《Life In Another World》 1 Prologue Early in the Morning, Sunrise is one of the most special times of the day. While each and everyone gets up on their bed, seeing the sunlight come through their window, reminds us of the beginning of a new day. In the Hachijo-Dori St. Kyoto Apartment. Kirohoshi was in a deep sleep. `Beep! Beep! Beep!` The continuous sound of the alarm clock awakens Kirohoshi from his deep slumber. "... Yawn." Kirohoshi releases a morning sigh. He moves his right hand, reaching out to the alarm clock to turn it off. "Huuu... Good Morning." Yes, My name Is Kirohoshi, Kiro means, Strong and Dependable, while Hoshi means Star. I''m 18 years of age this year, and I live here in Kyoto. When I started my senior high school days, I had already moved out of my parent''s house to live Independently. I enjoy the life of being Independent, away from my parent''s nagging, I can even come home late at night, playing video games with my old school mates till dawn. Having Karaoke with my schoolmates without a worry. Yep, I am living a blissful life. But every good thing has Its own ending. My current daily routine now was reading a text-book for my upcoming college exam. Morning until the evening I dedicated most of my time for reviewing. Well reading a book wasn''t enough, I even attended a cram school just to be prepared for my upcoming examination. Like any other person at my age, We''re busy preparing to take our college examination. Unlike before that we still have time to hang out until midnight. But right now, we put all of our efforts just to get accepted for a good university, like our life was on the line. Getting up from my bed, stretching out my limbs for thirty seconds to have proper blood circulation. I couldn''t neglect my health even If I was busy preparing for my examination day. It would be a pity If I failed to get into the University just because of a few negligences. Facing the mirror, I washed my face, brushed my teeth. Grab a slice of bread, while reheating the morning coffee that I prepared last night. After eating breakfast I took a quick shower, dressing up myself as quickly as possible. Once everything Is done, grabbing my small shoulder bag as I go out of my unit. "... I''m heading out." Even though I live here alone. The daily routine habit that I''ve been doing ever since my childhood wasn''t something I could easily cast aside. *** "Haaah~" What a hectic day, who would''ve thought that after coming inside the classroom, that damnable professor of ours would give us a mock exam. Is he trying to kill us to death? Haaa~ "Hey, Twinkle Star!" (???) Urgh~ Kiro pretends that he didn''t hear a thing. "Hey! ... I''m calling you." (???) "What Is it?" (Kiro) The one who only has guts to call me `Twinkle Star` was no other than my old classmate since Middle School. She is Akira, even though her look is above average, her mesmerizing almond eye, Silky chestnut hair with the combination of her good body proportions. Any man would willing to pay any price just to have her attention. If It wasn''t for her tomboyish behavior she could''ve been the most popular girl In our school. "Hehe~ come on don''t be mad, are you still not used to being called twinkle star?" (Akira) "If you keep calling me like that, I''ll ignore you for the rest of the days from the upcoming week." (Kiro) The reason why that horrible, horrible pet name is born, It was because of her. If It wasn''t for the fact she misheard my name before, I wouldn''t have this lame nickname. "So what?" (Kiro) asked In annoyance. "I was wondering If you have any plans this evening, you know, It''s been a while since we had fun, I was going to invite you for a karaoke." (Akira) If It was before, Kiro will probably agree without a second thought. But right now, he knows his sense of priority. "Nah, I''ll pass this time, you guys should stop playing around you know? We are already at the stage of our life, where we should know our sense of priority." (Kiro) "Waaah~ how boring you''ve become Kiirooo!~ Did the textbook eat your brain or something?" (Akira) "Well Nevermind, If you don''t want to go just say it, you don''t need to reprimand me like an old man." (Akira) pouted. *** On the way back home, It was already dark outside, the time of busiest hour at night. Walking down to the street up until I reach my 1DK Apartment. Looking at the building that barely stands, reminds me of the good times I have from this place. Even though this building was on the verge of collapsing, I still choose to live here. You could say it was because of the sentimental value? I guess so, probably It was because this is the place where I gain my Independence. "Haah~" (Kiro) gives a reminisce sigh. Going Inside my unit, I threw myself into the bed out of exhaustion. Reaching out my Smartphone and I saw multiple spam messages from Akira. `Idiot, Idiot Kiro, I hope you have fun with your book!'' That''s what Inside of the message. "Hehehe..." (Kiro) Gives a bitter laugh, then throws out his phone on the bed. Even though he wanted to come and have fun, his mind is occupied for his studies and the pressure of the upcoming university examination. He would be likely lying to himself if he says that he didn''t want to go and have fun with his friends and acquaintances. He is a human too. There was a time when he almost had a mental breakdown from the pressure and promised himself that he will go out to have a party for three days and two nights straight after passing the exam. Suddenly a sound of notification could be heard. `Ting~!` "Huh? what Is it?" (Kiro) Reach out his smartphone on his bed and saw a doubtful notification that appears on his phone screen. `Congratulation! You''ve won the prize of your life~!'' Looking at the silly pop-up notification, out of curiosity, Kiro clicked the notification ads. `Ting~! You successfully passed the challenge~!'' "Huh? passed what?" (Kiro) looks confused at the message he saw from his smartphone. Then a blinding ray of white light covers his entire room, as Kiro''s consciousness escapes from his body. 2 Dainte Fores Year 1189 from the Eldeon Calendar. The 3rd day of Month Elula. Warm breezy wind blew up to the sky, washing away the foggy clouds that mask the Majestic beauty of the Clear blue sky. The town of Elmore was a lively place, even if it was just early In the morning, the streets and vendors were already bursting with life and vigor. Carriages were moving back and forth at the entrance of the town. In the long queued from the west entrance. A man was lining up at the long queue at the west gate of the town. The most unusual thing from that man was his pitch-black hair, a pair of glittering black amethyst eyes curiously looking around In the surrounding area, making the man look weird enough to become a suspicious person. "Haaah~ After traveling for a whole day and night, I finally arrived at the nearest town." (Kiro) was feeling dejected after his long journey, He still needs to wait outside the entrance for identity check-up. As Kiro was looking around the scenery outside the western gate, he couldn''t help to recall the massive event that changed everything In his life. It''s already been a week since I was transported into this world. On the first day coming from this world, It hit me so hard that all I wanted to believe in is, everything was only a bad dream, but as the days go by. The world Is still spinning with or without me, so I finally accepted the fact everything is real. Right now, my current target is just to live a life and hope to overcome this new challenge In life. Yes, even I found It myself weird with the situation I was forced into. Why did I say forced? Well, It all started on that day... *** ''Welcome to the World of Eldeon, Congratulations on winning a whole new life~!'' A voice echoed inside his head, he felt familiar at the same time It was not. "... Ugh." (Kiro) Groan in pain, His head felt like he was being stabbed by a hundred needles. "... Where am I?" (Kiro) Finally, he manages to open his eyes and look at the surrounding scenery. Incredible sight appeared right before him. His surrounding was full of lush green, It was an open field inside the forest. A warm ray of light bathing his body, reminding him that he wasn''t dreaming. Suddenly the voice Inside his head started to talk once more. `To answer your question, You are right now, In the middle of the forest'' "... W-what? did I finally lose it? After reading books for a day and night, did I finally have a mental breakdown to the point even in my dream, there was a voice echoing inside my head?!" (Kiro) `This Isn''t a dream, Everything is real.` The voice says, as If everything that''s happening was on Its expectation. "... Hehehe, WAHAHAHA! Damn It, what''s happening to me? The first thing I knew after that blinding white of light was me standing Inside the forest for God knows where! What is more, there was even a voice inside my head, do you really expect me to believe that everything is real?!" (Kiro) "Why are you being quiet all of the sudden huh? Well, of course, It will, after all, everything was just my imagination!" (Kiro) `... I know your head Is not stable enough to make a conversation so I decided to stay quiet. ` "Wa-wa... What? N... no, It can''t be, Yep It was just a dream, yeah a bad dream, as long as I close my eyes everything will be back to normal." (Kiro) After Kiro said those words, he gently shut both of his eyes as he tried to calm himself down, for a couple of good minutes, with a high expectation, slowly his glittering pitch-black eyes lit up, looking at the surrounding area. But sadly It was not the same old 1DK room that he was hoping for. ''Do you finally believe in me?'' the voice asked once more. "Huuh~ what happened? How come I ended up being here?" (Kiro) exhale a little to stabilize his mentality and finally asks something reasonable. ''As I said earlier, You''ve won a new life, out of one thousand individuals who receive the prize notification, you are the only one who clicks the button.'' ''For you being here was to claim your rewards, You will have a whole new life here in the world of Eldeon.` "What?! You''re saying because of that stupid Ads now I am here In the middle of nowhere? A whole new life? Aren''t I alive and well and the world of Eldeon? Why are you saying as If I wasn''t..." (Kiro) stopped his sentences, he couldn''t finish it, as if realizing something. He couldn''t believe such an absurd scenario pop-up inside his head, He was very familiar to It. ''Yes, you guessed it right, you are right now in a different world, the world of sword and magic. This is your reward, You will be living in this world from now on.` Silences overwhelm the two, the one was talking to his head, while the person was shouting. Finally, Kiro broke the quiet atmosphere. "HUH?! I don''t need this kind of reward! I''m happy with my current lifestyle! Why would you decide things on your own huh?! Hurry up and send me back! Or do you expect me to slay the demon king or something before I could return to my former world?!" (Kiro) shouted hysterically, everything that was happening to him was so unreal, even though he wanted to accept everything is real, subconsciously inside his head, he refuses to accept the fact. ''Relax, It was meant to be a reward, not a quest, so you wouldn''t need to slay someone. Just living a life in this world will be enough and sorry to say this. For you to return to your former world is Impossible. Your main reward, after all, was to live a life here in the world of sword and magic. '' "What? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Do you really think that I would accept everything you say just because you say so?! Go send me back right now! Or else I will refuse everything from that so-called reward of yours!" (Kiro) finally snapped, every word he said was filled with firm resolve that he will really refuse everything that will be given for him. If push comes to the shove he will reject it with everything he got. ''Haa~ No matter what, everything was now set In motion, even If you refuse the rewards with all of your might, the outcome will still be the same, Now everything is clear, I will now start to give you the rest of your reward.'' After saying that, a pillar of white light descends from heaven, swallowing Kiro as a whole. *** After the pillar of light dissipated. Kiro who was standing in the middle of the forest just a few moments ago, now found himself laying on the ground. As he woke up, he was looking blankly at the deep blue sky up above. He finally moved his body and got up, he felt a strange sensation enveloping his entire being. Suddenly a massive amount of knowledge was forcefully being put Inside his head. At first, he doesn''t know the characteristics of those syllables, a few moments later, he gradually understands a thing or two from those characteristics. It took almost a half-hour before the massive knowledge that was being forcefully drilled inside his head came to stop. "Ugh... What Is this? Hmm... Judging from the information I got a while ago, they call it an Innate Skill in this world, should I give It a try?" (Kiro) was still thinking whether he should give it a try or not. Finally, he couldn''t stop his curiosity and give it a try. "... Hmm let''s see, It should be like this. [Appraisal]!" (Kiro) mumbled the keyword. After that, a transparent screen appeared in front of him, as he looked around the forest. [Grass] - Rarity rate: Uncommon. - It can be found In any wild forest. [Greasy Grass] - Rarity rate: Rare. - Greasy Grass Is a type of rare grass that only grows in the part of the Diante Forest. - Consuming will boost up your MP recovery rate by 5% for an hour. "Huh, what the heck is this? It looks like a transparent menu section that can only be found In video games... Hehe, this is getting more and more unreal." (Kiro) thought out loud, while it is still hard for him to accept that everything that is happening is real. "Anyway, for now, let''s just think of it like I am living inside of a game. Yep! That''s it, It is not like I am unknown from this kind of field, let''s just think of it as a virtual game." (Kiro) Finally decided to fool himself to move forward. With a self-satisfaction smile that appeared from Kiro''s face, he finally decided to move out and search for the exit, not minding the rare greasy grass that appeared from his appraisal screen. *** After walking for about twenty minutes, Kiro finally got out of the forest. "Haah~ I''m finally out, after walking for so long, now if I just follow this road trail, I''ll probably reach a village or a settlement soon. " (Kiro) said that with full anticipation. Following the road trail, Kiro now sees a small residential area, there was a three-meter tall wood wall and a 20 ft tall wooden watchtower, appeared from his sight. "Halt!" Someone shouted at the wooden watchtower. Kiro stopped walking and looked at the guy who shouted. "Where did you come from? Judging from the looks of your clothes, you seem to be the son of a wealthy merchant." (???) Only at that time, Kiro realizes what he was wearing a dark-grey long sleeve, with a cotton dark brown vest at the front, black slacks, black flat school shoes. Looking at the reaction of the person from the watchtower. He assumed that the clothes he wore were common from this world. "Good sir, I am indeed a son of a merchant, I was following my father''s command to gain some experience... But sadly a mishap has happened from my carriage and almost lost my life." (Kiro) says with a straight face and you could feel a bit of depression from his words. He claims the identity of being a son of a merchant, he already thought through a few excuses if he ever comes across a person or a settlement when he was out there in the middle of the forest. So he wouldn''t let go of the chance to claim his temporary identity from the guard''s misunderstanding. If you are looking for some of Kiro''s good points, His acting skill is excellent, and while his conversation skill is superb that he builds up through experience from hanging out with different types of people back in the day. "Oh, I felt sorry for hearing that, you must be exhausted, please wait for a moment. I''ll be coming down first." (Guard) Waiting for the guy who''s guarding at the watchtower, Kiro finally starts walking once more and he only comes to stop at the entrance of the village. After a few minutes, He finally saw the guard greeting him with a slight nod. "Young man, can you show me your identification card?" (Guard) says as he looks at Kiro from up to bottom. Kiro already knew the guard would ask him for his identification card. But the problem is, he doesn''t have one, heck he wasn''t even a person from this world. "Haah~ sorry, Good sir, I lost my Identification card along with my luggage, after my carriage was destroyed by a group of monsters." (Kiro) gives a light sigh, as if he was mourning from his losses. The guard thought for a while before he nodded. "Okay wait here, I''ll call for someone to bring the anti-criminal device." (Guard) says as he walks away from the entrance. Kiro already expected that to happen so he only gives him a nod for approval and a thankful smile. From the massive knowledge he got from the forest a while ago, there''s some basic Introduction about this world, some basic etiquette, like the one right now. From that massive knowledge, He even felt there was a huge change from his brain. He felt like he could now perform perfect memorization. He even knows how to read and write the common language of this world. He wasn''t even shocked that he could speak a native language of this world, after all, It was one of the must-have skills. His main reward was to live a life from this world of Sword and Magic. How can he live here without knowing the native language of this world, so he decided to ignore those confusing things, as he tried his best to focus on the problem one at the time. A few moments later, two-shadows come at his view, the first person is the guard leading the way, while the second person Is an elderly person carrying a transparent crystal ball. 3 Dores Upon seeing the elderly person, Kiro couldn''t help to fix his line of eyesight at the transparent crystal ball. Seeing Kiro curiously looking at the crystal ball, the elderly person couldn''t help to check him out, looking at him from top to bottom. After checking him out, not finding anything out of place, the elderly person moves forward and faces Kiro. "Oh, sorry for the wait, Young man, Nice to meet you, I am Geoffrey the Chief of this Village." (Geoffrey) "Oh, nice to meet you, Chief Geoffrey, I am called Kiro a traveling merchant." (Kiro) respectfully said, as he gives the elderly person a slight bow. He used to work as a waiter from the family restaurant, so he wasn''t embarrassed by the gesture he made. Even so, he finds it a difficult thing to do, when he thinks about the future. "Kiro?... Hmm, what unusual name, Black hair, black eyes... are you perhaps from the East?" (Geoffrey) Look at Kiro oddly. "... Yes, I came from the east." (Kiro) founds the question was quite off. But didn''t deny the assumption and while it is true. The country he used to live in, was from the east side of the globe. "Mm, you have a good moral fitting for a description of a young merchant, but sorry to say this, I still need you to place your hand, from this anti-criminal device. As a chief, It is my duty to maintain the peace of this village, I hope you don''t mind." (Geoffrey) "Not at all Chief Geoffrey, It was I who came here without an Identification Card. " (Kiro) says while he stretches out his right hand and places his palm from the transparent crystal ball. A white light emits from the transparent crystal ball. Seeing the light, Village Chief Geoffrey gives a slight nod for approval. Looking at the chief reaction Kiro couldn''t help but blurt out his thoughts. "Chief Geoffrey, What''s the meaning of this color? To be honest, It was my first time seeing the anti-criminal device." (Kiro) looks curiously at the transparent crystal ball. "Hoho, looking at how you keep observing the anti-criminal device, I already knew it was your first time seeing one. Very well, the meaning of the white color from the device is you never killed a person before." (Geoffrey) "While there''s more than one color from the Anti-Criminal Device. It is a rare sight even for me to see a spotless white from this device. The other color is green, represents that you obey the law, but already slain someone, It was either approved by the law or the one It kills was a criminal." (Geoffrey) "Next is, color dark grey the person who has this color represents that a person was a criminal from the past and given a pardon, Next one is black color, It is for the person who does wicked things, like killing, abducting a person, selling illegal devices, In short, a really dangerous person." (Geoffrey) "The last color is to identify if you are really a Human. If a red color appeared from the criminal device, that person wasn''t a human but a demon." (Geoffrey) Once he utters those words, a thick of hatred could be felt from his voice. Feeling the thick hatred from the Village Chief words, the atmosphere around the two became uncomfortable. Geoffrey was the first one who felt the atmosphere became an unpleasant one, knowing that it was his fault. He tried to hide his embarrassment with a dry laugh. "Hehehe, sorry about that Kiro, anyway the procedure is done, you can now enter the village, then again." (Geoffrey) quickly changes gears, His years of experience as a chief show it fruition. "Welcome to the Village of Dorest!" (Geoffrey) says out loud, giving Kiro a praiseworthy smile. *** Going Inside the Village, Kiro was looking around at the architecture of the houses. What he saw, a house made of different types of woods, as for the roof, Is made of straw. The scenery before him was like, he turned back In time to the Middle age of the Medieval period. Some curious folks were looking at him inside their wooden house, Kiro saw a child playing with a rag doll, giving her a warm smile. following the village chief leads. The group of two people stopped at the tallest building in this place, looking at the house made of stone, while the roof wasn''t made of cheap straw, instead, It was a small tile made of wood. It is clear as a day, that the village chief leads the way to his house. Geoffrey stopped walking and looked back at Kiro who''s behind him. "Sorry, Kiro. It is rare to see visitors here in my village, so there''s no proper lounging for a traveler merchant like yourself. If you like, you could stay a night here at my place." (Geoffrey) "Oh, then I would be grateful If that''s the case, even staying in the stable will be quite luxurious for me." (Kiro) wouldn''t reject Geoffrey''s generosity. "Then, let''s go inside, It''s been a while since I have a visitor here at my place." (Geoffrey) Making an inviting gesture. "Then, sorry for the trouble." (Kiro) replied politely. *** Inside the Village Chief House. Kiro was laying down on the crude wooden bed, from his former world, it is called a cheap wooden bed frame, but here It is considered a luxury item. staring at the ceiling of the house, Kiro was in deep thought. "Mm... Everything that happened was so sudden. The damn voice who didn''t even give me a chance to reject the offer, what is more, I am now forced to live here In this world." (Kiro) "... Haah~ What should I do from now on?" (Kiro) Not only he was left behind with nothing but the so-called reward, He didn''t even have money to sustain his living. It was not like he could be a forever freeloader here in this village. Thinking at this point, he suddenly remembered that he was a penniless person. "Haah~ now what? Living? How in this world I could live here? I don''t even know if I could adopt the lifestyle here from now on. Living in the modern world where everything you need is almost available inside the convenience store. How am I supposed to adopt the lifestyle here?" (Kiro) mumbled with dissatisfaction, while knowing nothing will be changed, even if he curses for the whole day. He would rather think of ways how to survive in this world. As he was on the deep thought, sounds of knocking could be heard. ''Knock, knock, knock'' "Kiro are you there?" (Geoffrey) asked in a light tone. "Yes, what is it? Chief Geoffrey?" (Kiro) "I thought you were hungry from your long journey, well, it is a bit still early, but there was leftover dried meat and soup early in the morning. So I reheated it. If you are hungry the food will be in the kitchen." (Geoffrey) "Okay, Chief Geoffrey, Thanks for the trouble, I''ll definitely repay the favor in the future." (Kiro) "Hohoho, It is nothing, helping the young ones, what this old bone ought to do." (Geoffrey) smiles slightly then leave Kiro alone. It was still early to have lunch, but Kiro decided to leave the room and have a meal. *** After eating a single serving food of dried meat and soup, Kiro roams around the house, looking for the Village Chief. Finally, he found chief Geoffrey, He was sitting on the wooden bench at the back of the house. Chief Geoffrey saw that Kiro was looking for him. He proactively starts the conversation. "Mm, you seemed to be done eating, how is the food? It was the local dried meat product here In the village." (Geoffrey) "It is good, I haven''t tasted such strong smoke-dried meat before." (Kiro) was being honest here, Even though the food was simple, nonetheless, It was delicious. "Hahaha, That is good to hear, It was our Villages Pride Smoke Meat after all." (Geoffrey) heartedly laughs. Seeing Geoffrey make life easy for him, Kiro didn''t hold back and ask a question. "Chief Geoffrey, I''m here to ask you something, I don''t know if you are an expert from this kind field, I would like to know if you ever heard the name Greasy Grass before." (Kiro) In a short amount of time pondering how to earn money, He suddenly remembered the Rare Greasy Grass inside the Diante Forest. Because of his Innate Appraisal Skill, It wasn''t hard for him to find the rare grass once more, he thought that if he wanted to survive in this world, he needed money to support his traveling expenses until he found a nice place to settle in. After all, he can''t stay here forever from this village and take advantage of the generosity of the Old fellow. "Greasy Grass? Hmm, If I remember correctly the direction you came from was near the Diante Forest right? Did you perhaps find one?" (Geoffrey) saying that he looks at Kiro with deep thought. "Yeah, I think I saw one inside the forest, but at that moment, I don''t have time or luxury to pick up some herbs." (Kiro) "If what you saw really is a Greasy Grass, you''ll make some fortune out of it, from time to time adventurers will come by to our village just to seek those rare grass. But only a few succeeded to find one, If I didn''t recall it incorrectly Greasy Grass, it was a very proficient herb for making a mana potion, If directly eaten It could even boost your mana recovery." (Geoffrey) "Really? If that''s the case, I might go back to the forest and look for it." (Kiro) eyes flash with greed, He is a penniless person who desperately needs some money. "Hold your horses, Young man, didn''t you just get attacked by a group of monsters, Yet here you are proactively seeking trouble? Aren''t you tired of living?" (Geoffrey) strictly rebuked him. "I heard it from Milo that your carriage was attacked by a group of monsters, just forget about it. No matter how much money you earn, If you can''t live to enjoy the fruition of your hard labor, then It is pointless." (Geoffrey) Milo? Kiro finally remembered the watchtower guard, He was speechless from those words coming from the chief Geoffrey, he remembered that for the sake of his temporary merchant Identity he made an absurd story, even now he couldn''t believe someone buys his story. "Hehehe, don''t worry Chief Geoffrey, from the place where I saw the greasy grass, It was an open field, there was no monster in the vicinity. It was just my mind at that time, preoccupied with escaping." (Kiro) cracked a laugh, he didn''t know that the grass yields a lot of profit. "By the way, what''s the market price for a single stalk of greasy grass?" (Kiro) tried to avoid the topic by asking a new question. "If It was before, 1 stalk of greasy grass is equivalent to 50 silver coins, so if you can find a bulk, from a normal family with that kind of money, They''ll have an easy life for at least half a year." (Geoffrey) Kiro''s eyes flash with greed. He never expected it to be so expensive. The currency of this world was divided into 4 types of coins. 10 Iron coins = 1 Copper coin. 10 Copper coins = 1 Silver coin. 100 Silver coins = 1 Gold coin. 100 Gold coins = 1 White Gold coin. Only means, If he got a single stalk, he could live without worrying being broke for at least a month or two. If he could harvest a lot of herbs, He might possibly have an easy life for a fresh start. "Is that so? Thank you, Chief Geoffrey, I''ll be back at my room." (Kiro) says excitedly. Geoffrey looks at the back of the Young man who disappeared from the corridor. With his rich experience, he could clearly tell the greed from Kiro''s eye. Even though Kiro tried so hard to hide his expression, his simple gesture couldn''t escape from Old Geoffrey''s eye. *** Returning from his room, Kiro was walking back and forth at the entrance of his room. After a long while, he finally decided to go back to the Diante Forest. Without trying to say goodbye from the Village Chief. He went out of the house quietly. He didn''t want to meet the village chief right now, lest the Old fellow worries for him for no reason. So he decided to head back to the entrance where he came in earlier. Seeing the familiar tower guard Milo, He waves his right hand at him. "Hey Kiro, where are you going? Don''t tell me you''re going to go back to the forest?" (Milo) "... Hehehe, Yep, but not in the place where the monsters were lurking around, but it was in the place where I rested. I just need to verify something." (Kiro) makes some random excuses. "Haah~ Even though you are young, but you''re already at the age where we adults don''t interfere with your life. Even so, you have to come back before evening, or else chief Geoffrey might start a search party If you didn''t come back In time." (Milo) reprimand Kiro. But he wouldn''t stop him from going out, after all, It wasn''t his place, plus, the young man is already at the age where they don''t need adult interference in whatever business he has to do. *** Going back to the forest, with his newly developed brain, Kiro already memorized the right pathway to get back in the middle of the forest. After walking for a half-hour, soon enough a familiar sight appeared before him. Looking around Kiro finally activated one of his Innate Skill. "[Appraisal]!" (Kiro) mumbled the keyword, then he finally saw what he was looking for. [Greasy Grass] - Rarity: Rare - Greasy Grass Is a type of rare grass that only grows in the part of the Diante Forest. - Consuming will boost up your MP recovery rate by 5% for an hour. What''s more shocking, there''s a bunch of them growing with bulk at the same place. Sadly he couldn''t take all of It. The reason why it was in high demand was because of rarity and the freshness of the stalk and the quality of the herb. Once it is pulled out, Kiro doesn''t know how long the liveliness of the stalk will last. Even though Kiro wasn''t an expert from this kind of field, he wasn''t a fool for not knowing the grass might not be preserved for his long journey, without proper equipment to sustain the freshness of the grass. So he decided to just pluck 10 pieces of stalk. He already made up his mind that he''ll give Two pieces of Stalk to the village chief and another one for the tower guard. When he was about to leave the forest. A creaking sound could be heard behind the bush. 4 Greasy Grass ''Creak, Creak, Creak'' Crispy sounds of broken branches could be heard. Kiro hurriedly put away the newly harvested 10 pieces of Greasy Grass inside his pocket. Looking around at his surroundings, he is trying to find out the source of the sounds. Then a small figure size of a small child appeared, It had dark green skin, sharp yellowish eyes, long nose, and long ears. Kiro was petrified for a moment before cautiously moving backward. Seeing Kiro moving backward in fright, both eyes flash with confidence, as if finding easy prey. The monster moves forward one step at the time, It was as if trying to intimidate Kiro. Yes, the monster is a Goblin. Kiro faces as if he saw a ghost, his face was so pale and he couldn''t move an inch, It was like he became a child who''s afraid of dogs. "W-what is that thing? A monster? No that''s not right! How come there''s a monster here?" (Kiro) uttered those words in panic. It is true that there was no monster In the middle of the forest the last time he came, but he forgot the fact that there was a mysterious voice accompanying him here at that time. Now the mysterious presence wasn''t here anymore. Those monsters who were frightened by Its presence will naturally be coming back to their own respective camp. "Kekeke." (Goblin) The Goblin swung around the wooden mace It was holding. If you look closely at the mace, a tint of blood could be seen. Finally, Kiro urges his body to move, using his newly enhanced brain, he quickly draws a new path of exit inside his head. Then he runs away with all of his strength. But the thing is, he never understood the nature of the Goblin, It wasn''t included from the basic knowledge that he attained last time. There wasn''t a single explanation about the monster, It only mentioned that monsters exist In this world. So naturally, Kiro was completely Ignorant about the monsters of this world. The scary thing about the Goblin wasn''t because they''re strong. In fact, they are weak. Kiro could fight one even If he was barehanded, But It was his first time seeing a monster, what''s more, a cunning one that Is good at intimidating a clueless person like him. The reason why the Goblin was dangerous is that they never move alone. If you find one, expect there will be another one will appear. ''Swish` A sharp sound flew at Kiro. An arrow pierces through Kiro''s calf, making him stumble down to the ground. "Argh!" (Kiro) shouted in pain, he looked at his bleeding calf, He stretched his hand and tried to reach the shaft and remove the arrow. But he found out his body wasn''t listening to him. "Heeee! Kekeke!" (Goblin) shouted with a burst of weird laughter. The Goblin now walks toward Kiro who is laying on the ground, While dragging Its wooden mace. Kiro looked at the Goblin with an ashen face, for him, the Goblin was no different from a Grim Reaper. Seeing the goblin moving closer, step by step. His heartbeat was running so fast. ''Ba-dum, Ba-dum, Ba-dum'' Each step the Goblin made, the faster his heart rate became. Finally, the Goblin reached him, laughing like a crazy madman, the Goblin lifted up his wooden mace and smashed it on Kiro''s calf where the arrow imbued in. "AAAAH! N-no, s-to... Stop! Please stop!" (Kiro) shouted In fright, he didn''t expect after getting hit by an arrow, the Goblin will mercilessly smash his leg. But the Goblin did not stop, hearing Kiro''s shout, an inexplicable feeling rush through the Goblin, making It, to smash the unharmed leg of Kiro. "AAAAAH!" (Kiro) shouted in pain, he wanted to faint but he cannot, the unknown drug that paralyzes him was even affecting his consciousness. Kiro''s eyes lost their colors, looking at both of his legs that were smashed to the point he couldn''t even feel his lower half. A trace of helplessness overcomes his reasoning. Suddenly the Goblin stopped toying at Kiro, seeing the reaction of Its prey, It wasn''t satisfied at all, as if it lost all the fun, It reached out at the back of Its rag clothes, a small knife appeared at Its palm. Slowly walking near where Kiro is while playing at the knife on Its hand, waiting for Kiro to shout once more and beg for mercy. But It failed to get what It wanted. Losing its patience, stabbing Kiro''s abdomen. ''Splash'' A puddle of blood came out of his stomach, Kiro''s expression finally changed from helplessness to bitterness. Finally, hatred, a flash of hatred came through at his whole being. The Goblin saw Kiro''s bloodshot eyes, out of excitement It stabbed Kiro''s rib cage after it hit his shoulder. Moving closer to Kiro''s face, looking at him as if a dead prey, the Goblin raises Its knife high in the sky, aiming at Kiro''s heart. Suddenly Kiro''s body that can''t be moved, charged like a crazy beast to the Goblin, at the last moment he avoided the knife for stabbing his heart and piercing through his left shoulder. Using his teeth, biting the Goblin''s neck, a portion of Its meat came off. Spitting out the meat on the ground. Kiro looked at the Goblin who doesn''t understand what is happening and not knowing how Its prey manages to move. The Goblin was so shocked, It was caught off guard, holding at Its bleeding neck, finally stumbled on the ground and stopped breathing. `Ting!~'' ''Congratulation, You just unlocked a new feature!'' -Special Quest. -Killing a monster [Cleared] -Attain a Single Level [Cleared] Status: Completed. -Quest Reward. -System Upgrade, Is now functioning. Status: Unlock. -Checking the user''s body. -Large damage from both legs. -Severe damage from the abdomen, Immediate treatment is required. -Minor damage from the rest of the body -Grade E paralytic poison has been removed. "Would you like to use your sp points to regenerate your body?" (???) Kiro who''s busy looking at the dead corp of the Goblin heard a childish voice coming from his head. "What are you." (Kiro) asked in a cold and desolate voice. "I am Fixie Bot, An assistance fairy from the System Upgrade." (Fixie) "What do you mean by sp points and regenerating my body?" (Kiro) asked as if he couldn''t be bothered, after experiencing a life and death situation, he already has a firm resolution to die. "SP point is a pointing system that you will get after leveling. With the help of System Upgrade, you can use your SP point to heal your body and return a missing limb, as long as you do not die, your body can be fixed. But the point deduction was based on the level of your body since your body was still on the beginner stage. The point deduction won''t be that much." (Fixie) "So, there was something like that. I don''t care about the points right now, hurry up and fix me." (Kiro) said, then looking coldly at the inner side of the forest. "Okay, Master~!" (Fixie) After saying that, Kiro''s body regenerates at breath neck speed. Looking at his body regenerate with his naked eye, He didn''t put it in his mind at all, after experiencing torture and torment, at the moment, there wasn''t a single thing, that could shock him. After this unforgettable experience, Kiro''s have a significant mentality growth. Because of Greed, he almost died, because of his rash action even though someone already warned him beforehand, but he didn''t take them seriously. Perhaps subconsciously he felt like he wasn''t talking to a real person, It was like, everything was just a dream. At his nearly dying moment, he only realizes everything is real, everyone around here is real. He too can die, can feel pain and he is vulnerable from this world, like anybody else. He couldn''t help but mocking himself from being an Ignorant and for being a fool. "Haa~ Why do we humans need to have a setback first before learning from our mistake?" (Kiro) After taking a good look at his limbs, Kiro grabs the wooden mace that is laying on the ground, then charges toward the inner side of the forest. *** Upon entering the vast woods, Kiro felt that his senses improved and his physical body strengthened. Looking around the forest, he finally saw his target. Another Goblin appeared before him, but this time, the Goblin looked so thin and frail. Holding a crude bow at Its hand, the Goblin aims at Kiro, but even before It can release the arrow, a flying wooden mace smashes at Its face. The Goblin falls from the tree, Kiro walks toward the Goblin direction, with a wicked smile on his face, trying to Imitate the Goblin who frightened him to death. Finally, he reached his destination, grabbing the wooden mace that smashed at the Goblin face. Lifting It up, smashing the wooden mace once more to the Goblin face. He keeps smashing the Goblin until It becomes a meat paste. It was like he used the Goblin as an outlet to release all of his build-up stress. After looking at the scene before him. Kiro finally realizes what he did, throwing the wooden mace on the ground, hugging both of his shoulders, weakly kneeling from the ground, staring blankly from the pool of blood he made. A moment later, he pukes dried meat and the soup he ate. *** Staring blankly from the ground, Kiro already lost count of what time It is. Then he finally decided to move out of the innermost part of the forest. Going back to the open field full of lush green, Kiro saw the cold dead body of the Goblin, then walked lifelessly out of the Diante Forest. On the way back, Kiro was on the deep thought. He finally realizes In this world, life can easily be taken just like that, even if the one he killed was a monster, It has a closer figure to a human being, so he couldn''t easily get rid of the bad after taste after his wild action. He couldn''t help remembering the old saying, the rules of the jungle. Might is right. If It wasn''t because another feature of his reward is unlocked, he will be the one who is lying dead on the cold hard ground. "Without strength to defend oneself, you can only blame yourself for being weak... I never knew I would experience It for myself, before that, I never really got Its full meaning, but now, I finally get the real meaning behind those words." (Kiro) "If I want to defend, I should have a proper resolve matching that strength, If I cower in fear, do not fight back. It was the same as waiting for death." (Kiro) mumbled those words deep inside him. "Strength can be attained through hard work, but a strong resolve and unyielding will, Is something that cannot attain through hard work. Even if one train tirelessly for the rest of Its life. If I want to survive In this world, I should never lose my resolve to live. I can die miserably, but I can''t let myself die without a fight." (Kiro) says with firm resolve. From this day on, Kiro draws a clear line for himself. *** Going out of the Dainte Forest. The sun is already pointing at the northwest direction from the sky. It''s already getting dark, so Kiro didn''t walk anymore instead he ran all the way back to reach the village. Finally, he saw a familiar wooden watchtower. Seeing a shadow was approaching, Milo who was looking above the watchtower, cautiously shouted. "Stop!" (Milo) shouted, looking at the figure below the ground. After giving it a closer look, he finally recognizes who It is, but seeing Kiro who is bathed with blood, Milo couldn''t help but have cold goosebumps all over his body. "Hey, Kiro! What happened to you! Are you okay?" (Milo) Shouted as he hurriedly came down to the tower. Kiro waited for Milo to come down, he forgot that he was soaked with blood, what is more, his cloth was now tattered. "Kiro! You are fine right?" (Milo) worriedly said. He looked at him up and down to check if there was a missing limb, seeing him fully intact, Milo finally gave a light sigh. "Haah~ You seem to be fine, but what happened?" (Milo) "It''s a long story, but In short I was attacked by a monster because I don''t have any battle experience. I now look like this."(Kiro) wouldn''t tell him the whole story, he could only tell the truth about being attacked by a monster, after all, it was already too late looking at how miserable he is. "Haa~ Seeing how lively you can talk and still standing straight I guess the blood wasn''t yours but from the monster, even so, you still need to be careful you know! Are you trying to shock me to death? Well anyway, as long as you survive it is considered as a blessing." (Milo) "Hehe, sorry about that, Milo, yep can I call you that?" (Kiro) tried to avoid the topic and bring Milo''s name if he can casually call his name without an honorific. "Well, It is fine, our age gap wasn''t that large, looking at you, I am guessing you''re at age of 18-20 years old, by the way, I am only 23 this year, I am not that old." (Milo) "Oh? You''re 23? Why did you look like an Old Uncle to me? I thought your age was already in at your mid-thirties." (Kiro) Look at the guy, he couldn''t believe it. "What did you say punk! Try saying that again, you''ll see if I didn''t fix you up!" (Milo) says as he gnashed his teeth out of frustration. "Haha, It is only a joke, come on, I need to go back now, or else chief Geoffrey might scold me." (Kiro) "I think It is already too late from that, but anyways go back now, Old chief Geoffrey is such a nice guy, he even treated an outsider like you this much, didn''t you know he already notify us, If you didn''t come back In the village before evening we will do a search hunt." (Milo) "... I guess I owe chief Geoffrey an apology." (Kiro) says, he was touched by the old man''s kindness, they barely know each other, yet he does much for him who is an outsider. "Yep, you better get going, now go, go. Don''t make the old chief Geoffrey worry any more than this." (Milo) "Okay, thank you for informing me." (Kiro) says, as he gives Milo a polite bow. 5 Kaho On the way back to the Village Chief house. Kiro''s in deep thought, he was thinking of a way to fool the Old Chief Geoffrey. "Haah~ It is no good, no matter how hard I try, every scenario that pop-up inside my head only has the same outcome. I guess It is better, to tell the truth of what happened inside the forest." (Kiro) Of course, what Kiro meant for telling the truth is to explain why he looks so tattered, and why he was bathed with blood. While he was walking his way to the village chief house, Kiro didn''t know that he made such a huge commotion. Him walking on the street bathed with blood, of course, there will be a lot of curious folks that would want to know what happened to him. At first, the adult from different households was shocked by the scene. But after realizing something. They couldn''t help but shake their heads. The thing is, Kiro didn''t know the values from this world were different from his former world. The resident from this village was already used to seeing bloodshed, so they weren''t that shocked after seeing Kiro bathed with blood, more like reminiscing from the past. They too used to hunt for their livelihood or have a wild experience from hunting a game at their young ages. Seeing Kiro bathed with blood, they all thought the same thing, that he went overboard and splashed the blood all over his body. If Kiro knew what they were thinking, he wouldn''t know whether to laugh or cry from such a wonderful misunderstanding. "Mom, what is wrong with that tomato big brother? Why is he all red?" a child looked at Kiro with bewilderment. "Pfft, silly child, what do you mean by tomato big brother? Come here and help me to clean the dishes. Don''t be bothered by that tomato big brother." The Mother couldn''t help but release a burst of soft laughter after hearing her child calling Kiro as tomato big brother. Kiro, who is in deep thought, didn''t know that he earned another weird nickname. *** Finally, Kiro arrives at the entrance of the village chief house. He was so nervous, he felt like he was back in the days from being a mischievous child who was afraid of getting scolded by his parents. Then he gathered all of his courage and knocked on the door. `Knock, Knock, Knock` Behind the door was chief Geoffrey, looking at Kiro who was bathed with blood, as if he already expected it to happen. He wasn''t that shocked, seeing him without any missing limbs, then he finally let a long sigh. "Sigh~ Child, Come inside, look at yourself, you are covered with blood. There are two hot buckets of water inside the room you are staying at, go clean yourself first." (Geoffrey) Kiro was speechless, he didn''t know what to say, seeing chief Geoffrey wasn''t scolding him but rather being mindful about his well being. He couldn''t help to remember the warmth of his parents, subconsciously giving a slight warm smile. The only thing he could do is to nod, as he walks inside the house and heads straight through his room. It is not like chief Geoffrey would know that Kiro will encounter some danger. He just prepared from the different types of scenarios. He Informed the village guard and hunter that if Kiro didn''t return in time they would do a search hunt. Because their last discussion was about the rare greasy grass and chief Geoffrey knew Kiro was blinded with greed. He already warned him but didn''t put it in any heed so he could only help Kiro on the sideline. Then he prepared a different type of amenities from a different kind of scenario, He prepared a herbal medicine just in case Kiro went back being injured and he prepared hot water for him to wash If he was fine. With his rich experience in life, Chief Geoffrey knows how to deal with that kind of event more efficiently. Chief Geoffrey was observing Kiro''s facial expression changing from nervousness to bewilderment and finally, the warm smile that Kiro gave didn''t miss from the Old Chief''s sharp eyes. Watching his back, chief Geoffrey couldn''t help to give a helpless sigh. *** After washing the blood from his body. Kiro heard knocking sounds. ''Knock, Knock'' "Kiro, there are some old clothes here. It wasn''t fancy as the one you wear, but It was clean nonetheless. I will just leave it here, at the entrance of the room." (Geoffrey) "Okay thank you, chief Geoffrey." (Kiro) After hearing Kiro''s voice of appreciation, Old chief Geoffrey walks out of the hallway. *** After dressing himself, Kiro walks out of the room and searches for Village Chief Geoffrey. Walking inside the living room, Kiro saw Chief Geoffrey spacing out on the rocking chair. "Ahem." (Kiro) gives a slight cough, awakening chief Geoffrey from his absent-mindedness. "Oh, you''re done cleaning yourself, Mm... That clothes looked good on you." (Geoffrey) seeing Kiro with that look, chief Geoffrey was reminiscing from the shadow of the past. Seeing the lonely figure in front of him, Kiro couldn''t help to feel a tinge of bitterness swelling up inside his heart. Not knowing what to do, he could only ask a question. "Chief Geoffrey, don''t you want to know what happened to me inside the Diante Forest?" (Kiro) asked and look curiously at chief Geoffrey. "Of course I would like to know, but if you are willing to tell me." (Geoffrey) Kiro felt more guilty after hearing Chief Geoffrey. But knew telling the truth will give him more trouble, so he could only swallow his guilt. "Well, It wasn''t such a big secret, I was attacked by two Goblins, because of my negligence, I suffered some light injuries, but as you can see. I am alive and well." (Kiro) "Mm, that is good, Hearing you say that you are fine. It is much better than me assuming that you aren''t hurt. So please tell me if something is aching from your body. Even though the Goblin is a weak monster, their detestable means is dangerous." (Geoffrey) said with a concerned tone. The more Kiro hears a concerning tone from chief Geoffrey, the more his guilt eats him alive. "Don''t worry chief Geoffrey, I am fine, there wasn''t any discomfort from my body, in fact, I felt more alive than before." (Kiro) wasn''t lying after unlocking the new feature from his reward. His body felt light. "Mm, is that so? Then I am glad to hear that, If there''s nothing else, I would retire from the bed first." (Geoffrey) was feeling rather tired, not physically but mentally. Seeing chief Geoffrey was about to leave, Kiro called him out. "Chief Geoffrey, wait, there''s something I would like to ask, It has been bothering me for quite some time now." (Kiro) "... Okay, say it." (Geoffrey) "I would like to know, why did you care so much about me, who is an outsider." (Kiro) stare straight at the eyes of chief Geoffrey. He couldn''t think of any reason why the Old Chief Geoffrey was being so nice to him. The way he looks at him was like a grandparent caring for his grandchild. Chief Geoffrey stared blankly at Kiro for a moment before giving a helpless sigh. "Haah~ I knew It, sooner or later you would ask me such a question. To tell you the truth, I didn''t know the answer, perhaps because you remind me, the feeling of having a grandchild or perhaps because you have that black-haired and a pair of black eyes." (Geoffrey) said, while remembering something in the past. "Did you remember I asked you if you are from the east?" (Geoffrey) Kiro thought for a moment, then nodded from the question. At that time he found it weird but didn''t voice it out. "Because the wife of my son was from the Eastern Empire of Avonmore, She too has a pitch-black hair and a pair of black eyes. That is probably one of the reasons why I felt a close attachment from you. More so when you said that you are a traveling merchant." (Geoffrey) "The wife of my son was a traveling merchant too, a fateful encounter leads the two. They easily get to know each other, because my son who is bad for almost everything, but only good at one thing, his academics, is something I am proud of even now. Perhaps because of his unique way of thinking my son won the heart of the beauty." (Geoffrey) "Then after that, the woman named Kaho, every end of the month she visits our village. Because I could see, the woman indeed cares for my son, I didn''t stop the two from seeing each other. Then with my silence blessing. The two got married and built their own family while traveling In different types of small and big kingdoms. I was happy for my son, his wife wasn''t only beautiful but smart too." (Geoffrey) After saying up until this point, Chief Geoffrey both eyes moisten. "... Perhaps because heaven is jealous of their happiness, who would''ve thought a tragedy befall from the two. It was at that time, they''re traveling near the border of the demon and human territories, they encounter..." (Geoffrey) couldn''t finish his words, tears falling like a waterfall on his face. Kiro wasn''t that dumb enough for him not to figure out what happened next after that. Chief Geoffrey stabilizes his breathing, after a while, he finally continued his story. "... They encounter a demon, witnesses say, the man was killed on the spot, while the woman was abducted. After one week, they finally saw the woman at the center of the plaza at the Town of Limbo. The woman was found bare naked at the center of the plaza while her body was covered with brushes and bite marks, upon her last breath... They said... They said... The women were mumbling the word ''Kill me'' Kill me'' repeatedly until she lost her breathing." (Geoffrey) uttered those words with a trembling voice. After saying that, chief Geoffrey stumbled from the ground like he lost all of his strength, he helplessly curling up on the cold hard ground. "Chief!" (Kiro) Immediately ran to the side of chief Geoffrey, helping him out to get up, while patting his back. He couldn''t help but curse inside his head, It was such a sensitive topic, yet why didn''t he realize there was something wrong, given all the clues, yet he was so insensitive to ask. "Come on now chief, Get up. Sorry for being insensitive to ask such a sensitive topic." (Kiro) "It''s fine... You did nothing wrong, I should even say thank you, for helping me to let out those fed up emotions." (Geoffrey) After saying that Village Chief Geoffrey stands up, he walks out of the living room, heading toward his room. Looking at the disappearing figure of the chief Geoffrey. Kiro couldn''t explain the pain he was feeling right now. Perhaps he pitied the person or It was because after hearing the story, his morals couldn''t tolerate such an act. He was a person who used to live in a peaceful era. Hearing such a heartbreaking story, a tint of hatred subconsciously being born deep inside his heart. Staring in the direction where the Village Chief left, Kiro finally left the living room and headed back straight to his room. 6 Fixie Inside his room, Kiro was laying down on the crude wooden bed. He was recalling past events. The feeling of being loved and sheltered, It''s been a while since he felt this kind of thing. He was reminded of his parents who were living in his past world, Kiro couldn''t help, but to give a deep sigh. "Haah, what headache... I never deeply thought of it, Are my parents from the other side doing well? Probably the answer is yes... Hehehe, there''s no living monster in that place after all." (Kiro) Kiro right was trying to distract himself, he couldn''t proactively open up the topic of his parents, even the thoughts of it will make him depressed. After all, even if he wanted to go back, he could not. So deep inside him, It was one of his biggest regrets. "Well growing up in life, we will partway from our own parents sooner or later, so stop thinking negatively, Kiro..." (Kiro) mumbled those words repeatedly, trying to calm himself down. Even so, he couldn''t help, but to build a tinge of regret deep inside his heart. Little did he know, on the other side of his original world, there was a person who is deeply affected by his disappearances. *** In Maruyama Park. The place is still lively even though It was already late at night. It was the time of the year where Cherry Blossom, bloom at its peak. Bustling attractions can be seen at the night festival, the atmosphere is warm and cheerful, time to time laughter can be heard and echoing at the side of the food stalls. But a certain person was spacing out from such a lively place. She was staring blankly at the tallest cherry tree, the girl has long silky chestnut hair the It so dazzling, from time to time whether it was a man or woman, they couldn''t help, but to admire her beauty. Her mesmerizing almond eyes that didn''t leave the sight of the tall cherry blossom tree. Some random guy even said he wished that he could swap places from the tree so that the beauty would stare at him. Well, the surrounding people couldn''t blame the guy, because the girl is such a rare beauty. It was a foul play of her, wearing a black long sleeve underneath of her long fit white coat and navy blue skinny jeans along with black long boots, even though she was wearing a long white coat, It couldn''t hide her destructive figure. Instead, It emphasizes her beauty much more. Finally, the girl looks at the night sky, seeing a beautiful twinkle star gazing from the above. "Why? Why is it that I couldn''t remember your name? But every time I look at the stars, why do I feel like my heart is about to burst in heartache? Who are you? How come I couldn''t remember something so important." The girl mumbled those words in a low tone. "I even tried to search for you, but no matter what I did, I couldn''t find a single thing, I even went to the town where you supposedly live. But when I reached that household, they said there was no such person. But why is it, deep inside me, keep rejecting the fact and saying It wasn''t a dream or hallucination." "... Hey, tell me do you really exist?" After that, the girl gave one last deep look at the Weeping Cherry Tree. She felt like she could see her own Image from the tree. Beautiful yet lonely, It looks strong from the front yet deep inside she was just a frail young woman. Taking a deep breath, the woman leaves the place, facing the world straight and proud like the Weeping Cherry tree. *** Morning came. Kiro Is already awake early in the morning. He couldn''t sleep well because of last night''s event. Suddenly he remembered something, the voice that helped him to regenerate his body. "Um... Fixie bot right? can you hear me?" (Kiro) felt weird for talking by himself, he didn''t even know if the voice would respond to his call. "Yes, master! I''m Fixie bot." (Fixie) A childish voice echoed inside Kiro''s head. "Woah, It did respond to my call..." (Kiro) mumbled in a low tone. The last time he talked to Fixie bot, he couldn''t be bothered to know what It was, his head at that moment was preoccupied with hatred and how to survive in the forest. "Uh, Master you''re so mean! my name is not ''It'' Fixie, call me Fixie." (Fixie) "... Sorry, ahem, okay Fixie right? So can you explain to me what you are in full details." (Kiro) felt weird, he could clearly hear the voice and sounded like a small girl at the age of 12. "Okay~ Master! Fixie is, know you~ a beautiful lady! Even though Fixie sounds like this, I am a full-fledged adult! Hehehe~ and-" (Fixie) "Wait, wait, wait! I didn''t ask you to describe yourself, what I meant is why you are being called a Fixie bot." (Kiro) is having a headache just hearing her playful voice. Since at a young age. He wasn''t good at talking with kids, because of his scary gaze, the kids tend to avoid him rather than talk to him. "Uwu... O-okay, Fixie is an adult so fixie won''t argue with a meanie master." (Fixie) pouted, she was about to burst with tears. "Fixie is from spirit race, we spirit race serve the Gods of this world, Fixie was chosen by the God of Creation to be the core spirit for the System Upgrade. Fixie was sleeping, didn''t know how many years it had been since fixie was awakened." (Fixie) "Because Fixie was now connected from System Upgrade, Fixie evolves from Spirit Race to System Spirit Race. Perhaps because Fixie now is a part of the System Upgrade, then God of Creation gives me a new name, that''s why Fixie now called Fixie bot." (Fixie) Kiro didn''t know what to say, he was speechless from God''s naming sense. "Ahem, okay then, can you explain to me what Is System Upgrade and Its function?" (Kiro) give a light cough to stop the burst of laughter from coming out, he doesn''t want to upset the little Fixie. "The last time Fixie already explained about the sp points to Master, so the rest of the explanation wasn''t that complicated." (Fixie) "System Upgrade is a Skill made by God of Creation, It was the strongest skill the God of Creation ever made. As for Its function, the more the user level up the more SP points the user will get, using the SP point can upgrade the user strength, mana, body, lifespan to the maximum capacity for every single stage that the System Upgrade allows. For example, just like the last time, Master used the SP point to heal your wounds, If you are at the second stage level of the System Upgrade, you wouldn''t need to use SP Point to heal that kind of wounds, your wounds will regenerate by Itself." (Fixie) Kiro was flabbergasted from those words, He knew how severe those wounds, yet the little girl inside his head, saying that If he reaches the second stage of this so-called ''System Upgrade'' that kind of wounds will heal by itself? What is more, the shocking revelation he can now upgrade his own lifespan! He went numb just by hearing this. "System Upgrade doesn''t only work for Master, If Master ever finds a worthy companion, then Master can boost your companion using the System Upgrade, but that current feature is locked at the moment." (Fixie) said another stunning word. This time, Kiro didn''t know what to say anymore. Pretending he didn''t hear a thing, Kiro asked another question. "Then how can I know what stage I am right now?" (Kiro) "Simple, the Master just needs to Appraise himself." (Fixie) "Huh? how can I Appraise myself?" (Kiro) was in bewilderment, he didn''t know what little fixie was talking about. "Mn? Didn''t master has an Innate skill [Appraisal] you can use the appraisal skill to appraise yourself, Master." (Fixie) answered with confusion, like she doesn''t understand how come her master doesn''t know a simple fact like that. "... Ohh, so [Appraisal] skill can be used like that. So what should I do to appraise myself?" (Kiro) "Master... You just need to stretch your hand then say the keyword [Appraisal] then you can see your own status." (Fixie) couldn''t believe it, from the words she heard. ''Don''t tell Fixie that Fixie Master is dumbo~ No, no, no! Fixie Master isn''t dumbo~ Fixie is great so Master should be great too! But Fixie is much greater!'' "Hehehe, so It was just like that." (Kiro) throw a dry laugh to hide his embarrassment as he stretches his right hand. "Then... [Appraisal]" (Kiro) murmurs the keyword. ------------------------------------------------- Name: Hirayama Kirohoshi Lv: 1 Age: 18 Gender: Male Race: Human State: Healthy Title: System Holder -This title is given to the user of System Upgrade. Bonus Attribute. -Blessing of the God of Creation. -Divine Protection of the God of Creation. ------------------------------------------------- Job List. Combat Job: -N/A The User doesn''t have a job yet. Non-combat Job: -N/A The User doesn''t have a job yet. Unique Job: [System User] Lv.1 -Stage one. ------------------------------------------------- Statistics. STR: 10 (x5) - 50 INT: 10 (x5) - 50 DEX: 12 (x5) - 60 CON: 20 (x5) - 100 CHA: 20 (x5) - 100 SEN: 17 (x5) - 85 VIT: 60 (x5) - 300 -With the Blessing of the God of Creation, all base Stats will be multiplied by five. ------------------------------------------------- Skills. Combat Skills: -N/A The User doesn''t have a Combat Skill yet. Non-combat Skills: [Cooking] Lv. 5 [Writing] Lv. 3 [Etiquette] Lv.1 Passive Skills: [Poison Resistance] Lv.1 [Divine Protection] - Resistance from all Elements. -Divine Protection can''t be upgraded. Innate Skills: [Appraisal] Lv. 1 [???] Lv.? -Status locked. [???] Lv.? -Status locked. ------------------------------------------------- Flash of Information flooded through Kiro''s mind. "Urgh... What the heck is this?" (Kiro) couldn''t help, but to let out a soft groan. He was feeling dizzy from the sudden information that he received. Finally, he stabilizes his mind, Kiro looks at the transparent screen like a hologram that can only be seen from a movie in front of him. "... This, really? If I didn''t experience a life and death situation yesterday. I would probably still believe that everything here isn''t real, because... This absurd skill makes me lose my mind." (Kiro) "It is so unreal, yet this is the reality. Haah~ perhaps I need to adopt from my current self, quickly as possible, or else, I might lose my mind." (Kiro) Hearing Kiro''s mumbling, Fixie asked him a question. "How is it? Master, did you manage to see it?" (Fixie) "Yeah... I did manage to see my statistics." (Kiro) After saying that Kiro did not bother about Fixie who keeps pestering him, Kiro acted like she doesn''t exist for a moment while trying to digest every information he got. *** After digesting all the information, Kiro goes out of his room, but before he could leave and open the door. He felt a familiar presence at the back of the door. "Chief Geoffrey?" (Kiro) asked in a light tone. He still felt awkward because of the event last time. "Yes, Kiro. It''s me, sorry for bothering you like this early in the morning." (Geoffrey) "No, not at all, so what is it, Chief Geoffrey?" (Kiro) "It is nothing, It''s just that I would like to talk to you before you leave the village." (Geoffrey) "Is that so? Okay just wait for a moment and I''ll go out of the room." (Kiro) He tried to buy some time so he could sort out his awkward feeling. After a while, Kiro got out of the room and he saw chief Geoffrey near at entrance of the room. Giving the chief a slight nod as a greeting, then asked him a question. "Mn, Is there something would you like to ask or need my help for? Chief Geoffrey." (Kiro) Kiro tried to act natural as possible, for him, his blunder last time, he still couldn''t forgive himself for being insensitive. "Nah, It''s not something big, I just want you to take care of something for me." (Geoffrey) After saying that he stretches both of his hands and shows Kiro a black wooden box. The box looked so ordinary, the only unusual thing is, the box was made of black wood, It is a rare type of wood. Opening the box, chief Geoffrey shows Kiro what is inside. "This pendant is the family heirloom of Kaho before she went and traveled all around the world with my son. She left this to me. It was an important keepsake that I kept all these years. Now that you mentioned it before, you came from the Eastern Empire, I will give you her family heirloom and I hope that you could find her relative and return the pendant to her family." (Geoffrey) said with expectation. It was one of his wishes, to return the heirloom to Its rightful owner. Kiro thought for a moment, He couldn''t believe that the silent agreement he did would lead to this huge misunderstanding. But even so, feeling guilt for everything that happened last time. Kiro couldn''t voice out a rejection. He could only nod in agreement. "Then, please take care of it, I hope you could find her relative and return the heirloom to the rightful owner." (Geoffrey) said with delight. Handing over the black wooden box to Kiro, Geoffrey thought for a moment, before passing out another object. "Here, also take this, It will be helpful for you to find her relative using her portrait." (Geoffrey) handed over a piece of animal skin, with a beautiful woman drawn In it. Kiro looked at the portrait of the beautiful woman for a moment. He couldn''t help to admire her beauty, sadly such a beauty died horribly. "Okay, chief Geoffrey, I will do my best to find her relative, her name is Koha, right? But aren''t you afraid that I will run with this precious heirloom and never return?" (Kiro) "I may be old, but my eyes are still young just like before, I wouldn''t be wrong with my judgment. Well even if you turn out to be like that, I could only blame myself for being a senile Old man." (Geoffrey) Seeing how the Old Chief Geoffrey trusted him this much, Kiro could only helplessly nod in agreement. 7 Journey Receiving the pendant. Kiro suddenly remembered why he came to the Diante Forest. "Okay chief Geoffrey, wait a moment I almost forgot something, give me a moment." (Kiro) Saying that Kiro rushes back at his room, searching for his tattered black slacks, scanning inside of the pocket. He was relieved to found out that the Greasy Grass was safe and sound. Going back to where chief Geoffrey is. Kiro handed out two 3 inches long Greasy Grass. Upon seeing the Greasy Grass, chief Geoffrey wasn''t shocked by seeing one, but rather looked oddly at Kiro who is handing him the rare grass. "Kiro, what is this? Why are you giving me two pieces of Greasy Grass?" (Geoffrey) asked in confusion. "Chief Geoffrey, just think of it as paying the bill from letting me stay here in your place, I am not shameless enough, not to repay the generosity you showed to me." (Kiro) earnestly said. To him, these two pieces of Greasy Grass was just a cheap item, compared to the hospitality and generosity of the chief Geoffrey gave to him, It was way more precious than the greasy grass. "I won''t take it, there is no way I will take the hard labor the young one, plus, I am not short in money." (Geoffrey) politely rejected the offer. "Just take it chief, don''t worry I have eight more pieces left here." (Kiro) says while taking the remaining greasy grass in his pocket. "See? These eight pieces of greasy grass would be enough to support my travel expenses for a long while. So you better accept it, or else, I wouldn''t have a peaceful mind after leaving this village." (Kiro) "... Okay if It is for your peace in mind, I will gladly accept it." (Geoffrey) put away the greasy grass in his pocket. "Mn, with this I could have a peaceful mind while traveling." (Kiro) give a slight nod, as he looks at chief Geoffrey who has an awkward expression. "Haa~ Young people nowadays they''re so hard to deal with." (Geoffrey) shook his head lightly, Kiro''s action was giving him a headache. The reason why he helped Kiro was for him to lessen the lingering regrets he has deep inside his heart. Now that he manages to let go of his grief, chief Geoffrey knows that Kiro doesn''t want to be indebted in him, while he doesn''t think that Kiro owes him a favor. In fact, he was the one who owed Kiro a favor, not only he helped him to get rid of the shadow from his heart. He even promises to take care of the family heirloom of his son''s wife. *** Outside the Village of Dorest. Chief Geoffrey and Milo were standing at the west entrance of the village. They are here to send off Kiro, who is about to set off for his journey. Of course, Kiro didn''t forget to give a single piece of greasy grass for Milo, at first Milo tried to reject his offer, but after Kiro showed him, he had seven more pieces left, Milo couldn''t help but shamelessly ask for another stalk. Too bad for him Kiro didn''t give him another piece. "... Well, our meeting is short, but coming here reminds me of being home, so I will definitely come back here again for a visit." (Kiro) said those words earnestly, He did feel warm deep inside his heart, staying here at this peaceful village. Kiro grew up in a rural area at his grandparent''s house up until he reached Middle School. So he felt nostalgic from the fresh air and muddy road. Looking at the two people he ever first met upon coming from this world. Kiro couldn''t help to be a bit emotional from parting, even though he only knew them for a day, the interaction he has from the Old Chief Geoffrey was more than that, after coming from this world, his mental stability was in a mess. That is why the kindness of chief Geoffrey showed for Kiro. Like a grandfather would do for his grandchild. Has more weight from Kiro''s heart. The warmth he felt, the affection and caring that the chief Geoffrey gives, has a lot of weight from the mentally unstable Kiro at that time. Even if he knew, chief Geoffrey was only using him to get rid of his past regret but felt that the gentleness from those actions was real. "So... Until we meet again, grampa." (Kiro) mumbles in a low tone. After saying that, Kiro walks away without looking back. He didn''t know, after whispering those words subconsciously, Old Chief Geoffrey manages to read his lips. Looking at Kiro disappearing back, Village Chief Geoffrey''s both eyes moisten. *** Following the road tail, Kiro keeps walking until the image of the Dorest Village disappeared. "Fixie, do you know when we will reach another settlement?" (Kiro) blurt out a question subconsciously. "What do you mean by that, Master? Fixie has been sleeping for soo~ long, that Fixie even forgot what Fixie''s current age is." (Fixie) grumbled in annoyances. "So how would Fixie know if Fixie and Master are about to reach a new settlement?" (Fixie) "Ah, I forgot you''re a sleeping old lady, too bad the one who wakes you up, wasn''t a prince charming like the story from folklore, but It was me an otherworldly person." (Kiro) "Puuh~ Fixie is not old, Fixie is still young and healthy! Meanie Master Hmph! Hmph! Fixie won''t talk to you anymore." (Fixie) snorted coldly. Kiro didn''t know whether to laugh or cry after hearing the little Fixie tantrum. "Sorry, sorry, I didn''t mean it okay? Fixie is a lovely and cute young lady that will always listen to Master because Fixie is a very good, good lady, Fixie is, after all, a mature woman that won''t mind Master''s bad joke." (Kiro) "Really? Fixie is a lovely and cute young lady? Is that true Master? Hehehe~ Even if you are Fixie Master, Fixie won''t fall for you that easily! Hmph, such a sinful Master~ No, no, no... Fixie is the sinful one, because of Fixie beauty, even the Master is falling head over heels for Fixie!" (Fixie) entered her own world. This time Kiro regretted coaxing her like that, It doesn''t help at all, It was more like adding fuel on the fire. "Haa~ okay now wake up, I would like to hear a brief explanation about the statistics, even though I played video games in my former world, It was my first time seeing something like this." (Kiro) The only game Kiro played in his former world was a street fighter, the reason why he played it was to keep in touch with his friends. So the knowledge he knew from that game was useless. "Mm! Because Fixie is a good lady, Fixie will listen to, Master." (Fixie) was still having a delusion inside her head. "Statistics is a data-gathering from the growth of the person, It was divided from seven categories." (Fixie) "The first category is Strength, It enhances the Physical Power of the body, Endurance, and Physical resistance, Self Healing. Only means, If a person has high Strength, because of Self Healing ability, the person has a high tolerance from Mortal illness. Next category is Intelligence, It enhances the Magical Power of the body, boosting a person''s memory and Magical resistance. Another one, Dexterity, enhances the Flexibility of the body, boosting the movement speed of a person and reaction time. Concentration enhances the Mental Fortitude of a person, Marksmanship, and Craftsmanship. It has an extra ability If the person has a high concentration, the probability of mental attack resistance being born is high. The charm category is boosting the drop rate from killing a monster from the Labyrinth. Also, the chance that a person with a high charm to get attacked by creatures will slightly increase. The last one is Sense, enhances the Spiritual Essences of the body, danger detection, improves self-sense for disarming traps, boosting a person''s sense for solving the riddles." "Master might notice this but doesn''t the Master''s senses become sharper?" (Fixie) Hearing her question, Kiro subconsciously gives a slight nod for acceptance. After Fixie''s long explanation, Kiro stops walking and then tries to digest the information he got. If It was before, he wouldn''t proactively try to ask this kind of question, he might even avoid it. But right now, the sign of his growth, accepting the reality of this world. Kiro was trying his best to adopt for his current self. "Then... How on earth I nearly died because of that monster? Judging It died from my bite, It is definitely a weak monster, right? Given the high number my of strength, It shouldn''t be like that right?" (Kiro) asked in confusion. "About that Master, the blessing of the God of Creation only activated after you successfully unlock the System Upgrade, so only means, Master base stats at that time was way much worse than an average person in this world." (Fixie) "Then what about the weird sensation I felt and why is my brain enhances to the point, I can even use perfect memorization?" (Kiro) "I don''t know about the weird sensation you felt Master, but probably because after descending from this world. It was for the first time your body feeling mana of this world." (Fixie) "The reason why Master, felt his brain was enhanced was because of Master Innate Skill [Appraisal] without an enhanced brain, Master head will explode from a massive knowledge that is flooding inside your head. So the reason why Master felt his brain wasn''t the same as before, is because the [Appraisal] skill enhances Its user brain capability." (Fixie) "Oh, now I get it. So it was like that, no wonder I felt my brain was being enhanced after receiving that massive knowledge and [Appraisal] skill." (Kiro) "But... The current problem right now is, my charm, isn''t a bit too high? won''t I attract monsters because of it?" (Kiro) "Ah! About that Master, you don''t need to worry, your charm might be slightly higher than others, but It only works at the Labyrinths, any regular creature outside the Labyrinth won''t be affected by the charm status or else the human settlements will be long gone because of multiple people with a high charm." (Fixie) "Haa~ you should''ve told me that from the very beginning, I was worried for nothing." (Kiro) letting out a soft sigh. Knowing the monster won''t attract him outside the labyrinth, Kiro couldn''t help but be relieved. Unfortunately, his life and death experience was still fresh from his memory, subconsciously, Kiro was terrified of the monster. "Well, sooner or later I will be facing a lot of monsters, so it might take a while, but I must get used to it." (Kiro) mumbles "Yes, Master is right! So Master, fighting!" (Fixie) tried to boost Kiro''s morale with her childish voice. *** Along the way, Kiro manages to avoid monsters with his keen senses, but sometimes, there is a persistent monster that keeps tailing him, he had no choice but to battle it. At first, he was having a difficult time, but if he wants to adopt from the lifestyle of this world. Kiro could not always run from trouble. Even though he hated to kill a monster, It was something he needed to get used to, or else forget about living. If he only wants to avoid the monster, always hiding inside a wall, cowering with fear for being attacked. Kiro wouldn''t call It as living. He couldn''t help but picture himself living in a village wall, hiding from the monster, with a daily routine of eating and sleeping, repeating the same thing, every single day. How depressing a life could be If he lives like that. It was only rotting himself to death. He loves living Independently, having his own authority for his life. He said to himself. ''Why would I shrink back just because I am terrified of the monster? What If, I did live in the village peacefully, who could tell that monster won''t attack the village where I am staying? It was only temporary peace. Imagine living a life hiding behind those wooden walls, having a hard time sleeping at night because of the shadows that have been hunting me¡­'' ''I would rather charge to a group of monsters and face death than live a life like that!'' That day when Kiro clearly drew a line for himself, he already has a firm resolve not to abandon his will to live. Standing straight up ahead, facing the unfamiliar world without knowing what awaits from the future, charging bravely as he overcomes the challenge in this new life. After following the road trail Kiro finally reaches another village, staying for two days and one night. He sold a single piece of greasy grass for 40 pieces of silver coins from a peddler passing by. The reason why he sold it for such a cheap price from the marketplace, first because of the freshness is slowly deteriorating, while the effectiveness of the medical herb is slowly dissipating. Asking the peddler when he will reach the nearest town, the peddler said a half-day of travel he will reach a well-developed village with small inns for a traveler like him. Then after reaching the village, a day of worth travel to reach the nearest town. Hearing the peddler Kiro gives him a slight nod, saying a word of appreciation. "Mn, thank you." (Kiro) "Not at all, It is me who should be thanking you, for selling me this greasy grass for such a cheap price." (Peddler) Saying his goodbye from the peddler. Kiro continues to head toward the west. 8 Elmore Village of Durham. It is a well-developed place compare to the other villages, there is a long paved road connecting to the nearest town. Sometimes small scale caravans could be seen from time to time. In the small building called Smolder Meat Inn, Kiro was inside the Inn''s tavern munching a slice of smoked meat, he ordered a huge serving on his right hand a 16 oz mug of fruit juice. After a long journey, Kiro was starving to death, he managed to secure a warm place to stay at night. The last village he went into, the hospitality wasn''t that much, the chief of that place let him stay at the stable for a single night. So securing a sleeping quarter, Kiro will have a good night''s sleep on a crude bed than sleeping on a cold ground filled with straw. He also manages to have a great deal from the passing caravans and sold all of his remaining greasy grass for 2 Gold coins, 70 pieces of silver coins. For a single stalk, he manages to get a deal for 45 pieces of silver coins each. After knowing that the medical efficiency deteriorating wasn''t that much. He felt so stupid for being swindled by the peddler. His face couldn''t help to become sour. Along with the 40 silver coins he got from the peddler, Kiro total funding is around 3 Gold coins and 5 silver coins. He already used the 5 silver coins for renting a room and for food expenses. "Num, num... Juliana, another serving please." (Kiro) shouted in a low tone. Juliana is a mature woman, working as a serving girl in the Smolder Meat Inn, her voluptuous figure is the most eye-catching attraction inside this tavern. While everyone is greedily looking at her body figure, nobody has the guts to make a move at her. The reason is, the boss of this tavern is her husband and her husband was infamous for his low temper, the last time there were a few bunches of rude fellows trying to make a move to his wife. A furious huge butcher knife came flying through the kitchen. Frightening the group of hoodlum out of their wits. Since then nobody tried to bother the thorny flower inside the tavern. While the wife is acting as a service girl, the husband was a chef, his culinary skills were topnotch within the village, there were even some few guests staying at his Inn just because of his cooking skill. "Okay, another huge serving of Smolder meat, coming right up!" (Juliana) cheerfully said. Looking at the mesmerizing body disappearing from his sight. Kiro couldn''t help to gulp awkwardly. Juliana came right back, as quickly as the way she left, carrying a wooden tray placing it to Kiro''s table. "Huge serving of Smolder meat, enjoy your meal `wink`." (Juliana) could not help to tease Kiro. Of course, she knew Kiro''s hot gaze meant seeing a young adult like Kiro staring at her intensely, boosting her motivation that she hasn''t lost her touch yet. Given she is at age of thirties, yet she still looks like a young maiden at her prime. You could tell how much investment she gave to take care of her body. Kiro was petrified for a moment, he couldn''t help to blame his lack of social interaction from a mature woman. If the person was the same age as him, Kiro wouldn''t be dominated like this. Ignoring the poisonous vixen in front of him, as he started biting a chunk of meat. *** Inside his room. Kiro was sitting on a wooden chair, sorting out his future plans. In this world, there was a certain place called Adventurer''s Guild, It was a gathering place for sending a commission. It has a better chain of command than mercenaries, because of the bad reputation of mercenaries, they would rather go to the Adventurer''s Guild to send their request. Because Adventurer''s Guild has a high rating of completion rate, more and more people tend to go and send their requests in the Guild. What is more, the System of the Adventurer''s Guild was way much better than rogue mercenaries. They only needed to write their request from a small parchment and a beautiful receptionist will manage their commission, as long as their request doesn''t disturb the rules of the Guild, It will be accepted. Plus their commission fee was protected by the guild, so if the person who accepted their request failed to accomplish their demand, the advance payment they did was still secured. If nobody accepted their commission their fee will be refunded. It was way much better than the mercenaries who will ask for the half price of commission fee first before doing their work. What is more, if the mercenaries failed, they won''t give back the money that has already been received. So the popularity and reputation of Adventurer''s Guild reach not only a small scale Kingdom but even the larger Empires welcome their presence. "Mm... No matter which way I look at it, joining the Adventurer''s Guild is my best choice." (Kiro) was thinking out loud. as he continues. "I can choose to join the ranks in the military and climb up the ladder to become an honorable knight. The country might even bestow me a title. But I don''t want to get bound to a country. On the other hand, the Adventurer''s Guild has their own rule to be followed, but we are not bound to the country''s dispute, It was a give and take, relationship from both parties. What is more, with the Guild''s reputation I wouldn''t worry about not having an Identity Card, that can only be issued from the head of the village or town''s mayor of a person''s birthplace. Haa~ since I wasn''t born in this world, It is clear that I don''t have any record for a birthplace, there''s no way I can re-issue for an Identity Card. But if I have the Adventurer''s Guild Badge, It can be considered as my Identity Card. Because of the well-known reputation, I could easily enter any town and village without getting bothered by the criminal device." (Kiro) After pondering for a while, Kiro finally decided which route he will take. "Mm... I think joining the Guild is a much more realistic scenario for me. Forget about the Military, I don''t even have a proper background, to begin with." (Kiro) But Kiro didn''t know that joining a Guild wasn''t simple as he thought it would, because the information he gained was only primary knowledge of this world. After saying those words, Kiro lay down on the crude bed, but this time there was a mattress stuffed with straw. Kiro only woke up, when the sky is already dark. Going down to the tavern, grabbing a simple meal, a piece of dried meat, and a slice of brown bread. After eating he goes back to his room, continuing his rest. *** Early In the Morning. Kiro was doing a procedure for checking out after filling the question from the logbook. Kiro handed over the key. Even though this Inn wasn''t a high-class Inn, their procedure is high class one. He returns the key to the bald and bulky man, Kiro couldn''t help to think why such a person like Juliana falls for a guy like him. "Was it because he is good at cooking?" (Kiro) thought in a low tone. "What is it?" Baldy stared at Kiro in confusion. "Oh, It is nothing, uncle Hugh." (Kiro) couldn''t help to have a cold sweat running down to his forehead. After all, he was talking to the Infamous madman, pissing him off was the last thing Kiro wanted to do. "Hmph, I received the key and I already send my wife to check your room. If there is damage from the stuff inside, once she is done then you may go." (Hugh) snorted lightly, ignoring Kiro, heading back to the kitchen. After a while, a figure of seductress entered his sight. "Good Morning~ Kiro, I already checked your room, the furniture inside the room is still intact, there are no missing items, so you are good to go." (Juliana) said in a playful tone. Kiro couldn''t help to think what is wrong with this auntie, her behavior is something Kiro couldn''t converse easily. "Okay thank you for the trouble, Juliana." (Kiro) of course, Kiro still knew a basic etiquette for not bringing up a woman''s age. ''Even In this world, they still pay much attention to such'' Kiro thought. Bidding his farewell, Kiro continued his journey to the nearest town. *** Back to the current time. Kiro is there standing still, dazing blankly at the clear blue sky, recalling the past event that happened to him upon coming into this world. He already managed to enter the Town of Elmore. In front of him was the Biggest Commercial building in the central district of the town. It is a sub-branch of the Adventurer''s Guild. Looking at the building bustling with activity, a lot of people are going in and out inside the building from time to time. The only odd thing about it is, man or woman, every single one of them is carrying a weapon. What is more, some women wore such revealing clothes, but the weird thing is nobody bothered to look at them with a desire. The people around them acted as if they were only wearing simple and regular clothing. Upon entering the place. Kiro was momentarily shocked by the scene before him. On the right side of the building, there was a simple pub, even though it was still morning It was already packed with people. While on the left, a bunch of people was checking out the huge wall with countless parchments hanging on the wall. At the center of the building, there was a long queue of lines at the counter. Seeing such a scene, Kiro couldn''t help to, momentarily daze. After a while, Kiro finally snapped out of it. Looking at the empty counter, Kiro headed straight to that direction. Arriving in front of the receptionist. Kiro finally saw a stunning beauty, staring at her elegant demeanor, her movement was so precise there wasn''t a single motion wasted, she was wearing a simple white Leine underneath a long red Shinrone Gown. Her blazing long hair touching upon her hourglass waist. Her eyes were like a Ruby shining brightly at the dim corner of the counter, her skin was white as snow that you could not help to think if such beauty really does exist. Looking at the Goddess in front of him. Kiro couldn''t help to daze blanky at her beauty, the word beautiful was not enough to describe the Goddess In front of him. Seeing Kiro at daze, the woman couldn''t help, to chuckle lightly. As if being awake from his dream, Kiro tried to regain his senses. "Ahem... Mr, what can I do for you? Are you here to request a commission." the woman said with her dream-like voice. Kiro, who is trying to stabilize his senses, upon hearing her dreamlike voice, his strong will is breaking into pieces. Suddenly refreshing sensation entered throughout his body, regaining his clarity. "Master, be careful, that woman is dangerous! Fixie could feel her strong aura around her, Fixie will only help Master once from regaining Master''s senses. Master should better to get used seeing a beautiful woman like her or else you will be a disgrace as Fixie''s Master!" (Fixie) pouted at Kiro, she couldn''t understand why men were always like this when seeing beauty for the first time. Hearing Fixie''s voice, Kiro finally snapped out of it. "Mm, sorry about that Miss-" (Kiro) paused for a moment, he didn''t know what to call the beauty in front of him. He doesn''t have guts to call her Miss beautiful. "My name is Rosaleen, but If it is too long for you, Mr can just call me Rosie." (Rosie) answered so professionally, seeing Kiro is having a hard time, she won''t poke at his sour spot. "Mm, okay Miss Rosie, sorry about that and my name is Kirohoshi, you can also just call me Kiro."(Kiro) gave a light cough to hide from his embarrassment. "Okay, Mr. Kiro, how can I help you?" (Rosie) "About that, I was wondering where I can register, I want to join the Guild." (Kiro) "... Joining is it? I am sorry to tell you this Mr. Kiro but to join the Adventurer''s Guild, one must pass the basic training course first before they can finally register. We have a strict requirement from those who want to join our guild, are you sure you want to do it? Please don''t be offended If I were being frank here, but seeing Mr. Kiro, you seemed to be a sheltered child. Just by the look of Mr. Kiro''s hand, there weren''t any brushes or callus on Mr''s palm, there wasn''t even any sign of activity that you''re handling a sword before. Is Mr. Kiro sure that you really want to join the Guild?" (Rosie) stared at Kiro from up to bottom, she is on the mark, Kiro never once held a sword before, his only fighting experience was at that time in the forest and the journey to reach this town. "Yup, even If I have to pass the basic course first. I want to join the Guild." (Kiro) said earnestly. Seeing Kiro wasn''t joking around, Rosie didn''t bother to stop him, knowing It will only be futile attempt to persuade him, she grabs a piece of parchment from the counter''s drawer. She only thought that Kiro was a pampered son of a wealthy family. "Okay then, Mr. Kiro please fill the necessary information here." (Rosie) put down the parchment on the counter. Kiro gives a slight nod, then dripping the Quill pen to black ink, he started filling the question. 9 Hygiene Grabbing the Quilin pen, Kiro started filling up the necessary information from the parchment. Looking at the parchment once more. Kiro gives a slight nod of approval. What Kiro wrote is. Name: Kiro Age: 18 Job: BLANK Weapon of choice: BLANK Place of Birth: Village of Dorest. At the very end of the parchment, there was a tiny text saying, It wasn''t necessary to fill up the job and weapon of choice. So naturally, Kiro wouldn''t write something, he couldn''t simplify write his Unique Job or else endless of trouble would befall him. For the weapon of choice, In his entire life, he hadn''t used a single one, except at the time inside the forest. As for the place of birth, Kiro could only pray that chief Geoffrey wouldn''t divulge him. After that, he handed over the parchment to the beautiful Goddess. Seeing that Kiro skipped some details Rosie didn''t mind at all, putting back the parchment inside the drawer. "Okay, I received Mr. Kiro application form, the payment for the basic training course is 1 gold coin and 40 silver coins, If Mr. Kiro doesn''t have the money right now. The Guild offers a loan, and could slowly be paid by doing some miscellaneous job or once Mr. Kiro successfully entered the Guild, we can get the payment from your rewards for every commission you successfully complete until all the accumulated deduction reaches the previews debit." (Rosie) Kiro was shocked to know that there was a payment for the training course, he couldn''t help grumble deep inside him. ''What the heck with this guild? Aren''t they just trying to exploit the beginners?'' Seeing Kiro''s reaction, as if knowing what he was thinking, Rosie added another explanation. "For the reason why the admission fee is expensive, first 50% of the payment will be handed to the trainer, second 30% is for the materials that the trainee will be using for their training, 10% is for the food expenses and lodging of the participants and the remaining 10% will be the payment for the guild." (Rosie) For the time and effort, the Guild put into. At the end of the day, they will only receive 14 silver coins per person. Hearing Rosie''s explanation, Kiro couldn''t help to gulp his dry saliva in embarrassment. "Hehe... It is okay Ms. Rosie, I will pay the admission fee right now." (Kiro) crack a dry laugh while placing 1 gold coin and 40 silver coins on the counter. Seeing Kiro didn''t bat an eye while paying such a huge amount, Rosie''s assumption of him being a son of a wealthy family became more firm. "I received the exact amount of the payment, thank you for joining the Guild''s basic training course. Please do remember to come back here, tomorrow morning, I will introduce Mr. Kiro the proctor that will handle your training. I hope you successfully finish the course." (Rosie) gives a service smile, while putting the admission fee inside the small pouch. Staring at Rosie''s warm smile, Kiro was petrified once more, even though it was only a part of her professionalism, he still could not help to admire her beauty. A sharp pain runs through Kiro''s head, waking him up from the dream-like scenery. "Master! Wake up and leave this place first, there is something I need to tell you." (Fixie) anxiously said. Hearing Fixie''s nervous voice, Kiro finally manages to regain his senses. Taking a last look at Rosie, Kiro walks away from the counter. "What is it fixie? Why are you being so tense right now?" (Kiro) asked in confusion. "Just leave the place first Master, then Fixie will explain why Fixie is being like this." (Fixie) urged Kiro to leave the Guild. Helplessly shaking his head, Kiro could only agree to leave the place first. *** Outside the Guild, Kiro headed toward the public plaza, food stalls were lining up inside the plaza innermost part. "Num... So what is it?" (Kiro) mumbled while chewing a meat skewer. "Master, It is Fixie''s fault for not reminding Master that there is a dangerous existence that can threaten Master livelihood, Fixie just now remembered it, If you encounter such a person, Master needs to be mindful or else Master freedom isn''t something Fixie can guarantee." (Fixie) said in a serious tone. "Just tell me, what are you so afraid of? I promise I will be careful." (Kiro) stopped chewing his meat skewer and after hearing how serious the matter is. "That woman called Rosie... Master should be careful of her." (Fixie) "What about her? I couldn''t find anything hostile from our interaction a while ago?" (Kiro) asked in bewilderment, right now he really didn''t know how the thoughts of his little fixie work. "That''s not it Master, Fixie meant to say is, you have to be vigilant from that woman. She is very strong, Fixie can tell just by feeling her aura. Master couldn''t differentiate what is wrong with her, because Master is still only Lv.1, while Master can use [Appraisal] skill to know her, but I recommend Master not to do it for now." (Fixie) explained as she continued. "In this world, Master is not the only one who has a [Appraisal] skill, so Master should be mindful of using it. Because the higher the level of the person is, the greater their experience in life. Fixie wanted to say, they could easily tell if someone is observing them using Innate Skills like [Appraisal]. While there is more way to counter and detect the Appraisal user. Such as utilizing a device to counter the skill or to hinder Its usefulness, like disguising their own statistics, or block the user for peeking at them." (Fixie) "That woman, Fixie can feel a very strong aura around her, she wasn''t a simple person at all. If Master is really curious about Rosie, Master should listen to Fixie, Master you have to level up your [Appraisal] skill up to Lv.3 or at least Lv.2 for Master to use his Innate Skill without getting detected or hindered." (Fixie) said those words earnestly. After hearing Fixie''s statement. Kiro couldn''t help to praise himself that he didn''t use the Appraisal skill to check the beauty. Well truth to be told, It is not that he didn''t want to use it. But because he was so mesmerized from her bearing to the point he felt like he was only a normal mortal compared to her. "Okay, I understand. I will listen to Fixie." (Kiro) thought for a moment, he knew that fixie would not do something that harmful for him, after unlocking the System Upgrade, Kiro could slightly feel the feelings conveyed from Fixie''s voice. He could tell she was genuinely worried about him. "Well I know Master is weak from the beauties, so Fixie couldn''t help to warn Master urgently." (Fixie) said jokingly. "What? I''m not a hungry beast you know." (Kiro) rebuked her, but deep inside, he clearly knows his feelings. It would be a lie if he says he wasn''t attracted to the beautiful Goddess. "Well, Fixie can only congratulate Master for finding a suitable companion. Fixie will help Master if Master wants to pursue her you know! Heeeh~ perhaps Fixie is wrong, I guess Fixie respectable Master has a high resistance from a beauty like Rosie." (Fixie) "W-what are you talking about! Mm... Well If Fixie has some thoughts, your Respectable Master I, Kiro wouldn''t mind listening to you." (Kiro) could only play alone to her playfulness, he was curious too, what kind of plan the little fixie has, to capture the beauty. "Hehehe~ I guess It can''t be helped, Fixie is such a good lady, so Fixie will tell Master..." (Fixie) chuckled teasingly, as she tells her plan to Kiro. *** After finding a suitable Inn, Kiro sat on a wooden carved chair. "... Will your plan really work?" mumbled in deep thought. "Of course! It will, Master! Fixie will never lie to Master! As long Master listens to Fixie''s well-thought plan. Any beauties that Master''s wanted, It will be within your grasp!" (Fixie) "Well hearing your Ideas, It is indeed a well-thought one, but the plan is a long term one, so there is no need to rush things through." (Kiro) give her praise. He didn''t know the little Fixie of his, has this kind of side too. The plan is, Kiro should focus on attaining a greater height for his [Appraisal] Skill, well the difference between his ability to another appraisal user. His Innate skill can be upgraded, what is more, the new feature will be added for every upgrade. If he reaches the appropriate level, then only at that time they will properly begin their plan. "Either way, there''s nothing to lose if I give it a try." (Kiro) mumbles in a low tone. Now that Kiro presumes of it, he is gradually adopting from this world step by step. He even has time to pursue a romance now. ''Well I don''t know if it is a good thing or not, but after a week of staying in this world, I gradually adopted the lifestyle here. But there is no way I could get used sleeping at a crude wooden bed frame or from that itchy straw mattress. But there is no more urgent matter than taking a bath! It has already been a week, but I couldn''t find a way to cleanse myself, there is no proper hygienic equipment in this kind of low-class Inns.'' Kiro couldn''t help to lament, he is a person from the modern world. for 18 years of his life, taking proper hygiene is a must. There is no way he could easily cast aside the convenient things he already experienced from his former world. Thinking this far, Kiro finally decided to go down, ask the Inn poster girl for information. *** "Good afternoon Alina." (Kiro) greets the girl who is standing at the entrance of the Inn. "Hello Mr. Kiro, Good afternoon." (Alina) politely gives her greetings. Alina is a girl who has brown bob cut hair, dark brown eyes, healthy tanned skin color, along with her charming appearance that attracts a different type of gaze from time to time. "Alina, do you know where I can find a utility store?" (Kiro) asked with expectation. He already had enough just by using hot water to wash his body and his hair. But It wasn''t enough to get rid of the accumulated oil inside his hair. He wanted to have proper hygiene at least three times a week as a minimum, but knowing he is lack of funds. Kiro can only think of having a huge nice warm bath inside his dream. Hearing Kiro''s question, Alina pondered for a while. "What do you need Mr. Kiro? Our Inn might have it." (Alina) said while pondering why he wanted to go to the utility store. "I wanted to buy some necessities for hygiene." (Kiro) "Hmm... Mr. Kiro is so rich, isn''t he? Only wealthy families and nobles care so much for their appearance and hygiene... Well, Mr. Kiro can find the best Utility Merchandise at the Inner commercial district in this town." (Alina) "Mm, I am not rich at all you know? Doesn''t Alina take care of her looks and hygiene too? Alina is a pretty lady and I can smell the fragrance of a flower around you." (Kiro) tease her, while It is true that he could smell a nice scent around Alina. Alina''s cheeks flushed in red, because of her healthy tanned skin tone, her face right now was entrancing enough that some passengers stopped walking and admired her beauty. "Hmph, Mr. Kiro is such a glib tongue, please stop teasing Alina." (Aline) pouted lightly, as she hid her face from embarrassment. Kiro couldn''t help laughing at Alina''s reaction, walking away Kiro headed straight to the Inner commercial district. 10 Lavender Soap Going to the Inner commercial district. Kiro was looking around curiously, It was a rare sight for him since coming from this world. The only thing he saw was the basic architecture of the villages, staring at the different types of commercial buildings, what is more, the layout of the district is closer to 18th-century structures. He could feel the Majestic beauty of the place, lanterns are hanging neatly near on the storefronts. Illuminating a warm and cozy feeling, even though the sun was shining brightly from the above, It doesn''t hinder the lights that emit from the lantern. Looking around, Kiro finally saw a two-story building, the extravagant appearance of the store is so eye-catching even for Kiro who lived in the modern world. He couldn''t help to praise the sight in front of him. Staring at the signboard, Kiro saw the word ''Utility Store''. Upon seeing the signboard, Kiro was stupefied not because of the store name, but it was written by alphabet, giving it a gaze once more, Kiro couldn''t believe it. He doesn''t know if his eyes were playing tricks on him. Finally, Kiro decided to head inside the store. *** Inside the store. Kiro could find different types of merchandise, there he saw an item that he thought wouldn''t appear from this world. It was shampoo, what is more, there is a conditioner too. As Kiro browsed from the store, the more he was shocked to the core, Kiro couldn''t believe what he was staring at right now. Seeing there''s a person went inside, the store clerk steps forward greeting Kiro politely. "Good Afternoon, Mr, what can I help you with?" the clerk said professionally while giving Kiro a glance, looking at Kiro who only wears average clothing even though he was dissatisfied, It was his job to receive a customer and welcome them no matter what status the person might be. "Mm, I was looking for a bar of body soap, do you have It here?" Kiro rouses from his thoughts. The clerk felt offended by Kiro''s question but he wouldn''t dare to voice it out. "Yes of course we do, Mr, our store is the biggest ''Utility Goods Store'' within the town." the clerk says while emphasizing that their store is the biggest in the town. Well, It is the truth that their store is the biggest and fanciest in the town of Elmore. "Mn, can you please show me the product?" Kiro says, while still pondering hard why such items exist from this world. There is some possibility that they can recreate a liquid shampoo from here, but the thing that has been bothering him was the label of the products. It was written in the alphabet. "Please this way Mr, we hide the body soap from an isolated area so that the fragrance will last long." The clerk leads Kiro to a small storage room, upon entering the room, different types of soap could be seen. There are different types of fragrance flowers lingering inside the place. Looking around Kiro was curious about how extravagant their presentation is, each of every single bar soap has glass containers, inside the container, there is a smooth fabric enveloping the bottom. While the bar soap was softly laying down on the decorative fabric. "Here''s our most recent body soap Mr, so what kind of soap are you looking for?" the clerk asked Kiro who was spacing out of the place. "Do you have a mint soap here?" Kiro looks around the shelf and he doesn''t know what kind of soap he should choose, while most of the bar soap inside the storage has a fragrance of a flower that didn''t suit Kiro''s taste. "Mint is it... Currently, we have a newly developed bar soap made of lavender and peppermint, how about it Mr, would you like to examine our newly bar soap?" The clerk''s eyes flashed in surprise. He knows that the newly developed soap hasn''t been released from the marketplace, yet Kiro has a piece of knowledge about mint soap. In his eyes, Kiro is an influential person in the guise of being a commoner, after all, only nobles from higher degree will know the new existence of their product. His attitude for Kiro turns into more respectful, fearing the unknown person in front of him the clerk couldn''t help to feel nervous at the same time, being lucky that he would earn a lot today. "Oh, so you guys even have that product here too huh, sure go ahead." Kiro subconsciously answers the question. The clerk was bewildered from Kiro''s reaction ''What do you mean by you guys even have that product here too? It is our store who first developed such a soap you know.'' But he just pretends that he didn''t hear a thing, he couldn''t voice his thought out, even if Kiro was a commoner, what is more, now that he is assuming that Kiro is a highly influential person there is no way he would point out his remark. Walking to another corner, the clerk opened a small safe made of reinforced Iron. Opening the safe, a delicate fragrance of lavender overwhelms the room, while there is a tint of refreshing feeling coming from the peppermint. Smelling the fragrance of lavender, Kiro is satisfied with the combination of the two. "Mm, I''ll buy it I like the fragrance and the freshness that''s coming from the soap." Kiro could not help to praise a good product, he couldn''t believe even in this world, the soap was developing to this extent. "Okay Mr, but this soap is newly developed and It was released to the marketplace yet, so the price was much higher than the marketplace." The clerk says, he was afraid the Kiro would misunderstand him, so he tried his best to deliver the word clearly while not forgetting to be humble. "Huh, Is that so? It is fine just tell me the price is." Kiro urged the clerk, he doesn''t care about the price right now, he is dying from irritation from sleeping on the itchy straw mattress. Kiro has an urgent need for a block of bar soap. "Well, the price is 30 silver coins per a single bar soap, If it was released from the market the price will be 20 silver coins because the price of mass production is much cheaper than custom made soap." The clerk says as he continues."But don''t worry Mr, this bar soap quality is much higher than the one that will be released from the marketplace." "This soap has only limited production It was meant to be shown to the VIP customers like Mr, who knows the trade secret." The clerk explained, he clearly misunderstood Kiro, well he couldn''t help to misinterpret Kiro, because the clerk is only following the procedure If someone came to the store and said the keyword ''Mint'' that person was either a noble or a big-shot from the merchant guild. "... 30 silver coins huh." Kiro mumbles. "That''s expensive, but I badly need the soap, okay I will buy two," saying that, he handed over the 60 silver coins to the clerk, while deep inside him, Kiro was bleeding profusely The remaining balance to the money Kiro got from selling the greasy grass is 101 silver coins and 5 copper coins. He already spent most of his money on the admission fee, now he is going to buy two pieces of soap for 60 silver coins plus the 1 gold coin and 40 silver coins before and the lodging fee from the Inn for 3 silver coins and 5 copper coins from buying random skewers at the food stalls. Kiro could only lament from how fast he lavish away his money. "This one received the exact amount, the two lavender peppermint soap will be wrapped by a special fabric so the fragrance will last longer." The clerk said respectfully."Thank you for your patronage." giving Kiro a slight bow, after saying that, clear took two pieces of soft fabric and wrapped the soap. Receiving the bar soap, Kiro didn''t forget to ask the question, that''s been mulling over since coming to this store. "Can I ask a question? I don''t mind if you can''t provide me an answer, I just wanted to know what is the origin of the syllabus that this store uses at the signboard and the labels from the other products." Kiro mutter those word with a light tone. "Oh, the signboard is it? I would like to apologize first, this humble one is only a lowly clerk I don''t know if I could provide a satisfactory answer for esteemed Mr." clerk says with more attentiveness. Kiro is now having a headache from the quick overturn attitude of the clerk. He didn''t know why he became so respectful all of a sudden. "Please, you can talk to me more casually and It is fine you can talk about what is on your mind," Kiro said with annoyance, he couldn''t explain the behavior of the clerk right now. "If the esteemed Mr, says so this humble one will tell a tale about this world." the clerk says as he starts to narrate a story. Year 856 from the Eldeon Calendar, the 30th day of Month Iyarma. Six entitled major kingdoms were living in equilibrium. It was the long period of prosperity for humanity, promising Individuals kept emerging from the major kingdoms at that time. There was no physical war Involve, the representative of each country competes with their knowledge from Rune carving and developing Magical equipment, to foresaw if their balance is still maintained there was an annual competition hosted by the six major kingdoms, no matter what age young or old is being motivated to innovate their craftsmanship and to pursue higher heights for rune carving. But for such a peaceful era, Humanities Greed was at its peak. For the sake of forbidden knowledge, one of the kingdoms broke a taboo, that kingdom commenced a forgotten ritual, It was to summon an individual from another world. That ritual was meant to be used if their kingdom was on a dire strait, but because of overwhelming greed and curiosity, the kingdom bet all of their hope to that ritual from the legends. It was a success, they managed to summon an individual from the other realm, the kingdom hosted a celebration for their future prosperity, but little did they know. Other kingdoms already have a clear source that they conducted a forbidden ritual, while the country is busy for their celebration, the other five nations sign a peace treaty from each other. They started to march their troops to the kingdom that disturb the balance. With a single night, the kingdom whose bustling with life falls into ruins. The wailing of a child is echoing at the surrounding, a scream of agony of the citizens could be heard in each and every corner of the kingdom, they turned the nation into a carnage. Not a single soul of nobility and royalty direct bloodline was spared, every single one of them was eradicated from the roots. The half surviving resident of the kingdom was forced into slavery, while the summoned person didn''t escape the same fate. Taking advantage of the state of affairs the five-kingdom divided the loot while they shared information for extracting the unusual knowledge of the summoned person. At first, the five major kingdoms were rejoicing from their triumph victory. But tragedy befalls the major kingdoms because the balance has been disturbed every single one of them became wary of each other''s existence. While their magical craftsmanship leads to a new height, they were completely unaware It was meticulously planned by the summoned person. To drive a wedge between the five major kingdoms, the summoned person endured the torturous life for a single decade, finally, he saw the fruition of his action. In a single night, one of the kingdom spies tried to abduct the summoned person for their nation''s personal use. It finally broke the frail bridge between the five kingdoms, wars escalated from the entire continent of humanity. What frustrates them the most, is the demons didn''t let go of the opportunity to hit them hard. The humans who''ve been strengthened for a day and night, they didn''t dare to confront directly so they twiddle one''s thumbs waiting for the proper moment to strike them miserable. They didn''t even let go of the chance to secure the prized trophy, the summoned person. Instead of securing the summoned person, It manages to escape and hide to the eyes of society. three years later, the summoned person came back and showed Itself from the world. Swear to take revenge from the five kingdoms, the summoned person gathered an armed force of freed slaves promising them a prosperous future. The preview resident of the fallen kingdom with their base behind his back, he pioneers a single town turned it into a small size country, the summoned person meticulously do a long term plan for three years became one of the strongest kingdoms in the entire continent. Because the five kingdoms went on a hibernation, they didn''t realize that there is a huge threat behind their back. The summoned person build up his dominion with a breath neck speed, with a better system than other kingdoms, the summoned person abolished the slavery from his kingdom, instead build up necessary magic equipment to have much faster progress and efficient magic tools for the rapid advancement. After a few years of swift Innovation, the summoned person overthrew the figurehead of the 5 kingdoms and put them under his control, degrading the status of the most leading nobles faction, ruthlessly killing the corrupt, the one who abides by the system of the summoned person was spared. In the current time, the name of the humongous country ''Empire of Avonmore''. "Our main stronghold originates from the Empire of Avonmore, we are only a lowly personage managing a branch store from small kingdoms." the clerk ends his tale from here. Kiro was absorbed in thought he didn''t manage to discern what the clerk said in his last sentences after ending the story. 11 Ralph Coming back to his senses, Kiro finally understood what was happening. The summoned person is the one who introduced the goods from his former world. Kiro could not believe that he wasn''t the first person who has even been summoned to another world even though Kiro himself was transmigrated here by an unknown being. He still could not help to think why such a coincidence happened multiple occurrences. It was as if his former world and this world were connected somehow. Biding his farewell to the clerk, Kiro went back to the Inn. In the Wooden Hatch Pub Alina, who is foolishly standing at the entrance hall of Inn, saw a small figure walking closer to her direction. The person has unusual Inky hair and pitch-black eyes. It was no other than Kiro, after buying all the necessities he needed Kiro wanted to go back to the Inn and have an early rest. Seeing Kiro is getting closer, Alina greeted him with her alluring smile. "How is it Mr. Kiro did you perhaps manage to obtain what you are looking for?" "Thanks to Alina, I did manage to acquire what I wanted," Kiro said while giving her thanks to Alina. "I am glad I could help Mr. Kiro if there''s anything else you could always ask, Alina." Said as she gives a courteous bow to Kiro. Looking at the beauty who is so polite at him, Kiro could only give an awkward smile. He still wasn''t used to it. Even if in his former world etiquette were being practiced, Kiro wasn''t used to seeing such a beautiful woman like Alina being polite to him. If It were his previous world, such a woman wouldn''t even bat an eye at him. Staring at Alina, Kiro gives a slight pleasantry as he goes inside the Inn. *** Inside his room. Kiro asked the Inn''s owner for two buckets of hot water. Kiro was dying to clean his oily body. He badly needs to rub every inch and corner of his body frame, grabbing a rag towel Kiro scrubbing his figure from up to bottom, even if the soap might destroy his hair, Kiro didn''t bother and use the soap as a shampoo while rinsing his body with hot water. After cleansing, Kiro went downstairs to grab lunch. Inside the pub. Kiro ordered a light meal, a single serving of tomato soup, and a slice of brown bread. While eating, Kiro couldn''t help to recall the tale of the clerk. He decided that after everything settled down, he would visit the Empire that the summoned person built. Glancing around the pub, Kiro saw Alina''s figure, she was serving food to the customer at this busy hour, but he saw the hand of a thug trying to touch Alina''s butt. "Please don''t touch Alina so casually," Alina said as she grabbed the hand of the thug. "Ugh! What are you doing?!" The thug shouted. Hearing a commotion inside the pub, the Inn owner rushes forward and sees Alina is fiercely grabbing the customer''s arm, with his long experience of running a business. The Inn''s owner immediately understood what was happening, going to their direction to mend the dispute between the two. "Please, dear customer, the serving girl is still new from this kind of work. Alina is still not used for being touched by the customer." The Inner owner said." She is still young and pure. I hope the customer wouldn''t mind her rude behavior." "What? Do you know how rude your serving girl is? If she doesn''t want to get touched, then she should not accept this kind of job!" The thug shouted hysterically. "Please, customer calm your anger, you are disturbing the other regulars here." "Who cares about them! How will you settle the account for me, huh? If a word comes out that your Inn has a poor serving, do you know how much your business will be affected?" This time the thug is trying to dig deeper. The reputation of the Inn was one of the keyways of surviving in the hospitality industry. Once their reputation has been tarnished, it will be hard to attract more customers. Usually, In the regular cheap Inn like the Wooden Hatch Pub, any serving girl on that kind of low-class Inn is giving free service for their customers, but the owner of this Inn does not follow the traditional ways. He wanted to run his business respectably. Hearing those words, the Inn owner flinched for a bit, but he recovered from his fright after seeing the usual glint in the thug''s eyes. It was clear that the thug did it on purpose to create a commotion to his Inn. The Inn owner''s eyes could not help to darted, gazing at the thug coldly. "Please, customer, although my Inn is small and humble, my Inn still has a policy that has to be followed. If you are looking for trouble you have come to the wrong place, please leave this place imminently." "... You, do you know that by doing this, your Inn reputation will be tarnished?" The thug tried to intimidate the Inn''s owner, but it did not work. "If my Inn reputation will be tarnished Is not because we neglect our duties, but it was because if we did not protect our employees, It was the same as stepping down to our Inn''s policy!" Kiro, who is silently watching the scene, could not help to give a slight sigh, getting up on the table Kiro heads toward their direction. "Hey, ~ Buddy, what are you doing? Come on, stop making such a ruckus. You are disturbing the other customers here." Kiro said while tapping his shoulder. "Who-" The thug cut-offed his words, he couldn''t finish what he was about to say. A solid object was poking at his back. "Hehehe, sorry about that owner, my friend is dead drunk, he does not know what he was saying," Kiro said. "Right, buddy?" The thug could only swallow his dry saliva as he nervously nods to Kiro''s statement. Kiro dragged him outside the pub, throwing the thug on the ground. "Stop pestering that Inn, If I ever saw you again or hear that you create another commotion... I won''t let you go that easily as I did right now." Kiro said while gazing fiercely at the thug. He knew the best solution is to intimidate the thug because the more you back down to the person like him, the haughtier the person will be. Still, Kiro forgot about the fact that he is now living in a different world, walking away from the thug Kiro suddenly felt a trace of murderous intent. Looking behind his back, Kiro saw the thug charges forward, holding a small dagger, but he wasn''t rattled at all. His mind is full of clarity. Kiro felt that he could easily read the movement of the thug, dodging sideways. Kiro grabbed the thug''s arm that''s holding the dagger and twisted it behind his back, throwing the thug down on the ground Kiro grabbed the small dagger from his hands."Do you still want to continue?" Kiro said while pointing the dagger on the thug''s neck. "I-i give u, please spare m-me..." The thug uttered those words in shock to his surprise. He never thought the frail-looking Kiro had some skills. "Never show yourself in front of me ever again," Kiro said as he dislocated the thug''s shoulder. "Argh!" The thug shouted in pain. Glancing to the thug once more, throwing the small dagger on the other side of the road, leaving behind the thug lying on the muddy ground. *** Inside his room, Kiro was lying on the crude wooden bed. There wasn''t any straw mattress. He was staying at a much lower class Inn. Kiro was pondering at the event that happened earlier If it was past him. Kiro wouldn''t mercilessly dislocate someone''s shoulder like that. "Haa~ since the event from the forest, I don''t know myself anymore... Is it the right thing to do? Did I overdid it?" Kiro mumbles. "Master! Don''t be discouraged! Fixie knows Master did the right thing. Master is only protecting himself. Plus, Master should already know a person like that thug will only pester you near in the future if Master did not teach him a good lesson." "I know, a person like him will come back and seek more trouble. If I wasn''t cruel enough." Kiro said, " In this world, the morals and ethics of the person here are way a lot different than my former world, I could feel that guy''s bloodlust. He was meant to kill If I were just an average person like I used to..." Kiro stopped thinking at this point. He knows the answer from his question. If he were the same person as before without the System Upgrade, the event from the forest might repeat itself. As he was in deep thought, Kiro fell asleep. It was already morning after he woke up. *** Waking up from his bed, Kiro got up, and he was planning to go to the Adventurer''s Guild early in the morning. Signing the checkout log, Kiro walks away from the Inn. Heading straight to the Guild''s location. Inside the Guild. Another receptionist received Kiro. He didn''t see Rosie here inside the Guild early in the morning. He was led to the training ground, upon entering the training area. It was wide. The length of the field is twice the size of a basketball court. There he saw at the edge of the training ground was the archery area, even in the morning there was already someone shooting with a bow and arrow, on the other side was a humanoid dummy figure lining up a row. In the middle of the training ground, there was a broad platform in the middle. ''Clack, ''Clack, ''Clack. The sounds of woods crashing to each other. Kiro saw there was an ongoing mock battle between the middle-aged man and a youthful boy on the platform. "Haah!" The youth shouted while he slashed upward using his wooden sword, but the middle-aged person quickly blocked it. "Hahaha! Come on! put more power into It!" "Hah... hah... hah... Instructor Ralph, can we rest for a bit? I can''t feel my wrist anymore." The youth said while stabilizing his breathing. "What are you talking about? Do you think your enemy will wait for you to recover? Move it!" While saying that the middle-aged man swung his wooden sword hard, sending the youth flying out of the platform. The Instructor finally saw that there was a new guest. It was Kiro who was left behind by the receptionist standing at the entrance of the training ground. Kiro saw that the Instructor was looking at him. "Good morning, I am called Kiro. I applied to the basic training course from the Guild." Kiro said."Is the person in charge here is you Mr-" "It is Ralph, the name is Ralph, you can call me Old Ralph or Instructor Ralph I''m your instructor, so It is fine if you want to talk to me casually," Ralph said, cutting Kiro''s question. "Okay Instructor Ralph, nice to meet you, until the basic training course is done, please take care of me," Kiro said politely while taking a slight bow. "Ohh, I will take care of you alright, but first fix that attitude of yours, I already told you I hate pleasantries, you can talk to me with ease!" Ralph said while picking up the wooden sword on the ground, "Come show me what you got, at your first lesson, let''s fix that attitude of yours." Glancing at the Instructor, Kiro was confused. He did not know how he offended the Instructor. He could only nod in approval as he headed toward their direction. 12 Sewer Kiro walks toward their direction, grabbing the fallen wooden sword on the ground while taking a kendo stance. He does not have any experience in handling a sword, but in their physical fitness, once in a while, there will be a random kendo examination to see if there is any hidden gem beneath the mud. "Please go easy on me," Kiro said while pointing the wooden sword to the Instructor."Humph, stop babbling, and show me what you got." Instructor Ralph said in annoyance. ''Clack'' Kiro swung his wooden sword hard, while the Instructor blocked his wooden sword with ease."Is that all you got? You are still a tender kid, swing harder!" He said. Kiro was finally irritated by the Instructor''s behavior. He did not use his full strength on that swing, but since the Instructor was so eager to see his full blow. Kiro wouldn''t be so polite not to reject his offer. ''Swoosh'' With the strength of Kiro''s swing, a piercing sound of wind could be heard. This time the Instructor''s expression became severe. Taking the center of his balance, Instructor Ralph receives Kiro full swing. "Not bad kid, your way of handling a sword is poor, but you have the strength for it. Come, you don''t need to hold back!" Instructor Ralph said while knocking Kiro''s sword down. This time Kiro did not hold back. Using his dexterity, Kiro tried to find an opening to strike Instructor Ralph. ''Clack!'' Clack!'' Clack!'' The continuous sound of crashing wood echoed inside the training ground, with his speed as an advantage, Kiro kept hitting the Instructor from a different angle. Still, the way he swung his wooden sword was so predictable. The Instructor casually deflected it. "Hooh... You seem to be quick, but It was not enough if you want to win!" The Instructor said while he uses his footing charges toward Kiro with his experiences, Ralph manages to push Kiro''s back. While deflecting Kiro''s swing, Ralph could feel that his hand started to get numb from the backlash, kicking the ground hard he used the weight of his body to smash the wooden hilt to Kiro''s rib cage. "Urgh." Kiro groans in pain. He did not manage to block the assault. With the Instructor''s Ralph deflecting his offense at the last moment, Kiro lost his footing. "Mm, that is enough for the Introduction, I will tell you this, you have the raw strength in you but, the way you handle your sword is so clumsy, but worry not since I''m here I will teach you the right way to handle the sword." The Instructor said while rubbing his numb arm. "Thanks for the lesson, Instructor Ralph," Kiro said while supporting his footing by stabbing the wooden sword on the ground."Haah~ as I told you could talk to me more casually, you never listen, kid." The Instructor swung his wooden sword hard to Kiro. He did not even manage to scream as Kiro was sent flying off the platform, coincidentally he landed on the youth who was barely breathing. "Haah... Haah... Are you still alive? My name is Kiro. How about you?" Kiro asked the youth."I am fine. I''m Aldin nice to meet you." Aldin said while trying to get up. "Haa~ I don''t know how long I will last with such harsh training like this." Aldin grumbled while looking at Kiro."By the way, you are the fourth person joining the training course, the other two are not here yet, but they will probably be coming soon." "Oh, so there are still other two, what kind of person are they?" Kiro asked curiously. He already recovered from the attack of the Instructor. "Hehe, you are in luck, they are both women, one of them is my childhood friend from the village where I grew up, but we parted ways because of my parent where a peddler, after securing a decent amount we moved here in this town, but faith brings us together again so, I will give you an early warning you are not allowed to make a move on Alyva, don''t worry the other girl is a beauty too, she is..." Aldin did not manage to finish his words as he saw a two-figure coming closer. "Instructor Ralph, sorry we are late," Alyva said."Hey, stop slacking around, Aldin."She said while looking at their direction, Alyva finally manages to see Kiro."Oh, are you perhaps the new person that is Ms. Rosie talking about?" Alyva said, glancing at Kiro, who is lying on the ground."Yes, I am Kiro nice to meet you." "Nice to meet you Kiro, I am Alyva, there is a rule that we can''t talk formally inside the training ground, I hope Kiro doesn''t mind if I call you casually," Alyva explained while introducing the other person who is behind her back, but before she could Kiro blurt out in surprise. "Alina?" Kiro said while looking at the familiar figure."Yes, It is Alina Mr- err, Kiro." Alina nervously answered while looking at Instructor Ralph, seeing that he was not paying attention to them, she was slightly relieved inside. On her first day, because of her politeness, she suffered the same fate as Kiro, she was beaten up to the point she thought of quitting. "What a coincidence, did you want to join the Guild too?" Kiro asked an obvious question, but he could not help to ask anyway. "Yes, that is the reason why I am working at the Inn to pay my debt for the admission fee. Since young, it was Alina''s dream to join the Guild and become an Adventurer," Alina said. "Then let''s properly Introduce our self once more. Nice to meet you, Alina, I''m Kiro you can just call me Kiro." He said while smiling at Alina. "Nice to meet you too, Kiro." She said while smiling brightly at him. "Hey, I am here too, you know." Alyva pouted for being ignored."Ahem, sorry about that. It is my pleasure to meet you Alyva, yes you can just call me Kiro. I don''t mind at all." Kiro said while giving a slight cough. *** Standing at the comprehensive platform Instructor Ralph called out. "It seems that everyone here now knows each other. Then let me repeat the rules once more since there is a new person here. It is appropriate for me to explain it again. The first rule you can''t talk formally here, the reason why I want you guys to talk casually was to build up your relationship with each other much better." "The second rule applied to the first rule, without being close enough to trust each other. Then you better quit here right now, being an Adventurer is not a joke, skills can be learned, power can be attained through hard work but attitude cannot be learned and cannot be attained through hard work. You can fake your attitude, but when dangers come, I bet you are the first person who will abandon your party members." "Here in this training course, you will not only practice how to defend yourself and build up your mental fortitude at the same time to remember the trust is the most crucial thing for the Adventurers because they are entrusting their lives to each other. The third rule is how to survive, no matter how dirty the tricks you do, as long as you survive, It is your win. In this course, I will teach you how to survive." Instructor Ralph said while gazing at them. "So for the first lesson go to the outer wall of the town and ask the patrol there named Gaur and say my name, he will lead you guys to your assignment," Ralph said. "Go on now. The task is about teamwork, and this will test your collaboration with each other and remember to return after you guys are done with your assigned duty. *** In the outer wall of the town, Kiro and co-manages to locate the patrol called Gaur. "Nice to meet you all. I am called Gaur." He said while looking at the four youths who are brimming with enthusiasm. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Gaur, we''re the one that Instructor Ralph mentioned," Alyva said. "Hoho, so it is you guys. Okay follow me, I''ll lead you guys to the designated place that your Instructor mentioned." Guar snickered. He could not help to blame Instructor Ralph for sending the youths in front of him for their torment, leading them to the underground tunnel of the town. "Here we are, just like what your Instructor mentioned, you will be cleaning the sewer around this area," Guar said. "Good luck." He didn''t want to linger at the place any longer, Guar is already used to seeing new recruits from the Guild being baptized from cleaning the sewer, but doesn''t mean he was used to hearing their rant every now and then. Looking at the surrounding area, Kiro and co were speechless. Never did they expect that they would clean a sewer for their first task in their training course. "Hehe... He is just joking, right?" Aldin said in a hoarse voice. "I think he was serious..." Alyva grumbly said. "You gotta be kidding me, right? I paid one gold coin and 40 silver coins just to clean a sewer!" "Well, stop babbling and grab that shovel, we are lucky that there is a cart here," Alyva said while looking at the two whose face could not be described. "Kiro, please assist Aldin while Me and Alina will be the one who will push the cart outside." Kiro could only helplessly nod in agreement, but deep inside, he could not help to curse. ''Who said that being an Adventurer is the best choice?'' Kiro grumbled inside. "Haah~ Okay, I just hope we can finish this quickly." While the two are busy preparing the cart, Kiro grabs a shovel and starts digging the accumulated dirt inside the sewer. "Hey, Kiro, I did not have a chance to ask earlier, but if you don''t mind, can you tell me where did you come from? You have unusual black hair and black eyes. It can only be found In the Empire of Avonmore." Kiro did not know how to answer his question, and he could simply tell him that he came from another world. "Yes, I came from the East Empire of Avonmore, my parents are traveling merchants, but I wanted to be an Adventurer, so that is why I am here," While the two were talking, a screeching sound echoed inside the underground sewer. 13 Slayer A shrieking sound echoed inside the underground sewer. Kiro and Aldin were alarmed, staring at the pitch-black pathway, a dark brown 3-foot long worm came out from the huge pile of dirt. Glancing at the worn, Kiro stared at it with disgust. "What is that thing," Kiro said. "It is a ground worm, they usually live in an underground sewer, It was a low-grade monster. Let me handle it, I want to see the fruition of my training." Aldin said. Heading straight toward the ground worm. ''Swoosh'' A piercing sound of the Iron shovel could be heard, hitting directly at the ground worm head. "Phew that was easy," He said while glancing at the dead ground worm. Aldin was about to head back to Kiro''s direction, and suddenly another ground worm appeared. "Eeek!" The ground worm charged toward Aldin''s direction, he was caught off guard, letting the ground worm bite his arm. "Argh!" Aldin shouted in pain, grabbing the three-foot-long ground worm, while he threw it to the ground. "Hey! Aldin are you alright?" Kiro shouted in alarm, rushing toward Aldin''s direction. "I''m fine, it''s just a minor wound." He said. "Anyway, Kiro can handle that monster, I''ll patch up my wounds, lest I make Alyva worry." "Okay, be careful alright, there might be some more ground worm lurking around this huge pile of dirt," Kiro said, as he uses his shovel to smash the ground worm head, but before he could. The ground worm squeals loudly. "Eeek!~" The ground worm cried as if It was trying to call someone. A moment later, a group of the ground worm appeared before him, Kiro shivered in disgust, he could not help to have cold goosebumps all over his body. "Gulp." Kiro swallowed his dry saliva while staring at the numerous ground worms endlessly popping up from the pile of dirty. "Hey, Aldin are you done?" He asked while worriedly looking at his back, but what Kiro saw. Aldin who was supposed to mend his wounds was now lying on the ground. "Aldin what happened to you!" Kiro shouted in fright, rushing toward his direction. "Master used Appraisal Skill on him, he seemed to be paralyzed." Fixie voices echoed inside Kiro''s head, after hearing her voice, Kiro''s rationality came back. "[Appraisal]." He mumbles the keyword. ------------------------------------------------- Name: Aldin Lv: 3 Age: 17 Gender: Male State: Paralyzed. -Grade F Paralytic poison running through the target host''s left arm. Title: N/A ------------------------------------------------- Job List. Combat Job: [Novice Sword''s Man] Lv.1 Non-combat Job: N/A The target host doesn''t have a job yet. ------------------------------------------------- Statistics. STR: 19 INT: 10 DEX: 19 CON: 10 CHA: 10 SEN: 10 VIT: 80 ------------------------------------------------- Skills. Combat Skills: [Basic Sword''s Mastery] Lv.1 Non-combat Skills: [Cooking] Lv.2 [Writing] Lv.1 ------------------------------------------------- "Urgh." Kiro groans in pain. He was still not used to the feeling of activating the [Appraisal] skill. "So what should I do now?" Kiro asked."Master, I think the best way to handle this situation is to Master slay all the ground worms, plus, Master might even level up after slaying all of the ground worms, so go for it Master~ Fixie will cheer on you! Fighting!" Fixie said with a teasing voice, she knows how disgusted Kiro is to the ground worm. "Can''t I just carry that guy and leave this place?" "No! Definitely not! Master should know that you can''t avoid all of those ground worms while carrying a person, even though Master has a poison resistance, it was still Lv.1, so the best course of action is to Master face the enemy head-on!" Fixie said, while deep inside she is chuckling for Kiro''s misfortune. She''s been sleeping for so long that the first amusement she got in a long while is her Master''s misfortune. "No... No way," Kiro said while looking at the army of ground worms that keeps popping up nonstop. Even though he said those words, Kiro is left with no choice but to confront the legion of the ground worm. He could not simply abandon Aldin here just because he was disgusted by the worms. Holding the Iron shovel firmly, Kiro braced himself for the upcoming disaster. *** "Haa... Haaa... Ha~" Kiro was exhausted from battling the horde of ground worms, looking at the scene before him. Kiro could not help grumble in disgust at the pile of ground worms forming a small hill. ¡ºTing!~¡» ¡ºCongratulation! The User Level Increased by five!¡» ¡ºNew Title has been unlocked!¡» ¡ºGround Worm Slayer title has been unlocked!¡» -Bonus Attribute. Aura of terror will be invoked if the user is near, any low-grade monster will tremble in fear. ¡ºTing!~¡» ¡ºPassive Skill Intimidation learned!¡» ¡ºUser Base Statistic Increased!¡» ¡ºUser accumulated SP Point is now 27 points.¡» -The User has a choice to upgrade his Unique Job [System User]. -Do you want to upgrade your Unique Job? -Yes / No "What..." Kiro is speechless after hearing his new title. He could not help to curse inside. ''Ground worm slayer? Haa~ why do I always get the dumbest title and nicknames?'' "Master, don''t forget our plan. You should focus on the [Appraisal] skill first." Fixie reminds Kiro about their plan. "Okay, I know what to do," Kiro said while remembering fixie''s plan to pursue the beauty. "So how many points do I need to Upgrade the Appraisal?" Kiro asked. "Because Appraisal is an Innate Skill, the cost is much higher than the normal one. Master needs 13 more points to upgrade the Appraisal." "So I need at least three more levels to upgrade the Appraisal skill." Kiro mumbles, suddenly he remembers that his base stats increase. "[Appraisal]." ------------------------------------------------- Statistics. STR: 25 (x5) - 125 INT: 25 (x5) - 125 DEX: 27 (x5) - 135 CON: 35 (x5) - 175 CHA: 35 (x5) - 175 SEN: 32 (x5) - 160 VIT: 75 (x5) - 375 -With the Blessing of the God of Creation, all base Stats will be multiplied by five. ------------------------------------------------- "Say, Fixie I don''t know what this number represents, so how much stronger did I get?" Kiro asked in confusion, He hasn''t checked out someone who has a higher level yet because of Fixie''s warning. "In terms of raw strength, Master is right now at the level of intermediate Adventurer, Hmm, I forgot Master is completely clueless about the structure of the Guild," Fixie said. "It is fine, I will learn it through this training course, Fixie doesn''t need to explain it to me. I want to learn everything from this Guild, your information may not be accurate. You have been sleeping for a long time right?" "Well, what Master said makes sense, the Information I have might not be accurate for this era." While the two converse, the scream of a woman could be heard. Kiro searches for the source of the sound, then he sees Alyva and Alina is finally back after dumping the dirt that was inside the cart. Alyva rushed to Aldin''s side, checking his pulse. She finally sighs in relief then glancing at Kiro, with her eyes full of questions, but before she could talk Alina shrieked in fright. "What is it, Alina?" She stares in bewilderment at Alina who is pointing her finger at Kiro, to be exact at the small hill behind him. Following her line of eyesight, Alyva changes her confused expression to fright, finally, she couldn''t help but bolt in shock too. Cold goosebump is running in every part of her body. Seeing the scene in front of him, Kiro could only helplessly sigh. He could only narrate what happened in the place. After explaining, Kiro and co-started digging the dirt inside the sewer, while the two women pretended that the small hill of ground worms doesn''t exist. Aldin who was left paralyzed, finally able to move his body back in motion, glancing at Kiro with a thankful look. It was already afternoon after they finished their task. *** Returning to the Guild, Kiro, and co was lifelessly crouching on the ground. They could not hide their bitter expression, especially Kiro who finally managed to cleanse his body yesterday, now he is in a much worse state than before. While the others inside the training ground look at them with pity, but the people are subconsciously avoiding them because of their smell. "Mm, good work you guys can rest early for today. Oh, I almost forgot Kiro doesn''t know where the beginner''s training lounge is. Kiro you can just follow Aldin, starting for today. You will be staying at the training lounge of the Guild until the course has ended." Instructor Ralph said while glancing at the four with a satisfied smile. Seeing the Instructor''s smile, the four people couldn''t help to shower him with a rain of curses deep inside. "Okay, Instructor Ralph," Kiro said while staring at the three people as if saying lead the way. Reading Kiro''s intention, the three finally move to their position and lead the way. 14 Kyros Following the three, Kiro and co finally arrived at the beginner''s training lounge. It was a two-story wooden cottage. The outer appearance of the building was made of Tritham brown wood, giving a unique ambiance from the surrounding along with an unpolished glass window. "Here we are Kiro, welcome to the training lounge. We will be staying from this place for at least a month." Alyva said. "Well since we''re here, you guys should wait outside while Me and Alina will be washing ourselves first." After she said that, the two women walked inside the cottage. "Haah~ what the heck, she wasn''t the only one who is disgusted by this sticky feeling you know," Aldin said while looking at Alyva''s back. "Kiro, our room located on the first floor or you can just select a room for your own, there is plenty of space in that place anyway." "Okay, then I will choose to have my own room," Kiro said. "Oh right, I almost forgot since when did the training course start? It seems like you already know each other for quite a while now." "Hmm, about that, we only started our training two days ago, there was a seminar first before we could finally start to attend the training course," Aldin said. "Did you perhaps not take part in the lecture?" "What lecture? It was my first time hearing it." Kiro asked in bewilderment. "For real? The lecturer is Ms. Rosie, the topic is about the fundamental values of the Adventurers." "Really? How come Miss. Rosie hasn''t told me a thing after applying from the course." Kiro said in confusion, he did not know why Rosie would hide something for him. "I guess, Ms. Rosie just forgot to mention it to you Kiro," Aldin said. "Being a receptionist wasn''t an easy job, you can just ask her for a new lecture if you meet her in the Guild." "That might be it, thanks for informing me Aldin," Kiro said. "Nah, It was nothing, you saved me from those hideous ground worms, it was me who should say thank you." He said while taking a slight bow. "It is alright, we are now a companion in this training course, I am only applying the teachings of Instructor Ralph." "Even so, let me say my thanks, or else I may not get a peaceful sleep." "Haa~ okay then, just treat us for a lunch. How about that? At the same time, it will help me to know you guys more." Kiro said. "Okay deal." He said while giving Kiro, smile of appreciation. *** Inside the cottage. Alina was busy gathering water in the well using the pulley methodology. "Hey, Alina where did you meet Kiro?" Alyva asked while looking at her curiously. "I met Kiro at the Wooden Hatch Pub, It is the Inn that I was temporarily employed with, that is the reason why Alina sometimes cannot attend the training course for a day, because of work Alina has to sacrifice a single day for training." She said. "But my employment will end in the upcoming week, and then Alina can now fully pay my debt in the Guild." "So, It was like that," Alyva said, and she finally understood why Alina was being so polite to Kiro upon their meeting, as for her working at the Inn it was her first time hearing it. "No wonder Alina sometimes took leave, so the reason behind it was because you are working at the Inn right?" She said. "Why did you not mention it before? We could have lent you some money, Aldin and I have been working since then, we earn a quite sum of money." "I appreciate your kindness Alyva, but I wanted to earn for myself, that is the main reason why I wanted to be an adventurer in the first place. Not only will I learn how to defend myself, at the same time, Alina can also earn money for living." She said. While she asked a question to change the topic. "So how''s the progress between the two of you? Didn''t Aldin for the first time disobeyed his parents just to follow Alyva?" "Haah~ last time uncle came to me while begging, he wanted me to stop Aldin, but with his stubborn personality, no matter what I said he won''t listen," Alyva said while giving a soft sigh. "It was me who wanted to be an Adventurer, Aldin could have just inherited his family business, he could live a blissful life being a merchant, but he chooses to follow me. Of course, I''m touched by his sincerity, but I don''t understand my feelings for him yet." "Well, forget about me. Hehe~ how about you Alina, didn''t you find Kiro attractive?" Alyva said teasingly. "Kiro? I don''t know like Alina said we are just acquaintances." "Haa~ why did I ask something so obvious, you wouldn''t be Alina if you are not like that, anyway, let''s wash ourself up, they might get mad if we took long enough, I bet those guys were dying from the stickiness too." *** It took for a while before the two women finally left the cottage and let Kiro and Aldin to wash for themselves. After gathering enough water, Kiro decided that he will use the storage room on the first floor for his personal use, placing the two big buckets of water on the ground, Kiro started to wash his body. He did not forget to wash the clothes that were given by chief Geoffrey. He suddenly remembered the small black wooden box that was hidden beneath his clothes. "Haah~ good thing the wooden box didn''t go missing, or I don''t know how I will face the old chief if I were to lose it." He said. "Looks like I need to buy a new pair of clothes," Kiro said while looking at the damped clothes hanging on the wall. While Kiro was mumbling, he heard a knocking sound. ''Knock, Knock, Knock'' "Kiro, are you there? It''s me, Alina." "Oh, Alina do you need something?" Kiro asked. "Nothing, there is just something I want to tell you, can I come inside?" "Mn? Okay." After voicing out his thoughts Kiro finally realized he was only wearing his trunks right now. "Alina wai-" but before he could finish he words, Alina already entered the room. Alina was surprised after seeing Kiro charging towards her while being half-naked, her face couldn''t help to turn pitch red from embarrassment. "Hehe... It is not what you think Ali-" Kiro tried to explain himself, but Alina suddenly rushes out from the room while slamming the door. ''Bang!'' "Haah~" Kiro could only helplessly sigh, he did not know how to face Alina after this event. Throwing himself on the crude wooden bed. It was already evening after Kiro got up from the bed. *** Waking up from his bed, Kiro heads out of his room, while searching for the others, finally, he sees them sitting at the circular table in the dining area. "Hey, Kiro, what took you so long, you even skipped lunch. How can you last like that if you don''t treat your body well?" Alyva reprimands him. "Ah... Sorry about that Alyva, I was just too tired a while ago and I did not notice I fell asleep." Kiro said. "But again, you guys are something you still have an appetite to eat after experiencing that scene." He said with a teasing voice. "W-what? Stop bringing that ''thing'' up, we already erased that from our memories, you should do the same." Alyva said, while her face turns pale after remembering the sight at the underground sewer. "Hehe, sorry about that," Kiro said while glancing at Alina who keeps being quiet all this time. "Good evening Alina." He looked at her apologetically. "Mm, Good evening." She said with a slight nod, while not looking at Kiro''s direction. Noticing the awkward atmosphere between the two, Alyva destroyed the silence in the room. "Come on now, you forgot to eat lunch so you better eat more for dinner." She said while passing the wooden tray to Kiro. "Thank you, Alyva." He said taking the empty seat from the table. The food Alyva''s serve was a bowl of chicken broth with mixed vegetables in it and a single slice of brown bread. "Thanks for the meal," Kiro mumbles. While everyone looked at him oddly for his gesture, but after they recalled he was from the eastern empire, they ignored the cultural differences. "So how is the food?"Alyva asked in anticipation, It was rare for her to cook a meal, but she knew her cooking skill was good enough to serve others. "Mm, It is tasty, the chicken broth was boiled enough while the vegetables weren''t that mushy, it was perfect." Kiro praised. He rarely ate something decent nowadays. After eating, the group retired to bed early. *** Early in the morning, Kiro and co arrive at the training ground. Glancing at the platform, they saw the familiar figure, but Instructor''s Ralph wasn''t alone, he was talking cheerfully at the elderly person next to him. ""Good morning Instructor Ralph."" They said in unison. "Oh, you guys have come at the right time," He said. "Come here you guys are in luck, my Instructor back in the days came here to see if there is a good seedling worthy of his attention." Now everyone looked at the Instructor with confusion. "Nice to meet you. I am Kyros, you guys can call me Old Kyros." 15 Invincible A-ranker Staring at the platform Kiro and Co were glancing in bewilderment from the old man who is named Kyros. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Kyros, I''m Alyva." The quick-witted Alyva said while glancing at the others as a signal indicating to introduce themselves. "Nice to meet you too, I''m Aldin. The other girl is called Alina, while the man behind me is Kiro." He said, giving a quick glance at the two. Alina and Kiro nod in approval while curiously looking at Old Kyros. "Mn, okay, you guys have a good name," Kyros said. "Just like what your instructor said, I came here to check if there is a hidden gem that I can nurture, this old man is getting old, I want to find a suitable successor." Hearing the explanation, Kiro and the others could not help to be stupefied from those words. They all look at Instructor Ralph asking for more clarification. Seeing the Kiro''s group were looking at him intensely, he added more explanation. "As I said earlier you guys are in luck, does the name Kyros don''t ring the bell?" He said with an amused tone. "... Don''t tell me... The Invincible A-ranker Kyros?" Aldin said stupor glancing at the old man in front of him. "Yup, you are right, my Instructor is ''that'' Kyros." While the other is looking at Kyros admiringly, Kiro was the only one who cannot comprehend what is happening. He doesn''t know who this Invincible A-ranker is, and what it means. "Ahem, stop calling me that, I''m not Invincible, it is just an empty title for this old man," Kyros said while giving a slight cough to mend the atmosphere. "Well now you who I am, I would like to know if any of you guys were using a bow as the main weapon." This time the group of three, finally came back to reality, they don''t use a bow as the main weapon. While the others became disinherited, Kiro was looking in confusion, he could not help to remember with his high CON it boosted his marksmanship, but Kiro did not have any chance to use a bow, so he hadn''t verified it yet. "I guess you haven''t tried using a bow huh, but would you guys give it a try?" Kyros said. "Don''t worry I''ll be here to teach you guys a proper posture for using the bow and arrow." "If that is the case, please pick me!" Alyva said with full enthusiasm. "Okay then, you guys follow me at the archer''s ground." After he said that, Kiro and co followed Kyros. *** In Archer''s Training Ground. Two types of target archery could be found, the most basic one is the thin circular target with a red mark on the middle, a humanoid target with dissimilar sizes of red marks on contrast places. While the level of difficulty is adjusted by the range of the target. There are three types of level found in the training ground. The first level is at the 7 yards wide range, the next level is 17 yards apart, the last one at the 27 yards wide range target archery. "Here we are, please stand at marker line Ms. Alyva," "Okay, Mr. Kyros," Alyva said, standing straight on the marker line. "Mn, now please move your legs shoulder apart, while maintaining your center of gravity," Kyros said as he hands over the basic crude bow and arrow that is inside the wooden crate. "Yes, Mr. Kyros," Alyva said while holding the crude bow on the handgrip, and placing the arrow inch above the tip of her thumb. "Hoho, at least Ms. Alyva knows how to hold the bow and arrow, now let me teach you a few tricks." He said. "Please maintain the posture, and try to stretch the bowstring with a straight-up chest." Following the Instruction. Alyva tried to do what Old Kyros said. While maintaining her balance, straightening up her chest, she stretched the bowstring, making the crude bow bend in a half-moon posture. Glancing at Alyva posture, Old Kyros could not help to give praise. "Good! Nice posture, now try to aim at the 7 yards target." Upon hearing Kyros'' voice, Alyva tried to aim at the 7 yards wide range target. ''Swoosh'' The arrow flew at the circular wooden target, but she only managed to hit the edge. "Haa~ I guess I''m not good at using a bow," Alyva said dejectedly. "Now, Ms. Alyva is doing a great job, your posture is nice, with proper training and dedication, I think you have a potential of using a bow." He said, but deep inside Kyros'' disappointment because what he needs is a genius in marksmanship, not a person who is ''Good Enough'' to handle the bow and arrow. "Is that for real Mr. Kyros?" Alyva''s dejected feature suddenly disappeared after hearing his praise. "Do any of you want to give it a try too?" Kyros said with high expectation, he was hoping there was a hidden gem beneath the mud. This time Kiro''s curiosity took his place, he always wanted to try using a archery''s bow but given the event yesterday. He did not have a chance to do so. "Hmm, Mr. Kyros can I give it a try to? But please don''t put your hopes up, I never held a bow before." Kiro said while giving him a quick glance. "Mm, It is alright I am the one who asked you guys to come here after all." "Okay then." After Kiro said that, he went forward, grabbing a bow and arrow inside the crate. Kiro moves toward Alyva direction while giving her a slight nod for praise. "I did not know you have some hidden talent inside of you Alyva," Kiro said. "Not at all, It was all thanks to Mr. Kyros'' pointers that I can do something like that." She said while stepping aside. Kiro tried to mimic Alyva''s position, widening his leg with a shoulder-length, maintaining his straight posture, grabbing the crude bow using his left hand while putting the arrow inch above his thumb. He tried to mimic what he heard in his former world, stabilizing his breathing, as he stretched the arrow and string bending the crude bow with a perfect half-moon shape. ''Swoosh'' The arrow flew at the target, but this time it hit on the mark. Looking at the scene Kyros'' eye glittered in excitement, but before he could say a thing. ''Crack!'' A crispy sound of a broken wood echoed inside the training ground. The arrow that supposedly stops after hitting Its target, pierce through the circular wooden target. "Hehehe... How is it Mr. Kyros? I''m sorry I can''t control my strength. I didn''t know the arrow would pass through the target." Kiro said while looking at the crude wooden bow on his hands, impending to crumble. "... Young man, you indeed have the strength and marksmanship to be Archer, but wait you might give us more surprise, can you hit another target this time the 17 yards one." Kyros said with full of anticipation. "But... The bow is about to collapse Mr. Kyros." Kiro said bitterly, he did not expect after following a piece of simple advice like that will lead to this. ¡ºTing!~¡» -New Skill Learned. ¡ºThe User learned a Basic Archery Skill!¡» -New Combat Skill will be added to the section. -Skill [Basic Archery] Lv.1 A sound of notification echoed inside Kiro''s head. "Congratulations Master! You finally learned a combat skill! Fixie is happy for Master!" This time Fixie''s childish voice could be heard. "What? I learned a new skill just like that?" Kiro mumbles "Hmm? Is there something wrong?" Kyros said looking at the confused Kiro. "It is nothing, Alyva can you lend me that bow and get me a single arrow?" Kiro said, glancing at her. "Okay, here hold this," Alyva said while heading toward the crate to get a single arrow giving it to Kiro. With a new arrow on hand, Kiro tried to repeat what he did earlier, but this time he suddenly felt it was easier to aim unlike before, It felt like he was using a bow for years. Taking an aim, Kiro stretched the string releasing the arrow at the 17 yards wide range target. ''Swoosh!'' This time Kiro''s aim is much sharper than before, the arrowhead hits the mark. Piercing through the back of the circular wooden target all the way through, flying 1 more yard before the arrow finally died down. "... What?" Kiro looked at the scene In front of him. He could not believe what he saw. "Hahahaha! Good! I finally found you!" This time Old Kyros maniacally laughs. 16 Disciple "Hahahaha!" Kyros laughed maniacally, startling the surrounding crowd. He could not help but release a cackle of laughter after seeing Kiro''s performance. He had been searching for quite a long time now. Kyros almost gave up searching for a suitable successor to inherit his Art of Archery, refined through countless years of dedication. Traveling throughout the human continent, he witnessed many prodigies; however, none of them were as good as Kiro. Now that he discovered Kiro ¡ª the person who never held a bow and arrow before, he could not believe from that declaration, but he did not mind it at all. After seeing his performance, Kyros doesn''t care whether Kiro is stating the truth. The most important thing is Kiro has a sufficient foundation for him to successfully grasp his art of archery. "Young man... No, Kiro, would you be willing to accept my offer, and be my disciple?" Kyros said with eyes full of expectation. "Hmm?" Kiro, who was still preoccupied with thoughts from the scene he made, awakened from old Kyros'' voice. "What do you mean by that Mr. Kyros?" Kiro asked once more for clarification. He did not understand what he meant by those words. "¡ªIn short, I will teach you everything I''ve learned from decades of refining my Archery skill, I will be your Master. How''s that sound? Being my disciple, you will have more advantages than would have ever dreamed of attaining in your entire lifetime." Kyros'' tried to coax Kiro from the advantage of taking him as his teacher. "What are those advantages?" Kiro probed further. "For example, if you accept being my disciple, not only will you learn my Art of Archery, you could also use some of my influence. Being an Adventurer for such a long time, I have created a lasting reputation throughout the entire continent." "Let''s not forget about the equipment now ¡ª it is essential for us Adventurers to possess a superior grade weapon. With that being said, I could give you the best weapon within your current capabilities." "What about capital?" This time Kiro shamelessly asked for money. After buying the soap, he only had a few hundreds of silver left. "Fundings? I could give you some money, but I don''t want my disciple to be an indolent person, so you have to take care of that for yourself." Kiro pondered for a moment. Learning an archery skill from a reputable person is a huge pie falling from heaven for him. He did not want to miss the opportunity, but his rationality is telling him not to trust someone so doubtlessly. Deliberating the pros and cons of Kyros'' offer, Kiro finally decided. "Okay, Mr. Kyros, I will accept your offer, so is there any ceremony for accepting your discipleship?" Kiro said. He did not know if there is some traditional culture for accepting someone as his teacher. "Nothing much, I''m not that kind of traditional person. However, you need to at least kowtow to me once as a sign of acceptance." Kyros'' said. Truthfully he didn''t really care about the custom, but he felt it was more realistic if Kiro kowtowed once as proof of affirmation. Kiro doubtfully glanced at Kyros but seeing how serious his facial expression is, he eventually thought he was stating the truth. Lowering both of his knees on the ground, Kiro''s body fell as he gave his kowtow to Kyros. "Mm, I guess that works too, from now on, you will call me Master." "Yes, Master!" Kiro said, but deep inside him. Kiro is full of awkwardness, kowtowing to someone he just met. Kiro never did something so embarrassing, but little did he know in the upcoming weeks, he will regret deciding the course of his life half-heartedly. "Okay meet me up, early in the morning, I will think of a suitable training course for you, but prepare yourself Kiro, don''t think lightly of my art of archery." Kyros mused up while saying those words. *** Inside the training lounge. Alyva and the others were surrounding Kiro. "Congratulations Kiro! It is so envious, you will learn the way of Archery from ''that'' legendary figure!" Alyva said she felt happy for Kiro but at the same time, Alyva felt jealous for him, conceivably because after learning the fact she could handle the bow considerably well, however, she wasn''t chosen. "Hehe, thank you Alyva, but like Mr. Kyros said you have a potential for being an archer," Kiro replied to her. For some reason, he could feel the bitterness from Alyva''s voice. "Aren''t you supposed to call him ''Master'' now?" Alyva teased Kiro. She knew Kiro felt embarrassed to address someone as Master. "Hoho... I was going to ask my ''Master'' to give more pointers to Alyva, but I guess a certain someone does not want to." Kiro teases her back as an act of revenge. "... Really? I did not know Kiro is such a kind-hearted person, I''m in the wrong, come on, please? I want to hear more advice from your Master." "Haa~ does it bother you that much? Okay, I will, plus it is more fun to have a person accompanying me in the Archery''s ground." "Are you telling the truth?" Alyva''s eyes lit up. She genuinely wanted to learn from Old Kyros, but she wasn''t accepted. However, for her, the knowledge of that reputable person is much more valuable than anything else. "Yes, I am serious. I know Alyva wanted to learn more from Master right, so why not?" Kiro said he could not say no after seeing her reaction, but it is also the truth that he wanted someone to accompany him. Because of Old Kyros'' abrupt visit, their training for today is called off. Now everyone is lazing around in the training lounge. "Thank you, Kiro! I will never forget about this favor!" Alyva said with full of appreciation. She is extremely happy, even if it is just receiving some pointers. This time Kiro felt his back turned cold, finding the source of the discomfort. Kiro saw Aldin with his eyes full of envy. He could only bitterly laugh from his reaction. "Hehehe... Come on now, since we have a day off why don''t the four of us stroll around the town... Ahem, yep that is right I remembered a certain someone said he will treat us all a lunch." Kiro cracks a joke to hide his discomfort while glancing at Aldin. Hearing Kiro''s voice, Aldin was startled for a moment, then he quickly recovered as he recalled the promise he made. "That is right! How about Alyva? It is rare for me to treat you guys you know." Aldin could not help to directly ask her. He was still feeling bitter because the one who gives what Alyva wanted is Kiro. "Hmm? What is wrong with you, Aldin, it is rare for you to act this way, aren''t you supposed to save up money to buy a decent sword?" She said before continuing. "Well, it is a free meal so why not?" "Right? Plus, this is my way to thank Kiro for saving my life, remember I was paralyzed It was all thanks to Kiro who bravely confronted the horde of ground worms." After he said those words. Aldin couldn''t help to mock himself. He is treating his savior unjustly because of his jealousy. ''What were you thinking, get hold of yourself Aldin.'' He said to himself. While Alina is observing Aldin and Alyva in confusion, Kiro tries to mend the strange atmosphere. "Okay! It''s been decided, Aldin will treat us a free lunch!" After that, Kiro and his group grab lunch in a simple tavern. *** Ye Olde Tavern Kiro ordered three huge serving of meat, while he added two bowls of kitchen broth and a 10 oz of fruit juice. Staring at Kiro, the group could not help to be astonished. Not because of the price of the food, but because Kiro alone will devour those meals that are lining up on his table. "Kiro are you sure you could finish all that food?" Aldin said while glancing at the three huge slices of meat. "Mm, yup, I can finish all of this." He said as he looked at them with bewilderment, after coming from this world, the nutrients that his body needed were increasing, but he subconsciously Kiro doesn''t realize how big his appetite, nowadays. "Well, if you say so. Alyva, Alina, go and order whatever you like." "Okay," Alyva said, while Alina responded with a slight nod. "Well, it is a bit late, but let''s have a toast for Kiro being accepted as a disciple of Mr. Kyros!" Alyva said while raising her cup. "Okay, for Kiro''s success!" Aldin said. "For Mr. Kiro''s success." Alina was being shy, she was trying to avoid Kiro after the event from his room. Hearing Alina called him Mr. once more, Kiro felt bitter deep inside, but swallowing his bitterness, he said. "No, you guys are wrong, it is for our success!" With that, he raises his cup and drinks the 10 oz of fruit juice with one gulp. ""Yeah!"" The group said in unison. After eating lunch, Kiro did not forget to buy a pair of new clothing. A used cloth cost 50 copper coins for a pair, while the brand new one cost 100 copper coins per piece. Kiro bought two sets of new clothing. He could not bear the itchy feeling of wearing the used clothing. It was already nighttime when he returned to the training lounge. 17 Runic Carving In the Plain of Wilderness. There was a man who was hiding beneath the bush with his sharp eyes glittering in the dusky forest as the person observed the adjacent wilderness. ''Swoosh'' A piercing sound could be heard, startling the one-horned white rabbit, but it was already too late before it could even react in time. The arrow already hit its head. Staring at the dead body of the one-horned rabbit, the person who is hiding in the bush revealed himself. He has pitch black hair and a pair of glittering black amethyst eyes but giving a closer look at his pitch-dark eyes that were sharp as a blade. It was enough to tell that this man has experienced many waves and tides in life. Glancing at the dead body of the one-horned rabbit. Kiro goes toward its direction, taking out a small knife from his rucksack, Kiro skinned the rabbit skillfully. Setting up a campfire, Kiro grabbed a piece of wooden branch and he skewered the rabbit meat as a whole. "Haa~ that unreasonable old man. How can he just throw a person into the wilderness without anything but a bow and arrow and a few necessities." "What is more, from time to time, that damn person arrow is hunting me like a ghost!" Kiro yelled in frustration, It already been a week since he started his apprenticeship from Old Kyros. On his first day, he was thrown into a den of wolves. He only left Kiro with a small dagger to defend himself but to his surprise. Kiro handled the pack of wolves effortlessly. Then on the second day, Kyros decided to see what is the limit of Kiro. He deliberately attached a special scent in Kiro to attract a low-grade monster. To his surprise, once the monsters got near to Kiro, instead of engaging they were frightened to death from Kiro''s Intimidation skill, leaving him no choice but to throw Kiro into the wilderness on his third day of training. For the fourth day, a random arrow shaft was chasing him like a ghost. It was as if the arrow itself had its own life, following him tirelessly even if he changed his route It still succeeded to catch Kiro. The worst part of it was the arrow is deliberately leading him to the pack of monsters. The same method was happening until the sixth day of his training, at that night there was a random intermediate-grade monster that will charge toward his direction in crazed like the monster doesn''t care about its life, with his low level as his foundation, Kiro was having a hard time handling an intermediate-grade monster, giving him barely enough time to rest in the past few days. ''Swoosh'' Kiro was very familiar with that sound. Grabbing his bow, Kiro aimed at the flying arrow shalf behind his back. ''Clack!'' Loud vibrations of the two crushing wood echoed inside the forest, but Kiro hasn''t let down his guard yet. ''Swiish!" This time a strong gust of wind blew at his direction, a sharp object furiously darted at his head, Kiro knew he could not dodge it, so taking his stance and Kiro directly confronted the upcoming arrow. ''Bang!'' Two arrowheads collided producing a strong fluctuation that is disturbing the enclosing forest. Eventually, the aftershock dissipated, returning to the peaceful tranquility of the forest. Glancing at the arrow''s trail for a few good more minutes, subsequently discerning that there is no upcoming third wave of attack. Kiro returned his attention to the rabbit meat. He knew that it would be hard for him to find another opportunity to eat calmly from this interminable night. But he saw that the campfire was blown away from the collision. "Haa~ damn you, old man!" Kiro yelled in irritation. He was about to have a nice brief rest before a wild intermediate-grade monster attacked him, but because of that sudden assault, losing his appetite. Picking up the dried branches, Kiro started to lit up another campfire and started grilling the fallen skewer meat on the ground, but even if he wasn''t in the mood to eat, Kiro had to. While he was busy grilling the meat, a rustling sound could be heard, but Kiro did not do a thing. It was like he already knew that there would be a visitor coming to his campfire. "Grrr!" A silver wolf with bloodshot eyes was staring at him intensely, glancing at the visitor. Kiro grabbed his crafted bow, while he was holding the small dagger in his right hand. Walking closer to the beast, Kiro wasn''t intimidated at all. This beast has been hunting him since last night. Now staring at the two-meter tall, three and a half meters wide silver wolf, it was an intermediate-grade one-star monster. On the first time Kiro saw this beast, he was so shocked by its size, what is more, the beast came to take his life, giving him a frightening experience, but after getting familiarized by its behavior Kiro eventually overcame his fear. "Yo, I thought you wouldn''t come, what took you so long?" Kiro said while glaring fiercely at the silver wolf. "Awoo!" This time the wolf howls in anger as it furiously charges toward Kiro. Gripping his wooden bow, Kiro used the two-meter longbow to bash the body of the silver wolf. ''Bang!'' With his raw strength, Kiro is confident that he won''t be defeated. Following the trail of the silver wolf, Kiro''s eyes flashed with murderous intent. Using his superior dexterity, Kiro managed to close the gap between the two. ''Kiing!~'' A metallic sound echoed inside the forest. "Tch! What a tough hide." Kiro grumbles, this is the reason why he still hasn''t successfully killed the beast. Because of its natural tough defensive skin, his common dagger could not pierce through the silver wolf''s hide. "How about this!" Kiro did not let the monster recover its footing, as he grabbed his last remaining arrow, but there is something special in this arrow, there was a characteristic of runic carving imbued to the arrowhead. Channeling his mana to the shaft, Kiro mumbles the keyword. "[Arrow Shock]." It was his newly learned skill, with the combination of this unique arrow that enhanced its piercing ability. Kiro is confident that he could kill this monster. He was reluctantly using the runic arrow because his stingy Master only gave him one. ''Rooaar!'' The arrow howled furiously to the silver wolf, flying toward its direction with breakneck speed. ''Bang!'' The huge temblor blew away Kiro''s newly made campfire along with his roasted rabbit meat. The silver wolf flew 10 meters away from Kiro''s direction, dozens of broken tree trunks scattered throughout the area while the silver wolf figure could not be found, It has been obliterated. Glancing at the scene before him, Kiro was astonished at the power of that runic shaft. Abruptly he felt his body become heavy. "Haa... Ha... Haaa... What is happening?" Kiro said in a weak tone. "Master! You overused your Mana! Please try to stabilize your mind first or you might pass out, It will be dangerous if Master falls asleep here in the wilderness." Fixie worriedly said. "So... How''s that possible? I thought I had a broad mana pool." "You have way more mana than others at your level Master, but that it did not mean yours is already enough to handle enhancement equipment like that, however, Fixie doesn''t recall humans reaching such a height with runic carving before." "Urgh~ My head feels like it is about to split into two," Kiro said while trying to stabilize his footing. "Anyway, Master should just focus on his recovery, your Mana regeneration is much faster than anyone," Fixie stated, before continuing. "I know ''that'' person will come to aid Master if anything unfortunate occurs, but we could still not fully trust him, do you get it, Master?" Fixie reminds Kiro not to trust someone so casually, especially when it comes from his secrets, with his unusual speed of growth, eventually Kyros will find it odd. *** In the middle of the wilderness, an old man was staring at the west side of the forest. The unusual thing from him is, his eyes were glittering with golden light. "Hooh~ like I thought the kid can use that runic shaft, but I guess it was too much for him to handle such advanced weaponry. However, his mana pool is indeed huge for his level, I already verified his level through the magical crystal and his aptitude from the elements. Too bad he is colorless, but it matters not." "With the help of runic carving and magical equipment, colorless people are much more sought after than colored mages," Kyros mumbled. "You are a lucky kid, the era today was not for the mage to shine, but for a colorless person like you! Wahaha, I never knew I would find such a rare gem in this rural place." In this era, the innovation of magical equipment was progressing at a rapid rate, with the legacy of the summoned person as the foundation. Their advancement was higher than 300 years before. 18 Pouch "Mm, after observing the kid for a week, I eventually know his bottom line. For his level, it was quite odd to have such a raw strength... No, everything about him is so peculiar, but it doesn''t matter. If he ever became a sprout of disaster, as his Master it will be my duty to slay him." Kyros'' said while both of his eyes flashed with a trace of coldness. "Well, as long as I guide him into the right path, he won''t become a fallen one, but still I hope your mental fortitude is enough to handle my torturous training course." Kiro grinned slyly as he observed Kiro. "I suppose it is time to begin the real training." *** In the west part of the plain of wilderness. Kiro finally managed to stabilize his mana flow, while hearing Fixie''s reminder Kiro could only nod in approval. He knew that she was only trying to protect him, so being extra cautious won''t hurt him that much. "Okay, I will definitely consider Fixie''s warning," Kiro stated while continuing. "I know that you are worried about my well being, but don''t worry I won''t disclose anything." "You better be, Master! That man is not someone you can take lightly. The reason why Fixie did not forbid Master to take him as your teacher was because it will be helpful for Master''s future growth." Fixie replied with full of concern as she continued. "No matter what happens you cannot disclose it to anyone unless Master unlocked the second Innate skill." "Hmm? What is this second Innate Skill? I did not have a chance to ask you this before, but why are there still two abilities that weren''t unlocked yet?" Kiro said, he suddenly recalled that there were still two abilities left to be unlocked. "I am sorry to say this Master. The System Upgrade forbids me to say anything about it, but all I can say is it will be unlocked if the special quest is triggered, just like how Master successfully managed to attain the System Upgrade." While the two are busy chattering to each other, a sound of notification echoed inside Kiro''s head. ¡ºTing!~¡» ¡ºCongratulation! The User Level Up by two!¡» -Current Level 8 ¡ºThe User Base Statistic Increased!¡» ¡ºTing!~¡» ¡ºSkill Basic Archery Level Increased by three levels!¡» -Skill [Basic Archery] Lv. 4 -Does the user wish to see his current statistic? -Yes / No Kiro was startled to hear the notification bell, inside his head. He still wasn''t used to it. Eventually, Kiro tapped the yes button in front of him. ------------------------------------------------- Statistics. STR: 25 (x5) - 125 INT: 31 (x5) - 155 DEX: 33 (x5) - 165 CON: 41 (x5) - 205 CHA: 41 (x5) - 205 SEN: 38 (x5) - 190 VIT: 81 (x5) - 405 -With the Blessing of the God of Creation, all base Stats will be multiplied by five. ------------------------------------------------- "Hmm, so every time I level up, my base statistic will increase by 3," Kiro mumbled. "Yup! That is right Master, with your current level, Master is equivalent to a D class adventurer." "I don''t know what a D class adventurer is, but I guess they are pretty strong if they have the same stats as me," Kiro said. He was about to ask another question when a voice echoed inside the wilderness. "Kiro! I know you can hear me! Starting tomorrow, the amount of flying shaft will be doubled, as for the arrow, it will be tripled! You better prepare yourself! Don''t die on me! Hahaha!" Kyros'' voice reverberated throughout the plains, as his lingering laughs irritated Kiro. "What do you mean by triple! I don''t have any more arrows left!" Kiro yelled back. He was about to continue his ranting when he noticed a flying arrow hit his footing. There he saw a small pouch wrapped on the shaft. "Huh? What is this?" Kiro said as he picked up the pouch on the ground. "Master! That is a magic tool! It is a space bag, your teacher is sure rich, Master!" Fixie stated as she continued. "But the quality of the pouch wasn''t that significant, but it was still a rare piece of magic tool. It is still useful for Master." "Magic tool? A space bag? What do you mean by that?" Kiro asked in bewilderment. "It is like a rucksack Master, but this magic tool has a spatial dimension inside, and the size of it was comparable to a medium-size drawer." Fixie explained to Kiro who doesn''t know how valuable this article is. "Also don''t forget! If you can''t advance your Basic Archery Skill to the whole new level within seven days, I cannot guarantee that you can leave this place alive!" Kyros'' voice reverberated to the surrounding once more. Kiro did not mind Kyros'' empty threat, all of his attention was preoccupied to the small pouch. "How do I use this?" Kiro asked. Then he saw a small crystal attached in the middle, touching the blue crystal shard. An image flash through Kiro''s mind, there he saw a white space with a dimensional size of 3x3 ft. In the middle of the white space, Kiro saw a bulk of arrows lined up neatly, there were about 300 arrows in total inside the white space. "... This is what you meant by a spatial dimension?" Kiro muttered those words in aghast. "Yup, pretty much surprising right? Master." Fixie said teasingly, she knew what Kiro''s thinking, in this world that looked like he time-traveled to the medieval period. He wouldn''t expect such a mystical article exist in this world. Recollecting Kyros'' voice, Kiro decided to have an early rest, because he knew tomorrow morning he won''t have much energy to spare. *** Morning in the Plain of Wilderness. the sun is already rising on the east side of the sky. Kiro was awoken by blood lust, rolling to the ground, Kiro tried to find the source of the killing intent. There he saw an arrowhead furiously darting to his heart. Grabbing his longbow, Kiro tried to use his raw strength to deflect the upcoming arrow, but before he could do so, another arrow flew to his right side. Glancing at the commotion, Kiro has left no choice but to charge toward the first arrow. Going to the front arrow, Kiro used the body of his bow to deflect it. Then grabbing a single shaft inside the pouch, Kiro aimed at the upcoming arrow on his right side. ''Bang!'' Loud vibration reverberated inside the wilderness, as soon as he thought the morning greetings were done. He was wrong, three more arrows simultaneously assault him. "Tch! Damn, crazy old man!" Kiro knew he could take the two arrows at the same time, but he still couldn''t manage to take all three. Grabbing the small dagger in hand and bow on the other, Kiro used his superhuman strength to deflect those upcoming arrows. ''Ping!~'' ''Ping!~'' Kiro successfully deflected the two, but the problem is the last one. Kicking ground hard Kiro runs to the forest, he is trying to buy more time even if it was just for a second to take aim at the upcoming arrow. one-half meters distance before the arrow hits him. Kiro activated his skill. "[Arrow Shock]!" ''Baaang!~'' Kiro did not avoid the aftershock, he was sent flying by his own skill. "Ha... Haa... Haaa... Damn crazy madman!" Kiro grumbled while engulfing a mouthful of air. But before he could recover, five wooden shafts came flying in his direction. "Oh come on!" While he said that, Kiro recollected himself and braced the upcoming wooden shaft, he knew that he can''t dodge it, the only way is to accept the pain. With that, the same harassment continued for three days. Even at night, Kiro did not manage to have a proper rest, the old man is only allowing him to rest two hours a day. On the fourth day, the amount of arrows that are hunting him increased once more. Kiro did not realize, after doing the same thing over and over again. His posture improved a lot, he could even aim at the moving target with incredible speed, he can even now deflect the heavy wooden shaft with ease. The way Kyros'' trained Kiro is indeed an eccentric way, but with the arrow that is continuously chasing Kiro like a deranged spirit. Enhanced Kiro''s senses in the breakneck speed. While he did not know the significance of why the old Kyros'' was applying a heavy wooden shaft at him, Kiro did not apprehend that after a week and half of training, his close combat proficiency increased in unbelievable rate. The same simulation repeated until a drastic change happened on the seventh day. 19 White Wolf ''Swoosh'' Early in the morning, Kiro was in a half-sleep state. Upon hearing the upcoming wooden shaft, Kiro did not use his bow anymore to deflect the upcoming assault. Instead, he used his brute force to grab the wooden shaft with his right hand. ''Crack'' With his brute force, Kiro crushed the wooden shaft. "Yawn~ such a pleasant daylight greeting." Kiro released a morning sigh, while he used the remaining half of the wood shaft to parry the remaining two. Glancing to the south, Kiro did not detect an impending strike. He subsequently loosened his guard down. But to his surprise. Old Kyros appeared before him like a ghost, glancing at Kiro with eyes full of wonder. "Mm, fortunately, you accomplished the first phase of training," Kyros said while staring at Kiro like he was a rare creature. "To think you managed to finish the course within two weeks is not a simple feat." He could not help to appreciate Kiro''s effort. With Kiro''s unyielding perseverance, he successfully managed to finish Kyros'' first stage of training. It was all thanks to his stubborn personality. "Congratulations! Now you are deemed to enter the ranking of the Adventurers, but young lad, your speed of growth is something that even this old man hasn''t seen in the past few decades of living." "... Kiro, can you tell me the truth? Are perhaps the chosen person?" Kyros'' stated. His theory wasn''t far off to the truth. But Kiro wasn''t a chosen warrior, he was lucky or unluckily has been transported into this world. "Hm? What are you talking about, Master? Did you lose your head after you kept aiming at me with countless wooden shafts and arrows?" Kiro irritatedly said. After being tormented for two weeks, even Kiro has his own limit. "What? You surprisingly don''t know about the chosen person?" This time Kyros uttered in confusion. It was common knowledge from the church in this world. "I honestly don''t know what Master is talking about." Kiro did not deny it, but he was still having a cold sweat running on his forehead. After hearing Kyros'' statement. Kiro was already mentally prepared that sooner or later Kyros'' would find his speed of growth odd. Staring at Kiro who is completely dumbfounded from his statement. Kyros'' could only add more explanation. "Did you already forget about the ceremony when you were born? After being born into this world. Your parents should have taken you to the church to attain the blessing of the Gods." Kyros thought for a moment before continuing. "Well, it was a long-forgotten history. Now the ritual only became a cultural belief. But there was a legend about the chosen person. It was about the blessing of the Gods with the protection of Gods. The chosen person''s speed of growth is unheard of even now. I did not believe in such tales, but after seeing you. I suddenly recalled the tale of the chosen person." "The chosen person? I highly doubt that, if I were the chosen person, wouldn''t the church won''t let me go and add me to their banner?" Kiro arbitrarily said. Still, he could believe there was such a thing as a chosen person, and a summoned one. Kiro could not help to grumble inside. ''Are the people of this world were so dependent on a singular person? Well, it is not my affair to meddle with their business.'' "... Oh. That is a reasonable statement. Yup, sorry about that, don''t heed this old man blind words." Kyros said, but deep inside him. He could not help to think otherwise. Kiro was relieved to hear his words, but before he could loosen his guard down, a sudden strange atmosphere enveloping the entire wilderness. "AAAWOOO!~" A mournful howl echoed inside the wilderness. "Oh... It was sooner than I expected, but it doesn''t matter." Kyros said while facing Kiro solemnly. "Kiro, this is your chance to show the fruition of your hard labor. In a matter of minutes, the king of this wilderness will appear before you. Be prepared." Kyros said as his figure disappeared to the thin air. ??Wait, wha-" Before Kiro managed to finish his word, he felt dizzy from the thick killing intent storming toward his place. "Rooaar!"An immense white figure jumped out through the forest. Its eyes were glittering in red, staring fiercely at Kiro. The expanse of the white wolf was double the size of the silver wolf that Kiro killed last time as he stared at the huge white wolf in front of him. Kiro could sense that this wolf is a formidable adversary. Grabbing his bow tightly, Kiro cautiously took a distance between the two. But before he could even move to a safe distance, the white bare its fangs and leaped at Kiro. Kiro has no other choice but to confront the enraged beast in close combat. He took three arrows at the spatial pouch assaulting the white wolf consecutively. ''Bang!'' ''Bang!'' ''Bang!'' A strong gusty wind blew away the white wolf, but mysteriously the white wolf was unharmed. "Master, be careful of that white wolf, I think with your current capabilities, it will be hard for Master to easily defeat it." Fixie stopped for a moment before continuing. "If Master can, please use the Appraisal Skill to that monster so Master will know its ability." Hearing Fixie''s proposal, Kiro did not wait and activated the appraisal. "[Appraisal]!" ------------------------------------------------- Name: White Wolf King Lv: 45 Age: 80. Gender: Female. State: Crazed. Title: King of the Plain of Wilderness. ------------------------------------------------- Statistics. STR: 155 INT: 145 DEX: 165 CON: 10 CHA: 10 SEN: 10 VIT: 285 ------------------------------------------------- Skills. [Intimidation] Lv. 6 [Claw] Lv.7 [Wind Fang] Lv.10 [Howl] Lv.5 ------------------------------------------------- "What now? It certainly is a troublesome opponent." Kiro muttered. "It is undoubtedly a tough opponent Master, and this white wolf has a higher raw strength than Master, but both of Master speed and that guy were at a similar level," Fixie said, as she thought of a plan to deal with the monster. "It is the best way if Master shot the [Arrow Shock] consecutively so that can Master have a distance of advantage," "I guess that will work too." While Kiro said that, he channeled his mana to his longbow. If Kiro did not coat the bow with his mana, it would break from the impact of his skill. "[Arrow Shock]!" ''Bang!'' The white wolf flew a few meters away from Kiro, but he did not let the beast recover. Another arrow darted toward its head. ''Bang!'' This time the white wolf king was so enraged from Kiro. "ROAR!" The White Wolf King used one of its skills. It was the howl, stunning Kiro''s mind momentarily. "Urgh!" Kiro groaned in pain. "Master! Be careful!" With Fixie''s warning, Kiro managed to return his clarity. "[Arrow Shock]!" The arrow flew at the beast with unbelievable momentum, but this time. The white wolf used another skill. Its claw glittered with blue''s light, cutting Kiro Arrow into two. "What?" Kiro was alarmed. "No way... It split my arrow." After being startled for a moment, Kiro recollected himself, with his tortious training a few days again, enhanced not only Kiro battle sense but his confidence too. It was the first thing he learned after being hunted tirelessly by the wooden shaft in a day and night. If one arrow wasn''t enough, tens of bow arrows would do so. If ten bow arrows remained ineffective. One hundred arrows will, Kiro won''t stop until the target is destroyed. "Heeh~ I guess that crazy old man is right, with this wolf as an opponent, I can easily see the fruition of my tremendous training," Kiro said, while his eyes flashed with a fighting spirit. Kiro did not realize that after his weeks of training. He entered the trance of battle sense. His body was filled with vigor, continuously seeking for a fight. "Hehe... Now, now beasty. Your body seems to be tough. I will let you experience Kiro''s special. The one hundred arrows returning in one." If his normal self heard the word he uttered out of excitement, Kiro would have an enormous mental blow. Because of his uncontrollable enthusiasm, those words slipped from his mouth. The hundred arrows returning in one. It was Kiro''s first self-developed art of archery. It wasn''t on Old Kyros'' plan for Kiro to progress this far, but Kiro''s affinity from the bow was simply remarkable. Kyros amused after seeing Kiro countered from his absurd amount of wooden shaft. But after he saw what he was about to do, he could not help to exclaim his astonishment. "Are you ready?" Kiro said while taking his posture. Touching the crystal shard in the pouch. He summoned hundreds of arrows with his mana channeling, Kiro controlled the arrow consecutively forming a huge storm of an arrowhead. "One hundred arrows returning In one." ''Baaang!~'' A tremendous collision took into the place. On the minute, the white wolf king used all of its strength and activated its Wind Fang, but it was a futile struggle as the white wolf, was buried from the innumerable arrows. 20 Appraisal With a powerful burst of a collision, it changed the landscape of the wilderness. In the middle of the disturbance, the white wolf king was still alive, but barely breathing, glancing at the white wolf king who was now filled with arrows and blood. Kiro was astonished to notice that the beast was still alive. "I suppose you were not called the king of wilderness for nothing," Kiro muttered while walking toward its direction. As he walked toward the white wolf direction, its eyes flashed with determination. The white wolf body suddenly expanded, while the aura around the beast was so frightening even for Kiro. Scarlet light particles glittered around the beast. Staring at the white wolf, Kiro could help to be astounded from its transformation. "Master! Be careful! That white wolf king is so determined to drag Master to its death!" Fixie anxiously said. "That white wolf king is using its own lifespan and soul to temporarily boost its power." "What? Has it gone mad? No..." Kiro did not finish his words. After seeing the thick hatred of the beast, he already knew the answer to his question. The reason why the monster was in an enraged state was because Kiro killed the silver wolf. If his deduction were correct. The silver wolf he killed was the child of this enranged white wolf. "ROOAAR!" The white wolf used its howl skill to paralyzed Kiro''s mind. The howl of the white wolf was not a physical attack, but a mentality attack skill. With its own life as fuel, the mental attack was way much stronger than before. "...Urgh." Kiro coughed a mouthful of blood as a backlash. He was having a hard time to stabilize his clarity. "Master!" Fixie shouted in fright, but she cannot interfere, the only thing she could do is to lessen the burden of the mental attack. A soft aura enveloping Kiro''s mind, gently soothing his immobilized mind. But the white wolf did not let Kiro stabilize his mind, as it proceeded to its onslaught. Blue''s sharp claw hit Kiro''s abdomen, sending him flying 10ft away from the beast. "Gaah-ha!" Kiro spurted a mouthful of blood, while his abdomen took a heavy blow, as blood was running through his lower body. Grabbing his longbow fiercely, Kiro started his counterattack. "[Arrow Shock]!" ''Bang!'' An enormous explosion occurred, but it did not stop the white wolf advance. Howling in anger, the white wolf bared its fang to Kiro. Activating the Wind Fang creating a huge suction force concentrating on its fang. "Raawr!" The white wolf moved its fang in a slashing motion. While glittering with a scarlet light, an immense red wind slash rushed through Kiro''s direction. Staring at the impending danger. Kiro used all of his remaining arrows to activate his current strongest art of archery. But this time, the bow arrow was less than a hundred, there were only sixty and more arrowheads left. Even so, Kiro bet everything to his arrow. He summoned the sixty-plus arrows in the spatial pouch. Kiro imbued every single arrowhead with immense mana. This time he only focused on sharpening the arrows. He did not care if the wooden shaft could handle the consequence. He only wanted to parry with the upcoming disaster. "One Hundred Arrow returning In one!" Kiro cried in desperation. With both eyes filled with aggression. Kiro put all of his faith in his archery. ''Baang!'' An enormous tremor disturbed the wilderness, startling the low-grade monster in the vicinity while an immense smoke covered the forest. Eventually, the tranquility of the forest returned with a loud wind blew at the center of the collision, showing the standing figure of the white wolf. Kiro, who was lying on the ground, raised his head to peer at the smokey figure. What he saw is the standing figure of the white wolf king, Kiro could only produce a bitter laugh upon realizing the beast was still alive. "... Hehehe, come on now... You are still ali-" Kiro cut-off on his words, as he noticed the smoke was slowly dissipating. Giving him a clear good look at the smokey figure. There he saw the proud look of the white wolf, standing bravely in front of him. It was staring fiercely to Kiro''s direction, but this noble wolf''s breathing already ceased to exist. Kiro could not help to admire the dignity of this wolf. Even in its last straw of life, the king of the wilderness did not abandon its pride. Kiro stared at the beast direction for a few more minutes. Abruptly Kiro''s eye blurred as his head fell on the ground. "Master!" Fixie screamed hysterically. It was her first time seeing her master fainted like this. What is more, he took severe internal damage from the white wolf. *** "Mm. Good! Good! Hahaha, Kiro, you certainly did not disappoint this old man, but that is a remarkably unexpected development. I did not expect the king of the wilderness would use its life force to dragged Kiro alongside its death." Kyros was watching the whole scene unfolded exclaimed his astonishment from the white wolf. "Good thing I prepared some healing potion, just in case a mishap happened to the kid. I presume I better get going." Kyros said. His figure disappeared into the forest. In the middle of the explosion, Kiro''s body was lying on the charred ground. "Haah~, good work kid," Kyros mumbled. Then he went toward Kiro''s direction while examining his body condition. Upon seeing the severe damage from his abdomen. Kyros was astounded to comprehend that Kiro was fighting in such a miserable state. Touching the ring on his left arm, Kyros summoned the high-grade potion. "I suppose I went too far, huh," Kyros said as he poured the high-grade potion to Kiro''s abdomen. Kiro''s wound sealed up as the gleaming white light engulfed his whole body. Several moments later, Kiro''s body returned to anew with the help of high-grade potion, Kiro''s body has been restored to its perfect state, like all of his internal and external wounds didn''t exist. "Mm. This high-grade potion truly lives at its reputation." Kyros said while glancing at Kiro. "I''ve done my part. Now it is all up to you, kid." *** Subsequent Kyro''s went on his way. Kiro eventually awakened from his slumber. Glancing around at the familiar scenery. He felt it rather odd because there wasn''t any pain coming from his body. "What happened?" Kiro mumbled as he tried his best to recollect the event that had unfolded. "Master, your teacher helped you to recover your wounds," Fixie said while adding more explanation. "Your teacher used a high-grade potion to mend Master''s wounds, he is so generous, Master!" "Mm. That is his part as my Master if he didn''t do this much. I might not last long from that old man crazy training routine." Kiro said, but deep inside him. He is thankful for the old man''s kindness. It is not only about the potion, but with his training course. He knew that his survival skill Improved in leaps and bounds. "Well, If I see him next time. It is appropriate to give my thanks." ¡ºTing!~¡» ¡ºThe User Level Increased by four!¡» -Current Level. 12 ¡ºThe User Base Statistic Increased!¡» ¡ºTing!~¡» ¡ºSkill Basic Archery Evolved to Intermediate Archery!¡» -Skill [Intermediate Archery] Lv. 1 -Does the user wish to see his current statistic? -Yes/No Upon hearing the familiar notification bell, Kiro glanced at the transparent screen before him. Kiro tapped the yes button. ------------------------------------------------- Statistics. STR: 37 (x5) - 185 INT: 43 (x5) - 215 DEX: 45 (x5) - 225 CON: 53 (x5) - 265 CHA: 53 (x5) - 265 SEN: 50 (x5) - 250 VIT: 93 (x5) - 465 -With the Blessing of the God of Creation, all base Stats will be multiplied by five. ------------------------------------------------- "Phew~, Fixie, what do you think? With my current statistic, how strong do you think I am now?" Kiro could not help to ask her. He was suddenly abducted by the old man, and he doesn''t have any proper base knowledge about Adventurers. While Fixie''s information may not be accurate, it was still a good reference. "Hmm... WIth Master current base stats. Fixie thinks that Master is already at the peak of D-class Adventurer." She said with deep thought. "I think it is better if Master goes to the seminar that Aldin mentioned before," Fixie said, she knew her information may not be correct. She knew accurate information was essential for Kiro. Abruptly another notification bell echoed inside Kiro''s head. ¡ºTing!~¡» ¡ºThe User accumulated SP Point is now 57 points.¡» ¡ºThe User can now upgrade his Innate Appraisal Skill!¡» -Does the user wish to upgrade his skill? -Yes/No Kiro was shocked by the announcement bell. He nearly has forgotten about their plan to grind his Innate skill. Glancing at the screen before him. Naturally, Kiro clicked the yes button. ¡ºTing!~¡» ¡ºThe User has chosen to upgrade his Innate Appraisal Skill!¡» -New featured has been unlocked! ¡ºSilence Appraisal skill is now functioning!¡» -The user can now see the skill and their effects of the designated host. ¡ºIncognito Statistics is now functioning!¡» -The user can now hide and show his real base statistic. ¡ºProtection from the Appraisal user has been unlocked!¡» -The user can now block anyone who tried to keep without his consent. Hearing the notification bell, Kiro was astounded to see after upgrading his Innate skill. There would be a lot of new features attached. 21 Tiny Bookle In the metropolis of Elmore. Kiro now returned to the town, after Kyros healed him. He left Kiro in the wilderness to return on his own. It''s already been three days since his first phase of training ended. Since then, old Kyros hasn''t contacted Kiro. Right now, he is enjoying his limited time frame of freedom. He knew if he ran across to the old Kryos. It would be the sign of the second phase of training to start. In the middle of the crowd, Kiro is there standing while curiously glancing at the surrounding. He is right now inside the adventurer''s guild. Last time Aldin mentioned the seminar. Kiro was eager to attend. He knew the information about the adventurer is critical for him. Especially because he was not born in this world. Kiro could not always be clueless in the common sense of this world. In the long queue at the entrance of the hallway, Kiro saw the familiar figure that he would never forget even if he wanted to. Glancing at her mesmerizing scarlet hair that hangs underneath her hourglass waist, though she only wears a simple red shinrone gown. It does not lessen her beauty at all. If there is something. It emphasized her beautiful curves much better. The atmosphere in the hallway suddenly changed upon Rosie''s arrival. Glancing at the crowd, Rosie spotted a familiar figure of Kiro. Upon seeing Kiro was here, Rosie couldn''t help to look in bewilderment. Shortly thereafter, Rosie realized that she forgot to mention the seminar to Kiro. Glancing at Kiro''s direction, Rosie said. "Good Morning Mr. Kiro." With her dreamlike voice, awakening Kiro from his daze. "... Mm, Good Morning Ms. Rosie." Kiro said. While glancing at the Goddess in front of him. "Humph." Fixie snorted coldly at Kiro, she was ashamed of her Master for being weak in front of the beauty. "Master, you better get used to her appearance! If not, how can we start Fixie''s plan!" Hearing Fixie''s tantrum. Kiro could only give a slight cough. "Ahem... Did I come to the right place? I heard there is a seminar they will be conducting in this place." "Yes, Mr. Kiro came to the right place, I''m ashamed to say this, I forgot to tell Mr. Kiro about the seminar the last time you registered for the training course," Rosie exclaimed her apology, giving Kiro a slight bow. Kiro went forward and tried to stop Rosie from bowing, but he was a bit late. "Please, Ms. Rosie raised your head, I know being a receptionist wasn''t a simple job." Hearing Kiro''s explanation, Rosie gave him a thankful smile. "Thank you for understanding Mr. Kiro, as an apology, after the seminar. If there is some information that you did not understand, Rosie will personally aid Mr. Kiro." Staring at Rosie''s enchanting smile. Kiro felt that his mental barrier is about to collapse. "Mm, okay Ms. Rosie, I will let you know if I did not understand something," Kiro replied to her, while he tried his best to maintain his composure. *** Inside the function hall. There are about fifty participants at the center of the stage. Rosie was there. Standing at the wide platform on her hand was a magic tool that amplified her voice. "The seminar will now begin." Rosie stated with her voice was being amplified by the magic tool. The device is made of wind attribute, with some rune carving at the surface of the tool. The shape of the magic tool has a similarity to a Mic from Kiro''s previous world, but this tool was crafted by jade, and in the middle of it, it has a crystal blue mana stone. "Okay, the first topic is all about Adventurer''s ranking," She started to discuss the ranking system of the Guild first. In the Adventurer''s Guild, there are ten stages of ranking, The first is the beginner''s rank. A beginner''s adventurer usually started at the H-rank, it was the ranking of the trainee, after accomplishing the course. The adventurer''s guild will give the trainee a new rank. F-rank adventurers with their rank, they can accept a commission from the guild. But the beast that they can slay is only limited to a low-grade monster and collecting herbal medicine. Next is an E-rank adventurer. This stage is the peak of a beginner''s rank. They can accept an escort mission to the caravans, but they have to protect the merchants not only for the monster but to the outlaw too. In this stage, the adventurers should have at least passed the bandit subjugation. In order to accomplish their purpose, they have to exterminate the bandits. For them to be called veteran adventurers, one should be at the intermediate stage. D-rank adventurers, they are all experienced adventurers, most of the contribution from the adventurer''s guild came to the D-rankers. In this rank, they can access most of the appropriate commission for their current capabilities. While C-rank adventurers have a substantial amount of influence from the adventurers guild, at this stage, they can build their private union, but with a limited amount of members. The Max member they can only invite to their union is fifteen to twenty adventurers. The next stage is B-rank adventurers. To advance in this rank, the person not only needs an enormous Guild contribution, but they also have to answer a mandatory call of the Adventurers Guild. Because of this, a lot of independent C-rank adventurers did not further advance their ranks, because they did not want to tie up with the adventurers guild. Being a B-rank adventurer. They will be bound to the Guild''s decision, for example, if they need more manpower in the impending war between the human and demon race. They have an obligation to take part in the war. If they rebuke their pledge, they would forever ban in the Adventurers Guild. On the bright side, being a B-ranker adventurer will have a hereditary title from their designated country. While the beginner and intermediate stages were divided by three levels, on the advanced stage, there are only two stages. A-rank adventurer. At this stage where they created significant achievements. They are the ones who successfully lived through countless battles and achieved victory in war. Not only would they have a title, but the country would also bestow upon them a certain amount of land to manage. While they can also access all the channels from the adventurer''s guild, the price to pay to advance into this rank was to pledge their loyalty to humanity. The peak level of the advanced stage is the S-rank adventurer. Once they reached this stage, the person remained bound to the Guild. Usually, only the Guild Master and Sub-branch Master have this rank. But if A-ranker wanted to advance and became a guild master. They would have to build their separate sub-branch on their land. Subsequently, with a long explanation, Rosie inhaled a mouthful of air for breathing. "That''s all. Is there any question about the adventurer''s ranking?" Rosie proclaimed while glancing at the crowd. Someone said. "Ms. Rosie, about the contribution points, what are the merits we can have after accumulating a substantial amount?" "Mm, good question. The guild''s contribution points, not only it can be used to advance your rank. It can be even converted to magic weapons or healing potions." Rosie explained. Whereas she gently smiled at the person. "Is there anything else?" "About the Union, are we applicable to join any union even though we are only at the beginner''s stage?" Someone voices out. "As for the Union, as long as there is a union leader invited you, of course, you may join them," Rosie replied before continuing. "But I won''t recommend you guys to join any union until you reach the E-rank, for the reason they might exploit your inexperience." This time the surrounding crowd exclaimed their shock. Eventually, someone asked another question. "What is the aforementioned inexperience?" Rosie added. "It was you guys for being na?ve, they might exploit your eagerness to climb up ranks at a higher pace. But in reality, they only wanted your free labors, there was a multiple reported case of a beginner''s adventurer being exploited in amidst of trying to join a union." Rosie proclaimed while giving a slight sigh. Even today the practice of beginner''s hunter was being implemented. The reason why the guild did not stop the C-rankers for doing so. It was because the contributions they gave were always the highest in terms of physical labor. So they can''t offend all the C-ranker just because of inexperienced adventurers. Another reason is to teach them an early lesson that there is no shortcut in success. When she is done with her questioning, Rosie clapped her hands, signaling the other receptionist was standing by at the entrance. "Please do read this monster manual. Most of the basic and advanced monsters were inside this booklet." Rosie pointed out the handy book on the receptionist''s side. "With this book, it will help you be familiarized with the characteristics of the low-grade monsters. Most of their description can be obtained in this tiny booklet." The next thing Rosie did when she finished with her explanation, she signaled the receptionist to hand out the monster manual. "Master, did you forget that your Appraisal skill reached a new height? Fixie is now allowing Master to use the appraisal skill on her." Suddenly her voice echoed inside his head. Hearing her statement, Kiro could not help to ask cautiously. "I won''t get in trouble with this, would I?" "Of course! Master won''t." "Okay then... [Appraisal]," Kiro muttered the keyword. But before he could even look at the transparent screen, the atmosphere around the function hall became heavy. 22 Rosaleen The atmosphere around the function hall abruptly became heavy. Rosie glanced at the surrounding crowd. Upon realizing that she was releasing her domineering aura, that was enough to frighten the fresh recruit. Rosie swiftly adjusted her composure. ''Odd, why do I feel that there is someone gazing at me intensely; however, it should be difficult for the appraisal user to peer at me.'' Rosie proclaimed to herself. While she stared at the huge function hall. Upon noticing that there are no more abnormalities in the surrounding, Rosie subsequently loosened her guard down. Kiro, who is sweating profusely; could not help to let out a long sigh. "¡ªHaa, didn''t you say that I would not get in trouble if I used the new appraisal to her?" Kiro grumbled at Fixie. He couldn''t confront Rosie''s piercing glare; he was so nervous that if he were to behave oddly. The suspicion of Rosie might be directed at him. "I¡ªI don''t know Master! Possibly because Rosie is much stronger than Fixie thought she would be." Fixie exclaimed her innocence; nevertheless, she too was so appalled observing Rosie''s reaction. "Though it is a good thing the undetected appraisal feature worked, right? Master!" Upon hearing Fixie''s explanation, Kiro thought her words made some sense; if not for the new feature of the appraisal skill. He might get caught by Rosie if he did not listen to Fixie''s advice back then. "Mm¡ªI don''t blame you, Fixie; don''t have to worry about it," Kiro assured; still, he was thankful to her. If not for Fixie, he might be in a difficult situation on the first day he saw Rosie. "Thank you; Fixie, if it wasn''t for you¡ªI might end up being miserable on various occasions upon arriving in this world." Kiro proclaimed his sincere appreciation to Fixie. "Heehee¡ªFixie is a good lady that will always help Master! So better praise Fixie more; every now and then." She said with a tone that did not hide her happiness. Hearing Fixie''s whimsical voice; Kiro could not help but to feel warm inside. Subsequently waiting for Rosie to leave the place, Kiro glanced at the transparent screen in front of him. ------------------------------------------------- Name: Rosaleen Cerise Bellerose Lv: ??? ¡ºError!¡» Age: ??? ¡ºError!¡» Race: Human (?) ¡ºError!¡» Gender: Female State: Healthy Title: Guild Master of Elmore. ------------------------------------------------- Job List. ¡ºError!¡» Combat Skills: ¡ºError!¡» ------------------------------------------------- Statistics. STR: ??? ¡ºError!¡» INT: ??? ¡ºError!¡» DEX: ??? ¡ºError!¡» CON: ??? ¡ºError!¡» CHA: ??? ¡ºError!¡» SEN: ??? ¡ºError!¡» VIT: ??? ¡ºError!¡» -The user Appraisal Skill level wasn''t enough to pierce through the target host incognito. ------------------------------------------------- "Wa¡ªwhat? My appraisal skill wasn''t enough to peer at Rosie?" Kiro exclaimed his bewilderment. He could not believe after upgrading his appraisal to the second stage. He still cannot inspect her. "Like Fixie''s thought, Rosie wasn''t your average woman, Master!" Fixie uttered her astonishment upon seeing her status. "Well, I can see that¡ªI mean look at her title; it says, Guild Master!" Kiro pointed out Rosie''s disturbing title. While Kiro was still shaken after seeing Rosie''s status bar. Fixie released another bombshell. "That''s not all Master! Look at her name, she is a nobility." "Ye¡ªyeah, so how am I supposed to approach her now?" Once Kiro mentioned those words, he understood that it would be hard for him to take advance to a person like Rosie. "Mm¡ªIt will be harder than the original plan; however, don''t lose hope, Master! As long as you listen to the Great Fixie! Master won''t need to worry about Rosie," Fixie asserted her grand plan to pursue beauty. "Hm, I don''t know, I''m starting to doubt the Great Fixie, after this event; the credibility of Fixie''s words dimmed slightly." Kiro teased her back for getting ahead of herself. "What does Master know! Solidify in front of the beauty? Hee¡ªgood luck with that." Fixie rebuked Kiro mercilessly. At the moment Kiro heard Fixie''s remark, he could not help to feel ashamed of himself. Kiro knew what Fixie said was right. He could not even talk straight when facing Rosie, so instead of annoying the little Fixie, Kiro admitted his mistake. "Alright, Fixie''s correct, I can''t do this without you." Kiro expressed his obedience, while it is the truth that he can''t do anything without Fixie. "Hehehe, don''t worry Master! Fixie won''t fail you!" *** The moment everything concluded, Kiro went back to the beginner''s training lounge. Upon arriving at the familiar cottage, Kiro saw two figures, but to his surprise, it wasn''t Alyva''s group. "Hello there," One of the two people outside of the cottage said. "Hello, I''m Kiro, do you guys know where Aldin and the rest are?" Kiro said. He first thought that he went in the wrong direction, but given with his enhanced brain, the probability of him getting lost was slim. "Aldin? Are you referring to that guy with a clumsy appearance, who uses a sword?" Upon hearing Aldin''s description, Kiro could not help to chuckle. "That''s right it was him, do you know where I can find that clumsy swordsman?" Kiro threw a joke, but after stating those words; he heard a familiar voice. "Who do you call a clumsy swordsman!" Glancing behind his back, Kiro saw Aldin and his group. "Welcome back, Alyva, Alina." One of the two-person said. "We''re back Mirabell, Missa," Alyva replied softly, then glancing at Kiro who finally went back to their camp. "Welcome back Kiro." She said while observing Kiro from top to bottom. Alyva could not believe the drastic change of Kiro''s bearing. His posture right now is filled with reliance, while his eyes were sharp as a blade, that she could not almost recognize Kiro upon their arrival. But after seeing his familiar black hair and pitch-black eyes. Alyva is now sure that the person who was talking to the siblings was Kiro. Behind her is Alina, who was looking curiously at Kiro; since, the event at that time, she did not have many chances to have a proper conversation with him. "I''m back, Alyva, Aldin, Alina," Kiro called out their names, while his gaze stopped at the familiar figure of Alina. "We-welcome back, Kiro," Alina shyly replied, she was still embarrassed to discuss with Kiro; she could not help to vividly recollect Kiro''s figure that day, when every time she glanced at him. She was only a youthful maiden, her only interaction with the opposite gender when she was working at the wooden hatch pub; however, every time someone took advantage of her, Alina wouldn''t watch there and sit idle. For that reason, she always got into trouble. "Yes, I''m back," Kiro said while smiling at her. He wouldn''t let this opportunity go. Kiro wanted to mend their misunderstanding before it''s too late. But Aldin can''t read the mood between the two. Glancing at Kiro, Aldin called him out. "Hey Kiro, it''s been a while, how did your training go?" Aldin said. He''s been wondering since then what kind of training Kiro was receiving from the infamous Invincible A-ranker. "It''s been a while Aldin. My training went smoothly, the old man finally let me go after I defeated the white wolf." Kiro replied back, but deep inside he could not help to curse Aldin for not reading the mood. Glancing at the siblings behind his back, Kiro asked. "Who are they?" "Oh, they are Mirabell and Missa, after you left, the two of them joined the training course and Instructor Ralph decided to let them stay at our cottage." After Aldin introduced them. The siblings went forward and greeted Kiro once more. "Nice to meet you! Kiro, I''m Missa," She said while smiling gently to Kiro. Hitting the shoulder of her sister, Missa indicated her sister to introduce herself. "Just like Aldin said, my name is Mirabell." If the first sister Missa has a kind and cheerful aura around her, the second sister Mirabell has a cold and quiet disposition. Giving a nod at the two, Kiro introduced his name once more. "Nice to meet you, I''m Kiro, I hope we all get along well in the future," Kiro said as he gave them a polite bow. The moment he finished his self-introduction, Alyva called out. "Now everyone knows each other, Missa, Mirabell, can you help me to prepare the food in the kitchen? I wanted to make a feast to celebrate Kiro''s return." "Okay, Alyva," Missa replied at her while her sister gave Alyva a slight nod for approval. "Aldin, can you fetch more firewood at the warehouse?" "But didn''t I just refill the wood early in the morning?" Aldin looked at her with confusion. This time Alyva wrinkled her eyebrows. "Just go to the warehouse and get more wood!" Upon hearing her strong and commanding voice, Aldin could only helpless sight, as he headed to the warehouse. "Okay let''s go, you guys," After the two siblings went inside, Alyva secretly winked at Kiro then went inside. Seeing her playful expression, Kiro wasn''t stupid not to realize that Alyva created an opportunity for him to talk with Alina. He could only give his thanks to her if the opportunity arrived. Glancing at Alina, who''s looking at Alyva''s group with bewilderment, Kiro slowly approached her. 23 Feas Kiro walked toward Alina''s direction. In the brief moment of hesitation, Kiro gathered all of his courage and spoke. "Alina, do you have a moment," Kiro said; since the day he left for his training, Kiro did not manage to properly apologize to Alina. "What is it?" Alina replied while glancing at Kiro with a complicated look. "I didn''t have the opportunity to say this; since I left the training camp unexpectedly." Kiro played with his words before eventually saying what he wanted to convey. "I¡ªI am sorry!" Kiro expressed his apology as he lowered his head at the shoulder level. "Ple¡ªPlease raise your head, Alina did not actually mind it at all," Aline exclaimed, the only reason why she''s been avoiding Kiro was because of her immaturity as a young maiden. But to Kiro''s point of view, it was more than that. He came from a different world, he doesn''t know the morals of the person in this world; while, it was true that Kiro received a mass amount of knowledge at that time when he was in the Diante forest. It was all fundamental knowledge. Because he knew humanity''s culture evolved through time. Lifting up his head, Kiro glanced at Alina, who started to panic. "You surely don''t mind?" Kiro said as he looked at her eyes, trying to discern the truth from her words. "It is the truth! Alina did not mind at all, it was all because Alina was being shy for not having a close contact from the opposite gender." She said. Staring straight at Kiro''s eyes. Upon hearing her explanation, Kiro let a soft laugh. "Haha, here I thought, you were mad at me, because of that event last time." perceiving that he was the only you were overthinking things. Kiro laughed until his belly started to hurt. Seeing Kiro''s cheerful appearance, Alina could not help to release a soft giggle. "Pfft, Alina wouldn''t be so muddle-headed, just because I saw-" As she said that, Alina''s cheeks flushed in red. Looking at Aline''s adorable reaction, Kiro could not help to tease her. "You would not what?" "Humph! Alina wouldn''t dwell, just because Alina saw your naked body!" This time, Alina yelled at Kiro in irritation. "Haha! Yup, I know Alina wouldn''t mind seeing my embarrassing self like that." Kiro could only go along with her words; lest all of his effort will go in waste. But deep inside, Kiro was relieved to hear that Alina did not mind his blunder last time. Kiro read a book before about how conservative a woman of medieval times; that was the reason why Kiro was being neurotic for nothing. "Humph! Good thing you know! Well, if Kiro genuinely wanted to convey your apology," Alina paused for a moment before she continued. "Alina wanted to know what Kiro did for the last two weeks." After saying that, Alina looked straight at Kiro; as if she was saying refusal was not an option. "Okay, if that is Alina wanted, I would be happy to comply," Kiro replied while glancing at her. "But Alina should tell her experience too within the last two weeks." Then the two started to discuss their past events for the early weeks of their training. Sometimes laughter could be heard outside the cottage. A while later, the two of them kept cursing their trainer. They kept conversing to each other until they lost the count in time. Little did Kiro know, the more he discussed with Alina, the more the young maiden''s curiosity about him roused. *** Inside the training lounge. Alyva and Missa were busy preparing for the feast. "Alyva, why did you abruptly call us out?" Missa said while glancing at her in bewilderment. "Mm, I wanted them to be alone for a while," Alyva replied. "But for the main reason why I did this was to help Alina," "To help Alina?" Missa was now more confused after hearing her confession. "In the past few weeks, you may not notice it, but Alina was distracted from something," Alyva exclaimed. In the past few weeks, it has been bothering her; how to help Alina with her problem, but she doesn''t know the root of her trouble. Not until today when she saw Alina''s perplexed reaction when facing Kiro. "What do you mean by that?" Missa asked curiously "Well, you could say that is a maiden''s problem?" "What! Don''t tell me Alina liked Kiro?" Missa exclaimed her astonishment, as she glanced at Alyva if she wasn''t joking around. "Truth to be told, I don''t know the right answer," Alyva said to her, she too wasn''t sure of her deduction. Because she can barely read Alina''s action. If Kiro knew what they were gossiping about, he wouldn''t know what to say into such a wonderful misunderstanding. "Oh, what a shame, I thought Alina really liked Kiro," Missa mumbles. "But if she truly did like Kiro, wouldn''t it affect our cooperation for the upcoming final exam?" "That''s another reason why I wanted them to be alone and clear whatever business they have to each other," Alyva said while glancing at the entrance of the cottage. "Anyway, we better speed up preparation, or we won''t be able to cook everything before lunchtime," Alyva said as she started to cut the vegetables in cubes. "Okay~" Missa playfully replied. After she said that, her sister Mirabell finally came back after assisting Aldin to gather more wood. "I''m back," Mirabell said, as she curiously glanced at the entrance. "Oh, you''re back, what are you looking at Mira?" Missa asked her little sister. Following her line of eyesight, she saw that Missa was looking at the entrance. "Mm? Did you perhaps hear something when Kiro and Alina were discussing outside?" Missa said, while her playful nature took over her. "Come, tell me~ Mira! What did you hear?" "... I heard that Mr. Kiro is the student of ''that'' legendary figure." Mirabell replied at her sister, while she was still doubting her ears. She could not believe the word they said. "What? Legendary figure?" Missa said in confusion. "The Invincible A-ranker," Mirabell added. This time Missa stopped chopping the raw meat that she was preparing. Because of her clumsiness, she almost cut herself. "W-what? You did not hear wrongly, right?" "Mm." Mirabell nodded in approval. "You gotta be kidding right! That infamous Invincible A-ranker! What is more, the disciple of that person!" Missa could not help to yell at her sister in shock. "Stop screaming, I can hear you loud and clear. I overheard their discussion, I heard Kiro mentioned his Master, and it was that Invincible A-ranker." "No-no way, how come I haven''t heard that the Invincible A-ranker took a disciple?" This time Alyva, who was watching in the silence, like looking at a comical show, spoke. "It is the truth, I saw the Invincible A-ranker by my own two eyes, and how he selected Kiro as his disciple," Alyva stated as she glanced at the two. "Re-really? Do you think that we can meet Sir Kyros?" Missa exclaimed in excitement. Looking at her yearning expression, Alyva could not help to tease her. "Ahem... Do you know that I''ve learned some few pointers from ''that'' legendary person." Alyva replied in a playful tone. "... No way, even Alyva managed to learn from Sir Kyros... No! It must be a lie!" "Hehe, you don''t believe me? Fine, I will show you after the feast." Alyva said. "Anyway start chopping the meat or we won''t have any food before lunch." "Humph." Missa snorted light, and she continued chopping the raw meat. *** After their long preparation, Alyva and her group managed to finish their cooking duty in time. The dishes they prepared for the appetizer were a mixed vegetable seasoned with crushed black pepper. For the main course, Alyva chose a meat stew as for the dessert, they prepared leftover fruit. In this world, it was already considered a feast, while in Kiro''s former world, they are called a well-balanced meal. Glancing at the food over the table, Kiro gulped his dry saliva. It has been two weeks; since Kiro had a proper meal. "Okay now everyone is here, let''s give a toast for Kiro from successfully finishing his training!" Alyva said as she raised her cup of water. "Though it was only water because we are not allowed to drink in the training lounge, I''ll give you a toast!" Aldin said, hitting his cup to Alyva. Staring at the group, Kiro felt warm inside. Since coming into this world, they are the first person at the same age he ever interacted with. "Okay, well I''m bad with alcohol so water is fine too," Kiro said. "First of all, I would like to thank each and everyone here for giving me this delightful feast. I will always carve this memory inside me." After saying his appreciation, Kiro raised his cup of water as a signal to start the feast. *Cheers* They said in unison. While they are enjoying the feast, a sound of knocking could be heard at the entrance of the training lounge. 24 Instructors Battle 1 A knocking sound entered everyone''s attention. With Kiro''s keen sense; he was the first one who noticed that there''s someone in front of their cottage. "Mm, that is weird, who will visit our cottage at this time of the day?" Aldin said in confusion while glancing at the front door. "Well, since you''re the closest one at the entrance, Aldin, please go and meet the visitor," Alyva stated while following Aldin''s line of eyesight. "Haa¡ªwhy do you keep harassing me Alyva, okay I will go and greet the visitor." Aldin helplessly sighed as he walked toward the entrance. Upon opening the door, Aldin saw Instructor Ralph. His face couldn''t help to become even sourer. "Good afternoon, Instructor Ralph." Aldin swiftly returned his facial expression to normal; since the first day of their training, if misbehaved even for a bit; Instructor Ralph would beat him senselessly. Following that event, Aldin learned his lesson. "Is Kiro inside?" Instructor Ralph asked while directing his eyesight at Kiro, who was munching the huge serving of meat stew. Noticing that the Instructor was looking at him, Kiro pretended that Instructor Ralph didn''t exist as he kept gulping a mouthful of serving. "Hoo... In just the short span of a few weeks, you seem to have a remarkable change. What is more, you have the guts to ignore me now, huh? Lad." He said while darting his fierce glare at Kiro. "Oh, Instructor Ralph, It''s been a while," Kiro said as he glared back at him; since the first day, Kiro was irritated by this Instructor. Upon their first meeting, he was sent flying just for being polite; then after that, because of him, Kiro was forced to face an army of a gruesome ground worm. Of course, Kiro would feel aggravated for such a guy. "Hoho¡ªIt seems that after training with senior, you already forgot to know your place, kid," Ralph said. "Come, follow me at the training grounds, even though I already gave the full rights for educating you to senior Kyros, but in this training facility¡ªI''m the law!" After he expressed his words, Ralph went toward the training ground. Watching Instructor Ralph disappearing back, Aldin couldn''t help to let out a bitter laugh. "Hehehe, what would you do now Kiro?" He said while gazing at Kiro you keep munching the food on his side whilst gulping a mouthful of water. "Humph, for now, I need to eat!" Kiro said. "It''s been a while since I have eaten a nice complete meal, I won''t let this opportunity pass just because that nutshell instructor came over." Hearing Kiro''s remark, Alyva, and her group giggled lightly. They too felt annoyed to Instructor Ralph, but deep inside, they are thankful for his teaching; they knew the reason why he was being like this; it was for their future development; however, they would be delighted if someone could avenge their grievance from his torturous training course. Then Kiro and his group ignored the Instructor''s Ralph sudden visit like he was just an air that was passing by. Then they continued to eat their meal. *** On the training grounds. The vines on Ralph''s forehead were about to explode in rage. He has been waiting for Kiro''s arrival for about an hour. Yet not even his shadow could be found. He wanted to go straight and storm at their place, but Ralph still had to maintain his figure as their proctor, so even if he wanted to go there and dragged Kiro to the training ground. Ralph couldn''t do so, his pride as their teacher wouldn''t allow him to do so. At the moment he was about to leave the place, Ralph saw the familiar figure of Kiro. "So you still arrived, I thought you would chicken out and won''t face this old Ralph." He said with a provoking manner, the main reason why Ralph was searching for Kiro, It was because of his Master, old Kyros wanted to convey a message for him; however, because of Ralph''s hot-tempered nature. He already forgot the reason why he came to look for Kiro. "I''m sorry Instructor Ralph; since they held a feast just for me, it would be bad if I just leave there because you wanted a sparring match with me, right?" Kiro replied teasingly. Even though he felt irritated by him; the actual reason why Kiro kept provoking his bottom line was that he wanted to have a match with Instructor Ralph. He wanted to know; how long he can fare with a veteran adventurer like him. Hearing his reason Instructor''s Ralph almost threw a mouthful of blood in frustration. While he was waiting for an hour, Kiro was at the training lounge, enjoying his meal. "Go pick the weapon of your choice, I won''t even stop you if you wanted to use a bow," Ralph said while choosing a simple heavy wooden sword. Kiro did not reject his offer; however, he did not use a bow, rather Kiro''s chosen weapon was a short wooden sword. Upon seeing Kiro''s weapon, Ralph curled up his eyebrows. "What are you trying to prove here? Why won''t you use a bow?" He said in a tone that did not hide his annoyance. "There is no meaning behind it Instructor, the way my Master implanted his skill on me, was rather on the odd way," Kiro answered, glancing at Instructor Ralph who was about to explode in anger. "Humph! I would like to know how long you can hold that smug face of yours!" By the time he finished stating those words. Ralph kicked the hard ground as he flew at Kiro''s direction. Seeing the Instructor was proactively charging toward him. Kiro wasn''t flustered at all; instead, Kiro could see that he could easily read Ralph''s movement. Taking his stance, Kiro went forward and took the assault head-on. ''Clack!'' By the time, the Instructor''s Ralph wooden sword collided with Kiro''s short sword. Ralph was so astounded to see that Kiro parried with his serious blow effortlessly. After knowing, Kiro did have the backbone to bear his full blow. This time Ralph became more serious. Using his footwork, Ralph tried to use the advantage of his years of experience as an Adventurer to control the overall flow of the battle. But after speeding up his pace, Ralph was disturbed to see Kiro can keep up with his footing. ''Clack'' ''Clack'' ''Clack'' This time Kiro returned the favor and assaulted Instructor''s Ralph in a craze. With his Mana control, Kiro coated the short wooden sword to make it harder. Then this time he Increased the strength of his blow. ''Slash!'' Seeing Kiro''s frontal assault, Ralph failed to read his move as the short wooden slashed through his abdomen. Ralph used the hilt of the wooden sword to lessen the impact at the last moment before the attack landed, but it was a futile resistance, the short wooden sword still managed to pierce through. "U-urgh!" Ralph was sent flying three meters away from Kiro. Glancing at Instructor''s Ralph flying figure. Kiro was astounded by this scene. "Hey Fixie, how come the Instructor could not even manage to hold down my coated attack?" Kiro asked in bewilderment. "The reason why that guy did not manage to block Master''s attack; the first reason is that he underestimated Master, the second reason is that not all people in this world are proficient in manipulating the mana on their body." Fixie explained before she added. "Master mana is higher than him, even if the human body has a natural defense for a magic attack. It wasn''t enough to hold down the overwhelming assault of Master." "What do you mean by that? Didn''t everyone have an INT to their status, then the more they level up the stronger their defense will become right?" Kiro exclaimed his confusion. "While what Master said is correct; however, it was only applicable if the person is a colored mage or a colorless mage like Master. But Ralph is a Sword''s Man, so his base INT is only at the acceptable range." Fixie said. "But Master should also not forget about his STR, not only did Master use a Mana to that blow, you even used a decent amount of your strength right?" Hearing Fixie''s analysis, Kiro could only nod in approval. What she said was the truth, Kiro did increase the power of that blow, adding his mana coating. The effect is twice as much stronger than he expected. "It will be much easier if Master used the Appraisal at him," Fixie suggested. "Okay, I will," Kiro said while mumbling the keyword. "[Appraisal]!" ------------------------------------------------- Name: Ralph Lv: 40 Age: 32 Race: Human Gender: Male State: Healthy Title: D-rank Adventurer ------------------------------------------------- Job List. Combat Job: [Intermediate Sword''s Man] Lv. 25 * Skill List. Combat Skills: [Medial Sword''s Mastery] Lv. 15 * Non-combat Skills: [Cooking] Lv.3 [Writing] Lv.2 ------------------------------------------------- Statistics. STR: 145 INT: 80 DEX: 150 CON: 65 CHA: 20 SEN: 90 VIT: 191 ------------------------------------------------- Kiro stared at the transparent screen when he glanced at the statistics section, Kiro was startled to see that there was a gap between his base statistics and Instructor''s Ralph. 25 Instructors Battle 2 "Master, did you forget that your appraisal skill level went up?" Fixie asked curiously. "Mm, it did," Kiro replied in deep thought. Suddenly as if a shock of thunder hit''s his body. Kiro asked in astonishment. "If I remember correctly. Should not the skills and their effect will appear if I appraise someone?" Hearing Kiro questioning remarked. Fixie answered softly. "Yup~, Master can now see their effects and uses," Fixie said while pondering for a moment before continuing. "Hmm¡ªI think Master needs to tap the skill before it will appear." Catching Fixie''s word. Kiro tapped the Skill List. ------------------------------------------------- Skill List. Combat Skills: [Medial Sword''s Mastery] Lv. 15 * Branch Skill List: [Sword Bash] - A stun skill of sword''s mastery. -Effect -The target will be immobilized, for 3 seconds. -If the opponent has higher STR than the caster, the effect would be reduced to half. * [Aura Slash] - Second stage attack of the sword''s mastery. -Effect -Enhancing the caster''s sword. -The target will suffer external and internal damage from the sword aura. -If the opponent has a higher STR than the caster, the probability of the target to dispelling the sword aura was high. * [Sword Defense] - A passive defensive skill of sword''s mastery. -Effect -Enhancing the caster''s physical defense by tenfold. -While the skill is in the active state, the caster will have a rock-solid body enhancement for a half hour. -If the opponent has a higher STR than the caster, the opponent can simply reduce the caster''s buff defense effectiveness by forty percent. ------------------------------------------------- Staring at the transparent screen, Kiro could not hide his amazement. At first, he particularly thought his Innate appraisal was a useless skill that can only appraise something. But after his battle with the white wolf. Kiro realized that if he knew the skills, and effects of his opponent. He would have two steps advantage from any difficulty, as long as he managed to take advantage of the information. Kiro felt confident that he could fight a person with a higher status than him. While Kiro was busy gazing at the status bar, Ralph, who had been lying on the ground, stood up. "Hoo¡ªI never knew I would be forced to use my defensive skill from a newbie trainee." Instructor, Ralph said. "I guess old Kyros'' discerning eyes were not wrong at all." He could not help to compliment Kiro''s attack. With his long experience as a trainer, this is the first time someone can hold a candle with him. Even better, an opponent who was only inexperienced a few weeks ago now advanced to this stage at the terrifying rate. Instructor Ralph''s body was being enveloped with a sharp aura. When he realized that his body couldn''t take a blow; he swiftly cast his sword defense. But even though Ralph used his defensive skill, he was shocked to know that even with sword aura protecting his body. Kiro''s monstrous strength still managed to take some minor wounds on his abdomen. This time Ralph''s eye became serious while staring at Kiro as if he was a monster. Because of his negligence, the price he had to pay was being humiliated by his trainee. Pointing his wooden sword at Kiro''s direction, Ralph shrouded his heavy wooden sword with sword aura. Kiro suddenly felt the atmosphere inside the training ground change as if a sharp aura enveloping the surrounding area. Glancing at Ralph''s direction, Kiro found the source of the disturbance. With his experience from the past few weeks. Kiro senses, indicating that the current Ralph is dangerous. Taking his center of gravity, Kiro said. "Come!" with the information he attained, Kiro felt confident that he could fight Instructor Ralph head-on. Seeing Kiro, nonchalant expression. Ralph controlled his temper. He already learned from his mistake, being hold-headed to an opponent as Kiro would lead to agony. Kicking the ground hard, Ralph activated his skill. "[Aura Slash]" Noticing the impending danger, Kiro coated his short wooden sword with his mana. *Bang!~* A huge explosion echoed to the training ground. However, the two did not stop releasing their killer blow. *Bang!* Bang!* Bang!* A smoke covered at the center of the collision. There you could see the two figures of Kiro and Instructor Ralph. Staring at Kiro, Ralph laughed maniacally. "Wahaha! Kid, it''s been a while since this old Ralph goes all out," He said. "Can you still keep up?" Ralph asked a question. Because of Kiro''s weapon of choice, a short wooden sword. While his actual class is an Archer, Kiro naturally can''t use his skill. "I can still continue, Instructor," Kiro replied, but he did not realize while fighting with Ralph, he was smirking like a fool. He entered his battle state mode when Kiro was training in the wilderness, to overcome the tiredness. Kiro subconsciously fooled himself that he was having fun to get rid of his gloominess. Now it has become a habit. Ralph glanced at Kiro''s expression. The last wall of his sanity crumbled. "Hehehe... *BEEP* you up, lad!" He charged wildly to Kiro. Glancing at Instructor Ralph''s furious response, Kiro stared at him in confusion. However, Kiro did not mind his crazed state. He has been battling with violent monsters who even abandoned their will to live. Kiro''s mind wouldn''t be shaken so easily to Ralph''s reaction. With his madness, Ralph disregarded his pride. He used his downward slash attack as a feint. However, the tip of his wooden sword was covered with mud, splashing it to Kiro''s grinning face. Kiro never battled with an actual person; since his training, Kiro''s opponent was all monster. He was lack of experience in fighting a human opponent. Kiro was caught off guard by Instructor Ralph''s dirty trick. Ralph did not give Kiro an opening after Kiro''s face was blinded by the mud. He simultaneously used another skill. "[Sword Bash!] Ralph shouted the keyword. Hitting Kiro''s chin, paralyzing him for a brief moment. But it was enough for him to cleanly activate his sword strike. "[Aura Slash!]" With glittering sharp sword aura wrapping his wooden heavy sword. Ralph slashed horizontally. Kiro who was immobilized by the sword bash took the furious blow of Ralph''s slashed. Hitting his defenseless body. *Swoosh!* A piercing sound of the wind rushed through Kiro''s side. Blowing his immobilized body five meters away from his original position. "Urgh!" Kiro groaned in pain. He took the strike head-on without any kind of defense. However, the damage from that blow was not that much, with his high physical defense Kiro only suffered minor wounds on his rib cage. Tapped the dust on his body, Kiro could not help to curse Ralph. "Hey! That''s being dirty, you old bag!" He said while glancing at Ralph''s direction. "What do you mean by being dirty, huh! You monstrosity, lad." Ralph cursed back at him. He could not believe in the moment of his rage. Ralph forgot not to hold back his blow. After realizing what he had done. Ralph felt sorry for what he had done, but to his astonishment, Kiro was there, standing still, like he did not receive any damage at all. Stretching out his numbed limbs, Kiro went forward and continued to assault the Instructor. He used his dexterity to overcome the gap with their experience. But Kiro is a fast learner. While he was on the ground, Kiro picked up a fist-size mud on his left hand. *Clack!* Clack!* Clack!* The continuous sound of the wooden sword vibrating to the training ground, Kiro wasn''t sure he could mimic Ralph, so he used his overwhelming strength to push back Instructor Ralph''s. Then he used his mana wooden sword as a feint to disturb Ralph''s attention. Striking his rib cage. *Clack!* Ralph managed to deflect his blow, but to his surprise his line of eyesight became blurred. To be exact, his eyes right now were covered with mud. Swiping both of his eyes, only then Ralph returned his vision. However, he was already too late to put his guard to the impending attack of Kiro. Kiro did not let this opportunity go, imbuing a mass amount of mana to his short wooden sword. A glaring white light flashed through Kiro''s short wooden sword, as he smashed it through Instructor Ralph''s abdomen. *Bang!~* Ralph Sword Defense crumbled, receiving Kiro''s imbued mana was a no joke. With an enormous impact from Kiro''s assault, he received severe damage from his stomach. Four pieces of his rib were broken. "Gaah¡ªha!" Instructor Ralph coughed a mouthful of blood. While his body was still floating on the ground, it only halted when it flew ten meters away from Kiro. "Instructor!" Kiro shouted in panic. After releasing his killer blow. Kiro sobered up, realizing that he went too far. He went toward Ralph''s direction. "... Haa... Haaa... Ha..." Ralph weakly breathed, glancing at Kiro who rushed worriedly after sending him ten meters away. He could only bitterly laugh inside upon seeing his reaction. "Instructor! Are you okay?" Kiro asked an obvious question, but to his panic, Kiro did not discern how funny his question was. Ralph glanced at Kiro, who was worriedly looking at him. As he said. "Haa¡­ Ha¡­ Don''t worry kid, I''m fine, but I need your help. Can you grab the magic potion inside my pouch," Ralph drawled while darting his eyesight to his waist. Following his line of eyesight, Kiro saw the same pouch he received from his Master. He grabbed the small spatial tool at Ralph''s waist, whilst searching for the content inside, Kiro eventually saw a small liquid bottle with amber color. 26 Subjugation Reques In a brief moment of examining Instructor Ralph''s condition. Kiro opened the small liquid bottle. "What should I do next?" Kiro mumbled while giving a glance at Ralph, who was lying on the ground. "Master, you have to pour the magic potion to Ralph''s wounds," Fixie said. "With this kind of magic potion is sufficient to heal his wounds." Hearing Fixie''s explanation, Kiro poured down the content to Instructor Ralph''s abdomen. A tranquil feeling enveloped Ralph''s injuries. In a matter of a few minutes, his severely damaged rib cage closed up. Staring at the scene before him. Kiro could not help to feel amazed. "Though, I already experienced the same thing before. But, seeing how it works up close, I still could not believe such a magical thing existed." Kiro exclaimed in fascination. He was unconscious at that time when Kyros mend his wounds, so it was Kiro''s first time seeing a magical potion work up close. "Huu... Thank you, kid. With the help of the magic potion, my injuries will be fully healed in a matter of three days. So you don''t need to bother. It was a mock battle. Getting a wound in the fight is a common thing." Ralph stated. He was hinting at Kiro not to worry about him. Looking at his Instructor who was trying to get back on his feet, Kiro offered his help, but Ralph rejected his offer. "I can stand by myself kid," He said. Forcing his body to stand up. Upon seeing the Instructor''s stubbornness. Kiro decided to let it slide, while he asked a question. "Instructor Ralph, well it is a bit late to ask this, why are you searching for me earlier?" Kiro said. "You did not come to our camp just because you wanted to fight with me, right?" Hearing Kiro''s question. Ralph could not help to make a fuss. "It was you who provoked me to start this fight in the first place!" Ralph gnashed his teeth in frustration, upon recollecting the scene at the training lounge. " He said. "Well, your Master asked me to relay you a message." After he said those words. Kiro stared at him in dismay. Hearing his Master was looking for him. Kiro thought his Master was about to start the second phase of his training. "What did he say?" Kiro asked nervously. Seeing Kiro''s perplexed expression, Ralph chuckled slightly. "Don''t worry, it is not what you think of..." Then Ralph repeated the exact words of Kyros. Upon hearing his Master''s message, Kiro looked at him in confusion. *** A riveting forest filled with greenery. Leaves were rustling while a gentle gust of wind touched upon the branches of the almond trees, whistling around the trunks. The smell of wildflower that grew on the damp, murky ground. But inside the Plainlan forest, despite its captivating scenery, the scent of wild animals stood strong. On the outskirts of the forest, a group of six people was following the trail of the forest. They''re following the lead of the woman who wore revealing clothes together with her mesmerizing bob cut chestnut-colored hair that was glittering upon the touch of sunlight, amidst her fit clothing, that emphasized the destructive curve of her body. However, her eyes were sharp like a predator. "Stop." The woman said. "Four meters northwest, there is a two Goblin scout ahead." She said while indicating the archery from their group to execute the goblins. *Swoosh!* Two piercing arrows flew in the two Goblin scout''s direction. Noticing there was something amiss, the two Goblin looked at the two flying arrows darting to their heads. But it was already too late for them to dodge the arrow. One of the intelligent scouts tried to blow the horn to call for backup. However, before the Goblin could. a separate, furious arrow flew at its throat. *Tud!* The Goblin fell on the ground and died before it could send a warning. Staring at its dead companion, the other Goblin started to panic as it tried to escape. But it was a futile resistance. The arrow finally reached its target, hitting the escaping Goblin''s head. "Phew~, that was nerve-wracking," She said while putting her bow down. "Alina, your perception reached another level! Congratulations!" Alyva complimented Alina''s tracking skill, since the last few weeks, they have been hunting wild games to hone their skills. It was their first time accepting a subjugation request. "Mm, I guess our training course did manage to manifest its fruition," Alina said. "Alyva''s skill in Archery leveled up too, right?" "Yup, thanks to Sir Kyros handwritten note, and a few pointers. I finally managed to break through the new height." Alyva happily said before she added. "Well, the one who developed much quicker than us is Kiro, didn''t you just see his arrow? It was terrifyingly fast." She said while glancing at Kiro enviously. "Hehe... With continuous training, Alyva would eventually reach this kind of level." Kiro embarrassingly said. He knew the reason why his growth is faster than anyone else. Because of his blessing. Kiro is five times stronger than his current level. "Humph!" Alyva snorted slightly at him. She could not help to feel jealous of Kiro''s growth. She thought because of Kyros'' attentive teaching, Kiro''s monstrous growth was because of him. "Anyway, we have to move further." Kiro changed the topic as he glanced at the nearest camp of the Goblins. While they picked up their pace. Looked at the two people behind his back. "Well, who would''ve known Missa class is a Priestess, while your sister Mirabell is a Mage," Kiro said while examining the two. "Hehe~, isn''t Kiro the disciple of that legendary person, Sir Kyros?" She said. "But still, I could not believe such a plain guy like you is the disciple of the Invincible A-ranker," Missa muttered the last few sentences. However, it did not escape Kiro''s sharp ears. Kiro could only bitterly laugh inside. He did not even know what being Kyros disciple means. Because his Master hasn''t taught him anything but survival skills and testing his limit. "Haha, stop with the disciple thing, I feel uncomfortable being named as his disciple. He hasn''t done anything to act like a Master you know." Kiro said dejectedly. Mirabell, who has been overseeing the two, asked a question. "Kiro, isn''t your Master a colored Mage? What about you?" She said with eyes full of curiosity. "Haa~, sorry to say this, but I''m a colorless mage." Kiro sighed slightly, after a brief magic introduction from Kyros. Kiro already knew that he has no affinity to any elements. "Wa¡ªwhat? You are a colorless mage?" Missa who was listening in the corner uttered in astonishment. "Yup, but my master said it doesn''t matter because, in this Era, the one with the higher Mana pool shined much more glorious." Hearing Kyros'' explanation about the colorless mage, even though they cannot use any elements, their mana pool, and mana regeneration was ten times larger and faster recovery than the regular colored mage. "Mm, the colorless mage is much more sought for than the colored ones." Missa did not reject Kiro''s explanation. "Yup, you are lucky Kiro, If you study runic magic, not only it would be helpful to your Archery, it could even expand your Mana capacity," Mirabell said. "But if you ever become a Runic Master, don''t forget to give us a discount when we request you to imbue our equipment with runic magic, okay?" Mirabell said she rarely talked to someone, but after knowing Kiro for the past few days. Mirabell loosened her defense around him. "Hoo¡ªI don''t know about that, I as far as I can remember, a certain someone treated me like air during our first meeting," Kiro replied teasingly. "Humph!" Mirabell snorted as a reply. The reason why Kiro joined them in this Goblin Subjugation request, was because of his Master''s message. It has been three days since the mock battle of him and Instructor Ralph. ''Kiro, go and build up some experience with your co-trainee within your camp. The second phase of your training will begin once you successfully become an E-rank Adventurer.'' At first, Kiro was filled with doubt, but after thinking about the reason why the old man decided to wait until he became an E-ranker. Deep inside Kiro was thankful because he could still have some time to enjoy his Adventuring life. The group has been walking for about fifteen meters away from the scout location. Eventually, they saw the small scale of the Goblin settlement. There were roughly forty-plus Goblins inside the settlement. The number of Goblins exceeded their expectation. The group glanced at each other, trying to communicate through their body language. However, before they could decide if they will go back and request further assistance from the Guild. *Hoong!* A loud sound of the horn echoed throughout the forest, alarming the surrounding Goblins. 27 Goblin Mage "Keeeh!" One of the Goblins screeched in excitement as another one pointed its finger towards Kiro''s group. All of a sudden, there were roughly ten Globins that were charging en route their direction. "Tsk! What should we do now?" Aldin clicked his tongue out of frustration. He and Alina were the only ones who could fight in close combat. Kiro glanced at the horde of Goblin charging towards their direction. As he moved forward, Kiro said. "Aldin, Alina, the three of us should buy enough time for Alyva and the rest to retreat to a safe distance." He said. "With that, they can cover our rear once we move back. We will do the same tactic until they give up pursuing us." Kiro proclaimed. Seeing their party was about to crumble in fright, he must stabilize their formation first. With proper formation, the chance of their survival would increase. "It can''t be helped then. But Kiro, are you sure you can fight in close combat?" Aldin glanced at him with eyes full of doubt. "Yes, I can fight in close combat. Didn''t you forget who my Master is?" Kiro used his Master''s name as an excuse in a time as such because he doesn''t have the time to explain it to Aldin. "Okay then." Aldin eventually nodded to Kiro''s scheme while giving a glance to Alina. Noticing that she did not utter her rejection, Aldin considered her silent approval. "Okay, now go!" Kiro yelled at Alyva''s group who were staring at the horde of Goblins in horror. Hearing Kiro''s voice, Alyva and Mirabell were awakened from their predicament. "Okay, let''s move out!" Alyva proclaimed as she gazed at Aldin''s figure with anxiety. Aldin, who noticed that Alyva was glancing at him with eyes full of concern, smiled slightly while saying. "Don''t worry Alyva; we have Kiro here. Didn''t you see earlier how monstrous his strength was?" "Mm, okay, be careful!" Glancing at their group once more, Alyva''s group eventually moved out. "Heeeh!" The Goblin started to yell once they saw Alyva''s group running, pointing at the Archer within their group as if indicating that they should shoot them dead. *Swoosh!* Swoosh!* Swoosh!* Multiple arrows flew at Alyva''s group, but before it could even move further, Kiro countered their attack. "[Arrow Shock!]" *Bang!* with a single arrow, Kiro succeeded in obstructing their assault. "Go!" He yelled at Alyva''s group while fixing his sharp gaze at the upcoming disaster. With Kiro alone, he could break through this horde of Goblins. Utilizing a proper tactic, he could even wipe them all out. However, this time Kiro wasn''t alone. Even with his current capability, Kiro wasn''t sure if he could protect them all unscratched. He had to consider the worst-case scenario. Summoning ten pieces of arrows from inside his spatial tool, Kiro simultaneously aimed at the wave of Goblins. *Tud!* Tud!* Tud!* "Gaa-haa!" Multiple Goblins died in a flash. Withdrawing his longbow, Kiro switched to his short dagger. Aldin and Alina stared at the scene before them in amazement. Glancing at Kiro, who switched weapons, Aldin curiously asked. "Kiro, why did you switch to a different weapon? Isn''t it much better if you keep using your longbow?" He said while observing Kiro with eyes full of wonder. "Well, there is no point if I killed all the Goblins right? We came here to exterminate them as a group." Kiro said. He was requested by Instructor Ralph to watch over their group while not obstructing their growth. Because he knew if they only relied on Kiro''s prowess, they would never grow as a strong Adventurer that he envisioned. "Mm, I guess you are right. However Kiro, you are not the only one who developed their skills in our group you know!" Aldin said as he raised his sword horizontally, slashing the nearby Goblin. "[Sword Strike!]" He muttered the word while his sword was enveloped with a flash of light. "Geeh!" The Goblin screamed as it flew two meters away from its original position. Alina who was watching the two in silence became motivated after hearing Aldin''s speech. She gripped her short saber tightly as she braced herself at the upcoming Goblin. *Ting!* Alina deflected the Goblin''s crude wooden mace while activating her skill. "[Quick Slash!]" A sharp light pierced through the Goblin''s neck, making it fall on the ground. *Tud.* Glancing at the Goblin''s lifeless body, Kiro smiled slightly at the two. "Okay, I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to underestimate you guys. Well, seeing both of you can slay the Goblin effortlessly, I guess I''m worried for nothing." Kiro said as he observed the two who was grinning cheekily at him. "You don''t have to worry about us Kiro, you just have to focus on the enemy in front of you," Alina said while staring at the horde of Goblin who suddenly stopped their advance. "Why did they stop pursuing us?" Alina asked in bewilderment. "Maybe they became afraid after we''ve killed a dozen of them?" Aldin said in a tone that did not hide his confusion. Noticing the oddity of the Goblin''s behavior. Kiro had a bad premonition. With the unusual number of the Goblin, it was natural that there would be a Goblin Captain or Goblin Mage that''s leading the settlement. As if acknowledging his doubt, Kiro''s senses started to cry. The atmosphere inside the forest started to become hot. Suddenly, a huge flame flew towards their direction. "Watch out!" Alyva and her group who were watching from afar shouted in fright. Hearing their warning, Kiro looked above his head and saw a huge fireball fiercely advancing to their location. "... A Goblin Mage?" Kiro exclaimed in astonishment. "Move out!" Aldin yelled at the two while kicking the ground hard, retreating toward Alyva''s group location. Alina, who was about to follow his lead when she saw Kiro''s immobilized body, halted her footstep. "Hey, Kiro! Snap out of it! We have to move now. With a Goblin Mage in their ranks, there is a high possibility of a stronger existence inside their settlement." She said, while worriedly staring at Kiro, who stopped moving. The reason Kiro stopped moving was not that he was afraid of the upcoming attack, but it was because he remembered something about the booklet of monsters he received from the Guild. Inside, it said that the Goblin Mage would only appear if a higher existence than it emerged. If it was only a Goblin Commander, Kiro thought he could manage to beat it somehow, but if it was a Goblin King, he wasn''t sure if he could even make it out alive in this forest. "You guys go first!" Kiro said while glancing at Alina and the others, his eyes flashing with determination. "Go, I''ll catch up with you guys later," Kiro said in a flat tone. Dashing toward the huge fireball in front of him. Kiro summoned his longbow once more, while simultaneously activating his skill. "[Arrow Shock!]" Kiro imbued his dense mana to the arrowhead as he initiated his skill. *Baang!* A huge explosion resounded throughout the Plainlan forest, startling the nearby Goblins who halted their movements. "Kiro!" Alina screamed at Kiro''s disappearing back. "Alina! Get back, we need to report this to the Guild first!" Aldin said while trying to calm her down. "Look, we have to report this event to the Guild first." He said. "If you are really worried about Kiro, we could split our group into two." After saying those words, Aldin glanced at Alyva''s group. "Missa, Alina, and I will pick up Kiro. You guys should go ahead and report everything to the Guild." Missa was shocked when she heard her name being called out. Noticing her reaction, Aldin added. "We need your healing magic just in case Kiro received some critical injury." "Mm, okay, I will accompany you guys," Missa said while gripping her long staff firmly. It would be a lie if she said that she wasn''t afraid, but she already started this path. Missa knew that she could not always run away from the trouble. "Mirabell, I will be counting on you to safety escort Alyva out of this forest." This time Aldin bowed his head to Mirabell. He knew he was asking too much of a favor. Hence, he could only bow his head to her. "Mm, don''t worry, Alyva is much stronger than you know," Mirabell replied while not rejecting his request. Glancing at her sister, both of Mirabell''s eyes moistened. "Be careful, if you think you are in danger, you can just run away," She stated, not minding the weird look of the surrounding people. "Stop joking around! There''s no way I could abandon them." After hearing her sister''s joke, Missa''s mind calmed down for a bit. "Then, I''ll entrust the safety of my sister to you." Mirabell stared at Aldin fiercely, grabbing Alyva''s hand as she dragged her way out of the forest. Aldin nodded his head heavily. "Mm." "Wa¡ªwait! I-" Alyva tried to say something, but before she could, Mirabell shut her mouth using her other hand. "You have to come back all alive! Or else I won''t let you rest in peace!" Alyva, who managed to free herself from Mirabell''s grasp, yelled toward their direction. Even though she wanted to stay and help, Alyva acknowledged that she would only be a burden to them. With their line up, It was already an excellent search party unit. "Let''s go," Alyva said with a hoarse voice. Glancing at her sister''s direction one more time, Mirabell left the place with a heavy footstep 28 Mana Blas Deep inside the forest, Kiro followed the dispersing mana flow from the adjacent forest. He discreetly walked toward the unusual mana concentration in the northwest side of the plainlan forest. There Kiro saw a one and half meter tall Goblin, the unusual thing about this Goblin was that its eyes were gleaming with intelligence. Cautiously moving forward, Kiro drew his longbow, aiming at the Goblin Mage, who was in the midst of preparing to cast another magic spell. Taking advantage of the Goblin was busy to casted another skill. Kiro released the string of his longbow, as the arrow darted toward the Goblin Mage''s forehead. *Swoosh!* A piercing sound of the arrow flew at Its direction. However, Kiro underestimated the sensibility of the Goblin, before it could hit the Goblin Mage''s forehead. Half-meter away from its target, the arrow burst into pieces when it was about to reach its target. Staring at the scene before him. Kiro was alarmed, but before he could switch position. A furious roar resounded in their direction. *Rooaar!* Kiro was familiar with the figure who jumped in the middle to protect the Goblin Mage. It was a silver wolf. However, this wolf has an odd atmosphere around it. The wolf silver wolf eyes that supposedly a grey color, turned into red, around the wolf''s neck, was a runic symbol encircling around like a collar. "Grrr!" The silver wolf pounced toward Kiro, who was watching the commotion with a goofy face. Noticing the advance of the silver wolf, Kiro stepped backward, while summoning three arrows inside his spatial tool. "[Arrow Shock!]" Continuous arrow darted toward the silver wolf''s direction, but Kiro did not notice the Goblin Mage, who used the silver wolf as a bait to cast its skill. "Keee!" The Goblin Mage screeched as it wielded its wooden staff. Three spear-like flames appeared behind the Goblin Mage, as it flew toward Kiro''s direction. *Baang!* A huge explosion when both of their attacks collided, Kiro was taken aback from the aftershock, stabilizing his footing. Kiro glanced at the silver wolf, who was about to pounce at him. With his dexterity, Kiro effortlessly dodged the wolf''s attack. But, he was having a hard time. He could not let the Goblin Mage release another Magic Attack. Maintaining his breathing, Kiro took his firing stance. He ignored the wild wolf who was chasing him in a deranged state. "[Mana Blast!]" A condensed mana arrow darted vertically at the silver wolf body. However, the force of the arrow continued to pierce through its body. As it directly flew toward the Goblin Mage. "Raa!" The Silver wolf cried in agony as its lifeless body fell on the ground. Upon seeing its tamed beast die, the Goblin Mage was alarmed. Abruptly casting a defensive spell, the Goblin, used its dark staff to parry at the upcoming beamed arrow. "Keeeeeah!" The Goblin Mage swung its dark staff hard. With an obstinate struggle, it eventually deflected the arrow. "Tsk!" Kiro clicked his tongue upon seeing the Goblin was still alive. The skill Kiro used right now, was his newly attained skill after his archery class reached another stage. When he left the forest of wilderness, Kiro did not only attain enough survival skills, his archery''s class advanced too. "I wanted to save more firepower, but I guess it can''t be helped. I never knew a Goblin Mage could be this annoying." Kiro exclaimed his dissatisfaction. He wanted to reserve as much strength as possible, without knowing what kind of beast that was leading this horde of Goblins. Kiro wanted to avoid draining himself before he could even face their boss. Kiro swept the crystal shard in the pouch, as he summoned thirty plus arrows. "Pseudo-one hundred arrow returning in one!" Kiro shouted his self built Art of Archery. However, the arrow this time was imbued with a thicker mana density. A glaring white luminous light blasted from Kiro''s side, creating a blinding beam of light as it flew vertically. *Ti¡ªing!* An aggressive deafening sound rang inside the forest, disturbing Kiro''s sense of hearing momentarily. As the enormous flash of light dissipated, Kiro finally saw the listless body of the Goblin Mage. Noticing that the Goblin Mage was still alive. Kiro could not help to admire its toughness. "You''re still alive, allow me to send you in your way." With that said. Kiro pointed his longbow to the Goblin, giving it the final blow. *Swoosh* The arrow darted toward its forehead, but this time it hit the target. Ultimately, the Goblin Mage breathing ceased to exist, as its lifeless body fell on the ground. Kiro examined if the Goblin was still alive, after knowing it was certain death. Kiro loosened his guard down. "Haa... Haa... Ha... Such a troublesome opponent." Kiro stated as he stabilized his breathing. The new move right now was so taxing at him. Even though Kiro did not use the same amount of arrow as before. However, the concentration and the density of the mana was ten times stronger than before. Kiro noticed the flaws of his art at the final confrontation of his bow arrow and the white wolf''s wind fang. He realized that his first one hundred arrows were lacking the piercing ability, but on his second attempt, Kiro concentrated the sharpness of the arrowheads. Eventually, he slayed the beast by intensifying the penetration power of his art. *Rooooar!* Suddenly, a furious howl reverberated throughout the plainlan forest. Kiro was startled to the sudden development, then his doubt about a much stronger monster who was commanding the Goblin nest, grew much firmer. "I hope I bought enough time for you guys to safely leave this place." Kiro anxiously said. The reason why he charged deep inside the forest was for Aldin''s group to safely get out of the plainlan forest, Kiro was confident that he could outrun the enemy even if anything goes in the wrong direction. However, little did he know, on the other side of the forest. There was a group of three people relentlessly searching for him. *** "Kiro!" Aldin screamed his name while his eyes scanned the surrounding area. "Alina, did you find anything yet?" Aldin worriedly asked. "We have to find him quickly, I don''t know why, but I have this weird feeling that indicates to me to leave this place at once." "I haven''t found Kiro''s track yet," Alina replied dejectedly, but before she could continue. A glittering white light flashed in the northwest direction of the forest. The group was momentarily shocked upon the scene, suddenly Alina cried out. "It''s him! That must Kiro!" Alina excitedly said. However, her excitement turned into anxiety upon realizing that Kiro was going all out to his opponent, only means his opponent was enough for Kiro to face it seriously. Thinking at this point, Alina urgently said. "We have to get there as soon as we can! Kiro might be in trouble!" While saying that, Alina was about to dash through the northwest side of the forest. "Wait!" Aldin grabbed a hold of her shoulder, as he said. "We will go there okay? We have to be cautious of our surroundings first." Aldin reminded her that they''re not in a safe place at the moment. He could not let Alina dash through the forest while attracting their enemies. "Mm, got it," Alina said while worriedly glanced at the dissipating white light. Missa who was watching the commotion in the silence. "Don''t worry, Kiro would be fine, don''t you remember that guy''s teacher is? It''s the Invincible A-ranker. There is no way he would leave Kiro empty-handed right?" Missa tried to calm her down. "Yup, Missa is right, there''s no way Sir Kyros would leave Kiro without anything to support himself," Alina said while she tried to calm herself down. "Right? So don''t worry too much," She said. "Kiro is such a bad guy for letting a beauty like Alina to worry for him like this." Missa playfully said. "I¡ªIt''s not what you think Mis-" Alina cut-off her words, as a furious howl resounded throughout the plainlan forest. *Rooooar!* The atmosphere around the three became heavy; eventually, Aldin proclaimed. "We have to move out now... I¡ªI don''t know what type of monster that is, but we have to hurry and leave this place!" "What about Kiro?" Missa anxiously asked. "Are we going to abandon him like that?" "No!" This time Alina shouted while both of her eyes moistened. "If you guys wanted to leave, just go! I''ll find Kiro by myself." While saying that, Alina kicked the ground hard, as she dashed to Kiro''s direction. This time he did not stop Alina from going while wearing a heavy face. In a brief moment of hesitation, Aldin firmly said. "Let''s go Missa. This time it was out of our hand, there''s no way we could fight that monster..." He said while gripping his palm to the point of bleeding. He wanted to stop Alina, but he knew that it was pointless. "Are we re¡ªreally going to leave them just like that! How could you say something so cold Aldin!" Missa exclaimed, as she yelled at him. "Then... What am I supposed to do huh? Go there and lead all of us to our death! Wake up Missa. You know it too right? A while ago, I wasn''t sure what kind of monster it was, but this time for sure, there is a Goblin King inside this forest!" Aldin screamed in distress. Missa, who was about to voice out her complaint, shut her mouth tightly. While glancing at Alina''s disappearing back, Missa dejectedly lowered her head. It would be a lie if she said she wasn''t afraid of the Goblin King, but her body moved on its own, as Missa stepped forward to Alina''s direction, however, before she could take another step. Aldin knocked her out. "¡ªI''m sorry," Aldin mumbled while he caught Missa''s falling body. Staring at Kiro''s direction for a couple of minutes, Aldin ultimately left the place while carrying Missa to his back. 29 Game of Tag 1 Northwest side of the Plainlan forest. Alina frantically dashed forward while searching for Kiro''s whereabouts. "Kiro!" Alina called his name in anxiety, as her eyes cautiously gazed at the surrounding forest. Then she heard a noise behind her back. She abruptly turned around to find at the source of the disturbance, when she saw the greeny figure behind the tree-trunks, Alina was alarmed. Grabbing the handle of her short saber tightly, while staring at her surrounding. Only then, Alina realized that she jumped into the pack of Goblins. With the huge commotion that Kiro did, the nearby Goblins inside the settlement would naturally become curious about the disturbance inside the forest; what is more, a horde of Goblins with a higher existence that gave them a chain of command. Low-grade monsters like them have no right to refuse their Master''s call. Noticing the impending danger, Alina stepped backward in fright, as she cautiously thought of a way to leave this place; because of her negligence, she accidentally ran into the group of Goblins. However, before she could, the Goblins started to attack her. "Kekeke." One of the Goblins laughed horribly while gazing at her from top to bottom. "Keeh!" However, the leader of the group hit the laughing Goblin''s head. *Monster Language* "Stop daydreaming! Hurry up and capture that human girl!" The leader of the Goblin said. "But, Hobgoblin, did not the boss say, we are allowed to have fun if we caught one." "No... Komoblin, this time, we''re short of supply, our Master said he needed a fresh one." Hobgoblin replied to another Goblin named Komoblin. "Then it can''t be helped, because of the boss binding we cannot disobey him," Komoblin said dejectedly. "After receiving the boss name blessing, my aptitude in thinking increased." "However, my reasoning became higher as the day went by. I realized that I cannot escape from his shackle. Don''t you feel the same, Hobgoblin?" "Stop talking nonsense, without our Master blessing we would remain stupid like them," Hobgoblin said as he eyes fell at the two low-intellectual Goblins. "Alright, Hobgoblin is correct without boss we would remain ignorant like them," Komoblin said, but deep inside his eyes, a tint of shadow slowly forming. Alina stared at the two Goblins weirdly. She could not help to think, what was wrong with the two. But, when she noticed that the group of Goblins was not paying attention to her. Alina decisively left the place without alarming the crowd. Komoblin glanced at Alina''s direction, but to his surprise, their target had already left the place. "You guys! Go and find that human!" Komoblin screeched to his subordinate. "Keeh!" The two low-grade Goblins shriek in fright when they saw Komoblin''s terrifying gaze. "Tsk! A useless bunch." Hobgoblin who was watching the scene unfolded in the silence, wore a complicated expression while glancing at Komoblin. It would be a lie if Hobgoblin said he didn''t like to be freed from the shackles of their Master. The first day when he gained his knowledge Hobgoblin felt fortunate. However, as the day goes by, the more Hobgoblin increased his level, the better understanding he got from reality. He wasn''t satisfied with his status of being a slave. *** "Haa¡­ Haaa¡­ Ha¡­ What a weird Goblin, but thanks to that, I managed to escape." Alina said while trying to stabilize her breathing. Slowly observing her surroundings, Alina was relieved to find that there was no pursuer behind her back. She subconsciously loosened her guard down. "I need to find Kiro as soon as possible," Alina said while her eyes flashed with determination. She did not know why she was acting so impulsive when she heard that Aldin was willing to abandon Kiro. However, when an image of the lifeless body of Kiro flashed inside her mind. Alina could not sit idle and do nothing. "Kiro¡ªplease be safe." *** On the other side of the forest. A man with an ink-like hair and his pitched black sharp eyes that were cautiously scanning the surrounding area. Right at this moment, Kiro was hiding behind the tree-trunk. "Curse it, demented beast! Why would you appear inside the beginner''s stage forest!" Kiro exclaimed his irritation. When he was about to leave the forest, he ran across with a two Goblin Commander who pursued him tirelessly. "I better get out of here, if there were two Goblin Commander inside this forest, now I''m more certain that there''s a Goblin King deep inside this woods," Kiro said while he scanned the surrounding once more when he noticed that he was out of danger, Kiro cautiously crawled beneath the bush. However, Kiro heard a rustling sound behind his back. *Rustle* Rustle* Kiro was taken aback when he heard the noise, glancing behind his back. Kiro swore upon seeing the greeny figure who was staring at him jeeringly as if he was a dead prey. "Keeeh!" The Goblin Commander screeched, signaling others. "*Beep!* you won''t stop until I''m dead, huh?" Kiro gritted his teeth as he summoned his longbow. "[Arrow Shock!]" Kiro aimed at the Goblin Commander''s left eye. When he first saw the Goblin Commander''s size, Kiro was surprised to see the oversized Goblin, it was half-meter taller than the Goblin Mage, but the more he observed the Goblin, the more shocking it became. The Goblin Commander wore a crafted iron plate mail, as for its weapon of choice. A one, and half tall heavy sword. The Goblin Commander split Kiro''s arrow into two, as its sword swung downward, going straight to Kiro''s direction. Seeing the upcoming disaster, Kiro rolled on the ground to dodge the Goblin Commander''s blow. *Slash* A piercing gust of wind crushed to the ground, Kiro tried to stabilize his footing, but the reinforcement had already arrived. *Swoosh* An arrow flew in his direction, Kiro used the body of his longbow to bash the upcoming attack. After deflecting the arrow, Kiro aimed at the troublesome Archer on their ranks. * Swoosh! * Swoosh! * Swoosh! * Three consecutive arrows flew to the reinforcement group. Tud! Kiro successfully slayed the Goblin Archer, but he did not stop his continuous barrages. "Master, Be careful!" Suddenly Fixie cried in alarm, since the battle of Goblin Mage, Fixie hasn''t intervened. But this time, Fixie was worried about the sudden development. "The other Goblin Commander is already here. Hurry and leave this place at once." Hearing Fixie''s reasoning, Kiro was alarmed, glancing at his surrounding Kiro then, saw the figure of another Goblin Commander who was watching the show from afar. "I honestly don''t want to use this arrow, but you guys left me no choice," Kiro mumbled as he summoned the runic arrow, the same arrow that he used to kill the silver wolf, inside the wilderness. Taking his aim, Kiro channeled his mana to the shaft; as the arrowhead shone with glaring blue''s light. "[Mana Blast!]" Kiro shouted the keyword, a piercing blue light beamed at the Goblin Commander who was about to pounce at Kiro. *Boom!* The Goblin Commander''s head burst into pieces, while the other Goblins were petrified from the scene, taking advantage that the group of Goblins wasn''t paying attention to him. Kiro put the strength on his leg, as his figure disappeared within the forest. "Gaaaaooor!" The other Goblin Commander cried furiously, as commanded his subordinate to chase after him. *** "Phew~ that was dangerous," He said while he hid behind the tree trunks. "Fixie, do you think I can defeat a Goblin King with my current capability?" Kiro asked in anxiety. He roughly wanted to know the capability of the Goblin King. "With Master''s current capabilities, it would be difficult, but it wasn''t impossible. However, a Goblin King ability wasn''t measured through its raw strength, but by how many Goblin its command." Fixie explained as she added."Don''t Master find it odd? You have a passive intimidation skill, correct?" Upon hearing Fixie''s word, Kiro remembered his intimidation skill. "Now that you mentioned it, the low-grade monsters like Goblin should be scared with my aura right?" Kiro wondered. "How come they aren''t afraid when they get near to me?" "I''m sorry if Fixie didn''t warn Master much sooner, it probably because of the Goblin King''s subordination buff skill," Fixie said. "It negated, the negative buff like intimidation." "However, the most troublesome skill of the Goblin King is the [Goblin''s King Blessing] with this skill, the Goblin King can grant his subordinate a name but don''t underestimate the naming of the Goblin King." Fixie paused for a second as she continued. "Once the Goblin King found a suitable candidate to bestow his blessing, not only it would enhance the low-grade monster intelligence, It also enhanced their battle prowess." "Wa¡ªwhat? The Goblin King can do that?" Kiro exclaimed his astonishment when he heard Fixie''s word. "Then, aren''t I in trouble?" Only then did he realize how dangerous the situation was. "Yes... Master is indeed in big trouble but on the bright side; with this experience, it would help Master to grow further." Fixie said the reason why she didn''t stop Kiro to dash inside the forest was that she trusted Kiro could overcome this hurdle. "Haah~ well I''m the idiot one who dashed through the forest without thinking," He said. "So Fixie shouldn''t feel down, It is my fault," Kiro said with a soft tone, he could feel the tinge of regret from Fixie''s voice. While they''re chattering; Kiro heard a movement, but when he saw the figure of the person. Kiro called out its name. "... Alina?" 30 Game of Tag 2 Kiro glanced at the woods. Then he saw a messy figure of Alina. Her disheveled clothing that filled with mud and dust, her glittering chestnut hair right at the moment entangled with dry leaves. "... Alina?" Kiro called out. "Why are you here? Didn''t I tell you to leave this place?" "You idiot!" Alina screamed while both of her eyes moistened. "Do you think that I could abandon my companion just like that?" She said¡ªgripping the hem of her clothing tightly. With a moment of hesitation, Alina dashed forward as she pounced at Kiro madly. "You idiot... Idiot, idiot!" Alina beat Kiro''s chest, using her delicate hands as she sobbed like a child. Kiro who was staring in confusion, finally realized what he had done. He could not help to release a soft sigh. "I''m wrong, I''m sorry for making you worry," Kiro said, but right at this moment, he did not know how to console the sobbing Alina. "Master! At times like this, you have to embrace her, you know!" Fixie stated before she added. "Hee~ don''t tell me you''ll chicken out? How can you conquer Rosie if Master can''t even handle a simple thing like this?" Fixie said in mockery. Kiro was about to blurt out his rejection. However, when he heard Fixie taunt him like that, he could not help to be snapped. ''I''ll just have to hug her right?'' Kiro grunted inside while his right hand embraced the delicate waist of Alina. Alina who was throwing a tantrum awakened from Kiro''s sudden behavior. "... What are you doing?" She said, but Alina did not reject Kiro''s advance. This time Kiro did not know how to respond to her question, suddenly he heard Fixie''s voice once more. "Sheesh~ Such a dense Master, what would you do without Fixie?" She said. "Don''t let her go, Master! Tease her so that she would loosen her guard more!" Kiro was speechless from Fixie''s advice, but Kiro did as he was told. Embracing Alina tightly as he said. "Hee~ I thought our crybaby Alina needed someone to embrace, I would gladly give my service anytime." Kiro shamelessly said those words, but deep inside, he regretted doing so. Alina who heard Kiro''s teasing call struggled out of Kiro''s embrace. However, when she found out that she could not escape. "Ple¡ªplease... Let go of me," Alina said weakly, after realizing how bold she moved a while ago. Her cheeks flushed red like a tomato. Seeing her cute reaction, Kiro could not help but to tease her more. "Hehe, what did you say just now? Who is the idiot one? You can only blame yourself for jumping into the wolve''s den." Kiro said wickedly. However, before he could take advantage of her, Alina threw a hard punch to his face. "... Urgh!" Kiro groaned in pain. "That''s hurt, why you! How could you punch your precious Kiro like this." "Who is precious to who! You damn pervert!" Alina yelled at him in embarrassment. After getting free from Kiro''s grasp, Alina stepped backward cautiously. Seeing her reaction, Kiro coughed lightly to mend the awkwardness from the two. "Ahem... Anyway, let''s leave this forest." This time Kiro''s expression became serious, staring at the northeast side of the plainlan forest. Kiro felt cold goosebumps all over his body. Noticing Kiro''s odd behavior, Alina asked. "Just did you see inside this forest?" Kiro directly looked at her eyes as he said. "... I met a high ranking Goblin, a Goblin Mage, and two Goblin''s Commander." Kiro said solemnly. After hearing his voice, Alina could not hide her astonishment. "What! You idiot, you should''ve said that sooner!" She said as Alina grab a hold of Kiro''s hand; however before she could drag him out of the place, Kiro voiced out. "You don''t need to worry, I already slew the Goblin Mage and one of their Commander." Kiro said, "But fighting two high ranking monsters simultaneously is quite taxing even for him." Even though he tried to act tough, He could not hide his ghastly face. When he said those words, only then Alina noticed Kiro''s tired appearance. "Then, what should we do now?" "It would be for the best if I could rest for a while, then once I recovered enough mana to sustain another fight in the worst-case scenario, only then we could move out," Kiro explained while glancing at Alina with a worried look. With his current self, he wasn''t even sure if he could defend himself. "Anyway, I''ll be relying on your observing skill, Alina." Truth to be told, with Kiro''s current capability his eyesight was ten times greater than before. However, with his meager mana left that was torturing his mind, Kiro could not stay focused on his surroundings. "Mm, I will definitely lead you out of this forest safely," Alina said with determination. *** Deep inside the forest. A three and a half meter tall Goblin was sitting on the throne made of bones, Its both eyes were glittering with Golden light. However, the unusual thing about this Goblin was its domineering aura that when you glanced at this majestic figure, a low-grade monster would subconsciously bow their heads. "So... What is happening inside the forest?" Goblin King said solemnly. "Ma¡ªmaster! This servant is incompetent! I let Gegoblin died in vain!" The one who said it while kneeling on the ground was the Goblin commander that Kiro faced a while ago. "I don''t care about him, what happened to Gorogoblin?" The Goblin King asked in a piercing tone. "... Master... Early in the morning, Gorogoblin was strolling outside while practicing his spell... However, I asked some low-grade Goblins if they saw him. They said he went to the border of the forest and then..." The Goblin Commander said he was afraid to voice out what happened next. "Then what? Say it." The Goblin King said while releasing his intimidating aura. Upon realizing that his Master would snap anytime soon, the Goblin Commander reported everything without missing any details. The atmosphere between the two became heavy, then a moment later the Goblin King yelled in madness. "He did what? Say it once more!" "Ma¡ªmaster your servant is incompetent! When we arrived from the scene Gorogoblin was found dead!" The Goblin commander said while hitting his head on the hard ground. The Goblin King''s whole body trembled in anger; however, he tried to maintain his calm as he said. "Go tell this to everyone, move out and capture those humans!" The Goblin King proclaimed. "We cannot let those pests get out of this forest alive!" "Ye¡ªyes! As you command Master!" The Goblin Commander said while getting up on the ground and hurriedly left the place. After the Goblin Commander The Goblin King Howl furiously. *** On the other side of the plainlan forest. Alyva and Mirabell who finally managed to get out of the border of the plainlan forest heard disturbing cries of the bird. "I''m having a bad feeling about this... Alyva let''s speed up our pace, every second count. The faster we report everything from the Guild, the sooner they will dispatch a party to save and help them." Mirabell said worriedly. "Yes, Mira is right, we need to move faster..." Alyva was about to voice her concern when she saw a figure of a man carrying a woman behind his back. "... Aldin!" Alyva called out his name in surprise. The moment when she was about to dash out, Alina noticed the unusual behavior of Aldin. "What happened? Where are Kiro and Alina?" The moment Aldin heard the name of the two, the more guilty he became, "I... I..." Aldin tried to voice out his thoughts, but he couldn''t. He stopped moving and tried to stabilize his chaotic mind. A moment later, Aldin gathered all of his remaining courage as he said everything that happened inside the forest. "... That''s what happened, I¡ªI abandoned them," Aldin said while biting his lip hard to the point of bleeding. Mirabell was momentarily shocked when she heard that Aldin abandoned the two; however, when she thought how difficult the choice he made. She could not blame Aldin, but even so, she felt a bit of disappointment from his action. But Alyva has her own thoughts, as she said. "Why! Why did you Abandon them? You could''ve at least brought Alina with you right? Why did you let her go like that?" Alyva said hysterically, to her Alina was like her own sister. In the moment of confusion, Alyva blamed Aldin for his decision. Mirabell patted Alyva''s shoulder when she noticed Aldin was about to be eaten alive from his guilt. Realizing what she had done, Alyva said. "I''m sorry, I didn''t mean it Aldin..." Mirabell clasped both of her hands to mend the atmosphere. "Okay, you two, stop right there, It would be better if we leave this place. I don''t blame you; Aldin, from your decision, It must be hard on you, but we have to report what happened here first. "Mm." Aldin nodded his head, but on the closer look, his eyes were filled with regret. "Let me carry my sister for you Aldin, and thank you for keeping your promise," Mirabell said to comfort him. "Mm," Aldin muttered as he hands over Missa''s sleeping body. Then the group started their journey to head back to the town of Elmore. 31 Six Tower Nighttime in the Plainlan forest. Kiro and Alina were hiding inside the tree trunk. The surrounding space was enough to fit the two. Still, Kiro felt flustered every time he moved his body he would inadvertently hit something that shouldn''t be touched upon with. When he noticed Alina''s murderous glare, Kiro eventually decided to stay still. "Come on, it was an accident. The space around here is so narrow." Kiro voiced out his complaint while shifting his gaze at the two moons above their head. "Humph!" As a response, Alina snorted at him coldly. "Mn, even in this world, the moon is so beautiful, isn''t it?" Kiro uttered those words subconsciously. Alina followed his line of eyesight while saying. "Yes, the moon tonight is brighter than usual, but what does Kiro mean to ''in this world''." Alina glanced at Kiro in confusion. She couldn''t make head or tail of the words he said. When he heard Alina''s voice, Kiro was startled for a moment. "It''s nothing, say, Alina, would you mind telling me the reason why you would go to such a length, even jump into the unknown danger just for my sake?" Kiro eventually said those words he could understand why Alina would do that. Upon hearing Kiro''s question, Alina paused for a moment before answering. "The truth is, I don''t honestly know the right answer..." She said. "Well, if there is one thing, it was probably, because Alina is an orphan. My parents died because of the monster." Alina said while reminiscing the past. Then she started to tell Kiro her story. "Alina grew up into the church, but once we reach a proper age, we would eventually leave the church protection, at the young age of twelve, Alina learned how to hunt the prey for living, collecting wild herbs, and other necessities." "The reason why Alina wanted to become an Adventurer is not to lose to the monster ever again." She said. "Because Alina''s first-ever male friend is Kiro, it is natural for Alina to help her friend when they need one isn''t it?" "What about Aldin? Didn''t you meet him much earlier than me right?" Kiro asked another question. Upon hearing Aldin''s name Alina''s face became sore "Alina doesn''t have a cowardly friend like him!" She said while snorting coldly in discomfort, she was still feeling upset from the event that happened this morning. "Even though Alina meets Aldin, we rarely have any conversation at all." "Alina is always together with Alyva, but in Aldin''s head, only Alyva exists." Alina thought for a moment before continuing. "What about you Kiro? Why would you jump inside the forest just to buy us enough time to escape?" Hearing her voice, Kiro moved his head to face Alina''s line of eyesight, while staring at her glittering eyes, he said. "The truth is, It is because Alina is so cute, I jump into the pit of fire just for her," Kiro replied teasingly. Alina''s cheeks flushed in red after she heard Kiro''s statement, but when she noticed his teasing eyes, Alina used her elbow to hit Kiro''s rib cage. "U-urgh!" Kiro grunted in pain. Kiro glanced at Alina who was about to give him another blow, shouted in fright. "Wa¡ªwait! I''ll answer, I''ll answer! So please stop!" "Humph!" Alina snorted while turning her head away from Kiro. Seeing her reaction, Kiro could only answer the question without a falsehood. "Well, the truth is... I thought I could handle the situation alone." Kiro said. "But after entering deeper inside the forest, only at that time I realized how I overestimated myself." Kiro thought that as long as he could outrun the Goblins and trim their numbers to the acceptable range, he could manage to wipe them out. However, little did he know what they saw in the outskirts of the forest was only the meager number of the original settlement. As he advanced further inside the forest, the more shocking it became for him; eventually, he even ran across two Goblin commanders. "What do you mean by that?" Alina voiced out. "Just what exactly did you see inside the forest?" "What we saw on the border of the forest wasn''t the real settlement of the Goblins. After I killed the Goblin Mage, my first plan was to go out of this place as soon as possible, but when I thought that I could not go back empty-handed, so I decided to scout ahead... Then there, I saw an unbelievable amount of Goblins." "Deep inside the forest, I saw the real Goblin settlement. What is more shocking, they even have a defensive mechanism." Then Kiro started to narrate what he saw in the deepest part of the forest. After listening to Kiro''s narration of what he saw inside the woods, Alina''s face went pale in horror. *** On the deeper side of the northeast side of the plainlan forest. There stood an 8x6 meters building made of rough and uneven cut wooden planks, while at the top of the structure was covered with a mass of desiccated leaves. Inside this rough sketch structure, was the six towering figure Goblin Commanders that wore a solemn expression. "Tell me what exactly happened Gorogoblin." One of the Goblin Commander said. "On the outskirts of the forest we found Gorogoblin''s dead body, the cause of death he was penetrated by a condensed mana concentration. As for the finishing blow, an arrow pierced through to his forehead. " "Before that, what did you encounter Borogoblin?" The one was called Borogoblin was no other than the Goblin Commander that Kiro ran across to when he was scouting around the forest. "I was walking near the outer wall of the settlement when I heard a huge commotion on the outskirt of the forest," Borogoblin said. "Then a moment later, I heard Gegoblin howl in rage." "Out of curiosity, I went out to find what is the commotion is all about; however, when I''m twenty meters away from the settlement, I saw a human boy running frantically away from Gegoblin." "Knowing that it was only a puny human insect who managed to slipped by, I tailed the two in the shadow, but the odd thing about this human, instead of escaping from the forest, that human boy was circling around to the border of our settlement; at that moment, I started to doubt what his real motive was," Borogoblin explained while he gritted his teeth out of frustration. "If I knew from the very beginning that human boy who is the one who killed Gorogoblin, I would''ve helped Gegoblin from the start," Borogoblin said while both of his yellowish eyes flashed with murderous intent. "That despicable human! If I was given another chance, I will rip off his spine, drink his blood, and feed him to the horde of low-grade monsters! Like how *BEEP!* a human is!" This time Borogoblin couldn''t help throwing a rain of curses to Kiro. "Calm down, we need to get the whole picture from the scenario we cannot understand you if you let your anger take over you." "Okay, I''m sorry Derogoblin, It is just that human boy is so slippery, I lost my composure for a moment," Borogoblin said. "Ahem, where was I? Yes, that human boy scanned the outskirt of our settlement once he got a full round of the surrounding he started to leave the place." "... Wait... What? You let him freely scout our perimeter?" Derogoblin asked in astonishment. "... Yes, I let the human boy ran around freely for the reason I thought that with me and Gegoblin he could not escape from this place alive." Borogoblin said in embarrassment. This time the atmosphere inside the building was overwhelmed with a heavy silence. "You what! How incompetent can you be Borogoblin! Not only you did not manage to capture the culprit, you even fail to save Gegoblin''s from his tragedy!" Derogoblin roared at him furiously. After getting rebuked by Derogoblin mercilessly, Borogoblin couldn''t help to lower his head in shame. Suddenly one of the Goblin commanders called out. "Well, it is not time to fight with each other, Borogoblin, what is the characteristic of that young human boy?" the Goblin commander said. "Like what type of weapon he is proficient with." "Well, that human boy is remarkable from his marksmanship, he could easily shoot a bow arrow twenty meters from his position, while his accuracy is terrifyingly precise." "But that is not all, that human boy had some unusual arrow with him, that arrow is so dangerous, It killed Gegoblin in a single shot." "... An unusual arrow... Is there some characteristic imbued with the arrowhead?" This time Derogoblin voiced out. "Yes, it has," Borogoblin replied in a flat tone. "Certainly that human boy is no ordinary if what Borogoblin said is the truth, then the probability of this human boy, still in this forest is high." "How can you be so sure?" Derogoblin asked in the voice that did not hide his irritation. "Well, I and Gorogoblin, luckily encountered some mysterious book, while my knowledge about that book wasn''t high as Gorogoblin, but executing that skill would drain dry not just me, but even Gorogoblin who was proficient in magic." After hearing the Goblin commander explanation, the others nodded in agreement. "With that said, that human boy is probably out of gas at this moment." "Borogoblin, Derogoblin, go and gather your minions and search for that human boy!" 32 Mana Recovery *Rustle* Rustle* Rustle* On the other side of the plainlan forest, two people were holding their breath nervously, while fidgety wiggle their bodies inside the tree trunks. "Shh." Kiro used his right hand to block the lips of Alina who was about to scream in fright. "Odd, how come there are so many Goblins popping out of nowhere?" Kiro mumbled while he scanned the surrounding area. "Ouch," Kiro called out in pain. "Stop biting my hand, okay? I''ll release it just don''t scream." Kiro stated as he stared straight to Alina''s eyes. Knowing the gravity of the situation, Alina nodded her head as an agreement. "Wa¡ªwhat should we do now?" Aline spoke nervously while glancing at the forest. "... For now, we better hide carefully, don''t worry our location is quite hidden, we could only hope that they would eventually leave this place." Kiro said, while deep inside, he was having a dilemma. He was debating whether they should stay here and wait for a miracle, or move out and search for a better hiding place. However, he wasn''t sure how many Goblins outside the forest at this moment. After seeing how large the scale of their settlement, Kiro can''t act rashly just like he did early in the morning. Suddenly an indignant howl reverberated throughout the forest. "... Don''t tell me they have more of those wolves?" As if responding to his question, Kiro abruptly felt a murderous intent to the northeast side of the forest. "This is bad¡ªAlina quickly! Move out, we have to escape now!" Kiro said as he summoned his longbow, aiming at the northeast side of the forest. Alina who was watching him in the bewilderment, after seeing Kiro''s frantic movements; Alina nervously grip her saber''s hilt tightly. Kiro endured the urge to release the bowstring on his right hand, as he waited for the right moment to shoot. As the killing intent in the surrounding intensified, the more his anxiety grew, Kiro knew that he had to end this fight quickly. He cannot let the other Goblins to surround them. "Huuh~" Kiro stabilized his breathing as his razor-sharp sights focused at the northeast side of the forest. "Rooaar!" The Silver wolf pounced to their whereabouts. As soon as Kiro got a clear aim at the silver wolf, He released his arrow. *Swoosh!* A brisk gust of wood blew at the silver wolf head. But the arrow wasn''t enough to stop the advance of the silver wolf, what Kiro released wasn''t his mana imbued bolt, but his regular archery. Knowing that It wasn''t enough to take down the wolf, Kiro clicked his tongue out of frustration. He wanted to conserve his remaining mana, in the worst-case scenario. "It can''t be helped." While he uttered his complaint. Kiro summoned another bow-arrow and activated his skill. "[Arrow Shock!]" *Baang!* This time the head of the silver wolf exploded. "Quickly, move out!" Kiro yelled at Alina, as he dashed out to their hiding place. However, before he could even think of their escape plan, Kiro grabbed a hold of Alina''s waist who was lagging behind his back, as both of their bodies rolled on the muddy ground. *Slash!* A sharp aura blade cut the tree-trunk into half. Staring at the scene before him, Kiro praised his swift movement, If he was a tad bit late, given his low mana supply, both of them may suffer from severe damage. "Master Be careful! 4 o''clock southeast, there''s a strong Mana fluctuation." Suddenly Fixie''s voice echoed inside Kiro''s head. Hearing her warning, Kiro abruptly focused his mana senses on his surroundings. "... Didn''t I already kill the Goblin Mage a while ago?" Kiro voiced his irritation. "Don''t tell me there''s more than one?" "No, the mana capacity of this Goblin is slightly weaker than the Goblin Mage." Fixie pointed out her deduction. "It most likely a Goblin Shaman," She said, however another aura slash, came right through Kiro''s direction. "Damn it!" Kiro cursed while smearing his dagger with mana, as he parried to the upcoming assault. *Ting!* Sparks flew as the two-weapon collided. "Kekeke," The Goblin Commander uttered a hoarse laugh, while both of his eyes flickered with murderous intent. "Hu..man, ca..n''t e..cape t..is t-i..me." The Goblin Commander uttered those words, in a quivering voice. He tried to communicate using the common language of this world. Kiro was momentarily shocked upon hearing the Goblin''s voice. "... You can speak?" Seeing his prey in the bewilderment, the Goblin commander put more strength to his long blade. Noticing the changed weight of the long blade, Kiro focused to the center of his gravity, as he tried to deflect the blade sideways. *Cliing~* With his active exposure from a heavy assault inside the wilderness, Kiro was familiar how to divert a blunt strike like this simply. Not letting the Goblin Commander recover, Kiro thrust his dagger to its abdomen. *Thrust* Kiro cleanly managed to land his blow. However, it was too shallow to pierce through the defense of the Goblin Commander. "Kekeke." The Goblin Commander laughed coldly at him. Suddenly, Kiro heard a scream behind his back. Kiro was startled to see that four Goblins simultaneously attacking Alina, but he was surprised to see that she can handle them with ease. "Don''t worry about me! Focus on your opponent!" Alina shouted, knowing that Kiro took a glimpse at her. However, the Goblin Commander did not let go of Kiro''s error. "Gaaah!" The Goblin Commander shouted as it released his aura slash. Kiro who was momentarily shocked wasn''t able to dodge the aura blade. "Gaa-ah!" He shouted in pain, as his defenseless upper chest took severe damage. "Master!" Fixie shouted in fright, she didn''t expect her master would pause in the middle of the battle. "Kiro!" This time Alina screamed, as she dashed toward Kiro. However, the four Goblins didn''t let her go. "Tsk! Go away!" She said. "[Quick Slash!]" Alina activated her active skill, trying to break through their defense. "... I¡ªI''m fine..." Kiro stated to her while he tried to stabilize his footing, staring at Alina''s direction for a bit, Kiro both eyes flashed with determination. "I suppose, I have to go all out. Fixie, heal my wounds." Kiro proclaimed. "Okay, Master!" ¡ºTing!~¡» *Checking the user''s body* -Extensive Mana exhaustion. -Minor Sword Aura slowly deteriorating the user''s body. -Severe damage from the upper chest part. Immediate treatment is required. ¡ºTing!~¡» -The user, chosen to heal his body. - 5 SP Points deduction. -Removal of the Sword Aura. - 3 SP Points deduction. -The user''s remaining SP Points 9. ¡ºTing!~¡» ¡ºWith the available points, the user can only use a half mana recovery.¡» -Does the user want to replenish his mana? -Yes/No "... What? I can recover my mana using SP points?" Kiro couldn''t help to voice out his question, once he heard the notification sound. "Yes, Master can replenish his Mana using SP points." Fixie explained, then she suddenly realized that she never mentioned it before. "Sorry about that Master, at the time in the wilderness, Fixie forgot to mention to Master that he can use SP points to recover his mana," Fixie said in shame. "Don''t worry about it, and recover my mana." Kiro urged her to replenish half of his mana, as he saw the Goblin Commander was about to make his move. ¡ºTing!~¡» -The user has chosen to replenish his mana. - 7 SP deduction. - Remaining SP Points 2. A refreshing feeling rushed through Kiro''s body, he suddenly felt that he could win this fight in a matter of moments. Summoning his longbow, Kiro activated his skill simultaneously. "[Arrow Shock!]" *Swoosh! *Swoosh!* Swoosh!* Three consecutive arrows darted toward the Goblin Commander. *Baaang!* An enormous explosion burst through the place. Kiro glanced at Alina''s direction, seeing the 4 Goblins were looking at him in fright, he summoned four arrow shafts inside his spatial tool and aimed it at the immobilized Goblins. "Alina, hurry, and run!" Kiro shouted as he released his barrage. 33 Demogoblin Alina, who gazed at the scene in astonishment, was awakened from Kiro''s sudden call. Staring at the four Goblins, who were stunned in fright, nodded in Kiro as she ran toward his direction with all of her might. *????????????????????????!* As soon as she left the place, the four of the Goblin''s heads exploded. She glanced behind her back and saw the four headless corpses of Goblins. Alina halted her movement after seeing the scene behind her back. She couldn''t believe that with a short amount of time, Kiro advanced his strength to this degree. "What are you doing! Hurry, that Goblin Commander isn''t dead yet." Kiro urged her to escape the place. He knew the attack he did wasn''t enough to finish off a high-level Goblin like the Goblin''s Commander. "Gaaaoor!" Suddenly, an angry howl of the Goblin Commander reverberated throughout the place. "Tsk!" Kiro clicked his tongue in frustration, "Master! Go and grab that woman now, you have to kill the Goblin Shaman first, or else you can''t escape from their gasp!" Fixie voiced out her worry. She knew no matter what happened, Kiro wouldn''t abandon Alina, so she tried to think of a plan for them to survive this ordeal. "Mm, got it," Kiro muttered as he dashed toward Alina''s direction. "Wa¡ªwhat are you doing!" Alina shouted in surprise. The moment Kiro got near at Alina, he lifted her body with a princess carry. "Please, bear with it at the moment," Kiro said whilst he kicked the muddy ground hard as he ran toward the southeast side of the plainlan forest. *** "Mm, this human boy is indeed sharp. After he detected my mana fluctuation, he decided to abandon Gerogoblin." The Goblin Shaman said. "Borogoblin, you should know what to do next, that human boy is about to come here." The Goblin said, as it directly looked at the two-meter tall green figure, who was hiding beneath the darkness. "Don''t worry, Demogoblin, this time around I won''t let that stinky human brat live!" Borogoblin said as both of his eyes flashed with hatred. "Mm, that''s good, remember if you failed to deliver this human boy to our King, the first one who will die is not me, but you," Demogoblin responded, in a chilly tone. Upon hearing their King, Borogoblin flinched for a moment, before recovering his composure. "You don''t have to remind me, I know what to do." Amidst their chatter, Kiro who was carrying Alina detected the presence of the two Goblins. "Master, Be careful. It seems like this Goblin Shaman is trickier than Fixie thought would be." Fixie advised Kiro as she added. "There''s something unusual from this Goblin Shaman, it would be better if Master activated his appraisal skill." Hearing Fixie''s opinion, Kiro nodded in silence. "[Appraisal!]" ------------------------------------------------- Name: Demogoblin Lv: 55 Gender: Male Grade: Intermediate 4 star monster. State: Demonification Title: Goblin Shaman ------------------------------------------------- Statistics. STR: 215 INT: 265 DEX: 80 CON: 10 CHA: 10 SEN: 10 VIT: 345 ------------------------------------------------- Skills. [Intimidation] Lv. 5 [Soul Tracking] Lv. 10 [Soul Slash] Lv. 6 [Soul Break] Lv. 4 ------------------------------------------------- "... What does that ''Demonification'' mean." Kiro muttered. However, before he could voice out his question. Alina who was buried beneath his chest bit his shoulder. "Muu... Let go of Alina!" She interjected, while her face flushed red in shame. Only then did Kiro realize that he was still holding Alina within his arms. "Hehehe, sorry about that, but Alina, do you enjoy biting my shoulder? I can lend it anytime once we survive in this place." Kiro jested before staring directly at her eyes. "Alina, listen carefully. You have to hide, no matter what happens, don''t come out." Kiro declared as he gently put her on the ground. Alina, who was listening to him doubtfully. Once she saw Kiro''s serious expression, she suddenly came to the understanding that Kiro wanted to face the enemy alone. "No! I can fight too!" Alina insisted upon knowing Kiro wanted to carry all the burdens. This time Kiro''s both eyes became chilly. "No, you cannot. You would only be a dead weight if you tag along." Kiro chided, in the normal times, he wouldn''t say such a harsh word to the person who came running inside the pit of fire, just to aid him. But he doesn''t have any time to persuade Alina. Upon hearing Kiro''s cold remark, Alina sniffled as she tried to voice out. "... I¡ªI... I-" Eventually Alina bit her lower lips, as both of her eyes moistened. Alina wanted to say that she could help Kiro. However, after hearing the word dead weight, after witnessing Kiro''s real prowess. Alina realized that if she did not come, Kiro could escape this place with ease. Kiro moved forward while his eyes flickered with intense resolve, as Kiro summoned his longbow and two runic arrows. Watching Kiro''s disappearing back, Alina could no longer hold back her tears bursting forth like water from a dam, spilling down on her face. Kiro halted his movement momentarily. With his keen sense, Alina''s sobbing couldn''t escape from his sharp ears. Kiro clenched his fist fiercely to the point of bleeding. Still, he continued moving forward. *** While walking toward the two Goblins, Kiro asked a question. "Fixie what is wrong with that Goblin Shaman? Why is that his state of Demonification?" "Master, this is bad... If Fixie guessed it correctly, the one who manipulating this Goblin settlement in the shadow is a Demon!" Fixie exclaimed her astonishment before adding. "With Master''s current capability, forget about the Goblin King, with the presence of a Demon alone is enough..." Fixie stopped her track. After hearing her words, Kiro wasn''t stupid enough not to understand what she meant. "Don???t worry, It''s not the demon I would be facing but the Goblins," Kiro claimed but knowing there was even higher existence than the Goblin King inside this forest, he couldn''t help to picture how he would survive in this place. Ultimately, Kiro reached his designated target. "Yo, did I make you wait?" Kiro smirked as he stared directly at the Goblin Shaman. However, to his surprise, the Goblin Shaman spoke. "Greetings, young human. I am called Demogoblin." The Goblin Shaman quipped at him, before adding. "Sadly, I can''t face you just yet, there is someone who is eagerly wanted to fight with you." As Demogoblin said those words, Borogoblin who was watching the scene in the darkness showed himself. Kiro who was staring at the Goblin Shaman in the astonishment was awakened after noticing a familiar figure. "Goooaaar!" Borogoblin howled furiously. Kiro was alarmed after when he noticed the Goblin Commander charged toward him madly. "... Fixie, how the heck that Goblin Shaman spoke?" Kiro asked in bewilderment as he summoned ten arrows inside his spatial tool. "Master, that Goblin Shaman wasn''t an ordinary one, it received some blessing from a Demon, so it is no wonder he could communicate with Master." Fixie explained. After hearing Fixie''s reasoning, Kiro directed his attention to the approaching Goblin Commander. 34 Borogoblin Borogoblin moved forward as he imbued his battle-ax with aura slash. Kiro has already familiarized himself with the sense of the aura user. But, Kiro didn''t back down, he enveloped his arrowhead with immense condensation. "[Mana Blast!]" Kiro activated his skill, while a glaring blue''s light darted toward Borogoblin. Seeing the upcoming threat, Borogoblin''s eyes became sharp. Before the impact, Borogoblin released his aura slash. *????????????????????????!* An enormous explosion blasted through the surrounding forest. However, the two did not stop releasing their killing blow. After the impact ended, Kiro senses cried out, then he saw the colossal figure of Borogoblin, but the difference this time, his body was smeared with sword aura. "Kuuu~" Kiro exhaled as he tried to find an opening. However, before he could determine what tactic he should use. Borogoblin started his barrage. With his battle-ax in hand, Borogoblin another skill, but this time, the pressure from the surrounding changes. A huge suction force enveloping Borogoblin''s ax, "Master! Be careful, this Goblin Commander is much stronger than the other one." Fixie cautiously said to Kiro. Hearing Fixie''s warning, Kiro prepared himself from the frontal assault, summoning 30 plus arrows inside his spatial tool. Kiro used his art of archery. However, before he could, Fixie''s voice echoed. "Master! I advise you to save that move to the Goblin Shaman." She said. "Master shouldn''t show his trump card to that opponent." "What do you mean?" Kiro asked, but before he could add more. Borogoblin finished accumulating the energy in the surroundings as he was about to release his skill. "Tsk!" Kiro clicked his tongue out of frustration, then he grabbed one of the two imbued runic arrows on his waist as he channeled his mana to it. Glancing at the upcoming treat Kiro took his shooting stance as he aimed to the center of the storm. *????????????????????????!* A sharp gust of wind blew by as Kiro''s arrow howled fiercely like a beast got out from its cages, darting toward Borogoblin''s direction. At the same time, Borogoblin hasted his activation and released it before the impact. Then an enormous glaring blue luminous light slashed horizontally toward Kiro''s arrow. *????????????????????????????~* A piercing wave of vibration rang throughout the forest. Kiro watched their two-strike collide with each other, to his surprise. Borogoblin stopped the same runic arrow that took Gegoblin''s life. As the shockwave intensifies, a crispy crackling sound could be heard. *????????????????????????????!* Kiro''s imbued arrow failed to pierce through Borogoblin''s assault. Eventually, the runic arrow lost its vigor whereas it turned into dust. Watching his runic arrow fail to reach its target, Kiro couldn''t hide his astonishment. But, before he could voice out his complaint, at the center of the storm. Borogoblin didn''t escape unscratched. Right at this moment, Borogoblin was filled with small and medium cuts and his heavy armor has multiple cracks around. But, when Kiro stared at the broken battle-ax, he assumed that Borogoblin survived the catastrophe by betting his life on the line. Seeing that his opponent is out of shape to continue fighting, Kiro searched at the surrounding forest. He was trying to find the Goblin Shaman. However, a sharp pain rushed through his head. "Urgh..." Kiro was familiar with this feeling. He knew once he used a runic arrow, his mana would drop drastically. "Master! Hurry up and finish off that Goblin Commander!" Fixie urged Kiro to slay Borogoblin, "Didn''t Master forgot that once Master level up, Master would have more SP Points!" Upon hearing Fixie''s reasoning, Kiro suddenly has a flash of enlightenment. "You mean once I killed this Goblin Commander, I would level up?" Kiro asked in surprise. "But, how come after I killed a Goblin Mage and a single Goblin Commander, why is that I didn''t level up." Kiro said as he tried to stabilize his chaotic mind. "Because of Master''s fast advancement, Fixie poured the portion of the Master''s Exp to the System Upgrade." Fixie said, "You can only level up in system upgrade after accumulation a proper amount of Exp, so Fixie divided the portion of Master''s Exp to thirty percent, while the remaining Exp would be transferred to the System Upgrade." "... What? You can do that?" Kiro replied in bewilderment. "But why?" He said he couldn''t understand why Fixie would do that on her own. "I''m sorry Master, it was part of the hidden question from the System Upgrade, Fixie can''t disclose it." Fixie said, "Anyway, it would be better if Master kills the Goblin Commander first." Kiro felt odd from Fixie''s sudden change of behavior. However, he knew that Fixie won''t do something that would harm him, so Kiro could only nod in consent. Summoning three arrows, Kiro simultaneously activated his skill. "[Arrow Shock!]" After he released the arrows Kiro felt that his body was about to collapse. But Fixie''s soothing voice awakened him. "Master! Why would you be so reckless and use three Arrow Shock?" Fixie couldn''t help to voice out, she complained. The Goblin Commander was immobilized and barely standing. Yet Kiro still used three arrows. "I have to use at least three arrows from that Commander, didn''t you see how determined he is?" Kiro explained, "If I fail to kill him now, what if he uses his remaining life energy just like the White Wolf in the plains of wilderness." Upon hearing the White wolf''s name, Fixie realized why Kiro did an overkill. "Okay, perhaps Master is right, but still please try to act as if you''re fine. If not, the Goblin Shaman might take his opportunity to strike Master hard." "Mm," Kiro nodded in the silence, as the immense explosion burst the Goblin Commander''s body. Staring at the bloody mess of Borogoblin, only then Kiro loosened his guard down. ¡ºTing!~¡» ¡ºThe User''s Level Increased by one!¡» *???????????????????????????? ????????????????????. 13* ¡ºThe User''s Base Statistic Increased!¡» ¡ºTing!~¡» ¡ºSkill [Intermediate Archery] went up by one!¡» *???????????????????????????? ????????????????????. 2* -Does the user wish to see his current statistic? ¡ºYes / No¡» Upon hearing the familiar notification bell, Kiro glanced at the transparent screen before him. Kiro tapped the yes button. ------------------------------------------------- Statistics. STR: 40 (x5) - 200 INT: 48 (x5) - 240 DEX: 48 (x5) - 240 CON: 56 (x5) - 265 CHA: 53 (x5) - 265 SEN: 53 (x5) - 265 VIT: 96 (x5) - 480 ------------------------------------------------- Staring at the transparent status bar, Kiro nodded in satisfaction. "With this, I could fight that Goblin Shaman with ease." ¡ºTing!~¡» ¡ºThe User accumulated SP Point is now 7 points.¡» Hearing the announcement, Kiro said. "Fixie converts my SP points to mana recovery." "Okay, Master!" ¡ºTing!~¡» *????????? ???????????????? ????????? ????????????????????????????????????????? ????????? ????????????????.* - 7 SP deduction. *???????????????????????????????????? ???????? ???????????????????? 0.* Suddenly a refreshing aura enveloped Kiro''s entire body, regaining half of his mana pool. But Kiro was entirely unaware. Deep inside the forest, two figures of shadow were watching him curiously. 35 Soul Strike On the other side of the plainlan forest. There was a two-figure of shadow observing the spectacle from afar. "Do you honestly intend not to help him?" One of the shadows said in doubt. "It is fine, don''t underestimate the kid, despite everything he was my chosen disciple." The man said while his eyes flashed with brilliant golden light. "To tell you the truth, even right now I can''t believe the Invincible A-ranker would choose a brat like that as his successor." The shadow said while following the man''s line of eyesight. "What do you know about him? You''re the first one who saw the kid, yet you didn''t even discern his potential." The man responded while he glanced at the shadow figure, "Does pretending to be a receptionist muddled your perception?" "Perhaps? Being a receptionist is a fun job you know? Would you like to apply to be one, Kyros?" The shadow figure retorted back while Kyros furrowed his eyebrows. "Seriously Rosaleen, if you keep impersonating like that, the Elder Council might rebuke your right as a Guild Master," Kyros reminded her. "Pah! Like I care about those greybeards old folks, they can retaliate all they want, It''s not like they can challenge me head-on." Rosie retorted in irritation. If Kiro was here, he wouldn''t believe that the Goddess of his dream can also speak vulgarly. "Haa... Speaking of the Council, is that guy still pestering you?" Kyros tried to change the topic. He knew if he keeps bothering her like that, it won''t end well for him. Hearing his question, Rosaleen''s face became sullen. "I absolutely don''t know what is wrong with that guy. However, after beating him half dead, he eventually gave up pursuing me." Rosie said in a tone that didn''t hide her irritation. Seeing her reaction Kyros could only helplessly sigh. "That guy is not bad in nature you see, It is just your beauty is so otherworldly. Who could''ve known the little snorty brat in the past, would grow into something like this." Rosaleen feigned that she didn''t catch his words, as she said. "How''s the search for our target?" Hearing her question, Kyros replied with a wicked expression. "We do not need to search for him, my good disciple would lure that demon for us." He said while he continued to observe Kiro. *** On the Southeast side of the plainlan forest. Kiro who decisively replenished his mana pool searched for the Goblin Shaman. However, after defeating Borogoblin, he couldn''t even find a single trace to locate Demogoblin. "Odd, how come that Shaman just ran like that, based on your observation that Goblin Shaman is quite sharp, right? Fixie," Kiro said in bewilderment while his eyes rapidly scanned the encompassing forest. "Master, stay focused that Shaman is certainly intelligent. However, the scary thing about the Goblin Shaman is not their knowledge but its soul strike," Fixie replied before adding. "But worry not, since Fixie is here, soul attack won''t have much effect on Master." "You mean, you can counter mental attack?" Kiro asked curiously. "Well, Fixie can block mental attack; however, there''s a limit on what Fixie can do." She said. "Plus with Fixie around, Master won''t be clueless when the Goblin Shaman uses its skill to Master, because Fixie can easily detect a soul fluctuation," Fixie said in a reassuring tone. When he heard Fixie''s reassuring voice, Kiro subsequently able to ease his mind. Then when he was about to move forward, Kiro heard Fixie''s squealing voice. "Master! Be careful, I detect a soul fluctuation 9 o''clock to your left side!" Fixie cried in alarm. Heeding her warning, Kiro glanced at his left, then he saw the figure of Goblin Shaman who was grinning while hiding in the darkness. Sensing the impending danger, Kiro voiced out. "How can I counter a mental attack?" He said the only experience he has on the soul attack was at the time in the wilderness. However, because of a few negligence; Kiro suffered a heavy blow. With that reason, he became weary from the soul damage. "At the moment, Master is not capable enough to counter a soul attack." She said. "Master should just focus on how to kill the monster and let Fixie handle the rest." Hearing her voice, Kiro could only nod in consent. Then he summoned three arrows, while simultaneously activating his skill. "[Arrow Shock!]" Kiro shouted the keyword. The arrows darted glaringly, like a shimmering silvery luster at the Goblin Shaman. *?????????????????????! *?????????????????????! *?????????????????????!* Three consecutive arrows shriek piercingly with breakneck speed. Noticing the impending danger, Demogoblin activated his Soul slash. *????????????????????????!* A tremendous shockwave disturbed the surrounding woods after their two attacks clashed. Staring at the commotion, Kiro built up some confidence that he could face the Goblin Shaman. Kiro dashed forward as soon as the collusion dissipated. Then he saw the surprised expression of the Goblin. Taking advantage of the fact that Demogoblin was stunned in shock. Kiro gripped his longbow as he took his aim. "[Mana Blast!]" A glaring azure light ignited as Kiro released his arrow. *?????????????????????!* The arrow beamed like a laser vertically hitting the defenseless shoulder of the Goblin. "Keeeeh!" Demogoblin shriek in pain, "Damn lowly human!" He cursed Kiro while activating his skill. "[Soul Break!]" The Goblin Shaman shouted as an intangible force flew toward Kiro''s head. "Let me handle this, Master!" Fixie said while a warm sensation engulfed Kiro''s mind. Noticing the sudden change, Kiro was more reassured that Fixie can handle a mental strike. With Fixie''s protection, Kiro ignored the upcoming soul attack as he summoned ten plus arrows from his spatial tool. Then Kiro took the three arrows and placed it to his longbow, while he manipulated the rest using his mana control. "[Arrow Shock!]" Kiro activated his skill concurrently, but he wasn''t done yet. Four arrows suddenly ignited with azure light as he muttered the keyword. "[Mana Blast!]" The first three arrows flew vertically, while the remaining four diverted into two. *????????????????! *????????????????! *????????????????!* After the first wave of the barrages, two glaring azure shafts darted 100 degrees clockwise, while the remaining two flew 80 degrees counterclockwise, pinning the Goblin Shaman to his left and right. *????????????????????????!* With a tremendous eruption of Mana blast, the landscape of the forest changed, and at the center of the commotion; a five meters wide crack like a spiderweb appeared on the burned ground. A broken tree trunks scattered throughout the place and the strong smell of burned flesh lingered to the middle of the fissure. "Haa... Ha... Haaa..." Kiro inhaled a mouthful of air for breathing, as he stared at the center of the collision. Activating his skill continuously was so taxing, even for the current Kiro. While he watched the smoke fade, at the center Kiro saw the sorry figure of the Demogolin who was lying on the burnt ground. Half of his figure exploded, his body was reduced to the point there was only one-third of his flesh left. Kiro examined the Goblin Shaman for a couple of minutes, discerning that the Demogoblin stopped breathing, he eventually loosened his guard down. While Kiro tried to stabilize his condition, a familiar sound echoed inside his head. ¡ºTing!~¡» ¡ºThe User''s Level Increased by one!¡» *???????????????????????????? ????????????????????. 14* -Does the user wish to see his current statistic? ¡ºYes / No¡» During the time he was about to tap the yes button from the status bar, Kiro heard a commotion at 4 o''clock on his right side. "Bravo! What a magnificent spectacle boy." The person said while smirking wickedly at him. 36 Low-demon When Kiro heard a voice on his side, he was startled for a moment, then a cold goosebump ran throughout his body. After comprehending that, he didn''t even a minuscule bit of fluctuation when the person arrived. "Master! Be careful." Suddenly Fixie''s voice cried in alarm inside his head. "That person... Nn¡ªno, it can''t be! Run Master!" Once he heard Fixie''s voice, Kiro''s expression turned grim. He took a quick glance at the person who came from the darkness. There he saw a brown human figure with a tiny horn on its forehead, but the most unusual thing about this person was its shimmering reddish eyes that illuminate the gloomy part of the forest. "What''s your name, boy?" The person with both eyes flashed in wonder. "To defeat Demogoblin at such a young age, just who are you?" "Master! Don''t simply stand there, withdraw now!" Fixie urged Kiro to leave the place as she added. "That isn''t a person but a demon! Even though it was a low-class demon, with master current capability he cannot face him upfront!" "Wa¡ªwhat?" Upon hearing her voice, Kiro voiced out in alarm. "If it''s truly a demon just like you, then how can I flee from this place?" "Listen here, Master-" Before Fixie could finish, the demon interjected. "Oh my, such a rude boy. Are you perhaps trying to figure out how to escape from here?" The demon said while darted its eye toward Alina''s direction. With that simple gesture at first, Kiro stared at him in bewilderment. However, recalling who was in that direction. Both of his eyes gleamed with killing intent. "What do you want?" He said while staring fiercely at the demon in front of him. "Hohoho, how scary, then let me ask you again. What is your name?" This time the demon released a strong, intimidating pressure. "Urgh!" Kiro groaned in pain. With the intimidation alone, Kiro could no longer continue standing straight as his body fell on one knee. "Master!" Fixie cried out as she attempted to share some mental burden to lessen the pressure for Kiro. Only then he managed to stand up. "Hoohoo, as I thought, you''re not a simple boy. However, I couldn''t fathom how you killed Demogoblin when your mana pool was almost dried up, but instead of passing out from mana inefficiency, for some unknown reason your mana suddenly rose." The demon speculated as it stared straight to Kiro''s eyes. Hearing the demon thought, Kiro both eyes widened in disbelief. Only then did he know that the demon was observing his fight from the very beginning. This time Kiro tried his best to maintain his composure, while not exposing his perplexed emotion. "... I''m Kiro, an Adventurer." He said while trying to think of a way to get out of this mess. "Mm, what an unusual name. Did you perhaps come from the eastern Empire of Avonmore?" The demon replied in a surprised manner. "No wonder, no wonder... " It said before adding. "Then, please die." After saying those words the demon both eyes flicked with a reddish light. As the demon moved its hand right in front of Kiro. Suddenly a huge suction force formed at the center of the demon palm. "Master! Quickly use that last remaining runic arrow!" Upon hearing Fixie''s voice. Kiro didn''t think twice as he grabbed the arrow on his waist and took his stance. Then Kiro summoned all of his remaining mana to the arrow shaft while enduring the pain that throbbing from his head. "[Mana Blast!]" *????????????????????????!* The wind howled like an enraged beast in this dark forest. While glaring azure light, glittering around like a whirlpool at the center of the arrow''s head. After accumulating enough force, Kiro didn''t wait for the demon to activate its skill as he released the string of his longbow. *????????????????????????!* The arrow darted to the demon with breakneck speed, while it advanced, the nearby trees creak, screaming as if their limbs strained from the wind shear onslaught. *????????????????!* The arrow exploded as soon as it reached the target. Producing an enormous shockwave that shattered the nearby woods. "Haa... Haaa... Ha..." Kiro exhaled in exhaustion. But before he could stabilize his breathing, Fixie''s voice cried out. "Master! Hurry and run!" Fixie squealed in fright. However, Kiro''s body didn''t attend to his command as he fell on one knee. "Haa... Haa... I''m sorry Fixie, my body won''t listen to me." Kiro said grimly. He could only hope that the arrow was enough to finish off the demon. Nonetheless, it was only his wishful thought. Gradually the fog from the collision dissipated, then Kiro saw the unharmed demon. "Hehehe, vile human... Do you honestly believe that an incompetent attack of yours is enough to damage me?" The demon sassed while staring at the sorry figure of Kiro. "Hehe, even with that attack there wasn''t even a slight scratch?" Kiro let out a dull laugh as both of his eyes dimmed in tiredness. "Master!" Fixie tried to wake her Master up. Still, it wasn''t enough to recall him back. Kiro both eyes gently shut as his body fell on the muddy ground. "Sleep well boy, because when you wake up, I''ll have you split all the mysteries you were hiding." The demon mumbled as it advanced onward. But before it could reach Kiro''s location, a purplish emanation fiercely darted toward the demon. Noticing the impending danger, both of its eyes became sharp as the demon erected a wall of wicked aura three meters before him. *????????????????!* The wall of darkness shattered like a frail glass upon the touch of the piercing luminescent lilac light. "That''s far as you go, demon." Suddenly a Majestic and dignified voice echoed to the surrounding. "Who!" The demon shouted in fright as it scanned the surrounding forest. Before the demon could find the source of disturbance, a firm hand fiercely grasps the demon''s neck. "Guu-aah!" The demon cried in pain, "It¡ªit''s... you!??? The demon snarled in disbelief, as both of its eyes widened in fright. "... Wa¡ªwhy? such a person like you is in a rural place like this? In-" *????????????????????* Before the demon could continue, its neck was snapped into two. "Haayst, what a noisy fellow. Rosie, can you check my good disciple for me?" Kyros said while glancing at the beautiful lady behind him. "Why should I? You''re his Master, not me." Rosie replied as she snorted in discomfort. "Come on now, I killed the demon, you go ahead and check my precious disciple condition, I must clean this place first," Kyros said, as his eyes darted northeast side of the forest. "Oh, I almost forgot, don''t tell him I''m the one who rescued him, and that girl named Alina, take care of her as well." When he finished saying those words, Kyros'' figure disappeared from the forest. 37 Adventurers Guild Year. 1189 the 25th day of month Elula. The crack of dawn bloomed over the horizon while an amber stream of light illuminated in the metropolis of Elmore. Exactly at the moment when the sunrises. At the entrance of the Adventurer''s Guild, there was a group of four people with a fretted appearance, whereas the man who was leading the group appeared to be tormented by guilt, while both of his eyes lost its brilliance. "We''re finally here. We must hurry and report what happened inside the forest." The man said with a solemn expression. "Yes, we better hurry." One of the people from the group said in agreement. Yes, the group of people was no other than Aldin''s group who successfully returned safely in the town of Elmore. However, before they could step forward to the guild, one of their companions fell on the dusty ground. "Missa!" Mirabell shouted in fright after seeing her sister fell on the ground. Aldin was taken aback when he saw Missa''s pale face. "What happened to her?" He asked in concern. "I don''t know! My sister suddenly passed out." Mirabell replied as she brought her sister''s frail body to her bosom. Gritting his teeth, Aldin pondered for a while before saying. "Alyva, I leave the two sisters on your hand, I''ll have to report what happened to the Guild first." At this precise moment, Aldin''s mind was in chaos. He still couldn''t find an excuse to forgive himself after abandoning Kiro and Alina. With both of his eyes flashed with resolution. Aldin darted his attention to the Guild. Nevertheless, before he could leave them behind. Alyva voiced out. "Aldin wait!" She said while examining Missa''s condition. "I think it would be better if we bring Missa to the Guild, if we''re lucky we may find a priest inside," Alyva suggested. Hearing Alyva''s words, Mirabell added. "Yup! Alyva is right, we may encounter a priest inside!" Mirabell has finally calmed down, once they discern that her sister only passed out through tiredness. Staring at the two, Aldin could only nod in agreement. "Okay, but I have to report first, you guys can just directly go to the infirmary." Then, the group of four went inside the Guild. ¡ã ¡ã ¡ã Inside the Adventurer''s Guild, even though the sun was still young. The interior of the guild was already packed with peoples. On the left side of the guild, a few groups of adventurers could be found. At the center, there was already a queue for a commission request. Alyva''s group barge-in while they carried Missa to the infirmary room. With their sudden visit, the atmosphere inside the guild became quiet, then a bunch of different whispers and reactions resounded throughout the waiting lounge. "Is Instructor Ralph present!" Suddenly Aldin shouted inside the hallway. "Please young man, don''t make a commotion inside the Guild first in the morning." One of the staff reprimanded him. The staff was about to add more. However, when he saw Aldin''s sorry figure and the bloodstain all over his tattered attire the personnel of the Guild halted his voice. With his rich experience for being a veteran receptionist in just one glance was enough for him to understood that Aldin must have very urgent matters to tell. "Please, come down and follow me inside the private lounge." He said while signaling his colleague to inform the newbie instructor to come. Aldin could only nod in agreement whereas he followed the receptionist inside the private room. ¡ã ¡ã ¡ã Inside the private room. Aldin was sitting on the luxurious crafted wooden chair. In front of him was the receptionist guy who reprimanded him a while ago. "Nice to meet you, I am called Lucien." The receptionist said with his formal greetings. "... I''m Aldin, a trainee adventurer. Can you please tell me where I can find Instructor Ralph?" Aldin cut the chase as he directly said what he wanted to know. "Mn, I already called someone to inform Mr. Ralph. He will be here soon enough." Lucien answered while taking the pot of tea on the table. "Please help yourself. The fragrance of tea would calm your mind." Aldin glanced at the teacup in front of him. Then he drank the cup in one gulp. Seeing his reaction, Lucien could only give a weary smile from his rude behavior. "Ahem, now can you tell me what happened?" He said while observing Aldin''s perplexed behavior. Upon hearing the receptionist''s words, Aldin gulped his dry saliva, while he gathered all of his courage to narrate what happened inside the plainlan forest. "¡ªWhat happened is..." He said as he started to describe what happened inside the forest. Upon hearing his story, the receptionist cleared his vocal folds. "Ahem, so... That''s happened, It''s certainly disturbing news. Especially about the Goblin King, good work Mr. Aldin, the Guild will compensate for your hard work accordingly." While he said those words, Lucien tapped the bell on the other side of the table. *????????????????~* Melodious sounds of the bell echoed throughout the room. Then one of the standby personnel outside the room came in. "You called Senior Lucien." The person said. Lucien took a piece of parchment in his pocket while taking a quill pen instilled in the Guild crest mark on his left shoulder. Then he swiftly wrote a subjugation request on the plainlan forest. But this time, the difficulty increased by a triple C plus rating. "Put this parchment to the priority list, we need to exterminate those Goblins as soon as possible, if their nest grows further the difficulty of the request may change depending on the result of the expedition." Lucien proclaimed while handing the piece of parchment to the other person. "Yes, sir." Upon noticing the urgent voice from his superior, the person left the room in haste. "... Sorry to say this Mr. Aldin, it seems that the current situation has changed, even if you asked for Mr. Ralph''s assistant, it wouldn''t be enough." Lucien said he was about to add more, but Aldin abruptly interjected. "... What about Kiro and Alina? Would you send a party to save them?" Aldin nervously said while he observed Lucien''s appearance. However, when he saw his complicated expression, Aldin''s face went ashen. "... No way, don''t tell me you guys won''t search for them, right?" He stated while clutching his fist. "I''m sorry to say this, but Mr. Aldin''s companions were most likely..." Lucien didn''t manage to finish his words as Aldin interjected in a deranged manner. "No! Absolutely not! How come you guys would¡ªwould..." Aldin bawled loudly. Still, when he was about to say abandon them like that. He couldn''t find the strength to voice out those words. Eventually, silence overwhelmed the two. Seeing Aldin was not in the right state for a conversation. Lucien decisively said. "I''m sorry Mr. Aldin for being direct. But worry not, there''s a slim plausibility that your companions were alive. So please forgive my rudeness." Lucien apologized while giving Aldin a slight bow as he leaves the place. When the receptionist left the room, Aldin started to sob. "I¡ªI... I''m sorry!" He wailed like a child as his body suddenly felt heavy. Notwithstanding the guilt from his heart, Alidin abruptly genuflected on the hard ground. ¡ã ¡ã ¡ã Inside the Infirmary room. Missa who blank out due to the fact they''ve run all the way back to the town of Elmore without a rest. Was now awakened after drinking a vitality potion. "Mm, the young miss would be fine now. Seeing the color of her face returned. Please let her rest for a couple of hours before moving." The physician said while nodding to Alyva''s group and left the place to give them space. "Thank you, Mr. Noll," Alyva exclaimed her genuine appreciation while giving the old physician a courteous bow. "Mm, no need to be a polite child, I only did what I must." Noll waved his hand, urging Alyva to stand up. However, Mirabell followed suit after her. "Thank you!" She said while both of her eyes moisten. Staring at the two, Noll could only helplessly sigh to their reaction. "Okay, I already finished treating your sister, I''ll be taking my leave." After the Physician left the place, only then the two raised their heads. When she noticed that they''re the only one left inside the room Alyva couldn''t help to mutter. " I wonder how''s Aldin doing on the other side." She said in wonder. "With this Kiro and Alina would be safe right?" Mirabell said. But deep inside she was notably anxious. "Don''t worry, with the Guild''s help, Kiro and Alina would be safe," Alyva reassured. However, after she said those words her uneasiness increased. Please go to to read the latest chapters for free 38 Goblin Settlemen Going back to the Plainlan Forest. In the middle of the jungle, an otherworldly noblewoman was standing in there with her spellbinding scarlet eyes flickering inside this gloomy forest. Even though the attire she was wearing was simple, yet it was destructive enough to enthrall whoever saw her figure. "Haaah, why do I have to babysit an immature brat like you." The noblewoman said. "In the first place, if you just left this place with your companion, it wouldn''t be this burdensome." She said in annoyance while glancing at the man who was lying cold on the ground. "Nonetheless, I don''t get how you can suddenly muster an abundant mana pool when yours was supposedly debilitated." The noblewoman said in wonder. "I honestly couldn''t believe you''re the one that the old man chose as his successor." She mutters. "I guess he was right, being a receptionist for years dulled my senses." Yes, the woman was no other than Rosaleen, who Kyros left behind to take care of his precious discipline. While she was observing Kiro, who was on the ground, she suddenly heard a rustling noise. "Come out," Rosaleen said, shifting her gaze southeast 5 o''clock behind her back. Then a human figure came out of the woods. "Ms. Rosie?" the person called out. "Yes, Alina, it''s me," Rosaleen responded with her gently whilst observing her condition. Staring at her sorry figure, Rosaleen saw her eyes were swollen along with her disheveled hair that tangled with scanty branches of the tree. Her figure was filled with minor cuts with her light combat attire fitted for a thief class she couldn''t avoid suffering numerous bruises around her body. When she saw her pitiful figure, Rosaleen''s eyes softened. "Come here, Alina." Alina, who was momentarily shocked from the sudden development, stared at her in confusion. Suddenly she remembered why she came here. "¡ªKiro... Where is Kiro? Is he safe?" Alina asked nervously while searching for his figure. Still, upon seeing his figure who was lying on the ground, she could not help to shriek in fright. "Kiro!" Seeing her reaction, Rosaleen giggled slightly. Instead of worrying about her wellbeing, Alina was more worried about him. "He is fine, you don''t have to worry." She said, throwing a quick glance at Kiro. "Even though he doesn''t appear to be fine, Kiro is in much better shape than you." "... Re¡ªreally?" Alina replied while she scanned Kiro''s exhausted physique. "He is fine. On the other hand, it is you who needed treatment," Rosaleen affirmed as she summoned an amber-colored glass potion. "Stay still so I can start treating your wounds." Rosaleen proclaimed whilst opening the healing potion. Suddenly, a gentle aura engulfed Alina''s figure. While golden luminescent light flickered inside the forest. What Rosaleen used was a high-grade potion, even though Alina''s outer appearance seemed to be fine. Her internal organs were in the mess without immediate treatment; it may affect her future growth. While Alina was savoring the feeling of the high-grade potion, a magic circle abruptly appeared on her foot. "[Spring.]" Rosaleen murmured while a soothing aqua flow washed away the dirt from Alina''s body. But she wasn''t done yet as another magic circle appeared. However, this time it was above Alina''s head. "[Breeze.]" Rosaleen commanded the atmosphere. There wasn''t a single mana fluctuation when she activated her skill, as if it blended to nature. A gentle wind blew by, drying Alina''s damped figure. "... Ms. Rosie, I never knew you''re a magician!" She said with both of her eyes flashed in astonishment. Staring at her silly expression, Rosaleen giggled lightly. "Yup, I am, but you have to promise me to keep it a secret all right?" She answered with a sweet smile. Seeing her enchanting smile, Alina was captivated by her charm momentarily. "... Beautiful." She could not help to mutter those words. Nevertheless, upon discerning her blunder Alina''s cheeks turned red in shame. "Oh I almost forgot, can Ms. Rosie heal Kiro too?" She said while trying not to stare at her face directly. "He doesn''t have any severe wounds nor any internal wounds. He only passed out because of mana exhaustion." Rosaleen said while staring at Alina gently. "But if you''re really worried about him, I''ll let you medicate him." "Mm." Alina could only hum in agreement to hide her embarrassment. ¡ã ¡ã ¡ã Meanwhile, in the deepest part of the jungle. The sky above the northeast side of the plainlan forest was illuminated with a purplish light. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning broke the utter darkness of the forest. Cleaving its way to the firmament as if it wanted to severe heaven. Whereas descended a thunderous clap roared furiously inside the forest. *????????????????????!* An immense explosion shattered the goblin settlement. While at the center of the collision was a 3 and a half meter tall Goblin with a domineering aura around him. However, this prideful creature at the moment was bathed with his own blood. "... Why? Why such a distinguished Adventurer like you was inside my forest!" The Goblin King asked in regret. "It''s just happened that you guys picked a wrong opponent, you have chosen to hunt my one and only disciple," Kyros said with a strong and imposing voice. Upon hearing his reasoning. The Goblin King''s eyes flashed with hatred. "Merely because that reason my years of hard work and devotion to develop this settlement were ruined?" He said. "Hehehe... I cannot accept this!" With that said, the Goblin King aura suddenly changed, his body expanded four-meter tall while the scarlet of life sparkled throughout his body. Seeing the Goblin King turned into a deranged state, Kyros frowned whereas his both eyes are sharped. "You seemed to be determined to drag this old man with you. Unfortunately, I''ll have to disappoint you." Kyros muttered, touching the crystal gem imbued in his ring. Kyros summoned hundreds of arrows inside his spatial tool. "I haven''t mastered this art yet. Nevertheless, it''s your honor dying with such a remarkable Art of Archery." Whilst saying those words, Kyros channeled his abundant mana to the 100 arrows he summoned. If Kiro was here, he would be astounded knowing whose art his Master is currently using. Kyros sent his mana to the arrow shafts slowly, a figure eventually formed using his mana manipulation. A glaring reddish-blue stream of light formed into a 30 meters long ground dragon. "... One hundred arrows returning in one." But Kyros wasn''t done yet. He even imbued the art with his thunder attribute, making the ground dragon more alive. *????????????????????????!* The reddish-blue long dragon roared furiously while it circled around at the gloomy sky. Staring at the impending danger, the Goblin King didn''t shrink back. With both of its eyes flashed with madness. The Goblin King activated his skill using his own life as a fuel. "*????????????????!* Human... Innate skill [Aurora Slash!]" With his great sword at hand, the Goblin king activated his strongest offensive Innate ability. A powerful suction force was formed at the palm of the Goblin King while glaring scarlet light illuminated from where he stood. Considering the Goblin King was using his own life to boost his skill, his body figure dried like a dead flower. Subsequently, when the Goblin King accumulated enough internal energy, he swung his greatsword horizontally. As the wind howled furiously with gigantic blood of light slashed the twilight whereas it engulfed the clouded sky with blazing crimson light. Watching the enormous glittering cardinal light come to him. Kyros released the thunderous ground dragon as it beamed like a bolt of lightning shimmering brightly as it confronted the tumultuous blow of the Goblin King. *????????????????????????!* With two skills collided, a tremendous eruption turned the half-destroyed Goblin settlement into a wasteland. Please go to to read the latest chapters for free 39 Arrow Bol When the huge mist from the surrounding dissipated. Kyros was surprised to know that the Goblin King was still alive. However, its body was already out of shape to continue fighting. "Hooh... you''re certainly a tough fellow and undoubtedly a worthy monster with the title of a King." Kyros couldn''t help to praise the resilience of the Goblin King. Even after that exchange, it was still breathing. "..." Nonetheless, the Goblin King didn''t speak as he doesn''t have enough strength to talk. Him standing there while breathing was already considered a miracle. "Allow me to finish you off." He said while summoning a unique runic-arrow with a silver pattern at its head. "Huuh~" Kyros exhaled while he put his left hand into the thin air. Strangely, he wasn''t using a crafted bow, but instead, he created his long-bow using his mana manipulation. Scintillating deep-purple lighting bow was formed out of nowhere. "[Arrow Bolt!]" Kyros murmured whereas a tremendous thunderclap howl furiously, seamed to crack the air as if the heavens might about to split apart. *????????????????????????!* The wind screeched, with an immense suction force in the heart of the disturbance gradually a maelstrom was being formed in the middle of dazzling silvery arrow-head numerous ancient runic symbols appeared as it encircled around the core. After accumulating enough momentum. Kyros released the bolt. The arrow bolt flew toward the defenseless Goblin King, as the earth cried in terror while the bolt darted similar to a turbulent swirling maelstrom that severing the terrain of the forest. The Goblin King observed the imminent threat without flinching. He already drained most of his life force after releasing the attack that way over his league. As the swirling maelstrom come near him. The Goblin King closed its eyes and waited for his departure. *????????????????????????!* A vast explosion erupted at the core of the collision. Kyros'' eyes glittered with a golden hue whilst he observed the misty cloud that''s covering his line of sight. Eventually, the smoke dissipated. Then there he saw the landscape of the forest changed exceedingly great. A sixty meters long crack was carved to the scorched ground while the figure of the Goblin King was nowhere to be found. However, Kyros was sure that he killed the Goblin King on the spot with that skill. "Mm, I guess with this my job is done," Kyros said with a self-satisfied smile. ¡ã ¡ã ¡ã On the southeast side of the plainlan forest. Kiro was eventually awakened from his mana deficiency. Still, he couldn''t move his body around. Only his consciousness returns while his body doesn''t obey his command. "¡ªUrgh. How long did I fall asleep?" Kiro said while he scanned the surrounding, but to his surprise, he was still in the same spot after passing out. When his mind went blank, he was already preparing for the worst. Yet, the gravest prevision did not come. "Fixie what happened? Where are we?" Kiro asked her once more. "Master! You''re lucky your teacher has come to save you!" Fixie said with a tone that didn''t hide her joy. "If it wasn''t because your teacher intervened, the Master may now be in a troublesome situation." Then Fixie narrated what happened after he passed out. After listening to her tale, Kiro was astounded to know not only Kyros came, but even Rosaleen was alongside his Master. "She''s here?" Kiro cried out in surprise while he used his observing eyes to scan the surrounding. But it was only a futile effort, as his view was only limited to 180 degrees to his left side. Suddenly he heard a shriek beside him. "Kiro! You''re awake, right?" Alina beamed with a smile as she shook Kiro''s body recklessly. "Ow, ow... Alina stop¡ªstop! The pain in my body is aching throughout the place." Kiro reminded her that his body wasn''t in the best condition. "... Sorry! Oh, that''s right! Ms. Rosie is here and she can help you." Alina said as she turned around and saw Rosaleen, who was frowning her eyebrows. "What is it, Ms. Rosie?" Alina was alarmed from her reaction as she slowly observed the forest. But before she could ask another question. A purplish thunder engulfed half of the sky as a thunderous roar reverberated to the forest. "Tsk! That old fool, what he was thinking; why would he cast a large scale skill in this forest? Didn''t he know it would at least take a year before the natural landscape of that place to return?" Rosaleen grumbled in dissatisfaction. "Wa¡ªwhat was that commotion, Ms. Rosie?" Alina asked in fright it was her first time seeing such a tremendous mana flow that even the aftershock was reaching her place. Seeing her reaction, Rosaleen gently explained. "No need to worry, it was just an old person who was overdoing this." She said while shifting her attention to Kiro. "Mm, I''m amazed you have already been awakened." "... Is that you, Ms. Rosie?" Kiro said but he can''t move so he asked Alina to move his body direction to see Rosaleen figure. When he saw her otherworldly beauty, only then Kiro believed that it was undeniably the Rosie of his dream. "Yes, it''s me," Rosaleen said while observing Kiro''s body curiously. She cannot make head nor tail to his unnatural body recovery. "Mm, I guess if you aren''t this special that old man wouldn''t barge into my office just to brag about his newly attained disciple," Rosaleen muttered those words enough only for her to hear. However, she underestimated Kiro''s hearing capability. ''So, the old madman was the reason she was here'' Kiro voiced out inside his head. Staring at him for a few more minutes. Rosaleen said. "I suppose you only need a mana potion to recover your vitality." While saying that Rosie threw a two-piece azure crystal blue bottle at Alina. "I''ll leave it to you, Alina, please lend Kiro a hand," Rosaleen said. Shifting back her attention to the forest. "Mm! Thank you, Ms. Rosie." Alina beamed with a radiating smile whilst opening the small bottle for Kiro to drink. "Please don''t waste a single drop. It would be rude for Ms. Rosie''s generosity." She said while lifting his chin upward as she poured the potion gently toward Kiro''s mouth. "Gulp, thank you, Alina." Kiro voiced his appreciation. As a sudden aquatic aura enveloped his body. With the gentle touch of the aquatic potion soothed his chaotic mind. "Huuu~ That''s refreshing." He said in delight. He was about to get up. However, Alina interjected. "Don''t move around. Your body isn''t stable yet, right?" She said while watching the azure light to do its work. "After 30 minutes then I''ll give you another potion so stay put!" Seeing her caring action, Kiro suddenly remembered what he did a while ago. Then guilt overwhelmed his conscience. "... Mmm, Alina I¡ª" However before he could even utter his apology Alina put her index finger to his mouth. "Shush... You don''t have to worry, I understand." Alina smiled gently at him. "Alina knows Kiro is only doing that to protect me..." The last sentences of hers were only audible to her. Nevertheless, Kiro managed to read her lips. After discerning her real thoughts, Kiro let out a soft sigh. "Still, I hurt your feelings, so let me apologize. I''m sorry, Alina." Kiro stared gently at Alina''s coruscant auburn eyes as he told his sincere apology. Hearing his gentle voice, Alina hid her face in embarrassment. "Mm." She hummed in response. Seeing her bashful reaction, Kiro couldn''t help to tease her back. "Why are you avoiding my face? Did you perhaps fall for me?" He quipped with a sly smile hung on his face. Staring at his smug expression, Alina suddenly has an urge to punch that silly face. Although she didn''t do it. Alina pinched Kiro''s waist fiercely. "Ow, ow... Okay, okay. It''s my mistake, please stop." Kiro admitted his defeat. Right at this moment, his body was so sensitive that even the slightest movement would lead to pain. After pinching his waistline for a few good more minutes. Only then Alina nodded in satisfaction. Please go to to read the latest chapters for free 40 Gellis The next following event. When the efficiency of the mana potion dissipated, Kiro shifted his attention to Rosaleen who was observing the far off distance of the forest solemnly. "Ms. Rosie, can you please tell me why you are here?" Kiro said, though he already knew the answer to his question. Still, he couldn''t help to ask so. Only when Kiro voiced out the question. Only then Alina realized how odd it was for Rosaleen to be present in this place. Hearing Kiro''s question. Rosaleen thought for a moment before responding. "Your Master and I were acquaintances. He dragged me here to show off his disciple capabilities." She said while shifting her gaze toward Kiro. "But you have to keep it a secret, okay? Your Master forbids me to tell you he was the one who rescued you." Rosaleen said facetiously as she gently winked at him. Seeing her playful behavior, Kiro was stunned momentarily. Then, as if trying to regain his dignity, Kiro faced her bewitching figure without flinching. "¡ªThen can I know what happened?" Kiro mustered all of his strength just to say those words. He still couldn''t handle Rosaleen''s otherworldly beauty. "Humph!" Fixie snorted at him in dissatisfaction. Staring at his silly expression, Rosaleen giggled slightly as she said. "Though your Master may seem to be strict. But he truly cared for your well being." After saying that, Rosaleen shifted her gaze toward the Goblin''s Settlement. "Yeah, he is a kind person. A type of person who will observe your growth in the shadow..." Rosaleen muttered those words only audible to herself as her eyes flashed with nostalgia. Noticing that she spaced out for a moment Rosaleen cough softly. "Mm¡ªin short, your Master is a worry rat, that is the reason why we are here." Seeing her perplexed reaction. Kiro didn''t want to make things difficult for her, as he said. "Okay, thank you for answering my question, Ms. Rosie." While saying that Kiro glanced at Alina who was tilting her head in puzzlement. "Alina, you can now give me another flask of the mana potion." With his sudden request. Kiro awakened the confused Alina. "Mm, okay please stay still." She said as she opened the small azure crystal vial. Then she poured the content to Kiro''s mouth. Kiro gulped a mouthful of a mana potion. Then a familiar feeling engulfed his whole being. As the azure vapor encircled throughout his body; Kiro felt a sudden ecstasy. Up above the sky, the sun was already pointing at the east when he regained his mana. ¡ã ¡ã ¡ã Inside the Adventurer''s Guild. With the information, they got from Aldin. The Guild was bustling with clamor after the news of a Goblin King appeared at the beginner''s forest, also known as the plainlan forest. Every adventurer''s inside the waiting lounge was staring at the eye-catching pinned request. On the enormous commission board, there was an extra-large parchment pinned in the middle. . *???????????????????????? ????????????????????????????* Difficulty: ????+++ Requirement: The quest is only applicable to a C-rank union and above. Quest: Goblin Nest Subjugation. Important Note: The possibility of a Goblin King leading the nest is high. Reward: ???????? ???????????????? ????????????????????. . Staring at the parchment, many C-ranker Adventurers piqued their interest upon the hefty rewards. With 30 gold coins on hand, their union can have light breathing for about a month or two. "Hooh... There''s a possibility of a Goblin King was leading the entire nest..." One of the adventurers said. "Nah it''s not worth the time and effort. With the settlement alone, do you think a single union can handle an entire Goblin nest?" An old veteran adventurer voiced out. "Mm, you''re right about that. However, with 30 gold coins, I can upgrade my union members'' equipment... Haaah~ but it was unrealistic for us to handle the nest. Even more so with the possibility of a Goblin King leading the place." The person murmured in response. Suddenly a voice resounded in the Guild. "HOHOHO! A Goblin King Subjugation request. I like it! Hahaha with this, my party can have it easy within upcoming weeks!" The man said while laughing heartedly. When the person who was checking the parchment heard his voice. He wanted to remind the person about the difficulty of the quest. But when he saw the figure, he halted his voice while nervously checking out the newly arrived person to make sure that his eyes weren''t playing a trick on him. "... Mr. Gellis?" He said in astonishment. "When did you come back?" The person said cheerfully. "Hahaha! Hello there, Simo, it''s been a while, how''s your union doing these days?" Gellis said as he shifted his gaze toward him. "I and my party members just returned to this town. Apparently, we''re short of income within this week but to think there is a Goblin Subjugation upon our arrival it was as if a Godsend to us, after-" Gellis didn''t manage to finish his words as a sudden voice interjected. "After all, your party is the best Goblin''s Slayer isn''t it?" Yet another person has arrived as he comes closer to Gellis. "Oh! Rex, it''s been a while." Gellis turned around and said. "Still doing the newbie recruit thing?" Gellis stated in the tone that did not hide his discontent. "Hehehe, you don''t have to worry about me, Gellis. My newbie recruit is doing well. In fact, my union earned quite a lot lately." Rex replied, not minding Gellis''s tone. "Ooh, a Goblin Subjugation. Are you going to take it? If not, let my union handle it." He said while both of his eyes flashed with greed. "You don''t need to. I''ll do it! My party is the best when it comes to Goblin''s Slaying. I won''t back down to this quest, even if it''s you." Gellis responded with his eyes flickered with battle intent. Seeing the madman was about to challenge him into a fight, Rex knew that he wasn''t his match, so he could only grit his teeth in frustration. "Fine! You can take it." He said as he walked out of the Guild. "Tsk! A spineless bastard, he is only good at exploiting the newbies." Simo who was watching the scene unfold in silence said in irritation. "Why does a guy like him still exist in this Guild? He should''ve been gone a long time ago..." Simon shifted his gaze to Gellis. "So what would you do now Mr. Gellis?" "Isn''t it obvious? I would accept this request! Hahaha!" After saying that, Gellis snatched the parchment on the huge signboard. "Okay, see you later, Simo. I''ll treat you to a drink after my party finishes this subjugation request," Gellis said as he went toward the receptionist hall. Watching Gellis disappearing back, Simo said. "Okay, Mr. Gellis Good luck and have fun!" ¡ã ¡ã ¡ã Inside the Infirmary room. Missa was now awake after an hour of rest. "Thank you, Alyva, Mira for taking care of me," Missa said. "How''s Aldin? Is there any good news?" When the two heard her question, their expression couldn''t help to turn sour. "What happened?" Noticing her sister and Alyva''s behavior. Missa couldn''t help to call out in surprise. Hearing her sister''s voice, Mirabell wanted to say something. But before she could. Alyva''s voice resounded to the room. "... The thing is." Then she narrated the event after she went unconscious. As soon as Aldin finished discussing with the veteran receptionist. He went to check Alyva''s group. Thus when he heard that Missa is fine. Aldin started to narrate what happened inside the VIP room. Thereafter, Instructor''s Ralph burst into the infirmary room while not minding the staff who were trying to stop him from making a commotion. Then after knowing the four of his disciples only then Ralph stopped making a ruckus. "That''s what happened." Alyva shifted her gaze at the entrance of the infirmary room. "Then Aldin and Instructor''s Ralph went outside to have a light talk." Hearing Aldin''s name, Missa''s face became solemn. Staring at her sister''s expression, Mirabell said. "I know that you''re upset with Aldin, but it wasn''t entirely his fault," Mira said while thrown a glance to Alyva''s who was gripping the hem of her raiment. "Before this subjugation started; I asked Aldin to stop you at all costs if you ever acted foolishly." Then staring straight at her sister''s eyes, Mirabell said. "If you want to blame someone, It''s me who you should blame Missa." Seeing her younger sister''s reaction. Missa could only sigh in agreement. "Okay, I admit my mistake. I shouldn''t blame Aldin like that. He was only protecting me." While saying that Missa stared at Alyva. "Are you alright?" Catching her voice. Alyva responded with a slight nod. "Mm." But deep inside, she was the one who was most affected by this incident. After this accident, she doesn''t know how to talk to Aldin. Even though she knew that it wasn''t his fault. Still, she can''t let go of the fact that Aldin just left Alina behind. Missa stared at her for several breaths as she said. "If you''re thinking why Aldin left Alina alone. He did stop her. But it was a futile effort." When she heard her voice, Alyva''s eyes flashed with complex emotion. Please go to to read the latest chapters for free 41 Departure In the hallway outside of the infirmary room. There were two people wearing a complicated expression. One is a middle-aged man, while the other is youth. With a heavy silence engulfed the two; suddenly, the middle-aged man broke the uncomfortable atmosphere between the two. "So that''s what happened, huh? The only thing that I did not understand is, why would you decide to let her be?" The middle-aged man said in confusion. "... Instructor Ralph, the thing is. I did not want to leave her alone. It was because when I saw the resolution inside her eyes. I knew that it would only be a futile effort for me to persuade her at that time." The youth said in a voice filled with regret. "Plus, the situation wasn''t in our favor and I don''t have the luxury to explain it to her." The youth said while shifting his gaze at the infirmary room. "Even if I knocked her consciousness. Another person would go forward to search for Kiro." "Mm, I understand you go now; Aldin and explain yourself to your party members." Instructor''s Ralph said with complicated emotion. "Remember, it''s not entirely your fault. In fact, what you did was the correct choice as a leader of the party." He reminded him that he was only doing his duty. "If you want to blame someone. It should be me; after all, I sent you guys to the unknown while not surveying the place." Instructor Ralph sighed as he darted his gaze up above the sky. Seeing the Instructor''s reaction. He could only nod in agreement. "Okay, Instructor Ralph. I will be going." With a moment of hesitation. Aldin gathered all of his courage as he went inside the room. However, before he could step inside, he heard a subtle voice of Instructor Ralph. "Leave it to me." ¡ã ¡ã ¡ã Inside the infirmary room. Alyva and the others were busy conversing with each other. Suddenly, they heard light footsteps in the corridor. *???????????????????? * ???????????????????? * Two light knocking sounds resounded inside the room. "Who is it?" Alyva said. Moving her gaze toward the entrance. "It''s me, Aldin." He said. "How is Missa doing? Is she now awake?" Aldin who was behind the door nervously said. While gripping the handle of the door tightly. Hearing his question, Alyva was about to answer when Missa interjected. "I''m already awake, Aldin. Is there something you need?" Aldin was stunned momentarily when he heard her voice. Still, as he gathered all of his strength. He then opened the door slowly. Upon opening the wooden door. Aldin saw the resting Missa on the common wooden bed with a feather mattress along with her sister who was sitting next to her. "... Are you fine now?" He said while scanning her condition. Noticing that the color from her cheeks returned to bloomingly red, Aldin was relieved inside. "Yes, thanks to all of you. I managed to recover swiftly." She said, but at the moment when she was about to add more. Aldin abruptly bowed his head at the shoulder level. "I¡ªI''m sorry!" With the sudden development, Missa and the others were startled on the scene. But Missa who was staring at him with a complicated look spoke. "Please raise your head, Aldin," She softly said. "You did nothing wrong. You only did what you have to do, so please raise your head. There is no need to ask for forgiveness; because it was an inevitable incident." Missa consoled Aldin. Though she said those, deep inside she was still rather feeling upset about what happened inside the forest. However, she certainly knew that she has no right to condemn the person who saved her life. Hearing her voice Aldin raised his head then he saw the figure of Alyva who was watching the scene in the silence, stepped forward. *????????????????!* A crispy sound of Aldin''s cheeks was being slapped by Alyva resounded inside the room. "Will you cut it out!" Alyva said while fiercely darted her enraged sight to Aldin. "Can you stop appearing like that Aldin... You''re not the only one who deeply regret what happened to that damn forest!" Then she grabbed Aldin''s shoulders as she slowly put him into her bosom. "We all grieve for what happened. So stop shouldering all the burdens. We all made a mistake, not only you." Saying that Alyva glanced at the two behind her back as she said. "But all of us made an error." Hearing her remark. The sisters lowered their heads in shame. What Alyva said was right, they all have the responsibility for each other. As soon as they abandoned Kiro and Alina, they made the same mistake. "Alyva is right, Aldin, don''t shoulder everything on your own. We all share the same burden as you." Shifting her gaze at the two, Mirabell said. "Yes, we all carry the same mistake. So please stop being hard to yourself." Only when Alyva voiced out her thoughts did Missa realized her error. She keeps blaming Aldin out of confusion while in reality. They all shoulder the same fallacy. Aldin who was shaken by the sudden development. Gradually, both of his eyes dampen. Tears were impending to burst. However, with Missa one last push, the tears of grief started to fall like droplets from rain as it touched the sorrow of his soul. Seeing Aldin sobbed like a child, the group of three couldn''t help to feel the same sentiment as their eyes became watery from regret. ¡ã ¡ã ¡ã Back to the Plainlan forest. Kiro managed to fully recover his mana. He is currently sitting on a flat surface of a stone stab while staring at the two beautiful women in front of him. "Master, I believe Master should check his current status." Suddenly Fixie''s voice resounded inside his head. "Mm, I didn''t have the luxury to check my growth last time, so I better take this chance while I still can," Kiro said while he muttered the keyword. "[Appraisal!]" ©l©l©l©l©l©l©l©l Statistics. STR: 43 (x5) - 215 INT: 51 (x5) - 255 DEX: 51 (x5) - 255 CON: 59 (x5) - 295 CHA: 56 (x5) - 280 SEN: 56 (x5) - 280 VIT: 99 (x5) - 495 ©l©l©l©l©l©l©l©l "So with this status. How powerful do you think I am right now?" Kiro asked in wonder. It has been five days since the day he left the wilderness. With a lack of comparison, he doesn''t know how strong he is at the moment. "With Master current statistics, Fixie guessed that Master can now fight evenly to an average C-rank adventurer in terms of raw strength," Fixie answered as she pondered for a moment before she said. "I will now allow Master to use appraisal skills to intermediate grade adventurers. As long as they don''t have a strong magic tool to hide their status bar. Master can catch a glimpse of their statistics with ease." "But, before that, we have to leave this place first." With that said, Kiro got up from the stone stab as he called out to the two. "Ms. Rosie, Alina. Should we head back now?" Staring at the two beauties, Kiro asked. "Mm, your recovery is truly remarkable. Within a short span of time, you''ve fully recovered." Rosaleen praised Kiro''s unnatural recovery rate with her eyes flickered with marvel. If Kiro wasn''t Kyros disciple. Rosaleen may already abduct him out of curiosity. "Then, shall we?" She said glancing at Kyros'' direction then she threw a flare of light as if signaling him that they''re about to depart the place. Please go to to read the latest chapters for free 42 Nimrod Looking at her, Kiro could not comprehend why Rosaleen would suddenly shut a flare of light up above the sky. "... Ms. Rosie, can you please tell me why you release flare magic." Kiro doubtfully said while staring at her. When she glanced at him and saw his doubtful eyes as if knowing what he was thinking, Rosaleen said. "You do not need to worry. I only gave a signal to your Master that we are about to leave this place," After he heard her reasoning only then, his mind put into ease. With her unexpected movement, Kiro could not help to be alarmed, even though he liked Rosaleen. It doesn''t mean that he would be blinded by his feelings. "It is a good thing that there is a bit of sanity left in you, Master!" Fixie cheerfully said when she saw her Master''s reaction. "I''m proud of you Master! You are slowly getting used to her beauty! Hehehe~ sooner or later we can begin our plan!" Hearing her teasing voice. Kiro couldn''t help to bulge his vines on his forehead. "Shut up." He murmured inaudible tone. Seeing his perplexed reaction, Rosaleen said, "Is there something wrong?" "... Ahem, there''s nothing wrong Ms. Rosie." Glancing at Alina, Kiro said. "Then shall we head back?" "Mm, we should get going. I bet your companions already created a huge mess inside the Guild." When she said that, Rosaleen''s face turned sour. She would have to deal with the mess inside the Guild as soon as they return to the town. Hearing her lamenting voice, Kiro and Alina stare at each other in a brief moment before he says his apology. "I''m sorry for troubling you, Ms. Rosie," Kiro bowed his head at the shoulder''s level. Even though Kiro said those words, he wasn''t worried about troubling Rosaleen because he knew her true identity of being the Guild Master of the Elmore. "Mm, apology accepted, please raise your head." Staring at him. Rosaleen answered amiably. "Now, shall we go?" Staring at the two, Rosaleen led the way out of the plainlan forest. . Meanwhile, in the part of the ruined Goblin''s Settlement. Kyros, who saw the signal, observed Kiro''s group leave until their back disappeared from his range. "... Now then, I should go now and investigate the real reason why I came to this place." Saying that Kyros figure disappeared within the woods. ¡ã ¡ã ¡ã In the commercial district of the town of Elmore. There was a group of six busily purchasing bulk of herbs and other necessities. "Oya, that is quite a lot of supplies." The clerk glanced at Gellis. "Are you guys going to receive another Goblin''s nest subjugation?" He said in interest whilst observing the group of six who were busy browsing inside the store. "Yup that''s right Nigelle, upon returning to the town. Who could''ve thought there would be another Goblin Subjugation request?" Gellis responded as he picked up three pieces of greeny bottle. "... That huh, aren''t you over-exhorting your funds if you buy this paralytic poison?" Nigelle said in puzzlement. He couldn''t understand why he would go so long even to buy an intermediate-grade poison. "Apparently, the request this time isn''t as simple as before," Gellis darted his gaze toward his party members as he said. "There is a high possibility that there''s a Goblin King who was leading the place." Hearing his thought, the Clerk was momentarily startled as he said. "Then are you sure you guys are enough to complete the goblin subjugation?" Nigelle asked while observing Gellis'' other party members. "Hahaha! If we can''t do it then, nobody can! Though in raw strength my party isn''t the best when it comes in the brawl. However, I can proudly brag that our tactics in slaying the Goblins are the best of the best in this town!" Gellis loudly proclaimed the superiority of their party. What he said is the truth. His party was considered the most outstanding Goblin Slayer among the veteran adventurers. They even got the title of a Goblin Nimrod from the town mayor. Throughout the metropolis of the Elmore. Nobody doesn''t know the name of the Nimrod union. Their fame even reached the rural villages. "You don''t have to worry about us, Mr. Nigelle, we''ve been doing this since the day we formed this party." The person who was wearing the thief''s clothing said. His appearance was average fitted for his job as a thief along with his tanned skin, carmine hair, and dark red eyes. He is Toa, the thief of the Nimrod union. "Toa is right, we''ve been doing this for years. There''s no need to worry." This time the one who supported his claim was one of the women of this party. She is Theeste. She is a blue-colored mage. Her element is water, just like how her badge as a blue-colored mage represented. She is the muse of their party. With her elegant milky white skin, crystal clear eyes, and her azure long hair that touched upon her curve waist. It was no wonder they called her the muse of Nimrod union. "Hey, Hilde, is this enough?" The person said while showing a container filled with medical verbs. He is Poko the tank of their party, with his massively built body, along with his fully iron-plated armor. He was more like a knight rather than an adventurer. He is a crusader with his towering shield behind his back, and with his sharp claymore on his waist. Poko has always been mistaken as a Knight every time they went to rural villages. Hearing his call, she responded with her fist. "You piece of tin-can! Of course, it is already enough." Throwing a light blow on his stomach, Poko groaned in pain. Even though he is wearing fully plated armor; for Hilde, it was an easy job for her to pierce through his defense; because her class was a fighter one. Her appearance. Was fierce and fitted for her hot-headed personality. With her healthy tanned skin that enhanced her tomboyish figure more, along with her bob cut amber hair, and her sharp like a razor blade yellowish eyes. With her personality, she is the most aggressive person in their group. Moving her eyesight. Then Hilde called out to the gloomy person who was hiding behind the corner of the store. "Oi~ Sinon, as the herbalist, it''s your job to check this herb. Do not let this stupid tin-can to do your work, or else you are the one who would be in trouble when crafting the potions." She reminded him. However, Sinon did not budge to the corner. "Tsk! Why the *????????????????* this party filled with weirdos?" Hilde voiced her annoyance. "Hey, useless leader. Can you tell that shadow person to do his job? Or else we may not have enough potion when we started our subjugation request." Staring at Hilde, who was about to explode in fury, Gellis immediately mended the dispute from the two. If he did not, they may start a fight inside this luxurious store. Then his party would be overwhelmed with debt if that happened. Thinking this far. Gellis said hurriedly. "Now, now stop making a ruckus, you guys are disturbing the other customers here." He said while shifting his gaze to Sinon. "Hey, Sinon, can you do me a favor, and please check the herbs out? We may delay our journey if we do not speed up our pace." When he heard Gellis'' voice, only then Sinon walked toward Poko''s direction, who was having a hard time selecting the most decent herbs. It was already noon after their group finished their preparation. Please go to to read the latest chapters for free 43 Hobgoblin After Gellis and his group finished their preparation, they didn''t linger to the store any longer. As they advanced their way to the eastern gate of the town. However, before they pass the crossing point. A voice of a man could be heard at the corner of the passageway. "Gellis, It''s been a while." The man said, staring at the startled Gellis about hearing his voice. "Ooh! It''s been a while, Instructor Ralph! How have you been?" Upon seeing a familiar figure, Gellis pleasantly greeted his acquaintance. "Mm, I''m fine. Well, forget about me. I heard that you took the Goblin Subjugation request?" Ralph didn''t play with his words as he directly asked what he wanted to know. "Yup! Hahaha, who could''ve thought that after coming back to the town there would be another Goblin Subjugation request?" Staring at Ralph, Gilles said as he added. "Of course we accepted it. We are now on our way to go to the plainlan forest." "Is that so? Mm, I''m glad to hear that." When he finished his word Ralph abruptly bowed his head at the shoulder level. "The truth is; I came here this morning waiting for you guys to arrive." Seeing Instructor Ralph bowing his head in the public place, Gellis swiftly grabbed both of his shoulders attempting him to stand up. "What is wrong, Instructor Ralph? Please raise your head." With the curious glance around them, Gellis couldn''t bear to see the Instructor he admired when he was still a trainee Adventurer to be humiliated like this. But to his surprise, Ralph kept bowing his head. "Please let me finish first." Seeing that Gellis would bend his body if he didn''t raise his head. Ralph stands up straight. "The truth is, I want to ask you guys a request." Saying that, Ralph glanced at the group of six people with his eyes flashed with hope. "The thing is, two of my trainees are inside the plainlan forest. Their state is unknown." After he said that, Ralph summoned a medium size brown satchel from his spatial ring. "Please take this with you, it may help guys on your journey inside the forest." Seeing the expensive brown satchel in front of him, Gellis didn''t immediately refuse his request as he said. "So, what does Instructor Ralph wanted me to do?" "I wanted for you guys to search for those two, even if you found them..." Instructor Ralph''s voice became croaked as he tried to continue his sentences. "Even if you¡ªfound them dead, as long as their body is intact that would do." After Gellis heard his request. He couldn''t help to wrinkle his eyebrows in trouble. "Instructor Ralph, you should know how dangerous our current request would be, right?" Gellis paused for a bit before adding. "If they''re still alive, that would be the best. However, if they''re dead, I highly doubt there would be any corpse for them to be buried." Gellis said with a troubled expression; with his rich experience handling a Goblin, he knew that they wouldn''t leave the corpse intact once they killed the person unless it was a woman to be handled for nurturing their number. The rest became their rations. Listening to his explanation, Ralph furrowed his nose in discomfort. "I know it is a ridiculous request; however, as their trainer, this is all I can do. So please." After saying that, Instructor Ralph was about to bow his head once more, but this time a woman''s voice interjected. "You don''t have to worry, Instructor. We''ll handle it. Who knows your precious trainee is still there alive and kicking." The one who spoke just now is Theeste. "Right leader?" Theeste wink at him, beaconing Gellis to agree to her suggestion. But before he could speak another voice said resounded to Gellis back. "Just accept the Instructor''s offer; leader, we can handle it." The one who voiced out his thoughts was Toa, the thief from their party. Hearing his party member voicing out their agreement to left and right. Gellis could only give a slight sigh in resignation. "Alright you guys, are you sure about this?" Saying that he stared at his group members one by one with his piercing gaze that if they flinched for a bit he would reject the offer. Nevertheless, each and every of his party members matched his gaze firmly. Seeing the resolve to their eyes, Gellis could only nod in approval. "Okay Instructor, we will accept your request." Saying that Gellis seized the highly made brown satchel as he put it into his spatial tool. "Okay, with this another commission is added to our journey," Gellis said. "Don''t worry Instructor, your trainees may alive inside the forest somewhere just like Theeste stated." Once they''re done with their procedures, the group of six went toward the plainlan forest. ¡ã ¡ã ¡ã When they reached the plainlan forest, the sun was already pointing at the west side of the sky. However, little did Gellis and his group knew, that the two-person that they''re about to rescue whilst subjugating the Goblins were already gone back to the metropolis of Elmore. Seeing the sun was about to go hide underneath the darkness, Gellis said, "Toa go find a suitable spot to set up our camp." "Alright." After he said that, his body blended inside the terrain of the forest as if he was a part of it. A few moments later, a flare of light suddenly shot up above the sky. "Mm, that''s quick... No, that''s a warning flare." Staring into the glaring red hue sphere above the sky, Gellis suddenly dashed inside the forest. While his other member was momentarily shocked upon the immediate signal, that Toa delivered. The rest of the group started to follow suit behind Gellis back. When he arrived at the place, what Gellis saw was a pack of low-level goblins. Seeing that Toa can manage the pack of Goblins; naturally, Gellis won''t help Toa so that he can improve his battle sense. Then a sudden screech resounded to the place. "What is that thing?" Gellis said in bewilderment. Whereas he observed the new upcoming Goblin with a razor-sharp eye in amusement. "It''s been a while since I have fought an intellectual Goblin," Gellis said when he saw a flashed of intelligence radiating from its eyes. After saying that, Gellis summoned his long saber from his spatial tool, as he went forward to confront the new goblins, who appeared out of nowhere. "Come!" With that said, Gellis activated his sword aura as he advanced near to the Goblin. "Keeee!" The Goblin shouted in fright upon feeling the sharp aura around Gellis. But, surprisingly, instead of running, the Goblin went forward to parry with his attack. *????????????????????????~* Two metallic sounds clashed to each other. The Goblin used its iron mace to stop Gellis''s advancement. However, the Goblin was just getting started as it activated its skill. Noticing the weird atmosphere from the Goblin, Gellis stepped backward while examining the oddity of the Goblin. But before the Goblin can release its skill, a voice resounded to the forest. * ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????????????? * "That''s enough, Komoblin. Conserve your energy, let me handle that guy while you take that red one." "But, Hobgoblin, I can handle him!" Komoblin said while fiercely darting his murderous yellowish eyes to Gellis. "Forget about me, even the two of us, we may not defeat that guy," Hobgoblin said. "However, it is another story if the other group heard the commotion here and aid us if we are lucky enough, Commander Derogoblin may come." Hearing his companion''s words, Komoblin nodded in agreement, but when he remembered the commotion yesterday and today''s morning. His face went pale in fright. "Are you sure that Commander Derogoblin is still alive?" "Yes," Hobgoblin said. "If you think that the strongest person here was our King, then you are wrong. There is even more frightening being hiding underneath the obscurations of this forest." After he said that Hobgoblin aura changed, his whole body suddenly engulfed with a wicked and terrifying aura. Please go to to read the latest chapters for free 44 Demons Blade Seeing a new Goblin Appeared out of nowhere. Toa, who was watching the scene on the sideline, uttered his disbelief. "Wha¡ªwhat is wrong with that Goblin?" He said while darting his sight to their party leader. "I don''t know... But one thing is for sure; this Goblin subjugation is much more troublesome than it should be." Gellis solemnly said whilst activating his defensive skill. "[Sword Defense.]" Gellis murmured the keyword. Then a glittering silvery light enveloped his whole being; occasionally a sharp aura flickered around him. "Toa, don''t act rashly; there is something weird about these two Goblins." Glancing at him, Gellis added. "Be extra more careful." With that said, Gellis went forward and faced the unknown Goblin in front of him. "... Ahem, Human, I hereby proclaim that you guys won''t leave this place alive." Hobgoblin said. Then suddenly, a huge suction force was being made at his right palm. "[Demon''s Blade.]" A dark and wicked sword aura was formed; into the thin air. *????????????????????????~* A sound of vibration rang to their surroundings. As Hobgoblin slashed the air to test the strength of his summoned weapon. "Mm, not bad. I guess that person wasn''t lying after all," He said, whereas his murderous yellowish eyes flashed with killing intent. "Come, human!" Hobgoblin taunted Gellis with his jeering high pitch-voice. As he watched the scene unfold, Gellis was left in bewilderment when he heard the Goblin started to talk, It wasn''t his first time seeing a Goblin spoke. However, it was his first time seeing a low-grade Goblin speak the native language of this world. "... You, what are you?" Gellis exclaimed his surprise; however, upon seeing the Goblin didn''t mind his question as it advanced. Gellis braced himself for the upcoming danger. "Tsk! So what if you can speak? A Goblin will always be a Goblin!" Gellis shouted, at the same time reminding himself that there''s nothing new even if this Goblin in front of him spoke. "[Aura Slash!]" Scintillating silvery light shrouded his long-saber. Then a tremendous momentum concentrated at the edge of his weapon, releasing a massive silver slash. *?????????????????????.* The wind shriek as his sword slashed, severed its way to the Goblin. Seeing the impending danger, Hobgoblin smirked at this and waited for the Gellis skill to come closer. "Hehehe, allow me to show you, humans, how feeble you are." The Goblin said as he swung his Demon''s Blade horizontally. *????????????????????!* The sword aura shattered into oblivion as its lingering force was blown into the enclosing forest. "... What? Ho¡ªhow?" Gellis uttered in disbelieved. However, upon noticing his opponent''s reaction. Hobgoblin didn''t let go of the chance to deliver a heavy blow. Toa who was watching the scene in silence; noticing that the strange Goblin was about to assault their leader who was caught off-guard, he shouted in alarm. "Gellis! Snap it out!" He said. Still, it was a tad bit too late for his warning. As the Goblin advanced with the Demon''s Blade in hand, he swung the blade with an immense momentum that disrupted the atmosphere. As the wind shriek in a horrid tone. An enormous three meters length wicked aura slashed Gellis. "Gaa-aah!" Gellis shouted in pain. Thanks to his sword defense, his wounds weren''t that deep. However, it was still a decisive injury with his body cut from his left shoulder until his waist. Gellis'' eyes flashed in rage. But before he could stabilize his footing, a sudden internal force drilled upon his body. "AAAH!" Gellis screeched in agony whilst his body fell on one knee. "Gellis!" Tao shouted in irritation. "Damnit! Where did the others go?" Saying that Toa turned around and looked to the approaching group of people. "Hey, Hurry up! We are in deep trouble!" Hearing his voice, the tanker of their group dashed forward. "What happened?" Poko asked Toa. Nevertheless, when he saw their party leader was dropped on one knee. He didn''t wait for Toa''s response as he advanced forward with bloodshot eyes. "Damnable Goblin! [Taunt!]" Poko roared in fury while activating his skill. But he wasn''t done yet. "[Iron Body!]" With the combination of his taunt skill. That attracted the nearby enemies, and his defensive skill the Iron Body. Poko utilized his years of experience being their tank even if his mind went blurry in madness; his instinct was still there. "Tsk!" Hobgoblin clicked his tongue out of frustration, though he seems to be domineering, as of the moment. But when his borrowed power that came from the demon lapsed, he won''t have anything to defend himself to the unsought of Gellis group. Therefore, he wanted to finish at least one of their members before retreating. Despite everything, it did not fall to the future that he envisioned. Komoblin. Who was watching the fight leisurely when he saw Hobgoblin''s prowess. However, upon the arrival of a new adventurer. He became agitated. "What now?" Komoblin said while he resisted the urge to charge forward to Poko. Still, his strength wasn''t enough to bypass the skill effect. "Gaaah! Damn humans!" Komoblin screeched his temper as he went forward; gripping the iron mace long handle; both hands, as Komoblin advanced and smashed his mace to Poko''s gleaming body. *????????????????????!* Poko blocked the upcoming assault with his towering shield. Then he activated another skill. "[Shield Bash!]" As he restrained the center of his gravity, Poko smashed his shield to Komoblin''s skull. The Goblin flew five meters away from his original position. As its dark-blue blood runs through its forehead. "Tsk! Still alive, huh, what a tough fellow." Poko clicked his tongue in disbelief. It was his first time encountering a low-grade Goblin who survived his shield bash. "Careful, there is something off to those two," Toa said as he went forward to mend their leader''s wounds. Taking out an amber liquid from his pouch, Toa sprinkled the content to Gellis'' injuries. "Stay still, what happened? How come you couldn''t withstand the pain from that Goblin''s attack?" Toa said in confusion. In his point of view. Gellis'' wounds were not deep enough for him to be in this state. "Demon... It can''t be wrong. A dreadful aura of a demon was shrouded from that Goblin''s blade." Gellis stuttered in pain. "There is no way I would forget the devilish aura of a demon." While saying that his eyes flashed with thick killing intent. "Are you sure?" Toa asked solemnly if their leader couldn''t think straight. It was his job as their vice-leader to act rationally. He can''t miss this urgent information that could change the flow of their quest. "Yes, I am sure!" While saying that Gellis forced himself to stand up. "Hehehe! This is getting more interesting! A demon! There is a demon inside this forest!" He proclaimed his insanity. It was a taboo word from this party, they would never bring the word ''Demon'' in front of their leader. Because of his past that still haunted him until this present time. Gellis has always been training like a mad dog just for the sake of a one day; he wanted to slay a demon and to crush the shackles of the past. Staring at Gellis, who became mad, Toa grabbed a small piece of silk fabric and threw the content to Gellis'' face. Then a soothing feeling engulfed Gellis'' soul, calming the turbulent ripples inside his head. "Huu~ thank you; Toa, if you didn''t use the lull powder just now, I might charge like a crazed beast," Gellis stated his thanks as he sucked a mouthful of air to stabilize his chaotic breathing. When Gellis'' wounds sealed up, and his mind went tranquil the other members of his party ultimately caught up. Meanwhile, on the different side of the forest, an impending crisis abruptly occurred. Please go to to read the latest chapters for free 45 Spiral Dome On the other side of the forest, whereas the former stronghold of the Goblin stood was now turned into a ruin. There you can see a man with his glittering eyes flashed to the darkness. "Hmm... It should be here somewhere." Kyros said whilst his acute perception swept the encompassing area. He was searching for the diminutive aura fluctuation that occurred when the demon who suddenly appeared inside the plainlan forest. The odd thing about it was; the demon materialized without him detecting its presence. That is the reason why Kyros used his disciple peculiarity to lure out the rat out of its hiding place. Then when the target appeared, an unusual and strong demonic aura fluctuation rose deep inside the Goblin settlement. "Odd... It should be here somewhere." Kyros mumbled, he unmistakably felt the demonic fluctuation near to this place. Suddenly, he saw an unusual tome, lining up with an irregular pattern below the ground. "What is this?" Kyros said in wonder as he darted his eyesight to the pitch-black tome with a carved pattern on its surface. Seeing an ancient characteristic. Kyros exclaimed his astonishment. "What! How come there''s such a thing inside this forest?" He said whilst touching the dome to check if he wasn''t hallucinating. Confirming that he wasn''t seeing things, Kyros'' couldn''t help to frown his eyebrows in puzzlement. "Wha¡ª" Before he could even finish his words of confusion. Abruptly, the surrounding scenery shifted to another terrain. Kyros'' was now standing in a strange place filled with a demonic aura. "... Like I thought, dimensional transportation." Kyros said solemnly, even though he was sent to another area; he doesn''t lose his calm. Staring at the front, Kyros found a six meters tall High-grade ogre sculpture made of dark crystalline with two sharp horns at its forehead. When he saw the figure, Kyros'' eyes became sharp. As he stimulated his senses to its greatest potential. "This... It''s more troublesome than I anticipated." Kyros muttered. Ignoring the altar in front of him, Kyros advanced his footsteps. While advancing Kyros movement was so swift that his body almost blending to the umbra of the place. Then, Kyros'' halted his movement when he saw the two-figure of low-grade demons who was carrying a basin of fresh blood as an oblation to the demonic platform. "Lord Tarot, this humble servant of yours has come to bring the daily offering." While saying that the demon who was leading the way to the altar splashed the scarlet of life to the demonic figure. Suddenly the engraving from the sculpture shined with carmine light. Then a majestic and dignified voice echoed throughout the platform. The two low-grade demons kowtowed thrice in front of the altar before leaving. "..." Kyros who was wearing a solemn expression became severe when he heard the altar''s words. While holding his urge to go forward and destroy the demonic sculpture. Kyros'' eyes gleamed with a radiant of golden light. "[Genesis.]" Kyros activated his Innate skill, it was one of his inborn skills, the eye of genesis. This is the reason why he took the bow and arrow as his main weapon. Then a wave of light vibrated throughout the place undetected. Mapping the whole site using his skill, Kyros'' eventually found the place that he was looking for. After he thoroughly examined the place. Kyros'' found out that he was still in the nearby woods; it is just that his position was relocated deeper under the ground. Two-hundred ft below the ground, Kyros was inside of a spiral dome with a size of 300x300 meters. In a certain area, there was a group of captive peoples with different racial origins. "... Damn demons!" Kyros gashed his teeth in rage. After knowing some of the captive persons were of human origin. His heart ached to know the cruel ending of those people who were held captive. Their life essence became a supply to open a massive dimensional rift to summon a higher being from the demon realm. "... For the sake of those who died, I won''t let this pest succeed." Kyros proclaimed his determination to exterminate all the low-grade demons inside this dome. Asserting, that Kyros figure disappeared inside the darkness. ¡ã ¡ã ¡ã On the outskirts of the plainlan forest. Gellis who recovered his wounds with the of Toa was now facing Hobgoblin once more. "... Hey, leader, are you sure you wanted to fight that unusual Goblin alone?" Poko asked in trouble. "Isn''t it much better if we just teamed up and kill them all?" Saying that, Poko darted his gaze to his party members who ultimately re-grouped with them. "Haa~ Let him be, look how crazed that idiot leader of ours," The one who only has the guts to call their party leader an idiot was Hilde while tilting her head in confusion. "Hey Poko, why didn''t you finish that Goblin off?" Hilde pointed her finger at the listless body of Komoblin. "Is there any merit for us keeping that monster alive?" Seeing her in the bewilderment. Poko said. "There''s something unusual from those two Goblins, it would be better to keep them alive ''for now''," Poko emphasized his point on his words when conversing with Hilde else; their discussion would always lead to an argument. "Hmm, is that so?" She said while shifting back her gaze to the two. "Gaaah!" Hobgoblin squealed in anger after Poko and the others arrived; he already lost his will to fight. Nonetheless, he still kept struggling as if waiting for a miracle to arrive. "Hahaha! Is that all you got? You cheeky green bastard. Once is enough for me to learn my lesson." While saying that, Gellis activated his offensive skill once more. "[Aura Slash!]" A one and a half meter silvery aura blade flew toward Hobgoblin. However, Gellis wasn''t done yet. After their quick bout, he already knew that a single Aura Slash won''t be sufficient if he wanted to defeat his current foe. With that in mind, Gellis simultaneously activated his Sword Mastery Skills. *????????????????????????~* After parrying with Gellis onslaught, Hobgoblin ran out of gas. What is more, the power he was currently using was only a borrowed one? The recoil from his body is much worse than he anticipated. "Haa... Haaa... Ha..." Hobgoblin exhaled a mouthful of air for breathing. Nevertheless, Gellis wasn''t kind enough to wait for him to recover. "[Sword Bash!]" Drawing his sword upward, Gellis smashed the dull part of his smeared silvery sword to Hobgoblin''s skull. *????????????????????????* The skull of Hobgoblin burst like a shattered watermelon whilst his flesh scattered on the muddy ground; tinting it with his blue''s blood. Staring at the dead body of his opponent, Gellis wasn''t satisfied at all, as if releasing his dissatisfaction he released another aura slash to cut Hobgoblin''s body into two. Then the Demon''s Blade that he was using dissipated to nothingness¡ªwith a shriek of a demonic aura bawled in the fit of rage to the nearby woods. *????????????????????!* After losing its temporary user, the Demon''s Blade returned to its original owner. Watching the spectacle unfolded, Gellis darted his eyesight to another Goblin who already lost its will to resist. "Hey you, I know you can talk and you can understand the word I say." Gellis went toward Goblin''s direction. "..." Komoblin, who was lying on the muddy ground, lift up his head and stared at Gellis with bloodshot eyes. "Ki¡ªkill me..." Komoblin stubbornly said. However, he underestimated Gellis'' aberration. "Don''t worry, whether you wanted to tell me or not, you would eventually do so." Saying that Gellis went forward leisurely whilst humming a melodic voice. Nevertheless, for him, it was the most horrifying note. "Aaah... No¡ªno, I''m begging you, ple¡ªplease spare my life!" Komoblin quavered when he saw Gellis was about to reach him. After unlocking his intellectual aptitude. His fear of death was much stronger than before. "Hehehe... Don''t worry, it would be over in no time." With that said, Gellis started his inhuman torture. "AAAHH!" Then, the scream of Komoblin''s agony reverberated throughout the encompassing forest. 46 Orrick After thirty minutes of torture, Komgoblin eventually gave in as he let the cat out of the bag. When Gellis was done extracting information, he silently finished off Komgoblin who was staring blankly at the vacant area. *?????????????????* Just like that Komgoblin died without resisting when he saw the long-saber of Gellis was about to cut his neck, instead of grief. A flash of delight gleamed to his yellowish eyes. Then his head rolled down to the ground whilst his lifeless body fell as its blue''s blood staining the soil from the ground. "..." Seeing the last expression of the Goblin. Gellis felt bad after taste from his mouth; because it was his first time witnessing such emotion from the monster. "So, what should we do now?" The one who said it was the blue-colored mage from their party. It was Theeste. Hearing her voice, Gellis responded. "What else should we do? Of course, we need to check the place to know if this Goblin is saying the truth." Moving his gaze to his party member one by one. Only then did Gellis nod in satisfaction when nobody voiced out their complaint. "It''s settled then." Saying that, Gellis led the way to the ruined Goblin settlement. ¡ã ¡ã ¡ã Inside the Spiral Dome. Kyros, who managed to locate the prisoners, halted his movement when he saw the two patrols inside the hallway to his designated target. With his mana manipulation, Kyros silently created two glittering purplish lighting arrows and aimed it to the two low-grade demons. He knew the basic arrow shaft won''t be enough to pierce through the hide of these two demons; that was why Kyros decided to use his art to eliminate the two with an agile and noiseless move. *???????????? * ????????????* Kyros easily killed the two patrols. Only clearing the obstacle, he started to move forward. Within several breaths of time. Kyros eventually arrived at the five-meter high, metal ornamental gate. Slowly, Kyros scanned the surrounding area, knowing that there wasn''t any guard to the nearby place; he pushed that door with a creaking sound. Entering inside the prisoner''s chamber, Kyros'' saw several races that were put inside the iron cage whilst both the prisoner''s hands and legs were tied by an iron chain. However, when he was about to dash forward to rescue them. He suddenly felt something was off. Staring at the soulless eyes of each prisoner. Kyros noticed that there was something off to the essence of life from their bodies. "[Eye of Genesis.]" Kyros murmured the keyword. Then he started to examine the nearby prisoner. As his, both eyes flashed with a purplish golden hue. Kyros scanned the body of the nearby beast-kin race. Kyros frowned upon seeing the abnormal flow of the beast-kin life essence. Then he tried to dig deeper as he scanned every nook and cranny of the man''s vein. Suddenly, Kyros felt an unusual imprint at the man''s abdomen. Staring in disbelief. Kyros did the same thing to the other prisoners. To his surprise, every prisoner has the same predicament. "... Those lowly demons! To go in such a length, even drawing oneself life essence as an energy to maintain their camouflage array..." Kyros'' body trembled in fury. "Huu~" After stabilizing his mind. Kyros went forward and ripped the gate of the nearby cage with his brute strength. *????????????????????????!* With a crispy sound of a metallic object being forcefully ripped apart. The man darted his colorless eyes to Kyros. However, the man''s expression didn''t change, as if he already gave in from despair. Noticing the man was staring at him, Kyros didn''t mind his behavior as he shredded the iron chain that''s binding the man''s figure. After that, Kyros did the same thing to the other captives. A while later, when he thoroughly freed all the captives. Kyros gathered them in the center of the chamber. Staring at the thirty plus captives who were wearing a hopeless expression, Kyros said. "Please bear with the discomfort, I will now begin to remove the demonic markings from all of you." With that said, Kyros released his irresistible Mana pool, with a runic formation suddenly carved into the floor out of nowhere. While it glittered with a warm and soothing feeling. Still, it was only for the beginning, as intense pain ran through all over their bodies. Eventually, someone could no longer tolerate the pain, as the person wailed in distress. "Aa... Aaah!" Soon enough, one after another, a scream of agony resounded inside the chamber. ¡ã ¡ã ¡ã In the middle of the spiral dome. There was a man who was sitting on the polished dark crystalline throne. The hall was made of black marble and wide enough to fit the three standard sizes of a human residence. Suddenly, a pitched-black object flew at the man''s direction. Seeing the upcoming object. The person on the throne moved its right hand in a grabbing motion, as the black-object landed to its palm. "Mm, what a useless Goblin. The reason why I bestow him my blade is to aid me in silencing those pests above the ground." The man said. "But who could have thought, after lending my power, he still lost." "Return." The person muttered as if following its command. The Demonic Blade turned into a fine-black powder, blending to the man''s skin. While leisurely observing the dimensional portal to be constructed, he suddenly felt a weird sensation around his guts. "... What? How could this happen?" The person was alarmed as he yelled at his nearby subordinate. "You! What is going on to the prisoners? How come I couldn''t feel my markings from them?" The man on the throne said with bloodshot eyes. "... Lo¡ªlord Orrick, this hu¡ªhumble servant of yours doesn''t know..." The low-grade demon quavered in fright. "Then! What are you waiting for! Go and check the prisoner''s chamber!" But, after saying those words, Orrick thought for a moment before adding. "No... Lead the way, I want to see what happened with my own eyes." "Ye¡ªyes! Lord Orrick!" The low-grade demon replied nervously as the demon led the way to the Prisoner''s Chamber. ¡ã ¡ã ¡ã After removing the markings for the thirty-plus captives. Kyros'' exhaled slightly. Even for him, removing the demonic mark while protecting the body of his target was a taxing task. "Huuu~ I guess they would be fine now." After he said that Kyros darted his gaze at the entrance of the room. "[Eye of Genesis.]" Kyros activated his innate skill. "Just like I thought, the demon would come after I erased his marking." He muttered while examining the upcoming demon in the far off distance. The demon was no other than Orrick, who is a high-grade demon. "A high-ogre, huh?" Kyros queried in confusion. "No... He is a deficient high-ogre. As his horn didn''t fully bloom." "Well, even if he is a full high-ogre it wouldn''t change the result." He said. "If you want to stop this old man, you have to send at least a Great Demon General." While saying that. For the first time, Kyros summoned his long-bow. The unusual thing about this long-bow wasn''t because of its appearance. But rather the purplish runic symbol that imbued to the bow. Not waiting for his opponent to come. Kyros took advantage of the fact that his enemy was in a state of confusion to release a decisive blow. Using his mana manipulation Kyros created a three purple lighting bolt as an arrow. However, upon placing the three lighting bolts to his bow. A sudden phenomenon occurred. The three glittering lighting bolts merge as one along with a golden spiral runic symbol circulated around it. Once Kyros thought that he already managed to gather enough firepower. He activated one of his advanced skills. "[Arrow Bolt.]" After saying the keyword. The arrow that was gathering a momentum suddenly gleamed with glaring ornate light. 47 Sphere of Carapace Orrick who was on his way to the prisoner''s chamber suddenly felt an overwhelming mana flow toward its direction. "Tsk! Like I thought there is a pest inside." Saying that he materialized his demonic aura enveloping his whole body with an ancient emblem around it. "[Demonic Form!]" Orrick shouted his defensive skill. But he wasn''t done yet. "[Wall of Darkness!]" A three meters thick wall of darkness suddenly appeared 3ft away from him. Then an enormous turbulent surge of mana flow abruptly darted toward his position. *????????????????????????!* The wind howled in rage upon Kyros released his arrow bolt. Then the arrow beamed into a swirling motion as a spark of lightning flickered irregularly. With the raw strength of his blow. Kyros melted the Iron gate in front of him as his bolt penetrated its way to its target. Seeing the threatening crisis, Orrick started to panic. He summoned his Demonic Blade just in case his thickened wall of darkness failed to stop the threat. "Come forth [Demon''s Blade!]" With that said, a glittering silvery and black hue formed into a vicious and sinister blade. As he waited. Kyros'' attack ultimately reached his first line of defense. However, when he heard the creaking sounds of his wall of darkness. Orrick''s expression became grave as he inserted more darkness attributes into his defense. But it was only his futile effort as the swirling purple arrow penetrated to the three meters thick wall like nothing. "Gaa-aah!" Orrick screamed in pain from the backlash when he tried to resist the destructive torrent of Kyros'' assault. With his bloodshot eyes, Orrick waved his demonic blade up front, bracing himself to the upcoming catastrophe. "Come!" Taking his stance, Orrick urged his darkness attribute to its limit. "[Corruption Slash!]" A huge suction force suddenly concentrated at the tip of Orrick''s blade. With his thick darkness attributes being swallowed to the center at an absurd rate. After gathering enough momentum, Orrick parried Kyros'' life-threatening blow. *????????????????????????????~* As their two skill slashed, an intense vibration rang throughout the spiral dome. Alarming all the low-grade demons inside. "Haaaa!" Orrick yelled as he tried to gather more darkness, attributes that were beyond his capacity. Then both of his arms started to cry in pain, whereas his ancient emblem started to flicker with intense crimson light. "Oooh!" With his last struggle, Orrick managed to parry the blow while betting all of his strength on the process. "Haa... Haaa... Ha..." Orrick breathed in an anguishing pain. After surviving the blow, he doesn''t have enough strength to go for another bout. "However, Invincible A-ranker, don''t think that you can leave this place unscratched while protecting those captives behind your back." Shifting his glance to the 30 plus sacrifices. Orrick smiled wickedly. When Kyros heard the ogre''s voice. His eyes turned sharp; swiftly he manipulated another arrow to give his finishing blow. Still, he was a tad bit slow as Orrick activated the last line of defense of this place. It was the self-destruct sequence. When they face an unimaginably strong opponent, it was their protocol to blow the place into bits. "Hehehe... DIE!" With his eyes flashed in madness, Orrick activated the destructive array. "Tsk!" Kyros clicked his tongue out of frustration. Instead of finishing off the ogre, he conserved his strength so that he could save more people in the process when the place started to explode. Staring at the thirty-plus people behind his back. Kyros summoned a round object with a size of a small fist of a child. Then Kyros muttered a keyword. "... Show your real self [Sphere of Carapace!]" Suddenly the round object shimmered with a glittering greenish pallid light. Slowly, a tourmaline turtle''s shell formed circularly as it covered the thirty plus person who was gazing at the spectacle in a blank expression. "Haaa~" Seeing most of them was like a broken doll who lost its string, Kyros felt a tinge of regret for it. Still, with his rich experience in life. He already saw a much more detrimental event than this. Stepping inside the turtle shell, Kyros waited for the forthcoming disaster as he continued channeling his abundant mana to the sphere. ¡ã ¡ã ¡ã Back to the surface. Gellis and his party members eventually reached their designated target place. "... What happened here?" Toa who was at the front couldn''t help to exclaim his astonishment when he saw the ruined landscape in front of him. "... Just what kind of fight has occurred here?" When the other members caught up with him. Poko voiced out in wonder. However, their party leader expression turned grave upon seeing the scene in front of him; with his rich experience for dealing with the Goblins from the ruined structures. It was enough for him to roughly guess the real number of Goblins that used to stand on this ground. "... This... Stop daydreaming, we don''t know what kind of monster destroyed such a large scale settlement." Gellis reprimands the two who was absentmindedly staring at the ruins. While the rest of his group returned to reality after hearing his voice. Then a sudden heavy atmosphere shrouded their group. "... So what should we do now?" The one who said it was Hilde while she stared at the ruined settlement in caution. "Well, we''ve come this far... It would be a waste if we go back empty-handed. I know it is dangerous, but as a veteran adventurer, we should do our fair share of labor." Gellis said solemnly. Staring at his group. Then he saw the quiet Sinon raise his right hand. "What is it, Sinon?" "Leader, I guess it''s time to use ''that'' powder." Sinon reminded him. Then suddenly Gellis remembered the brown satchel that Instructor Ralph gave at him before their journey. "You mean scent removal powder?" Saying that Gellis touched the translucent blue quartz on his bracelet; as he summoned the satchel inside. Staring at the medium size brown satchel, Sinon nodded in agreement. "Mm, I never knew Instructor Ralph would save us this time." Then suddenly, as if a bolt of lightning struck his body. Gellis'' face turned sour. Seeing his reaction, as if in sudden enlightenment, his party members wore a heavy expression. "... It''s not too late to search for them, right? They may just be hiding somewhere here in this place." Hilde voiced her thoughts. However, the face of her party members was saying otherwise. "What''s wrong with you guys! Come on! We need to have a bright outlook at the time like this." Hilde reminded her team members not to be discouraged as they don''t know the real outcome yet. "... Hilde is right, we haven''t verified it yet, so there is still hope." Theeste who has been quiet from the very beginning supported Hilde''s opinion. "Yes, we haven''t checked the place out yet. It won''t be too late to judge whether they are alive or not." Toa added. "So what should we do next, leader?" Saying that he darted his gaze at Gellis, who wore a complicated expression. "We¡ª" He was about to voice out his opinion when he heard a huge explosion beneath the ground. The group was startled when the earth trembled for a couple of breaths. "Just what is going on inside this forest?" Gellis murmured. Staring at the satchel, his eyes flashed with resolution. "We go forward!" Saying that Gellis ripped the medium size satchel as he spattered it all together with his party members. After saying that, Gellis and his group went inside the ruins. 48 Lori Back to the Spiral Dome. Before the explosion; Kyros and the thirty plus people inside the Sphere of Carapace previously safeguard themselves inside this defensive sphere. While waiting inside, suddenly a voice rang behind his back. "... Umm, Mister? Can you please tell me why are you doing this?" The person who spoke was no other than the silver wolf-kin freed from the cage. Because of the turnout event, those captives were mentally unstable, for that reason when they already accepted their fate as a sacrifice they already lost their hope to survive in such a place. Nor can even trust a person who claimed to set them free after this event. Staring at the wolf-kin, Kyros inwardly praised inside the wolf-kin who first recovered a fragment of his sanity. "I have come to rescue you guys." He said while looking at them with a warm gaze. "You don''t have to worry, if I honestly wanted to harm you guys, I wouldn''t go into such a length using an expensive one time use magical array just to save all of you." Listening to his words, the silver wolf-kin replied in caution. "... You wouldn''t go back to your words, won''t you?" He said while trying to recollect inside his chaotic the events after he was chained inside this gloomy chamber. "... I don''t know why you''re doing this, but I guess we have no other choice but to put our trust in you." Saying that, the wolf-kin grabbed the hands of the two children who were trembling on his side. "Gill, you have to stay strong to defend your younger sister; Meg, as his big brother, isn''t your job to protect your sister?" The silver wolf said to the two young beast-kin who have the same origin as him. Hearing the middle-aged man''s voice, Gill nodded as he said. "Mm, I understood uncle Lori." Staring at her trembling sister, Gill held her tightly to his embrace. After comforting his kin, Lori faced Kyros once more. "... Mister, can I know your name? If my action a while ago may seem to be rude, please accept my humble apology." Lori said whilst lowering his head beneath the shoulder level. Kyros who was observing the scene unfolded nodded upon seeing that Lori gradually recover his rationality. "Mm, don''t worry about it. You can call me Kyros." Hearing his words, Lori who bowed his head, raised it to see the facial feature of their savior, up close. Then he saw an old fellow who had silvery-white long hair that reached upon his shoulder with his purple eyes, that illuminated inside this gloomy chamber. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Kyros, I am called Lori, a silver wolf-kin." Saying that, Lori extended his left hand in a form of greetings. "Mm, Lori, what a nice name." Kyros moved his right hand in a grabbing motion and shook Lori''s extended left hand. Then someone voiced out in surprise. "... Kyros, purple eyes, silvery-white hair that Kyros?" The person who shouted was a person from the human race. However, before Kyros could respond. He suddenly felt an enormous energy that was approaching them with an unimaginable momentum. Seeing his stern expression, the man who shouted in excitement abruptly halted his voice. Then a moment later. Kyros said gravely. "If you want to live! Don''t leave the defensive formation!" Saying that, Kyros gripped the spherical magical array tightly while supplying it with his mana. *????????????????????!* A surge of a turbulent wave of energy erupted with a pillar of wicked aura, abruptly flooding the encompassing spiral dome as the vicious aura drilled its way to the surface. ¡ã ¡ã ¡ã Above the ground. Gellis and his party member who decisively went inside the ruins. With the aid of the scent removal powder. He and his party members eventually reached their designated destination that they got from Komogoblin. "It should be here, right?" Toa said in bewilderment while he scanned their surroundings. "... Yes, if that Goblin word was true, we should have reached the right spot." Saying that, Gellis crossed his arm as he thought the last description of the Goblin said. "There should be a black tome with a weird characteristic around here somewhere." "You guys scattered around and searched for that black tom¡ª" But before he could finish his word. An enormous dark and vicious pillar erupted from the ground as it shrouded heaven with black and silvery light. Gellis and his party who were staring at the pillar of darkness couldn''t hide the shock from their face. "Wa¡ªwhat is that thing?" Poko who subconsciously drew his shield in a defensive motion uttered in disbelief. While Theeste, who is a colored magician, couldn''t withstand the burden of this massive darkness attribute, cast a spell. "I call upon the element of water... Here and now I evoke the spiritual water to summon the barrier of the sea... [Aqua Wall!]" After she finished her chant, a three-meter towering aqua wall suddenly appeared 4 ft away from Theeste. After enveloping herself to the wall of water, only then Theeste sigh in relief. "... Such a thick demonic aura." She said in astonishment. "... Hey stupid leader, I think we will die here." The frank words of Hilde awakened the others. "..." Gellis didn''t respond to her question, he too regretted the decision he made a while ago. He knew with this destructive power, they are only ants to the eyes of their foe. A few breaths later, the towering pillar of darkness eventually dissipated. Slowly, a fifty meters wide hole appeared on the ground. Gellis gulped his dry saliva after noticing that if they advanced a few more meters. They would die from that pillar of darkness. However, the surprise from the ground wasn''t done yet, as a luminous greenish light flew in a breakneck speed up above the sky as it gradually descended from the ground. Seeing there was a group of people below the ground, Kyros furrowed his brows in a brief moment before returning his tranquil expression. "Hoo~ I guess Rosie didn''t make it in time, there''s already a search party inside this forest." Kyros murmured after seeing the person below the ground was an adventurer he knew well. "It''s the Nimrod party." Kyros thought for a while before he added. "Well, them being here helped me to get rid of this upcoming mess." Eventually, the Sphere of Carapace landed to the ground. "Yo, Gellis, it''s been a while," Kyros said as he stared at the Gellis who couldn''t hide his shock. "... Si¡ªsir Kyros?" Gellis uttered in disbelief as if asking for confirmation. He looked around to his party members. However, all of them were wearing the same astounded expression as him. The one who promptly recovered from the shock was Theeste. "Yes, it''s been a while, Sir Kyros." Shifting his gaze to the woman who was wearing a blue mantle. Kyros nodded. "Mm, it''s been a while Theeste. How''s your magic progress nowadays?" He said with a faint smile. "My magic improved a lot since the last time we met Sir Kyros." Gently smiling at him, Theeste added. "How about you, Sir Kyros, why are you here?" As she said that. Theeste darted her gaze to the 30 plus people inside the greenish tortoise scale. Noticing her gaze, Kyros responded. "I came here to observe my disciple''s growth, but to think that there was a demon''s nest underneath this ground. Of course, I need to clean up this place." Hearing his words. Suddenly Gellis remembered Instructor Ralph''s request. "Sir Kyros, can you please tell me if you encountered a young male and female trainee adventurer here?" Gellis asked with his eyes flashed with hope. "Hmm, if you''re talking about the two newbie adventurers who were left behind by their companion. Yep, I encountered them." Kyros said with an amused tone. With his question proven Kyros'' theory that Rosaleen didn''t make it in it. "Then... Where are they? Are both of them safe?" Gellis said as he shifted his gaze toward the crowd. However, when he saw multiple races behind Kyros'' back, Gellis only became more confused. "Mm, they''re safe. You don''t have to worry about them." Saying that, Kyros dispersed the defensive magic array. "Gellis, can I ask you a small favor?" Kyros shifted his gaze behind his back as he added. "Can you take care of these peoples and bring them back to the Guild?" When Gellis heard his voice. He thought for a moment before he nodded in agreement. "If it is Sir Kyros'' request. It would be my honor." After he said that Gellis shifted his gaze to his team member, seeing that nobody voiced out their rejection, only then he nodded in ease. After giving Gellis a task, Kyros'' figure abruptly disappeared into the thin air. "... Haha, you never changed Sir Kyros." Gellis muttered. After that, he led the 30 plus people to the town of Elmore. 49 Crescent Moon Bow The trail of midnight dissipated beneath the cloud, yet beyond its dawn. A man who has silky silvery-white hair was floating at the horizon as the sun bathed his dignified figure. "... Rosie, I need to attend an urgent matter. It''s concrete that the demons started their move." The man said to the woman with blazing scarlet hair that was shining brightly as the orange and red hue glittered around her. Right at this moment, the two were hovering above the ground. "Mm, I understand... But to think they would make their move much earlier than it used to..." Rosaleen responded in deep thought while staring at Kyros who wore a complicated expression. "What do you think? Do you expect another war may prevail at present?" She asked Kyros who has more experience in war than her. Moving his right hand on his chin, Kyros gaze thoughtfully before answering. "For the time of being, the sparks of war may not be triggered with multiple occurrences of low-grade and mid-grade demons appearing to the land." Moving his gaze to the far of eastern continent, Kryos said. "However, a group of idiots may take some severe countermeasure before that. Haaa~ just thinking about how to monitor their moves while observing the trail of the demons, is giving me a headache." Shaking his head, Kyros sighed in dissatisfaction. "... You mean, those people?" Hearing his voice, Rosaleen furrowed her delicate eyebrows. "Yes, it''s them. What is more, the council of elders prevented me from making my move... Haaa~ I don''t know what type of wealth those guys gave to bribe those ancient fools!" After he said that, Kyros'' eyes flashed in fury. "They call themselves as an elder who watches the stillness of this land; yet, when it comes from bribing, they can''t even resist!" Kyros balled his fist to the point his bones crackle in distress. Seeing Kyros was about to explode in anger, Rosaleen soothed him with her gracious voice. "You don''t have to trouble yourself with them, when the time comes, we''ll walk our way to the council and behead those fools." As her eyes flashed with murderous intent, Rosaleen declared. When he was reminded by Rosaleen''s voice, Kyros eased up his mind for a bit, as he remembered the other reason why he came to meet her. "... Oh right, I almost forgot. Rosie, can you take care of my disciple while I''m gone?" Saying that Kyros summoned a lustrous long-bow with a runic characteristic around its surface. "Can you pass it to Kiro? And relay my message for him, say it to him that he doesn''t need to proactively search for me, once he reaches D-rank adventurer... I would appear right before him." Only after Kyros heard her reassuring word, his body disappeared in the scenery as if he wasn''t there in the first place. Seeing him disappeared just like that, Rosaleen shook her refined head in trouble. ¡ã ¡ã ¡ã Wooden Hatch Pub. Inside his room, Kiro was lying on the crude wooden bed, whilst staring blankly at the dirty old ceiling. He was recollecting the event that happened in the last few days. It''s already been five days since Kiro, and his group survived the tribulation inside the forest. Because they didn''t accomplish the task, they have to repeat their exam. Kiro and the others retake the final test, and they finished their course without a mishap this time around. As they successfully managed to advance their rank from the trainee to beginner''s adventurer, also known as F-rank adventurer. However, because of the turnout event inside the plainlan forest, the atmosphere between the group was awkward, especially to Alina who received the harsh rebuttal of Aldin inside the forest. Still, it did not affect their goal in mind, as they succeeded in finishing the course. But when they are about to disperse and bid farewell to each other. Aldin called him out. He could still hear Aldin''s voice as if it was just like yesterday. ''Kiro, do you have a minute?'' ''I''m sorry!'' ''I know you must be angry at me, you badmouth me or even hit me...'' ''However, please remember the decision was made by me.'' ''I know my actions cannot be forgiven, but please don''t bear hatred to others.'' The voice of Aldin repeatedly echoed inside Kiro''s head. "Haa~ He doesn''t need to blame himself, it''s not his fault. In fact, it was my fault, at that time if I didn''t overestimate myself, the best course of scenario was to regroup with them and flee from that damnable place." Kiro muttered in self-lamenting. "If the old man weren''t around, not only I wouldn''t survive, I don''t even want to think what would happen to Alina..." When he thought this far, only then he realized his mistake. "... Think about it, what if he didn''t come, or what if my Master didn''t make it in time?" As he muttered those words, Kiro''s eyes flashed in horror as if his body was damp with ice-cold water, and awakened from his delusional beliefs. If his master wasn''t around, he would be a rare experimental species of the demons. Worst of all, he could even die. What makes things even more unfortunate? He didn''t even know what kind of tragic end would befall to Alina if they weren''t saved by Rosaleen. With that thought in mind, Kiro sternly reprimanded himself not to overlook the big picture of his action. One wrong step could lead to the death of him and his companions. Then, staring at the piece of parchment he received from Rosaleen after he advanced rank. Kiro read the letter. ''Kiro, your Master has to go for a while, you don''t have to find me. Once your rank advanced to D-rank adventurer, I would appear before you.'' ''Oh, I almost forgot, be careful when you''re using that bow. I know with your current capability, you can handle the bow relatively fine. However, the downside of it was the mana consumption.'' ''With your current mana pool, if my calculation isn''t wrong. You can barely shoot five to six arrows using that bow.'' "... This bow huh, what do you think Fixie?" Kiro asked his lovable assistance fairy. "Mm, your teacher isn''t wrong Master! With your current capability handling the bow is fine, but using it for the long run is quite taxing even for you, Master." Fixie voiced out her thoughts. "You can appraise it if you like." Hearing her voice, Kiro has a sudden flash of realization that he hasn''t appraised the item yet. Summoning the Silvery pattern long-bow, Kiro activated his innate skill. "[Appraisal.]" ©l©l©l©l©l©l©l©l Weapon Name: [Silvery Crescent Moon Bow] Type: Long-bow Grade: Rare Weapon Effect: Enhanced the piercing ability of the users'' skills by tenfold. Runic Effect: Merging the multiple arrow consolidations into one. Materials: ??? ¡ºError!¡» Extra feature: ??? ¡ºError!¡» Creator: ??? ¡ºError!¡» -The user appraisal skill level wasn''t enough to pierce through the camouflage of the weapon. ©l©l©l©l©l©l©l©l Staring at the status screen, Kiro looked at the screen in bewilderment. "... What? This again? How come this appraisal skill is getting more useless?" Kiro absentmindedly uttered his dissatisfaction. "... I don''t know who created such a weapon. However, if Master appraisal skill cannot penetrate it, a rare magical tool with the same effect as the appraisal can only see through this bow''s genuine nature." Fixie voiced out her thoughts. Hearing her voice, Kiro asked in confusion. "... There is a magical tool that can be used to appraise such a weapon? How come you never explained it to me?" "Humph! It''s because Master never asked Fixie, it''s not like Fixie can read Master''s thoughts." With her childish snort, the little fairy responded. "... Anyway, what should we do now?" Kiro asked Fixie in deep thought. He only wanted to become an adventurer, to gain experience as he honed his skill. But things didn''t go smoothly, as he expected. Thinking for a brief moment, Fixie suggested. "How about this Master? Why not mend your relationship with your companions and legally form a real party with them?" Kiro pondered for a couple of breaths, before furrowing his brows in trouble. "That can work too. But, I cannot force them, if they don''t want to form a party with me after that event. I could only do, is to raise my rank as I gain experience in the process." While he said that Kiro felt his eyes become heavy as he gently closed his eyes to an early rest. 50 Beast-kin Inside his room, Kiro is already awake, due to the chain of events that occurred within the last few days. His body and mind felt sluggish. Going down to the pub, Kiro greeted the Inn''s owner with an amiable smile. "Greetings, Mr. Walt, what''s the menu for today?" Staring at the middle-aged man, who has short brown hair, a long dark brown eyelash with his experienced eyes flashed with knowledge in life. Walt wore casual long-sleeves made of linen, and a short made of brown wool. Staring at Kiro, Walt returned the greetings with a pleasant smile. "Mm, Good afternoon Mr. Kiro." Placing the wooden tray on the counter, Walt added. "Today''s meal is a roasted deer! I was lucky to encounter a bulk sale early in the morning." Saying that, Walt showed Kiro the content inside the tray. Staring at the tender meat in front of him, Kiro''s appetite rose. "Okay! Please serve me three servings of roasted deer." Drooling over the meat, Kiro looked over for the nearest empty table inside the pub. "Alright, three servings of roasted deer, coming right up!" Serving the meal to the other customer, Walt went inside the kitchen to prepare Kiro''s order. "Have you guys heard the incident inside the plainlan forest?" Suddenly Kiro heard a gossip inside the pub. "Yeah, to think another Goblin Nest was found near the border of the town, what the heck is happening?" Another person voiced out. "Rumors that there was a Goblin King inside the forest... Then when the Nimrod party came back, they brought back thirty plus people along with them!" A drunk person in the middle of the afternoon boasted of his knowledge about the event. "Hee~ What do you know! They said deep inside the forest, they discovered a demon''s activity!" Hearing the man''s voice. A sudden heavy atmosphere descends to the entire lodge. "... Don''t joke around, what do you mean by demons? With this town''s capability, one demon is enough to swash all of us to death." The drunk person who was boasting about his knowledge uttered his disbelief. "... It said the Invincible A-ranker went to the forest and wreaked havoc whilst nearly changing the entire landscape of the beginner''s forest..." Hearing the other man''s voice, the atmosphere inside the pub eased up. "Hahaha! Speaking of thirty plus survivors, they said there was a rare species among the group." "... Oh, I heard about that, It''s about the three silver-wolf tribes, right?" Hearing the man''s voice, the drunk person responded. "Yea... Poor fellows, I bet the underground world already marked their attention to them..." Listening to the gossip inside the Pub, Kiro shook his head in resignation. However, the last words of those drunkards group caught his attention. With that thought in mind, Kiro decided after his meal, he would go to the guild to check out the mentioned individuals. Then Walt who came to get Kiro''s portion saw him in deep thought. "Three servings of roasted deer!" Gently place the tray to his table, Walt said. "What''s wrong?" "Oh, it''s nothing." Pausing for a bit, Kiro added. "By the way, Mr. Walt, since when did Alina quit her job?" Kiro replied while staring at the aromatic roasted meat in front of him. "Mm, it''s been quite sometime now since Alina quitted her job, after paying her debt in the guild, she rarely appeared here." Sighing slightly, Walt added. "Didn''t you guys belong to the same party?" Picking up his voice, Kiro frowned in trouble. "Haah, we had a minor dispute inside the group, while Alina stayed at the same place as others, for me. It was quite suffocating to have a heavy atmosphere on a daily basis, so I moved out of the place and stayed here." Noticing his troubled look, Walt wasn''t a fool to not understand that he did not want to talk about the event that occurred during that time. Ignoring the sympathetic look of Inn''s owner, Kiro devoured the meat in front of him. ¡ã ¡ã ¡ã Inside the Adventurer''s Guild. On the outer right corner of the lounge where the Guild''s pub is located, a group of six individuals was cheerfully having a toast with the leading person raising his 18 oz mug, as he proclaimed. "Hahaha! We''ve never had such an easy catch like this, so you guys keep drinking... Drink! I allow no one to go out of this pub without getting drunk! Wahaha." The man said while he gulped his mug in one go. "Hehehe~ Leader, to think after reporting to the guild, not only did they reward us handsomely, the commission we thought as a failure would generously give us such a wealthy sum!" The person who responds has a crimson hair with his blazing red eyes flickered in happiness. "Yup! Toa you''re right! Who could have thought the failure expedition would lead us into a fortune?" The one who said it is a man who wore full-body plate armor. It was no other than Poko, the tank of their group. "What do you mean by no one may go out of this pub without getting drunk! You dumbass leader!" Slamming her mug on the table, Hilde fiercely rebuked Gellis. "My, my... Hilde is so energetic when getting drunk, I guess I need to stop drinking here, else, who would take care of this drunkard woman." Theeste voices out her alluring voice. That attracts not only the nearby adventurer but also the group of people who sent a commission to the guild, couldn''t help to be fascinated by her fairy-like beauty. "..." However, the herbalist on their party was already lying cold on the table, with a thick stink of alcohol around him. "Bwahaha! How weak! Oi~ Sinon, wake up." Laughing wildly, Gellis added. "Well, one last toast for our thriving return!" ""Yeah!"" The group of people shouted in unison; however, Gellis and his group were entirely oblivious to the person who was paying attention to their group with its lidless eyes. "... So how is it, Daren? Do you think our group is enough to take care of those pests?" The man said with his eyes flashed with hatred. "... When It comes to a fair group battle, we may not able to bout with them. Nevertheless, with an irregular approach, we may able to succeed, Rex." Daren responded to the man with his wicked eyes flashed in delight. "Hehehe, just like you promised, if we succeed. You''ll give me that woman." Saying that, Daren''s eyes darted toward Theeste. "Alright, alright, you may have the mage. Still, tell me why you''re so obsessed with her?" Following his gaze, Rex muttered in a tone only audible to the two. "Hehehe, you''ll know it once we accomplish our plan." Shifting his gaze to him, Daren wickedly laughed. "However, this time around, the Nimrod party did something great, to think when they returned to the town, they would even bring three silver wolf-race... If we can abduct them, we could earn a lot of fortune." After he said that, Daren''s beaming eyesight returned to his usual amber glow. ¡ã ¡ã ¡ã On his way to the Guild, Kiro encountered an acquaintance. Staring at the familiar figure of the woman who has blonde hair that reached up to her elbow, with her graceful emerald eyes that beaming with radiance, Kiro called out. "Missa?" Hearing a familiar voice, Missa who was accompanied by two children looked on her side to find the source of the sounds. "... Kiro?" "Big sister Missa, who is that man?" Suddenly one of the two children tugged her sleeve while curiously staring at Kiro. Hearing the Child''s voice, Missa responded with a gentle smile. "Mm, Gill, say hello to your Big brother Kiro." Eventually, Kiro noticed the two children behind Missa''s back. At first, he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him, as he saw the two children who have silky silver hair, but the odd thing about them is their pointed ears, similar to a wolf. "... Beast-kin?" Kiro voiced out his astonishment upon seeing a real living person who has a similar characteristic of an animal. 51 Gill Seeing Kiro''s reaction, Missa and co, stared at him in bewilderment. "... Umm, is big brother alright?" Gill, who was hiding behind Missa''s back, said while peering at Kiro''s figure. Noticing his slip words, Kiro coughs to hide embarrassment. "Ahem, yup, I''m fine. My name is Kiro; how about you guys?" Staring at the two children, Kiro gently smiled at them. "... Hello, big brother Kiro." Suddenly the girl behind Missa voiced out. "I am Meg." "Mm, what a beautiful name, nice to meet you, Meg." While curiously staring at the two. Suddenly, Fixie''s voice echoed inside his head. "Master, there seems to be unusual to those two." Fixie pondered for a moment as she added. "Especially to the male wolf, Master should use your appraisal skill to him." Listening to her voice, Kiro stared at the two in confusion. But he still did what he was told to. "[Appraisal]," Kiro murmured, as a familiar seen-through screen appeared in front of him. ©l©l©l©l©l©l©l©l Name: Gill Lv: 3 Age: 12 Race: Beast-kin Gender: Male Title: N/A * ¡ã Statistics STR: 19 ¦ôINT: 10 ¦ôDEX: 15 ¦ôCON: 10 ¦ôCHA: 10 ¦ô SEN: 20 ¦ôVIT: 71 ¦ô * ¡ã Job List Combat Job: N/A Non-combat Job: N/A ¡ã Skill List Combat Skill: N/A Non-combat Skill: N/A Innate Skill: [Shapeshifter] Lv. 1 ©l©l©l©l©l©l©l©l Glancing at Gill''s status bar, Kiro muttered an inaudible tone. "... What is a shapeshifter?" staring at the transparent menu, Kiro lightly tapped the Innate skill section. * Shapeshifter: - A racial transformation of a beast-kin. Effect: - Boosted the caster''s physical strength and endurance by ten folds. * "... What?" Kiro couldn''t help to exclaim his astonishment upon seeing Gill''s status bar. Watching his reaction, the three became even more confused from his behavior. Then Missa was the one who first recovered and voiced out. "... Hmm, is it your first time seeing a beast-kin race Kiro?" She guessed it right. It was Kiro''s first time seeing one. Glancing at him, who was in the puzzlement, Missa giggled slightly. "Pfft, I guess Kiro can have this expression too." When he heard her voice, Kiro awakened from his wonder. "... Hehehe, yup, it is my first time seeing another race, sorry if I startled you too." Saying that, Kiro gently soothed the awkward atmosphere around them. "So, how come you guys are here?" Kiro asked curiously. He knew the reason the beast-kin came to the town. However, he doesn''t know the reason why Missa is accompanying them. "Because of that, I asked their uncle if I can stroll around the town to raise their spirit." After Missa said those words, only then Kiro noticed in the nearby food stall, a middle-aged man was hiding beneath the crowd whilst wearing a long coat to cover his figure. At first, Kiro thought the person was suspicious. However, when Missa mentioned the two children''s uncle, he guessed it was their uncle. "Oh, I guess those two surely have an affectionate uncle, huh." Kiro proclaimed, deliberately making his voice slightly louder. The middle-aged man on the corner flinched for a bit, before returning his usual calm. However, his eyes flashed in wonder. "... That kid noticed my presence... Such a talented young man." Lori muttered in amazement. Seeing that the man won''t come out, Kiro could only shake his head in resignation. Noticing his odd behavior, Kiro added. "It''s nothing, did you guys eat lunch yet, if not it''s my treat. Let''s grab some light meals." "Oh, that''s right, I almost forgot we haven''t eaten anything yet." When she heard his voice, Missa said as she patted the two children''s heads. ¡ã ¡ã ¡ã Ye Olde Tavern Inside the tavern, Kiro and the others ordered a light meal, even though he already ate lunch. Kiro didn''t forget to order his meal portion too. While waiting for their meal to be served. "... So, how''re the others?" Kiro asked while staring at Missa, who closely attended the two kids. As she heard his sudden question, Missa thought for a moment before she responded. "We''re doing fine. It''s just that..." Missa paused for a bit. However, she couldn''t voice out the next words she was about to say. Kiro wasn''t stupid, not to know what she was about to say next, while patiently waiting. Kiro stared at Missa''s glittering greenish eyes. "It''s just that after you leave, the heavy atmosphere inside the training lounge becomes tougher..." Biting her lower lip, Missa continued. "Why would you suddenly leave just like that? Do you think avoiding use would resolve the problem?" Staring at Kiro, Missa said with tearful eyes. "... I know that." Seeing her tearful look, Kiro said as gently as he could. "It is just that I can''t stand the suffocating feeling each day." When she heard Kiro''s excuses, Missa fiercely gripped the hem of her clothing. Whilst trying to stabilize her chaotic emotion. "... You, do you honestly believe that you''re the only one who cannot stand the unpleasant atmosphere in our group? What about Alina?" Exhaling slightly, Missa glared at Kiro. "Even though she couldn''t stand the discomfort within the group. Yet, she still has chosen¡ªnot to leave. Why? Because she wanted to mend the crack to this party... But what about you?" Listening to her, Kiro felt ashamed. She hit him on the spot. What he was only doing was to avoid the problem. "It''s not wha¡ª" Before he could say it, Missa interjected. "It''s not what? You are evidently avoiding us!" Eventually, Missa could no longer control her anger as she slammed the table, startling the nearby customers. "Do you truly think you''re the only one who is affected by such? We all do! In fact, even I couldn''t sleep in peace at night since that day..." Holding her tears that were about to fall on her cheeks. Missa added. "... Tell me why¡ªwhy did you leave just like that?" In the end, Missa couldn''t bear it any longer, as her pearl-shaped tears rolled on her cheeks, moistening her beautiful face with sorrow. Seeing her like that, Kiro didn''t know how to console her. Suddenly a voice echoed inside his head. "I usually wouldn''t want to intrude in such a delicate situation. However, you leave Fixie no choice, Master, at the time like this, you have to apologize! It''s your mistake to begin with! Fixie was hoping in this circumstance Master would raise his experience in life." Hearing Fixie''s voice, Kiro suddenly awakened from his ineptitude. "I''m sorry Missa; it is my fault." Lowering his head. "I shouldn''t disappear just like that; I too wanted to get rid of the awkwardness at our party... It''s just that..." Pausing for a bit, Kiro tried to make things clear, but before he could; Missa, who already lost her patience, impetuously injected. "Just what!" Fiercely glaring at him, Missa yelled. Kiro was so shocked to see her burst like this. The Missa he knew was a sweet and friendly individual. Yet, the person in front of him was far from being cheerful. "... It''s just that I don''t know how to..." Moving up to this point, Kiro could only answer her truthfully. "Idiot! If you don''t know, you can always ask us! Aren''t we all friend? Or you don''t consider us one?" When she heard his dumb reasoning, Missa couldn''t help to swear at him. "Of course, I treat you guys as my friends." Staring at her moistened greenish eyes, Kiro sincerely said. "... Then, you better talk to Aldin and resolve this problem." Wiping the tears on her cheeks, Missa stated. Kiro could only helplessly nod in agreement while it was also true that he did want to mend the relationship of his current party. 52 Daren Inside this study room where a strong smell of antique texts permeated. With thick rolled-up parchment that stacked up neatly like a common grain one after another inside the exquisite crafted wooden shelf that spread around the area. In the middle, a figure of melancholy silhouette shone upon the touch of the twilight. With its cardinal glow shimmered the man''s figure, who was staring blankly at the alpine window. Suddenly a knock resounded inside the room. *???????????????????? * ????????????????????* "Come in." Shifting his gaze to the door, the man said solemnly. "Yes, my lord." Opening the luxurious wooden door, a middle-aged man who wore a formal suite similar to the 18th-century butler attire came in. "Excuse me... As per your order, my lord. Upon the arrival of the lady inside the municipality. I already instructed our man to observe her in the shadow." The middle-aged man bowed his head as a sign of greetings to the person in front of him who has silky azure hair that radiating upon the touch of the twilight. The man who was bathed by the dusk wore a linen shirt with frills underneath of its full-skirted knee-length coat and knee-breeches glittering with a silver pattern with matching silk stockings and leather shoes. Turning around, the man said. "There seems to be a rumor circulating about a demon, is that true?" darting his glance to the middle-aged man, the person inquired. "I have previously investigated the matter, my lord. It seems to be the Invincible A-ranker already cleaned the demon''s nest." Taking out a small parchment, the middle-aged man narrated what was written inside. "The report said, after the Nimrod party came back to the town, they even brought back thirty plus people along with them. Most were humans, some were beast-kin; however, the beast race that arrived in the town seems to be a troublesome one." Clearing his throat, the middle-aged man continued. "It seems to be a silver-wolf tribe, due to that reason. The underground world may take some action." Putting the piece of a letter inside his pocket, the middle-aged man bowed. "Mm, excellent work. About the beast race, as long as they are inside this town. The Guild won''t sit idle and do nothing, after all. If I guessed it correctly, the Invincible A-ranker did ask them to protect the survivors." Placing his hands behind his back, the man said. "You may go now." He said, but before the middle-aged man leaves the place, the person added. "Continue monitoring your Miss, and Is it true that Invincible A-ranker took a disciple?" Glancing at the elderly person who was about to leave, the man asked. Pausing for a bit, the middle-aged man responded. "It seems to be true, my lord. One of our servants asked the newbie proctor, and the words came to his own mouth." "Then, I shall take my leave, my lord." Taking a bow, then the middle-aged man left the place. ¡ã ¡ã ¡ã In the middle of the street, Kiro and Missa were on their way to the trainee lounge. After their discussion, Kiro decided that he would talk to Aldin once and for all to resolve the current problem. In the midst of their way to the Guild, Kiro noticed that the eyes of the crowd weren''t natural. He does not like the feeling of it. Suddenly, a warning sign pops up out of nowhere. ¡º Warning! ¡» - An unauthorized person wanted to glance at the user''s status bar. - Does the user want to let the person see his current status? ¡º Yes / No ¡» Staring at the familiar screen in front of him, Kiro said in bewilderment. "... What?" While he was in confusion. Fixie who remained in silence warned him. "Master! Be careful. There seems to be an appraisal user around here..." Scanning the surrounding, Fixie added. "7 o''clock behind your back Master, there seems to be an unusual person at the right corner of that food stall." Kiro awakened from Fixie''s call. Tapping the no button, he replied. "An appraisal user?" Slowly turning his sight behind his back, Kiro saw a person who was hidden beneath a dark cloak, amidst both of its eyes gleaming with bright light. Glancing at the culprit, Kiro asked. "... That person?" "Yes Master, but don''t do anything for now. Master incognito should be working, and that person cannot see through Master''s true status." Fixie explained. Then she contemplated for a while. Eventually, she voiced out her thoughts. "Master should use this opportunity, as the person wouldn''t notice Master''s innate skill even if that person has a defensive artifact." When Kiro heard her thoughts, he pondered for a couple of breaths, as he murmured the keyword. "[Appraisal]." In the status section. ©l©l©l©l©l©l©l©l Name: Daren Lv: 55 Age: 30 Race: Human Gender: Male State: Healthy Title: C-rank Adventurer ©l©l©l©l©l©l©l©l Staring at the guy''s information, Kiro couldn''t help to be confused. "So, why would this guy check me out?" Kiro murmured inaudible tone. Hearing her Master''s question, Fixie responded. "If Fixie guessed it right, that guy''s real target isn''t Master, rather the two children. Especially the male beast race." When he heard her explanation, Kiro suddenly remembered Gill''s Innate skill. Trying to keep his calm, Kiro asked. "So what should I do?" Fixie pondered for a moment before saying. "I think it would be better if Master let it go. First, it would draw some suspicion from how Master knows that person is peering at your status." "Second, even if Master tried to catch that guy, with many people around here. He could switch all the blame to Master and leave Master into a tight situation. Unless Master brings out the fact that he is also an appraisal user." After she finished her explanation, Kiro frowned in trouble. "... Okay then, I''m just going to ignore the guy for now." Kiro muttered. Seeing his unusual behavior, the three looked at him in confusion. Eventually, Missa asked. "Are you alright?" She said glancing at the confused Kiro. Noticing the concerned look of the three, Kiro''s eyes soften. "It''s nothing, now let''s go." Urging the group to move on, Kiro and his group finally arrived at the Guild. ¡ã ¡ã ¡ã Gleamed of twilight gradually dissipated beneath the cloud as the dusk came¡ªstarry night loomed above, refined and graceful. Shimmering brightly at the sky above, enough to ignite the heart of many who saw its glamorous luster. Oddly enough, there was a man who was sitting beneath the tree, staring at the night light with a gloomy expression. While the man was absentmindedly gazing at the clouds, a woman''s voice suddenly awakened the man from his deep thought. "... Aldin." Seeing him spacing out like that, Alyva''s heart angst from the scene. Hearing her voice, Aldin shifted his gaze toward Alyva. Upon noticing her worried look, Aldin''s mood lightened. "Alyva what is it?" He feigned ignorance of her feelings. Seeing him like that, Alyva bit her lower lip slightly, as she said. "... It''s nothing." Knowing nothing would change, even if she reproached him. Alyva could only swallow her frustration. Silence engulfed the two. While the chilly wind hummed that caressed her warm cheeks, Alyva was the first one who broke the awkwardness. "Let''s go inside. It''s getting late." Glancing at him, Alyva voiced out. Getting up from under the tree, Aldin nodded. "Okay." However, when the two were about to go inside the lounge, they suddenly saw multiple figures coming closer at them. At first, Aldin thought it was only Missa and the two children. But when he noticed the familiar figure of the person. He couldn''t help to call out his name in confusion. "... Kiro?" 53 Rex Peering at three people who were moving closer to them, Alyva took a glimpse at Aldin before greeting Kiro''s group. "Welcome back Missa, Gill, Meg... Also, how have you been, Kiro?" Alyva said, in a cordial tone. When he heard her voice, Kiro stared at Alyva for a brief moment before darting his gaze toward Aldin, who wore a disturbed expression. Seeing his reaction, Alyva patiently waited for his response. "... It''s been a while, Alyva, and... Aldin." Kiro said with an amiable voice. Hearing Kiro, Aldin was perplexed for a moment. He was about to reply when Alyva called out to the three. "Huuhaa~ It''s getting chilly out here, Missa let''s go inside first. It''s bad for these two children if they catch a cold." Winking at her, Alyva said. Missa stared at her in confusion; however, when she noticed Alyva''s playful expression, she wasn''t stupid enough not to realize what she meant. "... Oh, that''s right, it would be bad if the two children became sick because of my clumsiness..." Getting along with her play, Missa grabbed the two children and went inside, as Alyva followed suit. Staring at the group''s odd behavior, Kiro bitterly laughed inside. Then he stepped forward, and he repeated his greetings. "It''s been a while, Aldin, how do you do?" Staring at him. Kiro greeted him out of awkwardness. Noticing his voice, Aldin, who was staring at Alyva''s disappearing back, came to his senses. "... Oh, yup, it''s been a while, Kiro, I''m fine, how about you? Why did you suddenly leave the place?" Hearing his question, Kiro furrowed his eyebrows in trouble. He couldn''t simply say he couldn''t stand the awkwardness in their group and that was why he left the place. Seeing his troubled look, Aldin thought that he was still hovering a hatred from abandoning him inside the forest. Patiently standing by for his response, Aldin stared at him, as if waiting for Kiro to curse him and let all his anger out. Taking a deep-breath, Kiro eventually lowered his head as he apologized. "I''m sorry, Aldin, you should know by now that I don''t blame you from what happened last time." Rising his head, Kiro continued. "So you should forgive yourself too, the real reason I left the training lounge, what not because I bear hatred to the group, rather because of my incompetence, I almost dragged Alina to her death due to my shallow thinking." Looking at his confused Aldin, Kiro said. Aldin, who was bewildered by Kiro''s sudden action, hurriedly denied Kiro''s assumption. "No, no-no. It''s natural for you to be dissatisfied in our group, when we abandoned the two of you inside that forest without knowing if you guys can escape the place." Aldin refuted Kiro''s words. "So, it is acceptable, even if you leave us without a word too..." Exhaling slightly, Aldin made up his mind and kowtowed to Kiro. The past event has been dragging his mentality like a curse. He couldn''t even sleep peacefully at night due to his decision that day. The word ''what if'' has been echoing inside his head repeatedly that to the point he almost lost his path, but thanks to Alyva''s psychological assistance; Aldin managed to break through the loop of torment. His abrupt action momentarily shocked Kiro. Then a childish voice resounded inside his head as it awakened him from confusion. "What are you doing, Master? That guy already degraded his dignity to the point he even kneeled for forgiveness." Fixie voiced out when she noticed Kiro was spacing out. "Please get up, Aldin¡ªas I said before, I don''t blame you for what you did. A man should not kneel to someone just like that. If you still consider me as your friend¡ªplease get up and forgive yourself." When he heard Kiro''s voice, Aldin slowly lifted his head. Then, when he saw the seriousness of Kiro''s eyes, only then, Aldin raised his body on the ground. Seeing him about to get up, Kiro stepped forward and reached out his right hand to offer his assistance. Noticing his action, Aldin did not reject the offer as he grabbed a hold of Kiro''s right arm to boost his body up. When he got up, Kiro tapped his shoulder lightly. "Don''t be hard on yourself, aren''t both me and Alina is still alive? You only did what is appropriate when our party fell in disarray." After hearing Kiro''s remark, Aldin felt as if the enormous boulder that pinned on his chest lifted from those words. ¡ã ¡ã ¡ã In the vacant lot on the outer-side wall of the municipality. The darkness enveloped the place, with a chilly night wind whistling a whooshing sound as it touched the man who was holding a small lantern that flickered with an orange-red hue. Suddenly, the silhouette of a person moved closer to the man. "Sorry for the delay." The shadow said. "It''s hard to get here without getting noticed by the public eyes." Staring at the shadow, the man said. "Mm, don''t worry about it. So how was it?" "Hehehe, I''ve analyzed the two beast-kin, and I found something very interesting..." The shadow responded with an uncleared answer while staring at the man who seemed to have lost its patience. Seeing the man''s reaction, the shadow dropped its game, as it said. "Alright, alright, don''t be impatient. I''ll tell you what I saw." "First, there''s nothing special about the woman beast-kin, but we can still sell her, at a hefty price given the rarity of their tribe, and the fact that she is a ''woman'' Hehehe." The shadow crackled with a peal of wicked laughter. "Our real profit lies to the other one. The boy has an Innate gift." Hearing the shadow words, the man who was meekly listening in the darkness, both of his eyes flashed with expectation. "Hooh~ it''s been a while since the last time we caught someone with an innate gift." He said. "So what is the boy''s Innate talent, Daren?" Noticing the greed in the man''s eyes. Daren chuckled slightly before answering. "It''s a shapeshifter, also, because of his tribe characteristics, that boy would bring us way more fortune than we could earn through the entire annum, Rex." Looking at the man, Daren smirked. "If it''s truly a racial skill of the silver wolf tribe, even if we didn''t succeed in capturing the girl, with the boy alone. It would be enough for us to start anew in another town," Rex answered with a tone that couldn''t hide his uncontrolled avarice. "But before that, you didn''t forget our deal, right?" With his eyes gleamed with wickedness, Daren reminded him of the reason he came to this lonesome place. Picking up his voice, Rex who was drowning with his greed was awakened. "... Don''t worry. Our plan is already set in motion, we only need the right timing to do so..." Throwing a piece of parchment to him, Rex continued. "Once you finished reading, don''t forget to burn it." After he received the letter, Daren nodded. "Mm, don''t worry. I know what to do," putting it away, Daren added. "Now that we''re done here, it is time for me to leave." With that said, the figure of Daren blended through the darkness like he was a part of it. Staring at his disappearing figure, Rex muttered with an inaudible tone. "Just you wait Gellis, all the humiliation that you did to me from the former years, I would return it with interest..." Rex said with both eyes flashed in hatred when he recalled the past. 54 Black Licorice The sun pointed at the eastern side of the sky, as its glorious might hover over the horizon. Inside the training area, a piercing wind blew with ripping sounds that could disturb one''s hearing. *?????????????????????* Kiro caught the wooden shafted that darted toward him. "Hmm... I still can''t reproduce the way the old man shot me with this heavy wooden shaft." He said while grabbing the edge of the shaft as he deflected the upcoming two. What Kiro was trying to replicate was the training of Kyros; however, he still couldn''t manage to repeat the same velocity and power that his master did in the wilderness. After that, Kiro aimed at the empty air using his basic wooden longbow, as he released the string of his bow. The arrow flew up above the sky with headlong speed, but when the arrow was about to lose its momentum, it abruptly changed its velocity as it hurtled downward to him. Staring at the arrow, Kiro summoned his iron dagger as he waited for the arrow to come. With his current strength, the arrow flew 60 meters above the ground. Although this time, the power of the arrow intensified several times than before. A dominant gust of wind swirled toward his direction, gripping the handle of his dagger, Kiro parried on the upcoming arrow with his brute strength. *????????????????????????????~* Sharp metallic sounds reverberated inside the practice area, startling the few numbers of adventurers who came early to train. "Huuh~." Kiro stabilized his breathing after he successfully deflected his attack. He''s been doing the same routine for about an hour now. While he was busy readjusting his breath, a woman''s voice suddenly reached his ears. "I thought I would be the first one who came here on archery''s ground, but I guess you are a bit earlier than me, Kiro." The woman said with an amiable tone. Hearing her familiar voice, Kiro glanced at the woman behind his back. "Yup, It''s been a few days since I did my training, I don''t want to be out of shape, Alyva." Putting away his dagger inside the spatial tool, Kiro continued. "So, why are you here this early? It''s not your usual routine to come here at the training ground at this time of the day." Hearing his words, Alyva thought for a moment as she responded. "To train, of course." She said. "See, I have my bow ready." Showing off her basic crude bow, Alyva said playfully. However, when she saw no reaction to Kiro. Alyva dropped her act as she stated why she came here this early. "Haah... Alright, you win, you don''t have to show me that look." Stepping closer to him, Alyva darted her eyesight to Kiro with a serious expression. Noticing her odd behavior, Kiro patiently waited for what she was about to say. "Thank you." Lowering her head at the shoulder level, Alyva added. "Thank you for not bearing hatred to us, and for forgiving Aldin." Kiro, who was startled from her sudden behavior, came back from his senses after seeing her sincere look. Clearing out his throat, Kiro coughed lightly to destroy the awkward atmosphere around them. "... Ahem, as I''ve said to Aldin, it''s not his fault or any of you for abandoning me." Matching her gaze, Kiro continued. "It was my choice to enter deep inside the forest at that time, and what you guys did is right." He said. "If any of you followed suit after Alina, the outcome may not be a pleasant one for us..." Thinking up until this point, Kiro stopped his track. If another person came to find him at that time, he couldn''t guarantee the safety of the second person. He was only lucky enough to survive due to his master being there inside the forest. Staring at Alyva, Kiro continued. "Anyway, what is done, is done. Aren''t both me and Alina still alive, isn''t?" Trying to hide his real thoughts, Kiro answered nonchalantly. He could not help to picture a scenario, what would happen if another person came to search for him. One person was already taking all the toll for him by that time, adding another person would be a lethal burden for him. With that thought in mind, Kiro repeatedly told inside him, he shouldn''t make the same mistake and should mind the big picture of his action. If not, he may not be as lucky as the last time. Seeing that it really doesn''t bother him, Alyva dropped the topic here, as she stretched her bowstring and aimed at the nearby human figure target. Glancing at Kiro, she said. "Mm, even so, I wanted to say my thanks, because of your kind words. Aldin can now pick up himself." Kiro could only nod after hearing this much. "Aldin is lucky for having you," Kiro muttered absentmindedly, but those words didn''t slip through Alyva''s ears. She was momentarily perplexed when she heard Kiro''s words. If you look closer. A tint of redness was forming from her cheeks. Ignoring his remark, Alyva continued to shoot the target using her bow. With that, the two proceeded to their training, and only returned to their lounge before lunch. ¡ã ¡ã ¡ã Inside the Adventurer''s Guild. In the middle of a huge signboard, a man was there, standing with deep thought. He was staring blankly at the piece of parchment pinned on the enormous commission board. . *???????????????????????????? ????????????????????????????* Difficulty: D+ Requirement: D-ranker and above. Quest: Herbal gathering. - Rare plant of Black Licorice. Note: Upon completion, depending on how many stalks the commissioner gets, 30% of its portion would be given as a bonus reward. ????????????????????????????: ???????? ???????????????? ????????????????????. . "Hmm, what do you think Sinon?" Glancing at the man behind him, the man said. "... If I could get a hand of Black Licorice, the odds of success for creating my new mana potion would slightly increase, also, depending on the amount that we can get. It would boost our party two steps forward, leader." Sinon said, as his eyes flashed with interest while staring at the small parchment. "Mm, I know how important a mana potion to our party, especially for Theeste. Sometimes our income wasn''t enough to supply her a good quality of mana potion..." shivering ..." Shaking his head, Gellis continued. "Haah... Thinking about how expensive a magic potion, it''s makes my heartache." Looking at Sinon, Gellis added. "If you''re not around, I don''t know if we could maintain our current grinding. Even if the location where that plant grew is two towns far from here, it''s worth the investment if we''re thinking about our party''s future adventure..." Putting his hands on his chin, Gellis muttered the last sentences. Catching up on his voice, Sinon nodded in agreement. "Yup, if we can secure a good amount, our monthly expenses would drastically decrease." With his urge, the last wall of hesitation of Gellis crumbled. "Okay then, let''s head back to the Inn and discuss it with the others." Staring at the parchment for a while longer, the two eventually left the place. Meanwhile, inside the pub, Gellis and Sinon were entirely unaware that there was someone watching their every move. 55 Hollow Eyes After leaving the Guild, Gellis and Sinon headed straight to the Teeny Raven Inn. He gathered everyone inside his room, for the reason Gellis'' place was the biggest among the rest and can accommodate the number of his group. "So what is it, leader?" Hilde, who was standing on the corner while crossing her arm beneath her chest, said. "When we checked the commission board early this morning, I and Sinon saw a special quest." Glancing at her, Gellis said. "it''s a Black Licorice." The one who voiced it out was no other than Sinon, who was watching the scene unfolded. Hearing his voice, the rest of the ground stared at him in confusion; however, Theeste, who was an educated person in their group, exclaimed her astonishment. "It''s a rare plant that enhances the success rate for crafting mid-grade potions!" Hearing her words, the rest of them wore the same shocked expression as she has. "Then why didn''t you take it, leader?" This time the vice leader of their group, Toa, asked in puzzlement. Staring at him, Gellis started his explanation. "It''s about the travel length of two towns far from here, going to the first town isn''t a problem..." Pausing for a bit, Gellis continued." The real problem is about the second town." Darting his gaze to each of every one of them, he asked."Haven''t you guys heard about the Larcbost town?" Putting his hands on his chin, Gellis said in wonder. "... Don''t tell me it''s ''that'' town?" The one who said it was Poko. Glancing at him, Gellis nodded. "Mm, correct." Hearing his voice, the others looked at the two in bewilderment. Eventually, Hilde voiced her confusion. "Just say what''s that town, idiot leader." Trying to control her patience, she said while fiercely glaring to their party leader. However, before he could respond, Toa interjected. "It''s a famous town, not because that town is well developed, rather due to its environment... That town has another name, also known as the municipality of anarchic." Staring at his group, Toa continued. "So, this is the reason you gathered us all, instead of picking up the request." He said looking at Gellis, who wore a complicated expression. "... Yes, even though I could boast our party as top-notch in this town, but inside that lawless jungle, I have no confidence." Taking a deep-breath, Gellis continued. "It is true that we may save up a lot of money if we managed to finish the task." Staring at them, he added. "Still, the safety of our party is a top priority. The reason I gathered all of you here was to discuss whether we should accept the quest." Upon hearing his voice, the group of six individuals went in silence. As he noticed their reaction, Gellis continued his explanation. After saying that, the group looked at each other before they nodded in agreement. "I think we should accept it, Gellis," Toa said. "We are Adventurers; we won''t shrink back just because of slight danger. I mean, every day we lived in uncertainty for our life and death situation, adding a few bit more won''t change a thing." He knew how severe their daily expenses were. Also, It''s not only for lounging. They also have to maintain their equipment in good-well condition incessantly. Their subjugation rewards weren''t always enough to sustain their activity sometimes. They do some labor work too. Just to get by for the upcoming months. Staring at them, seeing no one rejected Toa''s declaration, Gellis eventually nodded while giving a slight sigh. "Okay then, prepare our necessities for this journey, and we''ll leave to find the plant the next morning. I''ll go back to the Guild and check if there''s an escort request for the first town so that our journey there won''t be wasted." With that said, Gellis stands up, dismissing his group. Then headed alone to the Guild. ¡ã ¡ã ¡ã In the place where coarse stone structures stood. Around the adjacent area, a strong smell of unhygienic sewer overwhelmed the breathing of the surrounding. In such a place, a man was there, sauntering around whilst staring at the terrain in curiosity, with his whole being covered with a long grey coat blended within the shadows. While he was walking, he saw the least decent structure that may fall into ruins at any moment. "According to the letter, it should be here." Saying that, the man halted his movement as he took a piece of dried animal skin and burned it in front of the structure. After the parchment turned to dust, oddly enough it turned into glittering slivery ashes as it flew away to the building. A moment later, a deep voice echoed throughout the surrounding. "Who sent you?" The voice said. When the man heard the voice, his eyes that were hiding beneath the long coat flickered in surprise; however, he quickly recovered after a few breaths of time. "Rex sent me here, he said that you could help me accomplish my objective." Hearing the man, the voice said. "Come in." Gradually, the structure that was supposedly on the brink of collapsing, turned into a stone passage. Seeing the change of the structure, the man''s facial expression turned solemnly. He wasn''t a fool, seeing this much, it only signifies the person he was dealing with was way above his league. Stepping forward, the man walked inside the structure. "Excuse me." Upon entering inside, the scenery drastically changed. The man felt dizzy for a moment before returning to his usual calm. "... What is this?" The man couldn''t help to voice his astonishment when he entered the place. Inside, the place was filled with charts and symbols that he was unfamiliar with. Moving his eyesight at 8 o''clock on his left. There he saw an old granny holding a book. Noticing his glance, the old woman said. "Welcome, welcome. Has Rex sent you here to deliver me my goods?" When the man heard the old woman''s word, he furrowed his eyebrows in trouble. "... He said that it might take a while before he can send you a new batch of goods." Hearing him, suddenly the old woman stopped reading her book as she slammed it to the table. "Then what? Why did you come here?" She said in the tone that did not hide her dissatisfaction. "... He... Rex wanted to convey you a message." Saying that, the man took out another piece of parchment before handing it to the old person. However, before he could step forward and hand the letter. The parchment flew directly to the old woman. "Mm, mm... Okay, I''ll help you guys with that. However, tell Rex that I wanted one of the beast-kin as a payment." Hearing the hoarse voice of the old woman, he frowned in trouble. "Bu¡ª" Before he could finish his words, the man felt that there was a sharp object fiercely pointed at his neck. Staring at the man, the old woman said in dominance. "You don''t question my words, you only have one choice is to accept... Or die." After she said those words. The surrounding place turned cold, as her overwhelming killing intent flooded the man. "... Ye¡ªyes, ma''am!" The man quivered in fright after experiencing the old woman''s fierce killing intent. "Mm, good. I like a good listener like you. What''s your name?" The old woman said while retracting her aura. Only after she retracted her aura, the man can breathe in relief. "I''m called Daren." "Mm, good Daren, from now on, every time I need something in Rex, you''re the one who should deliver the messages." Seeing his hesitating look. The old woman added. "Or do you want to be like them?" Pointing out her index finger, the woman said. Following her sight, Daren saw a humanlike figure that was lifelessly hanging above the ground. This time, overwhelming helplessness entered his mind. He only repeatedly nodded his head in approval. "Mm," Daren nodded while his body shook in fear. Seeing his amusing look, the old lady snickered slightly as she said. "You may go now... Oh, I almost forgot, take this with you. If you guys ever cannot deliver my goods. You know what would happen, right?" Darting her wicked hollow eyes, the old woman declared. "... We-we''ll successfully deliver your goods! Thank you!" Bowing his head slightly, Daren hurriedly left the place. After he left the area, only then did he let out a long sigh of relief. "Haaah~ Who could''ve thought that Rex knew a monster like that¡ª" But before he could finish his words, he felt an intangible force behind his back sealing his mouth shut. Slowly turning around on his back, Daren saw hollow eyes that looked similar to the old woman. Only after it disappeared, his body fell on the ground in horror. 56 Azure Tears Inside the training lodge. The sun is already pointed at the northeast side up above the sky when Kiro and Alyva returned to their cottage. Since Aldin and Kiro already cleared the misunderstanding, the atmosphere within their group wasn''t as heavy as before. They seem to be more relaxed and have time for light breathing unlike before. After returning to their cabin, Kiro headed back straight to his room to clean himself. The last time they went to the town. He did not forget to buy an extra pair of change of clothes. "It''s a good thing that I bought extra clothes, the one that chief Geoffrey lent me was due to my negligence." Upon saying the chief''s name, sitting on the nearby chair, Kiro suddenly remembered the pendant he gave at him. Summoning the rare black wood inside his spatial tool, Kiro opened the box, and he was marveled to see the ornament on the surface of the pendant. In the middle, a vibrant blue quartz was imbued. Staring at the exquisite necklace in front of him, Kiro couldn''t help to recollect the past events that happened since he ascended into this world. "The time passes just like that... It''s already been over a month since I came to this world..." Raising the pendant above his head, Kiro realized that since then, he hasn''t appraised this jewelry yet. He thought for a moment. Eventually, he gave in to his curiosity as he muttered the keyword. "[Appraisal]" ©l©l©l©l©l©l©l©l Item Name: Azure Tears. Type: Pendant. Grade: Rare. Item Effect: Boosted the user''s mana pool by 20% Materials: A piece of silver Guilin horn, a spoon table of moon essence, one teardrop of the white dragon, and one-piece of top-grade mana stone. Creator: Uhredus, the first head of the house of Meystrell. ©l©l©l©l©l©l©l©l "... What?" Kiro swiped his eyes, as if he couldn''t believe the information that pop-up inside the appraisal screen. "She is a noble lady?" Seeing the last information in front of him, Kiro exclaimed his astonishment. Suddenly Fixie''s voice echoed inside his head. "Master, she might be a fallen noble. It''s common to have a fallen household in that huge empire." Hearing her voice, Kiro thought Fixie''s opinion had some sense in it. "Mm, there''s some possibility from your conjecture to be correct. However, to think a noble lady would fall to a commoner..." Kiro ended his thoughts there, due to his own life seems like a bizarre one that he wouldn''t believe in such a tale a month ago. Shaking his head, Kiro put the pendant inside the box and hid it within his spatial tool. Shortly afterward, Kiro heard the beating sounds of the wooden door. *???????????????????? * ????????????????????* Then a familiar voice of a woman resounded inside his room. "Kiro are you there?" The woman said. Mirabell flinched after hearing Kiro still called her with her pet name. But deep inside, she felt relieved that Kiro did not change his view of her; even after what their group has done to him. Taking a deep-breath, Mirabell continued. "Can I come in?" "It''s okay, you can com¡ª" Kiro sealed his mouth shut after he remembered the last event, checking that this time he was wearing his clothes, Kiro coughed to hide his embarrassment. "... Ahem, you may come in." Clearing his vocal folds, he said in an amiable tone. Mirabell thought that he was acting weird. Nonetheless, it doesn''t stop her from going inside Kiro''s room. "Then, excuse me." Opening the door, Mirabell entered with a complicated expression hung on her face. Noticing her odd behavior, Kiro could only sigh deep inside. He wasn''t stupid enough not to realize the reason she came here. Patiently waiting for her to voice out her apology. However, it wasn''t an apology that came. "It''s been a while, how are you these days?" Mirabell said, as she deeply stared at him. "... I''m doing great, and yesterday. I and Aldin already got rid of the misunderstanding that happened last time." Hearing his response, Mirabell put her delicate hands on her chest as she voiced out her thoughts. "... I won''t apologize, you should know by now we have our own faults to that event." Staring at him, Mirabell continued. "Instead of brooding over, it is better if we think of a way to prevent an event like that ever to happen again." Kiro was shocked upon hearing her reasoning, but he swiftly recovered a few breaths later. "Mm, what Mira said is right. We both made an error and were responsible for our lives at that time. It was my mistake in overestimating my capability." Staring at her eyes, Kiro said what he truly felt. "Yes, that''s right. It''s a good thing that you knew your mistake, that''s all I wanted to say." She was about to go out of his room, when Mirabell paused her movement as she said. "It''s about time to eat, I cook some dishes too, you may try it if you like." After that, she closed the door and headed straight to the kitchen. Seeing her like that, Kiro doesn''t know what to say. ¡ã ¡ã ¡ã Inside the dining room. Alyva and Missa were busy handling the food. On the table, Mirabell and Alina were busy conversing with each other. "So, how did it go?" Alina asked Mirabell, who seemed to improve her mood after conversing with Kiro. "It went well." She said in a light tone, glancing at her sister who was busy preparing their meal, Mirabell added. "I said my apology." chuckling up for a bit, Mirabell glanced at Kiro''s room direction. "Mm, that''s good, with this we can continue our adventure together." Alina smiled slightly after hearing Mirabell''s words. The next thing after that, Aldin who came back after he finished his daily route for gathering firewood came. "I''m back. Oh, it''s almost lunchtime," Aldin said while glancing at the food that they''re preparing. "What''s the big celebration? Can we finish all this?" Staring at the meals on the circular table, Aldin added. For an appetizer, Alyva and Missa prepared a slice of brown bread with cabbages as a topping, chicken broth for the soup, a huge serving of grilled boar meat for the main course, and for the dessert, a bunch of mixed fruits. "... Where did you guys get all these?" Staring at the two girls, Aldin asked. "And what''s with that thing? Is that edible?" Pointing his index finger to the weird and slightly burned texture of meat. However, after he said those words, Aldin felt a cold glaze at 10 o''clock on his left side. Then he saw Mirabell, who was fiercely gazing at him. "..." Staring at her, Aldin was speechless. Still, after a few breaths of time, he recovered his composure. "... Sorry, sorry." But deep inside, he felt sorry for whoever would eat that food. Seeing him come back in time, Alyva greeted him with a bright smile. "Welcome back, Aldin." "Missa, Mira, and Alina woke up early in the morning, so we can have a feast. You should say your thanks to them." Giving a glance at the two, Alyva said. "Mm, thank you, Alina, Missa... Also Mira." After he said his thanks, Kiro, who was resting inside his room, came. "Good afternoon, everyone." Giving his light greetings, Kiro gave them a pleasant smile. "What''s the occasion? Why is there so much food?" Staring at the table, Kiro said in the bewilderment. Seeing him like that, Missa, who was busy preparing the last meal, said. "It was a celebration for our party, you dummy." However, when the group was about to begin their feast. A rapid knock on the front door grasped everyone''s attention. Kiro was nearby at the entrance and was about to open the door to greet the visitor. But before he could, the wooden door burst open with a loud noise. The group was alarmed, Kiro already summoned his longbow and was about to take his aim, when he heard a loud cry. "... Gill and Meg went missing! Are they here?" a middle-aged man, agitatedly said. 57 Runic Magic Kiro, who was about to release his Arrow Shock, halted his movement when he noticed the odd behavior of the intruder. However, Missa, who heard the familiar voice of the man, said in alarm. "Stop! He''s not an enemy." She stated when she saw her group was about preparing for a battle. Only after the group heard her voice, they finally relaxed their guard down. Still, the wariness was there. Missa stepped closer and saw the familiar figure of the middle-aged man. "Uncle Lori, what happened?" Staring at the man was about to go madness at any moment. "Gill and Meg... Where are they! Is there here!" Lori shouted out of agitation. Alyva, who first recovered from the shock, voiced out. "Please calm down and tell us what happened?" When Lori heard her voice, he tried his best to calm his chaotic mind as he narrated what happened. "Just this morning, I took the two to scroll around the plaza, and have a light breakfast there. After that, we returned to our accommodation place." Taking a deep breath, Lori continued. "However, because I knew they would be safe here inside the guild, I didn''t bother to guard them here..." Fiercely gripping his fist to the point of bleeding, Lori added. "When I returned to the cabin, there wasn''t any mess around the area or destruction to the place... At first, I thought they only went outside the perimeter to play. However, as time went by, I became worried and searched for them. But it was a fruitless effort. Then I recalled the two were close to Missa, and so I came with a hope I could find them here..." After hearing his explanation, the group was disturbed from the news, especially Kiro who knew a guy was tailing them that night. Due to the sudden chain of events, he completely forgot to warn the two kids. Kiro furrowed his eyebrows in trouble. Eventually, he voiced out his thoughts. "If there''s no sign of forceful approach, only means the two of them knew the person who abducted them, but are you completely sure that they aren''t here inside the training lodge?" "I am sure! I''ve searched all over the place. Yet, I couldn''t find a single trace of them. Also, with our race characteristics, I can easily locate them with my smell! Unless... unless..." Thinking until this point, Lori sealed his mouth shut. "Unless what?" Kiro urged him to continue. "Unless someone used an expensive medicine and erased their smell..." After he said that, Lori couldn''t take it any longer and was about to dash out of the place. But when he heard Kiro''s voice, he halted his footstep. With that thought in mind, Kiro said. "I don''t have proof to support my claim, but do you know a guy named Daren?" "... Daren? That guy from one of the infamous newbie crusher union? That Daren?" Aldin who was listening in silence voiced out. "I don''t know. But if you tell me more about that union, I may narrow some possibilities." Putting his right hand on his chin, Kiro said in deep thought. Despite his information, it did not calm Lori, rather he became more worried about the two children. Seeing Lori''s reaction, Alyva concluded. "How about this? Missa and Mirabell, please accompany Mr. Lori to the Guild and report what happened." Glancing at Aldin, she said. "Then Aldin please start explaining to Kiro what the newbie crusher union is." Glancing at the quiet Alina, she said. "Then, I and Alina would search the two children here in the neighboring lodge." The group looked at each other''s eyes and then nodded in agreement as they spread out. ¡ã ¡ã ¡ã Somewhere inside the outer wall of Elmore, ruined and abandoned stone shelter align in differing structure, and broken bricks scattered throughout the place, at the deepest part of the abandoned ruined shelter. In duskiness, a minuscule light dipped between the two silhouettes as their silvery hair shimmered to the surrounding space. However, the odd thing about those two shadows was not their hair characteristic. Rather, it was their eyes that dimmed with blankness upon the closer look. There was a miniature runic syllable circulating underneath the silhouette''s eyes. "Hehehe, to think such convenient runic magic exists..." Suddenly within the shadow, the voice of a man resounded to the place. "Too bad, that monster lady only gave me a minuscule portion, and I already handed the rest to Rex." Staring at the two figures, the man said. "Well, I accomplished my task. The rest is up to him now." Shortly thereafter, another figure of a man showed. "Sorry for the wait." The man said. "So you succeeded, Daren." Smiling maliciously, the man said. "What took you so long Rex? Do you know they may report the incident to the Guild by now?" Daren, who was cautious in nature, said in concern. "You don''t have to worry about that, do you know how wide my network is? Before they could catch our tail, my underling''s warning would reach me first." Staring at the two figures, Rex asked. "So what happened to those two?" Seeing them like that, Rex couldn''t help to voice out his curiosity. "It was the runic magic that the old monster gave to me. See how effective it is, that two beast-kin are done for, watch." Saying that, Rex commanded the two children. "Step forward." Surprisingly, the two children obeyed his command. Watching them in the silence, Rex exclaimed his amazement. "Excellent! Hahaha, with this I runic magic, our odds in winning the fight to Gellis party would drastically increase!" Laughing like a fiend, Rex''s eyes flickered with excitement. "But before you can get your revenge, how''s the plan?" Staring at him, Daren asked what was bothering him. "It''s going well, surprisingly, it seems like they took the bait..." Rex said with a wicked smile hung on his face. "We''ll just have to wait patiently, and we will get what we wanted." He said. "After all these years, Gellis seems to become senile... I guess being in comfort for too long dulled his sharp senses." "But, it works better this way. Let''s move the goods before the effects of medicine go away." Staring at the two children, Rex said. "Mm, you two, let''s move out," Daren commanded two. With that said, their group moved forward to the deepest part of the ruined place until they reached a secret passage that leads to a sewer channel.