some time with Yumi. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Waking up early the next morning Alice greeted all of the maids and people who kept the house operational before entering the kitchen. Looking around she noticed one of the cooks preparing some food for breakfast. "Would you mind letting me help? " Alice asked curiously, thinking it would be a nice change of pace from her normal daily life. "Are you sure Miss Alice? This work is for the employees, I would be happy to have you help but I do not wish to waste your time. " The cook said happily. "So what can I do to help? " Alice questioned not even knowing where to start. "You can cook the bacon, I will show you how and then you can take over. " He said while heating the grease and laying out strips of the meat and ignoring the grease that would splash onto his hand as if he couldn''t even feel it. Watching him for a few minutes she felt she could make the bacon and took over while enjoying giving something her focus without it being stressful or related to quests or fighting. "Good job Miss Alice, after you make another 60 strips we can move on to making the eggs and plating the food for everyone to enjoy. I am sure Miss Yumi will be overjoyed to know you helped cook her food. " He said, giving her some honest praise for her work. Having completed their task of making breakfast Alice was happy to know she did something productive like a normal person for once. Walking through the halls with the food she helped to make she sat Yumi''s plate down next to her own and waited for Yumi to finally wake up and join them. ''Shadow, you should get Yumi to come have breakfast with me. '' Alice said using her telepathy. ''It would be just as fast if you did it you know. '' Little Shadow said, stretching and rolling off the bed lazily before reluctantly making his way into Yumi''s room to force her out of bed. If he had to be up Yumi may as well be up with him. ''Wake up Yumi! '' Little Shadow said loudly while laying on top of her face making it hard for her to breath. "Gaaahhhhhh, " Yumi gasped, trying to breath and pushing Shadow off her. "What gives you little shit, why lay on my face like that??? " Yumi asked while getting out of bed. ''Alice said to get you to have breakfast with her and that was the quickest way since you like to sleep so much. '' Little Shadow said while curling up on her bed almost mocking her for not being able to lay down anymore. "Like you''re one to speak you lazy house cat. " Yumi replied before walking out of the room and making her way to the dining room to have breakfast with Alice. Sitting next to Alice she was happy to finally be able to feel like things where somewhat returning to normal with her. "The food looks good, I wonder how long the people my father employs will stay on now.. " Yumi asked with a sad expression. "Miss Alice helped us prepare and cook the food this morning, and you do not have to worry about us leaving you Miss Yumi. Your father left us all enough money to work for the next 10 years, even if he had not left us the money we would all stay here if you wished us to. " The cook said while bringing the rest of the cook staff in to eat with the girls so they wouldn''t feel too lonely with the absence of Arita. "Thank you all so much.... " Yumi replied, wiping a tear from her eye before digging into the food Alice helped make, not wanting to miss the opportunity. "Hello girls, do you mind if I join you all? " King Mark said surprising them. "Of course.. " Yumi said as the King took the spot he would normally sit in when he would come for visits next to Arita''s chair. "I have made all of the preparations for Arita to be put to rest in the Royal Crypt, Arita was a great man and has done more for this Kingdom than I have so it is only right he has a place worthy of his final resting place. We will hold a funeral for him in a few hours, Arita has left everything to you Yumi so please let me know if there is ever anything you need help with. " Mark said before eating some bacon and eggs. Nodding her head she continued to eat in silence thinking of how she wished the war would have never happened. "Alice.. I do not think I can go on Adventures with you anymore.. " Yumi said sadly. "I understand.. " Alice started to reply. "I have to take my fathers place and make sure his legacy does not end with him. Please stay with me.. " "I wish I could stay here forever... I do not think that will be possible though.. " Alice replied causing Yumi to get up and leave the room. "Don''t take it too hard Miss Alice, she sees you as family and probably does not wish to see another family member leave her so soon. '''' Mark replied, finishing his food. "I will send someone to come get you and Yumi when it is time for the funeral. " The King said while taking his leave. 60 *Mothers Day Special* Entering Nyx''s home Alice walked around admiring all of the decorations and paintings on the walls waiting on Nyx to return from her trip to see Jun and Soron. Seeing a painting of herself in her new dress she got from the ring and her wings expanded out Alice couldn''t help but admire how different she looked from the memories she had of herself as an Angel. "I really am the complete opposite of what I used to be. " Alice said while touching the painting. "Do you like it? I had it done the day after I gave you the Shadow Monarch''s ring. " Nyx said with a smile walking over and giving Alice a hug. "Who painted it? " Alice asked curiously, wanting to thank the painter for making her look so good in the painting. "Believe it or not it was Jun he picked up painting a few hundred years ago and is quite talented when it comes to things like this. " Nyx replied, taking Alice''s hand and making her follow her into the dinning room. "Did you make some food or something? '''' Alice asked curiously why they would be in the dining room in the middle of the night. "I love sweets and now that I finally get to be with my daughter I thought we could enjoy some together! " Nyx said, pulling a seat out and motioning for Alice to sit with an excited expression. "That sounds great, why did you wait so long to be with me anyway? " Alice asked while Nyx clapped her hands signaling her servants to bring in the trays of sweets. "It was all because of your father, but he doesn''t matter anymore. Oh that is right I have a present for you that I think you will enjoy! " Nyx said, running over to one of the doors and opening it to show Arita standing on the other side. "Arita! " Alice said, pushing her chair back and running over to him hugging him tightly. "I am sure you are curious but I asked Osia to let Arita come back, he just cannot go back to the mortal world so he will stay here as one of my servants. You can come back at any time to see him. " Nyx said happy Alice enjoyed her present. "How is Yumi doing? " Arita asked calmly while rubbing Alice''s head gently. "She is a mess without you, Nyx would it be possible for me to bring Yumi here?!? " Alice asked, realizing she may be able to give Yumi her father back in a way. "It is not allowed unless she has my blessing which makes things hard since she cannot use my element and is not one of my followers. However if you can convince her to take me as her God of worship I will allow her to come here a few times a year. " Nyx replied honestly while pulling a seat out for Arita to join them. "That will be the first thing I do when I get back to the Mortal world! Arita what is wrong you do not seem to talkative? " Alice asked curiously, noticing how quiet Arita was. Shaking his head and looking at Nyx she answered Alice''s question, "He was just brought back today, he won''t be his full self until a few days to make sure his soul fully returns. He needs to rest, you should go to your room and get some sleep Arita if you wish to talk more with Alice next time she returns. " "Thank you so much for this Ny--Mom. If I would have known I would have tried to get you something to repay the kindness. " Alice said, moving from her seat to sit next to Nyx. "Hearing you call me mom and sitting next to me is all the thanks I need, I made this cake myself I hope you enjoy it! " Nyx said, cutting Alice a slice and putting it on her plate. Taking a bite of the chocolate cake Alice''s eyes shot open, ''It''s delicious! '' she thought while taking another bite feeling like all the stress and sadness she had been feeling had completely vanished while sitting with her mom and eating treats. "Im happy to see you enjoy it! It makes a mom really happy when their child is as happy as you look right now. " Nyx said, placing her hand on Alice''s head and running her fingers through her hair. "The cake is really good and this is the first time in what feels like forever that I feel relaxed. Unfortunately I need to get back, Yumi will be waking up soon and I don''t want her to freak out when she sees I am not home. " Alice said, giving Nyx a tight hug before going back to the Astala Estate. ''How was your visit with Nyx? '' Little Shadow asked, lying comfortably on the bed. "It was really good, I got to see Arita and I can bring Yumi to see him if she takes Nyx as her God the next time I go! I am sure that Yumi will be so happy she won''t be able to wait to take mom as her God! " Alice replied lying next to Little Shadow while petting his soft fur. ''I hope she is happy to hear the good news, she has been really sad lately. When did you start referring to Nyx as Mom? Shadow questioned noticing the change. "Tonight I guess, even if she really isn''t my birth mother and has been deceiving me like Soron she still treats me like a daughter and I am sure the mother I remember would be happy to know I have someone who treats me like a daughter even after her death. " Alice replied, closing her eyes to get some sleep. 61 Funeral of a Fallen Hero Having gotten some rest before the funeral Alice went to Yumi''s room to talk with her about her time at Nyx''s home and all the things that she learned. "KNOCK KNOCK " "Yumi are you there? " Alice said from the other side of the door. Opening the door Yumi motioned for Alice to come in while going to lay on her bed clearly depressed. "I have something to tell you and I think it might make you feel better.. " Alice said sitting on the bed next to her. "There is not much you can say that will make me feel better right now Alice. " Yumi replied, pulling her pillow close to her. "I think this might, I went to go see Nyx when King Mark left and I learned of a waay you can still see your father. " Alice said, placing a hand on Yumi''s arm trying to get her to turn over. "My dad is dead, how could I possibly see him again. Nyx cannot bring back the dead from what I know. " Yumi said softly. "Nyx asked a Favor of Osia and your father now lives with Nyx in the realm of the Gods. I just got done seeing him not too long ago. There is a way for you to see him still. Nyx said that you will be able to come with me to her domain to see him if you take her as your God and worship her.. " Alice happily. Turning over and sitting up Yumi looked at Alice in the eyes, "You are not just trying to make me feel better are you? How soon can I see my father if I take her as my God? " Yumi asked, wanting to believe Alice''s words. "I do not know how soon you would be able to go with me to see him but I promise you will get to even if I have to make my mother mad and bring you there without permission. " Alice said while grabbing Yumi''s hand. "Fine.. I will no longer pray to the God I served and will pray to Nyx from now on.. " Yumi said hoping that nothing bad would happen from just changing Gods like this. "Miss Yumi, it is time for your father''s funeral. I was sent to come get you girls. " A knight in white armor said while standing in the doorway. ???Thank you we will meet you downstairs in a moment.. " Yumi replied while closing her door on him. "I will let you get ready and meet you at the Gates. Alice said leaving Yumi''s room and joining the Knight as he walked down the stairs. "I saw what you did on the battlefield and I would like to thank you for leading us to victory. " The knight said to Alice as they got to the carriage outside of the Estate. "I wouldn''t thank me just yet.. I imagine when the Demon King Kira hears about this he will come for me.. " Alice said, wondering if word had already reached Kira about her wings and her killing two of his men. "Then I guess for tomorrow''s festival you should have as much fun as you can while you still can. " He replied, opening the carriage door for Alice as Yumi joined them wearing a black dress that hung just above the floor as she walked. Riding in the carriage both Alice and Yumi looked out the windows and watched as the people they passed by would all wave and show respect to them before they entered the castle gates which had knights lined up along the path. As they turned a corner they could see many of the people that Arita had done business with for many years as well as old friends that Yumi had recognized from her childhood. Seeing all of this tears ran down her cheeks. "I''m here for you, remember you will still get to see him again just be strong okay? " Alice said as the carriage came to a stop and the Knight that brought them here opened the door. Looking around Alice was amazed to see such a grand entrance to the crypt, it was made from stone and had carvings off all the previous King''s and the hero''s of the past. "We have all gathered here today to say goodbye to a friend and a father that we all hold dear to us. Arita has impacted the lives of everyone that lives in this Kingdom and has contributed greatly. He is a Hero that many will remember for generations to come as well as my oldest friend. I felt it was only right that this be his place of eternal rest and as such I would like everyone to bear witness to Arita the Hero. " King Mark said as a drape hanging over part of the stone wall fell to the ground showing Arita carved into the stone smiling. The sight of their old friend smiling and being given such an honor brought tears to many of the people there as King Mark motioned for Yumi to join him on the platform to say a few words. "Many of you already know of his daughter Yumi, she is his successor and would like to say a few words for everyone. " Mark said while putting a hand on her shoulder and stepping down letting her have all the attention. Looking down at everyone Yumi wiped a tear away, "My father always loved it here.. He was a really great business man and always did his best to help anyone who needed it. I do not believe he would want us all to cry for him right now, if he was here he would tell me what he always would when we would talk in his study.. Yumi there will be a day when you encounter great tragedy, it is a fact of life that no one can escape. You need to stay strong and keep your head held high in those trying times, you can not overcome anything if you allow the bad times to triumph over you.. I believe this is one of those times, and as he would tell me we need to hold our heads high and not let this slow us down. My father may no longer be here but it will not be the last time I see him. " Yumi said, wiping a tear away and stepping down taking comfort in knowing she would still be able to see her father again. Standing next to Alice again the crypt opened and 6 knights carried the casket with Arita in it out from behind a wall and music began to play as the slowly made their way in. "As everyone knows Arita loved festivals and we have a great reason to hold one! So tomorrow we will have a festival honoring the Fallen Hero Arita and the new people''s hero Alice, I hope that all of you here will do your best to help the festival be a success! For now you may all go into the crypt and say your final goodbyes to Arita. " King Mark said before taking some of the Knights and other businessmen and leaving. "I''m going to see Nyx, I will be back soon okay? " Alice said to Yumi as she was walking towards the crypt giving a nod to Alice. Walking into a shower and exiting in the walkway next to the painting of her Alice looked around to see if she could see Nyx or Arita. "Mom where are you? " She yelled out. "What brings you back so soon? Isn''t Aritas funeral today? " Nyx asked, walking down the stairs. "It is, I wanted to know if I could bring Yumi to see her father today since she agreed to take you as her God. " Alice asked hopefully. "I will allow it but she cannot be here for long. She will have 10 minutes and not a second longer, I cannot allow the other gods to know I let a Mortal come to my domain and go back to their realm. " Nyx relied after thinking for a second. "Thank you so much! " Alice replied with a big smile. "I will come get you and your friend later tonight when I have time. Arita still is not completely ready, are you sure your friend can handle that? " Nyx asked. "I will let her know before you come for us so she doesn''t freak out or anything. " Alice said, giving Nyx a hug before leaving her domain and coming back out of the shadows next to Yumi. "Nyx agreed to come get us tonight so you can have some time with your father. " Alice whispered to Yumi as they waited in line to say their goodbyes to Arita. 62 A Unexpected Turn of Events Waiting around in Arita''s study Yumi took a few deep breaths nervously to see her father and to actually meet a God in person. ''I pray to you Nyx, please come soon I am going crazy in anticipation of getting to see my father again. I would also like to thank you for giving me this opportunity and giving me such a gift.. '' Yumi prayed silently to herself in hopes Nyx would hear her and come faster. "You do not have to be so nervous, your father is alive and still adjusting to being brought back to life. " Alice said while taking a seat next to her. "I know.. I will also be meeting a God in person. I don''t know if there has ever been a time where someone other than one of the God''s Apostles were able to meet their God.. What if she doesn''t like me and never lets me see him again? " Yumi asked, starting to panic. "Don''t worry, I promise that will not happen! " Alice said, taking her hand to help calm her down. Suddenly the Study went completely dark and Yumi could no longer see anything, "Alice? Are you doing this? " Yumi asked, trying her best not to panic any more than she already was. "Fear not child I am just bringing you safely to the Realm of the Gods. " Nyx said, pulling them out of the void and into the dinning room where Arita was patiently waiting near the doors. Seeing her father Yumi ran past Nyx and gave him a tight hug, "I miss you so much. " "I miss you as well my daughter.. " Arita struggled to say since he was still not completely ready to have a conversation with anyone. "Daddy.. What is wrong? Why do you seem like you''re in pain??? " Yumi asked in a worried voice. "Arita has just been brought back to life and is still not ready to hold much of a conversation but Alice insisted that you see him as soon as possible. " Nyx replied, taking a seat at the table motioning for Arita to sit as well. Taking a seat next to her father Yumi felt her heart almost stop as she realized she had not even greeted Nyx yet let alone acknowledged her existence. Seeing what was worrying Yumi written all over her face Nyx spoke up, "Do not worry about not paying me proper respects you are my daughter''s closest friend and you are able to see the father you thought was gone forever not long ago. I will let it slide this time but I expect you to treat me as your God still, you would do well to remember that in the future. " Nodding her head slowly Yumi scooted her chair back and got on her knees and bowed before Nyx unsure what exactly she should do next. "You do not have to bow before me, a simple hello and thank you will be enough. " Nyx said, wondering just what the people in the mortal realm thought it was they should do when meeting a God. "Thank you so much.. From the bottom of my heart I swear I will worship you until the day I die. " Yumi said before getting up and sitting quietly next to Arita. "So Alice I hear that the Kingdom which you live in will be holding a festival to honor you and Arita. How does it feel to be a hero? " Nyx asked with a smile proud her daughter was already gaining the support of the mortals. "It feels¡­ Wrong in a way. I lost my temper and I brutally killed the Demons without a second thought, so many more people deserve to be honored than I do. " Alice said, trying to resist the temptation to take a slice of cake sitting close to her on the table. "Just take a slice and stop eyeballing it. It is food for your belly not your eyes Alice, the same goes for you and your father Yumi. Eat as much as you want and enjoy the time you have with your father. You only have a few more minutes before I have to send you back. " Nyx said leaning back in her chair. Not needing to hear it a second time Alice and Yumi both grabbed some of the sweets on the table and enjoyed the heavenly taste. "Will my father be able to talk more next time I am able to see him? " Yumi asked, trying not to look at Nyx directly not knowing if it was allowed. "Ye- I swear I will send you back right now if you do not look at me when you speak to me. Do I need to pay a visit to the mortal world and correct some of these notions you seem to have on how to treat a God? " Nyx said under her breath. "Look I brought you here as my daughter''s friend not as a follower, yes you should show me respect but you do not need to be so scared in front of me. You will treat me as you would a queen you are close with nothing more. " Nyx said, leaning closer to Yumi to look her in the eyes. "Yes ma''am¡­ I mean your high¡­ What should I address you as¡­ " Yumi asked, feeling like her heart was about to burst out of her chest. "I have a name. Call me Nyx like everyone else in the world. Now try to relax and spend some time with your father. Alice come with me. I wish to talk with you about some things. " Nodding her head Alice happily followed Nyx into a surprisingly well lit room, "What do you want to talk about mom? " "I started thinking while talking with Yumi that I want to attend the festival, after all my daughter is the one being honored. I want to be there for you. " Nyx said, taking a seat on a sofa in the middle of the room. "Can a God do that? " Alice asked curiously, wondering just how much of a shock it would be to everyone there. "I cannot interfere with another God''s creation, I can however come see my daughter in the Mortal realm. Do you not want me to come? " Nyx questioned. "I would love it if you came, but I don''t know how the people will react when they see you. " Alice replied honestly. "Well I have decided that I will be going, I know you have the ability to freely talk with the King if you wish. Just give him a notice I will be making an appearance and everything will be fine. " Nyx said with a smile. "I will be sure to do that when we get back home, " Alice said trying to think of just how Mark will react with this kind of news. His Kingdom is about to make history and it will be during a festival. "Well it is about time I sent you and Yumi back, I will let you know when Yumi can come back. I have established a connection with her since she has prayed to me so i will be able to tell her as well. " Nyx said, snapping her fingers and instantly transporting the two girls back to the Estate. "Thank you so much Alice.. What did you and Nyx talk about? " Yumi asked clearly in a significantly better mood than she was before. "Ah well let''s go see the King I will tell you both at the same time.. " Alice said not wanting to be alone when she tells the King that a God will be showing up to the Festival tomorrow. ___________________________________________________________________________ Arriving at the castle both Alice and Yumi walked casually into the war room which was being used by many of the business people to finish up planning the festival for tomorrow. "What brings you girls here at this time of night? " King Mark said, walking over to greet them. "Well I think it would be better if we talked alone. " Alice said with a smile. "Do you all mind giving me and the girls a moment alone? " The King asked, clearing out the room with his question. "So what is it you need to tell me away from the ears of others? " King Marked asked curiously. "I was just with Nyx and well she informed me she wishes to come to the festival to see me tomorrow. " Alice said quickly, trying to avoid any interruptions when he heard what she had just said. "Tha- This is a joke right? A Goddess plans to come to our realm to participate in our festival? " The King said trying to keep his cool believing she was just trying to lighten the mood to tell him something bad. "It isn''t a joke.. Nyx will be coming tomorrow.. " Alice said seeing his face go from a nice tan to almost completely white. Hearing what Alice said he slowly walked over to the wall and took a seat in case he passed out from shock. "You mean to tell Nyx herself will be here in my Kingdom tomorrow?.. " "Yes she asked me to inform you so you could plan it out. I am sure it will cause quite the scene when she shows up. " Alice said not even realizing Yumi was also stunned into being speechless. "HOW THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO PLAN FOR A GODDESS VISIT IN LESS THAN A DAY??? " The King shouted in a panic causing the door to crash open with all the business people crashing onto the floor. "We gotta go! Good luck! " Alice said, taking Yumi''s hand and taking her through the shadows back to the Estate. 63 Festival of a Hero Pt 1 "Alice wake up! You can''t be late for your own freaking festival! " Yumi said while busting through her bedroom door, annoyed since the festival had just started and she was still laying in bed sleeping like nothing was going on. "Mmmn " Alice rolled over away from her not wanting to leave the level of comfort she has achieved. "Give me a little more time please. " "Like hell. " Yumi said, pulling Alice off the bed by her feet to force her to get up. "Whyyyyyyy.. " Alice said lazily in protest to Yumi''s actions. "Get dressed or I will go without you. How do you think the King will react if you don''t show up after the stunt you pulled yesterday? " Yumi said, remembering the King''s face when Alice ran off after dropping such big news on him. Getting on her feet Alice used her ring to get dressed, "Happy now? " "No. Give me one of those rings and I will be happy, do you even know how long it took me to get ready?! " Yumi replied angrily. "It''s one of a kind unfortunately, lets go since you woke me up so suddenly. " Alice said, walking past her and out of the Estate with Yumi following right beside her. Walking up to the gate Alice thought of just running when she saw that there were people making a path on both sides of the gate waving and cheering for her. Walking through the path they made Alice put on a smile and played her part by talking with all the regular people giving her their gratitude. "WINGS WINGS WINGS! " The crowd started chanting wanting to see Alice in all of her glory, a sight which was only seen by the warriors on the battlefield making it a powerful topic of conversation amongst the citizens of the Kingdom. "It wouldn''t hurt anything to show the people, everyone here accepts you so don''t be scared. " Yumi said in a voice just loud enough for Alice to hear sensing her hesitation at showing her wings again. "I guess I will meet you again at the castle. " Alice said, taking her wings out causing the people to cheer even more. Flapping them hard she took to the sky above them staying low enough for everyone to see her as she looked at the sight below her, the streets were crowded and food stalls and games set up at the edges of the streets. Flying slowly to the castle Alice felt a large presence coming her way, stopping in her tracks she turned around to see a small army of Demons coming on large flying beasts. The people turning to see why she stopped all started to panic at the sight causing people to start running in fear at the sight. "KNIGHTS TO YOUR POSTS! " The same commander from the war yelled out from below her as the streets started to clear and festivities came to a complete halt. Taking her scythe out and infusing it with a large amount of the Light Element the Demons slowed down at the blinding sight. Before Alice was even able to charge at the Demons to help defend the Kingdom a deafening boom sounded as the ground as far as Alice could see turned so black it looked like the Kingdom was floating. "Return now little ones, this Kingdom has the blessing of receiving me to this festival. " Nyx''s voice could be heard from every direction as the skies began to turn black as well eliminating almost all of the light from the area. "We only wish to speak with Alice! We know you cannot do anything to us! " The demon riding on a wyvern shouted while slowly flying closer to Alice. "You believe I can do nothing to you? Care to see just what I can do little boy? " Nyx said, sucking all of the blackness from the sky and ground into one spot in front of him and stepping out with a smirk. Seeing the Goddess Nyx appear in their realm the Demon fell back on his mount and couldn''t speak due to the sheer force of the murderous intent Nyx was showing him. "What do you think happens to mortals who defy a God in their presence? I cannot directly interfere with mortals but nothing is stopping me from sending you to the otherside of this realm. Maybe if you pray hard enough to Samar he will be able to wake up from his slumber and retaliate. " Nyx said with a grin walking on the air closer to him. "RETREAT! " He yelled in a panic, flying away as fast as he could leaving his group with no care what would happen to them. "Dont worry baby girl as long as I am here nothing will happen but you need to make preparations for when I leave. " Nyx said now standing next to Alice who was still frozen from the amount of pressure Nyx put out. "Th-thank you. " Alice said, taking a moment to see if her heart was still beating. "Those bastards put a stop to such a lovely festival. " Nyx said looking down at the empty streets of the Kingdom. "Hear me mortals, come and enjoy this festival. I am the Goddess Nyx while I am here no harm will befall any of you so party to your little heart''s content! " Nyx said, magnifying her voice for the whole Kingdom to hear. "Are you sure this is okay? " Alice asked not knowing how the other Gods would react to Nyx''s stunt just now. "No one among the lower and middle God''s will dare oppose me, as far as the higher God''s are concerned I have already told them of my trip to support my daughter. They will not care as long as I do not kill anyone since it has been forbidden by the Supreme. " Nyx replied as she floated down to the ground with Alice beside her. "The Supreme? " Alice asked curiously. "The Supreme is the God of all God''s even saying his name in the mortal realm is forbidden. He is the original, he is a fierce man. Long ago when it was just the Gods and the primitive races, we gods waged war on each other for the rights to be recognized by the Supreme. This war almost destroyed this planet and left no living creatures behind. All that was Left were the God''s waking from his slumber the Supreme was furious and imprisoned us for 10,000 years while he rebuilt this planet from the beginning. Once our punishment was over he left us God''s rules to follow and limited our power. The only way for a God to rank up now is by having followers, the more who worship us the more power we have. Soron however no longer has a race and will likely never recover the power he once had which is why he is such a bitter man. Which is why you''re so special I might add. You were born between two god''s and thus were not given such a restriction. You may one day be more powerful than I am, you''re an existence that every God knows about which is dangerous for you. " Nyx said as they landed on the ground which was slowly filling back up with people. "I have read so many books on God''s and that was never mentioned.. " Alice said just trying to imagine how powerful the Supreme was. "It is only known by the God''s and is not allowed to be known by mortals, so keep this a secret. If mortals learn of the existence of the Supreme then this world may very well be wiped from existence. " Nyx replied. "Back to the festivities, take me to meet the King would you? " Nyx said with a smile paying no attention to the people bowing their heads as she walked by them. Walking through the streets towards the castle gates Alice felt a little uncomfortable seeing so many people bow and not even try to look at them. It was such a drastic change from when she left the Estate moments ago. Coming up to the gates Nyx looked slightly annoyed seeing people dressed in black robes with the symbol of her religion. "Do me a favor, when we get closer to those guys just say that I do not wish to speak right now they will hear me speak later. " Nyx said not wanting to talk with them. "Sure.. " Alice replied not understanding why she wouldn''t want to talk with her believers, doing so would likely boost their morale and make them work harder. Walking past them Alice was surprised she didn''t even have to say anything; they just kept their heads down and let them pass without even a word. "The King is the man standing on top of the balcony up there. " Alice said, pointing at King Mark who noticed and started sweating. Snapping her fingers King Mark was transporting next to Alice and Nyx through the Shadows. "Nice to meet you King Mark, I hope you have been treating my daughter nicely. " Nyx said with a smile. 64 Festival of a Hero Pt 2 "Come on now, you''re a King you should be able to speak can you not? " Nyx questioned waving a hand in front of Ming Marks face who was having a mental breakdown over hearing Nyx call Alice her daughter. "Mom we should give him some time.. It would shock anyone to hear a God call someone they know their child in front of them. " Alice said, feeling a little sorry for the King. "Wait, I am fine now! Sorry that was just a lot to take in. I have tried my best to help your daughter in any way she has needed. She is not fond of asking for help though but your daughter is my Kingdoms Hero now. We are honored to have you join us, if there is anything I can do to make your visit more enjoyable please let me know. " King Mark replied while regaining his composure. "No need, just have your festival. I am only here to support my baby girl after all and I do not wish to take her day away from her. " Nyx said, putting her arm around Alice and walking away to take part in all the games being held at the festival. _____________________ In Lord Kira''s Throne Room_______________________________ "Lord Kira we have returned. " The Demon who was confronted by Nyx said kneeling with his head down. "This is much earlier than I expected, have you brought me the girl? " Kira asked, expecting good news. "We encountered¡­ A problem beyond our capabilities to handle my lord. " Jasper replied, keeping his head down fearful that if he looked up his head would be sent flying. "I assume you know what comes next if your reasoning is not something that surprises me, just what could keep 30 Elite Demon Knights away? " Lord Kira asked, growing more annoyed by the second. "The other''s and I were stopped in our tracks by the Goddess Nyx. She has made an appearance in the Mortal realm and seems to have a relationship with the girl you want. " Jasper replied confident his answer would calm his Lord. "YOU EXPECT ME TO BELIEVE A FUCKING GOD CAME TO OUR REALM??? JUST HOW MUCH OF A FOOL DO YOU TAKE ME FOR? " Lord Kira screamed in a rage now standing above Jasper who was using every second he had to pray to his God. "Yo-ur majesty I swear it on my life. " Jasper said, shaking in fear. Leaning down Kira whispered in Jasper''s ear, "Next time someone makes an excuse for their failure I hope they can come up with something better than a blatant lie. " "You can even---- " Jasper began to talk before seeing Kira''s hand grabbing his heart inches away from his face. Pulling Jasper''s heart back through his body Lord Kira stepped over Jasper''s dead body, "Guards clean this mess up, I think it is about time I paid a visit to Samaria. " ________________________________________________________________________ "As many of you know we are holding this festival to honor our fallen loved ones as well as our new Hero Alice! " King Mark said standing on his balcony signalling Alice to step up beside him as the people having fun at the festival gathered around to hear what the King had to say and cheer when they saw Alice stand next to him. "Alice has proven herself on the battlefield fighting alongside all of you brave warriors here today! It is with great honor and pride that I bestow the Title of Duke to miss Alice! I wish that each and everyone here will bear witness to the coming of our new Hero and will support her the best you can in the things she needs help with. " The King said waving to the crowd of people and nudging Alice to the center to say a few words of her own to the people who looked up to her as their savior. Looking at the King trying not to panic she saw Nyx at the back near a window smiling and mouthing, "Give the people what they want I am proud of you! " "I- I fought a war that was caused in part due to me, I do not think I am worthy of such praise and honor. However I will always do my best to protect this Kingdom and the people in it, I have made friends here and even found family among some of you here today¡­ " Alice said with her head spinning from so much attention being given to her. Seeing the crowd go quiet after her saying the only thing she could think of she took a step back before a man in the crowd yelled out, "You saved my life! You may not think what you have done is noble and praiseworthy but without you we would not have a Kingdom to call home today! " "ALICE~ ALICE~ ALICE~ ALICE~ " The people started cheering, making her confused while Nyx stepped up with her and gave her a small hug. "The people only see the things you have done on the battlefield, they do not care for why the war had started. You may not know it but you already have people regarding you as an untouchable existence in their eyes not too much different than a God. Make the people here love you even more, fly and give them more of a reason to celebrate. Even if it is short lived right now everyone here feels safe and happy and that is because of you. " Nyx said, kissing her cheek and leaving the festival to go back to the Realm of the Gods. Hearing her mother''s words Alice took out her wings and took to the sky above the crowd taking comfort in feeling the wind pass by her as the cheers from below slowly got quieter until she could no longer hear them anymore. Looking down Alice still couldn''t accept that she was now a Duke holding political power on top of having the people think she was some sort of Hero that worked to save them. ''Alice, I have something to show you, can you come to the Estate? '' Little shadow asked excitedly. "Sure? " Alice said curious what had Little Shadow acting so out of character. Flying quickly above the Kingdom she ignored the people cheering again as they watched her fly by over them until she had reached the Estate and landed by the front door. "GAH! Put some clothes on you damn pervert! Since when was the staff here so lewd?!? " Alice yelled seeing a tall man with long black hair standing naked at the stairway across the room. "It''s me Alice!! Isn''t this amazing??? " He replied excitedly, looking at himself and walking up to Alice. "Get any closer and I will send you to hell creep! " Alice said, walking over to a chair and grabbing a blanket that Yumi had left laying on it at the man. "Now cover up and go back to work! " Alice said now in a sour mood. "Do you really not know it is me? I am Little Shadow! " He replied proudly. "Like hell you are Little Shadow! He is adorable and a lazy house cat, not some naked creep! " Alice replied. "Shadow get out here and take this creep somewhere else! " Alice yelled out knowing Little Shadow would always come when she asked. "I am right here!!!! Nyx paid me a visit and gave me a human body! She said it was a present for always supporting you. " Little Shadow said a little sad that Alice was not as excited as he wanted. "Nyx what¡­. "Alice said, calming down thinking that this was something her mother might actually do. "If you''re lying to me I really will kill you¡­ " Alice said, calming down. ''Believe me now? '' Little Shadow said, using telepathy to speak with Alice. "Yeah¡­ " Alice said, not even trying to hide how shocked she was at the turn of events. "Lets go have fun at the festival! I have been wanting to go have fun for a while but couldn''t go as what you call a lazy house cat. " Shadow replied teasingly, wrapping the blanket around his waist and trying to walk out of the Estate. "Wait a minute damnit! You cannot go outside in just a freaking blanket are you crazy?? " Alice said, taking his hand and taking Shadow into Aritas room to let him put on some clothes. Coming out of Arita''s room wearing a white silk shirt and leather pants Shadow smirked and gave a goofy pose, "Do I look spiffy? " "Pft. " Alice stopped herself from laughing before. "Okay let''s go have fun. " Alice said now, feeling like she was just going to a normal festival after Shadow unknowingly made her feel better. "What would you like to try first now that you have a human body? " Alice asked curiously. Seeing Alice walking with a man she had never seen before coming out of her home Yumi ran up to them, "Who is this Alice? Why were you in the house with a stranger?? " "Yumi! Now I can get pay back! " Shadow said, picking Yumi up and petting her head. "Alice help! Who the fuck is this?!? " Yumi cried out. "That is Little Shadow haha Nyx gave him a human body it seems. " Alice replied laughing a little at the situation. "Let goooo please I am sorry! " Yumi yelled out before giving up and just letting Little Shadow carry her around the streets like a little girl. "I hate you so much right now. " "But you used to do this to me all the time did you not? " Shadow curiously asked not seeing anything strange about what he was doing. "Let her down now Shadow, now that I think of it we can''t just call you Little Shadow now that you have a human body. What should we name him Yumi? " Alice asked, thinking about how weird it would be if someone heard them calling him Little Shadow all the time. "I''m too mad at him to help right now, " Yumi replied, still upset about being carried around like that. "What do you think about Shade? " Alice asked both Yumi and Shadow curiously. 65 Power of Belief Having had their fun at the festival Yumi, Alice, and Shade headed back to the Estate where they were met by the people Alice noticed near the castle gates when Nyx showed up. Seeing the group approaching the Estate a man pulled his hood off revealing his long ears and grey hair. "Miss Alice, it is a great honor to meet you. My name is Sian, may I please have a moment of your time? " Sian said bowing his head before looking up at her. "We will see you in a bit Alice just yell if you need help. " Yumi said, taking Shade''s hand and walking past the group into her home. Looking back at Sian Alice sighed, "What is it you guys want to talk about? My mom didn''t want to talk with you. " "We wish to speak with you because you are Nyx''s daughter, you have brought a Goddess into the mortal realm which is a blessing to all of us to have been able to see her in person! I wish to thank you for such an occasion and to invite you to see our church where you will be honored and be given our worship so that you may obtain the power of your belief in you! " Sian said before bowing again. ''I can see why mom didn''t feel like talking to these guys.. '' Alice thought to herself before deciding to turn them down. "I''m sorry I really- " | Quest - Go to the Church with Sian | | Reward - Power of Belief | "Please reconsider Miss Alice! We only wish to help you and worship you and Nyx together as the mother and daughter! This will give the church much more reputation with everything that has happened today! I swear to Nyx that you will not regret coming with us! " Sian pleaded with Alice. "I will go¡­ " Alice replied after seeing the system give her the quest to do so. "That is great news!! Please follow me. It is not far from here! " Sian said excitedly. Nodding and following Sian and the other followers she was a little surprised to see a part of the Kingdom she had never been to before. She was able to see tall buildings with the symbols of various gods on them. Looking further up the hill Alice was able to see exactly which building they were going to. They headed to a very large building which was made from black marble bearing a large symbol on the front where numerous of Nyx''s followers gathered waiting for Sian to return. Seeing Alice next to Sian the group waiting out front of the chapel all took their hoods off and ran over to greet Alice. "Stop acting like children! " Sian yelled out at them as they asked various questions to Alice without hesitation. "Maybe I should go back home.. " Alice said, a little nervous from all the attention she was getting. "I am sorry for the others, they are just excited to be able to see such a person as yourself please forgive them and give us another chance. " Sian said bowing again causing the others to do the same. "Fine¡­ Just no more of the questions.. " Alice said, feeling a little creeped out by them. Walking quietly they entered the Chapel where a giant stone statue of Nyx was placed at the back surrounded by pillars and pews. "Miss Alice I do not want to waste any more of your time here would you mind standing on the platform in front of Nyx''s statue? We wish only to offer you our prayers and worship you. After this we will never bother you again we would just like to ask you to come and visit if you ever have the chance. We are not bad people but we know of no other way to help you than to do this. " Sian said honestly while pointing at the platform. ''Mom please save me¡­ " Alice thought to herself while walking over and standing on the platform and facing them. ''Don''t be afraid of them Alice, this is a very important stepping stone in your life right now so just endure it. I will be watching over you from here. '' Nyx replied to Alice who was shocked to hear Nyx respond telepathically. Looking back at the followers who had seemed to understand Nyx had spoken with Alice just now Sian made his way next to Alice and began to speak. "Today marks a day not to be forgotten by history. Today we offer up our praise and worship to a new Goddess, one that has protected the very Kingdom we reside in and have all witnessed with our own eyes. Her name is Alice Daughter of the Night! Offer her your loyalty and your prayers and let us welcome this new Goddess into the world right here and right now! " Sian said before stepping away and getting on his knees and praying to her along with all of the other followers in the chapel. ''This couldn''t be any weirder¡­ '' Alice thought again not wanting to make them angry. | Quest - Complete | | Reward - Power of Belief | Seeing the quest complete Alice almost covered her ears as the voices of the followers praying with unwavering belief became clear in her head letting her hear every word. "Wait stop! " Alice yelled, stumbling on the platform a little as her wings forcefully came out and began devouring all the light around her. "STOPPPPP!!!!!! " Alice yelled out with such power she sent some of the followers flying back as she was no longer able to bear with the voices in her head and changes she could feel happening in her body. | Evolution successful - Demi Angel \u003e Demi God | | All stats +100 | | All stats +5 per believer | | Title - Daughter of the Night | | Ability - Dead of night (Allows user to suck all light from the surrounding area) | Barely able to read over the systems messages she fell to her knees on the floor as the power continued to rush inside her before finally passing out on the floor. ____________________________________________________________________________ "Nice of you to wake up, you have been asleep for almost a whole day. " Nyx said sitting next to her on the bed. "Why am i here? " Alice questioned noticing she was in the Realm of the God''s again. "I came to get you after you passed out, the good news is that you are now officially a Demi God and can freely come to this Realm and interact with the Gods here. You do not have to hide yourself here anymore. " Nyx said happily, giving Alice a hug. "Demi God?? What does that even mean? " Alice questioned remembering the system messages she saw before losing consciousness. "For now it means that you can come and go between the two realms as you please and you can obtain a small amount of power from having people worship you. After a certain point you will ascend to full Godhood and will have a following of your own in the Mortal Realm. I have already lost around 30 followers to you, which would normally make me a little upset but I am overjoyed they pledged their loyalty to you. " Nyx said, handing Alice some water. "I feel way more powerful than I ever have, is this because of my new followers? " Alice asked curiously. "In a small part yes, you''re only a Demi God right now so the power you receive from believers is only a fraction of what a God receives so don''t go making any enemies up here. " Nyx said, letting out her full power to show Alice just how much power she really lacked compared to a God. Feeling the power Nyx had just released Alice felt like she could see the end of the world if Nyx truly got mad. "Thank you for giving Little Shadow a human body, he had a lot of fun the other night. " Alice said, trying to change the subject. "Of course, he will be one of your greatest friends in the mortal world so I thought I should give him a present. It is about time you go back, Yumi has prayed to me constantly since the other day trying to get me to bring you back. You managed to cause quite the scene when you unleashed your Demigod power in the Chapel. "What do you mean? " Alice asked curiously how she could have even let out enough power for someone to take notice of. "You managed to let out the full force of your mana when you screamed for everyone to stop, the whole Kingdom was able to tell something had happened. Anyways just go back and see for yourself. Also you should know that Lord Kira is on his way to the Kingdom so try to prepare and remember you can still die. " Nyx said snapping her fingers and sending Alice back to the Estate where Yumi was ready. "WHAT IN THE W--mhmnnmn- " Yumi began to yell at Alice getting stopped mid sentence by Shade who shoved a biskit in her mouth. "Welcome back Alice! " Shade said running over showing off the new clothes Yumi had taken him to get while she was away. "Sorry for making you worry Yumi but we need to go see the King right now! The Demon Lord Kira is on his way here right now! " Alice said, hurrying out of the door to go see the King to warn him. 66 Blood Oath "You mean to tell me that Nyx warned you the Demon King Kira has set out for our Kingdom?! " King Mark questioned trying his best not to panic hearing the news. "Yes, I plan to go and confront Kira on my own. The best thing you can do is prepare the Kingdom for the worst case scenario. I will be leaving shortly. I have gotten quite a bit stronger since my last encounter with the Demons. " Alice said looking at her status. Name - Alice Class - Demigod Title - Hunter, Apprentice of Nyx, Sorceress, War Maiden, Daughter of the Night HP - 2,310/2,310 MP- 5,650/5,650 Level 36 STR - 470 (+10 +100) VIT - 400 +5 INT - 688 (+5 +200) DEX - 495 (+10 +5) DEF - 350 (+5 +10 +10 +100) AGI - 445 (+5 +10) Skill Points - 0 Skills: Familiar Telepathy, Blessed by God (Passive), Demonic Gaze, Gods Eye (Passive), Shadow Eye (Passive), Hunter''s sight(passive), Wings of Sorrow, Dead of Night. Power of Belief: +150 to all stats. (30 believers, +5per believer) "It is true that you are much more powerful than I could have ever imagined, but are you sure you do not want any help? " King Mark asked. "I am sure. Thank you so much for looking after me while I lived here, I promise to come back and visit. " Alice said before turning to leave the war room. "Why do you speak as if you do not plan to return.. " King Mark questioned, fearing Alice planned on going with the Demon King Kira. "I will come back, but I do have things I need to do in the Demon Kingdom if I plan to break free from Kira. Tell Yumi I will be back soon, Shade already knows to look after her. " Alice said, using the shadows to leave the castle and head in the direction of the Demon Kingdom. "ALICE ANYTHING BUT THAT!! " King Mark yelled out not wanting to deal with Yumi breaking down or getting pissed off at the news he now had to give her. Coming out of the shadows in the trees outside of the Kingdom Alice took her wings out and took to the sky with more speed than she thought was possible. ''At this rate I will meet the demons before they even get close to Samaria.. '' Alice thought to herself as the trees below quickly passed as she flew over them. ''Are you sure this is what you want to do Alice? '' Nyx said speaking to her with telepathy. "I am scared of what will happen but I do not want anything to happen to the people in Samaria, I couldn''t bear to see them suffer because of me. " Alice replied, picking up more speed. ''You should have still taken a little more time to prepare, even as strong as you are right now you can not defeat Kira. You can barely fight with the Demon known as Kayl with your current strength. '' Nyx replied, sounding a little worried. "I have a plan. There is a faction that supports the Angel''s return, if I can convince them to believe in me I will gain enough power to fight with Kira and free myself of the Demons who want to chase after me. " Alice said confidently. ''It will not be that easy, you would need around 120 more believers before you could fight equally with the Demon Lord Kira. '' Nyx replied, trying to convince Alice to not be so reckless. "That is probably true, but I can''t just let the demons destroy the place I have called home. " Alice replied before flying higher into the sky through the clouds and into the light of the moon as she picked up more speed to see how fast she could really go. Flapping her wings as hard as she could, Alice flew at a speed twice as fast as Kayl''s familiar, looking down she was able to see lots of light in the woods. ''Found you. '' Flying down quickly she dove through the trees opening her wings again at the last second stopping her just above the ground in front of Lord Kira. "I see the rumor of you having wings was not a lie. " Kira said, trying to hold back the fact she took him off guard. "I do have wings, and you have broken our promise. " Alice replied showing she wouldn''t back down. "If only you were a son rather than a daughter, you''re bravery would be second to none little girl. " Lord Kira replied with a small chuckle in his voice. "One of your men killed someone I care for greatly, our deal is off. " Alice replied while releasing the pressure of her mana causing most of the demons behind Kira to struggle to stand. "If you want to have a pissing contest you will lose. " Kira replied, releasing his own pressure causing his men to take a knee and Alice to have to concentrate to stay standing. "I do not know where you got your wings from but the sheer volume of your mana proves you are my child. Now come back with me and I will take a blood oath to never set foot in that Kingdom you are so fond of. " Lord Kira said, holding out a hand for her to take. "Me lord! She is clearly an Angel! " One of the men standing close by said standing up again. "Another word from you and you will no longer have a head. What Angel have you ever seen with wings so black? This is a blessing on my child from the Dark God. " Kira said, showing more mercy to his men than he normally would. "I will go if the same applies to your men, the blood oath must include you sending people to that Kingdom. " Alice said, putting away her wings as a show of good faith. "So be it, but you must swear to call me father. " Lord Kira said with a smile. Hearing his words Alice fought to keep her anger in check keeping her mind on the goal she set for herself. "Fine. I will call you father from now on. I swear in front of the Gods with my Blood. " Alice said, pulling Scythe out and cutting the tip of her finger waiting on Kira to say his end. "Good girl, I swear in front of the God''s to never set foot nor send any of my men to the Kingdom of Samaria. " Lord Kira said, biting his finger causing it to bleed as they placed their fingers on each other''s forehead. "We are heading back home, men! We will throw a feast with the return of my daughter and heir to the Kingdom! " Lord Kira shouted while placing his hand on Alice''s back, "Time for you to take your rightful place, you will learn to love this Kingdom as you love Samaria. When Samaria is under my control I will let you rule it for yourself as a present. " "Remember your promise Ol-- Father. " Alice said, fighting the urge to puke as she said the words. "So I hear that you have a close relationship with a Goddess. How did you manage such a great feat? " Lord Kira asked as they quietly walked through the woods back towards the Demon Kingdom. "I simply prayed, and she answered. She has made me her Apostal, do not even think of asking me to change to your God. I will leave through the void and disappear from this world. " Alice said strongly to show her absolute loyalty to her mother. "I wouldn''t dream of it. I wish to meet with this Goddess.. Nyx I believe she was called. " Lord Kira said without emotion as they walked. ''I REFUSE TO MEET THAT BASTARD! '' Nyx yelled unintentionally. ''Ouch! You do not have to yell! I already know you don''t, I wouldn''t let you anyway. '' Alice yelled back through Telepathy. "I will ask her the next time I speak with her for you since you have been so kind. " Alice said, trying to get past the disgust she felt being nice to Kira. "This has gone much smoother than I had expected, but know this. If you are planning something behind my back I will find a way to wipe Samaria from existence. " Lord Kira said with a grin as they approached the outer walls of his Kingdom. "Welcome to my Kingdom Alice. " Kira said as they came out of the tree line and she was able to see the Castle on top of the mountain in the distance. Looking up Alice was speechless to see the Kingdoms walls to be almost three times higher than the walls of Samaria. Passing through the Outer Gates she was shocked, the buildings were not at all what she had expected. Instead of being red and black like she had thought of them, they were normal and very well built with brick. The streets were alive with business and people living happily. "This is not what you were expecting was it? " Lord Kira said, waving at the citizens who praised his return. 67 Kingdom of Daimonas "Welcome Alice, this is my domain, the Kingdom of Daimonas. You are free to go anywhere you want in the lower and middle areas of the Kingdom. However while inside the Castle gates you will need to be accompanied by one of my men. " Lord Kira said as he walked her through the streets to the castle. Taking a moment to just lock around to find anything he may have been doing to deceive her, she was confused why everyone looked so happy and normal. Alice had always thought the Demon people were a warring race she never took a moment to think about how the citizens lived. ''There is no way I could have done what Soron wanted me to do.. '' She thought seeing little kids playing just like any other race would be. "Why not live in peace with the rest of the world?? Your people look happy, why must you cause so much suffering and fear for everyone else?! " Alice asked curiously as they passed through the Castle Gates. ''I wage war so my people will never know the pain of loss. I rule this land and aim to unite the world under my leadership. Yes I could simply just let the other races live in peace but the day will come when my people are targeted. I was shown a vision by the God I serve where my kingdom burned and I was killed. That is when I decided to eradicate the Angels who had the elemental advantage over us. Now that they are gone I plan to conquer the world through their devotion to my God the Demon race will thrive and war will no longer exist. Do you really think my goal is that bad? " Lord Kira asked, dismissing the men following them. "So you plan to wage war and kill in order to prevent war? That makes no sense you realize that right? " Alice questioned. "I do not expect you to understand me right away but in time you will come to realize my goal is not an evil one but one that would benefit the races across this world. " Kira said as they walked through the entrance to his castle. "I will never be okay with you wishing to harm others. Do your people even know of what you have been doing? " Alice asked, trying to get as much information as she could. "Enough. My people will never need to know of what goes on in other kingdoms. They have everything they need here. I have already conquered half the continent, I will send someone to take you and see how peaceful the people I have conquered live another day. For now I wish to introduce you to some people so be quiet and just follow me. " Kira said, holding back his anger from the constant questions. "Whatever you say father. " She replied with enough attitude to let him know she was not happy with his answers. Walking quietly next to him and following him to the throne room Alice carefully looked around looking for all the shadows and exit points she could see just in case Lord Kira had tried to capture her. "I already know you''re looking for ways to escape. I do not plan on shackling you, I can treat you as my daughter or I can treat you as a servant. The choice is yours. " He said before opening the doors to his throne room. "Treat me with respect and I will try to do the same. You have broken your promise to me once already if you remember. " Alice replied. Hearing her words he clenched his fist and walked to his throne trying to hide his anger in front of Alice. Seeing their King walk into the room showing such a scary face they all kneed and looked down fearful they would be killed if he caught them looking his way before sitting down. Seeing their expressions of fear Alice knew the people in this room knew exactly how cruel Kira could be. "Stand up. I am here today to introduce you all to my hier. Alice Demasuc, you all shall treat her with as much respect as you show me. I have given her the same status as one of my knights. As she is still untrusting of how we do things I will require one of you here to be her escort while inside the Castle walls. Do I have any volunteers? " Lord Kira asked. Standing up Kayl stepped forward. "I will do so. I already know Alice and I believe she will be more comfortable with me showing her around. " Kayl said now standing beside her. "I will allow it. Do try to remember she is my daughter Kayl. " Lord Kira said, glaring at Kayl who knew exactly what he meant by that. "I will keep that in mind. " Kayl said, taking a knee again. "Take her around the kingdom to meet the people, I wish for them to know of my daughters return. I have business with the rest of you so stay where you are. " Lord Kira said in a stern voice. "Lets go. " Alice said, walking out of the throne room not caring if Kayl followed. "Alice, wait! " Kayl said, catching up to her as she walked down the stairs trying to leave the castle. "I really do not want to be here right now, just follow me to the lower part of the Kingdom. Alice said using a shadow to exit the castle and reappear where she saw the kids playing earlier. "Mommy look! That lady used magic! " A small kid walking with his mother said breaking free of her and running to Alice. "That was so cool! What else can you do? " Looking at the kid and his mother who looked a little concerned she crouched down and rubbed the kids head. "I can do a lot of things, you should ask your mom next time you want to run off though. " Alice replied with a smile. "Thank you. Come now Demetry, we have to go. " The mother said, taking the kid by his hand and leaving. ''You should be careful in this place Alice. If you were to tell anyone about their King''s deeds then you would not be treated so well by him anymore. '' Nyx said. ''I figured as much. I just do not know what to do anymore now that I am here.. Alice replied happy she was able to speak freely with Nyx. "Alice please try to think of what will happen to me if you run off like that. " Kayl said, catching up to her. "Relax, Kira knows that if I want to leave no one can stop me. " Alice replied. "That is where you are wrong. I cannot tell you much right now but if you try to leave it will be very bad for the people you love. " Kayl whispered. "What do you mean? I have a blood oath with Kira, he cannot send people to the Kingdom of Samaria. " Alice replied. "He had someone there before you made the oath. That is all I can say. " Kayl replied questly. "I hate that man. Take me to meet with the people you told me about. " Alice said coldly. "We will have to meet with them another day. For now let''s just take some time meeting the people of the Kingdom down here like Kira wanted. " Kayl replied while jumping on top of the building next to them. "Hear me! I am Kayl, a Knight that serves Lord Kira! I was sent here today to introduce you to Lord Kira''s long lost daughter! " Kayl shouted from the rooftop drawing a crowd around them. "Kayl stop! " Alice yelled back at him. "Her name is Alice and she is Lord Kira''s Hier! It is Lord Kira''s wish that you all get to meet her! " Kayl shouted again as more people came out of their houses and shops to see what was going on. Getting annoyed with Kayl just ignoring her she took out her wings and flew up to stand beside him. "SMACK " Slapping him Alice looked angry and flew back towards the castle. Seeing her fly away Kayl felt his cheek and jumped after her. "Alice what is wrong? " He yelled out after her. Stopping in mid air, "Do you think that is how I want to be introduced?!? I do not want people fearing me because I am some warlord''s daughter!! " Alice replied angrily. "No one there knows anything about that! They all love Lord Kira! " He replied. "Then maybe I am not ready to be known as his daughter by anyone! " Alice yelled before flying back to the castle as quickly as she could leaving Kayl behind with no way to catch up. Reaching the castle Alice was stopped in her tracks and sent flying and crashing to the ground by Obon who had swatted her from the sky like a bug. "I suggest if you want to keep any of your freedom you just follow along with what Lord Kira wants. Otherwise not even I will be able to keep you safe. " Obon said, offering her his hand to help her up. "He will just have to give me some time to adjust then. " Alice replied angrily. "Time is something you wont have until Lord Kira trusts you. " Obon said, taking his hand back and walking away. 68 Lord Kira and a Lost Love Walking through the throne room''s doors by the two demons escorting her Alice was left in the room all alone with Lord Kira. "Why do you keep resisting me? " Lord Kira asked curiously. "I do not like to be caged nor do I like feeling helpless. It is who I am. " Alice replied. "You take after me alot you know. I was once just as rebellious as you are with my parents. Maybe you would be a little happier if your mother was here. " Lord Kira said, showing a weak side for once. "You''re right, If my mother was here I would be very happy. You drove her away though didn''t you. " Alice replied with a nasty tone. "YOU THINK I WANTED YOUR MOTHER TO LEAVE!?!? ALL I WANTED WAS A FAMILY TO SHARE IN THE HAPPINESS I WILL BRING TO THE WORLD!!!! " Lord Kira shouted loudly, gripping the arms of his chair hard, breaking them. "THEN WHY DID SHE LEAVE? " Alice yelled back, getting sucked into the role she was playing. "I SENT HER AWAY!... I am sorry for yelling. I think I know how to fix this.. " Lord Kira said standing up and walking over to Alice. Looking up at him with tears about to fall out of her eyes she replied, "Oh yeah? Just how do you plan on doing that ''father''. " "By telling you the story of your mother and I and the reason she had to leave. Follow me and I will explain everything. " Lord Kira said, walking past her and leaving the throne room. Following quietly Alice looked around and noticed not a soul was around, ''They must have left hearing Kira yell like that. '' She thought to herself. Standing outside a door Lord Kira pushed the door open slowly. "This was supposed to be your room. Your mother and I had been trying to have a child for years. I had just gotten back from the war against the Angels and feeling safe from the threat of the vision I was given we decided that it was the perfect time for us to be given the blessing of a child. " Lord Kira said, looking sad. "... " Alice couldn''t find any good words to say so she stayed quiet. "One day I had received word that a rebellion was building against me and that your mother was a target. Hearing this news I sent your mother away so that the people wishing to rebel against me would not kill her. It was the only thing I could do without knowing who my enemies are. The last thing I wanted to do was send her away especially when we were trying to have a child. I thought that I had done the right thing to keep her safe until I learned that years later she had died. That was around the time I lost the trust in my knight and all who served me. I have been a cruel man, I believed that I could bring eternal happiness to my people on my own and my wife would be happy in heaven. " Lord Kira said letting a tear fall. "Then I learned that a powerful mage had come to light, I wanted to bring that mage to my side as someone to serve as a trusted aid in my goal. Someone who was not a demon and that could go from Kingdom to Kingdom and get the people to surrender to me without the need for bloodshed. As soon as I saw you.. You reminded me so much of your mother, I felt like I had to get you back by all means I could come up with even if you hated me because I would have my daughter back even if she hated me. " Lord Kira said, walking next to her and putting his hands on her shoulders. "I am sorry that I did not just ask you to come to me as your father rather than trying to take you by force. Do you ever think you can forgive me? There is nothing I wouldn''t do to have my daughter back as an actual daughter someone I can be happy to share in my victories with. " Kira asked, looking like a father who had actually lost his daughter. "How can I forgive you when you still have me restrained to this kingdom? Nyx has already warned me of the demon waiting in Samaria. " Alice said lying to keep Kayl safe if things went wrong. "I should not expect anything less from someone close to a Goddess. I will tell the demon to come back home. Please forgive me.. " Lord Kira replied. "When that demon returns I will tell you if I can forgive you¡­ Thank you for telling me the story though.. " Alice replied feeling confused. ''Is it wrong of me to use him like this.. '' Alice asked hoping Nyx would reply. "I will send word right away, however I will need you to send the message so my blood oath is not broken. " Lord Kira replied. ''Do not feel bad for using a man such as him, Alice. '' Nyx replied. "What do you mean I am to send the message? " Alice asked hoping it meant she could go back to Samaria. "The demon that i have hidden there is located at a shack in the woods next to the Kingdom there. I will give you the location and you can go and get him. I am trusting you to leave and return.. " Lord Kira replied. "Then can I take a day extra to see my friends before I return? " Alice asked, wanting to keep things civil like this. "Yes. Just return in two days time. " He replied knowing it would make her happy to give her an extra day. ??Thank you! " Alice said happily. Getting the location of the Demon Alice took to the sky and flew back towards Samria as quick as she could reaching the Shack the Demon was in at almost no time at all in her excitement. "Mister Demon come on out, Kira has sent me to get you! " Alice shouted as she landed next to it. Coming out of the shack a female demon in normal clothing stepped out in front of her. "Why should I believe that Lord Kira has sent you of all people to come and get me princess? " "It is either go back or I send you into the void with no hope of escape. " Alice replied coldly. "Fucking Shadow users. Fine, I will go back but if you are lying I will come back and destroy this place. " She replied. "Threaten me again and you won''t be able to. " Alice replied, taking out her scythe showing she would fight if she had too. Whistling for her mount, a large bird with red feathers flew down beside her. "See you soon princess. " She said before flying away. With the Demon gone Alice flew back to the Kingdom of Samaria and landed in front of the Astala Estate and ran inside where Shade was learning how to dance with one of the maids teaching him. "ALICE! " Shade said, spinning the maid away and running to hug her. "Are you learning to dance?? " Alice asked, feeling a little sorry for the maid who landed on her butt. "Yumi said I should since she wants to bring me with her to a party another nobel is throwing! " He replied, happy to see her again. "Sounds like you will have fun, when is it? " She questioned. "Tomorrow! You should come with us!!!! " Shade said, taking off up the stairs to find Yumi. Coming back almost as fast as he left Shade was carrying Yumi over his shoulder and put her down next to Alice. "Yumi look who came back! " Shade said excitedly. "STOP CARRYING ME LIKE THAT DAMMIT I DON''T CARE WHO CAME TO SEE ME!!! " Yumi yelled at Shade, annoyed. "Looks like you two get along really well. " Alice replied. "Alice? " Yumi said, turning around, "ALICE! " She said, giving Alice a hug. "I am only back for 2 days but I am happy to see you both. Alice said smiling. "How are you even back? What happened??? " Yumi questioned. "Some things have happened but I am able to come back for now which is all that matters. " Alice replied. "Mark will probably have a heart attack hearing you are back. " Yumi said, remembering how long it took him to tell her Alice had left for the Demon Kingdom. "Yeah I kind of left him to tell you the news because I was too scared to say goodbye, I am really sorry Yumi. " Alice said, giving her another hug. "You said you''re back for two days right? You have to come to the ball with us if you are really sorry then! " Yumi said happily. "Fine, I will go. I have nothing to wear a ball though. " Alice said, thinking about the lack of clothing she owned. 69 Ball at the Vince Estate While out shopping for a dress for Alice to wear she noticed a large number of nobles also out trying to buy extravagant outfits for the upcoming ball about to take place. "Who is holding the ball anyways? " Alice said, taking a long and slim black dress off the rack and holding it up against her body. "That would be the Vaugn family, they hold the same rank as my father used to hold. They can be a little flashy but they are good people. " Yumi said looking at some new dresses for herself. "I think I have met their heir at the auction house before if I remember right. " Alice said, picking up another long black dress with a deep cut in the back and no sleeves. "That one is really pretty, you should go with that one! " Yumi said seeing Alice hold the dress up. Liking the dress Alice nodded and took it to one of the store''s employees to purchase the dress. "The dress will be 398 silver coins. " The employee said with a smile. "For a dress?!? " Alice questioned surprised. "Yes, if you''re not able to pay please put the dress back where you got it. " She replied with a smile. Handing over the money Alice walked back over to Yumi feeling robbed. "Lets go, I will go broke if i stay in here.. " ___________________________________________________________________________ "You look so good in your dress. " Yumi said admiring the way Alice''s dress hugged her body and made her look like one of the models they would use to advertise the dress. "You look good as well, where is Shade? " Alice asked, waiting by the front door for her familiar to get done getting dressed. "He is having issues so one of the maids is helping him put the clothes on. " Yumi said she felt bad for the maid who got the job of helping the kid in an adult''s body. "SHADE HURRY UP! OR WE ARE LEAVING! " Alice yelled out impatiently. Hearing Alice yell Shade ran out of a room close by with no shoes on or his jacket. "Sorry please wait! " Shade said, trying to hurry. "Just put the shoes on and forget the jacket. " Alice said leaving the Estate knowing Shade would be able to catch up. Walking beside Yumi and Shade she started to feel like this was a going away party. ''Who knows when the next time I will be able to see them again is.. Alice looked at the both of them and enjoyed the sight of Yumi getting annoyed with Shade as they arrived at the party. "Welcome Miss Yumi, and Miss Alice. We are happy the both of you could make it here tonight. My name is Vince, the host of this evening''s ball. I do hope you enjoy yourselves. " Vince, a well built and groomed man said greeting them at the door to the large Estate. "Thank you, we are happy to have received an invite. " Yumi said, giving a curtsey before leading the way inside. "Oh and Miss Alice, my eldest son wishes to speak with you so please do give him some time if you happen to cross paths. " Vince said, moving his hand toward the door to let her through. "I will be sure to keep that in mind. Thank you for having me. " Alice replied and copied Yumi''s curtsey. Entering the Estate Alice felt out of place seeing all the colorful decorations and bright dresses the other women wore for the occasion. "Dont worry too much about it, everyone here knows what to expect from your pick of color. " Yumi said, noticing Alice looking at the others and then down at her own dress. Giving a nod Alice walked through the large breezeway with everyone else until they entered the ball room which was decorated with the Kingdoms colors and a statue in the middle of Vince and his family surrounding him. Walking over to the statue to read the words at the feet of the family she was stopped just short by a few of the noble sons of the kingdom. "Miss Alice, would you do me the honor of a dance? " "I was here first, It would be a blessing from God if you graced me with a dance Alice. " "Try to think of Alice for a moment, do not surround her begging for a dance. Joseph Vaugn said, taking Alices hand and pulling her away from the guys trying to ask her to dance. "I am sorry to drag you away like that. My name is Joseph Vaugn the eldest son of the Vaugn family. May I have a word with you? " Joseph asked, giving a polite bow. "Your father mentioned you would like to have a word with me beforehand. What is it you want to talk to me about? " Alice asked curiously. "I want to ask you if you will teach me. My Element is Wind and from the stories I have heard the soldiers tell about you on the battlefield I would give anything to have you as my teacher. " Joseph said nervously. "I can dance with you, but I will not be able to be your teacher¡­ I do not know much about the Wind Element yet, not enough to be someone''s teacher yet anyway.. I also will be leaving this Kingdom very soon. " Alice answered honestly, feeling a little bad for him. "The King told me not to get my hopes up when asking you, it seems he was right. " Joseph said, turning and leaving Alice alone in the corner. Looking around confused by his reaction Alice tried to find Yumi and Shade wanting to spend more time with them before she had to return to the Demon Kingdom. "Miss Alice! It is so nice to see you here! " Sian said happily running up to her and bowing to her. "Please do not bow to me like this! " Alice whispered, grabbing his arm and pulling him up. "You had left so suddenly the last time we spoke. When we had all woken up from the ritual you had vanished without a trace. Please give me a divine order to take back to the church. " Sian said, keeping his head bowed. "Ugh, fine just pick your head up already! " Alice replied, noticing people starting to stare at them. "I will not lift my head until your words have been spoken. " Sian insisted. "Fine! Just do for me what you would do for Nyx, pick your head up already dammit. " Alice replied not knowing what else to say. ''Very bold choice daughter. '' Nyx chimed in hearing what Alice asked Sian to do. "It would bring me joy to do so! " Sian said before making his way quickly out of the ball. ''What¡­ Did I just do?? '' Alice asked, fearing the outcome now. ''What Sian and the church does for me is pretty ancient. They go and find powerful monsters and sacrifice them in order to receive blessings from me. They will also begin to spread your name to others across the land in hopes of growing your power until you ascend to Godhood. ''The second part would actually help me out quite a bit.. However, how in the world am I supposed to give them a blessing?? '' Alice questioned before being interrupted by Vince. "So did you get a chance to talk with my son? " Vince asked, joining Alice in the corner of the room where she had been standing silently by herself. "Yes. He did not seem to like my answer though. " Alice replied, still feeling confused. "He is used to getting whatever he wants, getting told no every now and then will be good for him. I hope he was not rude to you. " Vince said, waving one of the staff over to bring them a drink. "Just a little, I wouldn''t worry about it though. " Alice said happily, taking the crystal glass and drinking the whole thing. Raising an eyebrow at the little girl downing the drink like it was nothing Vince did the same curious how good the drink was for her to do that. "Cough cough cough " Vince started coughing at the burn in his throat from the alcoholic beverage. "Are you okay? " Alice asked. "Yes, I am sorry. I just thought we may have been given a different drink. " Vince replied, not wanting to admit defeat to a girl more than half his age. "Anyway thank you for the drink, I really should be finding my friends." Alice said, giving a curtsey again and leaving to look for Yumi. "Hey where have you been? " Yumi said, seeing Alice look happy to find her and Shade. "Just having a talk with Vince. " Alice replied. "Shade seems to be really good at dancing. " Yumi said, pointing out Shade who was dancing with Vince''s wife drawing attention from everyone around. Trying to keep her jaw shut Alice looked at Shade who was dancing as if he was born to do so, he would masterfully spin and catch Jessica while not missing a beat. "Just how much has he been practicing? " Alice almost lost for words. "Believe it or not, almost two days. His teacher wasn''t even that good either if i am being honest. " Yumi said a little jealousy at the speed Shade was able to pick up things. "It really sucks. I have to leave this behind for a while. " Alice said, looking sad knowing she would miss them both when she had to return to Kira. 69 Ball at the Vaugn Estate While out shopping for a dress for Alice to wear she noticed a large number of nobles also out trying to buy extravagant outfits for the upcoming ball about to take place. "Who is holding the ball anyways? " Alice said, taking a long and slim black dress off the rack and holding it up against her body. "That would be the Vaugn family, they hold the same rank as my father used to hold. They can be a little flashy but they are good people. " Yumi said looking at some new dresses for herself. "I think I have met their heir at the auction house before if I remember right. " Alice said, picking up another long black dress with a deep cut in the back and no sleeves. "That one is really pretty, you should go with that one! " Yumi said seeing Alice hold the dress up. Liking the dress Alice nodded and took it to one of the store''s employees to purchase the dress. "The dress will be 398 silver coins. " The employee said with a smile. "For a dress?!? " Alice questioned surprised. "Yes, if you''re not able to pay please put the dress back where you got it. " She replied with a smile. Handing over the money Alice walked back over to Yumi feeling robbed. "Lets go, I will go broke if i stay in here.. " ___________________________________________________________________________ "You look so good in your dress. " Yumi said admiring the way Alice''s dress hugged her body and made her look like one of the models they would use to advertise the dress. "You look good as well, where is Shade? " Alice asked, waiting by the front door for her familiar to get done getting dressed. "He is having issues so one of the maids is helping him put the clothes on. " Yumi said she felt bad for the maid who got the job of helping the kid in an adult''s body. "SHADE HURRY UP! OR WE ARE LEAVING! " Alice yelled out impatiently. Hearing Alice yell Shade ran out of a room close by with no shoes on or his jacket. "Sorry please wait! " Shade said, trying to hurry. "Just put the shoes on and forget the jacket. " Alice said leaving the Estate knowing Shade would be able to catch up. Walking beside Yumi and Shade she started to feel like this was a going away party. ''Who knows when the next time I will be able to see them again is.. Alice looked at the both of them and enjoyed the sight of Yumi getting annoyed with Shade as they arrived at the party. "Welcome Miss Yumi, and Miss Alice. We are happy the both of you could make it here tonight. My name is Vince, the host of this evening''s ball. I do hope you enjoy yourselves. " Vince, a well built and groomed man said greeting them at the door to the large Estate. "Thank you, we are happy to have received an invite. " Yumi said, giving a curtsey before leading the way inside. "Oh and Miss Alice, my eldest son wishes to speak with you so please do give him some time if you happen to cross paths. " Vince said, moving his hand toward the door to let her through. "I will be sure to keep that in mind. Thank you for having me. " Alice replied and copied Yumi''s curtsey. Entering the Estate Alice felt out of place seeing all the colorful decorations and bright dresses the other women wore for the occasion. "Dont worry too much about it, everyone here knows what to expect from your pick of color. " Yumi said, noticing Alice looking at the others and then down at her own dress. Giving a nod Alice walked through the large breezeway with everyone else until they entered the ball room which was decorated with the Kingdoms colors and a statue in the middle of Vince and his family surrounding him. Walking over to the statue to read the words at the feet of the family she was stopped just short by a few of the noble sons of the kingdom. "Miss Alice, would you do me the honor of a dance? " "I was here first, It would be a blessing from God if you graced me with a dance Alice. " "Try to think of Alice for a moment, do not surround her begging for a dance. Joseph Vaugn said, taking Alices hand and pulling her away from the guys trying to ask her to dance. "I am sorry to drag you away like that. My name is Joseph Vaugn the eldest son of the Vaugn family. May I have a word with you? " Joseph asked, giving a polite bow. "Your father mentioned you would like to have a word with me beforehand. What is it you want to talk to me about? " Alice asked curiously. "I want to ask you if you will teach me. My Element is Wind and from the stories I have heard the soldiers tell about you on the battlefield I would give anything to have you as my teacher. " Joseph said nervously. "I can dance with you, but I will not be able to be your teacher¡­ I do not know much about the Wind Element yet, not enough to be someone''s teacher yet anyway.. I also will be leaving this Kingdom very soon. " Alice answered honestly, feeling a little bad for him. "The King told me not to get my hopes up when asking you, it seems he was right. " Joseph said, turning and leaving Alice alone in the corner. Looking around confused by his reaction Alice tried to find Yumi and Shade wanting to spend more time with them before she had to return to the Demon Kingdom. "Miss Alice! It is so nice to see you here! " Sian said happily running up to her and bowing to her. "Please do not bow to me like this! " Alice whispered, grabbing his arm and pulling him up. "You had left so suddenly the last time we spoke. When we had all woken up from the ritual you had vanished without a trace. Please give me a divine order to take back to the church. " Sian said, keeping his head bowed. "Ugh, fine just pick your head up already! " Alice replied, noticing people starting to stare at them. "I will not lift my head until your words have been spoken. " Sian insisted. "Fine! Just do for me what you would do for Nyx, pick your head up already dammit. " Alice replied not knowing what else to say. ''Very bold choice daughter. '' Nyx chimed in hearing what Alice asked Sian to do. "It would bring me joy to do so! " Sian said before making his way quickly out of the ball. ''What¡­ Did I just do?? '' Alice asked, fearing the outcome now. ''What Sian and the church does for me is pretty ancient. They go and find powerful monsters and sacrifice them in order to receive blessings from me. They will also begin to spread your name to others across the land in hopes of growing your power until you ascend to Godhood. ''The second part would actually help me out quite a bit.. However, how in the world am I supposed to give them a blessing?? '' Alice questioned before being interrupted by Vince. "So did you get a chance to talk with my son? " Vince asked, joining Alice in the corner of the room where she had been standing silently by herself. "Yes. He did not seem to like my answer though. " Alice replied, still feeling confused. "He is used to getting whatever he wants, getting told no every now and then will be good for him. I hope he was not rude to you. " Vince said, waving one of the staff over to bring them a drink. "Just a little, I wouldn''t worry about it though. " Alice said happily, taking the crystal glass and drinking the whole thing. Raising an eyebrow at the little girl downing the drink like it was nothing Vince did the same curious how good the drink was for her to do that. "Cough cough cough " Vince started coughing at the burn in his throat from the alcoholic beverage. "Are you okay? " Alice asked. "Yes, I am sorry. I just thought we may have been given a different drink. " Vince replied, not wanting to admit defeat to a girl more than half his age. "Anyway thank you for the drink, I really should be finding my friends." Alice said, giving a curtsey again and leaving to look for Yumi. "Hey where have you been? " Yumi said, seeing Alice look happy to find her and Shade. "Just having a talk with Vince. " Alice replied. "Shade seems to be really good at dancing. " Yumi said, pointing out Shade who was dancing with Vince''s wife drawing attention from everyone around. Trying to keep her jaw shut Alice looked at Shade who was dancing as if he was born to do so, he would masterfully spin and catch Jessica while not missing a beat. "Just how much has he been practicing? " Alice almost lost for words. "Believe it or not, almost two days. His teacher wasn''t even that good either if i am being honest. " Yumi said a little jealousy at the speed Shade was able to pick up things. "It really sucks. I have to leave this behind for a while. " Alice said, looking sad knowing she would miss them both when she had to return to Kira. 70 Ara "Let us all applaud the young man for the spectacular show just now. " Vince said, clapping as he walked over to his wife as the music died down. "It was a lot of fun, thank you for dancing with me. " Shade said, giving a polite bow to his dance partner and returning to Alice and Yumi who were still slightly in shock by the spectacle they just witnessed. "Dancing is really easy, why can''t you do it? " Shade whispered to Yumi who replied by punching him in the arm as hard as she could. "Be nice Shade, you have to teach her to dance as good as you do now. " Alice replied, trying not to laugh. "Like hell I will let him dance with me. " Yumi said, annoyed. "You are right, she would have to be able to dance for me to dance with her. " Shade replied with a grin. "Okay okay, be good you two. Yumi we should head back, I have to go see my mom while I have the chance. " Alice replied hoping she would be able to see Nyx just as much when she goes back to Lord Kira. "Alright, you can head back without me. I still have to meet with people and uphold my appearance as my father''s successor. " Yumi replied before giving Alice a hug and walking over to speak with some of her father''s friends. "Come on Shade, let''s leave Yumi for her business. Alice said, taking his hand and leaving the ball to go back to the Astala Estate. Walking out of the Ball Alice and Shade were both transported to Nyx''s domain. "Alice where is this??? " Shade said nervously, looking around getting ready to attack if he needed to. "Relax, Nyx must have brought us here. Just follow me and do not touch anything. " Alice replied, leading the way to Nyx''s home. | Emergency Quest - Leave the Realm of the Gods | | Reward - N/A | "Mom?! " Alice yelled out running towards Nyx''s home worried seeing the system quest pop up randomly. "Alice, I don''t think we should go¡­ I have a really bad feeling about this. " Shade said, taking a step back and pulling Alice''s hand to stop her. "THEN GO BACK HOME! " Alice yelled, taking Shade back to the Estate as quickly as she could before returning to Nyx''s domain. Running up to Nyx''s house she ignored the repeated notifications telling her to leave the Realm. Bursting through the front doors of the house Alice fell to her knees under the bone shattering pressure she felt from inside. ''Mom, where are you?!? '' Alice used telepathy to try to reach Nyx. ''ALICE LEAVE NOW!!!! '' Nyx yelled out, sounding scared. ''Not until yo~ '' Alice tried saying before getting hit with more pressure causing her to lay flat on the ground barely able to move anymore. Hearing slow steps coming her way from around the corner Alice tried her hardest to get back up only to feel her leg break from trying to move. "GAhH " Alice yelled out in pain. "What do we have here? " A Short woman with bright red hair said as she walked over to Alice who was getting close to losing consciousness. "Oh right, lower lifeforms cannot do much in the presence of a High God haha, silly me. " The woman said, pulling in her pressure and letting Alice breath normally again. "Oooo A Demigod. How interesting I must have been asleep for quite a while if I missed such a rare occasion. My name is Ara. Do tell me your name, child. " Ara said, tilting her head to the side waiting on Alice to respond. "Where is my mom? " Alice asked in pain from her leg which felt like it was shattered to dust. "Did you not hear my question? Seems I need to educate you. " Ara said, picking Alice off the ground by her throat almost crushing it. "Last chance, what is your name? I really do not like asking things twice. I suggest you answer this time. " Ara said with a serious face. "aLgiSe " Alice tried saying through her grip. Moving her hand to the side Ara sent Alice crashing into a marble pillar breaking it in half. "M..y na-me i.. Al-ce " Alice tried saying, wishing she had listened to the system''s quest to leave the realm. "Was that really so hard? " Ara said, withdrawing all of her pressure and walking over to Alice who was trying to muster up the strength to escape through her shadow. Sinking into her shadow as fast as she could Alice tried to leave only to be pulled back out by Ara who seemed even more furious that Alice had tried to leave before she was done with her. "I did not give you permission to leave. Sit. " Ara said, annoyed shoving Alice back onto the ground letting her know leaving was futile. "Please Ara, I beg you to let my daughter go! She has nothing to do with this! " Nyx said, panicked as she limped out of a shadow nearby. Tilting her head back to see Nyx, Ara smirked. "This little one did mention she was your child didn''t she, what a great opportunity. " Ara said now looking at Alice like she was going to devour her. Seeing the look in Ara''s eyes she felt fear that penetrated her to the core causing Alice to start quivering. "Please, I will do anything just let her go! " Nyx said, trying to rush over to Ara. "Take another step and your little girl will no longer have a head. " Ara said in a low tone just loud enough for Nyx to hear her. Stopping in her tracks Nyx fell to her knees. "Please.. " "Don''t you think you have had your fun yet Ara? The grudge you have against Nyx has lasted since the great war of power. " A tall slender man covered in flames said, walking through the doors. "Shut up Jorel. This is none of your business. " Ara replied, tossing Alice to the side and stepping up to Jorel who smiled. "Consider this the favor I owe you Nyx. Come with me and leave Nyx and Alice alone. We have much to talk about now that you have woken up. " Jorel said, putting his hand on Ara''s shoulder and vanishing. "Alice!!! " Nyx yelled out limping over to Alice as fast as she could. "What just happened? Who was that?? " Alice questioned, still holding back the tears from all the pain she was in. "Her name is Ara. She is a higher God who has a grudge against me for taking the man she loved from her¡­ That isn''t important right now. We need to get you to Jun so he can help you heal. " Nyx said using what strength she could to take them to Jun''s place where her and Alice fell to the ground. __________________________________________________________________________ Walking in circles in the lobby of the Estate, Shade was trying not to panic and cause a scene for Yumi as he could feel Alice was seriously injured. "Fuck the ball. " Shade said before rushing out of the estate to go and find Yumi. Stopping at the gates Shade started to walk back. ''Yumi will just worry there is nothing she or I can do to help Alice right now anyway¡­ '' Shade thought to himself struggling with what to do. ''Yumi, I have to leave for a little while with Alice. I will be back soon I promise. '' Shade said, using telepathy to let her know he was leaving. Going back to his true form Shade began running at full speed towards the Demon Kingdom to let them know Alice may not be back in the time given to her. Jumping from shadow to shadow he made good time making it to the Demons borders. Seeing Demons ahead of him getting ready to attack him Shade jumped up returning to his human form. "Wait! I need to see the Demon Lord Kira right now!!! It concerns his daughter!! " Shade said as the Demons took him to the ground and bound his hands. "What do you think we should do? What if he really does have information about her? " One of the demons said while picking him up and wrapping a cloth around Shades waist. "If we take him to the castle we will be able to see our families a little early so why not just bring him? " The other demon replied. "That''s right I am her familiar if you take me to see the Demon King you will get to see your families sooner! " Shade said, trying to get them to hurry up and take him to the castle. "Whatever, if he ends up lying Lord Kira will probably just eat the beast. " "Hahaha! Yeah you''re right. Alright buddy let''s go. " Hearing their words Shade started sweating still not knowing if the Demon King was as scary of a person as he was thinking he was. 71 Shade meets Kira Being thrown into a cell, Shade was tempted to escape and just try to find the Demon King but was stopped when the guard who threw him in decided to take a seat next to his cell. "So tell me, what information do you have for Lord Kira? Just so you know it better be very good otherwise he may lose his temper with you.. " He asked, turning his chair to face Shade. "I am connected to Alice with a blood contract, recently we were pulled to the realm of the Gods for some reason and I felt a very strong presence which was clearly hostile. Worried for Nyx, Alice wanted to run into the house which Nyx resides in. Not wanting her to go I tried to stop her which made Alice mad. She took me back to the mortal realm and went back to see Nyx¡­ Shortly after that I could feel that Alice''s life force was very weak meaning she was injured.. I know that she is supposed to return to Kira but things may be out of her control right now. I came to inform Kira of this so that he would not be angry when she did not return within the time he gave her. " Shade replied, still worried for Alice. "You mean to tell me that my daughter can freely traverse between the realms? " Lord Kira said, stepping around the corner revealing himself. "It is something she has been allowed to do by Nyx, that is all I know. " Shade replied with a quick wit. "Tell me, beast. Why should I believe you. " Lord Kira said now standing in front of Shade. "Because I came to your territory knowing I might be killed for giving you this information. Alice is my master and if I have to give my life for her I will gladly do so. " Shade said looking Lord Kira in the eyes. "Sigh. Let the beast out of its cage. You will stay with me until Alice returns, I have a few more questions I wish to ask you in private. " Lord Kira said, turning around and walking up the stairs to leave the prison. Catching back up to Lord Kira, Shade walked quietly behind him trying to hide how nervous he was feeling Lord Kira''s enormous power hidden within. "How is it that you have a Human form? " Lord Kira asked as they walked towards the Castle. "When Nyx came to our realm she gave me this form as a gift for my loyalty to Alice. I do not know much more than that. " Shade replied, trying to keep Alice being Nyx''s daughter a secret. "I see. Can you feel where Alice is now? " Lord Kira questioned. "I can only feel that she is slowly recovering in the Realm of the Gods. " Shade replied honestly as Lord Kira led him into the throne room for the rest of their chat. ___________________________________________________________________________ "Jun please help me heal Alice, I am a little beaten up right now so I can not do a whole lot to help her right now. " Nyx asked as Jun came out of his home. "What in the world happened to you two??? " Jun asked curiously, seeing Nyx in such bad shape. "Ara, she has woken up from her slumber¡­ " Nyx replied quietly as Jun poured a shining liquid into Alice''s mouth to help her heal. "It would seem that Soron may be next in line for a beating then. " Jun said, wondering if Soron would even be able to survive Ara''s wrath in his current position. "The only good thing that has ever come from Soron is Alice. I do not care much for what will happen to him. I just really hope that Ara''s actions do not disturb the Supreme¡­ " Nyx replied shivering at the thought of the Supreme being awakened by petty dealings. "That would be very bad, " Jun said, handing the rest of the bottle to Nyx as Alice''s bruises and broken bones began to heal. "Jun.. This is your power of belief. I cannot take any from you. " Nyx said looking at Jun who just smiled. "Relax it is a very small amount, for Alice it will heal her right away. For you it will help you to speed up your recovery. You can just pay me back later. " Jun said motioning for her to drink up. "Jun? What is going on? " Alice said waking up feeling good as new. "You got caught up in your mother''s affairs, you don''t remember? " Jun asked curiously. "No, I remember that crazy short lady beating me. I just don''t know why I am here or why I am completely healed. " Alice said, sitting up and hugging Nyx who had just finished drinking. "Are you okay?? " Alice asked, looking at Nyx who still looked like she went through a rough beating. "I will be fine hun, but you should really head back to the mortal realm. The realm of the God''s will be pretty lively for a while and it is best you''re not here for it. " Nyx said, touching her shoulder lightly sending Alice back to the mortal realm. Appearing where she and shade had first been taken from near the Vaugn Estate she noticed how torn her dress was. Using the Shadow Monarchs ring she quickly made sure to change back into her normal clothes before anyone could realize she was back. ''Shade I am sorry for sending you back, I should have listened to you. '' Alice said using her telepathy. ''It is okay, but i am here with Kira at the moment. Can you please come back? Kira is questioning everything and I do not know how much longer I can keep him from finding out more about you than he should know. '' Shade replied. ''I will be there soon, just let him know that I am on the way. '' Alice replied pulling out her wings and taking to the sky quickly. Flying as fast as she could not knowing what Kira would be able to get out of Shade regarding her true relationship with Nyx and how she was allowed into the Realm of the God''s. ''If things get dangerous just stay in the Shadows until I get back. '' Alice said worried for her friend. ''I do not think you need to worry about that, Kira seems pretty pleased to know you are returning as we speak. He is going to get some food for us to share. '' Shade said seeming more relaxed. Quickly flying over Kira''s gates she landed in front of his castle where the surrounding Demons bowed their heads to her as she walked by. Feeling where Shade was she used the shadows to enter the same room as him only to be met with the sight of Shade stuffing his face with an asortment of meats that had been laid out on the table in front of him. "Good to see you are alright.. " Alice said feeling silly for even being worried after seeing him like that. "Welcome home Alice, take a seat with us and eat. I am sure you must be hungry after traveling to and from the Realm of the God''s. " Lord Kira said giving Alice a calculating look. "I was forcfully brought there for some reason, however I am able to go to Nyx''s domain through my Shadow Element. " Alice replied. "Shade had told me that you were gravely injured, how is it you look even healthier than when you left if that was the case? " Lord Kira questioned. "I was injured, some of my bones had shattered thanks to a certain God. With that said, God''s can heal any injure they want to other than death. Is it really that surprising given my personal relationship with Nyx? " Alice replied knowing Lord Kira would have no way of confirming what she said. "I suppose you are right, I am happy to see that you are unharmed now though. " Lord Kira said taking some food for himself. "So when do you plan to introduce me to Nyx? I assume that is something within your power seeing how you can bring Shade back to our Realm. " Lord Kira said giving a serious look before taking a drink. "It is up to Nyx if I can bring you or introduce you to her, would the God you worship not be mad at you for wanting to meet with a God other than him? " Alice asked. "I wouldn''t know. I do however know that I stand a good chance at meeting with an actual God now that you are here. If I happen to recieve some benifit who knows what I might do. " Lord Kira said assuming Alice would tell Nyx of his interest in her. "I will tell Nyx, that is the most I can do for you. Why do you wish to meet with her so bad? " Alice asked as they both ignored Shade who had nearly eaten all the food on the table by this time. "You could say that I have a way of increasing my own power that would require coming face to face with a God. " Lord Kira said with a smile. 72 Key of the Monarch ''Mom, are you okay? '' Alice asked, still worried about Nyx who was in rough shape the last time she saw her. ''I am fine now, the higher God''s are becoming more active lately so you should wait a while before coming back. '' Nyx replied, hiding the fact she was still injured. ''I have a question, Kira is being very persistent about meeting you. He said he can increase his own power if he comes face to face with an God. What does he mean by that? '' Alice asked, still curious about Lord Kira''s words yesterday. ''If that is the case then he will never meet with me. What he is referring to is an abomination, I assume he has the Dagger his God used when the God''s lived in the Mortal Realm. It has the ability to drain a God of their power and transfer it to the wielder for a short period of time. However I have heard that some of the power will remain with the wielder for as long as they have possession of the dagger. '' Nyx replied. ''You can not meet Kira. '' Alice said stubbornly. ''Don''t be a brat, I have said from the start I refuse to meet him! In any case I must take a nap so you will not be able to talk with me for a while. Be careful. '' Nyx said before entering a state of hibernation to completely recover from her wounds. Finding out what Lord Kira meant, Alice decided it was best to try to see the rest of the world in order to grow her own power and eliminate the constant pestering to meet Nyx from Lord Kira. Finding him in the throne room surrounded by his advisors and knights Alice quietly took a seat on one of the steps until she could find a chance to talk with him. "Lord Kira, if we want to finish taking the continent we must continue with our efforts. I do not see why you refuse to conquer Samaria and the Kingdoms beyond it. " One of the advisors, a stocky man with a red beard and a bald head said as kindly as he could. "I agree with Dusty, Lord Kira. We need to be proactive and finish your will in order to finally achieve your dream. " A Knight who wore black armor and had a claymore strapped to his back said. "I have an agreement with my daughter to not step foot there or to send my men that way. Do you plan to make me a liar after I have finally gotten her back? We will leave them alone for now and when the time comes my daughter will go and bring them under my rule peacefully. There shall be no more talk of the Kingdoms to the east. Now go back to your normal duties and leave me to have a word with my daughter. " Lord Kira replied sternly. "You did not tell them of the oath? " Alice asked after seeing the last of the men leave the throne room, to be sure they would not be able to hear her. "That is something they do not need to know. I am happy you came to see me. Would you care to join me for the rest of my meetings today? " Lord Kira replied, seeming to be quite happy. "That sounds really boring to be honest.. I did have a question though. I was wondering if I could go see the other Kingdoms you have conquered. I only ask because I am not very good at sitting still, I also want to train more and get stronger. " Alice asked. "I think that is a great idea! You will be able to see how happy people are under my rule, hopefully you will come to trust me more seeing that I am not the dictator you think I am. " Lord Kira said standing from the throne and motioning for her to follow him. Following Kira quietly she was feeling a little weird seeing him act so cheerful, "Where are we going? " "I am taking you to the storage room so you can pick some things to make your travels easier. I can''t let my daughter go out into the world not prepared can I? " Lord Kira replied happily. ''It is so weird seeing him so happy¡­ '' Alice thought to herself as they arrived at the storage room which was protected by six guards and had chains locking the door shut. "Open the room for us. " Lord Kira commanded the men standing guard. As soon as the chains hit the floor the doors opened revealing a huge room with countless rows of shelves holding various weapons and items that Lord Kira had collected or taken over the years of his rule. "You can take anything you see here that you think might be of use to you in your travels, I will go and get you some money to take with you so that you can buy anything you may need. " Lord Kira said before leaving Alice alone in the room full of treasures. Looking around Alice couldn''t help but to think the sight was impressive as she walked through the isles of shelfs and occasionally picked up a weapon before putting it back down remembering she already had a weapon that was better than what was in the room. Getting a little bored Alice came across a small box on a shelf by itself. Walking over and opening the box she was slightly surprised to find that it contained a black key that began vibrating when she picked it up. "It seems you have found a rather important item. " Lord Kira replied, noticing the kay reacting to her. "What does this key unlock? " Alice asked curiously. "When I found the key a local villager had told me of a story surrounding the key. There use to be a very powerful man long ago, it is said that he had enough power to rival some Gods. He could shroud entire Kingdoms in utter darkness to the point you would not be able to see or hear a thing leaving some of his enemies to go mad after being trapped in that state. The villager referred to him as the Shadow Monarch. The key supposedly will unlock the Shadow Monarch''s home if it is ever found, allowing the person to inherit the Shadow Monarch''s power and spells. Once I heard this I knew that this key was worth holding onto, I have sent countless men to search all over the planet for the Monarch''s home and none have succeeded over the years. I even went back to find the old man who told me the story only to find he had died the day after I left the village. The key reacted to you so if anyone has a chance of finding his home and gaining his power I believe it will be you. " Lord Kira said, picking the box up and handing it to her for her to keep. "Thank you, what took you so long anyways? A few gold would last me for a long while. " Alice said, taking advantage of the perks of the Demon King believing she was his daughter. "Nonsense, the world is vast and there are many places you do not know of yet. If you hope to compete with the people of Dunmar at the auction house there you will need more than a few gold. " Lord Kira said, handing her a large bag which almost hit the ground when he handed it to Alice. "Just what did you put in the bag?? " Alice said, surprised by its weight. "There are around 75 Holy coins and a badge displaying my family crest in the bag. If you ever find yourself in trouble you can show the badge and no one will mess with you any further. Or you can wear the badge and use it as a show of power, my soldiers will listen to your command upon seeing it as well. Be sure not to abuse it, I would hate to have to come get you. " Lord Kira replied. Having stopped listening after hearing the amount of Holy Coins in the bag Alice struggled to bring herself back to the conversation with such a shock. Alice was now the most wealthy person she knows of. "Why would you give me all of your money? " Alice asked, assuming there was no way he could have more money than what he had just given her. "Hahaha, that is only a small part of my wealthy child giving you this much will be just fine so don''t worry about me. " Lord Kira said laughing at the thought of that small amount of money being all he had. "I almost forgot to tell you, the monsters and the people on this side of the world are far stronger than the ones you have faced so far so I will be sending someone to keep you safe. " Lord Kira said only to be greeted with a pout from Alice. "Do I really seem that weak to you? Would you have accepted a babysitter when you were my age? " Alice said, really not wanting to be tied down to someone who wouldn''t be able to keep up with her pace when it comes to traveling. "You really do take after me don''t you. Fine, but keep to the skies until you reach a settlement or Kingdom. Don''t do anything dangerous until you get used to how things are. " Lord Kira said, putting his hand on her shoulder and pulling her in for a hug. 73 Sora Takes Fligh "Wait for me! " Shade said, running over to join Alice outside the castle where Lord Kira, Kayl and some other demons had gathered to see Alice off. "It would not be wise to bring your familiar with you Alice, at least not yet. He would not be of very much help to you, in fact he may very well slow you down. If you want I can have him trained here with my best knights until he is strong enough to hold his own and not be a burden. " Lord Kira said, trying to help her out. "He is right, Shade.. You should stay and train I am sure that father.. Will do his best in order to help you gain strength. Not to mention I still want you to help look after Yumi. Next time I go to the Realm of the Gods I can always have Nyx send me back to see you and Yumi before going back to my journey. " Alice said running over and hugging Shade tight not wanting to leave him behind but knowing if Lord Kira was right that Shade would be in danger almost all of the time. "If that is what you want.. " Shade said, hugging her lightly back feeling like a burden. "You should get going while the sun is still up. With the money alone your travel time will be much slower than normal " Lord Kira said, handing her things to her for her to carry. Taking the large bag Alice deposited it into her system storage. "It shouldn''t be a issue now. " She replied with a smile and took off into the sky before anyone could ask any questions. Flying in the air high above the Kingdom she took a brief moment to look back at the direction of Samaria before flying past Kira''s Kingdom and towards the mountains that seemed to divide the land completely. Not caring to look around very much Alice sped up and punched through the clouds above the mountains. Coming out of a cloud her eyes widened to see a vast valley below her with waterfalls on the left and numerous monsters all around on the ground below as if no one has ever hunted them. Getting distracted by the sight Alice narrowly avoided getting hit by a large bird similar to Kayl''s familiar. Not caring to fight with anything just yet Alice started flying as fast as she could, to her surprise the Bird was not very far behind her chasing her down. Pushing her speed to the limits she flapped her wings hard causing the air to explode with a boom behind her as she accelerated her speed using her mana to give her wings a boost. Looking forward Alice was forced to use her wind element to prevent the air from hurting her at this speed. Finally adjusting to the speed she was flying Alice began to realize the difference between a mortal and a demigod. "I wonder how many years it would have taken me to reach this level of speed before becoming a demigod.. " She thought before seeing smoke coming from the ground a ways ahead of her. Withdrawing her wings Alice used the momentum of her flight to send her rocketing through the sky towards the smoke as it got close with every passing second. Seeing a small number of people come rushing out of the houses with their weapons drawn in her direction Alice took her wings back out and stopped just short of their village and slowly landed on the ground putting her wings back up. "I do not want to fight, I come from the other side of the mountains and just want some directions to the nearest Kingdom. " Alice said, putting her hands up showing she didn''t want to fight with her actions. "I am sorry for drawing our weapons on you. We only knew that a large amount of mana was headed out direction at an incredible speed. To answer your question the nearest Kingdom would be Jorgen it is about 4 days travel from here. " One of the men said, putting his sword back in its sheath. "For you that means a few hours at most haha. " One of the women said, pulling her gauntlets off and walking over to Alice to get a closer look. "I just recently learned I could travel that quick as well, My name is Alice. " "What race are you Alice? You look human but fly like an Angel, have the mana of a demon and I cannot see any of your information even with my Goddesses blessing. " The woman said, walking around Alice trying to figure her out. "I am human.. " Alice replied nervously. "Then who is your God? " She asked, still not introducing herself. "Nyx. " Alice replied with a smile. "What is your status as her follower? " She asked again. "I am her apostille.. What is with all of the questions? " Alice replied, getting a little annoyed. "Hara, leave the girl alone. It is natural you cannot read her if she has that high of a rank with a mid tier Goddess. I am Alan, I am sorry if my daughter has troubled you with her rude behavior. " Alan said, walking over and shaking her hand. "It''s alright, this is my first time to cross the mountains so I still don''t know what to expect. " Alice replied. "Nyx has a temple in Jorgen which is growing in popularity lately since there has been news of Nyx having a daughter. They are even in the process of adding a statue of her next to Nyx as we speak. If you would like we could take you to Jorgen with us, we should be heading out in a few days. " Alan said, offering their assistance to her. "That sounds great! Thank you so much. " Alice said happily. "Oh that reminds me, Sora! Get out here and pay respects to your envoy! " Alan turned shouting at one of the buildings. ''Nyx what do I do?!? '' Alice tried asking in a panic not knowing how to act. Not hearing a response she remembered that Nyx was going to be out of contact for a while. Looking over at the building she saw a young girl around the age of 7 or 8 with black hair and blue eyes come out and run over. "She is Nyx''s envoy? " She looked up at her and back at her father. Crouching down, "That''s right! Your name is Sora right? It is very nice to meet you. I am Alice. " Alice said with a smile trying to be as friendly as she could. "The reason we are going to Jorgen is so Sora can receive her first blessing from Nyx. Sora makes sure to treat Alice well, okay, she is just like Arnold is for me and hara. " Alan said, rubbing his daughters head. "It is very nice to meet you, miss Alice. " Sora said with a little wobbly curtsey. "What made you pick Nyx as your Goddess? " Alice said, still at eye level with Sora. "Ummm.. My hair is black and so is Nyx''s and I like to sleep when it is dark outside and Nyx makes it dark.. And ummm. " Sora said listing off all the small little reasons that made her pick Nyx as her Goddess. "That''s very cute, wanna know something cool? " Alice said, finding the little girl adorable. "YEAH! " "Nyx said just now that I should give you a reward, would you like to fly like a bird? " Alice asked with a smile. "Like a bird? Not like when my daddy picks me up and runs around? " Sora asked curiously. Standing up Alice slowly took out her wings and offered Sora her hand. "Like a bird, sounds like fun doesn''t it? " "Alice we could not ask you to give her such good treatment.. " Alan said, showing he was a little worried. "I wanna gooooo. " Sora said looking at her father pouting. "I promise she will be safe, don''t worry. " Alice said, waiting for Alan to give his daughter permission. "Fine.. Just not too high and please stay in sight.. " Alan said, giving in to the pressure to make his daughter happy. "Yayyy " Sora said, running over and jumping up for Alice to catch her. "Hold on tight okay Sora. " Alice said, wrapping her arms around Sora and picking her up before slowly flying off the ground and over Alan and Hara''s heads. "Higher higher! " Sora yelled out looking around excited to be in the air hovering above her house. "I promised your father I wouldn''t go to high Sora. " Alice replied, flying her in circles around the house enjoying seeing Sora so happy and excited. "Maybe Sora really did make the right pick. " Hara said watching her little sister fly around with Alice happily before they landed again next to them. "Thank you. " Hara said before taking Sora to go take a bath. "I will go make a camp in the forest for now, I will come back in the morning. " Alice said not wanting to force them to let her stay in one of their houses. "Nonsense, stay with us for now. I think Sora would hate me if she came back and you were gone. " Alan said, looking worn out without doing anything. "She is a good girl, you are a good father. " Alice said with a smile. 74 Hunting the Flame Boar "Alice, would you like to join us on a hunt before we set out? The materials can be sold for profit in the Jorgen. " Alan asked while strapping his armor on. "Sure that sounds like fun, let me know if I hold you back any. " Alice said with a smile thinking it has been a while since she last went to fight with monsters. "I am sure we would be the ones who hold you back, you are an envoy after all. " Hara said jumping up and down with a relaxed posture to get warmed up for the day. "How do you fight? I am curious. " Hara asked, now doing some stretches. "I use a scythe as well as some elemental spells. I can do whatever is needed so just let me know! " Alice said while pulling her scythe out of her inventory to show them. "What an ominous aura.. " Alan said looking at Alice''s weapon. "How about a quick spar before we go out so we know what her strengths are? " Joey, another stocky man that carried a large shield and short sword said standing up and joining the group. "I am fine with that. " Alice said, happy to prove herself to them. "Since I have the best defense out of all of us, why don''t you try attacking me? Do not be afraid to give it your best shot. " Joey said, raising his shield and getting in a low stance ready for her to attack. "Don''t blink. " Alice said, twirling her scythe in one hand and using Rift Warp to instantly get behind him letting her swing the blunt end of her weapon at his legs. Barely able to keep pace Joey rolled forward and made eye contact with Alice now aware he should take the spar a little more seriously. Seeing him at the ready Alice decided she would try out the skill she got when she became a demigod. Looking serious she whispered "Dead of night" which immediately caused all the light in the surrounding area to begin being sucked towards Alice as if the world itself was being sucked in by her. Trying to keep his composure by the unreal sight he was witnessing Joey used a skill of his own to protect from being killed by magic attacks. Before he knew it he was not able to see anything at all. His shield that was inches from his face was completely out of sight, the ground below him and all had gone. All that was left was his consciousness. "DADDY!!!!!! WHERE ARE YOU?!? " Sora yelled out not being able to see anything causing her to start panicking. Hearing Sora freaking out Alice quickly released the ability and restored the light to the area and ran over to Sora who was crying with her knees tucked up to her chest on the ground. "I am so sorry Sora! Are you okay?? " Alice asked, unaware of how fond she was of the little girl. "Don''t cry Sora everything is okay. " Alan said, picking her up and giving her a hug and bringing her inside to try and make her feel better. "I didn''t mean to scare her¡­ " Alice said softly, feeling guilty. "Don''t feel too bad about it, Sora has always been frightened easily. " Hara said after noticing how bad Alice felt for it. "Joey are you okay? " Hara turned to see Joey who was still standing on guard just realizing that his sight had returned. "Yeah¡­ I ended up stuck in my thoughts.. " Joey replied remembering the feeling of Alice''s blade at the back of his neck before she ran to check on Sora. "Well it looks like you are plenty capable of handling yourself. However if you used that on a hunt we all might die. Not being able to see our prey could end up making us prey instead. " Hara said before going to say goodbye to Sora. Waiting outside Alice looked up at the sky wondering if she made the right choice staying with the group rather than just flying around until she found one of the Kingdoms on this side of the world. Putting her scythe away she summoned the Grimoire to do some reading while they all checked on Sora. "Are you ready to go on the hunt? " Alan said with the others following behind him as they exited the house walking over to her. "Yeah, I am good to go. " Alice replied letting her Grimoire disappear like she normally would when reading it. "Just beyond the treeline right there should be a few wild Flame Boar. If you have not faced them yet then just sit back and watch until you catch on how to fight them. " Joey said as they led the way into the forest. "I have been meaning to ask this but what happened when Lord Kira took control of this land? " Alice asked as they walked through the trees. "I guess things might be different over the mountains if you do not know about it. Some Kingdoms here fought back and others just used diplomacy to avoid bloodshed. In my opinion Demon Lord Kira was insanely lucky in how things played out here. Jorgen being the closest Kingdom to his own fought back and was only beaten by a small margin. Once he occupied Jorgen he didn''t really change anything about how the people lived. All he requires is a yearly tax and the treatment of his men is good. However after Jorgens change in leadership the other Kingdoms heard of this. Some just sent the yearly tax to him in exchange for him staying away and others joined forces to try to stop him. Just before the other Kingdoms planned their attack they received news of the Angel''s downfall. This news struck fear in many of the warriors and as such their morale fell before the war even started. Seeing this fall in morale Lord Kira moved his forces quickly and took advantage of the chaos. He held a joint meeting with all of the Kings and offered them terms of peace as long as they recognize him as the supreme ruler of the land. The thing about it is that since he largely stays out of people''s way and sets terms of an end to war and civil conflicts between the Kingdoms everyone pretty much just lets him do what he wants. If I had to offer an opinion about the man honestly I think he might be the most successful diplomat and King in history. The yearly tax can be harsh but you are not without ways of paying as well if you cannot pay you have the option to join his army and have your families taxes waived. " Alan replied as they came upon some tracks on the ground created by the monsters they are hunting. "That is much different than what I had expected to hear. " Alice said softly as not to alert the monsters in the area. "He was cruel to his enemies but showed kindness and fair treatment to those who chose to take his side. With him not living on this side of the world it is much easier for the Kingdoms to just pay him to stay away. However if he tries to push back anymore than what he has currently I have heard rumors of a secret faction to completely wipe out his armies and Kingdom. You as an envoy will probably be invited to join this faction once word of your arrival reaches the other envoys. Lord Kira may have a powerful army but do you think he could survive an attack of the God''s envoys joined together? That amount of power alone could probably wipe out much of the land, you yourself have the power to drown your enemies in darkness and despair whoever you turned your blade at would have no choice other than to present their neck for you to take. " Alan replied again while taking out his weapon as they came into sight of the Flame Boar which was eating another monster it had killed. "Stay back and support us if you see a chance to do such. " Joey said quietly before charging forward and ramming his large shield into the beast''s side, sending it rolling to the side. "ROOAOAARRRR " The Flame Boar yelled with a small cloud of smoke leaving its mouth as its fur looked like it was catching fire. Giving a shout of his own Joey drew the Boar''s attention while Hara and Alan took their positions on opposite sides of the monster getting ready to attack it once it charged at Joey who was activating some of his spells to boost his defense. Watching while sitting on a tree limb above them she was surprised to see the boar that had charged at Joey with full force was stopped in its tracks by his shield giving Hara and Alan a perfect chance to attack. Dashing forward with great speed Hara had struck the boar''s ribs with so much force she punctured its skin sending blood splatting around her while Alan had used his weapon to break one of the boar''s legs. Receiving so much damage the Flame boar backed up and the fire on its fur blazed while its slobber burned the ground as it hit it. "IT''S GOING TO SHOOT FIRE GET BACK! " Joey yelled as he slammed his shield into the ground and tried to hide his massive body behind it preparing for the coming attack. Taking her chance to be useful Alice used her Rift Warp and stood in front of Joey taking out her scythe and infusing it with the Wind Element as she spun it in her hands blocking the fire that was being continually spit her way sending it flying around her protecting him. As soon as the boar attack was finished she leapt into the air landing on top of it and slit the Boars throat causing it to fall to the ground and its fire to extinguish. "That was close, I didn''t know if you could handle being hit by that attack so I blocked it.. Alice said jumping off the Boar. "I would have taken some damage but nothing too serious, thank you for your help. " Joey replied happily, thankful his shoulders didn''t get burned again. "Just how many elements can you use? " Hara asked, looking pretty impressed. "I can use Fire, Wind, Shadow, and the Light element''s. " Alice replied putting away her weapon ignoring the dumbfounded expressions they showed hearing what she could use. "That is certainly very rare. We should drag the Boar back to the settlement and get ready to bring it to Jorgen. We will leave in the morning. " Alan said happy the hunt went so smoothly. 75 Kingdom or Jorgen "Are you ready to go? We are about to head towards Jorgen. " Alan asked Alice while she was still relaxing on the oddly comfortable bed stuffed with feathers. "I''m coming, your beds are so comfortable though I could lay here forever and still be happy. " Alice replied slowly rolling to her side to get off the bed. Stretching her arms she used the Monarchs Ring to change back into her normal clothes which surprised Alan and amazed Sora who had just walked into the room. "WOAH!! That''s so cool! Can you teach me to do that?! " Sora said, running up to Alice who smiled and kneeled down to rub her head. "Maybe when you get older and do your best as Nyx''s follower I will find a way of teaching you how to do it. " Alice replied with a smile curious what Sora''s element was now that she thought about it. "What is Sora''s Element? " Alice asked while looking at Alan. "We do not know yet, she has not been tested yet. The test for kids is kind of expensive so we have not had the chance to do it. Only royalty and nobles have their kids tested since it usually costs 1 Gold. " Alan said, feeling bad he hasn''t been able to get his baby girl the test. "Just that much? I could pay for her test if you want. " Alice said, digging into her storage and pulling out a few gold coins and offering them to him. "Consider this a payment for treating me so well and an investment into the future of Sora. " "I can get the test now? " Sora asked curiously, seeing Alice hand her father the money. "It would seem so.. " Alan replied baffled by how casually she was able to pull out that much money and just hand it over. "Yayyyyy! " Sora said happily, giving her father a hug and running off outside to tell her sister and the others the good news. "Are you really sure it is okay to give me this much money? " Alan asked, still looking at the 3 gold coins she had given him. "I have a few holy coins, this much is not a problem,'''' Alice replied with a smile before leaving the house to join the others. Pausing a bit and putting the money away Alan started to wonder just who Alice really was, while an envoy would normally have money having more than one holy coin is something not many could ever hope to see. "Is it true that you are paying for Sora to get her Elemental tests? " Hara asked curiously while trying to keep Sora from running around too much. "Yeah, I just gave Alan three gold coins. Think of it as a gift from Nyx if you want. " Alice replied, playing the role of envoy. "Maybe I should have gone with Nyx as well.. " Hara said a little louder than she realized. "Don''t you think our God will be mad if he hears those words? " Joey said, giving her a nudge causing Hara''s face to go pale realizing she just said that out loud. "I am sure that Nyx would be happy to have you, but you should stick with the God you serve for now. " Alice replied with a smile as Sora ran up to her and held onto her hand. "Alright, since everyone is ready I guess we should get going. " Alan said, getting their mounts ready. "What are those? " Alice asked curiously, looking at the weird feathery creature on two legs. "These beasts are called Tular, they might look like a bird but they have no wings. However there is no faster mount around, we should be able to reach Jorgen shortly after nightfall riding them. " Joey said walking over and jumping on the back of one. "Daddy can I please ride with Alice? " Sora asked, pulling on Alan''s sleeve and looking hopeful. "You don''t want to ride with me this time? " Alan asked, looking a little sad. "Nooooo, I wanna ride with Alice! " Sora replied with more sas than her father was used to. "Fine.. " Alan said, feeling defeated. Helping Sora sit on the Tular with her seated in the front Alice felt a little sorry for Alan who just wanted his daughter''s attention. "So are there normally any monsters or dangers we need to watch out for on the trip? " Alice asked curious what other monsters would be in the area and along their path since Sora was with them. "Normally yes but since we are riding on Tular we should be fine since if something does try to attack the Tular will just speed up until they lose the thing chasing them, plus you are here so I think we should be pretty safe. " Hara replied pointing out how fast they were going. "I guess that is a good point. " Alice replied over Sora who was holding her mouth open and humming into the air. "Close your mouth Sora or you''ll end up swallowing a bug! " Hara yelled out trying to get her attention. After chatting and riding for a few hours Alice and the group finally came into view of Jorgen. To her astonishment Jorgen was almost eight times the size of Samaria with outer walls that looked like they were only decoration since she was able to see into the Kingdom clearly as it towered over its walls. "You see the towers on the left side of the Kingdom? That is where the various churches are and that will be where we are going. " Alan said after seeing Alice''s eyes wide in shock from the sight of Jorgen. "Is the black one Nyx''s church? " Alice asked curiously. "That would be Osia''s Church, Nyx''s would be the one next to it. " Alan replied again as they got closer to the entrance to the Kingdom. Looking over to the side of the black church she was able to see one slightly smaller but made out of a material that looked like it was devouring the light around it causing it to look like it was in the shade. "HALT! " A guard which had scales over his arms and small curved horns on his head said loudly as they approached the Gate. ''What kind of race is he? '' Alice thought to her self quietly. "Who do you think you are racing to the gates like this huh?! " The horned man said looking angry. "I think I am racing to see your mother you old bastard! " Alan retorted causing Alice to dart her head his direction wondering what in the world was wrong with him for saying something like that. "Haha, we both know my mother would love to see you again Alan. So what brings you here today? " The guard said with a smile shaking Alan''s hand as he got off the Tular. Seeing the sudden change of direction in their conversation Alice sighed in relief knowing they were not going to fight. "I have brought some things to sell as well as I am getting my daughter tested today if possible! " Alan replied proudly. "Hey Alan.. What do you mean you are getting her tested? Did you become a bandit? My mother really will eat you if she hears about this. " "Relax Jack, I am doing no such thing. It was a gift from Nyx''s envoy here, she was the one who provided the funds for my daughters test. " Alan replied happily while pointing Alice out who was helping Sora get off the Tular. Grabbing Alan''s arm and bringing him out of earshot from the others in his group Jack looked serious, "Alan you know I trust you but you should know that Nyx already has an envoy. That person is even here in the Kingdom. Have you ever heard of there being two envoys for one God? " "I know that you are right, but that little girl has proven herself to at least be highly blessed by Nyx. I think she might be some noble''s daughter or royalty. She gave me three gold coins and mentioned having some holy coins on her person. Who else would have that much money on them? " Alan replied in a hushed voice. "I guess you are right, I will let the guards know not to cause trouble for her until we determine her identity. " Jack replied before giving Alan a hug and walking back over to the others. "Sorry about that, I just had to talk with Alan here for a bit about some family stuff. Please enjoy your stay inn Jorgen! " Jack said motioninng for the other Guards to open the gate to let them all in. "What was all that about? " Alice asked curiously knowing the conversation was not about family. "I wouldn''t worry about it, anyway would you like to follow us to the Mage''s Guild to get Sora registered for her test? After that we plan to head to Nyx''s church and have her try to gain her first blessing. " Alan asked. "Pleasseeeee come Alice! " Sora said holding her hand and trying to pull her closer to their group. "I would love to join you! " Alice replied happily. 76 Soras Tes Having made their way to the Mages Guild Alice was barely surprised to see how grand the building looked. The building itself was made from white brick and had the Guild''s flag draped over the front while the top of the building was shaped to a point with a metal rod sticking out of it. "What is with the rod at the top? " Alice asked curiously. "That is so the researchers at the guild can draw power from lightning strikes to help them further develop more advanced spells, or so i''m told. " Joey replied as they made their way into the overly decorated lobby where people in White robes walked around and chatted with each other. "Is there anything I can help you with today? " A elderly woman dressed in a blue robe asked while walking up to them. "Ah yes, we are here to have my daughter get her elemental tests done. Where do we sign her up? " Alan asked as politely as he could. "I can take you to register but are you sure you have the fee that is required to test a child? " She asked, not hiding the fact she was judging how they looked wearing worn down armor and cheap weapons. "We have the money. " Alan replied, pulling out the golden coin. "Follow me, but so you know if it is found out that you obtained the money in illegal ways our guild will come after you and your family. " She replied, leading the way for them. "No need to be such a bitch.. " Alice said under her breath not liking how rudely she was treating her new friends. "Excuse me? " The woman said, turning to face Alice. "I said there is no need to be so rude to people who are here to have their child tested. " Alice said, taking a step closer to her. "You have no right to speak with me this way. I will explain things for you since you seem to accompany such people and do not know any better. White robes are people with one element and the lowest ranked members in our Guild. Blue robes like myself have two elements and are higher ranked here in the kingdom not just in the Guild here. I would watch your mouth if I was you little girl. " The lady sneared. "Oh? I guess Mages Guild ranks go based on how many elements you can control here? That would make me your superior. You should watch your own mouth. " Alice replied, getting annoyed with the arrogant elderly women. "Hahahaha! That is funny, do you know how rare it is to have more than two elements little girl? That is not a lie you can just go around telling people. " The woman laughed thinking Alice was trying to gain ground on her through a lie. "What is happening here Karen? " Another man in a blue robe said, walking over after hearing the dispute between her and Alice. "This girl here thinks that she has three elements and even dares to call herself my superior. " Karen replied, still smiling. "My name is Wayne, would you mind showing me your elements? I will apologize for my colleague after seeing you are indeed who you say you are. " Wayne said politely. Seeing Alice grin at the challenge Alan pulled his daughter closer to him not knowing exactly what to expect from Alice at this point. Causing the wind around her to swirl around her Alice slowly lifted off the ground as she created a fire in one hand and pulled her scythe out of her inventory with the other. "Ready for your proof? " Finishing her question Alice she infused the Light element into her weapon causing a blinding light and disappearing from the room all together once the light went away. "Where did Alice go daddy? " Sora asked, looking around looking for her. Coming out of the woman''s shadow behind her, "Boo " She whispered in her ear causing Karen to jump forward and then released her mana''s pressure to show off a little. "WHO DARES CAUSE TROUBLE IN MY GUILD!?!?!? " A slim man with pointed ears ran out of one of the rooms carrying a staff with a red gem at the top ready to attack. Falling on her ass Karen looked at Alice with fear, "Im.. sorry.. " "I am sorry as well miss Alice it was. " Wayne said with a small bow of his head remembering what Sora called her. "DAMNIT DONT IGNORE ME! " The Guild master said, rushing over to them red in the face. "That was not our intention Xan, I am pleased to tell you that a special person has graced us with a visit today. " Wayne said politely, trying to calm Xan down. "Your employee is very rude. We are only here to get this child her elemental test. " Alice said, walking over to them not wanting to waste the momentum she just created. "Xan! I am so sorry i didn''t know she was serious! " Karen yelled out, not wanting to be kicked from her position in the guild. "Quiet woman! Someone just explain to me what in the hell is going on here! " Xan replied, still annoyed. "This young lady is here to get her sister a test I assume, Karen was a bit rude seeing how they were dressed which caused Alice here to challenge her authority. Karen decided to issue a challenge of her own which caused Alice to prove that she did indeed have four elements. " Wayne replied. "Are you crazy!? There is no way someone has four elements and I do not know about it! " Xan replied before going quiet, realizing Wayne just told him that the little girl had just proven how many elements she could control. "I can give another demonstration if you wish? " Alice replied. "Alice is really strong isn''t she daddy? " Sora said looking at Alice with admiration. "Yes baby girl just be quiet for now. " Alan said, patting her head feeling out of place in the current situation. "That will not be necessary.. Through the shock of hearing four elements and you having proved yourself I somehow managed to embarrass myself. I apologize for that, My name is Xan, what brings you to my guild today? " Xan asked almost changing personalities on the spot. "Ahem, to get the little girl there tested¡­ " Wayne said, wondering just how scatterbrained the Guild Master could be. "I can take your group and personally test the little girl myself! I hope this will soothe any misunderstandings you may have with my employee. " Xan said, handing his staff to Wayne to hold as Alice and her group followed Xan into his office. Grabbing some crystal balls off the shelf in his office and setting them on his desk Xan sat in his chair and faced them. "Each of these balls represent the most common elements, I can offer these tests for free today however if you wish to have her tested for the more rare of elements I will have to charge since the crystals are difficult to obtain. " "Bring them all out I will pay for the whole test. " Alice said sitting on one of the chairs close by and crossing her legs. "I am afraid that it would be impossible to test her for everything right now since we do not have any nature, or shadow element crystals right now.. However I will gladly grab the others so please give me a moment. " Xan said, opening a hidden door behind his book shelf in the office and leaving them alone in the office. "Alice I can''t let you pay for that kind of test! " Alan said looking worried. "I am paying because I want to do so. Sora, do you want to test on all of them? " Alice asked with a smile. "Yeah! " Sora said, happy to get a say in what was happening. "There you go, it will make Sora happy. " Alice replied to Alan with a smile knowing he couldn''t say no anymore with his daughter''s happiness on the line. "Fine.. " Alan replied defeated. Bringing a few more balls and setting them on his table Xan sat back down and looked to Sora, "Okay all you have to do is place your right hand on a ball and close your eyes, if nothing happens we can just move to another ball so do not get upset okay. " "Okayyyy " Sora said, walking over to one of the crystals and closing her eyes after placing her hand on it. Grabbing the first crystal nothing happened so Xan helped to move her hand to the next one in line. After repeating this process Alice was able to see a tear fall along the side of her face. "Don''t be upset Sora just keep calm and believe in yourself. " Alice whispered, kneeling down next to her to cheer Sora on. Moving over to the next ball it lights up brightly causing Sora''s hair to sway around, "It looks like she has the Wind Element. Hearing Xans words Sora smiled happily knowing she was just like Alice, moving along the other balls the test ended with Sora only having the one element. "Congratulations Sora, you have the Wind element and as part of the payment you are allowed to have a teacher for the first year. However you must move here to the kingdom in order for us to train you. Alice, would you mind staying behind? I wish to talk with you. " Xan said as Alice gave him the fee for the test. "Sorry, we have to go to the church so that Sora can get her first blessing. If I have time I will come back and speak with you. " Alice replied as they left his office to go to the church. Humming as she walked holding Alice''s hand Sora looked very happy with the results of her test. "Thank you again Alice, you really didn''t have to pay for all of that. Here you can take your money back since we didn''t end up getting to use it. " Alan said as they walked to the churches. "Keep the money, as long as Sora is happy I am happy. " Alice said as the churches came into view. ''I wonder if I can get mom to help Sora out some.. '' Alice thought to herself as they came into view of Nyx''s church. ''Mom are you there? '' 77 Soras Blessing Having arrived at Nyx''s church Alice was surprised to see that Sian was there as well talking with a short man with dark green hair and pointed ears and dressed in a camo robe and a mask covering his nose and mouth. Making eye contact with Alice he ran over to her and bowed his head, "Goddess Alice I am so happy to see you here! What brings you here today? " "Goddess? " Sora said, looking at Alice curiously with the same expression as her father and the rest of their group. "Are you crazy? Do not go saying unnecessary things¡­ I am here today with some friends so their daughter can pray to Nyx and receive a blessing. " Alice replied now trying to think of a way to explain what he just said in front of Alan and the others. "Splendid! ", ''Why not take her for yourself though? '' Sian said before whispering the question in her ear. "I agree we should get started right away. " Alice replied ignoring his question. "I hear that we have someone coming to receive their first blessing and offer their first prayer today, is that correct? " The man said, having been standing next to them without much notice from the rest of the group. "Meee! I have prayed to Nyx lots but daddy says I have to pray here for Nyx to be happy and bless me! " Sora said happily. "How cute, I am sure Nyx is very happy to receive your prayers. I am Okami Azure, Nyx''s Envoy. Would you like to come with me to begin your prayer? " Okami replied, crouching to get eye level with Sora. "Yeah! " Sora said, offering her hand to him to hold. Thinking for a moment Okami gave in and took her hand and led her to the altar in front of the statue of Nyx and began to teach Sora how to properly pray to Nyx as Alice and the others took a seat and watched. "What did you mean when you called Alice a Goddess? " Hara finally spoke up after not being able to contain her curiosity anymore. Giving Sian a look Alice made it clear he should keep his mouth shut and come up with a good excuse. "Ah¡­ I just find Alice to be as beautiful as a Goddess and so I refer to her as such. " Sian replied, giving an awkward smile. "Oh¡­ " Hara replied and went back to watching her sister pray. ''You like the little girl a lot don''t you? '' Nyx said startling Alice who was not expecting Nyx to talk to her. ''Yeah, I am pretty fond of her. She is praying to get her first blessing today and I wanted to ask if you could do something special for her as a favor to me. '' Alice replied, happy to know that her mother is okay. ''She is a very pure child, I will give her a blessing but you need to keep an eye on the child as much as you can after this. I will also be going back to sleep for a short time so if you really need to contact me just come wake me up okay. '' Nyx replied. ''Thank you! '' Alice replied now in a great mood. Just as soon as Nyx finished talking with Alice her statue turned pitch black and the shadow of the statue slowly crept towards Sora who had her eyes shut praying. The shadow slowly covered Sora''s body until Sora was pitch black and was almost completely out of sight causing Alan to stand up worried. "Alice what is going on??? " Alan asked, trying not to panic. "Don''t worry I just asked Nyx for a favor to help Sora out, it will be over soon. " Alice replied trying to calm him down. As the seconds passed by Okami stood and watched Sora in amazement, this was the first time he had ever seen Nyx give such a show to someone offering their first prayer at the altar. Seeing the spectacle all of the people in the church gathered around in silence to watch and see what blessing the little girl will gain from such a grand display. "Everyone I would ask as your envoy to please sit and be quiet until the blessing has finished being received. " Okami said loud enough for everyone to hear. "Alice what is going on? Why is it taking so long? " Alan asked in a whisper. "I do not know what blessing Nyx is giving her, all I know is Nyx said she would do me a favor and give her something special. " Alice replied quietly. As the church fell completely silent the Shadow covering Sora''s body slowly faded and was absorbed by her, bringing her back into full view revealing Sora to be asleep in the praying position. "Sora, wake up dear your blessing has been received would you mind telling me what it was you were given? " Okami said, holding one of his hands up to keep the people in the church seated as he woke her up. Rubbing her eyes and sitting on the ground Sora yawned and looked at Okami and nodded, "I was having a dream where I met Nyx and she was showing me how to use the shadows like Alice, she said that she is really happy I picked her and that I can use the shadows as much as I want now. It was a really nice dream. " Hearing her words some of the people in the church began whispering to the people beside them as they all looked at her as if it was a miracle. "My daughter has two elements now?.. " Alan said quietly, thankful he was able to meet Alice who he held responsible for the good fortune his daughter was experiencing. "You have all heard it, Sora has been looked upon with high favor by our Goddess. Should she stay in the Kingdom, each of you should do your best to honor Nyx''s wishes and treat this little girl with the utmost respect! " Okami said to the people while walking Sora back to her family. "I am like you now! " Sora said, running over to Alice and jumping onto her lap with a big smile. "Yes you are, I will show you how to use your elements later on okay. " Alice replied, rubbing Sora''s head happy to hear she was given such a special gift. "Miss Alice do you think you have some time to speak with me? " Okami said politely, wanting to confirm for himself the things that Sian had told him about her real identity. "I had planned on going and spending the rest of the day with Sora and her family. I am sorry. " Alice replied, turning him down. "How about we just meet you at the Mages guild when you are done with your chat Alice? " Alan said, offering her a way to do both. "That is a great idea, we will see you after you''re done Alice! " Joey said, picking Sora up and leaving with the others. "I guess you have time now. " Okami said with a smile and began walking to the statue waiting by it for Alice to follow him. "If we were just going to talk by the statue we could have talked where I was earlier. " Alice replied, trying not to be annoyed. "Don''t be silly, we are not talking here, this is just the entrance. " Okami replied before sinking into the Shadow cast by the Statue of Nyx. Seeing him disappear Alice did the same figuring she could figure out where he went once she was in the shadows. Seeing that there was a closed off room below the statue she decided she would check there first. "I knew you would be able to find this place with ease, now we can finally talk without anyone hearing. " Okami replied, taking a seat in a comfortable looking chair. "What is it that you wanted to talk about? " Alice replied, taking a seat as well and sinking into the cushion. "Sian is not one to lie when it comes to these things so that is why I find it so strange he believes you to be a real Goddess. That is what I mainly wanted to talk about, could you please shed some light to this story for me? " Okami said while looking curious. "Since you are my mother''s envoy I guess it wouldn''t hurt to tell you. I am a demigod however I do not have enough power yet to be of much use so I am laying low as long as I can. Sian was there when I first received my power of belief, I honestly wish he didn''t have such a big mouth. " Alice replied feeling a little relieved to finally say it out loud to another person. "Is that so? You want me to believe this? " Okami replied with a doubtful look. "I don''t really care if you believe me. Sian know''s and has seen it as well. I am the one who asked my mother to give Sora a special blessing and look at what happened. If you need more proof than that you can try to ask Nyx when she wakes up from her nap. " Alice replied before leaving the room and walking through the streets to go and find Sora. 78 Rage and Tears Finally catching back up with Alan and the others Alice ran up to them and picked Sora up and spun her in the air. "I am back! " Alice said, surprising Sora. "Yayyy! " Sora laughed as Alice spun her a few more times and set her down. "So what did he want to talk about? " Hara asked curiously. "Nothing special, I guess he had heard about me being an envoy and wanted to speak with me a little. " Alice replied as they walked. "Well since we still have time to waste we had planned on going to upgrade our armor and weapons, would you like to come with us? " Joey asked, pointing out one of the shops. "Sure I haven''t had the chance to go to one of those in a long time. " Alice replied as they entered the blacksmiths shop. "Would you mind looking after Sora while we talk with the blacksmith here? " Alan asked, knowing Alice would probably agree giving him some free time to properly pick out some new items. "Sure I can teach her a bit on how to use her elements. " Alice replied, taking Sora''s hand and leading her to a bench to sit on while they waited on them to finish their shopping. "I wanna learn how to fly! " Sora said excitedly. "Haha, slow down hun you still have a long way to go before you can do something like that. First you need to be able to control the air around you and bend it to your will. " Alice replied, enjoying the thought of teaching her little friend. "How can I do that? " Sora asked, tilting her head a little. "Close your eyes and do what I tell you to do okay? " Alice said, waiting for Sora to close her eyes and wait for instructions. "Now that your eyes are closed and feel the breeze pass by you, I want you to try thinking of making the breeze go faster okay. " Keeping her eyes shut Sora did what Alice had told her and tried her hardest to force the air to go faster. "Don''t force it, relax and imagine someone is blowing the wind. " Relaxing more Sora managed to make the wind go a little faster around her picking up pace the more she relaxed and got use to the feeling. "Good girl, now try to make the wind swirl around in the palm of your hand concentrate on keeping the wind where I touch. " Alice said, picking Sora''s hand up and lightly touching the palm of her hand. Seeing Sora relaxed and trying her hardest to be able to do it Alice sat back and gave her a little boost by getting Sora started. Making the wind swirl slowly in Sora''s hand and slowly pulling away her influence on the element, Alice was happy to see that Sora was managing to keep the wind going on her own. "Keep doing this until you can open your eyes and keep the wind going, get familiar with this feeling if you start feeling weak you have to stop. " Alice instructed, noticing Hara glancing over at them in between looking through various weapons. After having purchased all their new equipment and repairing what they wanted, Alan, Hara, and Joey joined Alice and Sora. "How long has she been asleep? " Hara asked, sitting next to Sora. "Not very long, she used up a lot of her mana practicing what I was showing her. " Alice replied with a smile moving some of Sora''s hair out of her face while she rested. "THERE SHE IS!! " A man yelled out pointing at Sora through the crowd of people in the street. "What is going on? " Alan asked, not knowing who the man was pointing at. "Who knows, they are probably referring to me. " Alice replied standing up and waiting for them to come up and confront her. "MAKE WAY THE ROYAL GUARD IS COMING THROUGH! " He yelled out again as he and roughly twenty men followed behind him. "What do you want? " Alicee asked, stepping forward. "This is none of your concern just get out of my way. " He said rudely as he pushed Alice to the side and stood in front of the sleeping Sora. "Hold on now, what business do you have with my daughter? " Alan said, moving between him and his daughter placing a hand on the man''s chest while Hara and Joey stood next to him to protect her. "If you know what is good for you then you will remove your hand. " Another of the men stepped forward with a hand on his weapon. "I am her father and any business with her is my business as well. Now tell me what is going on here. " Alan replied bluntly while taking his hand off the man and looking at the other. "Can you all calm down? This is not the way to accomplish what we came to do peacefully. Take a step back bruce. " A tall man in a black robe said while stepping through the soldiers. "I am sorry for Bruce''s way of doing things, he is a military man born and raised. My name is Quin, I am a member of a faction flowing through all the kingdoms. Our influence here is vast and we seek out talented youth to train them to fight for their nation. When we heard of the young lady here named Sora I knew I must take action. A God never gives an element out like that and seeing that your daughter was the receiver of such a blessing it stands to reason her fate is grand. " Quinn said with a smile. "My daughter is going nowhere. She is staying with her family. There is nothing more for you to say so kindly leave us alone. " Alan replied coldly, picking up on an uneasy atmosphere around the man. "I do not wish to cause any issue with you as her father, however our goal is one that must be obtained. " Quin replied, tapping Bruce''s shoulder and walking back through the men to the back. Getting the signal he hit Alan with the hilt of his sword so quickly that Joey and Hara almost couldn''t see him move. Watching Alan fall to the ground unconscious Hara and Joey drew their weapons only to have to back down, feeling the soldiers'' blades already at their throats. "Grab the girl and let go, the family poses no threat to you. " Quinn said, watching and waiting on them to have hands on Sora before leaving. "Touch her and your leader will no longer have a head. " Alice said hatefully trying her hardest to contain her rage as her scythe''s blade rested firm against Quinn''s neck causing a small stream of blood to trickle down his neck onto his robe. "I am afraid you do not know what it is you are doing girl, if you want to continue to keep your life remove your weapon from my neck. The soldiers will not stop even if I die. " Quinn replied nodding for Bruce to grab the girl anyways. Remembering what Lord Kira had given her she pulled out his token and threw it on the ground in front of Quinn for him to see. "It looks like you do not know who I am either. Tell your men to back away. " "So you have some rank in the Demon''s army. That means nothing to me. " Quinn replied with a smile as he gave another nod to Bruce. "NOOO LET ME GO!!!! DADDY!!! HARA HELP!!!! ALICEEEE!!!!!! " Sora cried out as Bruce grabbed her arms and pulled her to her feet, waking her up. Hearing Sora cry she was no longer able to hold herself back, Alice yanked her blade back severing Quinns head while releasing her mana''s pressure and taking her wings out without realizing it. "Last chance unhand her. " Alice said in a low voice, getting ready to attack and kill each and every one of the men in a soldier''s uniform around her. | Quest - Save the girl | | Time limit - 115:59:59 | | Reward - Title | | Failure - Sora''s Death | Looking at the quest Alice''s heart felt like it stopped seeing the meaning of her Failure in the quest. Not giving it another thought Alice rushed forward slicing the first man in half at the waist, moving onto the second man Alice infused her scythe with the Fire Element making it look like she was throwing fire at her enemies with every swing of her weapon which draw a large crowd of people around to watch the chaos. Having killed half of the soldiers in their group Alice was able to see that Bruce and Sora were nowhere to be seen. "SORRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!! " Alice screamed out unconsciously, boosting the volume of her voice so loud that the entire Kingdom was able to hear her cries. "Quickly escape! " The remaining men yelled out, scattering through the crowd of people in attempts to get away from their killer. Running over to Alan who was still unconscious on the ground where Hara and Joey sat with their heads down worried and scared for Sora. "You have to get my sister back please I will do anything! " Hara begged with tears in her eyes grabbing onto Alice as she crouched next to them. "Tell Alan I am sorry I couldn''t save her. I won''t come back without Sora. " Alice replied, eyes burning with rage and tears. 79 Control Rushing off in anger forgetting all about withdrawing her mana''s pressure, Alice passed by the crowd of people making it clear with the look in her eyes that whoever tries to stop her will lose their heads. ''I''M GOING TO GET YOU BACK SORA JUST WAIT FOR ME! '' Alice thought to herself as the air around her slowly started catching fire before taking out her wings and flying high into the sky above the kingdom. "WHO EVER HAS INFORMATION ABOUT THE MAN NAMED QUINN MEET ME AT THE CHURCH OF NYX. IF YOUR INFORMATION HOLDS VALUE THEN YOU MIGHT JUST EARN A HOLY COIN. " Alice shouted out as loud as she could with the assistance of her wind element so that everyone below her could hear her. Flying off towards the church as soon as she said what she needed to say, she landed moments later to a crowd of people forming around the entrance to Nyx''s church where Okami was standing, preventing people from rushing inside the doors. "What in the world is going on Alice? Why are you offering such a high reward for information about Quinn? " Okami said, rushing over to Alice wondering what could cause her to act so rashly. "Just give me some space and I will explain. " Alice said coldly, unable to get rid of the hatred she was feeling. Seeing her anger Okami took a step back and waited for Alice to say what she needed to say. "I called you all here for the chance to make a large sum of money in exchange for valid information about the whereabouts of Quinn''s hideout. His men have stolen my friend, someone I hold close to me. Quinn is now dead but I still need to know where they take their so-called ''Talented Youth'' to train them. The first person to give me information leading me to where my friend is will get a Holy Coin. " Alice said, pulling the large coin out of her inventory and holding it above her head for everyone to see. "I know where they take the kids! " "Fuck off! I know exactly where it is!!! " The people in the crowd around her began arguing with each other over who would get to tell her the information they had first in hopes of getting the Holy Coin that had just been shown to them. To most people a coin like that was enough to last them until they died, now they had the opportunity to get one just by giving some information that was fairly common knowledge to most people. "Alice, if that is all you needed to know you should have come to me.. Even children know where the place you speak of is located¡­ " Okami said, causing the crowd of people to get angry and start cursing at him. "Silence! " Alice yelled out wanting to hear what Okami had to say. "It will be easier if you just follow me. " Okami replied, sinking into the shadows so that no one but Alice would be able to follow him. Following Okami she realized this was the first time she ever had to chase after someone using the same kind of movement she thought only she was able to do for the longest time. Coming out of a shadow in the same place as Okami they stood in front of a very expensive looking building bearing the flags of a few different kingdoms with the flag of the faction itself as the middle one above the entrance showing various symbols of the elements as well as two swords crossed in the center. "This is the building that Quinn and the soldiers come often, only members are permitted to enter. Even I as an envoy would face hostility and be attacked if I were to try and force my way in. " Okami said, trying to let Alice know she should not be too reckless when trying to get her friend back. "I do not care who stands in my way, if I do not save her she will die. " Alice said, feeling that hatred boiling back up to the surface. "How do you know she will die? Their methods may be a bit cruel but they do indeed train the children, as far as I know no child they have taken has ever died. " Okami replied after taking a moment to think about their faction. "I have my ways. " Alice said before remembering she had a spell that would allow her to control someone as long as she had the mana to keep control over them. "You can go back now, I will find her on my own. " Alice replied, waiting until someone left the building to hit them with her spell. "What do you plan on doing? " Okami asked, wondering just what was going on in her head. "Just do me a favor and go back to whatever it was you were doing before I caused you trouble. Trust me I have this under control. " Alice said flying up high enough people wouldn''t notice her but low enough she could watch the building. ____________________________________________________________________________ "What should we do Bruce? Quinn is dead, this branch of the faction no longer has a higher up now. Some of the others are fearful that the woman who attacked us will come and slaughter us. " Jayce, a skinny man with blonde hair and blue eyes said trying to hide his fear after hearing how the others got sliced in half by the little girl''s friend. "Don''t worry about her, as long as we have her friend I don''t think she will attack us. The little girl named Sora has favor with a Goddess so we should at least try to turn her over to our cause. " Bruce said while opening the door behind him revealing Sora tied up and gagged so she couldn''t yell and scream. "We still do not have a leader, what do we do? " Jayce asked curiously. "It''s obvious that I will be taking over now, spread the word to the others that I am taking on Quinn''s position until the other faction leaders can make a choice on a replacement. Until then continue everything as normal. " Bruce said before closing the door and walking over to Sora who was trying her hardest to flail around and escape from the ropes she was tied up in. "Relax little one, would you like me to take off your rope and gag? " Bruce said, trying to act friendly to her. Shaking her head violently, Sora tried even harder to escape, still able to remember what they did to her father just moments before. "It is not very nice to refuse a kind offer to a little girl. " Bruce said, pulling the gag off as Sora took the chance to bite his hand as hard as she could. Forgetting to hold back his anger, Bruce picked Sora up and threw her against the wall near the bed, knocking Sora unconscious. "Fine brat take a fucking nap then. You better hope you wake up in a better mood otherwise i will just get rid of you. " Bruce said as he left the room slamming the doors behind him. ____________________________________________________________________________ After waiting for what felt like an hour Alice finally found someone leaving the building, flying above him she waited until he reached a spot where she could attack and question him without people seeing her. Seeing him enter an alleyway between two buildings Alice dove down not wanting to miss her chance at getting all the information she could out of him before making him her puppet. "Who..who are you? " Jayce asked in a shaky voice, feeling her killing intent as if it was touching him and grabbing his neck. "You do not deserve to know my name. Your people took someone very important to me and I want her back. You ARE going to tell me what I want to know. " Alice said coldly, taking a step closer to him causing him to fall on his ass and pee a little. "I will tell you! I will tell you! Please don''t kill me! " Jayce begged trying to scoot back as she slowly walked closer to him. "Move again and you die. I can just wait on someone else to leave the building. Now tell me where she is being kept. Tell me everything you know about Sora. " Alice said, pulling out her weapon ready to send his head flying if he decided not to talk. "I.. I only know that Bruce and the others left with a man named Quinn Valentine to go and bring a special girl in for training so that she would be able to fight for our cause¡­ Then you kill Quinn and Bruce returns with the little girl and is keeping her in a room attached to the main office in the building¡­ I do not know anything more than that I swear! " Jayce said, shaking in fear seeing some blood still left on her scythe. "You are going to help me rescue her. " Alice said, grabbing him by the neck as her shadow slowly vanished while wrapping his body and taking control of him. Blinking Jayce realized he could no longer move other than his eyes, his body would not do what he wanted it to do. Instead he found himself standing and walking back towards the faction building. ''Please god save me¡­ '' Jayce thought after realizing he was dead no matter what happened at this point. Looking at the quest window Alice grinded her teeth seeing the time limit count down. | Time Remaining - 113:23:01 | "Please do not let this take more than four days¡­ " Alice said before concentrating on controlling Jayce who was now walking up the stairs back towards the office where Bruce was. 80 Conflict and Death Walking into the room where Bruce was still currently upset about being bit, Jayce tried his hardest to make his body turn around so that he could avoid the conflict about to start in hopes of living another day. "Jayce what are you doing back here? Didn''t I give you an order? " Bruce said standing up and walking over to Jayce. "... " Jayce wanted to reply but the words wouldn''t come out instead his body walked past Bruce and opened the doors allowing Alice to see Sora lying unconscious on the bed still tied up. "Grrraahhhh.. Re..leash¡­ er.. " Jayce said almost painfully with Alice pushing the limit of the spell forcing Jayce to speak for her. "Hahahaha! Why would I do that? What is wrong with you, we have done this many times already. " Bruce laughed while pushing Jayce away from the room and stepping between him and the door closing it again. "I.. whil.. Kell.. u.. " Jayce said mimicking the words Alice was forcing him to say. "That even funnier, you should leave while I still have the patience to let you off with what you just said. " Bruce said, looking serious, placing his hand on Jayce''s shoulder and gripping hard. Making Jayce pull out his dagger Jayce quickly tried stabbing Bruce in the throat. Seeing the blade coming Bruce put his palm in the way letting his palm get stabbed through stopping Jayce''s attack. "Hey. You really must want to die. " Looking at Bruce with fear Jayce prayed to his God as fast as he could knowing his end was near. Pulling the blade out of his palm Bruce slowly pushed the dagger through Jayce''s chest lodging it into his heart killing Jayce who was now bleeding out on the floor. Seeing the shadow leave his body and quickly make its way out of the room Bruce realized Jayce was being controlled. "Looks like it is time to leave this place since the Demon girl knows where the little girl is. " Bruce said while wrapping his hand tight in cloth to stop the bleeding. ____________________________________________________________________________ "FUCK! " Alice yelled out realizing she messed up a great opportunity to get Sora back. Taking to the sky again Alice waited for another person to leave the building so she could try again. Seeing Bruce leave the building surrounded by a small army of troops and a strange cloaked man beside him Alice decided to bet it all on the moment and rushed down to try and swipe Sora off Bruce''s shoulder and fly away. Flying down Alice crashed hard into a barrier being cast by the cloaked man. Looking up Bruce smiled knowing that as long as the mage he had with him was around very few people would be able to reach him giving him all the freedom in the world to walk around without worry. "Sylas, do it. " Bruce said, giving the cloaked man the signal to get rid of Alice. Lifting a hand up towards Alice, Sylas opened his hand slowly. "Wind Cannon" As soon as the words left his mouth the wind violently formed into a ball in his hand and launched at Alice with almost no time to react. Hitting Alice hard the spell sent Alice flying further up into the air. If not for her wings she would be dead as soon as she hit the ground. Flying back to where they were Alice cursed seeing that Sora was nowhere to be found, the men that captured her had all but vanished. "Alice!! Follow us!! " Alan yelled out riding his Tular through the Kingdom quickly in order to try and catch up to Sora and the men that took her. Not wasting any time Alice flew above Alan and Hara keeping pace with their mounts as they weaved in and out of the streets and people. As they approached the northern gates exit to leave the Kingdom Alice was able to see Sora being tossed into a crate on the back of a wagon being pulled by two large Tular. Seeing Alice catching up to them Bruce jumped onto the wagon and whipped the reigns making the Tular quickly take off keeping distance between Alice and himself. | Quest Save Sora - Being chased down Sora''s captor feels threatened | | Time Remaning - 112:15:10 \u003e 90 \u003e 80 \u003e 70 \u003e 55 \u003e 32 \u003e 12:05:20 | Seeing the timer rapidly decrease Alice begins to panic even more with Sora''s life hanging on the line if she fails. Picking up speed she starts to close the gap on them while getting further away from Alan and Hara who were struggling to keep up. "Sylas a little help? " Bruce yelled out wanting to break free of his pursuer knowing if things kept going at this rate he would be caught by Sora''s friend. "Im on it. " Sylas said now standing in the wagon and pulling out an old wooden rod that acted as a tool to increase his power output. Seeing him pull out the rod Alice took her scythe out as well ready to defend herself, she was not about to let herself lose sight of Sora now. "Wind Cannon" Sylas said out loud forming a larger Burst of wind to rocket at Alice who infused her wind element in her weapon and swung it hard making contact with his attack splitting it in half almost creating a tornado where she had just flown by due to the clash of wind going in opposite directions. "It isn''t working! " Sylas yelled back to Bruce while repeatedly firing off the same attack over and over at Alice was now used to deflecting him. "Try something else then!!! " Bruce yelled back as they approached the forest separating the Kingdom or Jorgen from the Kingdom of Nye. Slowly twirling the rod in his hand, Sylas began to form a vortex behind him forcing a large amount of wind to fly at Alice while speeding up the wagon. Waking up and seeing Alice chasing after them Sora yelled out "ALICEE!! " Hearing her scream Alice pushed herself to the limit trying to catch back up while fighting against the torrent of wind being sent her way, even using Rift Warp at her current speed was not letting her catch up any quicker than her current pace. Trying to roll off the wagon Sylas had no choice but to stop his vortex and stop Sora from falling off the wagon, she was after all the whole reason he was fighting with the strange winged woman who would kill him the first chance she got. Taking her chance Alice used her full speed to catch up she was now within arms reach of the wagon. "Let her go and I let you live! " Alice yelled out desperate to free Sora any way she could. "Savee m-- " Sora yelled out, being muffled by Bruce. "Back off or the girl dies! " Bruce yelled out. Seeing him pulling out a dagger Alice acted without thinking, using rift warp she swiped the weapon from his hands causing him to lose control of the tular which took a sharp turn to the right sending them all flying off the wagon as it crashed against a tree. Slowly waking up and getting up she pulled the dagger out of her leg, ''I must have gotten stabbed by it in the crash fuck where is Sora?'' Alice thought to herself and looking around her trying to find Sora as soon as she could in hopes of beating Bruce to her. "You woke up just a bit too late girl. " Bruce said, holding Sora in his arms with another dagger held to her throat. | Quest Save Sora - Put in a corner you force the time to expire faster | | Time Remaining - 00:25:01 | Seeing the timer almost up Alice went to take a step forward, "Don''t you dare touch her! " "Not so fast girl. Move any further and I sever her head from her body, that is your favorite was to kill is it not? Cutting people in half, I think I might give it a try if you make any moves. " Bruce said with a smile. "Fine.. just please put her down and take the blade away from her neck.. You win, I give up. " Alice said not knowing what else to do. "I have men coming to assist me from the next Kingdom, the little girl will live if you just stay there until they get here. Why do you go so far for this child? I am curious. " Bruce asked, trying to distract Alice with conversation and buy himself time until the other faction members meet up with him. "She is like a little sister to me, I do not like to lose the people I care for.. Please I am begging you just put her down.. " Alice begged, dropping her weapon to the ground. "Haha why should I do that? Maybe I should make you watch your little sister die after causing me so much trouble. " Bruce said with a smile hearing Tular approaching from a distance. | Quest Failed | "NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! " Alice screamed in anger seeing the quest notification appear letting her know what was about to happen. "ALICE!!! " Sora screamed back seeing her panicking as Bruce threw her to the ground and pulled out his sword and swung it hard at Sora.