ã€ŠReincarnated at Level Two Millionã€‹


 Chapter 1 - Happy Retirement

    "Great shift today buddy!" A man said waving to his friend as he exited the factory.

    "You too Steve." The man replied. He cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders. His long shift was finally over, and he would finally get to go home and see his family. He loved his family and sacrificed everything so that they could have what he never had growing up.

    "Hey there Gary!" Another man said as he left. "We sure are going to miss you around here. Tell the misses that she better keep you in line for me."

    "Hey now!" Gary responded. "Like she needs any more of an excuse to rag me. She has a list a mile long already for me."

    This wasn''t just a normal workday for Gary, no this was his last. He had worked in this factory for forty years and had finally reached his retirement. He just knew his family would be waiting for him when he got home, and his excitement was building. After saying his goodbyes, he hopped in his truck and drove home. It was after dark when his shift ended and as he approached the house, he noticed that all the lights were off.

    "Those little tricksters." He said to himself. "They must be planning on surprising me! Surely, they know I would suspect a party?! I guess I will just play along."

    He reached out and opened the door and called out to his wife. "Honey I''m home." Just as he had done for the past forty years. His children have long since moved out and started families of their own. He was a grandfather, and he hoped his grandchildren would get overly excited and jump out first. He simply loved their hugs. He waited for a bit, but no response was heard upon entry. "Honey?" He shouted out again questioningly. Worry was beginning to become visible upon his face. "I don''t think they had any appointments, or anything planned, where could they be."

    He reached for the light but unfortunately when he turned them on, they did not respond. "I know I paid the power bill." He said as he turned around to check the neighborhood. "Yeah, everyone else has power. Maybe the breaker is busted." He pulled out his phone and turned on his flashlight. As soon as the room became illuminated, he knew something horrible had transpired. "Blood." He said softly as all the color drained from his face. He panned the light across the floor to find his family all dead on the floor. His wife, his children, and his grandchildren all lay dead with multiple gunshot wounds. The sight of their corpses was too much for Gary, he fainted and fell backwards.

    When Gary regained consciousness, he was in a white void with a woman looking down on him, as his head was in her lap. Startled, he jumped up and screamed, "my family!" He was still in a panic, the images he had just witnessed seared into his mind.

    "Be calm," the woman said in the most soothing voice he had ever heard. "I have already seen to your family, and they are all fine."

    "Seen to my family?!" He shouted. "No, I saw their blood! I saw their bodies! They were dead! I need to tell the police."

    "Be calm," the woman tried to sooth him again. "I know it must have been too much, to have witnessed such trauma, such pain." She paused. "Afterall, it sent you to me."

    Gary would feel himself being forcefully calmed by her voice, no matter how much he wanted to scream he found himself unable to. He took a deep breath and began to take in his surroundings. "Wait, am I dead?" Gary said finally realizing his situation.

    "Yes, you have died." She responded calmly. "I am glad you have calmed down. I hate to see my children so upset."

    "Are you God?" Gary asked. "I thought God was a man, and I thought heaven was well, busier."

    "Yes, I am the origin of all life." She smiled. "Tell me my child, when you were born did you come from a man or a woman?"

    "Well, I would like to think my father helped, but I was born from my mother." Gary responded. "Men might not have the child, but they still contribute."

    "I am talking only of birth." She answered. "Just as you grew in your mother''s womb and gained life, I created all that there is. I never understood why you Earthlings always want to assign godship to a man. You know other planets and other universes accepted I am a woman and worship me accordingly. No matter. Let us talk." As she talked chairs appeared and she took a seat in one and motioned for him to sit in the other.

    "Wow." Gary said while taking his seat in front of her. "So why did my family have to die? Was that really part of your plan?!" Gary''s face became contorted as he tried to fight back the tears.

    "My plan?" She questioned. "Why do all of my children always talk about my plans? I honestly don''t have one. I gave you all free will, to do as you please. I gave all my creations that."

    "So, what''s the point? Why did you make us?" Gary asked.

    "I was bored." She smiled. "That''s why I filled the multiverse with life. So, I can watch all of my children and see their stories. If I knew what was going to happen then it wouldn''t be entertaining at all would it? No, my children have full control of their destinies, and while that leads to great creativity it also leads to sad random acts of violence."

    "Like my family." Gary began to cry. Unable to stop the tears any longer.

    "I enjoyed your story, but it made me so sad." She explained. "Your whole life, you have lived for someone else. When you accidentally impregnated your girlfriend in college you dropped out to work in a factory. You worked overtime almost every day to provide her and your children with everything they could ever want. Despite that, they never thanked you or let you know how much you mattered to them. Still, you continued to take from yourself to give to them, when your second child needed a kidney, you immediately gave yours without hesitation. When your parents were ill you built on to your house so that you could take care of them, despite your workload. You never took a moment to yourself, and you devoted everything to everyone else. I watched you break your body to put food on your family''s table. I saw you quietly suffer in pain, while never complaining."

    "I just did what any man would have done." Gary smiled.

    "No, not just any man would have done that." She replied. "You are a cut above, a rare soul, and I can''t believe what happened to you. I want to give you a second chance at life, it won''t be in the same universe that you once lived in, but I promise you will have a chance to live and enjoy yourself."

    "Will my family be there?" Gary asked with hope in his eyes.

    "No." she said. "I put them in the afterlife. It is a place where souls can rest for all eternity in peace and happiness."

    "That sounds good." Gary said. "I would be with them forever; can I have that too?"

    "Gary, please." She paused. "I want you to have another chance, but I have another reason as well. Your soul is one that is good and pure, it is a rarer trait then I would like. I need you in this world to balance it against evil. I promise it''s nothing as crazy as slaying a demon lord or conquering the world. I just need you to exist there and be yourself. That alone will allow goodness to blossom in the hearts of those around you."

    "I suppose it would be bad manners, to tell God no." Gary sighed. "Alright, I will go."

    "Fantastic." She cheered. "Okay let''s get you sorted. Let''s have you be born into a wealthy family; I don''t want you to have a repeat of your experience on earth. Oh, and looks like there''s a Duke about to welcome his first son. Congratulations Dukes are direct relatives of the king so your life should be pretty easy. Now just to make sure you have a great life; I''ll just transfer your sixty-five years of experience on earth into this world''s leveling system." She paused with a concerned expression. "Oh, you''re going to be fine. Everything will be just fine."

    "Leveling system?" Gary asked. "What in the world is that?"

 Chapter 2 - Reborn At 2,000,000

    "Didn''t one of your children ever play video games?" The Goddess said with a shocked expression. "So, you know how exercise made you stronger on Earth? This world has magic and the whole world is based on levels. The higher your level the higher your stats. Normally unless someone is an adventurer, they only reach the level of fifteen or so and most adventurers top out at thirty."

    "So, you have a level?" Gary was confused. "And it determines how strong you are?"

    "Right!" She smiled happily. "Whatever caused the level increases the stats associated with the increase. If you studied and leveled, you would gain intellect or if you worked hard, you might gain strength or endurance. If you were able to talk your way out of a problem, you would gain charisma. I came up with this concept from your world actually. Earthlings are super creative."

    "So, everyone knows how strong everyone else is by a number?" Gary was still trying to grasp the concept.

    "No, of course not." She answered. "Only you know your level, it isn''t displayed anywhere. Bodies still develop like they do on earth. Exercise builds muscle, overeating and laziness builds fat. But even if you build your muscles, you would not be as strong as someone with a higher strength stat. Would be rare, but you could be a completely unassuming looking person and also be the strongest on the planet."

    "That is weird and sounds kind of pointless." Gary said. "Why would you make such a convoluted system and have an entire world based on it."

    "Because I work in mysterious ways!" She replied. "Look, I said I get bored okay. You try existing before the dawn of time. Aside from that I have exciting news for you! I have your level, and well it was unexpected."

    "Oh, am I starting out at the fifteen most people reach?" Gary asked.

    "Well, apparently experiences on Earth are worth a lot of experience, I guess since each item made in the factory granted you experience, and you made a lot of items over 40 years¡­" She paused. "It all added up."

    "Each item?" Gary paused as he thought about the significance of that statement. "I made around 600 tires a shift. Six shifts a week, forty years¡­"

    "7,488,000 tires." She said. "Each tire was worth an astounding 500 experience points, giving you a total of 3,744,000,000 experience points. Also, the school you attended granted you quite a bit and your use of social media, although brief granted you a lot as well."

    "How much experience is level fifteen?" Gary wondered.

    "Well, I tried to make it easy to level on the world, but hard to gain experience." She replied. "Level fifteen would be 30,000 experiences. It only takes 2000 to level up."

    "So, what''s my level?" Gary asked with a shocked look on his face.

    "Two million." She said softly.

    "Two million?!" Gary was in shock.

    "Yes, I didn''t expect it, but like I said earlier you will be fine!" She spoke.

    "Can''t you just make me average?!" Gary said.

    "Look, I wanted you to have a better life." She answered. "And I went through all the trouble of transferring your experience to your new self. Just enjoy being a literal superhero."

    "I guess I shouldn''t argue with the will of the creator." Gary sighed.

    "That''s right!" She chimed in. "Also, I can''t undo the experience transfer without destroying your soul." She whispered under her breath.

    "What?" Gary asked.

    "Nothing." She smiled back. "Look, you are about to be born, so let me go ahead and go over your traits as well."

    "Traits?" Gary asked, he was really starting to wish he paid attention to his son''s video games.

    "They''re like special bonuses that you get." She explained. "Okay so your first trait is hard worker, you won''t get tired no matter how hard you work. Next is Master Artisan, anything you build or create will be of the highest grade even if you use the lowest materials. And a few others that will activate over time, I will let those be surprises. I wouldn''t want you going into your next life with no excitement."

    Gary began to hear crying and could feel himself beginning to fade away. "I guess I''ll see you again after this next life is over. I hope I will get to be with my family then."

    "If that''s what you still want the next time we meet." She replied. "Now go and make that world a better place."

    "Thanks," said Gary as he faded away. "Please watch over my family until I return, let them know that I love them and let my grandkids know that grandpa will be back as soon as he can."

    "Have a good life, Gary!" The Goddess waved as he faded. "Please stay alive as long as you can! I am sorry you won''t remember any of this!"

    The crying got louder and louder until Gary realized it was coming from his own mouth. He then ceased the tears and watched as they pulled him out of his mother.

    "Doctor is my son alright!" The duke shouted. "He stopped crying! Does he still live?!"

    "Yes, I can feel his pulse. It is strong." The doctor replied. "It seems he just decided to stop crying."

    "Ah yes!" The duke cleared his throat. "But of course, he is my son after all! Ha Ha! No doubt he will be superior to his cousins!"

    "My lord please don''t say anything to anger the King." The doctor said. "You know he is always fearful you will lead a rebellion and take his throne."

    "Ha! If I wanted the damn thing, I''d take it." The duke laughed. "Being Duke is far more fun! All the luxuries and none of the work! My brother got duped when he took that throne, he had no idea how annoying it is to lead a kingdom!"

    The doctor then stood up and held the baby up for the parents to see. "I present you with your son!" He said as he handed the child to the duke. "Tell me my lord, what shall you name the child. What shall be your firstborn''s name?"

    "He shall be named Zell." The duke smiled. "Do you like that name my baby boy?"

    [My new dad seems so happy.] Gary thought to himself.. [Whoa I feel so different, I mean aside from the fact I am a mere infantile newborn, I feel strong and of a much superior intellect then I once had. Could this be what it''s like to be level two million?!]

 Chapter 3 - A New Skill Activates

    Meanwhile back in the white abyss a door opened where God sat. Out of the door a man dressed in a suit came out with a clipboard. "Your eminence Our systems indicate that a soul with a level of two million was born on the planet of Xalabar in universe 487." The well-dressed man said. "Was that intentional my lady? I thought the Lord of destruction had already laid claim to that planet and marked it as his next target for destruction."

    "Oh, did he?" God smiled. "Must have slipped my mind. I only wanted to bring a bit of goodness to that world, which is so grasped by darkness. The level two million thing was actually a complete mistake. Who knew Earth granted exponentially more experience points than Xalabar? That simple task of factory work on Xalabar would have only granted a tenth of a point of experience not six hundred. But oh well, you live and learn I guess."

    "So, you didn''t intend to send a god among men to stop the destruction of a planet?" The attendant said.

    "No, completely forgot Eddy claimed that world." God said. "How does he intend to destroy it anyway?"

    The attendant checked his notes on his clipboard. "Looks like the classic demon lord, mam." He responded. "Also, why must you insist on calling him Eddy, you know that isn''t his name."

    "Extremely Dumb Destruction Yahoo, or Eddy." God smiled. "That''s the best way to describe him so that''s his name."

    "Right of course." The attendant said with a sigh. "Well, it will surely be an interesting show. By my notes, the demon lord should rise to power in twenty years. That should give the level two million guy some time to enjoy life."

    "I can''t wait to see it." God said with a grin on her face.

    Back on the planet of Xalabar the newborn infant was meeting his mother for the first time. She was unconscious during the birth due to the birthing magic, but the doctors had now awoken her and handed her the baby. She smiled as she looked at her new son with his ice blue eyes and full head of jet-black hair. "Oh, sweet baby Zell, I am so pleased to meet you." She said holding him. I carried you around so long in my womb it''s so wonderful to see you."

    "Handsome young lad isn''t he dear?" The duke spoke up. "I can''t believe we have our first child! Just look at him, he has your eyes and my nose! I dare say he will be more attractive than us both!"

    "Well of course." The duchess replied. "My darling Kelbor, this child has the best of both of us and none of our bad, he will be the best of us. We must make sure we give him everything he needs to live and love, to grow and prosper, to find his joy and happiness. Nothing in the whole of Xalabar matters to us compared to our son, our baby Zell."

    [My dad''s name is Kelbor?] Zell thought to himself. [I suppose I should consider myself lucky to have gotten the name Zell if that is the quality of names in the world. Although I must say this scene reminds me of when my wife and I brought our first child into the world. How happy we were to be parents, and how scared I was to be a father. I had no idea how I was going to do it, but my loving wife just smiled and told me everything was going to be okay. It was okay for so long until, until that day that everyone died. How am I supposed to live in this world knowing that pain, that sorrow?! How am I supposed to continue to be apart from my loved ones, knowing that they are waiting for me on the other side?!]

    "Wahhh" Zell began to cry.

    "Oh, sweet baby it''s okay." His mother said while starting to rock him in her arms. "Everything is going to be alright. We are here for you; you have nothing to fear and only happiness awaits you."

    *Skill Activated: Selective Memory*

    [What did I just hear a woman''s voice in my head?] Zell questioned to himself. [Selective Memory? Wait what was I sad about¡­ Why can''t I remember? I know it was something, but I cannot place it. I remember God, but only barely, and I can''t remember anything else. How strange, it seems this skill or whatever has somehow sealed away my memories. Is it God''s doing or my own psyche to defend itself against trauma?]

    Zell''s face changed to a look of intense thought and his crying ceased. "Look honey, he has calmed down." His mother said. "He knows mommy has him, and that everything will be okay."

    "Dearest Elenore, you have such a way with the baby." Kelbor said to his wife. "I just know he will be a great man under your guidance. Oh, a son! I still cannot believe it! I am the luckiest man on the planet right now! Not only do I have the most beautiful and caring woman in the world but also a son!"

    "Yes dear," Elenore said. "Now please calm yourself, our son is finally starting to sleep. I am sure being born was a tiring experience."

    The years of early childhood would fly by slowly. Zell forgot about his life as Gary, he forgot about his chat with God, and he forgot about his family. He would still get glimpses of the technology of Earth in his dreams although he could not place their origin. He felt he was different growing up. He was faster, smarter, and stronger than anyone he met. It worried him; he did not know where these attributes were coming from since he could not remember his conversation with God. On his fifth birthday his father sat him down in his study and began to have a discussion with him.

    "Zell you are now the age of five." Kelbor cleared his throat while talking. "At the age of five we are granted a special privilege in this world, although no one knows from where or what it originated. If you say the word Status aloud you will be able to see your attributes. Some lucky few are born with attributes in the teens, and I think you my boy are one of them. There is no way else to explain it. Go on, say Status and tell me what your attributes are!"

    "Alright father.." Zell said. "Status!"

 Chapter 4 - A New Baby

    A screen flashed in front of Zell''s eyes, visible only to him. It appeared as if it were glitching, where numbers were supposed to appear only rapidly changing symbols appeared. Every single attribute was a glitch, nothing showed him a number, not even his level at the bottom. Due to his high intelligence, he surmised this was not a common occurrence and felt that it would be best to keep it a secret.

    "No father, I''m afraid that they are not in the teens." Zell told his father, not exactly lying. "I am sorry if I disappointed you. I know how much you wanted me to be special."

    "Son!" Kelbor cried out. "You are special my boy, I don''t care if your starting attributes aren''t insanely high, only that you are my son! Besides as the son of a dukedom your life is essentially all parties and relaxing. Our kingdom hasn''t had a war in ages, and your peace-loving uncle will do whatever it takes to keep it that way."

    Zell smiled; his high charisma stat has caused his father to believe him despite all the evidence to the contrary. "I am glad you feel me to be special father, however I still feel as if I disappointed you." He said softly.

    Elenore was walking to the study and heard Zell''s comment. She immediately popped her head in the door. "Dear are you shaming our son with your insane expectations?!" She said with an ominous tone in her voice. "I told you it doesn''t matter if he has high stats or not! He is our son and that''s all that matters! All you have talked about for the past five years is I can''t wait to know my Zell''s stats. I just want to know how strong my boy is. I just know my boy is the best there is and I can''t wait for the proof! On and on you droll on about it! You set up unachievable expectations and you got upset! You know that only one baby in a thousand years has ever been born with superior stats! That just doesn''t happen and now you have upset my baby over it!"

    "Mother it''s fine really." Zell said, trying to calm his mother down.

    "No, it isn''t Zell!" Elenore chimed back. She entered the room, waddling because of her fully pregnant belly. "If your father doesn''t learn his lesson here and now your baby brother or sister will have to go through the same heartbreak, and I am not letting him do that to all of my children!"

    "Please calm down dear, it''s not good for the baby." Kelbor said while walking slowly over to his wife. "Why don''t you sit, you need to get off your feet."

    "Don''t tell me what to do!" She snapped back. "It''s your fault I''m like this!"

    "But dearest you said you wanted another child." Kelbor tried to reason with his wife.

    "It''s still your fault." She replied. "You should know better than to try and blame me for your foolishness! Now go get me a drink. I''m thirsty, all this yelling has parched my throat."

    "Yes, dear I will call for a servant right away." Kelbor said.

    "No, not a servant." She replied. "You get me a drink and bring one back for our Zell as well. I wish to speak to my son."

    "Yes dear, right away." Kelbor said while rushing out of his study.

    "Come sit next to mommy Zell." Elenore said with a smile as she patted the seat next to her.

    Zell walked over and sat next to his mother. "So, what did you want to talk about mommy?" Zell said.

    "Please don''t take your father seriously, he is full of bluster and not much else." She explained. "You are fine the way you are, and it doesn''t matter if you have amazing stats or not. What matters is you are my son and that is all that matters. If you have a problem, mommy will fix it for you. You don''t have to be strong or wise because mommy will always be here for you."

    Zell reached over and hugged his mother. He learned at an early age to not apply any pressure whatsoever as to not injure anyone. Through his efforts as an infant, he even had a skill activate called Limited. The skill allowed him to use only a small percentage of his strength, but even at one percent he still found himself to be much stronger than those around him, so he was always careful. "Thank you, mommy." He said during his hug. "I feel much better now, when is my baby brother or sister coming?"

    "Any day now dear." She said while rubbing her belly. "The doctors have been on standby all week. I just know they will be coming soon.

    "I can''t wait to meet them." Zell said with a smile.

    Kelbor returned to them with drinks in hand. "Here you are dearest. I have some juice for you and our son." He said as he passed out the drinks. "So did you all have a good chat?"

    "We did." Zell said with a smile. "Mommy is always the best."

    Kelbor felt like his son just stabbed him in the heart with that comment and smile. "I''m glad."

    "Dear." Elenore said as she reached down and placed her juice on the table. "My water seems to have broken, please go get the doctors." She paused for a moment. "Now!" She shouted.

    "It''s time?!" Kelbor shouted and he ran out of the room. "It''s time!" He could be heard yelling throughout the halls.

    "I guess today was the day, huh mommy?" Zell said to his mother, now holding her hand trying to help ease her pain.

    "See dear, they heard us talking about wanting to meet them and they decided they wanted to meet us too." Elenore said while grimacing from the pain, but trying her hardest not to yell, fearful that she would scare her son.

    The doctors rushed in and began the preparations immediately. "We will take it from here young master, have no fear you will have a new playmate soon." They said as they began to sedate his mother with their magic. "And we are going to take diligent care of Lady Elenore. There is nothing you need to worry about. Please go wait in the hall or garden."

    Zell left as Kelbor rushed back into the room, frantic that his new child was about to be born into this world.. Elenore''s labor was a success, and she birthed a beautiful baby girl they named Rose, after Elenore''s favorite flower.

 Chapter 5 - Rose And The Trial Of Strength

    Years pass by without any events. Zell remained secretive about his stats, not knowing what would happen if he told anyone. Due to his skill of selective memory, he was unable to remember the conversation with God, and did not know he was level two million. He spent most of his days watching over his baby sister from afar. Little Rose was a handful and constantly got in trouble. She was unbelievably strong and fast for an infant. Kelbor was extremely proud, expecting that this time his child would be highly stated. They waited for the day she would turn five and that day was finally upon them.

    "Daddy I am ready!" She said in her adorable little voice. She was sitting in the same study that Zell did when he said status for the first time.

    "You know what to do dear Rose." Her proud father said.

    "Status!" She said loudly. Her eyes lit up when she saw the numbers before her. "Daddy!" She jumped up from her seat. "I have high stats Daddy! They all are above fifteen!"

    Kelbor''s eyes begin to well up with pride. "I knew it daughter of mine!" He said proudly. "I just knew you would fulfill my dreams!"

    "I knew I was better than my big brother!" She said triumphantly. "Daddy, let''s have a party to celebrate! I want cake and a new horse!"

    "Anything for you my dearest Rose." Kelbor responded while wiping his eyes. "Let''s tell the whole world that you are special, that you are a one in a thousand-year prodigy."

    Kelbor and Rose left the room forgetting that Zell was there in the corner. "It''s like I wasn''t even here." He said under his breath. "That''s fine, it keeps them from finding out about me. I am more than fine if Rose takes the spotlight."

    And so, the King was informed of Rose''s amazing stats and a set of games were devised for her to get her might. It was an amazing spectacle that the entire kingdom could not wait to see. Whispers broke out about the genius daughter of the duke and how they thought that one day she would rule the kingdom, since the king had still yet to have children of his own.

    The first game was a trial of combat in a crowded arena. The tiny five-year-old Rose was to fight a Cobalt class adventurer. Cobalt was the beginning class of adventurer, but even at that level they had to pass a series of trials and quests to prove they could make it as an adventurer. Rose chose to have hand-to-hand combat despite her small frame. She was not trained in the use of weapons and felt that it would be the best chance she had at victory.

    They squared off with each other in a stone ring at the center of a coliseum, hundreds of spectators looked on from all over the kingdom. Everyone wanted to know if this tiny child of the duke''s really processed superior stats.

    "Are you ready?" Rose asked her opponent, wiping her face removing the dust from the arena floor.

    "Don''t worry I promised the guild I wouldn''t hurt you too bad." The adventurer said. "By the way, my name is Samuel Winterguard, cobalt class adventurer, sworn to the service of the guild and his majesty."

    Rose raised her fists. "Nice to meet you, I am Rose, Rose Neuval. You know, like the Kingdom of Neuval? The one we are in right now?!"

    "I am aware of your lineage Rose," Samuel replied. "That''s why I promised not to damage you too badly."

    "You too seem ready to go!" The referee of the event shouted. "I want a good clean fight, no dirty tricks. First one to render the other unable to continue will be declared the winner. You can also win from the classic ring out. Now give the people what they want and remember that his majesty the king is watching from the stands. So please turn and bow to him before you begin."

    Rose and Samuel turned to the king and bowed. Afterwards they turned to each other, and the match began. Rose charged at Samuel with the speed of a seasoned adventurer. This took Samuel by surprise, but not entirely. He always believed that the little girl could have been telling the truth and took her seriously from the onset. Although her speed was superior, Samuel dodged her first flurry of attacks. She struck first with a right hook, followed by a left jab. Samuel dodged both perfectly and countered her with a leg sweep. Due to her small size the sweep hit her on her hip and made her fall to the ground.

    As soon as she hit the ground the waterworks started. "I can''t believe you hit me so hard!" She wailed. "You''re such a big Meany head."

    This took Samuel by surprise, and he felt a sudden uncontrollable urge to consul her as the crowd gasped at his cruelty. "It''s okay Rose, I thought you would have dodged it." He said while walking over to her.

    As he got close enough Rose stopped crying and gave a mischievous grin. She jumped back to her feet in a fluid motion and took Samuel unaware. She jumped and connected with a uppercut that sent Samuel flying back. The crowd watched as Samuel''s body flew across the ring and landed outside of bounds.

    "The winner!" The referee shouted. "The lady Rose!"

    Zell placed his face into his palm after watching the show. "That didn''t count as a dirty trick?" He sighed. "Still, I am proud of her for beating a grown man."

    As the Referee announced her victory the crowd erupted in joy. The first game was over, and Rose clearly had a high strength stat. The force alone to propel a full-sized human male into the air and out of the ring was far more than a five-year-old should have been able to muster.

    "Next we have the trial of intelligence!" The referee shouted as he pulled a lever.. As the lever switched the center ring sank into the ground and large walls appeared all around them. "For this trial Rose must clear the maze within the hour!"

 Chapter 6 - Rose, The Hero Of Legend

    Rose wasted no time getting straight to work in the maze. It was not an overly difficult feat for an adult, but to a five-year-old child it should have been next to impossible. After several trials and errors, she made it to the other side with twenty minutes to spare. As she exited the maze the crowd erupted in applause for her once more.

    "Fantastic!" The Referee said to the crowd. "Having mastered both the trails of strength and intelligence I am convinced that young Rose is truly a once in millennia genius!"

    Again, the crowd cheered, only stopped by the king who stood up from his throne. "My citizens, it is on this day that we welcome a new hero to our kingdom." The king said. "In times past a hero such as my niece Rose has always appeared before the kingdom faced a great crisis. Either it be through increased intelligence solving an unsolvable problem, or with strength and agility winning a war against an aggressive oppressor. So, we must be vigilant, we do not know what adversities we may face, but we can be sure they are coming. Due to this pressing matter, I ask my niece to please begin training immediately. To that end I am granting her special permission to attend school early, so that she can get a head start on tackling whatever challenges may occur."

    The crowd cheered again as the king went on and continued to speak for the next few hours. Elsewhere an evil presence was watching the events unfold on a crystal ball monitor. It was a young teenage demon, who had been blessed with abnormal stats himself.

    Demons on this planet were hunted to the brink of extinction. The humans were petty and xenophobic, any race that was different from their own were cast out and exterminated. Human-like races were tolerated, but still unwelcome in society. Those included dwarves and elves. They were allowed into human cities but were treated as second class citizens or kept as slaves.

    Races such as demons, harpies, minotaur, orcs, and goblins were cast out and driven to band together on what was known as the dark continent. That is where the teenage demon lived, and he is whom those races placed all their hopes and dreams.

    "What do you think my lord?" A female demon dressed in a classical maid''s outfit said to the teen. "Do you think this hero will interfere with our plans? Do you think she will come for us?!"

    "She is rather impressive for a five-year-old, isn''t she?" He replied. "If I had to guess I would say that she was already in the upper twenties for her level. If she is trained properly, she could theoretically reach level fifty or more by the time she is an adult."

    "A human at level fifty?!" She gasped. "Such a thing would be devastating for us. The average level of our soldiers ranges from forty-five for demons, down to fifteen for goblins."

    "I know," he paused, "luckily she doesn''t hold a candle to me, the demon lord of prophecy. I am already level six thousand and still growing. My skills of experience harvest, which allows me a portion of all of my followers'' experience gains, and fast learner, which exponentially increases said experience, will allow me to maintain an impossible distance for any mere human to breach."

    "Sir, if you are that strong why do we not destroy them now?" The maid asked. "Have we not suffered enough as a people, should we not take what is rightfully ours?"

    "Patience." He replied. "I was planning on attacking when I reached ten thousand, but not that the humans have a hero in which they have placed their hope. I think I will wait for her to grow and mature. I want them to see that hope destroyed right in front of them. I want to feel the despair that our people have felt. I want them to know what it is to have everything taken from them. So, for now we will sit and wait¡­ Mostly."

    "Mostly?" The maid questioned, wanting to know the meaning of that qualifier.

    "It might be fun to send some soldiers to test her from time to time." He said with a smile. "Oh yes it should be a very interesting school life for our dear little hero."

    Back in the kingdom, Kelbor, Zell, Rose and Elenore had made it back to the manor. Rose ran over to Zell proud of her latest accomplishment.

    "Looks like I will be going to school with you, big brother!" She said in an almost patronizing manner. "You start school next week and so do I! Tell me isn''t it just the greatest thing ever to have the legendary hero as your sister?! If anyone picks on you for being such a weak disappointment, I can just beat them up for you."

    "Rose, please don''t speak to your brother that way." Elenore demanded of her daughter. "He is not weak nor a disappointment."

    "Honey, she''s the legendary hero!" Kelbor said. "It''s only natural that she would feel superior to her normal brother."

    "Honey, we will discuss this later in our chambers." Elenore said with a death glare towards her husband.

    Upon seeing her glare, the color in his face left him. "Yes dear." He said sheepishly to his wife.

    "It''s okay mom." Zell said. "I''m proud of Rose, she accomplished a lot today, and I could think of no better joy than to get to go to school with my baby sister."

    "Oh Zell, you''re such a sweetheart." Elenore replied. "But if you don''t defend yourself everyone is just going to walk all over you and that''s no way for the future head of a dukedom or future king to act."

    "Zell king?!" Kelbor said. "Rose is the hero of legend, if anyone would take my brother''s throne after he retires it should be her!"

    "Honey." Elenore paused to make sure her husband was listening to her. "There is more to being a ruler than stats alone, it takes a kindness and personality that one must be born with. Both our children would do well, and it is not good to favor one over the other. But like I said we will discuss it more in our chambers later. Please don''t bring it up again. Zell, Rose, you two go to bed. It has been a long day and I am sure you are both tired."

    "Especially after listening to your uncle prattle on for hours on end." Kelbor made himself laugh.. "That man has no idea when to end a speech. Half the crowd was asleep by the end, including me!"

 Chapter 7 - Zells First Assessment

    The first day of school arrived at last. Zell was excited about meeting children his own age. He had spent the first ten years of his life inside the duke''s manor and had little contact with anyone aside from his own family. Sure, the duke and duchess have had numerous parties, even parties for the children, but the children were never allowed to attend.

    "Big brother!" Rose yelled to Zell as he stood by the door, fully dressed and ready to depart for school. Elenore had dressed them both in the school uniform, which was the same for both males and females. It consisted of a plain white shirt with black slacks and a long navy-blue robe that draped from the body.

    "Yes, Rose?" Zell asked as she rushed toward him.

    "We get to go to school today!" She cheered. "Is it not the most exciting thing ever?!"

    "Yeah, I am looking forward to it." Zell answered. "Who knows we might even make friends."

    "I know I will!" Rose said. "I am the legendary hero; everyone will want to be my friend! But do not threat big brother, I can give you some of my friends if no one wants to be your friend!"

    Zell knew she was insulting him, as she always did. He just smiled and patted her on the head and said, "thanks dear sister I don''t know what I would do without you." He always kept a smile, afraid of what might happen if he lost control. His stats may be glitched and he is completely unaware of his level, but he knew he was strong, far too strong.

    Before they left Zell''s mother pulled him to the side. "Son, this school you are going to... Just don''t let them get to you too much, okay? They can be rather harsh to nobles. They claim it is to make us into better rulers, but to be constantly talked down to... I think they just find it enjoyable. Anyway, try and endure it. I love you and take care of your sister for me." She said.

    "I love you too." Zell said as he left with Rose.

    When they arrived at the school building, they were met at the gate by a security guard dressed in a suit of armor. "Halt!" He said, stopping the children in their tracks. He looked over them for a second. "Oh yes, Duke Kelbor''s children, we were expecting you today. Allow me to explain how this institution works. First you will both have to be placed in your classes. We do not have grades or years here so the fact you are first-year students is irrelevant. What matters is your class, and your proficiency in said class. The classes at this academy are as follows: Knighthood, Mercantile, and Scholar. You will be placed in whatever class best fights your attributes, which we will uncover through a series of tests. Rose of course is exempt from the testing because of her status as the hero." The guard made eye contact with Zell. "But you, young man, must be placed."

    "If I don''t take the test, what class am I in?" Rose asked.

    "Knighthood, of course." The guard answered. "Knighthood is more than just combat training; you must learn the very essence of nobility. You learn to govern and to interact with nobles. Mercantile class is all about the making and producing of goods and then the sales of those goods. They also dabble in services. Scholars are the most boring of the lot and spend their days in reflection and study. I''m sure they do something for the kingdom, but I fail to see their purpose in the grand scale of things."

    "So where do I go to get evaluated?" Zell asked. [I could keep the lowest profile as a scholar and perhaps even find out what is wrong with me.]

    "Just head down the path there and you will see a large building, go inside for your test." The guard instructed. "Also do try to be placed into the Knighthood class, anything else would be considered an insult to your family, including the king."

    [Great, now I must place in the knighthood problem, who knows what might happen otherwise.] Zell thought.

    "As for you Rose, please enter the building behind me and wait for the rest of the class to arrive. Then we will determine what rank of Knighthood you should be in."

    Zell left and followed the path until he reached a large structure. As he walked inside, he found a large group of students his age, each being assessed to find out what their futures would hold. He waited in line until it was his turn at the check in table. "Hello, my name is Zell Neuval, I am here for my examination."

    "Oh yes, the older brother of the hero." The woman at the check in table replied while looking Zell over. "We are expecting remarkable things out of your sister, great things indeed. Don''t feel bad if you are not quite at her level, she is legendary after all." She shuffled some papers around and handed Zell a large stack. "Please take these papers to the classroom over there and begin to fill them out. This will give us an idea on what to evaluate you on next."

    "Alright." Zell said as he did as instructed. He opened the papers and to opinion-based questions. Question one: If you had to choose a weapon to defend yourself, what would it be? "That''s simple. Zell said to himself as he answered. Zell was an observant child and always paid attention to his surroundings. One thing he noticed was that all adult nobles he had seen always had a saber on their belt. In this kingdom a saber was a symbol of status and nobility. If he wanted into the Knighthood class, he would need to give them the answers a noble would give, and so he wrote saber as his answer.

    Question two: You find a man stealing from a noble house to feed his family, what do you do? "Oh, I don''t like this question at all." He whimpered to himself. He knew what the answer would be due to the fact this scenario had occurred when he was a small toddler. A man was found picking the apples from the duke''s orchard. He was brought before the duke and executed for his crimes against the nobility. Zell wrote: Execute him.

    Question three: You see a lesser race such as a goblin, what is the best method to deal with the problem? "What problem?" Zell asked himself. Due to being isolated he was unaware of the kingdom''s xenophobic tendencies. He used his high intellect stat to piece together the proper answer. [If they are wording it as a problem, that most likely means they feel as if its mere existence needs to be eradicated. I doubt they would just want to stop at the death of one either.] He thought to himself. He wrote: Hide and follow it back to its home and kill every last one of them. Simply writing such things made him feel sick in the pit of his stomach, but he knew he had to place himself in the Knighthood class.

    The rest of the five hundred questions went by without much of a hitch, Zell was able to deduce the correct answers for nobility without much effort. When he finished, he gathered his papers and went to turn them back in to the woman who gave them to him.

    She took them from him and started looking through his answers. She looked very pleased with his responses. "Well Mr. Neuval, you are definitely on your way to knighthood, I have never seen such a perfectly answered test in all my years of teaching. I really do hope you pass the next two trials and make it into my class."

    "What class would that be?" Zell asked.

    "I teach Knighthood Rank Ten, which is the highest rank, reserved for the future leadership of our fair country." She replied. "As the son of a duke I do hope you make it in, I am sure your sister will.. I digress, please make your way to that room over there and you will begin your next test.

 Chapter 8 - Assessment Two

    Zell walked over to the new room. It was a large open-air cloister, with pillared walkways around the edges and a circle of stone in the center. Zell expected there to be a line, but it seemed that he had come at the perfect time as he was the only one there, aside from the instructor standing in the center of the circle.

    The instructor was a large man in leather armor. His hair was silver, and he had green eyes. He looked at Zell as he entered the room and uncrossed his arms to make a come motion to Zell. "I can''t believe she actually sent someone to me." He laughed to himself as Zell approached.

    Zell overheard the man and was curious. "Why wouldn''t she? Are you not the second assessment?" He asked.

    "You don''t know much, do you boy?" The instructor laughed again. "Did you not notice the lack of a queue? Or did you just think you lucked out? There are several instructors that give the second assessment, and it is extremely rare that someone gets sent to me."

    "Why is that?" Zell asked nervously, thinking he may have done something wrong.

    "Well, you see I am Sir Frederick Indigo, Captain of the guard and head combat instructor of the academy." He explained. "The second assessment can be many things, from combat trials to memory tests. While I am not the only combat assessor, I am the one they use the least."

    "So, my test is combat?" Zell asked. "Am I supposed to beat you in a fight?"

    Frederick looked at Zell''s tiny ten-year-old body and laughed. "No son, that would be impossible for you." He wiped a tear away; he was laughing so hard his eyes watered. "You simply have to survive for one minute. If you leave the circle you lose. If you die you lose. If you lose any body parts you lose. Do you understand the rules?"

    "Seems a bit extreme." Zell said softly, not wanting to offend the knight captain.

    "And that is why I am rarely chosen!" He responded. "You kill a few noble children, and they get all fussy, well my motto is the strong live and the weak die!"

    [What kind of crazy backwards thinking is that?!] Zell thought to himself. [I need to figure out a way to pass this test without showing off.]

    "Ready or not, here I come!" Frederick shouted as he charged towards Zell. Frederick pulled his saber from his waste and slashed at Zell''s neck. Zell could see the attack as if it were in slow motion, giving him time to think about his next move.

    [I''ve got it!] He thought to himself, as the blade inched ever closer. He reared his head back and gave a sneeze moving his body out of the way from the attack. To Frederick it looked like Zell got lucky and that the sneeze saved his life.

    "Well then, try this!" Frederick shouted as he changed his tactic to that of an overhead slash. Again, the attack was in slow motion to Zell.

    [I can''t sneeze again, can I?] He thought to himself. [no that would be suspicious. I need to do something different. But what?]

    *Skill activation: Selective Memory*

    Images of Earth flashed in his head, especially an old movie he liked in his old life. In it a person avoided a fight by feigning a stomachache. [That might just work!] He thought. Zell bent over and grabbed his stomach, as he did, he rolled forward and evaded the attack. Zell was now on his back holding his stomach.

    Frederick was confused by Zell''s intense luck. First a sneeze saved him and now a stomachache? Seizing on the fact Zell was on his back Frederick thrusted his sword at Zell once more. Just each time Zell would just roll to another side, feigning pain in his stomach. The full minute passed, and Zell dodged every attack. Frederick stopped his assault and placed his saber back into his belt.

    "I must say that is a first for me, young man." Frederick said. "Never in all my years have I seen a series of lucky events in my life, either you have the luck of the divine, or you were just faking it." Frederick looked over Zell again. "Must be divine intervention, it''s the only reasonable explanation.

    "Must have been." Zell said while getting back to his feet, still holding his stomach, and keeping the act going. "Must have been something I ate, or maybe the sneeze pulled a muscle in my belly."

    "Regardless of what happened you still passed." Frederick said. "I must be getting old; you are the first student I have ever passed. Honestly had you just run away you still would have advanced. A noble must know when to fight and when to run. They are of no use to the kingdom if they are dead."

    [Running was an option?!] Zell was upset that his ordeal was pointless, but he kept his frustrations inside. "So would you say I am still on the knighthood class path?"

    "Of course, but your next test will decide your fate." Frederick said. "Go back to the person who sent you to me and give them this." He reached into a pouch hanging from his hip opposite his saber and pulled out a small shield emblem. "It is my crest and means you survived my trial. You are actually the first to ever receive it, I wonder what they will say."

    "Alright." Zell said as he took the item. He then bowed to Frederick and left the room.

    Frederick pondered what just happened. "There is no way he did that on purpose, is there?" He asked himself. "There is something going on with that child, and I am going to find out exactly what it is." He smiled. "Just wait until my class young man, I know you and I are going to have a lot of fun."

    Zell got back to the table and handed the woman the shield. "What do I do next?" He asked.

    "Wait, you passed?!" She asked, shocked. "I sent you to him, to see what would happen, I was curious if you really were the brother of the hero."

    "Of course, she''s, my sister." Zell said with a confused expression. "Was that ever in doubt?"

    "Well, she''s just so extraordinary, and you are not¡­" She explained. "But to have passed his test, I wish I could have seen the battle."

    "I actually just got a lucky stomachache was all." Zell said with a smile. "Really wasn''t anything more than me rolling around in pain."

    "Okay¡­" She replied, trying to process what he just told her. "All things considered; I think they will be your next assessment. Take the shield to room 45B, it is just the stairs there and to the right. Pass this one and you will definitely be in my class."

    "Alright." Zell said with a smile as he left.

    After Zell left. The women at the table talked to one another. "Where did you send him, Samantha?" Another woman asked her.

    "I have a hunch; something isn''t what it seems with that child." Samantha answered. "I sent him to the magic division."

    "That''s a post graduate area of study!" The woman shouted.

    "I know if he passes that as well," Samantha said, "that boy is hiding something."

 Chapter 9 - It Really Is Just 1%

    Zell made his way upstairs to the room in which he was assigned. He noticed he was the only child headed that way and wondered just what he had gotten himself into. He found the room without too much of a problem. Inside was a room filled with shelves and shelves of old thick books. In the back of the room an old man sat behind a desk. He had long white hair and a groomed beard trimmed tightly to his face. He had wrinkles around his eyes, from years of study.

    [Did I mess up somehow?] Zell thought to himself. [This looks more like a scholar''s test than that of a knight. Maybe I am just thinking too much about it.]

    Zell made his way to the back where the man sat. The old man was too engrossed in his book to even notice he had a visitor. In an attempt to gain the man''s attention Zell placed the shield on the old man''s book. "Hello, I was told to come here." Zell said.

    The old man looked up from the book and studied the ten-year-old before him. Zell was a scrawny child with long black hair and fair skin. "Where did you get this young man?" He asked. "This is not something anyone easily achieves."

    "From my second assessment." Zell explained. "I was told to bring it to you."

    "Assessment?" The old man was puzzled. "Oh, that''s right, a new batch of young ones are entering the academy today. Slipped this old man''s mind, you must excuse me."

    "That''s fine." Zell said. "I am sorry to disturb your reading."

    "No, that''s quite alright." The old man said. "This is far more interesting. I have worked in this department for forty years and not once has anyone ever come to my room. This is quite interesting indeed.

    "If you don''t mind me asking, what is it that you teach?" Zell asked.

    "Magic." The old man replied. "I am Sage Donovan Henroy, Head magician of this academy and of the king."

    "It is a pleasure to meet you, Sage Henroy." Zell said with a bow. "I am Zell Neuval, son of Duke Kelbor Neuval."

    "Oh yes I heard one of the Neuval children had been declared the hero of legend." Donovan said. "I thought I heard it was the younger female one, but I guess I just can''t trust what I remember sometimes."

    "No that''s right." Zell explained. "My sister is the one that was declared the hero not me."

    "Right," Donovan laughed to himself, "look here son, I do not know why you are trying to keep yourself a secret, but you cannot fool this old man. I have a few unique skills that allow me sight that others lack, although his majesty refuses to trust me, and insists on stupid pointless tests and assessments."

    "What do you mean?" Zell asked with a worried expression.

    "I can see an aura of another." Donovan explained. "The world is wrapped in what is known as mana. Everyone and everything is touched by mana, and the more one is touched the larger their aura. I have done years of study and I believe a person''s mana capacity is tied to their level, aside from those just born with an abnormal amount, such as myself. Normally a person would not even have enough mana to cast a simple spell until level twenty, and more advanced magic at level forty. Roughly someone''s mana pool doubles every twenty levels, at least that is my theory since I have never seen anyone breach forty-two."

    "So that''s why there was no mage class." Zell said. "I wondered about that, why only have a knight, merchant, and scholar class."

    "Precisely," Donovan said, "normally a person would be unable to reach level twenty until at least the late teen years. That is why we have the Mage Class as a post graduate class." Donovan''s expression changed into a more serious one and he made direct eye contact with Zell. "Now be honest with me, what is your level?"

    [Oh no! He is going to find me out, what am I supposed to say!] Zell was freaking out in his mind.

    "I can tell by your expression," Donovan said, "you are afraid your secret will be exposed. Don''t be, this old man can keep a secret and you have my word I shall not tell a soul."

    Zell was relieved, but still concerned. [What if he thinks I am a freak and turns me into some kind of experiment.] He thought. [No, this old man might be my one chance at answers.]

    "Truth is¡­" Zell started. "I don''t really even know what my level is, I cannot read my status screen."

    Donovan leaned back in his chair. "I have never heard of such a thing." He said. "Does it not come up or what exactly happens?"

    "It is just a bunch of random symbols and it glitches." Zell explained. "All I know is I am strong, if not for my limited skill I do not know what I would do."

    "Limited?" Donovan asked. "Are you suggesting that what you are now is not your true power? I find that nearly impossible to believe."

    "It''s true!" Zell replied.

    "Look," Donovan explained, "at twenty an aura on a person is a small outline and at forty it''s a tiny fire that sparks from the body. Your aura lights up the entire room as if you are the surface of a star, I cannot even grasp what kind of power that is, and you are telling me this is only half of it?"

    "One percent¡­" Zell said.

    "Excuse me?!" Donovan was shocked.

    "This isn''t half," Zell said, "this is only one percent of my power."

    Donovan just looked at Zell with a blank expression not saying a word. "Show me five percent."

    "Alright." Zell said. He closed his eyes and focused.

    *Skill Activation: Limited. Setting new parameters to five percent.*

    In Donovan''s eyes the sight was spectacular, Zell''s aura flexed and grew brighter and brighter. What was once a blue flame turned to a solid white light that filled the entire room. To Donovan, it was just Zell and him standing in the middle of a white void.

    "Amazing!" Donovan shouted. "This is simply amazing! You are on an entirely different level. Please let me study you!"

    [No, no, no, no! This is what I was afraid of.. He is going to turn me into some sort of experiment!] Zell worried.

 Chapter 10 - A Few Answers

    Donovan saw the fearful expression upon Zell''s face and knew he needed to clarify his previous statement. "You misunderstand young man." He said while trying to calm Zell. "When I told you I wanted to study you I did not mean I wished you harm or of any experimentation upon you. I simply want to know more about you."

    "Oh, alright." Zell said as he relaxed a bit.

    "So, tell me. What are all of your skills?" Donovan asked. "I know you have the skill of limited, which seems amazing, what else do you have?"

    "I don''t know." Zell said. "I know I have more, but the only one I seem to control is limited."

    "Interesting." Donovan replied. "I have the unique skill, Skill assessment. Allow me to use it on you, young master."

    "Young master?" Zell sounded surprised. "You are the first person here to show me any kind of respect."

    "Aside from the fact that you command more power than anyone else in the world?" Donovan joked. "If you are talking about the fact, you are the son of the duke and thought you deserved something for that, then you would be incorrect. This academy is outside of the constraints of nobility. Inside these walls noble rank is meaningless. It has been this way for centuries. The king who founded our academy felt it was best to raise nobles without politics and influence, to give them a better perspective on life. In fact, it is in our ethos that we treat students with indifference. Of course, some teachers take it a bit further and are quite rude to the young ones. Gives them a power trip. Usually, the higher your noble rank the meaner they are."

    "My mother did mention something like that." Zell replied. "Father never mentioned anything though."

    "That sounds like Kelbor, he probably thought it would be funny if you were ill prepared for what happens here." Donovan sighed. "He had a rough time when he was here, being the son of the king. I''m sure he thought if you had a rough time as well, he would be able to bond with you more."

    "I doubt that." Zell said. "When I told him I didn''t have stats in the teens he lost interest in me, of course it could just be that my little sister was born that very day. When she showed up, I became obsolete. What is worse is my father filled her head with how I failed and was not the hero of legend turning her into someone that always tries to prove she is better than me. I think she is just trying to stay relevant to my father, to remain loved."

    "I''m sorry your father treats you like that." Donovan said. "What about your mother? Elenore was always the sweetest girl. She was even a student of mine. Believe it or not she is a master of ice magic."

    "I had no idea," Zell explained, "mother has not ever used magic to my knowledge, but that would explain why father is always fearful of her. As to how she treats me, it has always been with love. I have never felt alone because I have always had her."

    "That''s wonderful." Donovan smiled. "I always knew she would be a great mother and Kelbor is the quality of father I expected him to be. I remember the day your mother found out about her engagement with your father. She cried, knowing her life would be different, and she would be unable to pursue her magic dreams any further. She knew she would have to be a wife and mother first and foremost. It broke my heart to see her cry so."

    "Poor mom." Zell said with a sad expression. "I had no idea she suffered so much, she always seemed so happy and carefree around us. I had no idea."

    "She most certainly is a good woman." Donovan replied. "Now, back to my question. Will you allow me to use my skill on you, young master?"

    "Yes." Zell said. "I would love to know what my skills are."

    "Very well." Donovan said. He then walked over to Zell and placed his hand upon his head. "Activate Skill: Skill Appraisal!"

    A light engulfed Zell''s body and Zell could feel the flow of energy exchanging between him and the Sage. "Is it working?!" Zell asked loudly, spooked by the light.

    "Yes." Donovan replied. "I can see them clearly now. You have the following skills: Limited, Selective Memory, Master Artisan, Hard Worker, and Shroud of Lies."

    "Do you know what they do?" A curious Zell asked.

    "Hard worker and Master Artisan I am familiar with." Donovan explained. "You never tire from working, and everything you craft will be a masterpiece. If you were not the son of the duke, you would never have to want for money with those skills. Selective Memory and Shroud of Lies, I have not seen before." Donovan removed his hand from Zell''s head. "But just because this old man has not seen them doesn''t mean a thing!" He walked over to his bookshelf and began searching his books. He picked them up one by one, opening them and looked through the contents, until he finally found the one he was looking for. "I found information on the shroud of lies skill. Apparently by living a life of deception, it has caused everyone to believe this false narrative about you. I am sure you had events in your childhood that defied all logic and reason, which would have given people a hint or clue as to what you are. This skill must have shielded you, allowing you to remain shrouded in your lies."

    "It didn''t work on you." Zell said.

    "No, I have a counter skill." Donovan explained. "All seeing truth is my skill''s name. I gained it from years of study into the truths of magic and mana. Now I can see through lies and deceit with ease. Although I have told no one I have this skill, so please refrain from telling others about it."

    "As long as you keep your promise about me." Zell replied.

    "Why do you want to hide it?" Donovan asked. "If the people knew of your power you would get reverence and respect. Even your fool of a father would show you affection."

    "Honestly, I do not know." Zell answered. "At first, I didn''t want to be treated like a freak of nature, but after seeing how my sister is treated¡­" Zell paused. "I suppose that is an unlikely scenario that I shouldn''t worry about."

    "No, you may have been right." Donovan said. "Not because of how people would treat you, but because of how people would attempt to use you. You may have noticed everything happening to your sister now that she has been declared the hero of legend. Everyone is trying to curry favor with her. You will also find nobles trying to use her to advance their own positions. Since she is female, I am sure your parents have already been flooded with offers for her to marry their noble sons. Since you are so high on the noble scale she would have been sought after anyway, but now she is even more valuable, and her original purpose is not possible."

    "Original purpose?" Zell asked.

    "Females of royal nobility are often used in marriage treaties." Donovan said. "A duke''s daughter would have been a great asset for a treaty, but as the kingdom''s hero she will have to marry someone from inside the kingdom. I am sure all the noble houses are making outrageous offerings to your parents for the betrothal."

    "That''s terrible." Zell said, worried about his sister''s fate.

    "Don''t worry she''s still only five yet." Donovan laughed. "Normally arranged marriages happen around the age of twenty, so she still has time before she ties the knot. That being said, if the king has no children, and your sister is chosen as the successor to the throne it may be the case that you are used in the marriage treaty. That is if you continue to hide your power."

    "You just said that it was a good thing I did." Zell said. "Now you are telling me if I don''t, I will be shipped away?"

    "It''s possible." Donovan said. "Unless your uncle gets busy that is. Though it would be a shame if you left the kingdom with your might. Of course, if you did reveal it would be your sister back on the block to be exchanged. Such a complex situation. At least we have years to figure it out right? Let us move on to your other skill now, I am curious as to what it does." Donovan started going through his books again. Throwing one after another until he ran out of books.

    "No luck?" Zell asked.

    "Seems like it''s a never-before-seen skill." Donovan said. "Though I am sure it has activated for you in your life. Perhaps it erases your memory of it after each use. If that is the case it makes since that there is no record of it. No one could remember they had it. Still there is something we could try to discern its purpose."

    "What is that?" Zell asked.

    "We activate it.." Donovan smiled. "Are you ready to try to see what your skill does?"

 Chapter 11 - Painful Memories

    "Yes." Zell stated. "How do we activate it?"

    "Well, I don''t exactly know." Donovan explained. "This is a skill no one has ever had before, and skills require different triggers for activation. It could be as easy as just saying the worlds Activate Skill: Selective Memory, or even just thinking about activating it may have the effect desired."

    "Alright I will try." Zell said. "Activate Skill: Selective Memory!" He waited for something to happen. "I don''t think it worked."

    "Seems that way." Donovan said with a sigh. He began to rub his chin hair as he walked back and forth. He was trying to think of another method of activation. After a few moments inspiration hit him, and he returned to his bookshelf. He found the book he was looking for; it was old and bound in stitched leather. He opened the pages and thumbed through them. "Ah ha!" He said gleefully. "Here is a spell that forcefully activates a skill. As long as I know its name, I can activate it for you. I need only place my hand upon you and speak the incantation."

    "It''s worth a try." Zell said.

    Donovan walked over to Zell and placed his hand on his shoulder. "Ready?"

    "Yes." Zell replied.

    "From within I see a blinding light, to all those else a moonless sky." Donovan began the incantation. "I beseech thee oh gods of old grant to me the power of sight and sound. Allow this skill to activate upon my word so that we may experience its truth and purpose. Activate Skill: Selective Memory!"

    Arcane symbols appeared below Zell''s feet and a bright light emanated from them. The light grew and expanded until it completely engulfed the duo. Inside Zell''s mind his memories came crashing back to him. He remembered his life as Gary, his family, his children, his grandchildren, he remembered all of it. His years of hard labor. All the choices he had made good and bad. He could feel all the emotions he once felt as if it were the first time. I felt the love he had for his wife. He felt the paternal instincts and pride towards his children. As his life flashed before him, he was filled with joy and happiness. Until he reached his retirement. He relived the moment of discovery of his families'' corpses. Great pain and anguish replaced any other feeling. And he screamed out in unbearable pain. "No! My Family!" He yelled. Tears began to pour down his cheeks as he was losing control.

    Donovan was unsure as to what Zell was experiencing and his sudden outburst deepened the confusion. "What''s wrong with the duke and duchess?!" Donovan asked.

    "Not them!" Zell shouted. "My family is dead! I saw their corpses! I felt the pain! I felt my own death!"

    "Fascinating." Donovan said, intrigued by this latest development. "So, this is not your first life, were you originally from another kingdom? Who killed your family?"

    "I don''t know!" Zell cried out. "I just want them back!" He continued to cry.

    "Before this ends, tell me where are you from?" Donovan said.

    "A place called Earth it''s a different universe." Zell explained. "After I died God sent me here. Argh! I just want this pain to stop! The pain from their loss is too much to bear!" The pain was visible upon Zell''s face as it grimaced in agony.

    Donovan tried to calm Zell down. "It will be alright that is all behind you in the past."

    "The pain I feel is current and now." Zell said. "To have known my family and to lose them all over, it is a burden too great!"

    The sadness and pain within Zell were causing him to lose control of Limited. His power kept slowly rising, as he neared fifty percent of his strength the entire building began to shake from the sheer amount of his mana.

    "Zell you have to calm down!" Donovan pleaded. "The fact you hide your power is causing your mana to release at an unnatural rate. If you continue to raise your power it will cause a mana explosion and wipe out the school, that includes your baby sister."

    Zell began to snap out of it. Deep down he did not want to be responsible for anyone''s death, especially that of his baby sister. Try as he might though his emotions were too unstable, and he could not regain control. His power continued to climb. "I can''t!" Zell yelled; eyes swollen from the tears.

    "I hope this works." Donovan said. "Deepest dreamer sleep and slumber. Knockout!"

    Zell fell to the ground and went fast to sleep. As he slept his limited stopped climbing.

    *Skill Activation: Selective Memory*

    Donovan picked Zell''s body up and placed him in a chair. "What a horrifying child." He said. "I understand the purpose of that skill, it is protecting him from his past life. It sounds like his death was horrible, no wonder he needs to forget. Now the question is will he remember when he awakens or will his skill reactivate." Donovan thought about what the best course of action would be. He picked Zell up again and draped him over his shoulder. "From here nor there I go henceforth. Teleportation!"

    Donovan and Zell vanished from the room and reappeared in a forest far away from civilization. Donovan placed Zell onto the ground. "Time for slumber has ended, be awake and rise again. Awaken!"

    Zell woke up slowly and saw that he was surrounded by lush vegetation. He jumped up in surprise. "Wait, how did we get here?!" He asked loudly.

    "Do you remember anything?" Donovan asked.

    "I remember you were going to try and activate my skill." Zell said. "Then I woke up here a second later. Did something go wrong?"

    "No, your skill activated lad." Donovan said. "It was horrible to see you hurt so badly."

    "I was hurt?" Zell asked.

    "Not physically, no." Donovan replied. "Your skill blocks memories that are too painful for you to process. When you have them, you are broken and sad, so your skill is protecting you from your past."

    "What is my past? I want to know." Zell said.

    "You really do not." Donovan sighed. "I would say that those memories within you are your greatest weakness. Even if you are the strongest on the planet, it would be impossible to withstand an attack by those memories."

    "At least tell me something." Zell said. "It sounds like I suffered for this information."

    "I got bits and pieces." Donovan said. "Perhaps if we do it this way you may be able to come to terms with it better and if not well, we are in the middle of nowhere if you explode."

    "If I explode?" Zell was confused.

    "Yes, you almost exploded." Donovan said. "So, it would be best to give you only small pieces of information at a time until you are able to come to terms with it. Who knows if that happens your skill may undo itself?"

    "Alright, well tell me already." Zell said impatiently, his curiosity peaking.

    "You are from another world." Donovan said. "Apparently you were reincarnated here on this planet, sent by God themself."

    "Reincarnated?" Zell asked. "So, I died at one point in this other world?"

    "Yes." Donovan said, preparing to try the waters. "You had a family, from what I gathered they all died with you."

    "Wow." Zell said. "I had no idea."

    "But you are, okay?" Donovan asked.

    "A bit sad, but yeah." Zell said. "Since I can''t remember it just feels like a story about someone else."

    "That was the response I was hoping for." Donovan said. "If you think about that, your old life and your new life as two separate lives it should help you come to terms with your traumatic death and let you have your memories again. At least I think this is all new to me."

    "Thanks then." Zell said. "Although I have a question."

    "You may ask it young master." Donovan replied.

    "What''s that stalking us from behind the trees?" Zell asked.

 Chapter 12 - Whoops

    A shadowy figure stalked Zell and Donovan from the tree line unaware that Zell had sensed it. In response to Zell''s comment Donovan was looking around at the trees from his vantage point. [Oh no did they see me?!] The creature thought to itself. [That would be impossible, I have the skill of perfect camouflage there is no chance they have detected me. But still, it does look like they are looking for someone.] Suddenly Zell pointed in their direction and Donovan launched a fireball at the tree the creature was hiding behind. The sudden attack caused it to leap out into the open to avoid the blast.

    The creature was a young inhuman woman. She belonged to the tribe of beast men that lived in this particular forest. The elder sensed an immense magical force enter this barrier in which he surrounded the forest with and sent her to investigate. He assumed he would be able to remain undetected and safe due to her skill.

    She looked in horror, knowing that humans had discovered her. She knew what that meant for her. Humans had a long history of abuse and murder of her kind. She jumped to her feet and pulled a spear from her back. She bared her fangs and hissed on her would-be attackers.

    "It''s a feral beast man." Donovan said. "Stay behind me young master, I will protect you from this evil monster."

    Donovan raised his hand and prepared to launch another fireball at the young beast girl. Zell looked on but all he saw was a young girl around his age, and aside from a fluffy tail and ears seemed human. She looked terrified.

    "Wait!" Zell shouted as he pushed Donovan to stop the spell. Completely unaware that his limited skill was still at an unreasonable output level of thirty percent. The light push sent Donovan flying at a ludicrous speed into the trees. Luckily, his robe was enchanted with an auto defense barrier that activated on the push and surrounded him with a protective shield that absorbed the impact from the trees. Still, it was as if he was a cannonball mowing down the forest as he traveled a few thousand feet.

    The beast girl''s eyes widened as she could not believe what she had just witnessed. The shock caused both her spear and her jaw to drop.

    Zell was surprised as well, meaning only to barely push Donovan. "Oh no!" He yelled. "Are you okay?! I am so sorry!" He started to run down the path of destruction that he caused, to see if Donovan survived.

    "Wait!" The girl shouted out towards Zell. [Oh, why did I just do that?! This boy is not natural. Why didn''t you just run-away Kaitlyn!] She thought to herself.

    Zell stopped and turned to face the girl. He had forgotten all about her for a moment, due to the accident with Donovan. "Hello?" Zell responded while raising his hand in a small wave.

    "What are you?!" Kaitlyn shouted.

    Zell paused and scratched the back of his head while he thought of an answer. "I will tell you in a minute if you let me check on the professor really quickly. I am afraid I may have hurt him¡­"

    "More like kill him." Kaitlyn said to herself softly. She squatted down and picked her spear back up and placed it back into the holster on her back. She then sat down on her knees. "Go check on his corpse then! I will be here when you get back!" She shouted. [Why Kaitlyn, why won''t you just run away! And now you are even going to wait for him?] She thought. Her instincts however were telling her the best course of action was to wait and talk to this boy.

    Zell started to run down the path, his raised stats cause him to move at an inhuman acceleration. He reached Donovan in under a minute. Running over a thousand feet in mere seconds. He found Donovan unconscious against a tree, but otherwise undamaged.

    Zell reached down and felt for a heartbeat. "Good he is still alive." Zell said happily. He picked Donovan up and attempted to carry him. The weight of the elder mage was not an issue as Zell''s strength was off the charts. The problem arose from Zell''s short stature and small frame. He was no more than four foot tall and the man he was trying to carry was five foot eleven inches. Eventually he draped his arms over his shoulders and lifted Donovan''s legs beneath his arms. It looked quite intriguing, but it was functional. Zell made haste back to the girl. He had questions for her, and he was sure she had questions for him. He only hoped that she would have a way to bring his professor back to consciousness since the sage was his only way home.

    As he exited the tree line Kaitlyn saw the pair and could not help but to laugh at the sight. She then quickly covered her mouth with her hand, fearing her laughter would offend this scary boy.

    Zell sat Donovan down and leaned him against a tree. He then walked over and sat on his knees in front of the beast girl. "Hello, my name is Zell Neuval." He said to her casually.

    "I am Kaitlyn." She replied.

    "Alright Kaitlyn, I have a question." Zell said.

    "First, please answer mine from earlier." She said her curiosity was getting the better of her.

    "I am just a normal everyday human being." Zell said with a smile.

    "Right, just a normal human." She paused for a moment. "As if! You are not! No human is that strong, nor that nice! Humans only attack, one would never attack another to save a beast person like me."

    "I really am." Zell replied. "As to why I saved you it only seemed like the right thing to do. It might be because I grew up in isolation, mainly with just my family, but really with just my mom as my dad and sister ignore me most of the time. I suppose there was the staff there as well, but I avoided them so as to not have accidents, like the one you saw today. Anyways, all I saw was a scared girl around my age. Was a cute fluffy tail and ears really enough for a death sentence?"

    "Cute?!" She blushed. "Human you can''t just go around calling beast girls cute!"

    Zell bowed his head. "I am sorry I did not mean to offend." He said.

    "You didn''t offend, it was just¡­" Kaitlyn paused and stroked her hair. "Unexpected is all. Okay I guess I will believe you, for now, maybe¡­"

    "Okay can I ask my question now?" Zell asked.

    "Go ahead." Kaitlyn said.

    Zell turned and pointed at Donovan, "do you have a way to wake him up?" Zell asked.

 Chapter 13 - To The Village Of Beast People

    Kaitlyn looked at the unconscious old man slumped over at the tree. "If he wakes up, won''t he try to kill me again?"

    Zell thought for a moment considering her words. "He might, but I doubt he would attempt it after the last time." He replied.

    "You did throw him pretty far¡­" Kaitlyn looked at the devastation once more. "Oh no!" She screamed. "The elder is going to kill me! So many trees have been destroyed!" She jumped up to her feet and started pacing. "No, no, no, no" she continued.

    "I''m sorry!" Zell bowed his head to her. "I have caused you trouble, but why would your elder blame you and not us?"

    Kaitlyn stopped pacing as if she had run into a wall. "Oh, that makes sense." She sighed with relief. "I mean what would he have expected a little girl like me to do! Of course, if I would have stayed hidden you wouldn''t have had to push that old man and save me. Oh! It''s completely my fault! What am I going to do!"

    "I found you," Zell explained. "You did nothing wrong, nor could you have done anything differently."

    "I know!" Kaitlyn said. "I will take you both to the elder and you can explain that you broke the trees!" She walked over to the slumping Donovan and grabbed his arm. She started to walk into the tree line dragging his lifeless body behind her on the ground. All manner of dirt, twigs, rocks, and insects were finding their way into Donovan''s robe and beard as she dragged him. She turned back to Zell. "Are you coming? The village is this way, the elder is the only one who might be able to wake this one up anyway."

    "Okay!" Zell said with a head nod and quickly followed behind her. He watched as she dragged him and saw that he was getting increasingly dirty. "Would you like me to carry him?"

    Kaitlyn stopped and dropped Donovan''s arm. It landed on the ground with a thud. "Oh, right, sure, that makes sense." She said. She waited for Zell to pick him up and giggled at the result. "You look so funny carrying that old man with your tiny body. So, tell me Mr. claims to be a human, how are you so strong and fast and just overly crazy?"

    "I have just always been that way." Zell answered.

    "No magic ritual to bind your soul with a wandering god or spirit?" She asked.

    "Not that I know of?" Zell said. "I have been this way since before I could even remember."

    "So maybe they did it to you when you were a baby, and you just don''t remember it!" Kaitlyn continued. "Would have to be a very powerful god or spirit, that''s for sure."

    "So that''s a thing that can actually happen?!" Zell asked.

    "Well sure." Kaitlyn said, surprised by Zell''s lack of knowledge. "Although it takes a special person with the Vessel skill to survive the linkage. It is common among the beast tribes for at least one member of the tribe to be imbued with the power of a spirit. There was even one time a beast person had the power of a god."

    "That''s incredible." Zell said. "I honestly don''t know if humans have anything like that. Today was to be my first day of school, but one thing led to another and here I am."

    "With all your power did you expect it to be a normal day?" Kaitlyn looked confused.

    "Well, I have always been able to hide it from everyone." Zell said. "I slipped up today, I wanted to be in the same class as my sister so that I wouldn''t bring shame on my family, and I guess things went from there."

    "Humans are weird." Kaitlyn said. "If I had unmatched strength, I would never hide it! The whole of the world would know of my name and what I was capable of! They would always greet me with cheers and humans would run away instead of attacking me! Yes, life would be great!"

    "I have always felt like a monster in a glass world." Zell explained. "If I did not constantly control my power, I might destroy my city or kill those around me. I hid it because I just wanted to be normal, and I did not want anyone to treat me like the freak of nature that I am. I wanted them to see me as me and not the monster inside of me."

    "I don''t think you''re a monster." Kaitlyn smiled. "Though I still say you are way too nice to be a human, are you really sure you are a human?"

    "I have a mother and everything." Zell said in response.

    The trees began to break, and Zell could see the outline of huts and buildings in the distance. "We are here!" Kaitlyn said. "Oh, and if you please refrain from destroying me and all of my people that would be awesome. Just tell the elder you broke the trees, ask him to wake your friend up and you two just vanish from here just like you came." She said extremely quickly.

    "Alright¡­?" Zell was confused by Kaitlyn''s extensive list of demands spoken at an outrageous rate. "I''ll just follow you then."

    Kaitlyn walked to the building at the center of the village, it was the largest by far. A cloth hung from the doorway, covering the entrance. The exterior was made of clay and wood. As she opened the cloth door she shouted, "Grandpa, I am home!"

    "Are you alright?!" An older male''s voice could be heard from inside.

    Kaitlyn went inside and motioned for Zell to follow. Inside the building was a large room with a fire pit in the center. A hole was in the roof so that the flames would not torch the ceiling.. Sitting next to the fire was an older beast man who resembled an elder lion, whose fur had begun to turn gray.

 Chapter 14 - Talking With The Elder

    "I see you have brought humans to the village." The old lion growled. "Did they threaten you for its location? Or did you fall for some lame story about needing help?! How many times have I told you, humans will either kill you or enslave you on sight! Now they know where our village is!" He paused for a moment while trying to regain his composure. "Go to your room Kaitlyn, I will handle this mess and we will speak of it later!"

    "But grandpa!" Kaitlyn said.

    "No buts!" The old lion snapped back. "Get in your room now!"

    Kaitlyn gave up and stormed off to her room. She made a show about slamming the cloth that hung from her door.

    After Kaitlyn was secure in her room, the older beast man rolled his shoulders as to loosen them up for battle. He looked down at the small human before him and snarled. "It is a shame you came all this way to die little human. I just cannot risk the safety of my tribe to a human''s whims."

    Zell sat Donovan''s body down on the floor against the wall. "Can we talk about this?" Zell asked.

    Before Zell could say anything else the old lion rushed forward to attack. Before his blow landed however his instincts kicked in and he leaped to the far wall of the hut. [What is that?!] He thought to himself as all his hairs stood on end. "Boy what are you?!" He shouted.

    "I tried to warn you grandpa!" Kaitlyn could be heard from her room.

    The old lion''s face changed to worry, and he decided he would attempt to salvage the situation. "Yes, why don''t we talk. Have a seat there and we will have a discussion."

    Zell smiled and complied with the old lion''s request. "My name is Zell Neuval, it is a pleasure to meet you sir." Zell said as he sat down.

    "Neuval like the human kingdom to the west?" The old lion asked.

    "I suppose?" Zell replied. "I don''t really know where I am right now."

    "Right, how rude of me." The old lion sat down. "My name is Leon Furtail, I am elder and chieftain of this tribe. We are the ones hidden within the Eastern woods, or as some call it the forest of no return. At least that is what humans call it, since we never allow them to leave it alive¡­ normally."

    "I can understand your sentiment on the matter." Zell said. "Kaitlyn told me about what humans do to your people. I had no idea, and I apologize."

    "With a name like yours I am assuming you are of noble birth?" Leon asked, trying to find out more about the boy his body was so afraid of.

    "Yes, my father is the King''s brother." Zell answered. "I don''t really know much about the kingdom, today was supposed to be my first day of school. It kind of went off track."

    "I see." Leon said. "What happened to that one?" Leon pointed at Donovan.

    "Oh right, I regret to say that he was going to kill poor Kaitlyn, so pushed him." Zell said. "I couldn''t let a young girl get hurt for no reason."

    [Is this kid for real?!] Leon thought to himself. [Humans have never cared about us beast folk, and yet to claims to have attacked one of their own kind to save my granddaughter?]

    "It''s true grandpa!" Kaitlyn yelled from the other room.

    "Stop listening in on us Kaitlyn!" Leon yelled back.

    "It''s not like it''s hard, you are talking so loud!" Kaitlyn responded back.

    "So anyway." Zell said to continue his story. "When I pushed him, I accidentally used too much of my power and I accidentally destroyed a few thousand feet of trees¡­"

    Leon crossed his arms, unsure what to do with that information. "Trees are of no concern; our druids can heal any wound of the forest." He said. "What''s more impressive is you say a mere push from you destroyed thousands of feet of trees. Are you one with a spirit?"

    "Is that what Kaitlyn told me about earlier?" Zell asked. "Where an individual can take in a spirit or a god and gain their strength?"

    "Mostly," Leon started, "I understand Kaitlyn wouldn''t have explained it well. I have not explained it well to her myself. We beast folk can commune with nature, and that includes the spirits of nature. Through meditation we are able to see and communicate with those spirits. If someone has the appropriate skill of Vessel, they can form a pact with the spirit. Both parties must agree to the pact, or it will not work. Together they create a symbiotic relationship, the spirit is gifted with physical experiences and the beast folk are granted great strength and agility. We call this being one with the spirit because the two become one. Vessels say they can always hear the thoughts of the spirit and never feel alone again. It is both a great honor and burden."

    "That''s pretty much the gist of what Kaitlyn told me." Zell said. "Has a human ever been one with a spirit before?"

    "No." Leon answered quickly. "Humans lack the ability to communicate with nature, the world of the spirits is unknown to them. They are savages who murder anyone who is different from themselves. No offense to the present company."

    "From what I''ve learned so far you have every right to feel that way." Zell said.

    "So, if you are not one with a spirit, why are you so strong? What is your current level?" Leon asked.

    "I don''t honestly know." Zell said. "My level has always just appeared as symbols, and the first person I talked about it to was this old man, and you see how that turned out. I don''t know why I just told you too."

    "It''s my skill." Leon said. "Finder of truth. It burns through my mana but compels whoever I ask a question to answer in truth."

    "That skill is crazy!" Zell said. "The professor here has a similar skill where he can see lies. Why would you tell me about your skill anyway?"

    "It''s a drawback of the skill." Leon said. "While it is activated, I may only speak the truth as well. It makes family discussions quite interesting but impactful."

    "How did you end up in my forest?" Leon asked, his skill still active.

    "Well, the professor activated one of my skills called Selective memory and apparently I lost control." Zell explained. "He said that I was going to cause a mana explosion that would have wiped out the school if he didn''t stop me, so he teleported us to the forest. Sadly, though, my skill reactivated, and I lost all the memories again. He did tell me I told him I was from another world, and that my whole family died."

    "So, you must be the one." Leon sighed with relief.. "She told me you would be coming."

 Chapter 15 - The Quest Before Zell

    "What do you mean?" Zell questioned, intrigued by Leon''s statement. "What do you mean she predicted my arrival?"

    "Well, I told you about being one with the spirits." Leon explained. "That is not only to increase one strength but can also be used to gain unique skills, we have such an instance in our village. Her skill is known as prophecy, it enables her to see possible futures and outcomes. She told me there would be a visitor from another world and that I should greet him with open arms, for the fate of the world will rest on their shoulders."

    Zell just looked at Leon, trying to process what he had just been told. "What do you mean, the fate of the world?" Zell asked.

    "The policies of your people have set this in motion." Leon said. "Due to the abuse, the other races have banded together and formed a union. At the center of this union is a teenage demon, who has been given the mantle of demon lord. Under his guidance those races are building a kingdom and are preparing for war. They believe there can be no peace in life until humanity is wiped from this world."

    "How do you know all this?!" Zell asked.

    "A recruiter came to us a few months ago, but we declined their offer." Leon said. "My tribe has always had peace in this forest and do not wish to be dragged into some foolish war."

    "Still, why would you care what happens to the humans?" Zell asked. "It sounds like they are being horrible to your people."

    "I do not care for them, no." Leon said. "In fact, I kill them on sight, mostly. However, genocide is evil no matter what and you cannot defeat evil by doing more evil. I fear what would happen to this world, should that happen. My people believe that the world itself is alive and has a soul. What would happen to that soul if so much blood was spilled in such an evil act? Would that soul still be able to produce the life that gives us the tree, flowers, and fruits? Or would it become blackened and never give us fertile soil again?"

    "Still, it doesn''t seem like the answer would be to just kill their kingdom." Zell said. "That would be wrong as well. They have reason to feel what they feel."

    Leon smiled and walked over to Zell. He sat next to him and placed his large hand onto Zell''s shoulder. "You are a funny human, aren''t you?" Leon joked. "Normally a human does not care about the other races at all, if I told any other human, what I told you their first response would be that they must stop the demon lord to save the world. Instead, you view the problem from both sides and try to find a better solution than death, even with all your power."

    Zell just sat there quietly.

    "She was right about you." Leon said. "I think I finally understand what she meant by the fate of the world. She meant that it is up to you to lead the world down a better path, one of peace and understanding. First you must change the hearts of humans, who lust for power and despise all that is different from themselves. Then you must change the way the other races view humans and rebuild those relationships to establish peace. This will not be an easy task, but it is a necessary one."

    Zell noticed that the sky was beginning to darken. "Oh man it''s almost night!" Zell said. "I need to get back to the school or my sister will worry!"

    "I just handed you a quest of epic proportions and that is what concerns you?" Leon said exasperatedly. "Young man, do you not realize that the fate of all life on this planet hangs in the balance? Your school is unimportant, your sister is unimportant. All that matters is your quest, you are the only hope."

    "Yeah, I hear you." Zell said in response. "But as you said I need to change the hearts of humans, right? Well, I can''t do that here, I have to go home anyway so why make my sister worry about me?"

    "I concede your point." Leon sighed.

    "So do you have any way to wake up the professor over there?" Zell asked. "He is my ride home."

    "I do not, but I shall give you this stone." Leon walked over to a treasure box in the corner of the room and pulled a stone out of it that was wrapped in silk. He walked back to Zell and handed him the stone. "This is a way stone, if you focus mana into it, you will be able to use transportation magic, much like the professor did when he brought you here. Use this stone to visit us, we have much more to discuss, and you will need training."

    "Training?" Zell asked.

    "One must conquer their inner demons before they can conquer another man''s." Leon said. "Come back and we will help you conquer those demons of yours, the ones that brought you to us to begin with."

    "Alright!" Zell said. He walked over to the professor and put his hand on him. He then focused his mana into the stone and thought of the school. In an instant the two of them vanished.

    Leon let out a deep breath and fell back down to his seat. "That young man has a presence I have never felt before, raw power but pure kindness behind it. He may be the only good soul amongst the humans, I wonder if he will succeed."

    "Grandpa?" Kaitlyn came out of her room.

    "Yes Kaitlyn." Leon said. "I am glad you made it back to me safe today, please be more careful in the future."

    "Yes grandpa, I will." Kaitlyn said.

    "Also, when that boy returns, I want you to stay by his side." Leon said. "You will assist in ridding him of his demons."

    "Okay!" Kaitlyn cheered, she liked Zell, although she did not fully understand why.

    Meanwhile back at the academy a portal opened directly above the entrance exam table and Zell and Donovan fell out onto the table. The women working jumped back in surprise as their table was destroyed from the impact.

    "Sage Henroy!" Samantha screamed.. "What in the world has happened to you?!" She turned her attention to Zell. "Boy what have you done to Sage Henroy?! He is covered in dirt, branches, and bugs! Is he dead?!"

 Chapter 16 - Dragon Slayer

    Samantha quickly checks for a pulse on Donovan. "Good it''s there but it''s faint." She said. "Now tell me what happened!"

    [What do I say?!] Zell thought to himself, beginning to panic. "He took me to the woods and a spell backfired on him." Zell said in a lie.

    "That old goat." Samantha snarled. "Always causing trouble with his experimental magic."

    Zell''s charisma had done it again, and Samantha believed his story.

    "Well, I suppose that you passed his test if he took you to the forest." Samantha said, and if not, I will still say you did for your skill in bringing him back to us after he blew himself up."

    "Thank you." Zell said.

    "That being said, you have passed the two most difficult tests I have ever given." Samantha said. "Would you mind telling me just what are you hiding?"

    "It was just luck, that''s all." Zell said in an attempt to evade.

    "Just lucky you dodged all of the best warrior in the kingdom''s attacks?" Samantha questioned. "Just lucky that you have enough mana to cast such a spell as transportation magic and not be unconscious afterwards? There are only a handful of mages in all the kingdom with that ability. But when you do it, it was just lucky."

    "I ugh¡­" Zell started.

    "Tell me the truth young Neuval, what are you hiding?!" Samantha demanded.

    The floor flew open, and a small girl stood in the doorway. "Brother, are you not finished with your exams yet?" Rose yelled. "I am ready to go home! I have already been placed at the highest level for my exceptional ability."

    "How about we finish this later?" Zell asked Samantha.

    "That''s fine, I have no option but to pass you and place you in my class." Samantha added. "You will be in the same class as your sister, and you will tell me what you are hiding."

    "Ugh." Donovan moaned, causing Samantha to turn her attention back to the old man.

    "I will see you both in class tomorrow." Samantha said. "Now leave me, I must attend to this old idiot."

    Zell walked over to his sister and the two left together.

    "How did you get into the same class as me brother?" Rose asked.

    "It has been quite the day." Zell sighed.

    Rose was suspicious of her brother; he had never shown much drive at home. She wondered what could have caused him to put forth so much effort. "I thought for sure you would have failed and disappointed father again." She said. "I suppose you are not completely useless."

    "Thanks?" Zell said questionably. "Glad I could meet your expectations I guess."

    "Do try and keep up with me brother." Rose said. "For I am the hero of legend, and my path shall be fast paced and fraught with dangers your puny intellect could not even fathom."

    "Isn''t this just the sweetest thing?" A dark figure said as they walked out from behind the tree line. "The young hero and her nothing of a brother walking home together after school. How utterly sweet, makes me want to vomit."

    Rose pulled a small sword from her hip and got into an attack stance. "Don''t worry brother, I will protect you from this fiend."

    "Oh, that''s just adorable!" The man laughed. "This tiny infant of a human thinks she has the might to best me. Oh, that just makes this trip oh so worth it."

    "Who are you and what do you want?" Zell said.

    "I am Xalrend," the man said with a bow. "I am but a humble elder dragon come to check the skills of humanity''s dear hero."

    "Enough of this banter!" Rose yelled. "Prepare to die fiend!" She charged at Xalrend, to which he easily batted her away with a smooth effortless motion. She landed face down in the dirt at his feet.

    "My, what a worthless hero." Xalrend laughed. "So, boy, do you wish to save your dear sister? If the hero of humanity could not stop me, what hope would you have?" He reached down and picked Rose up by her neck with one arm. With the other he formed a claw upon his index finger. He then used the claw to pierce her shoulder. As he did blood splatter out onto the ground.

    "Stop it!" Zell yelled. "Put her down!" Seeing his sister get stabbed caused flashes of memories to well up from inside of him, he saw bloody bodies of his past. [This must be my previous life. I still feel disconnected to it, but I feel the rage of my soul. I feel the anger instead of the sorrow.]

    "Oh, and are you going to do something about it?!" Xalrend asked. "You know boy I have been alive for millennia and in that time, I have achieved a level beyond the comprehension of you humans. I have ascended to godhood! Yes, I am the god dragon king! I am at level forty thousand!"

    "Tell me." Zell said with a seething rage in his voice. "At forty thousand can you still read your status screen?"

    "Of course!" Xalrend asked. "All of my stats are in the tens of thousands.

    Zell smiled, his anger bubbling up inside of him. "Good, that means I''m stronger." He said.

    "Oh, come now, enough bluster." Xalrend said. "I know only the hero of the humans could be a threat to me and my kind. Allow me to show you what it is to be powerful." Xalrend tossed Rose onto the ground and charged at Zell in an instant. He threw a punch directly at Zell''s head. To his surprise Zell caught it.

    Zell began to squeeze the dragon''s fist, slowly crushing it in his tiny hand. Xalrend could feel his bones snapping.

    "What the devil are you?!" Xalrend yelled. "No human is this strong! Not now, not ever!"

    "Oh?" Zell asked. With a quick motion he ripped the arm from Xalrend''s socket. "Nobody told me that." Zell tossed Xalrend''s arm behind him.

    Xalrend fell backwards and landed on the ground. He was grabbing his wound trying to staunch the bleeding. "This, this isn''t possible!"

    Zell started slowly walking towards his enemy. "Tell me why you came to attack my sister?" He said.

    Xalrend moved backwards on the ground in an attempt to evade Zell. "I was just bored." He shouted.

    "Bored?" Zell said, the rage bubbling more and more to the surface. "So, you weren''t ordered by the demon lord to attack her?"

    "How do you know about the demon lord?!" Xalrend asked. "He has not made his presence known to any humans!"

    "I ask, you answer." Zell said. "This is not a two-way street."

    "I''ve got to get out of here!" Xalrend formed his wings upon his back and began to take off. Zell moved with lightning speed to disappear from sight and then reappear behind Xalrend. Zell grabbed both of his wings and ripped them out in a single motion.

    "Ah!" Xalrend cried out in pain and rolled back to face his attacker once more. Zell was now covered Xalrend''s blood, having been sprayed by each detached limb.

    "Trying to leave before you answer my question?" Zell asked. "That is very impolite."

    "I''m sorry!" Xalrend cried. "No, he did not send me!"

    "Are you sure?!" Zell asked loudly.

    "Yes!" Xalrend said. "He gave orders that none were to touch the hero until he gave the order, but I didn''t agree with his plan and acted on my own! I thought she was too much of a threat to keep alive. I had no idea you were the true hero."

    "That''s good to hear." Zell said. "Sadly though, I can''t have you reporting any of this to the demon lord. Zell punched a hole into Xalrend''s chest with such force that the bone and organs turned to dust. The air pressure from the punch made a ten-foot crater on the ground behind Xalrend''s corpse.

    "Brother?!" Rose had regained consciousness mid-way through the fight and witnessed her brother''s overwhelming might. "Is that really you?"

 Chapter 17 - Help!

    Zell sighed, knowing his sister now knows his secret. He walked over to her and knelt next to her. "Yes, it''s me Rose." He said calmly. "How much did you see?"

    "I saw you obliterate that guy!" Rose said. "The entire midsection of his body is just gone now and there is a big hole. You did that with a single punch!"

    "Rose¡­" Zell started.

    "Why did you lie to us big brother?!" Rose demanded. "Why did you let me think I was the special one?! Why did you let father be disappointed in you?! Why did you let us think you were weak?!"

    Zell didn''t have a good answer, but he attempted to answer it anyway. "I was afraid." He said.

    "Afraid of what you just melted a dragon?!" Rose cried. "You shouldn''t fear anything!"

    "When I pulled up my status for the first time, all I saw was glitches and symbols." Zell explained. "I can''t see my level, or my stats. I knew that wasn''t normal. I did not want to end up being treated as a freak. I didn''t want to have to leave mom and dad. I just wanted to have a normal life."

    "You call being a complete recluse and lying to your family constantly a normal life?" Rose asked pointedly.

    "I suppose I cannot have one either way, can I?" Zell sighed. "Still, I prefer it when people treat me just like everyone else, instead of like a superior to them."

    "You are the son of a Duke." Rose said as she attempted to get to her feet. She was holding the stab wound on her shoulder to staunch the blood. "You are above everyone else. No one should treat you as their equal save your family."

    "Rose!" Zell grabbed her tiny body as she began to fall unconscious. "I got you little sister." Zell smiled. He lifted her up and carried her in his arms. "I just feel like even though I am of royal blood, I am no better than anyone else. Why should we be treated differently just because of who we were born to. Why should our life be different? Regardless of the answer I need to get to the doctor. Let''s go, little sister."

    Zell started running towards the center of the city. He had only been in his mansion and along the path to the school, so he did not know where anything was in town. He stopped running when he spotted some people.

    "Excuse me!" Zell called out to them. "I am looking for the doctor, do you know where he is?"

    "By the gods!" The citizen yelled. "What happened to you boy, you are covered in blood, and that little girl is bleeding!"

    "Yes, I know that." Zell said. "That''s why we need the doctor."

    "Wait a minute I recognize that tiny miss!" The citizen said. "She''s the bloody hero! Did you do this to her?! Did you hurt the hero?!"

    "No, we were attacked." Zell explained.

    "A likely tale." The citizen responded. "Hey everyone, this boy injured our hero!"

    "What isn''t that her brother?!" Another person said.

    A crowd began to form around them, blaming Zell for the injuries of Rose.

    "It wasn''t me!" Zell said. "Like I said we were attacked."

    "Then why aren''t you hurt then?!" the crowd demanded. "Your covered in blood, without a scratch, means it''s not your blood. Did you get jealous of your sister and decide to take out the competition? That is such a royal thing to do! Always killing one another for the sake of power!"

    [Why is no one listening to me?! Rose needs help.] Zell thought to himself. [I guess I will use that then.]

    Zell reached into his pocket quickly and grabbed his way stone. He thought of the beast man village and teleported Rose and himself there. They landed outside of Leon''s hut.

    "Leon!" Zell called out. "I need help!"

    The old lion rushed out of his hut to meet Zell. "What happened?" He asked.

    "We were attacked by some person saying he was a dragon god, and Rose got stabbed." Zell explained. "I tried to get help in my city, but no one would help me. Please can you heal my sister?"

    "Of course, bring her inside." Leon said. "Place her on the table when you get in."

    They entered the hut and Zell placed Rose down as instructed. Leon began to cast a healing spell. "Life spring!" He shouted as a faint glow surrounded Rose.

    "Is it going to save her?" Zell asked.

    "Yes, all she needs now is rest." Leon explained. "Kaitlyn!" Leon shouted.

    Kaitlyn emerged from her room. "Yes grandpa?" She asked.

    "Prepare a place to sleep for this little one here." Leon said. "She will be staying the night as our guest."

    "Okay!" Kaitlyn responded as she went off into another room.

    "So, tell me, what happened to that dragon?" Leon asked.

    "I killed him." Zell said softly. "I was so mad after he hurt Rose. I couldn''t help myself. I just lost myself to rage. I saw my past family, I felt so angry, I felt so much hate."

    "I pity any fool that dares to anger you, young man." Leon said. "Don''t let the dragon''s death weigh too heavily upon your conscience. Had you been an average human he would have toyed with you and killed you both with a smile. His favorite pastime has always been to bully the weak. I guess he did it for so long that he lost his instincts."

    "That''s not all." Zell said. "When I went to get help for Rose, everyone blamed me for her injuries. They constantly taunted me and blamed me. I think they were close to attacking me! That''s why I came here."

    "Humans always jump to conclusions." Leon sighed. "If they only knew how powerful you were, they would have never treated you in such a manner."

    "Right." Zell said. "I made some bad decisions, but I still think my power is better kept as a secret."

    "If that''s what you think will bring both humans and nonhumans together in peace." Leon laughed. "Look rest here tonight and we will discuss what to do about your situation in the morning. Hopefully young Rose will be able to join our conversation as well."

    "Alright." Zell agreed.. "I will stay here for the evening."

 Chapter 18 - Breakfast With Rose

    The night passed quickly. When Zell awoke, he found his way into the main hall where little Rose and Kaitlyn were chatting. Rose had made a full recovery and Leon was cooking the two some breakfast.

    "Ah young man!" Leon yelled as he saw Zell enter the room. "Have a seat, I will crack you a few eggs as well."

    "Thank you." Zell said as he pulled out a chair and joined the girls. "Are you well Rose?"

    "I am, thanks to you, big brother!" Rose said with a smile. "I still can''t believe how strong you are!"

    "Yes, I heard you did something ridiculous again!" Kaitlyn chimed in. "To defeat one of the strongest non-humans with ease. That shouldn''t be possible but yet, you did it."

    "I don''t really know what happened." Zell said. "He just made me so angry, I kind of lost control."

    "So big brother." Rose looked to her brother. "What are you going to do now? Are you going to show everyone how strong you are?"

    "I don''t think that would be wise." Zell said. "Listen Rose, I have an important quest. One that will require me to change the hearts of both man and beast alike. I don''t think an overwhelming show of force would be the way to achieve that."

    "Why not?" Rose asked. "You are so strong you could just make both sides do what you want."

    "I don''t think I want to be king of the world." Zell said. "I just want to find a way for peace."

    "Okay big brother," Rose said, "but I don''t think there is any other path to peace."

    "Your sister may be right." Leon chimed in. "You saw how the humans acted last night when you tried to help your sister. You saw how quickly they turned on you, how quickly they blamed you. It may be a simpler solution to just conquer them and impose your will."

    "I suppose that is always an option." Zell said. "But I would prefer to try a different approach first. One that doesn''t involve stripping others of their will."

    "Let me help you, big brother." Rose said. "After meeting these beast people, I understand they are not the savage beasts that dad made them out to be."

    "Wait dad told you about beast people?!" Zell asked.

    "Of course." Rose said. "He told me a great many things."

    "I wonder why he never tried to teach me anything." Zell said.

    "Probably because you are so aloof." Rose said. "Aside from disappointing father with the not being a hero thing. He always told me you were hiding something and that one day when you were man enough you would tell him. He decided to give you your distance until you came to him. You never did though."

    "I had no idea." Zell said. "How much I have missed due to my secret?"

    "Mother worried about you too." Rose said. "She would come into dad''s study and attempt to get him to go talk to you. He would always say that you would come to him when you were ready and to not meddle."

    "So why were you so mean?" Zell asked.

    "Honestly, I just wanted our parents to love me more." Rose said. "I could see how they were upset by your distance. I thought if I showed them how much better than you, I could take their mind off of it. So, I tried to best you in everything and when I did, I was sure to point it out. I also hoped that it might cause you to be competitive and snap you out of whatever was going on."

    Zell placed his hand on his little sister''s head. "And now you know what I have been hiding." Zell said. "I never thought my secret would hurt so many people, especially those close to me. I thought I hid it so well."

    "The fact dad said you lifted furniture as an infant was a pretty strong clue." Rose said. "Dad was not disappointed that you were not a hero, he was disappointed that you lied to him."

    "Why did he never call me out then?" Zell asked.

    "Because when you became man enough, you would tell him the truth." Rose said. "Dad really believed that."

    "I feel awful now." Zell said. "I had the wrong impression of everyone."

    "We love you, big brother." Rose smiled. "We always have."

    "Eggs are done." Leon shouted as he put plates in front of the children. "Eat up while it''s hot." He sat down to join them. "It sounds like you should bring your family in on your secret at least, young man."

    "I guess I should." Zell said. "I had no idea how I was hurting them."

    "We often hurt those we love, without ever knowing." Leon said. "What''s important is now that you know, you do something about it."

    "So Rose, how did you mean you could help me?" Zell asked.

    Rose finished chewing and swallowing. "Let me handle the humans." She said. "One day I will be queen, I can use that post to change how we treat the non-humans. I can alter our course and make a better future."

    "So, while you handle the humans, I would handle the non-humans?" Zell asked. "A two-pronged approach might actually work best. Yes, let''s do it."

    "First you need to tell our parents everything." Rose said. "We can use the events of last night to explain your absence in the kingdom. So, you can focus solely on rebuilding humanity''s reputation with the non-humans."

    "But what if someone tries to hurt you again?" Zell asked Rose. "I want to stay with you and make sure you are safe!"

    "I have a solution to that problem." Leon said as he produced another stone. "Young lady, if you need your brother, simply focus on this stone. The one he carries will respond and he will be whisked to your location to save the day."

    "Thank you." Zell said. "That is one less thing for me to worry about."

    "Go talk to your parents and tell them everything." Leon said. "No parent should have to worry about their children. When you finish, come back to me. Before you try to rebuild relations, as I said before, you need training."

    "Right, will do!" Zell said getting up from the table. "Let''s go tell our parents everything Rose." Zell reached and grabbed Rose''s hand.. As he did the two of them teleported away.

 Chapter 19 - Farewell To Family

    It was early morning when Zell and Rose appeared at their mansion. The entire place was crawling with guards. The Duke and Duchess sent out numerous search parties looking for their lost children when they did not return home that night. They heard rumors from the townsfolk that Zell had injured Rose and whisked her away in the middle of the night.

    "Sir, I see them!" One of the guards yelled. He rushed over to the two''s location. "Let the Duke and Duchess know." He added. When he got to them, he knelt to be more at their level. "Are you both okay? Your clothing is covered in blood."

    "We are fine." Rose said. "Thank you for asking. Please take us to our parents."

    "They will be here shortly." The guard replied. "Tell me are any of the rumors true?"

    "What, that I would hurt my sister?" Zell questioned.

    "We do not wish to discuss that." Rose cut him off. "We only wish to speak with our parents."

    It did not take long for their parents to come outside to greet them. Elenore rushed over and gave them both a hug. "My babies!" She cried. "I was so worried!"

    Kelbor remained stoic. "I suppose you both have a story to tell. Come inside let us hear it." He then dismissed the guards and the four of them retreated into the mansion. They found themselves to the study and all sat down on the furniture. "So, would either of you like to explain what happened last night? Why did you not make it home? Why is the entire kingdom outraged that Zell attacked Rose?"

    "Brother never attacked me." Rose said.

    "Oh, then what happened?" Kelbor asked.

    "Tell them big brother, that''s what you came here to do." Rose said while nudging her brother.

    "Alright, Alright." Zell said. "We were walking home from school, and we were attacked by a man claiming to be some Red Dragon God or something. He said his name was Xelrend or something I don''t really remember."

    "The God of the Red Dragons was here?" Kelbor asked. "If that were true you would both be dead! He is a catastrophic class nonhuman."

    "It''s true, father." Rose said. "I attacked him first thinking I could defend big brother. However, he ended my assault before it even began. He pierced my shoulder and taunted big brother."

    "I then lost control." Zell said. "I was filled with a fury like I have never felt before. My power that I have kept hidden from you both for so long. I used it and I ended that dragon''s life for touching my sister."

    "Ended his life?" Kelbor sunk back into his chair.

    "It''s true I saw it!" Rose said. "Big brother punched him so hard his whole torso became dust!"

    "So now you know my secret." Zell said. "The one I have been keeping from you."

    "I knew you were stronger than you let on." Kelbor said. "But this¡­"

    The two children continued to tell their parents everything that had transpired. Zell told them about the many trails he faced at school, the beast people, and the quest that he had been tasked with. Rose told them of her promise to help and of the kindness of the beast folk.

    "This is a lot to take in." Kelbor said. "Son, if you think this is what you have to do, then whatever I can do to assist you I will."

    "As for that father." Rose said. "I have a plan. We use the events of last night to expel Zell from the kingdom. That will endure the public around me and guarantee me to be queen one day. Baring uncle has any children."

    "That''s giving him up to the world though." Elenore said. "I don''t want my baby to have to go through that. He should be here with his mother! Think of another way."

    "No mom," Zell replied. "This really is the best route. This will grant me the freedom to move outside of the city. I am going to be with the nonhumans trying to build a relationship with them. If they think I am an exile they are more likely to trust me."

    "I don''t like it!" Elenore said. "Why don''t we just bring your uncle into this? I am sure he can help. He loves peace."

    "No!" Rose said. "We need a new leader for the beast folk to ever trust the humans. They are not going to ally themselves with someone who allowed slavery and genocide."

    "Why couldn''t I just have normal children?" Elenore sighed. "No ten- and five-year-old should have so much put on them. They should be playing with their friends and enjoying life."

    "Can''t be helped." Kelbor said. "Though I am always surprised by their vocabulary coming from such tiny people. Their stats are indeed higher than most adults."

    "You will visit, won''t you?" Elenore said. "You have to promise me you will visit!"

    "I will be exiled mom." Zell said.

    "So!" Elenore said. "The guards told us you teleported in. Just teleport to your room when you want to see us and then teleport back to where you were. It is simple. If you are very hungry or just need a safe place to sleep, visit us."

    "You will always be welcome son." Kelbor said. He walked over to one of the bookshelves that lined the room and pushed several books aside revealing a safe. "I have some gold saved up for emergencies, I want you to take it with you." He then got a large pouch of gold out of his safe and handed it to Zell.

    "Thank you." Zell said. "I promise I will visit you and I am sorry that I lied to you for so many years."

    "I knew you would tell us eventually, son." Kelbor said. "Although I did not know it would be on the day you left us."

    "I still don''t like this." Elenore said. "Are you sure the world will be destroyed? Can''t we just stay a family a little bit longer?" She was beginning to cry.

    "I promise I will be back." Zell said. Thinking it would be better to just rip off the bandage, he teleported away.

    Elenore broke down and fell onto the floor crying. "My baby!"

    Rose grinned wickedly and walked to the door.. "Come father let us lay down my path to become queen."

 Chapter 20 - The One With Spirit.

    Zell reappeared in the village of the beast folk. He entered the elders house and found Leon waiting for him. "Okay I am ready to begin my training." Zell said with a smile, happy to have left his family on good terms and to have finally told them the truth of his power. "What do I need to do?"

    "As I said before, a man cannot hope to help others until he takes care of himself." Leon said. "You are going to dive into your past and conquer it. I believe this is the best way to move forward. Carrying around so much trauma can be detrimental to one''s health and wellbeing. Imagine if you had a breakdown during relation building? Or worse, fell into a deep depression and did not continue your quest."

    "I understand." Zell said. "But I cannot control the skill that locks my memories. So, I don''t know how we are going to dive back into my past."

    "Remember I told you of the spirit holder who has the skill of prophecy?" Leon explained. "How she told us the fate of the world would rest upon your shoulders? Well, her skill cannot only peer into the future, but she can also use it to view someone''s past. It''s better if she explains it, but that''s essentially how we are going to help you."

    "Alright." Zell agreed. "So where is she?"

    "Kaitlyn!" Leon called out to his granddaughter. She came running in from the other room.

    "Yes Grandpa?" She asked.

    "Take Zell to Her." Leon said.

    "Her?" Kaitlyn asked. "Her who?"

    "You know!" Leon said. "The one who sees."

    "You forgot her name again, didn''t you Grandpa?" Kaitlyn said. "Her name is Jageria, Jageria Nightsbane."

    "Right of course." Leon said. "I knew her name of course, I was just testing you to make sure you knew."

    "On that note let''s go meet her shall we Zell." Kaitlyn said while extending her hand out to Zell so he could take it. Zell reached out and grabbed her hand and the two of them left. Kaitlyn took Zell through several roads; the village was actually quite large. Finally, they reached a cliff with a waterfall. At the basin of the waterfall stood a cabin. "She lives there." Kaitlyn said. "You go in, she creeps me out. Always wanted to tell me about my fate and such. I would rather believe I have a choice in my fate."

    Zell nodded and headed towards the entrance of the cabin. When he reached the door, he knocked. "Hello, my name is Zell." He said into the door. "Leon said you could help me."

    The door flew open and a woman with the ears and tall of a jaguar stood in the entrance. "You must be the chosen hero." She said, "Well don''t dawdle. Come in, come in!" She grabbed Zell''s arm and yanked him inside. She then slammed the door behind them. "You may look like a boy, but I sense your soul is old, incredibly old. This will be interesting!" She started removing her clothing and folding them.

    "What are you doing!" Zell asked nervously.

    "Oh, right." She said continuing to strip. "I guess you are oblivious as to how any of my skills work. Okay so my prophecy ability doesn''t just show us your past, it takes us there as spiritual beings. In order for it to work properly we must be naked. We aren''t looking at the past but going there with your memories as a guide."

    "But I was told I was from another world, another universe." Zell said. "Surely we can''t just travel there."

    "Sure, we can!" I mean I have never encountered this situation before, but I am sure it will be fine. Your memories are like a highway. They would go back to the point of origination now matter how far apart you are from it. Besides when I saw go, I mean as a spirit, so we aren''t physically going." She stopped and looked at Zell. "So, strip, like I said it''s hard to astral project, much harder to do it in clothing."

    "Fine." Zell said reluctantly and started removing his clothes. He took them all off and laid them neatly in a pile.

    "Good, now come over and sit with me next to this reflection pool." She said as she did the same. The cabin was intriguingly decorated. The walls were covered in assorted runes and magic circles adorned the floor. Papers with words were laying all over the room. They were prophecies she had foreseen. In the center of the cabin was a reflection pool dug into the foundation. Zell did as instructed, walking over while cupping his bits in his hand.

    "What''s wrong, are you itchy?" She asked. "I have some lotion if you need it."

    "No, I just don''t like being naked around people I just met less than a minute ago." Zell explained.

    "Why is that weird?" Jageria was confused. "Humans are weird. Moving on, come sit, sit!"

    Zell sat down in front of her. He could see her body completely on display. She was not old, maybe in her thirties. With endowed assets the size of grapefruit. Had the entire situation not been so awkward, he may have enjoyed the view. She reached out and grabbed his hands and pulled them to her.

    "Okay now close your eyes and empty your mind." She said, "We are going to journey deep, deep into your past. We are going right through that skill of yours! Maybe, hopefully, definitely!"

    "Are you sure about this?" Zell said.

    "Hush!" She commanded. "Clear your mind or this won''t work. Doubt is not clear now is it."

    "Yes mam." Zell said.

    She closed her eyes and leaned forward until her forehead met with Zell''s. After a few moments, the duo began to glow. Zell could feel his body floating in the air and opened his eyes from the shock. He was in the void of space; all alone except for the woman holding his hand.

    "Okay first part is done!" She said, ``Now onto the next! Let''s go break through that skill of yours!"

    Before Zell could say a word Jageria flew forward and pulled him along. They traveled swiftly until they reached a golden wall that emanated holy magic.

    "Wow." Jageria said. "That is some skill you got there, kid. Looks like the work of the divine." She then grinned.. "Let''s poke a hole on it."

 Chapter 21 - Memories

    Jageria Flew over to the wall and placed her hand on it. "Oh, I can feel its mana running through me!" She said. "If I just move this here¡­ And just this there¡­ Okay!"

    A small hole opened in the wall big enough for the two of them to fit through.

    "How did you do that?" Zell asked.

    "Well, the wall isn''t really there." Jageria replied. "It is just a construct of divine mana, so I used some of him to create a dam when gave us this hole. Now come, come!" She pulled him through.

    The duo continued to fly. The black space ground them slowly became lines of light and color that shot by them. Eventually those lines formed images. They were all of Zell''s repressed memories.

    "I knew you were an old man!" Jageria said. "But just look at the world you came from!" She was amazed by the images of televisions, cars, phones, planes, trains, and everything else. "Most of these are so happy. Look here is one where you had your first kid. Here''s another of your wedding. So many happy memories. Of course, it appears eighty percent of them are your job. Goodness you worked hard in this life."

    "The memory of my family''s death." Zell said. "That''s the one that triggers the skill."

    "I''m looking for it, kid!" Jageria complained. "It''s like it is hiding from us, as if even though we are past your skill, your mind still does not want to see it."

    Hours passed of the two watching memories of Zell''s life as Gary. They learned so much about Earth and about his life. Hours turned into days and still they could not find the memory. Days became weeks and weeks became months until they finally found what they were looking for.

    "Here it is the day it all happened." Jageria said. "I want you to process it. I want you to see it, to feel it but to keep your control. Yes, they were your family, but that you are no longer alive. You are a completely different person now, so try to keep it separate."

    "Alright." Zell said.

    Jageria reached out and touched the memory. In an instant the two found themselves inside of it. Zell watched himself open the door. He watched as he found the corpses of his family. He could feel his pain, he knew the pain. He began to cry.

    "Remember you are a different person now." Jageria reminded him. "Do not let the emotion overtake you."

    Her words were of little comfort as the wave of emotion hit Zell like a tsunami. He cried out in sorrow and rage. The flood of emotion again caused his power to grow unchecked and the entire memory began to shake.

    Jageria grabbed him tightly and pulled him out of the memory. "You were losing it." She said. "You must control your emotions."

    "It was horrible." Zell said. "I could feel it, I remembered all the pain, the heartbreak. I don''t know how I am supposed to not." Being pulled out severed his direct link with his past self and thus ended the wave of emotions. Outside of the memory he felt as if they were two separate people. However, on the inside of the memory he felt as if they were one in the same.

    "We will keep at it until you overcome this hardship." Jageria said as she rewound the memory and then went back inside, pulling Zell along with her.

    They repeated this process again and again, until finally one day Zell did not lose control.

    Back in the kingdom Rose was making quite the name for herself. She spread rumors of the night they were attacked by Xalrend, claiming her to be the hero and Zell to be a secondary attacker in league with the savages that seek to destroy civilization. She wormed her way into an audience with her uncle.

    "What can I do for you young hero?" The king said.

    "You know what I and the people of this kingdom desire." She said boldly, not even bowing to her uncle.

    "I see my brother has failed to teach you even the slightest bit of etiquette my dear niece." The king sighed. "I understand you want my job one day, but that day will not be today. It may not be any day. For I may have a child one day."

    "No uncle." Rose said coldly. "I have divine providence to be queen. Simply having an heir does not grant you the authority to defy the will of the gods."

    "Niece I have put up with your insolence for far too long." The king said. "Do not make me do something that you will regret."

    "Fine!" Rose said as she turned her back on the king. "If you want to do it the hard way we can. It''s more fun that way anyway."

    "Tell me uncle, do you think any of your soldiers is a match to me?" Rose said as she left. "Do you think anyone in the kingdom could stand up to me, who killed an elder dragon in single combat? Your days are numbered uncle, one way or another I will have that throne. I gave you a chance to hand it over peacefully, remember that when you regret your life choices."

    "Guards!" The king yelled out, having had enough of his niece''s tirade. "Seize her and lock her into the dungeon. Maybe a few years in the dungeon will calm you down little would be queen."

    "Oh?" Rose grinned a wicked smile and placed her hand upon her sword. "Do you guards want to go?" She said as she made a lunging motion towards them. The guards jumped back in fear and gasped. "I thought so. Remember uncle I will be back for your crown, do be sure to have it polished for me." With that she left the throne room and slammed the doors behind her.

    "What an intimidating child." One guard said to another.

    "I feel as if she would have killed us where we stood." Another guard replied.

    The king just fell back into his throne and cupped his face with his hands. "What a monster you have created, my brother." She said softly.. "To be so small and so terrifying."

 Chapter 22 - Awaken

    Zell opened his eyes, having finished his ordeal. He found his vision extremely blurry and distorted. He rubbed his eyes several times but kept getting a weird sensation each time he did. Finally, he got enough use of them to see his situation. The water from the pool next to him was shooting out into a stream that covered his and Jageria''s bodies. He panicked in fear of drowning and forced his way to his feet, breaking the water''s hold.

    He looked down on the ground for the first time in what seemed like ages and could see his long-wet hair. His once pitch-black hair, now crimson. He ran his fingers through to ensure it was in fact his hair. Giving it a tug, he confirmed it was attached to his head. It did not take him long to realize that he was taller than he used to be. He moved his hands in front of his face and examined them. They were larger than he remembered. "Just how long were we in there?" He questioned. "I lost track of time. Wait, is my voice a bit deeper?"

    "Welcome back young man!" Jageria said as she got up. She looked over his new form, he had grown about a foot, bringing his height to five foot two inches, his muscles were well defined all over his body with extremely low body fat. Tattoos of runic light had formed on his chest and shoulders. "My you are going to need a new outfit, that old one is not going to fit."

    She walked over to her wardrobe and started throwing out clothes as she searched.

    "What happened to me?" Zell asked. "Why is my hair a different color, why am I taller and older?"

    "The hair and the tattoos are side effects of being in the astral plane for so long." She said, "As for the height and age, well time goes on."

    "How long were we in there?!" Zell asked.

    "I haven''t a clue." Jageria shrugged, "we were there until you were ready. Ah found something." She turned to him and tossed a black tonic and slacks over to him. "These should fit you, I forgot why I brought those, but they are boyish enough for you and look like the right size. Oh! Maybe I bought them knowing this moment would come. Yes, that''s it!"

    "Right." Zell said.

    "Oh, and sorry I don''t have any underwear for you." She said, "I mean I have some spare panties if you want, but I don''t have any boy underwear."

    "No, that''s fine!" Zell said. "I''ll just go without for now."

    "Okay, suit yourself." Jageria said as she picked her discarded outfit up off the ground. After they both got dressed, she looked at Zell''s hair. "That red suits you. It''s just so long." She went back to her drawers and fiddled around until she found something. She then walked over to Zell and put his hair into a ponytail with the band she had found. "There, that looks better."

    "So, you really have no idea how long we''ve been away?" Zell asked again.

    "Nope, but I am done with you now, so feel free to do whatever it is you want to do." She said.

    "Can I ask a question first?" Zell asked.

    "You just did." Jageria smiled.

    "Yeah, well it seems like we were in there a long time, judging by the changes in my body." Zell said. "Why are we not dead?"

    "Remember the water?" She replied. "It''s magical water that is connected to a ley line. It poured mana straight from the planet into our bodies, fulfilling all of our mortal needs."

    "Oh, alright." Zell said.

    "How do you feel now?" Jageria asked. "Do you remember everything?"

    "I do." Zell said. "I remember my past life and my family, but I have come to terms with their deaths. I feel like I can use my past to live a better present, and that is what they would want. They always wanted me to be happy, especially my dear wife, the love of my life."

    "Sounds like you are whole again." Jageria said. "Your past world was really interesting. It''s a shame we could not access your memories between the worlds. Maybe you talked to the divine, or maybe you just opened your eyes here. We may never know."

    "Right." Zell said. "Just remembering my past life is enough."

    "You should go talk to Elder grumpy face." Jageria said.

    "Leon?" Zell asked.

    "Yeah him." Jageria said. "He always looks so grumpy."

    "Yeah, I will go do that." Zell said. "Thanks for your help."

    "It really wasn''t a problem." Jageria said. "If you want to repay me, save the world. I like living, it''s fun."

    "Noted." Zell said as he left her house.

    The trees were blooming, and signs of spring were everywhere. "At least a year then." Zell said to himself. "It was summer when we started."

    He walked along the path that Kaitlyn had taken him. He remembered it as if it were yesterday. He passed by many of the villagers, and none of them recognized him due to his dramatic change in appearance. They whispered amongst themselves about the strange human with arcane tattoos.

    "You there!" A familiar voice called out to him.

    Zell turned to look; it was a cat girl. He recognized her but she was older and more womanly than she was before. "Kaitlyn?" He asked.

    "I thought it was you!" She screamed. "I''m so happy you made it back to us! I waited so long!"

    She rushed over and gave him a hug. "Woah, hey calm down." Zell said as he pushed her away. "Kaitlyn, I need to ask you something important. How long was I out?"

    "Roughly five years." She said. "I was worried the whole time. Grandpa told me that your past might be too intense, and you may never come back. I am so happy that he was wrong."

    "Five years?!" Zell asked. "My mother is going to kill me.." He said with a look of horror.

 Chapter 23 - Five Years Later

    "I got to go visit her." Zell said nervously. "I promised I would visit her, and I didn''t for five years!" Zell pulled the stone from his pocket and teleported back home before Kaitlyn could respond.

    "Ah crap." She said, "I didn''t get a chance to warn him. Oh, well he will figure it out." She shrugged her shoulders and went back to her house.

    Back at the Duke''s manor Zell appeared in his old room. He opened the door slowly and looked around. The hall was free of servants, he was safe to proceed. He began checking room after room but could not find a soul. Getting desperate he decided to call out. "Mom!" He shouted. He could hear his words echo throughout the manor, but no one answered him. He left the manor and found it to be in disarray. The shrubs had become overgrown and large pieces of stone were broken around the building. Windows were broken, and the fence had been smashed.

    "What happened here?" Zell questioned aloud. "Where is my family?"

    Deciding his new appearance and time away would prevent anyone from recognizing him. He went into town. He left the manor and walked on foot into the heart of the city. No one recognized him. As he was walking, he overheard the townsfolk talking at a shop.

    "That bitch queen has raised our taxes again." One shop owner complained.

    "Shhh!" The other said. "If a guard hears you, they''ll cut off your blooming head. Have you gone and lost it? You know you can''t speak ill of the hero queen."

    [Hero queen?] Zell thought to himself. [Are they talking about Rose? She should be ten right now¡­]

    "I can''t help it, she''s bleeding me bloody dry!" The first one complained again. "It''s the third tax increase since she took power!"

    "Well, she said it was for the war, didn''t she." The other responded. "Can''t bloody well have those savage races running all amuck and like now, can we?"

    [Wait, war?] Zell was becoming concerned. [Savage races? What has Rose been up to these past five years?! She said she was going to help me, is this because I didn''t visit? Did she think the beast folk betrayed me? I need to go talk to her.]

    Zell made his way to the castle only to be greeted by the guards blocking the entrance. "State your name and purpose." One of the guards demanded.

    [Ah shit.] Zell thought to himself. [Well, guess I will roll with it.]

    "Name is Gary." Zell said. "I''m a traveling adventurer and thought I could be of service to her majesty."

    "Well Gary." The guard laughed. "That is noble and all, but if you want to meet the queen you are going to have to do better than that. She does not meet anyone she does not summon. IF what you said is true though, you should head to the adventurer''s guild and make yourself useful. By serving there you will be serving her majesty''s interests."

    "Right, how silly of me." Zell said defeated. "I''ll just head back over that way then."

    [Crap, that was a terrible plan.] Zell thought to himself as he walked away. [I need to find a way inside the castle. I could force my way in, but I don''t want to blow my cover. Maybe if I take on an impossible quest and complete it, they will let me inside as part of my reward? Yes, let''s go with that.]

    Zell walked inside the adventurer''s guild and went over to the counter. "Please give me your most difficult quest." He said with a grin.

    "I''m sorry." The receptionist asked. "Do I know you? Are you registered here?"

    "The name''s Gary." Zell said. "I''m new in town and would like to make a quick fortune, so if you don''t mind, I could use that difficult quest."

    "No." She replied. "That''s not how this works. You can register, and we can start you at the bottom rank. Quests are divided by rank, so in order to do the hardest quest, you will need the highest rank. But even the true bottom rank of Cobalt is only obtained after we evaluate you with trails and quests."

    "You can''t make an exception for me?" Zell said.

    "No." She replied. "If you would like to start your application for guild employment, we can start there."

    "How about you just tell me what the quest is, and I just do it unofficially, and you give me the reward?" Zell asked.

    "Do you want to start the process or continue to waste my time?" She replied.

    "You know what." Zell said. "I''ll be back." He then picked up his stone and teleported away right in front of the receptionist.

    "Oh, neat." She said. "We don''t have many spell casters; I hope he comes back."

    Zell reappeared outside of Leon''s house and went inside. He found the elder lion and Kaitlyn waiting for him, sitting by the fire. "So, I am guessing a lot has happened?" Zell asked as he sat down.

    "Yes." Kaitlyn said. "I tried to tell you earlier, but you ran off in such a hurry."

    "Sorry about that," Zell replied, "the whole five-year thing really spooked me for a bit."

    "Understandable." Leon said. "If I woke up five years older it would confuse me as well. But it is as you say. The human''s have a new ruler, your sister."

    "Well, that was part of the plan, right?" Zell said. "She was going to become queen and steer people towards peace with the other races and prevent the war."

    "She did the opposite!" Kaitlyn yelled.

    "That little one, turned the people against their king and took his throne by force." Leon explained. "A great battle occurred at your old house. Sensing that his niece was trying to overthrow him, the king attacked the manor with the royal guard. He died in that fight, your sister took his head and his crown."

    "What about my family?" Zell said.

    "Your father lost his life in that battle as well." Kaitlyn said.

    "Dad died?" Zell was saddened to lose another family member, but his experience in the astral plane helped him navigate the sorrow. "What about my mom?!"

    "She''s alive." Leon said.

    "Where is she?!" Zell yelled.

    A familiar figure walked out of the hallway and sat next to Zell. "I''m right here my son." Elenore said.

    Zell cried and gave his mother a hug. "I''m so happy you are okay." Zell said.

    "My sweet boy." She smiled. "You look so different, but you are still my same sweet boy. I am so happy you are all right.. I have been so worried."

 Chapter 24 - The Journey Begins

    "Mom?!" Zell asked. "What are you doing here?!"

    "Donovan helped me." She replied. "Right after your sister seized the throne, she tried to keep me locked in a tower. I was not allowed to leave, nor was I to talk to anyone. I think she was afraid I would say something about you."

    "About me?" Zell asked.

    "Yes, your sister has built her entire power around a lie." Elenore explained. "The dragon you killed on the night of the attack; she took credit for it. She framed you for her injuries and claims that you were in league with the dragon."

    "I thought she wanted to help me." Zell said.

    "We did too honey." Elenore replied. "That is why we let her spread those lies, we figured it was her way of gaining the faith of the people. However, it appears as if her plan all along was just to seize power, and her lust caused the deaths of your father and uncle. I am so ashamed that I did not see this coming."

    "That''s terrible!" Zell said. "I am so sorry to have put you through all this."

    "What''s worse is what your sister did after she seized power." Elenore said.

    "I heard." Zell said. "She started a war, raised taxes, and treated the subjects poorly."

    "That''s not all." Elenore continued. "She declared all non-humans to be savages, any free non-human was cast into slavery or executed. They are treated as trash now, even the elves and dwarves."

    "The plan was to improve relations with the non-humans!" Zell yelled. "Damn it Rose!"

    "I am afraid she made your job that much harder." Elenore said.

    "So, what do I do now?" Zell asked. "Should I just fight my way through the guards and take over the kingdom?"

    "You mean kill your little sister?" Elenore said with tears in her eyes.

    "That''s a terrible option." Zell sighed. "But what else can I do?"

    "You should start by focusing on the war." Leon said. "You need to end the war with as little death as possible. Remember if too much blood is spread in evil, the planet''s soul will die."

    "Win a war without killing¡­" Zell said softly.

    Everyone sat in silence and thought.

    "You should go and talk to the demon lord." Leon said. "I think that is your best path forward."

    "You could also try and win the hearts of our people." Elenore said. "Our people are drawn to strength, that is why Rose fears you. You could become a top rank adventurer and after you are beloved by all, reveal the truth that Rose lied about. Show the world your power. She will be forced to flee without a fight. Not that I think she would be dumb enough to fight you."

    Zell laughed to himself. "Well, this sure is a lot more exciting than my last life, that''s for sure."

    "Oh right!" Leon said. "You got your memories back, didn''t you?"

    "Yeah, it was hard." Zell said. "But I am at peace now."

    "I have a question!" Kaitlyn shouted out.

    "Yes?" Zell asked.

    "There''s more than one human kingdom, why don''t you go to one of them for help?" Kaitlyn asked.

    "That''s actually a clever idea." Elenore said. "Becoming a hero of another kingdom would allow you an audience with Rose if you were sent as an envoy. Then you could try and talk sense into her, it''s not like she can hurt you."

    "So, I have three options." Zell said. "Alright. I know what I am going to do. I will meet with the demon lord, flex if I must. Then I will go to the battlefield and make the fighting stop, one way or another. Hopefully with as little blood shed as possible. Then I will decide on which kingdom to go to."

    "Sounds like a plan." Leon said.

    "Oh, mom, you said Donovan helped you." Zell said. "Does that mean he is here?"

    "He teleported me out of the tower but was unable to escape himself." Elenore said. "I don''t know if he is still alive."

    "If he is, I will thank him one day for saving you." Zell said.

    "I was lucky that Kaitlyn here is one of your friends." Elenore said. "She brought me to Leon, and I told them everything that had transpired. They in turn told me all about your training."

    "I was wondering how they knew everything that was happening in the kingdom." Zell said. "Alright well no sense in wasting time. I have a war to stop. Leon, how do I get to the demon lord?"

    "I will show you!" Kaitlyn said.

    "Alright." Zell said as he stood up from his chair. "I''ll be back mother. I promise to visit."

    "Please keep it this time." Elenore pleaded.

    "I will, no more five-year meditation sessions." Zell joked.

    Kaitlyn and Zell then left the village together. Kaitlyn was happy to be going on an adventure, she knew Zell''s strength and that she would be perfectly safe with him. Within a day they left the forest and found themselves on a cobblestone road.

    "This road will take us to the castle." Kaitlyn said. "We need to be careful of bandits and monsters though."

    "I doubt they will be a problem." Zell smiled.

    "I doubt it as well." Kaitlyn laughed.

    The duo laughed together as they walked until nightfall. They came across an inn along the road and decided to stop in for the night. Zell opened the door, and the pair went inside. They were greeted by the barkeep. The barkeep was a large reptilian non-human. "Welcome young traveler." He sniffed the air and leaped back. He grabbed a bottle and smashed it to create a makeshift knife. "A human! What is a human doing on this side of the forest!" He waved the broken bottle in the air at Zell.

    Zell sighed and walked up to the bar; Kaitlyn followed closely behind him. He sat down unphased by the reptile''s threats. "Relax." Zell said. "I am just passing through on the way to meet with the demon lord."

    "Like I would believe a lying human!" The reptile screamed and he lunged forward stabbing Zell dead center of his chest with the broken bottle. The bottle shattered and was unable to pierce Zell''s skin but sliced his tunic.. The reptile fell backwards in shock and Zell sighed while dusting the glass off his chest.

 Chapter 25 - Maximus

    "What is this?!" The barkeep yelled. "How can glass shatter on a human''s skin, you do not have scales!"

    "Look like I said." Zell continued. "I am only trying to get a room for tonight, I need to meet with the demon lord and bring an end to this war."

    "He means to kill the demon lord!" The barkeep shouted.

    The patrons of the inn stood up and drew their weapons. Orcs, goblins, and other non-humans were now poised to attack Zell.

    "Stop it everyone!" Kaitlyn yelled.

    "Don''t listen to her!" The barkeep cut her off. "The human probably has her under some sort of enslavement spell."

    "She''s a friend." Zell said. "I would never stoop as low as to have a slave."

    "It''s true!" Kaitlyn pleaded. "Zell only seeks to bring peace."

    "Enough of this farce!" A patron yelled. He summoned a strong gust of wind and ejected Zell outside, chair and all. He followed out after him, to find Zell still sitting in his chair completely unharmed. "Impressive, but unfortunately for you, I am one of the demon lord''s top generals. I was on my way to the forest to try and recruit the beast folk once more, I had hoped they would listen now that the war has started. Regardless I am glad that I got this diversion, this trip has been ever so boring."

    "Nice to meet you then." Zell said, still relaxed in his chair. "I need to speak with your boss urgently, it is a matter of grave importance. The fate of the world hangs in the balance."

    "Well, aren''t you a self-important human?" The general scoffed. "No matter, you won''t be alive much longer." The general rushed to Zell''s position and punched Zell in the chest. The shockwave of the impact moved the grass behind Zell, leaving nothing but dust. Zell''s tonic was torn to shreds from the impact and left him bare chested. Zell however remained perfectly still and unphased.

    The shock on the general''s face slowly changed to agony as the pain from his hand reached his brain. Every bone in his fist had shattered to dust and the bones up his arm cracked and splintered.

    "You done?" Zell asked.

    "What are you human?!" The general asked. I have brought down giants and walls with this attack, yet you are unphased."

    "I''m just a human." Zell said. "Now if we are done, I would very much like to go rent a room now."

    "We are not!" The general yelled. He grabbed his broken arm and ripped it from his body. He then yelled and regenerated the arm. "I hate to use this on a human, but I have no choice." The general unsheathed the sword from his back. The blade was pitch black and the handle was leather wrapped. As he held it, small back flames emanated from the blade. "This is the blade of the black flame. Anything that is cut by this blade shall burn into nothingness. It is a sacred treasure of the demon race gifted to me by his lordship."

    "That sounds troublesome." Zell said, uneasy about the blade. "How about we make a deal?"

    "I don''t make deals with human scum." The general replied.

    "You didn''t even hear the deal yet!" Zell protested. "Look if I take the blade from you, you have to admit defeat, and help me meet with the demon lord."

    "What would I even get out of such a deal?" The general asked.

    "You would get to remain amongst the living." Zell teased. Zell reached down and picked up a few pebbles. "So do we have a deal?"

    "No deal!" The general yelled. He charged towards Zell, determined to slash him with his magic sword. Suddenly he found himself falling to the ground. Zell took a pebble and flicked it at one of the general''s legs. The leg exploded from the force, and the general was on the ground before he even knew he was attacked. Zell flicked another pebble at the general''s hand, and it as well exploded from the impact. The sword flew up into the air and rotated multiple times, before falling to the ground next to the general''s body.

    "Look, I am trying really hard not to kill you." Zell said. "I seriously just want peace; how can I make you see that?"

    "Why?" The general asked. "Why do you want peace? No human has ever wanted peace with our kind."

    "Hatred because someone is different than you is just stupid." Zell said. "The world is made up of so many different types of people, why should we hate one another, when there is so much we can learn from one another. I want to end the violence, the slavery, and the misery of your people. The human''s have treated you all so poorly, and for that I apologize."

    "You are such a strange human." The general replied as his leg and hand regenerated. He stood back up and addressed Zell eye to eye. "My name is Maximus, I have never given my name to a human, you should consider yourself honored."

    "The name is Zell." Zell replied. "It is a pleasure to meet you Maximus. So, are you going to stop this needless attack now?"

    "It would seem to be pointless to continue. What is your level if you don''t mind me asking?" Maximus asked. "Mine is seventy-five thousand. I am a demon in which a powerful wind spirit resides."

    "Ah, explain the wind spell." Zell said. "I am sorry I cannot tell you my level. Not because I am trying to hide it from you, I simply do not know what it is."

    "Do you not know how to bring up a status screen?" Maximus asked. "I thought even humans knew how to do that simple of a task."

    "My status screen doesn''t work." Zell explained. "It is all just symbols and glitches."

    "I have never heard of that, but your strength is real." Maximus said. "I have never felt so outmatched." He picked his sword off the ground and sheathed it. "Come, I will buy your room tonight to make amends."

    "Alright." Zell said as he got off the chair and picked it up.

    The pair walked back inside, and Zell placed the chair back at the bar.

    "Barkeep get this human a room." Maximus said. "Put it on my tab."

    "Yes sir." The barkeep said nervously having seen the one-sided match up outside. "Also, as a way of an apology I shall find you some new clothing human, you seem to be in need of a new shirt. Here is your key you will find yourself and your companion in room Two, it is on the second floor to your left. Would you care for any ale, or juice before you retire to your chambers?"

    "No thanks." Zell said. "Come Kaitlyn, let''s get some rest."

    "Okay." Kaitlyn said as she followed Zell up to the room.

    Maximus sat down at the bar and slumped in his chair. "There is something going on with that human. I wonder if he was sent by the gods, as our demon lord was. Perhaps he is a human lord? Is there such a thing?"

    The barkeep just shrugged his shoulders and poured a tall stein of ale for Maximus. "Do you think he is the human who killed Xalrend five years ago?"

    "I could see of no other human that could." Maximus said. "His presence is why the lord has kept all of his powerful soldiers off the front lines. He knew someone scary was out there, it''s nice to finally know who they are.. Although if that human wished it, he could probably wipe all of us out without breaking a sweat, much like I could do to the humans."

 Chapter 26 - Night At The Inn

    In their room Kaitlyn and Zell were preparing for bed. The room was cozy, just a simple window, some curtains, a rug, and a bed.

    "Wow, reminds me of the time I took my wife and kids to the beach, and we stayed at a roach motel." Zell said.

    "What''s a roach motel?" Kaitlyn asked. "Wait, you''re married and have children?!"

    "Remember I''m from another world." Zell laughed. "I don''t have them currently. That was a long time ago and I have a new life now."

    "Oh okay." Kaitlyn said.

    "Looks like there is only one bed." Zell said. "I''ll put some blankets on the floor and give you the bed."

    "No, no!" Kaitlyn protested. "I can sleep on the floor. You feel free to take the bed."

    "No, it wouldn''t be right for me to take the bed from a lady." Zell said.

    Kaitlyn blushed. "You always baffle me Zell. Humans are normally so mean to our kind, but you are so nice."

    "Just doesn''t seem right to judge someone by how they look." Zell replied. "Now I insist you take the bed; I don''t mind taking the floor."

    [This will be an ever looping argument, I need to think of something.] Kaitlyn thought to herself. "If you sleep on the floor, so will I."

    "What sense would that make?" Zell asked.

    "Well, if you aren''t comfortable, I don''t want to be either." Kaitlyn said.

    "But if I slept on the bed, you would still take the floor." Zell explained. "You would be uncomfortable either way."

    "Fine if you sleep on the bed I will too." Kaitlyn said. "If that is the only way to get you to take the bed and end this argument. Besides, I don''t think you would try anything."

    Zell just sighed deeply. "Fine, hop in bed, let''s get some sleep."

    Morning''s light entered the room and awoken Zell. He found a cat girl hugging him tightly in her sleep, purring softly. "Reminds me of my pet cat." He said softly to himself. He moved his available arm and scratched behind her cat ears. Her purring intensified. "Yep, exactly like my cat, only human like with¡­" He realized his little soldier was standing at attention greeting the morning. "The joys of youth." He laughed to himself. [Still, I need to free myself of this situation before she wakes up, I don''t want to scare her.] He thought to himself. He pried her arms from his body and slowly slid out of the bed. There he could see his lack of undergarments were exasperating his problem. He quietly made his way out of the room and headed to the bathroom.

    He waited until his problem was less visible and made his way down to the barkeep. The reptile that had been working the night before had been replaced with a new bartender, this one looked like a normal human, save for her gray skin and magenta hair. "Hello there, my name is Zell." He introduced himself.

    "Oh, the human!" She said excitedly. "Allen told me about you, said Maximus was like a helpless babe against you. The name is Char, I hope you are as well mannered as they said you were."

    "I do try to be civil." Zell said. "Allen, was it? Said that he would attempt to procure me some new garments. Do you know if he was successful?"

    "Yes, he was actually." Char replied. "Luckily, demons are the same shape as humans, so here is a full set of traditional demon attire."

    Zell walked over and picked up the clothing. "They look to be about my size." The shirt was an open vest, which was black with golden trim in ornate designs. The pants were puffy and airy, with the same coloration and pattern as the vest. A pair of undergarments were included as well. [He must have known I needed these somehow.] Zell thought to himself.

    "Allen is really good at that." Char replied. "He can just look at a person and tell what size they are. His passion has always been clothing, being one of the nonhuman kingdom''s best tailors."

    "I thought he was just a barkeep." Zell said.

    "Nope, he just does that for fun a couple nights a week." Char said. "Says watching people drink and have fun at the bar inspires him to create his art."

    "Never would have guessed." Zell said. "So do you run this inn?"

    "Yes." Char said. "Finest inn in all the lands if I do say so myself."

    Maximus walked down from his room. "Oh, you are awake, young human." He said as he approached Zell. "I was hoping I would catch you before you departed. Tell me, how would you like me to escort you to the demon lord myself?"

    "Would most likely eliminate the need for any more pointless fights." Zell said. "I see no issue; did you forsake your mission to try and recruit the beast folk? Won''t your lord get offended by that transgression?"

    "Honestly, he might." Maximus said. "However, you are more of a pressing issue. If I am right, after you meet with the demon lord, recruiting the beast folk would be pointless."

    "Fair enough." Zell said. "Let me go get changed and get Kaitlyn and I will take you up on your offer."

    Zell left and went to the bathroom to change.

    "So, you think this kid is the one huh?" Char asked Maximus.

    "Yeah, he is the one the demon lord has been looking for." Maximus replied. "The only threat to our plan."

    "Are you going to take him to that place?" Char asked.

    "Only thing I can think to do." Maximus said. "It may be our only chance to stop him."

    Zell came back down with Kaitlyn following behind. "Alright, we are ready to depart."

    "Breakfast!" Kaitlyn demanded.

    "Okay, we are ready to depart after breakfast." Zell laughed as his stomach growled as well. "You don''t mind if we eat first, do you Maximus?"

    "Not at all." Maximus said. "I will eat as well. It is a fine idea that we feast before our journey."

    "Alright, then I know the cat girl will want meat." Char said. "And Maximus is a regular, so I know what he wants, what do humans eat? Was it grass or rocks? I know it was dirt, right? Regardless, what do you eat human?"

    "Meat is fine." Zell laughed. "I can say I have never known a human to eat grass, dirt, or rocks."

    "Learn something new every day." Char said as she lit the stove.

    She cooked a delicious meal for the trio, and they left the inn.

    "Alright you two, I know a shortcut." Maximus said. "Being one of the demon lord''s top generals, I have access to this type of information.. You are both lucky that I am sharing this knowledge with you! Now come, follow me."

 Chapter 27 - Portal

    "I thought it was just a straight path to the castle?" Kaitlyn asked their new guide.

    "Yes, well there is a portal in the mountains there that will take us there faster." Maximus explained.

    They walked until they reached a stone structure in the middle of the mountains. "It was only a half day''s walk." Zell said. "That''s a pretty good short cut."

    "Indeed." Maximus replied. "Let me just activate it." He walked over to a stone archway and pressed symbols that were engraved on it.

    [Must be a password.] Zell thought to himself.

    The archway arced with red lightning as a crimson portal formed inside of it. "Here it is human." Maximus said. "I will go first and let the lord know of your arrival. Wait a moment and then follow after me."

    "Alright." Zell said. "I appreciate the help."

    "It''s really no problem." Maximus said. "I owe you one for not killing me. Well, I''m off, see you soon." Maximus walked up to the portal and vanished from sight.

    "I guess we will wait a couple of minutes." Zell said.

    "Are you sure we can trust him?" Kaitlyn asked. "He could be preparing an ambush on the other side of the portal. I doubt he would take you to the demon lord so easily."

    "No, I think my words and actions touched him last night." Zell replied. "I think he will be a significant help to us."

    "If you say so," Kaitlyn sighed. "All my instincts are telling me; this is a trap."

    "Even if it is, I doubt there is any stronger than me." Zell said. "At least from what I have seen. It will only bolster my position of power in negotiations."

    "I think that''s enough time." Kaitlyn said. "If we wait too long the portal might close."

    "That''s right." Zell said. "Let''s head on through."

    The two of them walked into the portal side by side. On the other end of the portal, they found themselves in the middle of a lush green forest, filled with exotic flowers and towering trees creating a canopy in the forest. They stood in the middle of a clearing, with only the archway behind them. As they turned to look at it, the portal closed.

    "I think he may have tricked us." Kaitlyn sighed.

    "Appears so." Zell said. "I should have trusted your instincts. I promise I will in the future."

    "Guess we should find out where we are." Zell said. "Do you know of this place at all?"

    "No, grandpa never mentioned any place like this, and it looks entirely different from our forest." Kaitlyn replied.

    "Which way do you want to go?" Zell asked.

    "Why are you asking me?" Kaitlyn asked.

    "Instincts." Zell said. "I am hoping you have directional instincts as well."

    "Doesn''t work like that." Kaitlyn said. "Oh, I know, why not just use the portal stone and teleport us back to the village or even the inn."

    "That''s a great idea!" Zell said excitedly. He reached into his pocket and grabbed hold of the stone. He put his hand on Kaitlyn''s shoulder and poured mana into the stone. Nothing happened. "Well, that''s not good."

    "Not working?" Kaitlyn asked.

    "No, it isn''t," Zell let out a sigh. "Any idea why it wouldn''t work?"

    "Grandpa said the stones are linked to the ley lines of the planet." Kaitlyn explained. "So, we must not be on the planet anymore."

    "There''s magic that can do that?!" Zell shouted.

    "I guess?" Kaitlyn shrugged her shoulders in response. "I have never heard of anything like that, but how would you explain why our stone isn''t working?"

    "Hmm, then there is the matter of Maximus." Zell said. "I don''t think he actually went into the portal. I think he just used a portal stone and made it look like he did. Why did I trust him?"

    "I told you not to." Kaitlyn said smugly.

    "So, the question is still, where are we?" Zell pondered. "It has to be a place that the demon lord and his general''s know about. So, it must be linked to the nonhumans in some way."

    "Oh!" Kaitlyn shouted. "I remember an old bedtime story that grandpa used to tell me. I always thought he was referring to our people, but this makes more sense."

    "What is the story?" Zell asked.

    "Once upon a time, in our world lived a race of chosen." Kaitlyn started.

    "Skip ahead to the relevant part." Zell said. "Sounds like it has a bit of fluff added to it."

    "Fine." Kaitlyn said. "Give me a minute to think then." She sat down and closed her eyes for a few minutes. "Okay the gist of the story was, a group of nonhumans, called the chosen, decided the best way to deal with the human threat was to run away and live in isolation. That''s why I thought it was about our people, because we also live in isolation, in the forbidden forest."

    "So, a race of nonhumans made a portal to a different planet?" Zell said. "I guess that would definitely count as isolation. But how would Maximus know the spell?"

    "Maybe the chosen are related to the demon race somehow?" Kaitlyn said. "Look, I know just as much as you do. We need to pick a direction and head that way. Hopefully, we will run into a settlement."

    "I say we go that way." Zell pointed. "It looks like the trees are artificially straight. As if someone intended them to be that way, like a path. All the other trees have more of a random distribution pattern."

    "Sounds good to me." Kaitlyn said.

    The pair began to walk through the trees, the air was heavy with the scents of flora. Large flowers covered the forest floor and filled the air with their fragrance.

    "I have never seen flowers such as these." Zell said. "Not in either life."

    "Backs up the other world theory then." Kaitlyn said.

    They walked and walked. The light that showed through the canopy was slowly fading. "Night is coming soon. I hope this planet has a moon, otherwise it is going to get very dark." Zell said. "There is a bit of a clearing over there, at least enough space to build a fire without catching the trees on fire. We should gather some wood."

    The ground had many broken branches that had fallen from the trees. Kaitlyn and Zell gathered them up and built a fire. Not knowing the type of animals, or monsters that roamed the forest, they took turns sleeping in shifts until daybreak.. Luckily, they had no encounters throughout the night.

 Chapter 28 - Hunger

    The light of dawn showed through the branches. Zell was on guard duty and noticed the light. He looked down at the sleeping Kaitlyn and remembered his old life, watching his children sleep. He smiled at the happy memory. He decided to let her sleep a bit longer and just continued to watch her.

    After the sky was bright enough, Kaitlyn woke up from the light on her face. She yawned as she got up and stretched her arms high in the air.

    "Good morning." Zell said. "Did you sleep well?"

    "As well as I could." Kaitlyn said. "How about you? Did you sleep well during my shift?"

    "The ground is not a comfortable bed." Zell said. "I hope we find better lodgings today."

    "Yeah!" Kaitlyn agreed. "What we need right now though, is food." She rubbed her stomach. "I am starving."

    "It has been an entire day since we ate." Zell sighed. "Maybe we can find an animal or some fruit to eat."

    "Leave it to me!" Kaitlyn said. "I am a professional hunter. In our village all of our food is either hunted or gathered from our forest."

    As they talked an arrow landed on the tree next to them, just missing Kaitlyn''s head. She jumped back in surprise. And screamed. "What the!"

    "You there." A voice in the distance called out. "That was your only warning shot. Who are you and how did you find this place?"

    "A demon named Maximus tricked us into coming here." Zell explained. "We could use any help you could offer to get back home."

    "Are you a demon?" The voice asked. "I have seen your kind in our books, your outfit matches that of a demon."

    [Should I tell the truth or lie?] Zell thought to himself. [If I tell them I am a demon, I may slip up later and reveal I am lying and lose all trust. However, if I identify myself as a human, they may never trust me from the start. What should I do?]

    "He is a human." Kaitlyn shouted out.

    [Whelp I guess that is what we are going to go with.] Zell thought to himself.

    "A human?!" The voice sounded afraid. "The ancient enemy has returned?! They have found us here! I must warn the others!"

    "I come in peace." Zell shouted. [Great I sound like one of those corny aliens in a B movie. What am I going to say next? Take me to your leader?] Zell thought to himself while he waited for a response. He waited for a few minutes but heard nothing. "Hello?" He shouted out again. After another few moments he still heard nothing.

    "I guess he ran away." Kaitlyn said as she walked over to the tree to remove the arrow. With a swift pull she yanked it out. "Oh, this is a pretty high-quality arrow." She said as she examined it. She flexed it and bent it, but it snapped back straight each time. She found a large rock nearby on the ground and smashed the tip in several times. The arrowhead did not chip or shatter, nor did it show any signs of wear. "Scratch that. This is an amazing arrow." Satisfied with her examination she walked over and handed the arrow over to Zell. "Check it out."

    Zell took the arrow from Kaitlyn and looked it over. The arrow was made of an unknown black material, with a sharp metallic head. Golden runes were engraved along the body of the arrow as well. "So, this tells me nothing." Zell said with a sigh. "I must admit I am not an arrow expert, but it looks neat, I guess?"

    "I have never seen an arrow of that quality." Kaitlyn explained. "And my tribe prides ourselves on our arrows. I wish we could have gotten a look at that guy, then we would at least know what race we were dealing with." Kaitlyn''s stomach growled with unstoppable fury. "Oh, right, we need food."

    "Yeah, we should also get moving." Zell said. "That guy could come back any moment with more of his kind. We could be facing a volley of those arrows. That person''s voice came from a northern direction, so let''s head West, then North. A direct path may cause us to run into them, we may be able to sneak around them this way."

    "Okay." Kaitlyn agreed and the two started to move.

    "Be on the lookout for fruit or animals." Zell said. "We really need to eat."

    "Trust me I know." Kaitlyn said, her stomach still growling.

    As they traveled West, they could hear a roar in the distance. It was not a roar of an animal, as it was constant and unchanging. The noise became louder the further West they traveled, until finally they emerged from the trees and found themselves standing at a waterfall with a pond and river beneath it. The waters of the pond overflowed with mana, so much so that it appeared to be glowing with a faint blue luminance.

    "We are in luck!" Zell said. "I lived for five years apparently on this stuff. We should be able to refill ourselves if we drink this water. Or even bathe in it. As long as the mana is in and around us it will sustain us."

    Kaitlyn rushed to the water''s edge and scooped some water up with her hands. As she drank it, she could feel the mana flowing into her, replenishing her. "You were right!" She cheered. "I feel my hunger melting away!"

    The surface of the water began to violently bubble. The bubbles continued to churn, forming a tower in the center of the water.

    "What is happening?!" Zell shouted.

    Kaitlyn ran back away from the water, over to Zell''s side.

    Suddenly an explosion of mist and vapor erupted from the pond. It obscured the duo''s vision but they could see a great shadow swirl in the mist. Two giant aquamarine eyes pierced through the mist.

    "Who dares drink from my sacred waters?!" A booming voice shouted that shook the very ground they stood on.

 Chapter 29 - I Am Level Two Million?!

    The mist cleared revealing a massive serpent. Its eyes glowed with an aquamarine hue, its body covered with golden and white scales. "Such tiny insects to not know your place." The snake said.

    "You have to forgive us." Zell said. "We are not from this place and did not know of your presence."

    "Unforgivable!" The snake shouted. "Who are you to tell me what I am to do? I have to forgive you? The gall of your words have sealed your fate, tiny mortal."

    "I meant no offense!" Zell said in his defense. "It was a poor choice of words, I apologize."

    "You need to know your place!" The snake snapped back. It slapped Zell across the chest with its massive tail, making a thunderous crack as it connected. The force of the impact caused Zell to slide back a few inches. The force also knocked dust up from around Zell, causing a cloud to form. The snake grinned thinking he had killed Zell, however when the dust cleared Zell was still standing wiping his chest off from the attack. "What?! How are you still alive?!"

    "Look, I apologized." Zell said. "You didn''t need to attack me like that."

    "Enough!" The snake shouted. "That was but a fraction of my power! You face a god, mortal! Trimble in despair." The snake uncoiled and flew into the sky. Its eyes lit up further and changed to a crimson red. The sky above them began to darken and swirl with clouds. Lightning rained down all around them.

    [Well, this doesn''t look good.] Zell thought to himself. [Can I really defeat a god? I wish I knew what level I was.]

    "Zell I''m scared." Kaitlyn said at the situation at hand. "Every instinct I have is telling me I need to run."

    "Run then." Zell said. "I will hold it off¡­ I hope."

    "Run with me." Kaitlyn pleaded.

    "If I did it would chase us." Zell explained. "I have to stay here if you want to get away."

    Kaitlyn nodded her head in understanding. "Thank you, Zell." She said as she ran off.

    [Now I need to keep this snake''s attention.] Zell thought. "Hey snake god, do you have a name?" Zell shouted up to the snake.

    "My name is not for a weak mortal like yourself to hear." The snake said. "Now die!" Massive bolts of lightning began striking Zell directly until they formed into a massive beam of light from the sky and set off an explosion of energy all around him. As Kaitlyn ran, she was knocked down from the force of the explosion.

    "Zell!" She cried out. She stood up and continued running with tears pouring from her face.

    The snake watched with its crimson eyes, waiting for the smoke to clear. Impatient it blew the smoke away with a massive breath. "How?!" It shouted after seeing Zell again unharmed.

    "Wow!" Zell said. "I honestly thought that was going to be the end of me." Pleased with himself he decided to taunt the snake. "So, are you done yet?" He shouted up to the snake.

    The snake''s eyes changed back to aquamarine, and it flew down into the pond waters once more. After a few moments the surface of the water began to bubble and out walked a beautiful woman with silver hair and a white dress onto the shore. Her body was adorned with golden jewelry, and she carried a golden staff with the head of a serpent on top. She had aquamarine eyes with the pupils of a snake.

    "Who are you mortal?" She asked in a soothing voice. "No man or beast has ever survived my attack, are you another god perhaps?"

    "No, just a human." Zell explained.

    "A human?!" She was shocked by Zell''s answer. "I did not think we had those in this plane. Still a human should have turned to bone and ash, yet you stand. What kind of human are you?"

    "Just the normal kind?" Zell shrugged.

    "You are far from normal." She said. "Those tattoos on your chest mark you as an astral walker. Tell me what did you do in the astral plane to become so strong?"

    "I just witnessed my past, from another life." Zell said.

    "Interesting." She said. "You must have been there for years for tattoos to form on your body. That only occurs when someone is drenched in mana for years while exploring the astral plane, that is of course unless they have a spiritual guide, then the spirit gets the markings instead. So, if you were just checking on your past, why were you there for years?"

    "It took five years to come to terms with the death of my family, as well as my own." Zell said.

    "Interesting." She said again. "Tell me, do you have any memories of the divine realm? I am curious as to what god or goddess sent you to your new world."

    "I do not have any memories of that." Zell said.

    "Your guide must have been a weak child to have not pierced the divine realm." She laughed. "Allow me." Without warming she walked over to Zell and placed her hand on his forehead.

    Everything went white to Zell, and he found himself watching his old self talk to a goddess.

    "Oh, it was her." The snake woman said with disdain. "No wonder you are how you are."

    They listened to the conversation and Zell learned of his level.

    "I am level two million?!" Zell shouted. "I had no idea it was that high!"

    The scene continued until Zell''s soul vanished from the room and he found himself back at the pond with the woman in white.

    "If she is involved then he must be as well." The woman said. "Though she has never meddled in such an overt manner before."

    "Excuse me?" Zell said. "Do you know that goddess?" He asked.

    "Of course, she is the mother of all." The snake woman said.. "The goddess of creation, she created everything, including myself."

 Chapter 30 - Isekai V Isekai

    "So, what do you mean, that she is meddling?" Zell asked.

    "I can think of only one reason she would place someone such as you on the planet she did." The woman explained. "The planet must have been claimed by her brother, the god of destruction. What is created must be destroyed and what lives must one day die. Every intelligent life that she has created ends the same way. After enough time they become tainted by wicked deeds and actions, they use the misfortune of others to help themselves. Greed controls their hearts and wars spawn from the hatred that greed."

    "So, the world is set to be destroyed?" Zell asked.

    "I figured it would have been about time." She replied. "Tell me does the world have a demon lord yet?"

    "Yes, I was actually on my way to see him." Zell said. "I wanted to try and talk to him about ending the war."

    "Demon lords are agents of destruction." The woman explained. "Just as you were hand picked to save the world by the goddess, they were handpicked to destroy it."

    "So, are they from my world?" Zell asked. "My original world that is?"

    "How would I know?" She said. "In any given universe there are more planets than the stars in the sky, and there are even more universes than that. His soul could be from any of those worlds."

    "I see." Zell said. "So, you think she picked me to save this world?"

    "Well not this world." The woman laughed. "The world you were on before you came here."

    "So, this is another world?" Zell asked. "I thought it might be."

    "It both is and is not." She explained. "This is a plane of existence that exists parallel to that one. This is the realm of gods and spirits, although there are a few mortals we have allowed to live here, if for nothing else than our entertainment."

    "So, what happens here if the other world is destroyed?" Zell asked.

    "Nothing." She laughed. "Would not be the first time a world we were connected to ceased to exist; we simply move on to a new world. This realm is as old as time. It was one of the first realms created by our goddess for her first children, the gods."

    "So, what are you the god of?" Zell asked out of curiosity.

    "Me?" She laughed. "I am the goddess of storms and wind, my name is Annanuki, but you may address me as Anna, mortals have such a challenging time with my name."

    "Thank you for telling me your name Anna." Zell said.

    "I suppose you are worthy enough after surviving my attack." Anna explained. "Wasn''t there another mortal with you?"

    "Yeah, Kaitlyn." Zell replied. "She ran away into the forest."

    "Oh dear, that is not good." Anna said. "I hope she doesn''t run into those mortals or another god."

    Meanwhile back at the demon lord''s castle, Maximus was meeting with the lord.

    "Sire, I have the direst of news!" Maximus said as he entered the throne room and kneeled before the throne. "I have discovered the existence of a human lord; his power is frightening."

    "A human lord?" The demon lord asked. "Like a nobleman?"

    "Well, he never called himself that per say, but he had the power of a demon lord, but he was a human, so human lord." Maximus explained.

    "So, a hero then." The demon lord rubbed his chin. "I thought that tiny girl was the hero, but it seems I may have another foe. Tell me how ridiculously powerful he was?"

    "My arm exploded by punching him." Maximus said. "He defeated me without doing anything."

    "Great, that''s just great." The demon lord said. "He is a freaking anime protagonist, that is not what I needed."

    "A what sire?" Maximus was confused.

    [Oh right, they do not know I am from another world.] The lord thought to himself. "It''s a special class of human I discovered from my research. They have strength that is unparalleled and can rival that of a god. No matter what you do to them they always seem to overcome it, and if they acquire the most devastating power, we are doomed."

    "What power would that be my lord?" Maximus asked.

    "It is a vile power." The lord explained. "It has defeated countless foes, even when there were giant gaps in power. I speak of course of the power of friendship. It is a blight that we must be very weary of. Tell me did he have any companions with him?"

    "Yes, there was a small lion girl with him." Maximus said. "They appeared to be around the same age."

    "Damn it!" The lord shouted. "He must be one of those clueless harem protags, this is bad, they are normally the most powerful ones of all."

    "Don''t fret my lord." Maximus said. "I have used my superior intellect to trap the anime protagonist. He and the lioness are now trapped forever in the other realm."

    "Excellent work!" The lord cheered. "We must set some sort of trap for him when he escapes. Maybe take hostages, those kinds of characters are always soft hearted. If he had a lioness with him, he must be friends with the beast tribe. We will take them hostage and use them as a bargaining chip. We must not let him stop us from our divine mission."

    "Yes, I understand sir." Maximus said. "Though do you really think it necessary? Like I said I trapped him forever in the other realm, there is no way he can escape."

    "Oh, he will escape no doubt about it." The demon lord said. "Not only will he escape but he will either have more companions or some other ridiculous power up. That''s just how these things go."

    "If you say so my lord." Maximus said. "I will leave for the beast tribe at once and subjugate them for you." With that Maximus left the room and left the demon lord alone.

    [All my plans ruined.] He thought to himself.. [I thought I was the hero of this Isekai.]

 Chapter 31 - 70%

    Zell and Anna left the area towards the direction in which Kaitlyn ran. "Kaitlyn!" Zell shouted. "Everything is okay, where are you?!" It did not take them long to find signs of a struggle.

    "Looks like the mortals took her." Anna said. "If it were a god there would have been no struggle."

    "So where is their village?" Zell asked. "We need to go save her."

    "Why bother?" Anna asked. "She is weak and just a burden, why worry about her?"

    "Because she is my friend." Zell said.

    "Oh, a friend and how long have you known her?" Anna said.

    "Truthfully, years, but I was in the astral plane most of them." Zell explained. "So actually a few days."

    "Sounds like a real close friend." Anna laughed. "Should you wish to play with the mortals, their village is due East of here. I am going back to my waterfall. Do visit me once you fetch your feline pet."

    "She is a friend!" Zell snapped back.

    "Right." Anna winked and left the area.

    [Alright I need to get there quickly.] Zell thought to himself. [Set power output to seventy percent!] The sudden burst of power caused a shockwave of energy around Zell, knocking down trees and ripping the topsoil and foliage up from around him. He bent down and prepared to run. As he started his run, he went full speed causing a sonic boom, followed by four more in rapid succession. His run trashed trees and plants, anything in his path was obliterated. He reached the village in a matter of a few seconds. His insane speed however made it difficult for him to stop. He attempted to stop as soon as he saw the village, but his sheer speed caused him to travel several hundred yards past it.

    The villagers were taken completely by surprise. All they knew was something dashed through the village and destroyed all in its path.

    Kaitlyn was dangling in a cage near where Zell had cut a path. She knew it was her friend. "Zell you made it!" She said to herself.

    The warriors of the village dashed over to where Zell stopped. They had their arrows and spears pointed at him as he walked towards them. "Give me Kaitlyn." He said as he approached.

    The guards launched a volley of arrows at Zell, they bounced off his flesh but ripped his clothing. Seeing this the guard captain decided to speak up. "You there who and what are you?!" He said.

    "I am Zell, a human." Zell replied. "You took my friend, and I would like her back."

    "The lioness?" The captain responded. "Since when are humans friendly with the beast kin?"

    "Look I don''t want to have to hurt you." Zell said. "Just give her back to me and we can have peace."

    "What happened to the snake goddess?!" The captain shouted. "We saw her use her attack! We felt her mana from here."

    "Anna?" Zell said. "Yeah, she is fine. Now give me Kaitlyn."

    "Anna?!" The captain said. "How dare you speak of one of the divine ones in such a casual manner."

    "I am over here Zell!" Kaitlyn yelled, hoping her friend would hear her plea.

    "So that''s where she is." Zell said and turned towards her. The guards rushed him. They slashed their swords, which broke on impact. The spears they stabbed at Zell snapped in two. He was unphased, determined to see his friend and he kept walking forward.

    The captain watched his men try and fail repeatedly. Zell just continued walking towards Kaitlyn.

    After a few moments Zell finally arrived at Kaitlyn''s cage. "Zell!" Kaitlyn said. "I am so happy you are alright." A few guards were still hitting Zell with whatever weapons they could find. Zell reached up and grabbed the cage and broke it open. He caught Kaitlyn as she fell.

    "Enough!" The captain yelled and the guards stopped attacking. "Why are you ignoring us?"

    "If I killed you what good would that do?" Zell said. "I imagine you all have family, mothers, fathers, children. I would never want what happened to my family to be repeated. If I can help it, I would rather choose a peaceful solution. You all lack the ability to harm me, however if you harm my friend here, I will not be responsible for my actions."

    "Then why are you here?" The captain said. "Our ancestors left the world generations ago. They left stories about the horrible deeds of man. How mankind was evil incarnate. I never thought a human would find us, and that he would prefer peace. I apologize for my men and I''s actions and thank you for not killing us when you clearly have the ability to."

    "Did your ancestors leave a way to get back by chance?" Zell asked. "We really need to get back to our world to stop a war and save the planet."

    "I am sorry." The captain said. "The god of space and time was the one who brought us to this place. He liked my people''s culture and wanted to make sure we continued existing. He is the only one who knows the way back."

    "Where is he?" Zell asked.

    "He has not been seen in over five centuries." The captain replied. "He said he wanted to see if we would last a thousand years and then he left."

    "Maybe Anna can help." Zell said. "She seems pretty knowledgeable."

    "Who is Anna?" Kaitlyn asked.

    "That giant snake." Zell replied. "She gave up killing me and was actually super helpful."

    "She?" Kaitlyn asked.

    "Oh right." Zell said. "After you left, she reformed as a beautiful woman with white hair. She wanted to talk more with us after I fetched you from the village."

    "Before you go." The captain interrupted. "What can you tell us of our ancestral homeland?"

    Zell took a deep breath and then proceeded to tell them all about their home. Kaitlyn filled in the parts that Zell did not know.

    "So, you are trying to bring peace between all the races?" The captain was shocked. "I had no idea such a human could ever exist."

    "Look, we have to get back to Anna." Zell said. "The faster we get back home the better."

    "I understand." The captain said. "Please take this with you." He handed Zell a way stone. "With this you can teleport back to our village. Allow us to feed you and provide you with lodging, I think that is what is best. Our way of helping you which in turn will help our homeland.

    "Thanks." Zell said.. With that Zell and Kaitlyn left and headed back towards the pond to meet once again with Anna.

 Chapter 32 - Joining Of The Snake

    Zell and Kaitlyn walked back to the pond slowly, the danger had passed, and they felt as if they could relax.

    "I am glad they didn''t hurt you, Kaitlyn." Zell said.

    "They were nice about it actually." Kaitlyn said. "But they wanted to capture you, so they put me in a cage to try and lure you to the village. Their plan worked a little too well."

    "I was worried something might have happened to you." Zell said.

    "Thanks." Kaitlyn replied. "I am happy that you are concerned about me. I worry about you too. I felt like I was betraying you running away from that snake. I was terrified you were going to die. I was actually about to turn back when the villagers caught me."

    "I should thank them then." Zell said. "That last attack of Anna''s would have killed you if you were closer."

    They arrive at the pond and Annanuki is waiting for them at the water''s edge, still in her human form. She noticed them and stood up. "You sure took your sweet time." She fussed. "Don''t you know it is rude to keep a goddess waiting?"

    "MY apologies." Zell replied. "There were complications."

    "Those mortals are always so tiring to deal with." Anna sighed. "I honestly don''t know what Steve sees in them."

    "Steve?" Zell asked with a puzzled expression.

    "The god of space and time." Anna said. "He renamed himself Steve, said it was hip or whatever. He is an odd one, but one must respect the wishes of another if they wish to be called something. Though I don''t know what was wrong with his original name of Choron."

    "I mean Steve is easier to say." Zell shrugged his shoulders. "Regardless you asked for our return, and we have. What did you want to discuss with us?"

    "Right." Anna started. "As you may have guessed, being a god or goddess is terribly dull and we do whatever it is that entertains us at a time. For the past six thousand years I have been relaxing in this pond. I grow tired of it, yet there is nothing I have not done or experienced. Life has lost its spark."

    "You want me to kill you?!" Zell interrupted her.

    "No!" Anna smacked Zell across his face. "Why would you immediately go there?! Let a girl finish before you interrupt her!"

    "Sorry." Zell said.

    "There is something I have not done and the thought of it intrigues me." Anna said. "I have never entered into a bond with a mortal. Unfortunately, if I tried, the poor mortal would likely explode from my overwhelming godly power. However, now that I met you, I think you can handle me." She reached out her finger and ran it across Zell''s chest. "How does that sound? Do you want to ride my lightning?"

    "What would it entail?" Zell asked.

    "You and I would become one." Anna said. "It is quite intimate. There are two roles in a union with a god or spirit. One of domination and the other submissive. Since I want to experience something new, I will be submissive. I will become no more than a voice in your head and all my power and ability will become yours. Our levels will be multiplied, by one another and you will reach a height higher than any mortal or god has ever dreamed of reaching. However, there is still a risk. Should your body be unable to control the massive power that is created, you will die where you stand."

    "So, our levels are not added?" Zell asked. "They will be multiplied? What level are you?"

    "Four hundred Thousand." Anna said.

    "Wait, why do you even have a level?" Zell interrupted. "If the goddess created you first. And she didn''t create levels until after systems were created on Earth, how do you have a level?"

    "We gods thought it looked fun, so we added the system to ourselves." Anna explained. "So, can your body handle four hundred thousand multiplied by two million? A Level of eight hundred billion?"

    "I think I can do it with limited." Zell said. "But why should I bother risking my life just to keep you entertained?"

    "Is it not the lifelong dream of mortals to entertain the gods?" Anna asked.

    "No." Zell said. "You are going to have to offer something better. I need a way back home for myself and Kaitlyn."

    "I will tell you where to find Steve, if you survive." Anna said. "He will be able to grant you passage back to your planet."

    "Okay you have a deal." Zell said. "What do we need to do?"

    "Close your eyes and allow me inside of you." Anna said. "Don''t worry I''ll be gentle, I know it''s your first time."

    "Hey now!" Zell said. "What exactly are you talking about?!"

    "My spiritual essence." Anna said. "You humans always have the most perverted minds. Now open up and let me in."

    Zell closed his eyes and braced himself for the powerup. [Set limited to 0.01%] He thought to himself. That will make me level eight hundred thousand, instead of eight hundred billion.] Zell''s body began to feel warm and at peace, he could feel energy rushing in from every pore. Outside it looked like Anna was giving him a tight hug and slowly fading into nothing. Kaitlyn looked on in awe.

    [Why didn''t you try and stop him!] She thought to herself. [Please don''t die Zell, I need you.]

    When the feeling ended Zell reopened his eyes. He could see the world completely differently than he could before. He could see the essence of everything he could feel the life around him. He felt as if the sky and wind were but a part of him.

    [How does it feel?] Anna said from inside Zell''s head. [Can you feel nature? If so, it worked, you have my power, the power of a god.]

    [It worked.] Zell replied internally. [Now that I survived, can you please tell me where Steve is?]

    [Fine, a promise is a promise.] Anna replied. [I will teach you how to find him. Close your eyes and focus on the wind. You should be able to feel everyone and everything in a large radius. We are close to the Village and Steve has stayed close to them, he enjoys watching mortals as they develop, only to bring another civilization later that is more advanced and have them fight to the death.] Zell did as instructed and felt an odd disturbance in his field. [That is it you found him.. Now go make him take you home.]

 Chapter 33 - Meeting The God Of Time And Space

    "I know where Steve is." Zell told Kaitlyn. "Let''s go home."

    "Okay." Kaitlyn agreed and the two of them left into the woods once more. "How are you feeling?" She asked, worried that Zell could explode.

    "I am fine." Zell said.

    [Hey mortal.] Anna asked. [I have been up here watching your memories. Why do you always let others walk over you?]

    [I just did not think it was worth making a big deal out of it.] Zell replied internally. [I knew I was different and didn''t want to stand out.]

    [Still, you let everyone treat you so badly.] Anna said. [You had the power to stop them, yet you did not act. You are the oddest mortal I have ever met.]

    [What do you recommend?] Zell asked. [Do you want me to just bully my way around? Force others to my side through force? I always strived to help others in my past life, and my soul did the same in this life. I am not the type of person to abuse his power or force myself onto others.]

    [There is a difference between forcing yourself on others and letting others take advantage of you.] Anna said. [How do you not know the difference? You need to look out for you, no one else is going to. You cannot put everyone else''s problems on your plate and except to be fine, you need to take care of yourself first. That includes your attitude. You stood before a god and did not flinch, because you were defending a friend. You need to have that kind of drive when defending yourself. Otherwise, you will never find true happiness.]

    [All this coming from a goddess so bored she decided to hitch a ride in a stranger''s head?] Zell retorted.

    [I have been around the block a time or two, mortal.] She replied. [I was just offering some advice since we are head mates now. That you need to have strength of will to talk to Steve.]

    [I handled you, didn''t I?] Zell said.

    [Steve is a different matter.] Anna explained. [His powers over space and time make him unique. His level is far lower than yours, but he is still a threat. He could teleport you into the past or future. He could age you to dust or place you inside a blackhole in space. His power is what makes him dangerous. If you go to him meekly, he will destroy you for fun. You are the vessel of a god now; you need to command respect and have him treat you as an equal.]

    [I understand.] Zell said. [Thank you for the warning.]

    [I just don''t want my ride cut short.] Anna said.

    "Is that it?" Kaitlyn said, breaking the silence of their walk. She pointed to a small round hut with a straw roof. "Is that where Steve is?"

    Zell used his senses once more and detected Steve inside. "Yes. He is in there." Zell replied. He walked over to the door and gave it a knock, being as gentle as he could. He did not want to remove the door from its hinges with his insane strength. "Hello? Steve are you in there?"

    Nothing was heard in response. After a few moments, the door slowly opened revealing a pitch-black void.

    [He is inviting you in.] Anna said.

    "Let''s go." Zell said and grabbed Kaitlyn''s hand. He walked into the hut expecting to see a small room that matched the exterior. However, he found himself inside a large estate with white marble floors, large ornate rugs and massive columns that reached to the remarkably high ceiling. A large staircase was the center of the room, with gold plated railings. As they took everything in, a group of butlers and maids entered the room and lined up on either side of the rug in front of the staircase. In unison they all bowed and the door at the top of the stairs opened.

    Out of the door walked a tall slender man with long black hair and golden eyes. His outfit was a tuxedo. He walked down the stairs slowly, making a show of his grand entrance. "How nice of you to visit dear sister." He said as he reached the bottom. "I see you found a mortal to ride, tell me is it as fun as you always hoped?"

    [Tell him it''s too early to tell.] Anna said.

    "She says it''s too early to tell." Zell responded.

    "Oh, she chose the submissive role." Steve said in surprise. "You must be eager for new experiences sister. I told you building mortals up and then letting them fight to the death was entertaining. You don''t see me hitching a ride in a filthy mortal."

    "She didn''t say anything." Zell said.

    "Must have upset her then." Steve sighed. "Now what is it that you want, little mortal? Did you come to join my servants? Many mortals always want to join, the lore of eternal youth and an immortal life always gets the job applicants coming."

    "No." Zell said. "I came here in search of a way back to my world. He got tricked into coming here."

    "I knew I should have destroyed that gate." Steve sighed. "Why should I, a god, help you?"

    "Entertainment." Zell said.

    "Go on." Steve replied.

    "Your mother set me to that world to stop its destruction." Zell said. "It seems that boredom is the leading factor in all of you gods'' decisions. So, if your mother thought I would be entertaining, surely you see some value in that as well?"

    "Interesting." Steve said. "So, the god of destruction has already claimed that world to die, and yet mother sent a hero to save it? I assume it already has a demon lord and everything?"

    "Yes, I was on my way to meet with him." Zell said. "So, if you could help that would be great."

    "That does sound entertaining." Steve said. "However, I sense your amazing strength. I doubt a demon lord could match you. That wouldn''t be much of a fight at all."

    "I need to stop him without killing him." Zell said. "The only way to save the planet from its fate is to achieve peace."

    "Boring." Steve yawned. "Peace is such a boring goal. Remember I make mortals fight for fun. How about this? Instead you do something for me, and I will send you home."

    "What do you need me to do?" Zell asked.

    "Nothing much." Steve smiled.. "I just need you to kill a god."

 Chapter 34 - Kill The God Of Peace

    "Kill a god?!" Zell replied, shocked at the request. "Why would you want me to kill a god?!"

    "Oh, calm down." Steve said. "It''s not like you aren''t capable. My sister has all the power you need to kill this lower god."

    "Lower god?" Zell asked.

    [Not all gods are created equal.] Anna said. [You have the gods of creation and destruction, consider them the main two, for everything must be created and everything is eventually destroyed. Then you have the mid-level gods, such as myself and Steve. Any god that is over a force of nature or fabric of the universe. Then you have gods that just meddle in behaviors, gods of lust, envy, war, love, and so forth. These gods are considered lower, and there are a lot more of them. Their scope of power is limited. A lower god might also be of just a particular place. Regardless there are many of them so don''t fret over killing one or a dozen.]

    Steve noticed Zell just standing there with an intense expression as if he were listening. "It''s rude you know to just talk to my sister in your head and not clue us in on the conversation." Steve said.

    "She was just explaining what a lower god was." Zell said. "She told me there was no issue in killing them."

    "Yes, exactly! They are no better than spirits." Steve replied.

    "But doesn''t it upset you to kill your own kind?" Zell asked.

    "They are not my kind, and I am insulted that you feel that they are." Steve said. "We were made by mother''s loving hand, but these lower gods are created from the combined thoughts and dreams of mortals. Simply enough mortals believing in something is enough to make one of these gods exist."

    "So, mortals make gods?" Zell asked.

    "Do they not teach mortals anything?!" Steve said, outraged.

    "About the divine?" Zell asked. "We know nothing."

    "Explains a lot actually." Steve sighed. "So, are you going to do me the favor or not?"

    "What god do you need dead?" Zell asked reluctantly, figuring it was his only way home.

    "His name is Xamus." Steve explained. "He is a lower god of peace. He has corrupted my village with his wild ideals and now they no longer try to grow their strength. When the challenger tribe gets put here it will not be an entertaining fight at all. I need them to be powerful. I need a good show, a great war. I need the drama of not knowing who will win. The drama of watching families be torn apart by war, by family members dying."

    "So, he is ruining your entertainment?" Zell sighed. "And you want him to die for it?"

    "Exactly." Steve said. "I would have killed him myself, but I just so loathe leaving my humble dwelling. He is near here, just travel due West and you will find his house. I will be watching, be sure to put on a good show."

    "Fine." Zell said as he turned to Kaitlyn. "Let''s go." They left the house of Steve and made their way West to the house of Xamus.

    [There is irony here.] Anna said. [A mortal obsessed with peace being forced to kill a god of peace.]

    [You have to do what you have to do.] Zell replied. [Sometimes the only thing that matters is the result.]

    "I can''t believe we are going to kill a god." Kaitlyn said. "I guess you just never know how the day is going to turn out. I will be Kaitlyn the god slayer."

    They walked for an hour and came across a house built of fallen trees. In front of the house sat a man next to a fire. He was an older man with long white hair and a long white beard. "Oh visitors!" The man jumped up in excitement. "You don''t look like the people from the village, tell me how did you end up in the realm of the gods?"

    "Xamus, I presume?" Zell asked.

    "And you know my name as well, that is very curious. Very curious indeed." Xamus replied. "You came from the direction of the god of space and time, so I can gather why you are here."

    "So, you know?" Zell said.

    "Well, you don''t spoil another god''s fun and not expect repercussions" Xamus replied. "I just thought his laziness would protect me, or that he would simply send one of his weak mortal servants. I did not expect you."

    "It''s the only way he will send me home." Zell explained. "So, I am sorry, but I need you to die."

    "Fool!" Xamus yelled. "You think you have the power to face a god?! I sense some power in you, but do you think you can best me? A mere mortal versus a god?!"

    Zell just let out a sigh and turned to Kaitlyn. "I need you to run as fast as you can away." Zell told her. Without a second thought she did as instructed and started to run back to the hut of time and space. "Okay, I think I will go with one percent of my power." Zell said.

    "Cocky mortal, aren''t you?" Xamus said. "You should fight me at full strength."

    "No, even one percent is overkill." Zell said. [Set limited to one percent.] A massive blast of air pressure erupted from Zell''s body as his level increased from 800,000 to 8,000,000,000. Trees were uprooted, the house was ripped apart and scattered into the wind. The grass and foliage upon the ground was ripped up along with the top layer of soil. Because of Zell being the vessel of a goddess of lightning, bolts of lightning shot forth from his body, striking the distance tree line. The sky darkened with pitch black clouds and a heavy wind began to stir.

    The initial black sent Xamus flying back several yards. He landed harshly on his backside and slid in the dirt. He was in complete shock at the display of power and feared for this life. "Please don''t kill me! Please!"

    Seeing the god''s cries for help, Zell paused contemplating his next move.

 Chapter 35 - Irredeemable

    [Kill him already!] Anna commanded.

    "Can you help me get back home?" Zell asked Xamus.

    "No, I don''t have that kind of power." Xamus replied.

    "Then I am sorry." Zell said. "I have to get home no matter what, the world is depending on me."

    The realization that Zell was not going to show him mercy sank into Xamus. In a last-ditch effort, he mustered all his strength and charged at Zell screaming.

    With a sad look in his eyes Zell said, "sorry." As a massive bolt of lightning struck Xamus. When the light of the bolt cleared only bone and ash remained.

    [That was an impressive use of my power.] Anna said. [You are getting a grasp on it so quickly.]

    [I feel like it''s a part of me.] Zell replied. [I feel the power as just another part of myself.]

    [No doubt it is your superior stats that allowed for this.] Anna explained. [A normal person would not have a mastery of new power so easily.]

    [Set limited to 0.01%] Zell said.

    Kaitlyn returned, sensing the conflict was over. She walked over to Zell''s side, who was still looking at the pile of ash before him. "Are you okay?" Kaitlyn asked.

    "That was the first time I killed someone for my own personal goals." Zell said. "Even if I was told to do it, murder is still wrong."

    "You didn''t have a choice." Kaitlyn said. "The whole world is depending on you returning."

    "But was there no other way?" Zell asked. "I have all this power and yet I still follow the orders of another like an obedient dog. My whole life I have always followed orders, even my past life. Why do I still act this way? The power of the cosmos is at my fingertips, why do I still blindly follow orders."

    [Because Steve can still kill you.] Anna replied. [You did nothing wrong so get over it. Like I explained before lesser gods are simply the manifestation of mortal thoughts, they are not even real. Killing that was no different than killing an imaginary friend.]

    With a big sigh Zell let his frustrations out. He then turned to Kaitlyn and said, "let''s go." The two of them left the area and headed back to the hut of time and space. They entered as they did before and found themselves at a beach, a massive ocean in the background. Steve was laying out on a towel wearing nothing more than a speedo, while his maids catered to him wearing small bikinis. Not wasting any more time Zell got straight to the point. "I killed Xamus." He said.

    "I saw." Steve replied, picking up half of a coconut and drinking juice from a straw. "I wouldn''t call it a glorious battle, it looked like an elephant stepping on an ant. There was no drama, no stakes, it was boring."

    "Are you going to keep your end of the deal or not?" Zell said.

    "Careful boy." Steve said. "If I didn''t know any better, I would think you wanted to go live inside a black hole. Or perhaps you would like to live the rest of your days as an old help fool."

    Zell remained silent but the rage that Steve''s words caused burned inside his chest.

    "Nothing to say?" Steve asked. "Good, the filthy mortal knows his place."

    Zell clenched his fists tightly, thinking about the life he just took, and the verbal abuse he had taken from so many others.

    "You failed me." Steve said. "Sure, you killed the fool who toyed with my fun. However, I asked you to make it entertaining and as I said it was horribly boring. I am afraid I have no alternative than to find you a new task to earn your way home."

    Kaitlyn could see Zell struggling to keep his emotions in check and decided it would be best if she made her exit now, at least that''s what her instincts were telling her to do. "Excuse me!" She said, "I will be back, I have to go use the bathroom." She quickly exited back through the door in which they entered.

    "Mortals and their bladder issues." Steve laughed. "I swear I do not understand why mother made you all. Oh, I remember, for our entertainment. Something you have failed to do. Tell me why I should even bother helping a mortal such as yourself that cannot even do the one task they were created for. You failed at such a simple task, entertaining the gods should be such a primal instinct, yet you couldn''t do it."

    Zell''s rage was reaching a boiling point. Blood began to drip from his hands, his fist clenched so tightly.

    "Fear not, I have figured out a way for your redemption." Steve said. "I want you to go to the village and find new inventive ways to murder them all. I want to see fights and hopelessness; I want to see the drama of their heartbreak as they realize their god has forsaken them. I want to drink their despair as you massacre their children for sport, yes this will truly be divine entertainment."

    "Mortals are just toys to you aren''t they Steve?" Zell said, trying to hold back his anger. "You think because you have power you have the right to hurt others; to make them suffer for your twisted entertainment? You honestly as a god have nothing better to do than to cause misery on those who are weaker than you? You honestly believe another''s suffering is entertainment? You find joy in the death of friends and family? Of mothers and fathers ripped from their children? Of children torn from everything they love?"

    "Yes, now you are getting it!" Steve replied excitedly. "Now go out there and make it happen, entertain me."

    "You are a fucking monster." Zell said, finally letting his anger show through. "I will have no part in any of your massacres, or your foolish games.. Set Limited to 100%!" Zell yelled out.

 Chapter 36 - Eruption Of Rage

    As the words left Zell''s lips, his power exploded from his body in a violent flash. In an instant the beach, the ocean, the sky, everything was replaced by a white void. Only Zell and an incredibly surprised Steve remained.

    Steve got back to his feet and scoffed at Zell. "Mortal you wish to defy me?!" Steve shouted angrily. "You must know who I am! What I can do! Allow me to show¡­"

    Before Steve could finish his sentence a beam of the whitest light obliterated his arm turning it to dust in an instant. Before Steve could react, another beam eliminated his other arm, followed by his leg, and then another leg.

    "How does it feel?" Zell asked. "How does it feel to be weak and helpless? To have your life in the hands of someone stronger than you? Does it feel good?!"

    "I will destroy you!" Steve shouted out fuming with rage. "How dare you do this to me! But no matter." His arms and legs began to reappear on his body. "I can simply reverse the time of my arms and legs and bring them back. Now what should I do with such a fool as you. Oh, I know Time stop!" Steve walked over to where Zell was standing. "See I control time, all of time. Something a mortal has no power against. No matter how powerful you are, you will still fall victim to times cruel flow."

    Steve admired his work and considered what would be the best punishment for Zell''s defiance. "Seems like other mortals are your soft spot. He waved his hand and teleported a frozen Kaitlyn. She appeared directly in front of Zell. "Yes, I can see why you like this one." He ran his hand across her chest feeling her bosom. "She has quite the nice pair and not a bad looking face either. She could do without those ears and tail though. You know I think I will do you a favor and chop them off. Now as you know you can see and feel everything, so can she. The pain will be excruciating and will last until I let it stop."

    Feelings of helplessness filled Zell''s soul. What good is power if it cannot save those who you care about. [Do I really have to watch a friend die as I watched my family die?] Zell thought to himself. [No, I refuse. I refuse to let this be how Kaitlyn''s life ends. I refuse to let this mad man do as he pleases to her.] The rage burning in Zell''s heart swelled into a bellowing fury. [New Skill Acquired: Defiance.]

    Zell began yelling in anger as he attempted to move, to defy the flow of time. [New Skill Acquired: Overdrive. Power output 110%, 120%, 150%, 200%] The universe began to fracture around Zell''s arms, breaking as if it were glass. The broken universe revealed a black void behind Zell, which was quickly filled by white.

    As soon as Zell was free, he lunged at Steve with all of his might, with overdrive active his level was 1.6 trillion at the time of impact. Steve was struck with such an impact that his very soul was shattered. His head became liberated from his lifeless body and turned to dust as it flew away at the speed of light.

    Steve''s body crumbled to ash and a golden orb appeared where he once stood.

    [I cannot believe you did that!] Anna said. [That was one of the most exciting things I have ever seen! To think a mortal broke the fabric of the universe to defy time!]

    [What is that orb Anna.] Zell asked.

    [It is the power of time and space, you completely destroyed Steve.] Anna explained. [His power needs a new host.]

    Zell reached his hand out and plunged it into the orb. It shined brightly and wrapped itself around Zell''s arm, then traveled across his body before covering him completely with golden light. Zell''s body underwent changes as the power entered him. He grew taller and his apparent age changed to that of a young adult. His arms gained tattoos that resembled the inner workings of a clock.

    "Do I have control of time and space now?" Zell asked, looking at his arms as the light disappeared into him. "Undo Time stop!" He shouted out.

    As he did, Kaitlyn fell to her knees and began to cry. "Thank you!" She cried out. "I was so afraid! I didn''t know what that pervert was going to do to me!"

    "It''s going to be okay Kaitlyn." Zell said. "Set limited to 0.01%." As he said that his power shrank back and the white void that had erupted from him returned to his body leaving them back at the beach once more. Only this time there was no Steve, and no servants. "I guess I killed the girls when I powered up." He walked over to where they were sitting and made a motion as if he were rewinding a clock. A female servant reappeared but her body was pale and lifeless, and it fell to the ground.

    [Even the god of time cannot bring back the dead.] Anna said. [You can turn the clock back on the physical and bring bodies back, but the soul is another matter entirely.]

    [What other rules of time are there?] Zell asked Anna.

    [You cannot occupy two timelines at once.] Anna explained. [So, you cannot go back in time to a time that you already exist.]

    [I was hoping I could go back.} Zell let out a sigh.

    [You cannot save your family.] Anna said. [However, you could get revenge.]

    [Explain.] Zell replied.

    [Different universes have different timelines.] Anna said. [Time is only relative to the universe that it is in, so if you wanted to be in another universe at the same time, you could.]

    [I know what I must do.] Zell said. He turned around to Kaitlyn and placed his hand on her shoulder. "I need to go for a little bit, but I will be right back. I can use time travel so it will appear as if I am only gone for a second."

    "Why can''t I come with you?!" Kaitlyn demanded.

    "I don''t want you to see what I am going to do.." Zell said with a half-smile and disappeared from Kaitlyn''s sight.

 Chapter 37 - Back To Earth

    This was Zell''s first experience with his new powers of space and time. He could see the multiverse laid out before him as windows. It resembled his time inside the astral plane. Having seen something similar before he was able to easily navigate to the day he died. With a deep breath and a look of determination he leaped into the window.

    He appeared in front of his old home at the break of dawn. His house was wrapped in crime scene tape and multiple technicians were cataloging the scene. The horrid scene was counterbalanced with the feeling of nostalgia. The familiar smells and sights he used to experience every day.

    His attire made him stick out like a sore thumb. His open vest and pants that were now too short for his taller body. It did not take long for a detective to notice his presence. "Excuse me sir." She said as she walked over to Zell, raising her hand.

    Zell turned and faced the woman as she approached him.

    Seeing that she had his attention she began to ask him questions. "Did you know the family that lived here?" She asked as she approached.

    "No, I was just passing through and saw all the commotion and thought that I would check it out." Zell replied.

    "Where are you from?" She asked. "I have never seen anyone dress in quite a manner."

    "Oh this?" He said as he looked at himself. [My clothes do not fit right.] He thought to himself. "I am an entertainer, just ending my shift."

    "What sort of entertainment?" She asked.

    "I would rather not answer." Zell said.

    Not to be deterred, she pressed the issue. "Surely you must be a gig worker with such an attire, if you tell me what kind of entertainment you provide, I may be able to find you more clients or may even be interested myself."

    [Does she think I am stupid?] Zell thought to himself. [Well dressed that this, yes, yes, she does think I am stupid.]

    [Why are you even bothering talking to his mortal?] Anna said. [Remember you cannot go back and start over, the longer you wait and waste time the more time is lost.]

    [She may have insight on what happened.] Zell explained. [We need to find out what she knows.]

    "I am tired, detective; I am sure you understand." Zell said. "Tell you what, give me your card and we can discuss the matter in length later."

    She reached into her pocket and pulled out a card. She handed it to Zell with a smile. "I look forward to it."

    Zell took the card and walked away. [I need to get better clothing if I am going to blend in and investigate.] He thought to himself.

    As Zell left the scene the detective went to some patrol officers and the scene. "I want you to go shadow that man, if he goes anywhere remotely connected to this place, I want you to arrest him."

    "On what charges?" The patrol officer asked.

    "Arrest him for anything, obstruction of justice, criminal trespass, just anything." She explained. "I just have a feeling he is connected to these murders, and I am going to find out what that connection is."

    Zell knew his son lived a block away. He knew where the key to his house was and figured him to be about the same size and build that he currently was. He went to the house and found the fake rock that hid the spare key. He retrieved it and went inside, not knowing he was being watched.

    "Dispatch can you run the address of 6698 Willow Lane." The officer said into his walkie.

    Within moments the dispatcher got back with the officer. "Address is current resident of Malcom Smith."

    "That name any connection to our murders last night?" The officer asked.

    "Malcom Smith is one of the victims." The dispatcher responded.

    "This is officer O''Kelly, I need all available units to 6698 Willow Lane, possible murder suspect inside." Officer O''Kelly said.

    Inside the house Zell made his way upstairs into his son''s room. Along the way he passed by his grandson''s room. He stopped and looked inside, spending a moment to think about his grandson. The walls of the room were lined with posters from various video games and anime. He had a bookshelf filled to the brim with a variety of manga. "He always did like those cartoons." Zell said softly, reminiscing about the past. "I will see you again one day little buddy, until then wait for grandpa." With a tear in his eye, he left and entered his son''s room.

    He went into the closet and found multiple suits. His son worked as a traveling salesman and had an extensive collection of suits. He finally found one he likes. It was a navy blue three piece, with a red striped tie to match. He put it on and to his luck it was a near perfect fit. The sleeves were just a hair too short. As he was looking at himself in the mirror, he began to see the flashing of red and blue lights outside the window. He peeked through the curtains and found the street filled with police cars. Their doors open and police hiding behind them with their guns drawn at the house.

    An officer with sergeant''s bars on his uniform picked up a bull horn. "This is the police." He said. "We have the place surrounded. Come out with your hands up or we will have no choice but to use force. This will go a lot better for you if you surrender now."

    Zell closed the curtain and let out a deep sigh. "They really think I am a suspect?" He asked himself. "That means they have no ideas or leads. Shit. If I don''t surrender and explain, they will waste resources trying to find me, but if I do that is so much wasted time."

    [I should also point out that per mother''s rules your level is meaningless on Earth.] Anna said. [You still have my god powers and those that you took from Steve, but your massive strength is unavailable to you at the moment.]

    [Thanks for the heads up.] Zell replied.

    "This is your last warning." The sergeant said again over the bullhorn.. "You have thirty seconds to comply."

 Chapter 38 - Interrigation

    Zell took a deep breath and walked outside to the awaiting police. "You are wasting your time; I didn''t do what you think I did." He shouted out as the police rushed him to handcuff him. They read him his rights and took him to the police station. He found himself in an interrogation room handcuffed to the table. It did not take long for the detective he spoke with earlier to enter the room holding a large number of files.

    She sat down across from him and laid her files down. "Looks like you have a new outfit on." She said, "It suits you."

    "Yes, the other outfit is only used for entertainment services." Zell replied.

    "Oh yes, right." The detective replied. "Because you are an entertainer. What kind of entertainer are you exactly?"

    "Male stripper." Zell said bluntly.

    "So, what would a male stripper be doing outside of my crime scene?" She asked. "Then what would a male stripper be doing at one of the victim''s houses shortly after? What are you hiding!" She opened the folder containing her files to reveal a series of pictures. "Look at these." She laid them out one by one. The pictures of his family first, but then she laid out several more, people Zell had never seen before. "Does seeing your handy work turn you on?!" She shouted. "So many families murdered in cold blood! So many lives lost! I want to know why you son of a bitch!"

    "More people were killed other than those you found this morning?" Zell asked.

    "You should know!" She accused.

    "I did not kill those people." Zell said.

    "Then why were you there?!" The detective continued. "Why did you go into the victim''s house?!"

    "If I told you would not believe me." Zell said. "Just know that I did not commit those murders and I am on your side. I want to see the killer caught and brought to justice more than anyone."

    "Then tell me where you were last night." She questioned.

    "Time is an irrelevance that no longer affects me." Zell said. "Run my prints in your computer, my face, my DNA, you will find I do not exist to begin with, so how could I have been anywhere when I am nowhere at all?"

    The detective slammed her hands on the table and exited the room. Shortly after she returned to the room and took a DNA swab of Zell''s cheek. "Since you are so willing to be tested." She said, ``I won''t pass up the chance of collecting the evidence I need to nail you."

    Hours pass and Zell waits patiently for the detective to return. [Why are you wasting time?!] Anna asked. [We need to be out there, your vengeance awaits!]

    [This will be the best way.] Zell replied. [I am about to take control of this investigation and catch the bastard. I cannot believe my family was not the only one murdered. To think they were victims of a serial killer.]

    The detective returned to the room with a look of confusion on her face. She sat down and showed Zell a piece of paper. It was the results of his DNA test. "Why does this say you are not human?!"

    "Because I am not?" Zell replied.

    "What do you mean?!" She yelled. "Of course, you are!"

    "Not what the test says is it?" Zell replied.

    "You must have tricked the test somehow!" She explained.

    "Oh, then what does it say I am?" Zell asked.

    "It doesn''t know." She said. "Somehow you have made it, so your DNA doesn''t match anything we have on record."

    "As I said, I do not exist." Zell said. "As I also said, I am here to help. So would you like to help me out of these cuffs, or should I do the honors?"

    "Why would I uncuff you?" She asked, confused. "You are still a suspect."

    "Seeing is not always believing I suppose." Zell sighed. He grabbed the handcuffs around his wrists and sped their time up, they turned to rust and then fell apart and off of him. Zell rubbed his wrists where the handcuffs were. "Do you believe me now?"

    "How did you?!" The detective slowly backed away from Zell. "How, there''s no way."

    "Look I am being as nice as I can about this." Zell said. "But every minute you waste on me, is a minute you are not trying to catch the killer. I want nothing more than to bring that killer to justice, as I already told you. Now let us work together and catch them."

    "Answer me this, what are you?" The detective asked again. "Please don''t give me those who nonexistence crap again, I need to know what you are."

    "Fine, I am a god." Zell said, embracing his godly powers.

    [Careful posing as a god mortal.] Anna warned. [This could have unforeseen consequences.]

    [This is the only way to get out of this situation.] Zell replied.

    "A god?!" The detective started laughing. "I must say in my fourteen years of police work, not one person has ever claimed to be a god. That is definitely a new one for me."

    "Well, if the cuffs and the DNA does convince you, how about this?" Zell said. "Look out that window over there, tell me what you see."

    "It''s a bright sunny day, not a cloud in the sky." She replied.

    "I will now make it storm." Zell said and raised his hand toward the sky. He focused Anna''s power and caused the sky to blacken with clouds rapidly. Lightning began to illuminate the darkness as a massive storm was now upon them in an instant.

    The detective backed away from the window and braced herself against the table in the center of the room. "A god huh?" She said as if something inside of her broke. "So, you really are a god, like that one from the comic movies, and you want to help me with my case?"

    "It is the only thing I care about." Zell said.

 Chapter 39 - A Plan

    The detective sat back down in her chair, a stunned look of shock on her face. "So, tell me what does a god care about this case?" She asked.

    "Let''s just say it is a personal matter." Zell replied. "Do not concern yourself about it further."

    "This is just like those shows!" She said, snapping out of her shock. "You know the show where the detective gets help from something supernatural and they use their unique abilities to help crack the case."

    "I''m afraid I am not up to date on the television shows." Zell said in reply. "Let''s not waste any more time. Tell me what you know of the case."

    "Yes sir!" The detective said quickly, almost sitting at attention. "There have been five mass casualty events over the past month. All happen during broad daylight and there is never a sign of forced entry. The killer''s rate of attack has been steadily increasing over the past month which implies they are losing control over their urges and are bound to make a mistake soon."

    "Or they are becoming better and more confident." Zell replied. "So, the attacks all happened in the daytime? How are there no witnesses? No evidence?"

    "Every witness has been one of the victims." The detective said. "The killer always strikes during a family celebration of some sort. The last set of victims had a retirement party. That poor old man had a heart attack when he saw the carnage, no one should have to go through that. Especially on a day that should have been joyful."

    "I agree." Zell said. "How often does the killer strike?"

    "The first attack was on the third." She explained. "The second took place ten days later, the next two five days. Then the last was a mere two days."

    "So, the killer will strike again either today or tomorrow?" Zell said, leaning back in his chair thinking about what to do next. "Have you thought about setting a trap for them?"

    "A trap?" The detective asked. "You mean make a fake celebration and hope they attack? I actually suggested that to the chief, but he told me it was a bad idea and a waste of manpower."

    "You have no leads, no suspects, no evidence." Zell explained. "Setting a trap may be the only way to stop them."

    "I completely agree but unfortunately it is out of my hands." She sighed.

    "Do we at least know how the killer is finding their targets?" Zell asked.

    "I believe it is the newspaper." She replied. "Every event had an article about it in the paper, well at least the first four did. I have not confirmed if the fifth did."

    "Do you have today''s paper?" Zell asked.

    "We might, in the lobby." She said. "Would it be alright if I went to go check, Mr. god sir?"

    "Permission granted." Zell laughed.

    [You may have set in motion a terrible set of events.] Anna said. [Humans on Earth are not supposed to have proof of the divine, at least not since the mythological era. Mother got so upset we had so many humans as our slaves and servants. She forbade us from doing it again.]

    [I didn''t get that warning.] Zell joked. [We have only told one person, if we act like it will cause harm to the universe or destroy the world if she tells anyone I am sure it will be fine.]

    [Careful you don''t start a new religion.] Anna warned. [Humans are quick to follow the divine, it is in their nature. Even if the divine is just remnants and not an actual god.]

    [I am telling you it will be okay.] Zell said. [This is the best way to find the killer. It made her work with us quickly, didn''t it?]

    [I am just warning you.] Anna said. [There is no telling what mother may do if she discovers a god revealed themselves on Earth.]

    [Isn''t she all seeing and all knowing?] Zell asked.

    [No, she just says that.] Anna explained. [None of us are. She does have the ability to watch multiple targets at once, but that is not unlimited. I believe it caps out at around two billion. She can also only watch one universe at a time, and she has made countless universes. So, the odds are low she finds out, but if she does¡­]

    [It will be okay!] Zell replied. [have some faith.]

    [Says the mortal playing god.] Anna said.

    The door to the interrogation room opened once more and the detective walked back carrying the paper. She sat back down and started going through it.

    Thumbing through the announcement section she found what she was looking for. "It looks like there are two events coming up tomorrow." She explained. "One is for a family reunion and the other is a birthday party for a forty-eight-year-old man."

    "So, one of those will likely end in tragedy?" Zell said.

    "Judging by current events, I would say it is a good possibility." She said. "I asked if we could cancel all family gatherings until we caught the killer, but the chief said we could not take away the civil liberties of anyone, even if it saved their life. We don''t have the manpower to cover both events, nor do I think the chief would go for it."

    "Why don''t we split up then?" Zell asked. "I will take one and you and the other officers take the other?"

    "I suppose being a god and all you can handle yourself." She said.

    "Oh, about that." Zell said. "You must not reveal my identity to anyone. Doing so could lead to dire consequences."

    "What kind of dire consequences?" She asked nervously.

    "Dire ones." Zell replied. "You have not told anyone have you?"

    She violently shook her head no. "I have not told a soul!"

    "Good see that you don''t." Zell said. "Because remember if you do there will be dire consequences."

    "I understand sir." She replied.

    "So, what is the address of the birthday party?" Zell asked.

    "7786 Fifth Street." She replied.

    "Thank you." Zell said. He then used his powers of space to teleport to that location leaving the detective alone in the room.

    She quickly pulled out her cell phone and pulled up a text conversation. Her text read: ''I met a god today sis! Can you believe it gods are real! I doubted it at first but then he did all sorts of weird stuff and even made it storm! Yeah, that sudden storm out of nowhere earlier, that was him! This is going to be the most exciting case of my life.''

    She looked at it and sighed. She quickly sent another text: ''Please disregard everything I just said. It was all a dream I shouldn''t drink so much coffee. Love sis.''

    "I hope she buys that.." She said to herself as she put away her phone and exited the room.

 Chapter 40 - Vengeance

    Elsewhere in the city a woman danced in her room to loud music playing. She waved around cleavers soaked in blood and she gleefully danced. Her performance was meant for a black goat statue surrounded by candles. "Oh, great mast of the eternal dark, am I not doing you proud?!" She said to the statue. "I have brought you the blood of so many families, families that you did not have. They scoffed at your glory, your beauty! I made them pay! I taught them a lesson they will never forget. Oh, the looks they give me right before they pass out. Oh! It''s orgasmic. Thank you, my lord, for this honor you have bestowed upon me. I shall rid this world of all the unbelievers in your name!"

    As she finished speaking, she stopped her dance and set the knives down next to the statue. "Man, that also tires me out." She said as she stood back up, having bent over to place the knives. She sniffed herself. "Whew, I need a shower." She walked to her bathroom, a newspaper hung from her wall, a particular event circled in red. She smiled as she walked past. "Soon my lord shall have another offering!"

    She took her shower and walked to her washing machine and dryer. She opened the dryer and took out a delivery uniform. She flipped it from front to back and looked all around. "Fantastic, all the blood came out." She said. "Another miracle from my lord no doubt." Happy she took the uniform and placed It on her bed.

    On a table in her room sat vails of different chemicals. She picked them up and poured exact amounts into a single container. She was extremely careful not to mess up. "A little bit of this and a little bit of that, and they all pass out from my gas!" She said almost singing it. Happy with her mixture she sealed her container and placed it inside of a pizza box. The box was rigged so that the container would be open and release the gas vapors as the box opened. Feeling prepared she decided to go to bed and slept until the next day.

    When she woke up, she washed her hair, brushed her teeth, and put on her delivery uniform. She then picked up her jacket which had extra compartments to hide her knives. She walked over to the statue and rubbed its head. "Hopefully this will be your best offering yet." She said. "I can''t wait until all of my hard work brings you into this world." She then picked her knives up and placed them into her jacket''s compartments.

    Prepared she grabbed her pizza box and a specially designed face mask that blocked the gas''s influence. She put it all in her car and began to drive to her destination.

    Meanwhile the detective had sent all units to her event she was guarding. Police were stationed at every possible feeder road in an attempt to limit escape, or to try and indemnify the unknown suspect before anything could happen.

    Zell waited and watched outside the house he was guarding. He hid in nearby trees so that he would not be seen, but still had a good view of the property. Everything was looking normal for a birthday party. Guests arrived one at a time and a pizza delivery car appeared. Zell watched the pizza delivery woman go to the door and knock on it.

    The door opened to the party''s host. "Yes?" They asked. Noticing the pizza, they quickly responded. "Oh, you must have the wrong house dear, we didn''t order any pizza."

    "that''s right sir." She replied with a smile. "The company I work for is called speedy pizza, and we are running a promotion. We notice parties in the paper and deliver you a pizza free of charge. We hope that the pizza is so delicious you will come to us for all your future pizza needs."

    "That''s fine I guess." He said. "You can hand it over."

    "I am sorry sir." She replied. "It is company policy that I take it inside and open it for you on a secure location. We would not want you to accidentally drop and ruin your free pizza."

    "Just give me the pizza." He replied. "I will tell your boss you did a good job if he asks."

    "I am sorry sir, but there is a camera pointed at me from the car." She insisted. "If I fail to go inside, I will lose my job and be unable to pay my bills. I will find myself out on the street, homeless and penniless. Please just let me do my job sir."

    A voice could be heard from inside. "Just let the poor girl do her job!" They yelled.

    "Fine." He sighed as he fully opened the door and let her inside.

    Outside Zell continued his watch, curious as to why the pizza delivery woman went inside. "That''s odd."

    [What is odd.] Anna asked.

    [In all my years of ordering pizza, not once did they ever go inside my house.] Zell replied.

    He waited a few minutes but there was no movement from the house. "Something isn''t right." Zell said to himself leaving his hiding spot. He walked over to the door and knocked on it.

    The door flew open revealing a woman in a pizza outfit. "Oh, hello there!" She said with a sadistic smile on her face. "Come in, we are about to eat!" She reached out and grabbed Zell''s arm and pulled him inside before he could react. As soon as he was inside, she slammed the door behind him.

    He looked around and noticed the unconscious people on the floor. "So, it was you." He said. "You are the bitch that killed my family?!" He yelled and he reached out his hand and shot out a bolt of lightning, striking her and slamming her against the wall. "You ruined my life! I was happy and could have gotten to see my grandchildren grow up! You took that away from me!" He continued to yell as he walked over to her unconscious smoking body. He wrapped his hands around her neck and began to squeeze as tightly as he could. Every so often his anger would spike, and he would jerk slamming her head into the wall behind her. Her body became limp as she died. Blood poured from the back of her head, a hole in the wall behind her, proof of the force used. Zell continued to choke her as tears began to run down his cheeks.

    "I did it." He said. "I got the justice you all deserved. You can rest in peace now, my family." Zell let go of her corpse and stood back up. He looked down on her broken, burnt, lifeless body and still felt a rage bubbling inside of him.. He spit on her corpse and then vanished without a trace.

 Chapter 41 - God?!

    The murderous woman awakens in a sea of white clouds. "Where am I?!" She said. "Did that bastard kill me?! What the hell did he mean I killed his family? Also, grandchildren?! That dude was like twenty tops. Also did he shoot lightning out of his hand?! Did I get wasted by a fucking superhero?! Wait no heroes don''t just straight up murder people."

    "Quiet my child." A deep voice commanded.

    "Who''s that?!" She said, startled. "God?!"

    "There are some who call me that." He said.

    "Oh shit, this is heaven!" She yelled. "But why am I here?" She said, confused. "I went to church as a girl and let''s just say I did literally everything that place told me not to do. Wait, did they have it backwards?! Oh, that''s rich, all those uptight nice bitches going straight to hell."

    "Enough!" The man yelled. "Please be quiet for a moment and let me explain things to you. You were not supposed to die yet, something or someone interfered. Most likely it was my busybody fool of a partner, she is always messing everything up. Bitch even calls me Eddy, as some stupid joke."

    "So, I wasn''t supposed to die?" She asked.

    "No, you were supposed to murder a few more hundred until you were caught." The man explained. "After you were caught, people were going to learn of the websites you learned everything from, including the ones that taught you that insane goat worshiping religion. The fear from the actions you did would have created a public backlash, stopping those sites at their source. Parents would have educated their young better, and the world would have been a better place overall."

    "So, I wasn''t serving the lord of eternal night?" She asked with a sad look on her face.

    "Do I look like a damned goat?!" The man yelled. "Humans insist on spreading poison and lies. They require drastic events to steer them back into the right direction. You were that drastic event. The horrors that you inflicted on families, the fear you put into the public''s heart. Changed the way humans used and trusted the internet. Your violence was the spark that opened peoples'' eyes to the vast amount of lies on the internet and now you will just be remembered as a two-bit serial killer."

    "I''m sorry?" She said questioningly.

    "Why are you apologizing?!" He shouted. "Like I said earlier, it was probably my bitch of a partner''s fault. You know she even tells everyone that she is the source of all creation?! Bitch we did that together! Both of us! And when it comes time to destroy things? To end them for the greater good, suddenly she wants no part of it, and I am the bad guy. No doubt she found some gullible fool and filled his head with a bunch of nonsense."

    "So, um god?" She nervously said. "I don''t mean to interrupt your rant but, why exactly am I here?"

    "Oh, right." He replied. "Look I plucked your soul from oblivion for a reason. I found an odd mortal on a planet in one of the universes. He is odd because I do not know his destiny, as in he shouldn''t be there. Leads me to the conclusion that my partner put him there. I do not know if he is related to your death, but something is suspicious about the whole thing. I had recently sent a demon lord to that world to fix its problems. Not all our worlds are ruled by humans, sometimes nonhumans rule. This is one of the cases where I am giving the world to the nonhumans. The humans there have fallen deeply into darkness and need to be destroyed. I will make sure a few survive to maintain a population, but they will have a different status. Instead of lording over the planet they will be guests. For a few centuries life will be hard for them, but after a time they will know peace. Both humans and nonhumans will be better for this."

    "So, what do you want me to do?" She asked.

    "I was getting to that." He said. "As I said before that soul is an anomaly, I have no idea who he will affect the fate of the world. The destruction of humanity must happen to save life on that planet. No matter what my partner says there is no other way. I chose you because I want you to be my back up plan. With this new unknown element, I am uncertain my demon lord will be able to fulfill his task. That is where you come in. I am going to reincarnate you as a human with elevated stats. The humans of that world will call you a hero and praise the ground you walk on. I want you to gain their trust and take control of their kingdoms. I want you to destroy humanity from within."

    "What do you mean elevated stats?" She asked.

    "Do you remember the video games your brother played as a child?" He explained. "My partner and I created many different worlds with different laws of existence. A lot of it was out of boredom and some of it was out of curiosity. Such as what would happen if a universe behaved like one of Earth''s video games. Regardless, that universe has a leveling system with stats. You will be stronger and faster than those around you. I shall also grant you the skill of ultimate deception. It will allow you to bypass any skill that requires you to tell the truth. I shall also grant you the boon of luck. It will allow things to most always end up in your favor. Finally, I grant you the skill of redo, since your task is so important. Should you be killed, you will awaken the previous morning. It will allow you to try and prevent whatever caused your death. Be warned, being killed twice within a day will result in you ending back here. If that happens, I will have to reincarnate you again and you will have to start over."

    "I will do my best." She replied.

    "You must succeed." He replied. "The fate of all life on that planet depends on it. You will be born to the duke of a kingdom. Your older sibling is the unknown I spoke of. Ensure that he never discovers your true identity, or your true mission. There is no telling what that bitch told him. Maintaining your cover around him is paramount. Do well in your mission and eternal paradise shall be yours, fail me and I will put you back into the lifeless void I plucked you from. Now go." He pushed her and she faded out of existence. "Your move now bitch.." He said to himself confidently.

 Chapter 42 - Round Two With "God"

    Zell reappeared before Kaitlyn a second after he left. She was shocked by the change in his appearance. "Whoa clothing change?!" She said. "Did everything go as you wanted it to?"

    Zell looked down at his hands. The hands he used to choke the life out of the person who took everything from him. He smiled. "Yes." He replied. "Everything is fine now. Are you ready to depart back to our world?"

    "Yes." Kaitlyn said. "We have a job to do."

    "Alright..." Before Zell could say another world, he lost all consciousness and fell to the ground, face first into the sand. He opened his eyes to find a familiar scene. The white void he found himself in the day he died. Again, the woman was sitting waiting for him. "Did I die again?" He asked. "At least I got to avenge my family."

    God took a deep breath and sighed in disappointment. "You are not dead, I simply wanted to speak with you." She said. "It has come to my attention that one of my children has died, this is unacceptable. I also found that you went to Earth with my child''s power and caused destruction. This is also unacceptable." God glared at Zell. "Daughter I know you are within him; you get out here this instant."

    Zell''s body began to glow until he became pure white. Then the white light separated from him and formed Anna.

    "It''s good to see you mother." Anna said with a tone of fear in her voice. "It''s been so long."

    "Quiet." God snapped. "I will deal with you later."

    "Yes mother." Anna said sheepishly.

    [This is nothing like the last time.] Zell thought to himself.

    "Look I understand you are a curious boy Zell, but you must not interfere with the world of gods." God explained. "You didn''t know our ways, our rules, so I cannot punish you harshly. However, I must still punish you. You have broken our laws and killed my child. Such unspeakable acts will have to be answered for. I just don''t understand. I gave you ultimate power on that world, and yet you do nothing with it. I know I told you I was not sending you to save that world, but the truth is, I was. Eddy has placed a demon lord there and means to destroy the planet''s human population. I had hoped you would take it upon yourself to save the world, given the power I blessed you with. But sadly, you instead chose to bully and kill my children."

    "I didn''t have a choice!" Zell said.

    "You dare lie to me?" God said in a thunderous voice. "With all of your power the only option you could decide on was violence?" She sighed deeply again. "I suppose mortals are still the youngest of my creations, still no more than savage beasts when you break it down." She walked over to Zell and gave him a slight tap on the cheek with her hand. "Don''t threat much, as I said I won''t punish you too harshly. In fact, some would consider your punishment a blessing."

    "So, what is my punishment?" Zell asked.

    "First you will surrender the powers of time and space." God said. "I will use them to rebuild my child and give him a second life. Next you will complete the task I sent you to complete. I want you to save that planet. I want as many lives saved as possible. I do not care for violence and destruction so please keep it to a minimum, I want you to bring peace to that world. Do this and I may yet forgive you."

    "I was going to do that anyway." Zell said. "I was on my way to meet with the demon lord when I got trapped in the realm of gods. I learned about the world''s soul dying and went on a mission to achieve world peace."

    "The world''s soul?" God asked. "That is not a thing. Where did you hear that?"

    "The beast people told me about it." Zell said.

    "Why do mortals invent things to worship instead of me!" She yelled. "Tell them the next time you see them that I am who they should worship, not some petty fake world soul. Either way it is good you were already on a mission of peace. I will tell you the best way to achieve this. Kill the demon lord. This will break the spirits of the other nonhumans and prevent any future attacks. Then there is the matter of Rose, your sister."

    "What about her?" Zell asked.

    "Something is wrong about her." God replied. "I am certain Eddy had something to do with it. Kill her as well just to be on the safe side."

    "You want me to kill my sister?" Zell asked.

    "Yes." God replied. "And do not defy me on this, remember you are on thin ice after what you have done. After you have killed those two, I do not know what Eddy will do next, so you must be ready for anything."

    "I will." Zell answered. [I need to figure something out. I do not want to have to kill my sister, I know I can talk her down.] He thought.

    "I took the liberty of upgrading your status screen." God said. "You will now be able to read your level. Go on and try it out."

    "Status." Zell said and a new screen appeared before him. He would clearly see numbers now and not just errors and glitches. Says I''m back to level two million?"

    "Yes, my daughter has separated from you." God said. "So, you have reverted back to your original level." God reached out her hand and a golden orb left Zell''s body. "I have removed the powers of time and space from you."

    "How am I supposed to get back to my planet when I wake up?" Zell asked.

    "Use the door." God said. "I have already rigged it to take you home. Remember, do whatever it takes for peace, but save as many lives as you can. I understand there will be casualties."

    "Now daughter we are going to have a nice long discussion about what we tell mortals." Zell heard God say before he woke up on the beach. Kaitlyn on top of him pushing on his chest, tears rolling down her cheeks.

    "Don''t die on me Zell!" Kaitlyn yelled. "Please don''t leave me! I need you!"

 Chapter 43 - On The Beach

    "I am okay, Kaitlyn." Zell said as he got up off the beach. He let out a deep sigh and stared out across the breaking waves. "The water sure is beautiful. I wonder where this beach even is."

    "Are we not going to talk about what just happened?!" Kaitlyn cried out. "I thought you died! You were fine and then just BAM on the ground motionless."

    "Sorry about that." Zell smiled and looked over to the crying cat girl. "The creator of the universe had some words for me."

    "The creator?" Kaitlyn was puzzled.

    "Yeah, she wasn''t too happy about my latest stunt." Zell sighed. "She stripped me of my power of time and space, made Anna leave me, and gave me a stern talking to."

    "Oh no!" Kaitlyn yelled. "Does that mean we are stuck here on this beach? To-to-together?! Going to have to rely on one another for comfort and support¡­ Eventually there will be those lonely nights¡­" Kaitlyn''s face becomes reddened.

    "No, we are not stuck." Zell laughed. "I just wanted to take a moment and watch the waves. You know I still remember the first time I took my kids to the beach. They were terrified of the water. Every time I thought they were going to get in a wave would come and they would run back screaming. Ha! Come to think of it, my grandson did that on his first beach trip."

    "I always forget you have a whole other person inside of your head." Kaitlyn said. She walked over to where Zell was sitting and sat next to him in the sand. "This isn''t like you to be so calm and still. Normally you are full steam ahead and on with the mission. What happened while you were gone?"

    "I did something I can never take back." Zell said calmly. "I do not regret it one bit. I only wish I could do it again. To feel the life of the person who took my family leave their body. It was a wonderful experience." Zell laid back on the beach and took in the sunlight. "It feels good to not just roll over and take it. To just do what needs to be done and not worry about anyone else. Maybe doing what she wants won''t be too bad."

    "What did she ask you to do?" Kaitlyn asked, looking down at Zell, who had now closed his eyes to enjoy the warmth of the sun.

    "She wanted me to bring peace." Zell said.

    "That''s good we were already on our way to do that." Kaitlyn replied.

    "By killing the demon lord and ending my sister''s reign." Zell said.

    "She wants you to murder people?!" Kaitlyn said. "She''s no better than that Steve guy!"

    "You may be right." Zell chuckled. "Still, we have to do what she says. You saw how she just yanked me to her realm. I don''t know how I can defy her."

    "Would you if you could?" Kaitlyn asked.

    "The old me would have never." Zell replied. "But now, I don''t know. I do not think just doing what she wants just because she is god is the right thing to do. Having met these other gods, I can tell they do not have any interests other than their own. I feel like they only want to use us as pawns in their stupid game they are playing against each other. Anna seemed worried about her. The whole time we were on Earth I could sense her fear, well I could feel it. But I had to get my revenge, I needed my family to have justice."

    "And you feel better now?" Kaitlyn asked.

    "Better than you could ever imagine." Zell said. "Now that my family has justice, I know they are resting in peace, and I can move on with my life."

    "Move on?!" Kaitlyn asked, surprised with a hopeful tone.

    "Yeah, my old woman would want that." Zell smiled.

    "So do-do you have anyone in mind?" Kaitlyn asked nervously.

    "Nope, but I am sure I will find her one day." Zell said.

    Kaitlyn''s bubble popped and she looked as if someone had just murdered her puppy. "Oh, I see." She said sadly. "I am sure she is."

    Zell opened his eyes and could tell Kaitlyn was visibly upset. "Don''t cry." He said. "I know you are upset that I looked like I died, but I am fine I promise."

    "Your so stupid!" Kaitlyn yelled and slapped Zell across his face. "I like you! Okay?! You''re strong, and smart, and kind, and strong!"

    "You said strong twice, Kaitlyn." Zell teased.

    "Shut up!" She yelled back. "You are strong, but just so stupid!"

    "My wife used to tell me that all the time." Zell laughed. "I am sorry, I didn''t think a nonhuman could have feelings for a human."

    "Well, I didn''t either!" Kaitlyn said. "But here we are! Now you think I am an idiot!"

    "Hey, now." Zell said. "I think you are cute."

    "Really?" Kaitlyn said, calming down a bit.

    "Yes, Kaitlyn, you are really beautiful." Zell said. "It''s just that you are a bit young for me."

    "I am older than you!" Kaitlyn yelled.

    "That may be true for this body." Zell said. "But I have all the memories of my past life back, deep down I am an old man. I like my women mature and fully developed."

    "I''ll be that way in time." Kaitlyn said.

    "In time, yes." Zell replied. "Maybe then something will change, but I am sorry to me you are still a child."

    "So are you!" Kaitlyn fussed.

    "Let''s just move on." Zell sighed. "Look, I don''t trust god. If we can find a way to not kill the demon lord, I say we take it."

    "But won''t she kill you if you don''t?" Kaitlyn asked.

    "I don''t know." Zell answered. "But something isn''t right. She claims to love all life and even got upset about the death of Steve. Then she immediately tells me to kill the demon lord and my own sister. There is more to her story, we should try and discover it."

    "Oh, I have a question." Kaitlyn said standing back up. "With all that death what about the world soul?"

    "God says it doesn''t exist." Zell said. "She was actually visibly upset about it. Another sign there is more at play here. Still, we need to at least act like we are going to do as she says. We need to avoid suspicion since I do not know what she is capable of." Zell stood up and walked over to the door.. "So, are you ready to go back to our world?" He said as he opened the door.

 Chapter 44 - Into The Caves

    Zell and Kaitlyn walk through the doorway and find themselves back in the place it all began. Zell looked around. "Ah, I recognize those mountains." Zell said happily. "This is where that demon general tricked us. It was so foolish of me to trust him. I should have known better. I let my power go to my head, I felt like he wouldn''t dare to back stab me."

    "Don''t feel bad Zell." Kaitlyn said. "I thought he could be trusted too. I honestly thought he would help us bring peace."

    "I mean it was possible." Zell replied. "They say only fools have hope, and that day I was a fool." Zell looked around and took in the mountains around him. "You know I was so focused last time I didn''t really notice how pretty the mountains were. This is all new to me, this area. Do you know anything about it?"

    "Well as you know my tribe lives in the forbidden forest, which separates the human and nonhuman kingdoms. I cannot speak to the human side, but on our side, we are encased in mountains. The range goes from one end of the forest to the other but curves outward in a massive loop, giving us the land we live on."

    "So, there are mountains on three sides of the nonhuman''s borders?" Zell asked. "Then a forest on the fourth?"

    "Yes." Kaitlyn answered. "It has kept us safe and let us live in peace for the most part. The dwarves inhabit the mountains and guard them from intruders and my tribe does the same for the forest. Basically, there are four main powers of the nonhuman world. My tribe, the demon lord''s capital, the dwarven empire, and the dragons. My tribe is sadly the weakest of the four and the dragons used to hold the most power, but since the coming of the demon lord, his faction has taken over, well at least attempted to. I know my tribe refused him; I don''t know if the dwarves did."

    "The dragons joined him." Zell said. "I learned that years ago when I had to kill one."

    "It is still so amazing how powerful you are." Kaitlyn smiled.

    "Well let''s stop wasting time and get going." Zell said. He started to search his pockets for his stone. He did not find it and slapped his forehead with his palm. "I forgot the stone in my other pants!"

    "Guess we will just have to walk." Kaitlyn said.

    "You there!" An unfriendly voice shouted out. "What do ye think ye are doing?!"

    Zell and Kaitlyn turn around to find a group of dwarves with their weapons drawn.

    "A beast girl and a human?" They asked, looking confused. "Tell us beast girl are you this human''s slave? Is that how he was able to get through the forest?"

    "He is a friend." Kaitlyn said. "This is all a misunderstanding."

    "Look, it has been a long and tiring few days." Zell sighed. "I am not the same patient man I once was. Please do not try me, in fact why don''t you help me? Tell me how to get to the demon lord''s castle."

    The dwarves looked at each other and laughed at Zell. "Boy, do you not realize the situation you be in? Each of us warriors are all over level one hundred, far surpassing whatever a human is capable of."

    Zell just sighed and walked over to a nearby tree. He took his index finger and thumb and flicked the tree truck. The truck exploded into a thousand pieces at the impact. The dwarves just looked on with a shocked and horrified expression.

    "Can we try this again?" Zell asked, dusting his suit off from the tree debris. "Where can I find the demon lord?"

    "What are ye?!" One of the dwarves yelled. "No human is that strong! Are you the wretched queen''s vanguard?! Oh god have you come to kill us all?!"

    "Wretched queen?" Zell asked. "You must mean Rose. No, though she is my sister I do not support, nor do I condone her actions."

    "Like we would trust a bloody human!" Another dwarf shouted out.

    "He is telling the truth!" Kaitlyn yelled.

    "You know I am getting really tired of being accused of terrible actions because of my race." Zell sighed.

    "Well, ye are a human." A dwarf said. "They have proven time and time again over the ages that they cannot be trusted."

    "What if I told you I was from another world." Zell said, cutting to the chance. "Sent by the goddess of creation to save the word from chaos and bring world peace."

    The dwarves rallied together and huddled in a circle. They talked among themselves for a time, until one dwarf left the circle. "It would explain your mad strength." He said. "A human as a divine messenger, that''s a new one on us. Regardless, we need to take you to our king. Please follow us." He turned around and rejoined the other dwarves. As he did, the group of them turned and went to the mountain face.

    "We who live under the mountain seek entry!" One of the dwarves yelled. "Mu''Ju''Kar''Zan" An area of the mountain began to move apart revealing a hidden cave. The Dwarves went inside.

    "I guess we should follow them?" Zell said.

    "I guess." Kaitlyn replied, shrugging her shoulders.

    The two followed into the cave and as they entered the door shut behind them. The path was well lit with multiple torches lining the walls. The floor was a carved stairway that descended deep into the ground.

    "So, you think this is another trap?" Zell asked.

    "I think they believed you." Kaitlyn said. "Although I am not certain as to why they believed you so easily."

    "My seven hundred thousand charisma points?" Zell laughed.

    "Maybe." Kaitlyn laughed in agreement. "I have never visited the dwarves before, but grandpa told me they live in a vast cave system that stretches the entire mountain range."

    "That is a massive kingdom." Zell said. "There must be quite a lot of dwarves."

    They kept walking following the guards. Deeper and deeper they went into the ground. Finally, the path changed from stairs to floor, and they were met with a massive iron door. One of the dwarves walked over to the wall and pressed in a series of runes, which were carved into the wall. After he did the door opened to reveal a massive underground chamber. An entire city had been carved from the rock, massive columns stretched from cave floor to ceiling, and in the distance on a hill was a massive structure.

    "Come the king is waiting.." A dwarf said.

 Chapter 45 - Meeting With The Dwarven King

    The streets of the dwarven city were paved with precious stones. The homes and shops were all etched from solid marble and granite. They were all single cravings with no seams.

    "I have never seen a place more beautiful." Zell said.

    "I haven''t either." Kaitlyn replied. "Everything is just so shiny."

    "Few other than dwarves ever see our kingdom." One of the dwarven guards said.

    Looking around Zell had noticed; the busy streets all stopped and stared as he and Kaitlyn passed. "Explains the looks." Zell said.

    "A human is exceedingly rare." The dwarf said. "I don''t know if Frongon has ever had a human in its hallowed halls."

    "I am honored then." Zell said.

    The rest of the walk was in silence. Zell and Kaitlyn just took in the sights as they walked, amazed by the hidden beauty beneath the surface. There was a lake near the center of the city that''s bed was made of crystals that emitted a faint glow. The water was so clear you could see all the way to the bottom, as well as all the creatures swimming beneath the surface. Benches lined the waters edge, they too carved from the rock. Dwarves were there with their children enjoying the day.

    There were no signs of the war that rages between the humans and nonhumans, only the beauty and peace of the dwarven kingdom. As Zell looked around, he saw something unexpected. Pipes and machinery. He noticed everything was being illuminated by lights, not fire like the entrance. The whole city was running on electricity.

    They arrived at the palace. It was a massive structure, made of pure gemstone. The dwarves took them inside and led them to the throne room. They opened the door and lined either side. "You can go in now; the king is waiting for you."

    "Okay but how does the king even know we are here?" Zell asked. "Don''t you need to tell him you found us outside and you know everything else."

    "No, it will be fine." The guard laughed. "Just go meet our king."

    Zell shrugged his shoulders and went inside the room. Kaitlyn followed him closely behind. The throne itself was cut from diamonds. The room was empty besides one dwarf sitting on the diamond throne.

    He noticed as they entered and perked up. "You there!" He said. "Tell me, are you from Earth?!"

    Zell was shocked. "How did you know?" Zell asked.

    "That stylish three piece you are rocking my man." The dwarven king said with glee. "That is the fine work of an Earth tailor if I ever saw it."

    "I saw the electricity throughout the city." Zell said. "Am I to assume you were brought here from Earth as well?"

    "You got it." The king said, snapping his fingers and giving Zell a thumbs up. "I was just living my life and then one day bam dead. Woke up here as a tiny dwarf baby. Thankfully due to my unique skill: Remembrance, it allowed me to remember my past life as a science teacher back on the third rock from the sun."

    "So did you meet the lady god?" Zell asked.

    "Nah, just woke up here." The king said. "You can call me Ortan, King of all the dwarves. Inventor of all things cool and interesting. Improver of lives and bringer of peace."

    "Okay." Zell said. "Nice to meet you, I assume this is why the guards took me straight here when I said I was from another world?"

    "You guessed it." Ortan said. "They are under strict orders to bring me anyone they suspect of being from another world. I suspect the demon lord is as well."

    "He was sent by the god of destruction to destroy all life." Zell said. "At least that''s what the lady god told me."

    "That''s some heavy stuff." Ortan said. "Though I do find his lust for power most unappealing. He claims it is all for peace, but just look at my kingdom. We are safe, fed, happy, and secure. We need not the wars of this world, we can make it just fine without the other races."

    "So why even bother bringing me here?" Zell asked.

    "Oh, I just like meeting people from other worlds." Ortan said.

    "Have you met others?" Zell asked.

    "None from Earth, other than you." Ortan said. "But during my hundred years as king, yes I have met a few. They were all like me with some knowledge of their past life. You are the first I have encountered that mentioned a god of any type."

    "Yes, she had an unmatched beauty, and claimed to be the sole creator of all things." Zell explained. "She gave me a mission that has given me some suspicions. She claims to be of creation and peace, but she has told me to kill the demon lord and my sister."

    "I take it your sister would be the wretched queen?" Ortan asked. "That little wench has been a busy one. My network of spies tells me she is using her influence as humanities'' hero to recruit all the other human kingdoms to her cause. I fear that god of yours may be right. The only way to stop the war might be to chop off the two heads."

    "Maybe, but it just doesn''t sit right with me." Zell said. "Not that I even have a choice, she could kill me with a snap of her fingers."

    "Well, I don''t envy you." Ortan said. "But if you want some advice I will more than willingly provide it. Just like I used to tell students. Sometimes one must look outside the problem in order to see the solution. If you want a different path than wanton murder, take their power away. I would start with your sister; she seems to be the weaker of the two. Plus, you are a human, so getting other humans to follow you should be an easier task. Start with the kingdom furthest way from the queen''s and work your way over to her. If all of humanity rallied against her, she would lose her power and you will be able to defeat her without killing her. After that the demon lord should be more than willing to meet you."

    "That is actually a very reasonable plan." Zell said, surprised.

    "Hey, give this old man some credit." Ortan laughed. "After all I have been a king for longer than you have been alive and will be for much longer. Turns out I lucked up becoming a dwarf, we seem to live for hundreds of years."

    "I guess you did." Zell said. "Also, nice work on your kingdom, everyone seems happy."

    "Well of course." Ortan said. "Now, I will give you a hand. Allow me to send one of my strongest warriors with you. Kilgon!"

    A muscular dwarf walked into the throne room. He walked up to the throne and kneeled before his king. "Yes, my lord?"

    "I want you to go with this human here." Ortan said. "Help him out. He is going to overthrow the wretched queen. I have often feared the war on the surface would some day reach us, so this is a way we can keep ourselves safe. Take them out the back way through the mountains and go to the kingdom of Kermonth."

    "I will do as you say." Kilgon said as he got up. He looked Zell and Kaitlyn over and then just started walking away. "Follow me.." He said as he passed them.

 Chapter 46 - Across The Lake

    Kilgon lend the duo through the back of the palace. Behind the palace was more of the lake, all Zell and Kaitlyn could see was water. Kilgon walked over to the shores of the lake. He bent down and picked a chain up out of the water and started pulling it. Slowly a small boat inched closer and closer to shore as Kilgon pulled the chain. When the boat reached the land Kilgon disconnected the chain from the boat and got inside. He looked at Zell and Kaitlyn who had just been watching. "Stop staring." He said. "Get in the oat so we can go."

    The two of the nodded and got into the boat. Kilgon picked up two ores and began to row.

    "So, what''s it like living under the ground?" Kaitlyn asked.

    "Just like living anyone else I suppose." Kilgon responded. "Life is life no matter where you live. Everywhere has hardships and advantages. I would rather live no other place though."

    "Have you ever lived anywhere else?" Zell asked.

    "No." Kilgon answered. "I have been to the surface many times, it is full of greed, war, and death. An okay place to visit, but not a place I would want to live."

    "What kind of things did you do on the surface?" Kaitlyn asked.

    "I am a warrior." Kilgon said. "When I go to the surface it is to fight. Our people are looked down upon, we are spat upon, turned into slaves, or murdered for just being who we are. When our spies find an opportunity, we strike, and we save our kin."

    "I am sorry." Zell said.

    "It is not your place to apologize, human." Kilgon said. "A single human is no more responsible for the actions of his kin, than a pet dog would be responsible for the actions of a wild pack."

    "Did you just compare me to a pet?" Zell asked.

    "I am sorry." Kilgon said. "I am not good with comparisons; I am much better with my ax."

    "That''s fine." Zell said. "We cross the lake and then what?"

    "After we cross the lake, we will enter the back caves." Kilgon explained. "After that we will exit the cave system near Kermonth. It will only be a half day''s walk from the exit of the cave to the city."

    "Good." Zell said. "We need to convince them that my sister''s ways are wrong and get them on our side."

    "Strength is the only thing humans understand." Kilgon said. "They follow the bitch queen, because she is a hero, not because they love her."

    "Well earlier I would always hide my strength." Zell said. "I grew up terrified of what would happen if people found out I was different. It''s amazing to think how different everything would have gone if I did not hide it. I probably would not have ever gotten my memories back and might have even been as racist as the rest of the humans I have met."

    "Yes." Kaitlyn said. "Growing up an outsider really helped you become who you are. Who you are meant to be."

    "This time is different." Zell said. "This time I know what''s at stake. I know what will happen and this time I have my memories of my past life. I will not hide myself this time. "

    "Some speech." Kilgon said. "Can you back it all up?"

    "Oh, Zell can back it up." Kaitlyn laughed. "I once watched him shatter time itself to save me."

    "Shatter time huh?" Kilgon said. "Impressive for a human."

    "Oh, and have you done anything that impressive?" Kaitlyn asked.

    "This one time, while I was taking a piss." Kilgon started. "A group of humans snuck up on me from behind. I heard their approach and immediately turned around and grabbed me ax. I was still draining the main vein and aimed my piss right in their damned eyes. As they were disgusted and confused, I swung my blade and disemboweled them there they stood. Finished my piss and went on about my way. I had just saved twelve of my kin that day. The human I freed them from must have been upset, to send assassins."

    "That''s not as impressive as breaking time." Kaitlyn said.

    "Oh, and have you ever used your piss as a weapon?" Kilgon laughed. "I fought with my ax and my sword that day if you know what I mean."

    "Oh yeah!" Kaitlyn said. "Well, I once saw Zell push a man halfway across the forest in a single blow!"

    "Reminds me of a rescue mission I once had." Kilgon started. "Slavers had two dozen of my kin locked in a cage. Next to that cage was another with wild beasts. A whole pack of killer wolves. The camp was completely overrun with slavers, and I had just eaten a large meal, so I was feeling a bit sluggish. I threw my ax one hundred yards to hit the lock on the wolves'' cage and opened the door. Those furry beasts rushed their captors and began feasting upon them. I scrolled over to my kin while the wolves feasted, picked up my ax, and then freed my kin. I saved them all without personally having to fight a soul."

    "You think that''s more impressive?!" Kaitlyn asked. "Zell''s strength is on a completely different level."

    "Strength is not the sole signifier of an impressive feat." Kilgon said. "It is more impressive to use your wit and cunning to defeat your foe, than to simply overpower them. It is easy to force open a lock. A more impressive feat is to open it without breaking it."

    The boat stopped abruptly as it went ashore. Kilgon but his ores back on the floor of the boat and stepped out. He picked up a chain lying on the ground and resecured the boat. Zell and Kaitlyn got out of the boat as well.

    "Now we must enter the caves." Kilgon said. "Keep your weapon on the ready. A beast lurks in the darkness, which has slain many of my kin." He walked over to the entrance of the cave, which was blocked by a massive door. He entered the rune code and opened it. On the inside of the door hung a torch, he picked it up and lit it. "Let''s go.." He said as he went into the darkness.

 Chapter 47 - Into The Cave Of Death!

    Kaitlyn and Zell looked at each other and followed after their dwarven guide. The light of the torch barely illuminated the darkness within the cave. It was in stark contrast to the entrance they had experienced on the other side.

    "Why don''t you have this side lined with torches?" Zell asked.

    "It is because we do not want humans to find us." Kilgon answered. "The other cave you entered was from the land of nonhumans, this path is a defensive vulnerability we try to keep it as dangerous as possible to deter the humans from exploration."

    "Much like my forest." Kaitlyn said. "Did the humans give these caves a name? They gave the forest I am from the name Forbidden Forest."

    "They call them the caves of death." Kilgon laughed.

    A loud shrill cry was heard from the depths of the cave.

    "What was that?" Kaitlyn asked.

    "Death." Kilgon joked.

    "That is not funny!" Kaitlyn said, stomping her foot. "At least Zell will protect me."

    "Yeah, I won''t let anything happen to you Kaitlyn." Zell replied.

    "I know." Kaitlyn purred.

    "I hope it finds us." Kilgon said.

    "Why would you wish that?!" Kaitlyn cried out.

    "Because you both are making me sick and pray for death." Kilgon said.

    "What is it really?" Zell asked.

    "I think it''s a dragon." Kilgon said. "I don''t know for sure if it is, having never met the thing. But I have heard growls. I have felt the cave shake when something moved. Whatever down here is big, and powerful."

    "I killed a dragon once." Zell said. "I forgot his name, He tried to kill my little sister years ago, I ended him in a single blow."

    "You should have let the beast." Kilgon said. "Because of your sister things have gotten nearly impossible for my kind on the surface. I have been a terribly busy dwarf ever since she came into power."

    "I had no idea she was going to do this." Zell said.

    "Oh? She never gave you a single clue growing up as to what kind of person she was?" Kilgon asked.

    "I mean, she was always self-centered and selfish." Zell said. "But she promised to do the exact opposite of what she is doing now. I was very surprised to see what she has done to the kingdom."

    "So did you burst through the gates, defeat all the guards, and set her straight?" Kilgon joked, knowing the answer.

    "No." Zell sighed.

    "I would have." Kilgon said. "You seriously need to just use your head. How many lives have been lost by your inaction? Do you not care about the world? Are you just on a nice little adventure with your cat girl?"

    "I care." Zell said.

    "You have a terrible way of showing it." Kilgon said. "The horrors I have seen your king commit. Quiet!" Kilgon put his arm behind him and signaled for Zell and Kaitlyn to stop. He took a deep breath and blew out the torch. The cave around them was pitch black and they could not see a thing.

    The ground rumbled, slowly at first, then increasing in force and intensity. Something big was coming their way and getting closer. As the shaking got stronger, they began to hear the breath sounds of a mighty creature. Closer and closer it approached until it was right on top of them. In the darkness they could not see a thing, not even the vague outline of shapes.

    "I know I saw a light." A voice that shook the cave said. "Show yourself mortals, I can smell your stench." Loud sounds of a breath being taken could be heard. "A dwarf, A beast cub, and a human? Now that is an odd combination.

    Zell sighed; the dwarf was right. He had not been acting with the responsibility that his power demanded. He had not been doing what was necessary to save the world. He started walking towards the voice. Used to his own power he had been keeping his limit at his maximum of two million. He placed his middle finger on his thumb and snapped in the direction of the voice.

    The shockwave ignited the trace amounts of flammable gasses lingering in the cave, giving a faint light. A Massive black dragon could be seen for a moment, before the force of the shockwave forced it to fly backwards several hundred feet.

    "You know dragon." Zell said. "The old me would have just waited for you to leave, but not the new me. No, I am in a hurry. I have a sister to stop a demon lord to deal with and a world to save. I don''t have time to be stuck in a cave with you." Zell snapped again. The new shockwave did the same as the old and pushed the dragon back even further.

    "Okay! Okay!" The Dragon shouted. "Stop it! I get it, you are some kind of a freak!"

    "Ouch, words can hurt you know." Zell said, preparing to snap again.

    "Sorry!" The dragon shouted. "I didn''t mean to offend! It''s just for a human to have this much power."

    "I get that a lot." Zell said.

    Kilgon had already lit the torch and was making his way back to Zell. As Kilgon arrived with the light the dragon changed into its human form. She was a beautiful woman, with long white hair, black horns, and yellow eyes. Having just changed from dragon form, she stood there without an ounce of clothing on her person. Her grapefruit sized assets on full display.

    Kaitlyn, who had been following Kilgon, rushed to cover Zell''s eyes. She did not want him to see another woman in the nude.

    "Don''t look Zell!" Kaitlyn said.

    "Does my form offend you somehow, beast cub?" The dragon asked while looking herself over. "I have never shown this form to anyone, am I that revolting that you shield your human''s eyes?"

    "Nope." Kilgon said. "Not revolting at all my dear, you miss are quite the looker. Tell me would you care to go a round with a three-legged dwarf?" Kilgon said with a wink.

    "You have three legs?" Kaitlyn asked. She thought about it for a moment and realized what the dwarf meant. "That''s gross!" She said as she used her free hand to smack the back of the dwarf''s head.

    "I''m sorry, what''s happening?" The dragon asked, confused.

 Chapter 48 - The Dragon Joins

    "I just don''t want Zell to get any ideas." Kaitlyn said, still covering Zell''s eyes.

    Zell takes her hand and removes it from his face. "It''s not like it''s something I have not seen before." Zell said. "You have a name dragon?"

    "Obsi." She said, "My name is Obsi. What is your name human? How is it you can command such a devastating force with a mere snap of your fingers?"

    "Zell." He replied. "As for my power, it is easy to do such a feat at the level of two million."

    "I see." Obsi said. "To think a human surpassed all of the dragonkin, such a thing is unbelievable." She noticed Kilgon staring at her intensely. "Is your dwarf going to be alright?"

    "Stop being a pervert!" Kaitlyn yelled while attempting to hit Kilgon on the back of the head, but he smoothly dodged her attack.

    "Here this may help." Zell said as he took his suit jacket off. "Put this on, it should help ease his starring some."

    "So, I am hideous?" Obi said sadly. "You wish for me to cover myself? To hide my form. Am I so displeasing to the eyes?"

    "Don''t leave the cave much do you?" Kaitlyn said surprised. "There is this thing called decency, every person follows it. We try to hide out naughty bits from each other until we find the one we love, or at least someone we would like to have a fun time with. The naked form is supposed to be hidden and only brought out for special occasions."

    "That''s stupid." Obsi said. "I understand covering yourself for warmth, but why cover yourself to fit social norms. Dragons walk around all day in our dragon form, with no covering and we have never once had an issue. Animals of the forest all travel without clothes. They have no need to hide themselves. So why? Why when one has a form similar to a human do, they have to cover up? It is unnatural. Why must we conform to what humans deemed acceptable?"

    "Because horny little men will hit on you and try to mate with you constantly if you don''t." Kaitlyn sighed.

    Obsi looked at Kilgon''s lustful expression again and sighed. "That is a valid point." She said as she took the jacket from Zell and covered her naughty bits. "So human, tell me where is it you are going?"

    "Why would I tell you?" Zell asked. "You just attacked us, moments ago."

    "That was then!" Obsi yelled. "This is now!"

    "That is some flawed logic." Zell said with a sigh. "We are going to the human kingdoms to end the war with the demon lord. We are going to strip my sister of her power and broker peace with the nonhumans."

    Obsi stared for a minute before just bursting into laughter. "You think you can stop centuries of hate?! That is hilarious! You are going along with this stupid plan dwarf?"

    "Aye." Kilgon said. "The human is strong. He is also dumb and boring, but his heart is in the right place."

    Obsi rubbed her chin with her hand while she thought. "You know human, around a thousand years ago, dragons attempted to do what you are trying to do now. We used our supreme power to attempt to enforce peace among the humans and nonhumans. The harder we pushed the more the humans rebelled. I fear in the end all we did was increase their hatred."

    "What happened?" Zell asked. "Why did you stop?"

    "We just gave up." Obsi said. "We saw that force alone would not be enough to end the hate, so we left. We vowed to never interfere with mortals again and just went and did our own thing."

    "Then why did a dragon try to kill my sister years ago?" Zell asked. "If you vowed to never interfere?"

    "I don''t know." Obsi said. "It''s not like we can''t break our vows, they are just words. Did you think dragons could not lie or something? Of course, we can. In fact, the whole naked bit has been a lie. I just wanted to know what kind of person you were." Obsi took off the jacket to reveal a black scaled dress forming on her body. She threw the jacket back at Zell and built a staff out of her scales. "Of course, I understood how you mortals respond to nudity. I am a dragon. I have been around for over a thousand years. Did you think I never talked to a human? Still with your response the dwarf was right. You are boring. You didn''t even go slack jawed and drool like your little friend there."

    "So do you intend to fight us then?" Zell said while readying his fingers for another snap.

    "Whoa there!" Obsi said. "I know I don''t stand a chance. You have bested me with both power and you resisted my seduction. I am serious though. I want to come with you. I want to see if you, a human, can do what us, the mighty dragonkin, could not."

    "What do we get out of you joining us?" Zell asked. "I guess what I am asking is why should I let you come with me? How do I know you won''t just try and kill me later?"

    "Ouch." Obsi said. "I am not some murderous beast you know. Some call dragon''s divine."

    "I have met the gods." Zell said. "Trust me you do not want to be compared to them."

    "You really are an interesting human!" Obsi said. "Okay, letting me come will add value. Not only will you get the opportunity to attempt sexy times with me later, but I will give you information that only dragons possess, also humans are terrified of my kind and simply having me with you will show off your power. You may be able to avoid fights simply by the fear I strike within their hearts."

    "She had me at sexy times." Kilgon said. "I vote to take her."

    "She lost me there." Kaitlyn said. "I say we just kill her to be safe."

    "Really?!" Obsi protested. "Kill me?! That hurts cat girl!"

    "Aside from the sexy times, your argument is sound." Zell said.. "Welcome to the party."

 Chapter 49 - Truth Of Dragons

    "A party?" Obsi asked. "I thought you had a quest. Is this really the best time to be talking about a party?"

    "An adventuring party." Kaitlyn said.

    "She knows lass." Kilgon said. "She is only messing with us."

    "Can you try to be serious?" Zell asked.

    "An honest mistake." Obsi said. "It''s not like I have studied the words of mortals. In the world of dragons, a group united under a single banner is called a clan. The word party is only used as a term of celebration."

    "I apologize then." Zell said. "I should not have jumped to conclusions."

    "You can make it up to me with sexy times later." Obsi said. "I would love to see how a man of your power uses his most trusted weapon."

    "I am going to have to pass on that." Zell said.

    "Playing hard to get?" Obsi asked. "That is fine. I will have my sexy times; you will crack one day. If there is one thing, we dragons have plenty of, it is time."

    "You know I am quite known for my use of my enchanted longsword of unearthly might." Kilgon said. "Why I was just regaling the others with my tale of when I slayed a group of humans using only that and my trusty ax."

    "No one cares dwarf." Obsi shut him down quickly.

    "Stop being gross Kilgon." Kaitlyn chimed in.

    "Enough talking." Zell said. "We need to get out of this cave. Obsi, can you get us out?"

    "With pleasure." Obsi said. "Please enjoy the view as you follow behind me." She said as she walked in front putting her hands on her hips and extenuating her curves. Her form outlined by the faint glow of Kilgon''s torch.

    The group followed her until the light could be seen breaking through the darkness. The intense light of day was harsh on their sight, having been in such a pitch-black darkness. After their vision adjusted to the light once more, they could look out and see their surroundings. Lush green fields dotted with sparse yellow flowerbeds. The smell of the sea filled the air, and the ocean could be seen far off into the distance.

    "The ocean?" Zell asked. "I had no idea it was so close to where we were going."

    "What did they not teach about the human kingdoms in school?" Kilgon asked. "The ocean is a vast untamed mistress that leads to the edge of the world. Dare to sail it and you''ll fall off never to return."

    "Planets are not flat." Zell said.

    "Says the kid who didn''t even learn about his own kind." Kilgon said. "Our wise king has warned us of the dangers of seafaring and how we would fall off the world if we attempted it."

    [Is he just trying to keep all the dwarves under him in the mountain?] Zell thought to himself.

    "There are unclaimed lands beyond the sea." Obsi said. "That is where the majority of my kind dwells, where we have built our empire. The few that inhabit this land are nothing compared to the glory of our empire. We have buildings that stretch to the sky, magic that illuminates the night. Our land is a never-ending hub of treasures acquired from around the world."

    "So why are you on this continent?" Zell asked.

    "Remember how I told you we tried to steer human and nonhuman kind?" Obsi explained. "Well, all of the dragons that are here on this continent are part of that group. We could not return home after our failure."

    "So that''s why you lived in a cave." Zell said.

    "No!" Obsi said. "It''s not like I was hiding from any search parties from my homeland that would ship me back and punish me for my failures."

    "Wow." Kaitlyn said. "Just lay it all out there."

    "Don''t worry lass, I will protect you." Kilgon said, while grabbing his ax with one hand and putting his thumb on his chest with the other. "Any mean dragon search parties will fall before my might."

    "Somehow I am not at all relieved." Obsi said. "Now if there was an incredibly strong human willing to protect me, I may feel safe."

    Zell sighed. "So that''s the real reason you wanted to join us." He said. "I knew it wasn''t something as simple as your curiosity. If you truly are ever in danger, I will help you."

    "I knew you liked me!" Obsi said.

    "No, I just protect my companions and the moment you joined our party you became one." Zell explained. "So, you have been hiding for a thousand years from an inquisition that may not exist?"

    "No, they definitely exist." Obsi said. "My brother the azure drake was taken by them. He held them off long enough for me to escape, I was in the cave ever since."

    "There was a red dragon though." Zell said. "He attacked my sister in the open. He was not afraid of any draconic inquisition."

    "And before he attacked your sister, had your people ever seen him?" Obsi asked. "Did he attack in the open area, or someplace private, late at night. He was hiding as well. He must have just viewed your sister as too much a threat to ignore."

    "Still, if such a place existed." Zell said. "Wouldn''t god have told me about it?"

    "Dragons are divine in origin." Obsi explained. "We cannot be tracked or seen by the watchful eyes of heaven. As long as we stay out of mortal affairs we are hidden from their sight. So, it is quite possible this god you met did not even know we were here."

    "She said she was the origin of all things." Zell said. "The god of creation."

    "I know of two gods with that title." Obsi said. "Lore about the gods have been passed down through dragon kind since the beginning. The fact you said it is a woman.. I know of this god you speak; she is not to be trusted."

 Chapter 50 - There Is Another Way

    "I figured as much." Zell said. "She claims to be a god that created all and that she values life. Yet she commanded me to slaughter my own family and to slay the demon lord as well, when they may be a peaceful solution."

    "She is not as she seems." Obsi explained. "Both of the chief gods have the powers of creation and destruction. It is their duty to maintain the universe so that life can prosper. Think of them as gardeners, sometimes you must prune a tree''s branches for the health of the overall plant. She refuses to do that. She only wants to plant new seeds and create new things. She leaves them to their own devices and then fusses when they no longer worship her, or if the other god chooses to trim the branches."

    "So that''s why?" Zell said.

    "Yes." Obsi replied. "But fear her not, as long as you live you will not have to face her. She is trapped within the realm of the gods where mortal souls cannot tread."

    "But she sent me there recently." Zell replied.

    "That should not be possible¡­" Obsi said thinking to herself. "Tell me did you at that time have anything of the divine within you?"

    "I had the powers of time and space and housed another goddess within me." Zell said.

    "Ah, that is the reason then." Obsi said. "Makes sense now. She did not actually summon you; she summoned that god. You were attached so you got sent as well. If you are no longer combined with the divine, then you have nothing to fear."

    "That''s great." Zell smiled. "So, I do not have to do as she says?"

    "I mean you will have to face the music when you leave this world." Obsi said. "Humans live such short lives. I am sure her punishment for you will be harsh if you refuse what she says."

    "So, I should still do as she said." Zell sighed. "There is no telling what horrors she would do to me, or my past family."

    "What if you couldn''t die?" Kaitlyn asked.

    "If I couldn''t die?" Zell said softly. "If I couldn''t die, I would never see my family again¡­"

    "That actually might be the best solution." Obsi said. "If you lost your mortality, she would not be able to punish you. She also would not attack your family sense you would never know about it, and it would defeat the point. Aside from that I am sure she has already lost track of them."

    "Still, I would be giving up my happily ever after." Zell said. "I would never see my wife, or my kids, or my grandchildren again. I don''t think I could do that. Besides, it''s not like there is a way for a human to live forever anyway."

    "Well, there is." Kaitlyn said. "At least I think there is. Grandpa told me of an island far across the sea that has a magic pool that gives a mortal eternal life."

    "That is true." Obsi said. "It is within the dragon empire. The pool of divine grace, it is the reason we dragons live forever, well unless someone kills us. If a human were to drink from the waters, it would grant them the same longevity that has been afforded to us."

    "So, wait." Zell said. "I thought you said dragons were divine to begin with. That is how you knew of the gods."

    "Yes well¡­" Obsi could be seen blushing. "It is an old tale passed down from my people. First the two creator gods made the lesser gods beneath them. They were their family. As many families do, they wanted something more. So, the creator gods made pets for their family. That was us, the dragons. After they grew tired of us, they created their toys and entertainment, the mortal races. We were ignored after a time and left the divine realm. We went from planet to planet until we settled here."

    "So where did the pool come from?" Zell asked.

    "The ravages of time does not affect those within the divine realm." Obsi said. "However, we were no longer in the divine realm, we were here in the mortal worlds. My kind began to grow old and age. Not wanting to give up our eternal life some of us broke back into the divine realm and stole a piece of it. They placed it in a pool of water and the water itself became blessed from the divine realm. When we drank from it, we regained our youth, and stopped aging."

    "How did you break into the divine realm?" Kaitlyn asked.

    "I wasn''t born yet." Obsi said. "I have no idea, only the elders know how to enter the divine realm."

    *Thud* Kilgon could be heard falling onto the ground. "Ouch!" He yelled. "I fell asleep with all this damned talking. So, you got some magic god water, and you can make mortals live forever. That is all you need to say! No need to draft a book on the subject! What are we doing? We going to get the magic god water stuff or we going to fix the human problem?"

    "I need to think about that." Zell said. "We will go to the nearest kingdom as we planned. I will think about what to do after that. First we need to start and take my sister''s power away."

    "Sounds good." Kaitlyn said.

    "If you decide to pursue the water, know that I cannot go with you." Obsi said. "I fear what my kind would do to me with my past failure and now telling a human our greatest secrets."

    "Like I said, you are a party member now." Zell said. "I will protect you."

    "Thank you." Obsi said. "I really mean that."

    "Don''t forget I am protecting you as well, Lass!" Kilgon said.

    "You still flirt, after you just called me boring." Obsi sighed. "You have quite the pair on you dwarf."

    "That I do, Lass." Kilgon said. "If you like I can show you how I use them later."

    "So how important is the dwarf to you?" Obsi asked. "Would it upset you if I killed him?"

    "Please don''t kill other party members." Zell sighed. "Kilgon, try and keep it in your pants."

    "Bah!" Kilgon said. He marched to the front and motioned for the others to follow him.. "Follow me then, I''ll take you to the kingdom as promised."

 Chapter 51 - Open The Gate

    They all followed the dwarf for half a day until they reached the kingdom of Kermonth. Large stone walls lined the exterior of the kingdom, and it was nestled next to the ocean with piers extending out into the waters. A large gate blocked their entry with a guard standing inside a small building right outside the gate. There was a large open window that he could be seen from and communicated to.

    Zell walked over to the window to introduce himself. "Hello, I am Zell Neuval, of the kingdom of Neuval." He said. "I have come to meet with your ruler."

    The guard looked at Zell and then past him to his nonhuman companions standing behind him. He looked back at Zell, then back at them, then back at Zell. "Those ugh, belong to you?" he asked.

    "If you are talking about my companions, they are my friends, not my property." Zell said.

    "Then you sir are not from the kingdom of Neuval." The guard said. "Much less someone of royalty who shares its name. Who are you really and what is your business in our kingdom?"

    Obsi walked up to the guardhouse and slammed her hand down on the window seal causing a loud clash. "Look here you insignificant worm." She said. "If you do not grant us passage, I will be forced to raze this kingdom to the ground! Or do you wish to incur the wrath of the black dragon!?"

    The guard froze in fear at Obsi''s actions.

    "Obsi, calm yourself." Zell said. "Remember you don''t want to draw attention to yourself."

    "Right." Obsi said and backed up back behind Zell.

    "So will you let us in?" Zell asked. The guard remained frozen in fear. "Hello?! Is anyone still in there?"

    "I think you broke that human Lass." Kilgon said.

    "So, this is a human kingdom." Kaitlyn said, looking at the stone walls. "I have never been to one before. It is a lot stonier than I imagined one would be."

    "Alright." Zell said. "I am just going to let myself in." Zell walked away from the guard and up to the massive wooden gate. He bent down and placed a hand under the gate. With a single motion he freed the gate from its chains and liberated it from the wall. The gate flew thousands of meters into the air with chucks of the wall going with it. A massive splash filled the air with a salty mist as the gate and wall segments landed in the ocean behind them.

    "Subtle." Obsi said. "You told me to keep a low profile but look at you, ripping massive gates off with one arm. I am sure my kind will think nothing of gates being ripped off city walls. I am sure they will not investigate this whatsoever."

    "Sarcasm really?" Zell sighed. "I mean you were threatening to go full dragon and burn the place to the ground."

    "Right, I was only threatening." Obsi said. "I was not actually going to do it and bring the attention of my kind or the gods upon us. The last thing I want is for either of those to know I am here."

    "Sorry." Zell said. "I just wanted to hurry this up, there''s no telling how many kingdoms my sister has already reached."

    A large group of guards on horseback came riding down the cobblestone path that led through the kingdom from the castle. The leader of the guards rode a white horse with plate armor and a long red cape. She had long blonde hair and a long saber attached to her hip. Her eyes were as blue as the sea next to the kingdom. "You there!" She shouted. "What is the meaning of this?! Are you a man or demon?! No man has the strength you possess."

    "The name is Zell Neuval." He answered. "I am but a man, and I wish to speak with your leader."

    "So, it''s a powerplay then!" The lady knight accused. "We told that envoy that we would not join the kingdom of Neuval''s alliance against the demon clan. Now they sent you as a punishment! Well kill us then monster! We would rather die than suffer the indignity of serving under that bitch of a queen. We would sooner die rather than treat the other races with the disdain she commands. Kermonth is a peaceful kingdom, far away from the wars and foolishness of the world. It is bad enough that slavers have invaded our land and have started abducting our subjects. Why would you also stoop so low as to destroy us as well?!"

    "Whoa." Zell said. "Calm down, you have the wrong idea."

    "And what''s this you have already subjugated a dragon, a beast kin, and a dwarf! You are a monster!" She jumped down from her house and pulled out her blade. "If I am to die, I will do so upon my own two feet. I will do whatever it takes to stop you, even if it costs us our life, all of our lives, we will not support your way of thinking!"

    "You know I never had any idea humans thought this way." Kilgon said. "To think I thought this kingdom sent the slavers I fought against, they hated them as much as I did."

    "Look woman." Zell said. "These are my friends not my slaves, and I do not share my sister''s hatred. I came here today to seek an alliance against her so that we may stand together and take away her base of power. I came here in peace. I do not intend on hurting you."

    She looked at Zell and did not sense any deception coming from him. She took a deep sigh and put her saber back into its sheath. "My name is Samantha Von Kerm, I am the first princess of the kingdom of Kermonth. Please explain why you destroyed our gate if that was your purpose.. That is a massive act of aggression, it casts doubt on everything you have said. So, tell me why did you do it?"

 Chapter 52 - I Will Fix It

    "The guard passed out and could not let us in." Zell said. "I knew time was of the essence and did not want to waste it, so I let myself in."

    "Zell is telling you the truth." Kaitlyn said. "We only came here to stop his sister from gaining more followers."

    "This is a matter for the dragons as well?" Samantha asked.

    "I am simply following this human because he amuses me." Obsi said.

    "And because you want to get into his pants." Kaitlyn added.

    Samantha blushed at that comment. "Surely you jest?!" She exclaimed.

    "No Kaitlyn is right." Zell said. "That dragon has been trying to have what she calls sexy times."

    "Only because I am curious." Obsi said. "I mean just look at what you did with that gate. I can only imagine what else you could do."

    "Ri-right well¡­" Samantha was caught off guard. "You all seem to be who you say you are. If it is aid in stopping the dreadful kingdom of Neuval you are after, my kingdom will support you. I only ask that you meet with my parents and please fix our wall. Without our gate we are helpless against the forces of Neuval and its allies."

    "I understand." Zell said. He unbuttoned his suit jacket and took it off. He tossed it over to Kaitlyn and she caught it. He unbuttoned his cuffs and rolled his sleeves up. He rolled his neck and popped his back. He then took his hands and interlaced his fingers to crack his knuckles. "I will get it fixed within a moment." He said as he vanished from view. He used his insanely high stats to move at lightning speed.

    Grabbing random pieces of rubble and rock he stacked them next to the wall, slowly building his own. His unique skill of master craftsman caused anything he created to become a masterpiece, even if he had no idea how to make it. As he built the wall it transformed into a thing of beauty. When he repaired where the door went, he dashed into the ocean and retrieved the door. The speed at which he traveled prevented even the water molecules from sticking to him. Within seconds he was standing back where he began. A completely fixed gate stood behind him, even better than it was before. He dusted himself off and rolled his sleeves back down. As he rebuttoned his cuffs he turned to Kaitlyn, who was still holding his jacket for him. "My jacket please." He said. She tossed it over to him and he put it back on. He turned his attention back to Samantha, who was in awe at what she had just witnessed. "So, you wanted me to meet your parents?"

    "Y-y-yeah." She said, "what in the world are you?"

    "I told you already." Zell said. "I am Zell Neuval. However, if I must give myself a title as to what I am, I suppose one could call me the true hero of this world."

    Meanwhile back at the demon lord''s castle, the demon lord was sitting upon his throne watching magical images from his network of spies. "True hero huh?" He said below his breath. "This makes no sense. I was the one sent to save the world. Not this guy. Wait, what if there are multiple gods, and they can each send a champion¡­" He thought to himself. "I think I watched an anime like that once. Oh shit. Looks like his harem is growing as well. The dwarf male is an interesting addition, you don''t normally see that with that type of protagonist."

    "Sir, are you talking to yourself again?" Maximus asked. "You know it worries us when you do that."

    "Just thinking aloud." The demon lord said. "It seems our war may be more interesting than we first thought. This hero, this other person sent by the gods, we need to prepare for him. Order all forces to retreat at once and fall back to our borders. We need to fortify and by time I produce a strategy to defeat this person. If it''s anything like the anime I watched, we are now caught in a sick sadistic game played by the gods. Have all of my subjects grind as many experience points as possible as soon as they get back to the kingdom. I need to level an insane amount if I am to compete with this other divine toy."

    "Understood my lord." Maximus bowed and left the room.

    Another demon entered the room from the shadows. She was a provocatively dressed female demon with pale white skin and long pale green hair. Her eyes were like a cat''s and of a purple hue. She was clad in leather straps that covered her private areas, but not much else. A long forked tail protruded from her backside. "My lord, why don''t you let me handle this man." She said, "you say that he has a harem, allow me to enter it and gain his trust. Once I do so I shall kill him in his sleep. He will never see it coming and you will not have to lift a finger."

    "That might work." The demon lord replied. "I doubt that he would even suspect a thing. Yes, do this for me and any reward you desire shall be yours."

    She walked to the throne and placed one finger upon his chest. "There is but one thing I desire my lord." She said smiling. "I wish for you to make me yours. For you to lay with me and allow me to carry your spawn. That is the reward I desire, allow me that honor."

    "A-As you wish!" The demon lord replied. "L-L-like I said a-anything you w-wanted."

    She lifted her finger from his chest and placed it into her mouth, giving a slight moan as she sucked her finger. "I will be going then my lord.." She said, "please have a spot in your bed ready for me when I return with this hero''s head."

 Chapter 53 - Food First

    Princess Samantha took Zell and his companions through the city with her escorts. They passed through the streets which were filled with both humans and nonhumans, this was a kingdom where everyone lived together in peace. The street was lined with vendors of diverse types, each selling their own specialties, from foods to knickknacks; the economy of Kermonth appeared strong and the delightful smell of food filled the air.

    "Princess, do you mind if we grab a bite to eat before meeting your parents?" Kaitlyn asked, her stomach growling.

    "It has been a while since we had a meal." Zell said. "Would it be too much trouble?"

    "No, not at all." Samantha replied. "Please help yourself to anything you find desirable. I will pay for it personally. As an envoy of peace, you are an honored guest of our kingdom."

    "Fantastic!" Kilgon said. "So, dragon lady, how about you and I hit up a tavern and wet our whistles, maybe rent a room and I can show you how a dwarf wields a weapon."

    "Still a no." Obsi said with a sigh. "I require meat."

    "I have some meat for you." Kilgon said.

    "If that is what you desire, for me to eat and ingest your meat." Obsi replied.

    "I am just going to go to the tavern." Kilgon said slowly backing away. "Just come pick me up after you finish with the royals. Formal settings make me itch."

    "Princess, recommend a good place for meat." Obsi said. "I require a vast quantity."

    "There is a stand just down the way that has a delicious smoked pig." Samantha replied. "Go and help yourself."

    Kaitlyn ran out to a stand close to them and picked up some meat on a stick, grilled to perfection. She purred as she ate it.

    "And what would you like to eat Mr. Neuval?" Samantha asked.

    "Well, this is a kingdom next to the ocean, so I am going to guess that you have a broad selection of seafood." Zell said. "Maybe a delightful place to get some crab or lobster?"

    "I know not what those are." Samantha said. "We do have an assortment of fish though. If you would like to come with me, I will take you to my favorite place."

    "Sounds good." Zell said.

    "Okay you guards go ahead back to the castle and inform my parents of our arrival shortly." Samantha said. "We will go after our new friends have feasted on our food and culture."

    With that she started walking down a side road and waved for Zell to follow. He did and they walked until they reached the wall nearest the ocean. A spiral staircase made of marble led to the top of the wall. Samantha climbed the stairs and Zell followed her.

    The top of the wall was wide on this side. The view of the ocean was amazing, and a restaurant sat overlooking it.

    "Impressive." Zell said.

    "This is my favorite place to eat the bounty of the sea." Samantha said. "It is nice to just sit and look out a window and enjoy the view. It makes the world seem so vast, and my kingdom so small. I often wonder what lies beyond the sea. I wonder if this continent filled with such wicked people is all there is on their planet, or is there something else out there, something more."

    Zell''s stomach rumbled with growing intensity.

    "I am sorry." Samantha said. "I just rambled on, and you are so hungry. Let us retire to the inside and get some food."

    Inside the building the entire wall facing the ocean was glass. The tables were of a fine cherry wood and the seats were upholstered with the finest fabrics.

    "Princess, welcome back." A host said as they entered the building. The employees all had uniforms, not unlike the world that Zell came from. Each employee wore a pair of black slacks or a black skirt if female. Their tops were white and loose fitting, and each had a half cape around their shoulders that was black in color. Each cape had an emblem embroidered on them that sat upon the right shoulder. The emblem was a clam with a trident piercing through it with a pearl attached to its prongs.

    "Yes, my guest and I would like a table with a view." Samantha said.

    "Oh Princess!" The host said excitedly. "Are you finally accepting the suitors your parents line up for you?!"

    "No!" She replied. "Francis, you know I refuse to settle down with a man just because they tell me to¡­ Even if they keep telling me it''s a princess''s duty."

    "My apologies then my lady." Francis replied. "If you two would please follow me." He led them to a table that sat in the corner and offered the best view of the ocean. After they sat down Francis handed them menus and left going back to his host area.

    "I am sorry about Francis." Samantha said. "I come here often, and we have become friends, he likes to tease me about my relationships, or rather the lack thereof."

    "I left my kingdom at the age of ten, so I cannot really relate." Zell said. "But I take no offense at the banter between friends. Besides, you are quite beautiful and from what I have seen genuinely care about your people. That means you have a kind heart and a good personality. Any suiter you decide to give a chance will be lucky to have met you."

    "Th-Thank you." Samantha said blushing. She picked up her menu and held it so that it hid her face, she was afraid Zell would notice her blushing. "So, it looks like the special today is the sea spider."

    "Sea spider?" Zell asked. "What is a sea spider?"

    "You know they have round bodies with long legs and their front two legs have massive pincers." Samantha explained. "They have a body covered in fairly hard armor, and it black or brown normally, but after you cook them, they turn red. Their meat is sweet and delicious, great when you pair it with a nice lemon butter sauce. It truly is one of my favorites."

    "So, it''s crab." Zell replied. "You just described a crab."

    "So, the people of Neuval call sea spiders crabs." Samantha said to herself. "Tell me Mr. Neuval, do your people have any other odd changes to animal names?"

    "Maybe?" Zell answered. "I mean I don''t know what you call everything, so there is no way for me to know."

    "That is true." Samantha said.

    A loud roar that shook the very wall the restaurant stood upon echoed through their ears.

    "What was that?!" Samantha yelled.

    "Obsi!" Zell yelled.

 Chapter 54 - To Be A Man

    Just a while earlier, Kilgon made his way to the nearest tavern. The building was large and at the intersection of a street. It was made of stone with a white plaster finish and the doors swung open and closed. Being short due to his being a dwarf his head was right at the bottom of the doors, which hung at the center of the door. He opened the doors and entered, no one paid him any mind, since nonhumans were common in this kingdom.

    Kilgon looked around and took a deep breath. "Ah the smell of booze and debauchery, this is my kind of place!" He said excitedly at the aromas that he just inhaled. He found the bar in the back and walked over to it. He found an open chair next to a beautiful woman enjoying an ale. She was dressed in a simple linen dress and had long red hair that was pulled back with a ribbon. She had green eyes and a set of freckles on her cheeks with pale smooth skin.

    As Kilgon got on his chair she paid him no mind and just continued to drink her ale.

    "Barkeep!" Kilgon said, raising his arm. "The we princess out there said my tab is on her so let''s get this party started!"

    "The princess did?" The barkeep replied, raising his brow. "Oh, I see. You must be one of the ones who broke our gate." He sighed in exacerbation. "I suppose that does sound like something our beloved princess would do, always trying to make friends, that one. Name your poison."

    "I''ll have your best whiskey, on the rocks." Kilgon said. "And give the lady here another of what she''s having."

    "As you wish master dwarf." The barkeep said. He then poured the drinks and sled them to the dwarf and the woman.

    Kilgon turned to the girl. "So, tell me do you come here often?" He asked.

    She just continued to drink and ignored the dwarf.

    "Oh, come on now." Kilgon said. "I got you a drink, the least you can do is let me know your name. You do have a name, don''t you?"

    The woman sighed and picked up the drink that Kilgon had gotten for her. She lifted it above his head and dumped it on him. She then stood up and walked away.

    "Hey!" He yelled as the cold beverage soaked him. "That is just rude! Get back here and apologize missy!"

    She continued to walk away despite his protests.

    He jumped up from his chair and chased after her. "Hey now! I am going to be smelling like ale for weeks now!" He protested. "Why would you do that!"

    She stopped and turned to face her follower. "I don''t know, maybe because I was enjoying a nice ale until you decided to come and try and get into my pants." She said. "A woman can''t even go to the bar nowadays without being hit on. You thought because you bought me a drink that I never asked for that I owed you something? You thought wrong." She turned back around and began storming out.

    "That is Isabel." The barkeep said. "She comes every day and orders an ale. I almost feel bad for the men that hit on her, it always ends the same. Always a pleasure to watch though."

    "Right, well you could have warned me." Kilgon said.

    "I would never interfere in another man''s business." The barkeep said. "I am just an observer."

    Kilgon walked back to his chair and sat back down and started to sip on his whiskey.

    "AH!" A scream was heard from behind the building that sounded like a woman in distress.

    Kilgon reached back and pulled his ax off of his back. "Looks like I got some work to do." He said as he jumped up. "Where is your back door?"

    The barkeep pointed to the door behind him and Kilgon jumped over the counter with his ax in hand. He rushed out the door and found a group of men surrounding the woman from earlier.

    "You embarrassed us." One of the men said. "We are going to make you regret it." Another one said. "We are going to teach you how to talk to a man from now on." Another chimed in.

    "Hey now!" Kilgon yelled. "What the bloody hell do you think you are doing?!"

    The men turned and saw the angry dwarf charging towards them with his ax drawn. As he got close, he leaped into the air and did a double drop kick that connected on one of the men''s faces causing him to plummet to the ground. He slammed his ax into the ground, and it stuck into the cobblestone road. He punched one of his hands with the other. "Alright now who wants some." He said.

    The other men rushed and charged him. He laughed as their blows connected. They were too low of a level to affect him. The men instead were hurting their own hands. The dwarf''s body was hard as stone, and it was as if they were punching solid rock. One by one he would pull back his arm and punch them. Knocking them down one at a time. Teeth, blood, and tears flew through the air during his assault.

    When the battle was over the bodies of the unconscious men were piled in the street and Kilgon slapped his hands together to get the dust off. He turned his attention back to the woman, "Are you alright missy?" He said.

    "Why would you do that?" She asked. "I just told you off, why would you still come save me?"

    "Because that is what a man does." Kilgon said. "No matter what a woman has done in the past, a man should always come running to save her."

    "That is very idealistic of you." She said with a laugh. As she did an arrow pierced her shoulder. A man from the shadow had shot her. He stayed hidden during the fight and bid his time for the best time to strike.

    "Got you bitch!" He said.

    Her eyes changed from green to a glowing purple and her skin changed from pale to red, her long red hair turned white. She grabbed the arrow in her shoulder and ripped it out. The pain caused her to roar with such ferocity that the very ground on which they stood began to shake.

    "Oh shit!" The man said. "The bitch was an Oni!" Before he could run Kilgon''s ax flew through the air and caught the man square in the gut, causing him to fall to the ground.

    "Are you alright?!" Kilgon said to the lady Oni.

    She regained her composure and was puzzled at the dwarf''s lack of fear at her appearance. "You still care about me? Even knowing what I am?"

    "Why would that matter?" Kilgon asked.. "To a real man, women of all races are beautiful and deserve to be protected."

 Chapter 55 - Delicate Flower

    Zell and Samantha rushed out of the restaurant and down to the streets below the wall. Zell kept his speed in check so that Samantha could keep pace with him. They rushed to the pig vender that Samantha had told Obsi about before they split up.

    Obsi was sitting at a table happily eating a roast pig. There were two other pig skeletons at her table, where she had already devoured them. As they approached, they could see her eat. She inhaled the meat from the skeleton within a matter of seconds and smiled. "Another!" She yelled as she finished it.

    The pig sellers were amazed by the dragon''s voracious appetite. "Yes, right away." They said as they rushed another pig out.

    "Obsi!" Zell called out as he approached. "Are you okay?! We heard a roar and thought it was you."

    "No it wasn''t me." Obsi said. "It came from over where the little dwarf went. Would you like a pig? They are quite delicious."

    "No, I am good." Zell said. "Have you really already eaten three in such a brief time?"

    "A dragon has to eat." Obsi said with confidence.

    "Whatever she eats is paid for by the royal family." Samantha said to the owner. "Please take good care of her."

    "Yes, my princess." The owner said. "I do fear we may not have enough food to fill her belly though. We only have ten pigs left for the day."

    "Do what you can." Samantha said. "Mr. Neuval, we need to go check on your dwarven companion."

    "Right." Zell said as they left running to the bar that Kilgon went to.

    Obsi was served her next pig and continued her feast.

    Together they ran until they found Kilgon outside of the bar with the Oni. "An Oni here?!" Samantha said, surprised.

    "What''s wrong with an Oni, I thought you accepted nonhumans here?" Zell asked.

    "An Oni isn''t just a nonhuman it is a cross between an ogre and a demon." Samantha explained. "Normally they are a clan of radical violence that murder all that they come across. They are terrifying creatures that know only devastation."

    "Then why does it look like she''s about to kiss Kilgon?" Zell asked as the lady Oni bent down and wrapped her arms around Kilgon giving him a big hug, before going in for an enthusiastic kiss.

    "So it appears." Samantha said. "The master dwarf is far more impressive than I first thought. To tame the heart of an Oni¡­"

    The Oni opened her eyes from her kiss and noticed Zell and Samantha staring at them. "Looks like we have company." She told Kilgon.

    He turned to see his companion and smiled. "Ah lad, have you met with the king and queen already?" He asked. "I have barely had anything to drink. I had to step out and save this delicate flower from some vicious ne''er do wells."

    "Delicate flower?" Isabel said surprised. "Knowing what I am, you still think I am a delicate flower?"

    Kilgon put his hand on her head and rubbed her hair gently. "Just because no one has treated you that way, does not mean you do not deserve to be treated this way. You are a beautiful delicate flower as lovely as a rose."

    Isabel''s eyes teared up with joy and she hugged the dwarf tightly. She stood up and took the dwarf''s hand. "Come let''s go to my house, it''s just down the way."

    "Alright guys, I will catch you later!" Kilgon said. "Give me a few hours!"

    "Oh a few hours?!" Isabel said happily. "You have quite the confidence in yourself, my champion."

    They walked away laughing and talking to one another.

    "So what just happened?" Samantha asked, completely in shock at the entire situation. "Are we wrong about the Oni? Or does that dwarf possess some sort of secret power that seduces women? I must be on my guard around him."

    "Judging by his luck with Obsi, I would say you have it wrong about the Oni." Zell said. "Let''s hope Francis kept our seat for us and let''s go back and get some food."

    "Alright." Samantha agreed. They left together and passed Obsi again on their way to the restaurant. She was yelling at the owner and had him back against the wall.

    "Obsi!" Zell said. "What are you doing?!"

    "He won''t give me any more pigs!" Obsi said.

    "She ate them all!" The owner cried. "I can''t give you what I do not have!"

    "Dragon, please calm yourself!" Samantha pleaded. "Do you like cow perchance? If so, there is a butcher not far down this very street. He always has ribs and brisket cooking on his fire, why not go and try some of his wares."

    Obsi huffed at the pig owner and turned to Samantha. "Thanks, I will go check it out." She left with a skip in her step due to the excitement of more food.

    "Thank you, princess." The owner said, breaking down into tears. "I was so afraid she was going to eat me next."

    "She is our first dragon guest." Samantha said. "We must be sure not to offend her and do our best to feed her."

    With that Zell and Samantha went back to the restaurant and sat back down at their table.

    "Okay so where were we?" Zell asked. "Right ordering food. I think I will have the special today since it is crab."

    "Sea spiders." Samantha said with a giggle.

    "Same thing." Zell replied.

    "I will have the same." Samantha said. "Tell me Mr. Neuval, how did you find yourself amongst such interesting company? A black dragon, and a dwarf about to calm the heart of an Oni. I have not seen anything special yet from the beast girl, but I am sure if she is in your company, she must be amazing as well."

    "Kaitlyn is something else." Zell said. "She is a sweet girl, and a strong fighter in her own right. Most importantly she is the first person I could call my friend."

    "To hear someone from Neuval call a nonhuman a friend." Samantha smiled. "It just gives me hope. Hope that I had lost in this world long ago."

    "Come now, you aren''t old enough to have lost hope long ago." Zell said.

    "I have you know I am not some child." Samantha said. "Despite the way I look, I am nearing the age of twenty-five."

    "I would have guessed sixteen." Zell replied.

    "Right, well my parents are¡­ Well, you will see when you meet them.." Samantha replied.

 Chapter 56 - We Should Just Go Together

    It did not take long for the meals to come out. The sweet taste of crab brought Zell back to his past life. Whenever there was a special occasion, his wife would always treat him to a nice garlic butter crab. "This is so good." Zell said as he chowed down on the crab.

    "It really is!" Samantha said, matching his excitement. "So, Mr. Neuval, do nonhuman girls bother you at all?"

    "No, I see no problem with them." Zell said. "Also feel free to call me Zell. I am here on behalf of myself, not the kingdom I am from. There is no need to be so formal with me.

    "Right of course." Samantha said. "Well Zell, it is nice that nonhuman girls do not bother you, it is very progressive of you."

    "Not really." Zell said. "People are just people. Doesn''t matter their race or creed, everyone deserves a chance."

    "And are you attracted to nonhuman women as well?" Samantha asked.

    "Why do you ask?" Zell said. "If you are asking if anything inappropriate is happening with my party members, then no we are all just comrades in arms."

    "I was more or less just generalizing." Samantha clarified. "It is good to know that you are unattached though, unless there is another girl somewhere?"

    "No, I am unspoken for." Zell said. "Why do you ask?"

    "Just trying to find out more about you is all." Samantha said. "It is not everyday I meet a decent person from another kingdom. Actually, this is the first time."

    "I see." Zell said. "Well, we have finished our meal, we should gather Kaitlyn and Obsi and meet with your parents."

    "We need not bother them." Samantha said. "After all it is you who is asking for the alliance, not them. Let them enjoy the sights and sounds of my fair kingdom. Give them a break from your long and weary adventure."

    "Kaitlyn could most definitely use a break." Zell said. "That poor girl has been through so much with me. Alright let''s just the two of us go."

    "Fantastic, follow me." Samantha said as she got up from the table. She walked out and waved goodbye to Francis as she left.

    They walked together along the wall until they got to one of the castle''s towers. "This is another way in." She said. He opened the door and waved from Zell to follow her.

    The castle was made of granite. The outside was rough, but the inside was smooth and polished. The torches that lit the rooms bounced off of the reflective walls. There was a long corridor before them with a long blue rug stretching as far as the eye could see. Empty suits of armor lined either side of the rug and large swords and axes hug from the wall.

    "Quite the impressive decorations you have here." Zell said.

    "Yes, my people prefer to be nonviolent," she explained, "but we have had little choice but to fight for what we believe in. It has been ages since the last war. I think it was with the Kingdom of Tarm. They wanted to take our nonhuman citizens as their slaves because they had a shortage of labor. We lost many in that war, but we won in the end."

    They continued down the corridor until they reached two large golden doors. They were engraved with images of the sea, various creatures and shapes of water made up the bulk of the decoration. Samantha grabbed the double doors and pushed them open revealing a massive room. The room was large and circular with gigantic columns that held the roof up. The back wall had a staircase with a rug over top of it that led to a platform from which the king and queen sat. Behind them was crystal clear glass and the view of the sea.

    As the king saw them enter, he stood up to greet them. "Ah, welcome back daughter." He said. "The guards told me that you would be bringing people who wished to be our allies in our fight for peace and equality, but I only see one man."

    "Yes, we decided it best to let his companions rest." Samantha said. "This is Zell Neuval, he has come here to ask us to join him in overturning his sister''s rule."

    "Neuval is a long way away from our shores." The king said. "It would be too much of a strain upon my kingdom to send soldiers to aid your cause. I am sorry if you came all this way for nothing."

    "No, sir." Zell said. "I do not need any of your men. I am strong enough alone to do what needs to be done. I only ask that you use your influence to stop my sister from gaining anymore power and support among the humans. I wish to end this war without causing harm to her if I can help it. I wish to chip away at her power. Then I will meet with the demon lord and secure peace."

    "I am sorry young man." The king said. "Again, I cannot help you. My kingdom does not have any political pull with any other kingdom of man."

    "Then just promise me that you shall never join her cause and bolster her ranks." Zell said.

    "Of course." The king replied. "I would never join them. Their irrational racism against the nonhumans is everything I am against. My beautiful wife here, she is a nonhuman. Why would I ever do anything to harm her kind?"

    Zell took a closer look at the queen; indeed, she had pointed ears. "So, you are an elf." Zell said. "I must say I have never seen one such as yourself. The queen wore a white dress and had eyes as blue as the ocean and hair to match.

    "I am a sea elf." She said. "In Neuval I am sure you have only seen forest elves and dark elves. We sea elves live in or near the sea. We have the ability to breathe underwater, and my people have built a thriving culture at the bottom of the sea."

    "Wow." Zell said. "I had no idea."

    "Mom, Dad, I have a request to make." Samantha spoke up.

    "What is it dear?" The king asked.

    "I wish to marry Zell here." Samantha said. "He is the first man from another kingdom that I did not find completely repulsive. He cares about people and nonhumans alike. I think he would be a fine husband. Besides, I have seen his strength, there would be no better guardian of our kingdom than him."

    "Wait what?!" Zell yelled.

 Chapter 57 - Why Wont You Listen?!

    "Daughter, if that is your desire you have our blessing." The king said.

    "Thank you, father!" Samantha said. "I am so happy you trust my judgment on this!"

    "Wait!" Zell yelled. "What are you talking about?! I just met you, we can''t just get married!"

    "I am sorry." Samantha apologized. "I did not know this would offend you so. Do the royalty in Neuval not have marriages arranged by the king?"

    "I guess, but this is different." Zell said. "I am no longer royalty nor am I with my kingdom. I am just me, a hero out to save the world. I do not have time to get married!"

    "That is fine we can wait until after you bring peace to the world." Samantha smiled.

    "I never agreed to this!" Zell protested.

    "Do you not find me attractive at all?" Samantha asked, putting on a sad face. "I am half elf so I will stay young and beautiful for far longer than a normal human. Just think of the benefits. As you are old and gray, I will still look like I am in my thirties."

    "It has nothing to do if I find you attractive or not." Zell said. "I cannot marry someone I just met. End of discussion."

    "How about this then, young man." The king said. "Take my daughter with you on your quest. She is a fine warrior and is bound to be of service to you. If by the time you bring peace to our lands you still wish to refuse my daughter''s hand in marriage and break her poor heart, then that will be that. But know that if you accept you will be the future king of our kingdom and the hope of human and nonhuman coexistence in the world."

    "That sounds fair doesn''t it Zell?" Samantha said.

    "Fine." Zell said. "I doubt I will change my mind, but I accept your offer. Samantha may accompany me on my quest."

    "Yay!" Samantha jumped up into the hair moving her hair from her ears revealing that she too had pointed ears, although not as pronounced as her mother''s. "Now I only need to convince you of the benefits of our union, and we can live happily ever after."

    "You know most girls would have said: I have until then to make you fall in love with me." Zell said.

    "Love is important, yes." Samantha said. "That is one of the benefits for sure, but I am more or less thinking of the factual advantages of our union."

    "It is an elf thing dear." The queen said with a laugh. "We elves value logic over all else, so she will try to convince you with an argument of the mind and not the heart."

    "You should probably just give up honestly." The king laughed. "In all my years of marriage I have not bested my wife once in a debate."

    "I have one last question before I go." Zell said. "What kingdom should I go to next?"

    "That would be our old enemy of Tarm." The king said. "They have already entered into an alliance with your kingdom of Neuval and honestly it scares me a bit. If all the powers that have amassed come together against us, we will have little chance of survival. So going there next will really help us out and by proxy your future kingdom."

    "I never agreed to marry her!" Zell protested again.

    "You will though." The king laughed. "It is only a matter of time."

    "I will go to Tarm." Zell said. "Not for any of this future kingdom stuff, but because I like this kingdom and think it should be protected. Its ideals should be the way the world is, not the oddball."

    "See, I told you he was the one for me, father." Samantha said.

    "I see." The king laughed. "Well go then. Take whatever provisions you need from town and the royal armory. Make sure you keep my daughter and your future wife safe from harm."

    [Why can I not get through to these people?!] Zell thought to himself. [If my daughter wanted to marry some strange man she just met from out of town I would have told her she was crazy and grounded her. The hell is wrong with these people.]

    "Let''s go back to town and gather everyone." Zell said.

    "Okay but can we stop by my chambers first?" Samantha said. "I would like to pick up some supplies for our trip. New clothes and such."

    "I will head to town." Zell said. "You can catch up later."

    "You sure you don''t want to come with me?" Samantha asked. "I can try the outfits on, and you can tell me which ones are your favorites. It could be a lot of fun."

    "Just pick whatever you want." Zell said as he started to leave. "I am going to find Kaitlyn and Obsi, maybe even Kilgon if he is gone with his new friend."

    With that Zell left the castle and headed back to the streets of town. He exited out of the main entrance this time which was a straight shot down some stairs to get to town. He decided to run at top speed through the streets and search in a grid pattern to find Kaitlyn. With his tactical efficiency he found her in a matter of seconds.

    Kaitlyn was sitting on the ground next to a building rubbing her swollen belly. Several kabob sticks surrounded her. Zell bent down next to her. "You alright Kaitlyn?" He asked. "Did you get your fill of the local cuisine?"

    "I couldn''t eat another bite if I tried." Kaitlyn complained. "Of course, I did try. I could not."

    "I understand." Zell laughed. He put his hand out for her to grab. "Come on, let''s get you up. We have our next kingdom we are going to."

    "Oh, did you meet the royals without me?" Kaitlyn asked.

    "Yes, I thought it would be best to let you rest." Zell said.

    "That''s fine." Kaitlyn said. "I don''t like fancy events like that anyway. How did it go?"

    "Well, the princess told her father she wanted to marry me." Zell laughed.

    "What?!" Kaitlyn yelled. "I leave you alone for a couple hours and you get engaged?!" She started to tear up. "You know I like you, that is just so cruel."

    "I did not agree to it." Zell said.

    "Oh, that''s fine then." Kaitlyn said.

    "On a side note, though, I agreed to let her accompany us." Zell explained. "It seemed like the best diplomatic solution. This way after I reject her when our quest is complete, they will accept it with no hard feelings."

    "So, I have another competitor." Kaitlyn sighed. "Alright game on!"

    "Were you even listening to me?" Zell sighed.

    "Of course, I was." Kaitlyn said. "Let''s go find our little dwarf buddy!"

    "We better save him for last." Zell laughed. "He is busy at the moment."

    "Really?!" Kaitlyn said. "Let''s go find our dragon then!"

    "Okay lets!" Zell replied, picking Kaitlyn up off the ground.

 Chapter 58 - Everyone Gathered

    Zell walked with Kaitlyn to where Obsi should be. They came across the beef vender and found him weeping in front of his shop.

    "What''s wrong?" Zell asked the shopkeeper.

    "She ate everything." The man said.

    "Isn''t that a good thing?" Kaitlyn asked. "The kingdom is paying the tab so selling all of your products should make you happy not sad."

    "It''s not that." The man said. "I am happy to have made the sale, I was just supposed to cook a meal for my wife and I anniversary tonight. She is going to think I forgot."

    "Tell her what happened, and I am sure she will understand." Zell said. "Communication is the most important thing in a marriage. Aside from that I would pick up some flowers to show you remembered."

    "That makes sense." The man replied. "Thank you, young man. You are wise beyond your years."

    "Where is the dragon by the way?" Zell said. "We are looking for her."

    "She rests over there under that tree, next to the fountain." The man pointed.

    "Thank you." Zell said as he and Kaitlyn walked over to a sleeping Obsi. "Hey, do you still want to travel with me?" Zell asked, waking her up.

    "Wait what?!" She said as she awoke. "Oh, it''s you." She rubbed her eyes to clear her vision. "I ate so well today. I have not eaten like this in a thousand years."

    "What do you normally eat?" Zell asked.

    "Humans and dwarves that wander into my caves." Obsi said, smiling.

    "Well, I am glad you found some better food." Zell sighed. "The princess will be joining us from here on out."

    "Apparently she has declared herself engaged to our Zell here." Kaitlyn said.

    "I don''t mind a threesome." Obsi said, shrugging her shoulders. "The little half elf girl was cute."

    "Half elf?!" Kaitlyn said.

    "Oh, did you not know?" Obsi laughed. "I guess you wouldn''t. You do not have the sight of dragons. The ability to see one''s body heat. I could see her pointed years under her hair. But they were not fully developed like a full elf, also she acted like a human. So, I put two and two together and figured it out."

    "That is impressive." Zell said. "But no, we are not having a threesome."

    "Right, the cat girl." Obsi said. "I am fine with a foursome as well."

    "W-What?!" Kaitlyn yelled. "Don''t include me in your weird fantasies!"

    "Exactly." Zell said. "There will be no threesomes or foursomes, we have a mission to complete."

    "Fine." Obsi sighed. "I just want you to know the harder you refuse, the more I want you."

    "Hey guys!" Samantha could be heard yelling. She approached holding a large sack behind her back. "I got my supplies, are we ready to go?"

    "We still need to pick up Kilgon." Zell said.

    "Oh right, he is establishing diplomatic relations with that Oni." Samantha said.

    "Diplomatic relations?" Obsi asked. "Do you mean plowing? The little bastard actually found someone willing to lay with him. Wow, I am impressed." She turned her attention back to Zell. "Now you have to let me do you human. I cannot abide that dwarf one upping me."

    "No." Zell said coldly. "Let''s go pick him up. Samantha, do you have a clue as to where that Oni lives?"

    "She said it was near where we were last time." Samantha replied. "Why don''t we go back and look there."

    "Sounds like a good idea." Zell said as the group departed for where they last saw Kilgon. The corpse of the archer was still in the street, but the group of unconscious men had disappeared. They must have woken up and left the scene. "I think they went this way, didn''t they?" Zell said as he started to walk down the road, he saw them leave on.

    IT did not talk long before they could hear yelling and crashes coming from a house.

    "YES!" Isabel yelled, followed by the sound of furniture breaking and glass shattering. "OH GOD RIGHT THERE!" She yelled again.

    Zell blushed at the sounds coming from the house and did not wish to proceed.

    "I think we should come back later." Zell said. "They seem to still be very busy at the moment."

    Obsi made a noise of annoyance and disgust and marched towards the house door. She knocked on it violently. "Open up you damned little dwarf; we are ready to leave this kingdom." She yelled.

    The noises inside the house stopped and footsteps could be heard approaching the door. Kilgon peeked his head out. His hair and beard were a mess and he had fresh scratches on his face, as well as what they could see of his chest. "I am busy right now love, why don''t you all go enjoy the city a while longer?"

    "Decide dwarf." Obsi commanded. "Are you going to stay here or leave with us? We are not going to wait."

    "What city kingdom are you headed too next?" Kilgon asked.

    "We are going to Tarm." Zell replied.

    "I will catch up with you within a day or two." Kilgon said. "Fear not, I am an expert tracker, and I will find you."

    "Are you coming back my hero?!" Isabel could be heard yelling.

    "Just a moment, my flower!" Kilgon replied. "I promise I will catch up later." He said as he slammed the door. Footsteps could be heard running back into the bedroom.

    "Alright then." Zell said. "It will be just us then."

    "Not leaving so soon are you Obsianna?" A man''s voice called down from above them. "It has been so long I had hoped we could catch up before you left, after all I have finally found you."

    Obsi looked up and saw a person that she thought was long gone. The man she saw was no other than her long lost brother the azure drake. "Brother?!" She yelled out. "It can''t be you?! You were taken away by the inquisition! Why are you here?!"

 Chapter 59 - Defiance

    "It is me, sister." The azure drake said as he jumped down from the roof above them. He was a slim tall man with a dark navy-blue hair cut to shoulder length. He wore a black suit of armor with tan linen underneath the plates. "I found you at last. I have been searching for you ever since I got back from our island."

    "I thought they killed you." Obsi said.

    "Why would they do that, Obsianna?" Her brother asked. "They were disappointed with our failure, yes, but not enough to end our lives. They actually apologized to us for sending us on a mission with no hope of success. After that they sent me back to find you. They wish to no longer interfere with the affairs of the mortals, all dragons are to return home at once."

    "I have been gone so long." Obsi said. "Returning home to that place, seems impossible. I don''t think I could do it."

    "Not even so that you could spend time with your family again? Your brother?" He asked. "Aside from that, this is not a request, Obsianna. You will be returning to the isle of dragons with me, if you want to or not."

    "If she doesn''t want to go with you, she does not have to." Zell said. "I made a promise that I would defend her against any that would take her away against her will."

    "A mere human wishes to defy the divine will of the dragons?!" The azure drake scoffed. "I cannot believe such a mortal exists in this world, as our absence dulled the senses of mortals to the point that they have become reckless with their very lives?"

    "I have killed dragons and gods." Zell said. "I do not mind adding you to the list if you wish to provoke me further."

    "Brother, Zell is far stronger than any of our kind." Obsi explained. "He is a mortal that can defy the will of the gods themselves. Do not try and attack him."

    "Is that so?" The azure drake said. "Ascertainment!" He yelled, getting a status screen of Zell. "Oh, sweet gods who are in the divine realm this fucking mortal is level two million."

    "You can see another person''s status screen?" Zell asked, curious. "I thought such a feat impossible."

    "It is a unique skill only I possess." The azure drake explained. "I apologize for my earlier transgressions against you, please forgive my ignorance."

    "At least I don''t have to kill you now." Zell said. "What I said remains, if Obsi decides to stay she stays."

    The azure drake continued to study Zell''s skills. His eyes lit up when he found a certain one. "You do have it; you are the one we need." He said. "Sister, you are right."

    "I am always right dear brother." Obsi said boldly. "What exactly am I right about?" She asked.

    "This mortal has the unique skill Defiance." The Azure dragon explained. "With that skill no god nor beast can command him and bend his will. He is the one absolutely free soul in the multiverse. The strings of fate no longer bind this man, if he so desired, he could battle the gods themselves."

    "Defiance, is that amazing?" Zell asked.

    "It is beyond amazing." The dragon replied. "The power to defy the will of your creator is something we all could only dream of."

    "Ah yes." Obsi said. "I figured that out when we discussed how he did not want to do as the goddess commanded. Normally a mortal would have no choice but to do as she instructed, and even be happy about it. When he told me he had reservations, I knew."

    "Would you please come to the island with me?" The dragon asked. "My name is Ocana. I am the azure drake of the sea."

    "I assume you wish for me to partake in your waters of immortality?" Zell asked.

    "I see Obsianna has already laid the groundwork then." Ocana said. "Yes, it would be a great boon to you. Even at two million your level is far too low to destroy the heavens. You will need time to grow and become stronger, time a mortal does not have."

    "Destroy the heavens?!" Zell yelled. "Why would I do that?"

    "Because we all would be better off." Ocana said. "The gods only view us as pawns in their games. Our lives are meaningless to them, our struggles are their entertainment. Why would you want that to continue? The fact you have that skill tells me you do not. Because you have acquired that skill, I know you had to have defied them once before."

    "Yes, I got it when I broke time and space to kill the god of time." Zell said. "That bastard is probably already resurrected, back to causing suffering for his sadistic games."

    "He isn''t the only god who causes suffering." Ocana said. "They all do. They all need to be disposed of. As I said though, you are currently too weak. Come to our island, partake in our immortality. Let us train you in the ways of magic. I saw on your screen that you do not know a single spell."

    "What of your elders?" Zell said. "Surely they would not support bringing a stranger to your mystical island and granting him your divine gifts."

    "No one hates the gods more than they." Ocana said. "Once we dragons were the envy of creation, only to be abandoned and forgotten. To be discarded as if we did not matter. As if we never mattered at all. The elders are the ones who dealt with that trauma first hand. They will be overjoyed to meet you."

    "What do you think, Obsi?" Zell asked.

    "I do not really wish to return to my homeland." She explained. "However, my brother speaks the truth. As we discussed earlier you need to give up your mortality and become something more. I do not mind returning to that place as long as you are with me."

    "You sure are attached to me, even though we just met." Zell said.

    "No, I don''t really care about you personally." Obsi explained. "I just know you will keep me safe. I feel protected around you, and I like that feeling."

    "What about me?" Kaitlyn asked.

    "I as well?" Samantha asked.

    "I am sorry, but I cannot grant access to the isle of dragons to mortals such as yourself." Ocana explained.

    "Wait for Kilgon you two." Zell said. "When he is finished with his new friend, go with him to Tarm and continue our mission. I promise I will catch up."

    "So, you have decided then?" Ocana asked.

    "Yes, I have been a toy to the gods for too long." Zell said. "Even if it is just a single step, let''s start the journey."

    "Fantastic!" Ocana said. "Come let us leave this city, I will assume my dragon form once we are outside and you may ride my back to the isle.

    "Stay safe you two." Zell said. "If you think it is too tall a task at any point, just wait for me."

    "Alright Zell." Kaitlyn said.

    "As my kingdom''s finest warrior, I shall make you proud my future husband." Samantha said.

    Zell turned to the two dragons.. "Alright, let''s get out of here."

 Chapter 60 - The Evil Thorns Of A Rose

    Back in the kingdom of Neuval, Rose sat upon her throne with a worried expression. All of her plans and machinations had come to fruition, however her brother''s continued existence vexed her as the possible foil of her scheme. She knew not where he was or what he was doing. All the scouts she had sent to watch him had not returned with any workable intelligence.

    The doors to the throne room opened and one of her retainers entered the room. "Your majesty, if I may approach." He said, giving a bow to his queen.

    "You may speak." Rose said coldly. "Do so quickly."

    "The old man has finally broken my queen." The retainer said.

    Rose''s eyes lit up with delight at the implications of such a statement. "That old pattering wizard has finally given us the information we need?"

    "Yes, my queen." The retainer raises his head from a bow and makes eye contact with Rose. "He has given us the location of the cave of sealing."

    "This is wonderful news!" Rose said. "However, you dare look upon me without my permission. I am afraid I must teach you a lesson."

    "No, my queen!" He pleaded. "It was a grave oversight on my part. I do not know what came over me." He said quickly, diverting his eyes.

    Rose looked over to one of the knights standing guard at the side of the room. She always kept twenty knights in the room with her wearing full plate armor and wielding halberds. The guard nodded back and walked over to the pleading retainer who was now crying, knowing his fate. With a quick swipe of his halberd''s blade the retainer''s head was liberated from his shoulders and rolled towards the throne as blood gushed from his body as if it were a geyser erupting.

    "Thank you, number eleven." Rose smiled, enjoying her handy work. "You may return to your spot."

    The knight nodded and did as instructed.

    Rose stood up from her throne and began to exit the room. Unphased by the blood, she walked barefoot through it, leaving a path of bloody footprints in her wake. "Get the maids to clean this mess up!" She yelled as she left the room.

    She made her way down to the dungeon where they had been keeping the old man, Donovan. She smiled as she saw him in his cage, still strapped to a torture rack. His flesh was covered in burns and cuts and one of his eyes had been removed as well as one of his ears. "You could have saved yourself all this torment, old man." She taunted as she approached. "Had you not freed my mother, and then refused to cooperate with me the hero, you would not find yourself in this mess."

    Donovan''s wit was warped by the pain and his sharp insults he used to throw at the small queen was replaced by a pained moan.

    Rose walked over to a table outside the cell, where notes had been left by her retainer. "So, the cave of sealing is in the northern lands?" She said, reading the notes. "I thought it would be in the southern mountains, I see I was way off base. I shall personally lead an expedition to the frozen north and find this cave. And do you know what I am going to do, old man?" She took a small stone out of her pocket. "I am going to use this. It was a gift from the lion chieftain of the beast clan. It is directly linked to my brother''s summoning stone. With it I can summon him whenever or wherever I desire. With it I can finally end his threat to my mission once and for all."

    "He will stop you regardless." Donovan said, barely getting the words out of his mouth. "Zell is far stronger than you could ever hope to be."

    "Oh, that I know." Rose replied. "But you see, old man, I was given a mission from the divine. I must fulfill it no matter the cost. If I cannot defeat my dear brother with strength, I will have to outsmart him. I had hoped to use my mother as a pawn in all this, using her as his instrument of destruction, but you just had to rob me of that."

    "You are a monster." Donovan said.

    "I am the savior of this world." Rose laughed. "To save it, I will be whatever kind of monster I need to be. It is the divine''s will that I do this. I am justified in all of my actions by the glory of the almighty gods above us. Let me tell you a little secret of mine. I am from another world, one far from here. I was fulfilling my lord''s purpose there as well, until some man ended my life. God saw fit to reincarnate me and give me another chance at a grand purpose. I am doing his work; I am following his orders. I am to end the blight that is humanity on this planet."

    "You are mad!" Donovan managed to shout.

    "He told me not to tell a soul." Rose smiled. "But it is alright to tell you, for you are not long for this world. The person in charge of your care has just lost his head, with that you have lost your food and water¡­ and protection." She looked in the corners of the dungeon where rats were gathering. "Looks like they''re hungry. I won''t keep them from their meal." Rose smiled at Donovan and waved farewell. She picked up all the notes and left the room shutting the door behind her.

    Slowly in the darkness the mass of rats inched closer and closer to Donovan as the smell of his fresh blood lured them to him. He struggled against his restraints but could not move. He could feel them bite into his flesh one after another as they began to cover his body. Donovan let out another cry of pain that would chill a man to his soul.

    Rose continued walking down the corridor smiling, rubbing the stone in her pocket. "Just you wait big brother, you won''t be a threat to me much longer.." She said as she started laughing maniacally, still leaving bloody footprints in her wake.

 Chapter 61 - Off To The Dragon Isle

    Zell told his friends goodbye and walked out of the city with the dragons. When they reached an open area the azure drake began to remove his clothing from his body. "Be a dear for me, master human." He said. "I have grown accustomed to this clothing and have come to be quite fond of it. If you wouldn''t mind placing it in your pack or holding on to it for me, that would be grand." He held his shirt out to Zell. For the dragon''s thin frame, he was muscularly defined, without an ounce of body fat.

    "I can." Zell said, taking the clothes.

    As the dragon fully stripped, he began to transform into his dragon form. He was a massive beast with large blue and green scales that reminded Zell of the colors of the ocean. He had four massive legs, a long neck and a thick body. Two impossibly large wings sat upon his back. Obsi transformed as well. She appeared to have the same appearance only her scales were jet black.

    Ocana looked down at Zell. "Hop on human." He said with a voice so loud and deep that it shook the very ground upon which Zell stood.

    Zell nodded and leaped to the back of the dragon.

    "Impressive for a human to jump so high." Ocana said. "Hold on tight, we fly."

    Obsi and Ocana began to flap their massive wings. With each flap the wind around them stirred. As the flaps increased in frequency so did the disturbance of the wind. Small plants become uprooted from the forces as the dragons'' feet leave the ground.

    Back in the city Samantha and Kaitlyn could see the massive dragons from the wall. They were so large that their shadows darkened the sky over the kingdom, casting a shadow over many of the buildings. They watched as the dragons nodded to each other and then took off with amazing speed, causing a massive wake in the ocean from the downward draft.

    "Looks like Zell is off to the island." Kaitlyn said sadly. "So, when do you think Kilgon will be done with his new friend?"

    Samantha shrugged. "I could not say." She explained. "The dwarf did say it would be hours."

    Kaitlyn looked out across the ocean trying to watch the dot which was Zell slowly disappeared from view. She sighed as it vanished from her sight. "So, you want to marry my Zell?" Kaitlyn said pointedly at Samantha.

    "Your Zell?" Samantha replied. "I was unaware that he was married already."

    "Well, we aren''t married." Kaitlyn admitted. "I just plan to make him mine one day."

    "I see." Samantha said. "Sounds like we''ll have ourselves a lovely little rivalry then."

    The two looked out at the ocean once more and just stared into the distance, imagining the island of dragons.

    "You are with that hero are you not?" An unknown woman said to Kaitlyn.

    She turned and looked, shocked that a demon had approached her. "Who are you?! What do you want?!" She said sharply.

    "Oh my." The demoness said. "I am terribly sorry; I feel as if we got off on the wrong foot. I have come from the land of demons in search of the hero. We demons wish only to live in peace and heard that he wanted the same. I was sent as an envoy of my people to pave the way for better relations."

    "And you decided it would be good to be dressed like that?" Kaitlyn said, looking at the belts covering the demoness''s body with no other actual clothing.

    "Is there something wrong with the way I dress?" She asked coyly. "This is how my kind of demon always dresses, a traditional grab of my people if you will."

    "Well, you are going to need more coverage if you do not want unwanted attention." Samantha said.

    "What kind of attention?" The demoness asked.

    "The male kind." Kaitlyn said. "They will swarm you and stare at you like you are a piece of meat. Who knows what else?"

    "That sounds wonderful." The demoness said, licking her lips.

    "Wonderful?" Samantha asked. "Would you really derive pleasure from such things?"

    "I suppose I should introduce myself." The demoness said. "I am known as Sarilla. I am a succubus, a demon that feeds on the lustful desires of others. What you described would be a feast for me."

    "A succubus?!" Samantha said.

    "Something wrong with that?" Sarilla asked, confused.

    "Only, the fact that their victims die after the feeding!" Samantha said. "Dressed as you are there are bound to be casualties. Either cover yourself or get out of the kingdom. I cannot allow my subjects to die for your feasting!" Samantha hurried through her bags and tossed a long dress over to the succubus. "Wear this, it will at least cover you up some."

    Sarilla took the dress and slid it over her head. The outline of the belts could still be seen under the fabric. "This is the most clothing I have ever worn." Sarilla said. "I can already feel myself getting hot, how can you stand to wear so much?"

    "It is just a dress." Samantha sighed. "I am wearing undergarments, clothing, and armor. You get used to it."

    "So, demon." Kaitlyn interjected. "You say you come on a mission of peace, a diplomat of your people. Is that really true when you can kill a man from causing him sexual desire and you came to meet a male hero virtually in the nude? No, I think there is something else going on here. I suspect you knew exactly what you were doing."

    "Kaitlyn." Samantha said, trying to get the cat girl to stop her accusations.

    "No, I know you are up to something!" Kaitlyn yelled. "Don''t you dare try and play innocent with me, I know exactly what you are after. You demons fear Zell and you wish to kill him through means other than fighting!"

    Sarilla just stood there in shock. She could not believe the cat girl saw through her plans so quickly. "I see I have no choice then." She said with a sigh. "I will have to kill you both in order to complete my mission. That is sad, I was hoping we could be friends cat girl. I always wanted a pet cat."

    "Wait Kaitlyn was right?!" Samantha said in awe.

    Kaitlyn hissed at the demoness and prepared for battle by extending her claws on her hand.

    Samantha drew her sword and stood in her attack stance next to Kaitlyn. "We will defend ourselves and our Zell." Samantha said. "You should retreat now."

    "I am sorry I cannot do that." Sarilla said while trying to hide her excitement. "My lord''s reward to me is far too great for me to ever abandon this mission. You know too much, so I am afraid you will have to die. Sure, the hero will be heartbroken, but that will just make him all the easier to conquer. I can swoop in while he is all sad and alone and be his rock. Yes, that is a wonderful plan."

    A whip of pure blue flame formed in the succubus''s hand. A lit flame appeared in her eyes to match. She slapped the ground with her wipe a few times leaving blue fire in her wake.

    Samantha and Kaitlyn looked at each other and nodded as they both bent their knees and prepared for combat.

    Sarilla smiled at the sight and quickly moved her head back and forth to pop her neck. "Alright girlies, time to die!"

 Chapter 62 - Battle On The Wall

    Samantha charged the demoness with her sword swiping as she got within striking distance. Sarilla laughed as she stepped to the side and dodged the attack. The demoness had a level far exceeding that of a human, Samantha''s actions were as if they were in slow motion to her.

    Samantha followed through with her swipe and immediately changed directions towards Sarilla. Again, the demoness easily dodged the attack. Kaitlyn joined the fray with a leap attack. Her claws drawn and ready to strike she landed on the demoness''s back as she dodged one of the sword swings. Kaitlyn''s claws dug deep into Sarilla''s flesh drawing the purple blood of the demoness.

    Not reacting to the pain, she reached behind herself over her head and grabbed Kaitlyn by the arms. With a single motion she flipped Kaitlyn onto the ground where she landed with a massive thud. She hit with such force that the stones on the wall showed cracks and dust flew up. Kaitlyn coughed up some blood at the time of impact.

    "Come now, is that all you girls have?" Sarilla laughed. "I am one of the great demon generals, do you honestly think a human and a mangy cat would stand a chance against me?"

    "As if that would stop us!" Samantha yelled back, charging into the fray once more.

    "This is just a pathetic display you know." Sarilla laughed. "Why my lord did not allow us to wipe your pathetic creatures off this planet long ago I will never understand."

    "Maybe he knows something you don''t!" Samantha said while continuing her assault.

    "He knows a great deal." Sarilla replied. "Far more than I will ever comprehend. It is for that reason that we strong demons have not wiped out all of humanity."

    "You lie." Kaitlyn coughed.

    "Still alive cat girl?" Sarilla said in amusement. "I''ll bite, why do you call me a liar?"

    "Your demon lord isn''t very old." Kaitlyn explained. "Why did you not kill the humans before him, you obviously had the power. There is something else that has stopped you."

    "How perceptive of you." Sarilla said. "To be blunt it is the dragons. Long ago they tried to establish peace and failed. We feared that if we wiped humanity out that we might incur their wrath. That is until we got ourselves a demon lord. Now we no longer fear the dragons, in fact a few years ago one even joined our side."

    "Must have been the one Zell said he killed." Kaitlyn said. "That boy has a good heart, he is kind and gentle, but if you back him into a corner or hurt the ones he loves he will destroy you without a second thought. I have seen him break time and space itself just to save me. Do you honestly think that he would be so dumb as to not figure out how we died? He will find out and his rage will be legendary. Is that what your demon lord wants?"

    "Shut up!" Sarilla said, leaping away from Samantha and landing next to Kaitlyn. "Do not presume to know what my lord is thinking, nor what he wants." Sarilla punched Kaitlyn while she was down in the chest, cracking some of her ribs, making her cough up more blood and cry out in pain. "Getting harder to breathe? I would not be surprised if your lung was just punctured. You frail weak little thing."

    Kaitlyn struggled to breathe; every gasp of air did not seem to fulfill her needs. Tears started to run down her cheeks as she realized she may die, that she may never get to have the future she envisioned for herself with Zell.

    A sudden explosion of dust and noise appeared next to where they were located taking everyone by surprise. "What kind of trick is this?!" Sarilla yelled, leaping away from the dust.

    As the dust cleared a severely underdressed dwarf stood with an ax resting on his shoulder. His body was full of cuts and scratches and his eyes filled with a fire of rage and passion. "You responsible for this mess lass?" Kilgon said, pointing his ax at Sarilla. "I don''t bloody care who the hell you are, but that cat girl is my friend, and I will defend her."

    "A dwarf is your savior?" Sarilla began laughing. "A single dwarf cannot stand against the might of one of the top demons. He will just die like the rest of you."

    Kaitlyn struggled to speak, she felt she needed to warn Kilgon of the demoness''s strength. She tried with all her might to muster the word, "run¡­"

    Kilgon looked down at the broken cat girl and sighed. "Lass, if I ran from someone that hurt you this badly what kind of man would I be?" He focused his gaze back upon Sarilla. "Demon general, eh? Like I give a rat''s furry ass. I am a man, as such I cannot allow this to stand. You face Kilgon, champion of the dwarves, slayer of monsters, and layer of Onis. Still, yourself for the cold embrace of death as I will show you no mercy for the crimes you have committed.

    Sarilla burst into laughter. "You think you can beat me!" She pointed and laughed.

    Kilgon threw his ax with great speed and accuracy and cleaved the arm she was pointing with clear from her shoulder. Her laughter stopped instantly, and fear struck her face as she watched her arm hit the ground.

    "The fuck!" She screamed.

    Before she could react Kilgon dug his toes into the stone and used the extra force to propel himself forward at amazing speed. As he lifted from the ground the stones beneath him flew into the sky. He flew towards Sarilla with his fist out. He connected with a punch on her face before she even realized he had moved. She was propelled forward and fell to the ground grabbing her face with her only arm.

    "You can''t do this!" She yelled. "You are just a dwarf! They are weaker than humans! This doesn''t make any sense!"

    "Aye, there be some weak dwarves on the surface." Kilgon said. "But I was born from the stones of our mountain. I lived among my people and served our great king. It is through his teachings I was able to reach this height." Kilgon continued as he walked towards the fallen demoness. "Many dwarves went through his majesty''s training, but only I completed it. He named me is champion the ultimate weapon of the dwarven people. Your fate was sealed the moment you decided to hurt my friend."

    Kilgon reached down and grabbed her by the neck with one arm and began to squeeze. As she struggled for air, he began to drag her towards his ax. Sarilla was kicking and fighting with all she had, but the dwarf''s strength was too much for her to take. He reached his ax and lifted it with his free hand. He looked down on her one last time. She was about to lose consciousness from being choked. He tossed her down and as she landed, he swung his ax cleaving her body in two.

    Isabel appeared from the stairway, back in her human appearance. "My love!" She called out as she took in the bloody scene. "Are you alright?!"

    "I am fine, my flower." Kilgon replied. "Instead of healing me as you promised with your potion would you mind using it on my friend there? She seems close to death''s door."

    "If that''s what you wish my love." Isabel said. "However, I only have the one potion and if I don''t use it on you¡­ you will be scarred for life."

    "That is fine." Kilgon said. "These same scratches you gave me are nothing and I will wear the scars with pride as a man should. Please use it on her."

    "I will." Isabel replied, rushing over to the fallen cat girl. She fished a red vial from her purse and poured it down Kaitlyn''s throat.

    Kaitlyn gasped as her body healed itself. She was surprised she was still alive and began to stand up. She patted herself with her hands to make sure she was all alright. She started to cry with tears of joy as she realized she was fine. "Thank you so much Kilgon!" She yelled. "You saved me!"

    "I only did what a man should do.." Kilgon said proudly. "Now would you mind explaining what is going on?"

 Chapter 63 - Meeting The Dragon Elders

    The dragons flew at an astounding pace, but Zell had no issues holding on. They flew past many islands before approaching a massive storm. Heavy rain, high winds, and an uneasy sea.

    "The isle of dragons is just beyond that storm." Obsi said. "So odd going home again."

    The storm battered them as they went through it. "This must be a hurricane!" Zell said. "We had those in my old world, did massive damage."

    Within minutes the dragons had pierced the storm and entered the eye, where a small island sat surrounded by calm and tranquil waters. There were lush greeneries and Zell recognized the architecture from the history book. Buildings were crafted from stone with large columns and remarkably lofty ceilings. "Looks almost roman." He said as they descended.

    When they landed Zell jumped off of the dragons back and landed on his feet. The two dragons quickly assumed their human forms. Obsi covered herself in her scales once more, and her brother looked at Zell with his hand out. "Clothes please, human." He said.

    "Sorry." Zell said, still taking in the views surrounding him. "Here are your clothes." Zell took them out of his pack and handed them to the dragon who then got dressed.

    After he had himself back together, the azure drake spoke. "You say this reminds you of roman works, but you should say that roman works remind you of dragons. We are massive creatures, so we build massive buildings. We are creatures who enjoy nature, so we leave large open areas. A few dragons may have visited earth for a time and may have influenced some things."

    "I see." Zell said. "There were a bunch of old legends of dragons. But everything just thought of them as a work of mythology or fiction."

    "Exactly." Ocana said. "Now let us go and meet the elders. They will want to meet you. You too sister."

    "R-right." Obsi said. "I am still worried, against all reason, I am sure. But I feel like they are going to be mad at me."

    "Remember I have your back." Zell said.

    "That makes me have some stress relief at least." Obsi sighed.

    Ocana walked up a nearby path and beckoned for the others to follow him. The path was made of large white and tan stones that had been pushed deep into the ground. Flowers and small shrubs lined either side and added to the overall beauty of the island.

    As they walked, they entered the heart of the dragon city. It was not busy or bustling like the human kingdoms, the dragons were few in numbers and seemed to just be relaxing on benches or chatting with one another. As they saw the trio, they would stop what they were doing and stare in disbelief.

    "Is that a human?" One of them whispered to another.

    "Obsianna?" Another whispered.

    "Looks like Ocana was successful in his mission." Said another.

    "Looks like we are the talk of the town." Obsi said nervously.

    "We all missed you dear sister, and it has been a millennium since most of them have seen a real human." Ocana explained. "Come, the elders are just in here." He pointed to a large building that resembled that of the roman senate chamber. Inside they found a large circular room with cascading benches, ten rows of benches as they walked down the steps to the main floor. The main floor sat three large chairs with three older dragons sitting upon them.

    "At long last you have returned to us." One of the elders said. He had long gray hair and two large black horns coming from his forehead. His skin was wrinkled and worn, pale and clean, and he had eyes as green as an emerald.

    "It is a pleasure to have returned, Elder Green Dragon Excalibur." Ocana said.

    "Wait like the story of King Arthur?" Zell asked.

    "Ha!" Excalibur laughed, slapping his knee. "That is a tale for another day, but yes I may or may not have been in your home world for a time. Well probably. It really depends on which planet really."

    "I am from Earth." Zell said.

    "Earth, right, yes!" Excalibur said. "I was there many seasons ago, helped some small child, was fun times."

    "Why have you brought a human to us?" Another elder asked. This one was a woman with blonde hair, which she had rolled into a bun on top of her head. Her eyes were yellow, and her skin smooth. She was void of any horns.

    "Right, I am sorry elder yellow dragon Sunea." Ocana said. "I think we should help this human; he has the unique skill of defiance; he may be the only soul in the universe with true free will."

    "Interesting." Sunea replied. "So, human you know of our history, yes? That we were once pets to their gods before we were ignored and tossed out like garbage. Do you wish to help us enact our vengeance?"

    "I have my own issues with the gods." Zell said. "They treat me as a plaything, they treat all humans and nonhumans as a form of simple entertainment. Our lives, our hardships, our hopes, our dreams, all meaningless to them."

    "And you would give up your humanity for such a small amount of hate?" The last elder said. He was an older muscular dragon with a bald head. He had two horns but the left one was broken; he also had a patch over his left eye.

    "My humanity died long ago." Zell said. "When I lost my family, my happiness, my humanity died with them. The man I once was would have never hurt a soul. I murdered someone. I choked them until I felt their life leave their body. I was happy about it. I found it to be pleasurable."

    "So, you feel like you lost your humanity by finding enjoyment in the killing of others?" The elder asked.

    "No, it is because I hated her so much." Zell said. "Even after I killed her, I still hate her. I have a burning hate just wanting to come out, but sadly I cannot kill her again. However, I suspect the gods played some hand in my family''s death, part of one of their stupid games. I know they let my family die for their entertainment! I hate them as I hate the woman who killed them!"

    "That hate is acceptable." The elder smiled. "I am the Elder of the red dragon flight. My name is Xalador. I am pleased to meet you human."

    "The honor is mine." Zell replied.

    "So, it is decided then." Sunea said. "This human will function as our instrument of vengeance." She looked over to Obsi.. "Oh, and Obsianna, welcome home dear."

 Chapter 64 - Truth About Magic

    "Human, tell us, do you know how magic works?" Xalador asked. "It is not a thing that is greatly understood by the mortal races. We dragons being of the divine have mastered it."

    "Very little." Zell replied. "I know there are wizards and mages, but as for me I have no idea how they cast spells, or anything like that."

    "So, nothing." Xalador said.

    "We need to teach you the nature of magic." Sunea replied. "For it is within that lesson that you will gain the strength to manage the immortality we offer."

    "Take him to the font of magic and teach him Ocana." Excalibur said. "Obsianna, you stay here and speak with us for a bit. We have much to ask you."

    "Hold on." Zell said. "I promised I would not leave her alone. That I would protect her against anything."

    "You would risk gaining ultimate knowledge and immortality for a dragon you barely know?" Sunea said.

    "What a strange human." Xalador added. "I thought humans were only creatures of greed and selfishness, yet this one so worried for another. How very strange."

    "Zell." Obsi said. "Thank you."

    Zell nodded to Obsi. "I always keep my promises that I make to my companions."

    "We only wish to speak with her." Xalador said. "You have no reason for concern."

    "Whether I do or not is irrelevant." Zell replied. "I made a promise, and I will keep it."

    "Human." Ocana said. "Please do not defy the elders."

    The three elders just paused and stared at Zell, waiting to see what he would do. Defiant Zell stood next to Obsi.

    "This human passes." Xalador said. "Do you both agree?"

    The other two elders nodded in agreement.

    "Human, this was a test." Xalador said. "There is no font of magic. That is just code we use to seal you in another universe. Had you eagerly abandoned your companion for your own personal gain you would have been lost somewhere in the multiverse, alone, with no hope of ever returning."

    "But you stood next to her." Sunea said. "Knowing we would be upset, that we could deny you of what you desire."

    "We accept you as our champion." Excalibur said.

    "So, I will explain the state of magic." Xalador said. "Magic is placed in a few universes as a means of entertainment for the gods. They enjoy watching mortals dabble in powers they could not possibly understand, and love to watch the results. That magic is mostly there for show and is not the true nature of magic within the multiverse.

    Magic predates the gods themselves; it was perhaps that primordial magic that coalesced together and formed the first two gods. They do appear to just be beings of pure magic; it would make sense if the magic of the multiverse created them. Also, you must understand the multiverse itself. Think of bubbles floating around a void, each bubble has within it a universe. The void the bubbles are in is the magic that predates the gods.

    When they do their creation, they are not actually making something from nothing, instead they are partitioning that magic that already exists and making a closed environment with its own rules of existence.

    If you genuinely want to understand magic, you need not concern yourself with the fake magic that the gods have placed here for their own entertainment. Instead, you must focus on the essence that created everything, even the gods themselves."

    "How would you tap into that power?" Zell asked. "I can''t even see or use the fake magic, much less this greater multiverse magic."

    "It would be best if I showed you." Xalador said as he got up from her chair. "Please follow me." He started walking out of the chamber and the rest followed him. They walked to a cliff that overlooked the ocean. "I will now cast a fireball using this world''s fake magic." He put out his hand and a ball of fire appeared from his palm. It grew to a circumference of six feet before he released it. It flew across the ocean before exploding magnificently a kilometer away.

    "An impressive display yes but watch what happens when I tap into the very essence of magic and cast the same spell." Xalador explained. He put his hand out again, this time the ball of fire was of a pure bluish white light and grew to a circumference of twenty feet. The force from launching it split the ocean below and it exploded into a mushroom cloud a couple of kilometers away. The intensity of the blast could be felt as heat pelted their bodies.

    A massive wave made its way towards the island, set off by the explosion.

    "You can be quite the showoff." Sunea sighed. Summoning her wings, she flapped them with such a force that a gust of wind hit the wave and caused it to disperse. "Still a decent showing. Do you understand the difference between the two magic''s now human? To use the fake magic is just to use the magic given to you by the gods, to use the true magic is to use the power of the gods."

    "How can I learn this?!" Zell said, visibly excited. He had not felt excitement like this since his previous life, when he first got his car and opened it up to see how fast it could go.

    "Fear not human we will teach you." Xalador said. "But as with all things it will require time. We will allow you to stay with Obsianna in the house of black. Please take the rest of the day off and focus your mind for the task ahead. Your training begins tomorrow."

    "I will." Zell said with a bow. "Thank you for agreeing to teach me!" He turned his attention to Obsi. "I guess I will be crashing at your place."

    "So, it seems." Obsi said. "Brother tell me, why did they keep our house intact? I have been gone so long; it makes no sense to protect it."

    "Dear sister." Ocana said. "Do not forget that father was once an elder himself. They kept his home to honor him and in hopes that you would one day return."

    "I see." Obsi replied. "Well Zell might as well head to my old house then.. Follow me."

 Chapter 65 - The House Of Black

    Obsi took Zell to her old home, she remembered exactly where it was even though she had not laid her eyes upon it in hundreds of years. It sat on the edge of the isle atop a tall cliff that overlooked the ocean. She expected to find the home in disrepair, but it was clean and pristine. The landscaping was even maintained.

    "Surely not after all this time." Obsi said aloud. "She couldn''t still be here."

    "Who?" Zell asked out of curiosity.

    "Our maid." Obsi explained. "She served my father and my family for eons, I thought when I didn''t come home, she would have found something else to do."

    "Why would she?" Zell asked. "With a house this massive all to herself with no masters to serve or to order her around. Why would anyone move out?"

    "I concede your point human." Obsi agreed. Obsi took a deep breath and shouted. "Lucille, are you in there?!"

    An upstairs window opened swiftly and a woman with long blue hair popped her head out. "Young mistress?!" She replied. "Is that you?! After all these years you have finally come home?!"

    "Or maybe she just really missed you and wanted everything to be perfect when you got home." Zell shrugged.

    Seeing Lucille''s excitement, Obsi could not help but agree. "Seems to be that way."

    "Hold on!" Lucille yelled. "I will be right down mistress!"

    She vanished from the window and within moments the main entrance to the estate opened. Lucille was pushing the doors open. She was a petite girl, and her blue hair reached down to her hips. She wore a traditional French maid''s outfit, complete with the hair accessory. She had two small horns coming from either side of her head and a long blue tail coming from under her skirt.

    "Welcome home my mistress!" Lucille said excitedly.

    "It is good to be home." Obsi said. "Thank you for taking such diligent care of my home while I was away."

    "It was my pleasure, mistress." Lucille said bowing. "I would never allow the house of the former master of black fall into disarray."

    "Yes, I know you loved my father." Obsi said.

    "Very much so mistress." Lucille smiled. "Is this human a meal for later? Should I prepare him to cook."

    "Hahahaha!" Obsi laughed loudly. "No, this human is my friend, he is not food. Perhaps a sex toy, but not food."

    "I see." Lucille said. "Should I prepare the old master''s sex dungeon then?"

    "No!" Zell protested. "I am just staying here while the elders teach me magic, I am not going to be anyone''s toy or spend time in any sex dungeon!"

    "You always spoil the fun." Obsi sighed. One day I know you will give in to my advances, after all once eternal life and youth is yours, you will want a companion that has the same. I have faith that one day you will come around."

    Zell paused thinking. [Accepting eternal life will not only keep me from my past family, but I will have to watch everyone I know and love in this life slowly die as well.]

    "Thinking about the consequences of eternal life?" Obsi teased. "The first few hundred years are the hardest, but eventually you become numb to the pain of loss." She focused back on her maid. "Please prepare a meal for us. It has been a long day and I wish to dine, bathe, and then go to sleep."

    "As you wish, my mistress." Lucille said., leaving to go to the kitchen.

    "So, I couldn''t help but notice, Lucille is a blue dragon like your brother." Zell said.

    "Yes, I guess I should explain more about dragons." Obsi said. "Let us retire to the living room and I will explain further in there."

    Obsi went inside the house and Zell followed her. He was amazed by the sights inside. Black marble floors and walls, with a ceiling of glass and gold. Statues made of the same black marble lined either side of the hall and candles were placed every few feet for illumination of the corridors. A long crimson rug stretched down the center of the foyer and branched off to a winding grand staircase that led to the upper floor.

    Obsi took a left at the staircase and entered a large room with a fireplace. The exterior wall was mostly glass with a view of the ocean. Several couches and chairs filled the room, and sat in a manner that was conducive to conversations.

    "My family used to entertain the other elder dragons." Obsi explained. "This is the room that was used. Come sit." She sat down on a couch near the fireplace and patted the cushion next to her.

    Zell took the chair across from her and sat down. "So, you were going to explain about dragons?" He said as he sat down, ignoring her request to sit next to her.

    Obsi sighed and then began to speak. "There are different classifications of my kind. You have ones like myself, my brother, and the elders, and then you have the drakes. The ones like me we call dragons, and we are unmatched in strength and magical power. Our dragon forms are massive to match. The drakes are much weaker, still far superior to a human, but far weaker than a dragon. Their dragon form is much smaller as well. Now as to your question, no Lucille is not related to me. My father did his share of getting around, but he only ever produced two offspring. One with a great black dragon and another with a great blue dragon. When two dragons of different flights mate, the offspring can be of either flight. Dragons have far fewer offspring than drakes do, and no we do not know the cause. Also, to my knowledge a dragon and drake cannot produce a child, nor do two drakes make a dragon or two dragons make a drake."

    "So different species entirely." Zell said. "So, what happened to your mother, and your brother''s mother? Your father as well? I thought dragons lived forever."

    "Remember how we told you that some of the dragons snuck back into the divine realm and stole a piece to make the magic pool necessary for our immortality?" Obsi explained. "There were many elder dragons among that party, not all of them returned home."

    "I see." Zell said. "I am sorry for your loss."

    "Thank you, but I have had eons to process it." Obsi replied. "We should talk about your chambers; I am fine with you sharing my bed with me."

    "Other options?" Zell asked.

    "You could share one with Lucille if you were so inclined." Obsi teased. "I do not mind sharing you, after all we have forever."

    "Any options where I can sleep alone?" Zell asked again.

    "Well, if you want to be all boring about it." Obsi replied.. "There may be a few dozen empty rooms for you to pick from."

 Chapter 66 - Off To Tarm

    Back on the wall with Kilgon and the others. Kaitlyn was filling him in on the situation.

    "So, the lad has gone off to train with the dragons." Kilgon said. "Maybe he will finally learn how to fight! Ha!"

    "Zell can fight!" Kaitlyn said.

    "Lass, he just punches things really hard, that is not fighting." Kilgon explained. "A real fight is when two opponents are locked in a struggle for life and death, and they must outsmart, out maneuver, and out last the other. The lad doesn''t do that, he just punches it. Tell me I am wrong."

    "Well!" Kaitlyn said.

    "Exactly you cannot." Kilgon said. "So, we are to go and free Tarm from the clutches of the evil queen? It''s not like they had any ideological differences, I fail to see how anything short of killing the royals and the nobility would change anything."

    "We can''t just go murder other kingdoms!" Samantha protested. "We need to bring them over to our side through a peaceful resolution, not violence."

    "Because that would work." Kilgon laughed. "Look I know you have your idealistic views princess, but here in the real world we nonhumans are no more than trash to most of the human nations. We are looked upon as monsters and nothing else. If we want the humans of Tarm to come to our side, we are going to have to do something drastic."

    "Do you have anything in mind?" Kaitlyn asked.

    "Tell me princess, do you have any scout reports from your kingdom pertaining to the movements of Tarm''s forces. Are they currently engaging any of the demon lord''s army?"

    "We will have to ask the captain of the scouts, but I am fairly certain we would have that data." Samantha replied.

    "Alright." Kilgon said. "Humans respond best to might, which is why they follow that evil queen so blindly. If we go to the battlefield and wipe out the demon forces with ease the humans will have more respect for us. Maybe even some fear of us. We can use that as leverage to get them to cut ties with the evil queen. We can give them a choice, side with us or be destroyed."

    "What if they pick to be destroyed?!" Samantha asked. "Afterall my kingdom is prepared to die for what we believe, what makes you so sure that they would not do the same?"

    "I doubt they have your strength of conviction." Kilgon said. "But if they do, we will cross that bridge when we get there."

    "So, you plan to attack our forces near Tarm!" The defeated succubus yelled out. "I must inform my lord at once!" Her body burned in purple flame, disappearing from sight.

    "The hell?" Kilgon said. "I was sure cutting her in half would have killed her."

    "I guess we know too little about demons to know when they are truly dead." Samantha said.

    "So, it would seem." Kilgon said. "I need to go back to my dear flower''s house and retrieve my armor, after that we can head out. We will need to complete our plan before the demon lord can send reinforcements."

    "I am going to come with you." Isabel said. "I will help you defeat the army and stop the evil queen."

    "You don''t have to, my flower." Kilgon said.

    "Fear not, I am an Oni, those fools will stand no chance against me." Isabel replied.

    "Welcome aboard then." Kaitlyn said.

    "Yes, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Samantha said. "I must apologize when I first saw your Oni form, I was stricken with fear. I prejudged you before I met you and for that I am terribly sorry."

    "It is okay." Isabel said. "I am used to that kind of treatment. That is why I learned this camouflage spell, so that I could pass as a human."

    "I am back." Kilgon said in his full armor. "Are you ladies prepared to leave?"

    "When did you even leave?!" Kaitlyn asked, surprised.

    "While you were talking." Kilgon said. "I did say there was no time to waste."

    "Still, that was not enough time¡­" Kaitlyn said.

    "I am faster than you know, beast girl." Kilgon said.

    "I am happy this speed does not translate to the bedroom." Isabel laughed.

    "That''s right my flower, a real man never finishes first no matter what his speed." Kilgon laughed. "Now let us go to the scout captain and get the location of the battle. Let''s make the lad proud when he returns all powered up and trained."

    So, the group followed Samantha to the scout captain, and he explained all he knew, giving them a map of the location of the battle. With the map in hand, Samantha led them to the stables and got each of them a horse. They rode from the gates as fast as the animals could take them leaving a trail of dirt and dust in their wake.

    Back at the demon lord''s castle the succubus reformed in a puff of purple fire, taking the demon lord by surprise.

    "What!" He said moving in his throne.

    "It is just me my lord." Sarilla said. "I have grave and terrible news. A dwarf lord has appeared, he thwarted my plans and bested me in combat. He Is a force unlike any I have ever seen. A raging beast fighting only in his undergarments, covered in blood. If it not for my nature as a demon of dreams, He would have killed me."

    "First a human lord and now a dwarf lord." Maximus said with worry. "Just what do the gods expect to happen creating all of these different lords at once."

    The demon lord leaned back in his throne as he rubbed his chin thinking of what he had just heard.

    "There is more." Sarilla said. "The dwarf lord is on his way to the battle lines. He means to destroy the forces we have engaged with Tarm."

    "Sire the front lines are just lowly goblins." Maximus said. "It will not hurt our forces to lose those weak creatures."

    The demon lord sat there and continued to think. Finally deciding he raised his head and spoke. "Send in our secret weapon. I wish to evaluate them on a dwarf lord as you call it."

    "But what if the dwarf lord kills them?" Maximus asked.

    "Do not question my orders." The demon lord replied. "Just do what I say."

    "Yes, my lord, I am sorry." Maximus said. He bowed to the demon lord and walked out of the room.

    "My lord." Sarilla said. "The hero is no longer with his party."

    "I know, a scout saw him leave on the back of a massive blue dragon." The demon lord said. "No doubt he is on his way to pick up yet another power up. I really need to find a way to stop him before he gets too powerful. I was really hoping your honeytrap plan would have worked."

    "Maybe he has someone close to him?" Sarilla said. "Like a mother? We could use that to force him to surrender."

    "That is a marvelous plan." The demon lord said.. "Yes, if we take a hostage he cares about, he will have no choice but to surrender. Isekai protagonists always have this weakness! I can''t believe I didn''t think about it before!"

 Chapter 67 - Begin Magic Training

    "Dinner is served, my mistress." Lucille said as she entered the room where Obsi and Zell were sitting. "Tonight, we are having a feast from the sea, I do hope that you enjoy your meal."

    "Thank you." Obsi said, getting up from her chair. "Come Zell, let us go eat."

    Zell got up and followed her through the corridors until they reached a grand dining room. A massive chandelier hung from the ceiling made of pure diamond. A large table was the centerpiece of the room and sat directly under the chandelier. The table was made of an old strong oak and had a silk cloth running down the length of it. The table was completely adorned with all manner of seafood. Crabs, lobsters, sixteen different varieties of whole fish.

    "Wow, this is quite the feast." Zell said as he took a seat at the table near the lobsters.

    "This is a dragon''s dinner." Obsi said. "It is the one thing I have missed the most about my home. Living in that cave all those years, oh how I have missed this."

    "So, mistress, where have you been all these years?" Lucille asked.

    Obsi answered with detail where she had been and what she had done for the past few thousand years. Zell ate his fill and found an empty room to sleep in while Obsi talked to her maid.

    Zell slept comfortably in his bed, but his dreams were haunted by visions of his dead family. Just because he no longer felt the anguish, he once did does not mean it never crossed his mind. When the rays of the sun shone through the windows of the room he awoke from his nightmares. Getting up he put his clothes back on and exited the room.

    He looked around for Obsi, but the house was massive, and he did not know which of the rooms was hers. Passing by the living room he found her sleeping on the couch surrounded by empty bottles of wine. Lucille passed out on the chair next to her.

    "Looks like they decided to drink after dinner." Zell laughed. "Alright, I should head down to the elders and start my lessons." He said to himself as he exited the house and headed back down to where the elders were located.

    As he entered their hall, he found the elders and Ocana waiting for him. "Welcome human!" Xalador yelled out. "I trust you slept well in the house of black?"

    "Yes, it was nice." Zell replied. "I am ready to begin my training."

    "Yes, I am most certain that you are." Xalador said. "Ocana has informed us of your level, two million is quite an impressive number. You should have no shortage of mana; we will not need to alter your training knowing this."

    "Alter my training?" Zell asked.

    "Yes, well a human is normally far weaker than a dragon." Xalador explained. "If we tried to teach a normal human as we taught a dragon, well the results would not be good for the human. However, you possess a strength that even surpasses ours. We do not need to change our methods for you. You can learn the dragon way."

    "I understand." Zell said with a bow.

    "First you must learn to feel magic." Excalibur said. "One you have gained a sense of the magic around you; the next time will be to differentiate between what is the real magic of the universe and what is the fake magic placed by the gods."

    "To do this you must meditate in a special chamber." Sunea said. "We designed this chamber ages ago, it forces the magic out of a person and manifests it in a method they can see. We found this was the best way to grasp the concept. Normally a human''s mana would expire as soon as they entered the chamber, but I think you will survive with your level."

    "I will do my best." Zell said.

    "Keep in mind that this is only a manifestation of your own magic." Xalador explained. "We will not know the nature of it until it reveals itself. Or should I say, you will not know the nature of it. We cannot go with you into the room, it is something you must do on your own."

    "I understand." Zell said.

    "I for one am excited for you to experience this training." Sunea said. "You will face a portion of yourself you have never met before. We dragons call our magic selves our true essence, you will be the first human who gets to experience this. I am curious as to what sort of affect it will have on you."

    "The time is now human." Xalador said. "Steel yourself and follow us to the chamber of fate."

    Zell followed the dragons and they led him through the city and into a small forest. After walking some distance, they found a building that was as if it were a white ball sitting in a clearing of trees. It was a perfect sphere and had seemingly no entrances.

    "We have arrived." Xalador said. He stretched out his two arms and put his right and left index fingers together. With a switch motion he separated them, this caused the sphere to react.

    The side of the sphere began to open as the crack appeared, a shining bright light pierced into the forest, so bright it could be seen in the day. The sphere cracked open large enough for one person to enter.

    "Go inside human." Sunea said. "Sit in the center of the room and clear your mind of all your thoughts. Then and only then will you be able to understand the nature of magic. It will be the most difficult thing you have ever done."

    "Alright." Zell said, looking around at the dragons. He nodded to each of them and started to walk inside the building. As he entered the door closed behind him, locking him inside.

    "Now will be the true test of his will." Ocana said.

    "Ocana dear." Sunea said. "Where is Obsi? She should be here for this."

    "I do not know, elder." Ocana said. "I will go to the house of black and find her at once.." Ocana bowed and then left.

 Chapter 68 - Zell Meet Zell

    Inside of the sphere was a pure white void, a blinding light that made it difficult to see. It was impossible to tell where the floor ended, and the walls began.

    "Where is the center?" Zell asked, squinting his eyes because of the light blinding him. He walked forward a few steps and decided it was about as center as he was going to get and sat down on his knees. He took a deep breath and exhaled. "Okay empty my mind." He strained trying to free his mind of any thoughts, but the act of trying to clear his mind was causing him to think.

    "Hard to clear your mind huh?" A voice said to him.

    "Yeah, it is¡­" Zell stopped mid answer and opened his eyes. Another him stood next to him in the void, looking down on him with his hands on his hips. "Wait, are you the magical essence the dragons told me about?"

    "I am you." The other Zell said. "The real you, stripped away from your phony heroism and sacrifice for others. I am what you could be."

    "Sunea told me this would be the hardest challenge of my life." Zell replied. "Is this what she was talking about? To clear my mind while my magical essence taunts me?"

    The other Zell bent down to talk directly into Zell''s ear. "Oh, I can do much more than just talk." Saying that he kneed Zell right in the chest causing him to fly backwards.

    Zell grabbed his chest and wiped his mouth; small traces of blood were at the edge of his lip. "The hell did you do that for?" Zell yelled.

    "Because you are weak!" The other Zell yelled. "All this power! We are a god! What do you do with it?! You waste it! You have the power to end the war right now, instead you are trying to find a roundabout solution. You should be the one in control of this world!"

    "That''s not who I am!" Zell replied.

    "I am you!" The other Zell yelled back. "Face it, even as Gary you were a push over. Whatever your wife or your kids wanted you would do without hesitation! You never once did anything for yourself! I am tired of it!"

    "I did that because I loved them!" Zell yelled back.

    "And did they ever return your love?!" The other Zell asked. "Did they ever take you out for your birthday? Did they ever just call and check to see how you were doing?! No! The fact is you did everything for them, and you got nothing in return! The only thing you got from those people was your own death from a broken heart!"

    "That doesn''t matter!" Zell said. "I still loved them; they are my family."

    "Let''s talk about that." The other Zell said. "Your family is always such a disappointment. Even in this new world. Your father was the literal worst, and I am certain your sister is the personification of pure evil. In the old world you were nothing more than a wallet to them and you know it. Why would you waste even an ounce of love on such horrible people? Why go to these great lengths to save a sister that does not need to be saved?"

    "I noticed you did not mention my mother." Zell replied.

    "I find no fault with her." The other Zell replied. "She is the only one in both of your lives to really care about you. She is the only one that I know would die for you, even if it were to just stop your pain for a little while."

    "She would be sad if Rose died." Zell replied.

    "Wait, are you trying to save your sister just for your mother''s sake?" The other Zell asked.

    "Everything was for her sake." Zell said. "She is the first person to truly love me. I will do anything for her, and I never want to see her cry. If I killed Rose, mother would certainly be sad. I know Rose deserves death for everything she has done. I know she is beyond redemption, but still, I must find a way, for mother''s sake."

    "You really are a fool." The other Zell said. "You are going to give up your mortality and defy the very gods themselves, just so your mother won''t be sad? Come on! I know what''s really in your heart! You have all this power, and you want to use it! You are tired of being the world''s punching bag! I grow tired of this stupid debate. If all you are going to do is lie to yourself and make up excuses."

    "I am not lying!" Zell replied.

    "Enough I said!" The other Zell yelled. "We fight. You and me. We will see whose convictions are stronger. If I win, I am taking control of your life, no more hiding in the shadows. First thing I''m doing is taking what I need from the dragons. Screw this pointless training. Next, I am going to the demon realm and putting an end to their armies. You have left them be for far too long. They may become a threat even you cannot manage before too long. Next, I am going to meet with our dear sister, and I will place her head on a pike atop the tallest tower so that the entire world can see what happens to those that defy me!"

    "I won''t let you win!" Zell yelled back. "I will never let you do those things, you monster!"

    "If you call me a monster, you are just calling yourself one." The other Zell said. "Remember I am you. The real you. Now come let us fight. I am the same level as you, so you won''t be able to overpower me with ease like you normally do your opponents."

    Zell stilled himself and took another deep breath. He stood up off the ground where the other Zell had launched him and prepared himself for a fight.. With a fiery determination in his eyes, he stared at his opponent.

 Chapter 69 - Overdrive

    Zell wasted no time and launched himself forward at his other self. The other him saw through his attack and deflected his punch. The speed and movement caused Zell to stumble and fall onto the ground.

    "Good." The other Zell said. "That is the kind of initiative you should have been showing all along. Now come at me." He made a taunting motion with his hands.

    Zell got back to his feet, but as he did, he attempted to do a leg sweep on his opponent. The other Zell jumped up to dodge him. Zell grunted out of frustration and launched a volley of punches. The double used both of his hands to block them in short order.

    "Do you not know how to fight?" The other Zell asked. "All this power and you are fighting like a complete novice."

    "You know the answer to that." Zell said. "If you are me, truly me, why do you know how to fight?"

    "Officially I do not." The other Zell laughed. "However, I remember that karate class we took back in the summer of seventy-three. I remember you enjoyed it, why did you ever give it up? Oh, right because your father told you a man shouldn''t waste his time on something that doesn''t support a family."

    "Yeah, I remember taking that class." Zell replied. "But I am hardly going to remember skills I picked up when I was sixteen in a whole different life."

    The other Zell changed his appearance to a sixteen-year-old Gary. His clothes changed to that of a karate Gi. "Just think what you could have done if that father of ours had not stopped us." The other Zell said. "We could have kept fighting, who knows maybe we could have won a championship. Maybe we could have become a professional? Or perhaps we could have joined the military?"

    "There is nothing wrong with the life I lived." Zell replied.

    "We could have had so much more!" The other Zell yelled as he went into attacking. Using the karate they learned many years ago he led with a chop then a leg sweep. Zell countered the chop, but the sweep connected with his knee causing him to fall. "If only you would have let me out! You never would have wasted your life doing meaningless factory labor! We could have been something!"

    Zell stood back up with a slight limp, his knee hurting from the last attack. "Maybe! Maybe not! We will never know! What we do know is we had a family, we had purpose, I would not change a single thing if I could. The day I held my children in my arms, they are days that are etched into my very soul. I am fine with everything as long as they had happiness while they lived."

    Zell launched another series of attacks, but again the other Zell was able to counter him again. "You should just surrender." The other Zell instructed. "Let me have control of our life. You and the world will be a better place for it."

    "I will not give up!" Zell shouted back. "It is my life, and I will be the one to live it! I am sick of you and everyone else telling me that I am pathetic, that everything I did was stupid and a waste! It brought me happiness and that is all a man can ask for! I will stop my sister without killing her and I will find a peaceful solution with the demon lord! When I am done with all that I am going to the realm of the gods and force them to stop interfering with the lives of mortals!"

    "That''s a nice speech." The other Zell said. "The only problem is you have to beat me first."

    "I will do it the only way I know how." Zell said. "Activate Skill Overdrive! Set output to two hundred percent!"

    Zell swelled in power as his level doubled. He launched another series of attacks before his doppelganger could react and connected immediately. The other Zell was launched from his spot and landed against the wall of the sphere giving it a crack.

    The other Zell coughed blood from the massive impact. "Very good." The other Zell said. "Activate Overdrive. Output three-hundred percent."

    In a flash he leapt from the wall, cracking it further. Flying fist first his blow connected directly on Zell''s jaw causing him to fly back doing multiple spins until ultimately hitting the sphere''s wall on the opposite side, cracking it.

    "I have the same skills as you do!" The other Zell yelled. "Did you forget I am you?!"

    "Power output set to one thousand percent." Zell said. Again, the burst of power flowed through him, and he launched himself back at his double. This time his punch landed with such force His arm was completely through the other Zell''s chest.

    "Good." The other Zell said as blood poured from his mouth. "Remember everything I taught you. You will need it for what comes next." The other Zell closed his eyes and dissipated into a cloud of fine dust.

    "What did he mean? What comes next?" Zell asked himself.

    The sphere containing him began to crack more. The lines from each side moved in every direction until they met in the middle. When they met the entire room shattered around him. Massive pieces of glowing white stone fell all around him and left him standing amid a large black empty void.

    The light shining from the debris at his feet slowly faded as the darkness encroached in on him. The light continued to flicker and fade, getting diminished as the moments went on. Finally, all the light was extinguished, and Zell found himself sightless in the dark void.

    He could see nothing, he heard nothing, he could feel nothing other than the pain in his body.

    "Hello?!" He yelled out. At least he attempted to. No sound exited his mouth when he opened it. He tried again, but the same result.

    [Okay think, what do I do now?] He thought to himself.

 Chapter 70 - Who Are You?!

    The silence of the darkness permeated every fiber of Zell''s essence. [Okay don''t panic.] He said to himself to cry and calm himself down. [Since the outside world didn''t appear when the sphere shattered it is safe to assume this is all in my mind. Unless breaking this room somehow broke the world¡­ No, that''s impossible.]

    Zell started taking deep breaths to try and get himself to relax. [Okay Sunea said I need to clear my thoughts.] He said as he attempted to empty his mind once more.

    More deep breaths. Zell hoped focusing slowly on his breathing would calm his mind. As he stood there breathing, he felt a hand grab his shoulder. He jerked away and turned to face whoever had touched him, but all he could see was darkness and nothing else. He tried to speak again but his words were still silent. [Am I not alone?] Zell thought to himself. [Is my other self back again?!]

    Confused and uneasy Zell attempted to calm himself with more deep breathing and tried to focus his mind.

    "Who are you human?" A woman''s voice asked, sounding smooth as freshly fallen snow. "Why are you here at the beginning and end? Are you lost? Here let me help you."

    As she said those words the world lit up around Zell. The light expanded out from him rapidly and rushed along the ground. Everything it touched revealed a lush green forest with streams and a waterfall. A cloudless sky as blue as he had ever seen. Looking next to himself he saw an old man; it was him before he died.

    The old man looked confused and looked at his wrinkled hands. "How is this possible?" He asked.

    "What is going on?!" Zell asked in puzzlement. "My voice is back!"

    "Yes, human it is wonderful for you to have joined me." The woman said. Zell and his older self could see her now. She was a woman with unmatched beauty, long black hair, large fox ears, and nine furry tails. She was wearing a crimson silk dress with the pattern of eastern dragons embroidered on it. "So would you care to explain why you were at the before and after?"

    "I was training to learn magic from a dragon." The older Zell said, which shocked the younger one.

    "No, that''s what I was doing." Zell said.

    "You were both." The mysterious woman replied. "I separated your soul to get a true measure of who you are. A human with two lives and two personalities is quite the interesting thing. For an old man to dwell within a young body is quite another."

    "I was reincarnated." The older one said. "I died when my family were murdered. The shock was too much."

    "That wouldn''t be enough to cause this." She teased. Her eyes lit up with white flames as she peered deeply into the two Zells'' souls. "I see the goddess took your memories from you and you grew as another person, creating two lives. You have balance now after training with the young seer, but it is a fragile balance, and you battle yourself from the inside. You are conflicted as to what you should do. Should you continue your life as Zell, or should you live your life as Gary?"

    "Me of course!" Both said in unison.

    "I see." She laughed. "It seems one of you needs to let go."

    "I want to see my family." Gary said.

    "I want that¡­ no I don''t really care¡­ Why don''t I care?" Zell asked, confused.

    "Because you are not two sides of the same coin at this moment." She replied. "Each of you are free to express your own thoughts without falling under the influence of the other. So, tell me young one, what do you desire?"

    "I want to experience what this life has to offer." Zell said. "I want to have fun and make friends. Of course, I want to save the world, but I want to be able to enjoy my life as well."

    "You can still do that and enjoy your life!" Gary said. "I worked my whole life, and I had a ton of enjoyment out of watching my family''s happiness!"

    "I want to experience my own happiness." Zell replied. "Helping others is fine, but you have to take care of yourself as well. I don''t want to miss out on everything just to be a hero."

    "Look if we stop the gods, I can see my family again!" Gary yelled. "We need to complete the mission and get powerful. We need to go to that goddess and take my family back from the afterlife!"

    "Who''s to say your family is even there?" Zell asked. "That goddess is suspicious, and we know her to be a liar. Why would you believe that she told you the truth about your family?"

    "Mortal souls do not have an afterlife." The woman said coldly.

    "How would you even know?!" Gary yelled. "Who are you?!"

    "Oh, you are not ready for that answer." She teased. "Still this goddess you speak of seems to have lied to you. Mortal souls are part of the fabric of existence and as such cannot linger in one place for eternity. They must be cleansed and sent back into the cycle. This is the way of things, there is no god or anything that can change that."

    "See!" Zell said. "She lied! Your family is reincarnated somewhere, probably living a good life. They are experiencing happiness that you deny yourself. They are experiencing the life you are denying me."

    Gary cast his head down to his feet. He had no good rebuttal if what the mysterious woman said was true. "So, what can I do?"

    "Just give up control." The woman said with a smile. "Let this young man live his life, he will still have your memories, as they are his memories now. But the emotional baggage you are forcing him to carry around, that will rest with you. Had that goddess not interfered with your soul this never would have happened. You would have been cleansed and happy living life somewhere else. I am deeply sorry this has happened to you, but your life has ended, and you do not need to keep this boy from living his."

    "I understand." Gary said as he walked over to Zell. He put his hand out for a shake.

    Zell could not help but to grin as he went in for the handshake

 Chapter 71 - I Can Now See

    "Remember what I told you." The voice of the other Zell echoed inside of Gary''s head. He quickly removed his hand from the offer, sensing the trap.

    "Who are you?" Gary shouted out. "What is all this! I am not going to fall for it!"

    The woman clapped her hands slowly as the Zell in the room vanished from sight. "Very good." She said, "I thought you were going to fall for my little test there. Tell me what changed your mind?"

    "I just had a feeling." Gary said. "You did make valid points, and I should stop living my life in the past and embrace my new life. However, I am the one that needs to do that. Not some other version of me."

    "Very good." She smiled. "Seems like you learned what you needed. To know the foundation of everything one must first know themselves. You have learned of your true nature, in order to defeat your darker aggressive side, you had to become more aggressive yourself. You had to stand up for what you believed in and fight for it. To overcome my manipulation, you had to realize that you were the one in charge of your own life and you needed to live it. Someone else living it for you would be wrong."

    "So, I can use magic now?" Gary asked.

    "Open your eyes and see for yourself." She said as she faded away.

    "Open my eyes?" Gary was confused as far as he knew his eyes were open. In an attempt to discern her meaning he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he reopened his eyes, he found himself back in the bright white light of the sphere. He looked down at his hands and saw his youthful self once again. Only now he had a new tattoo on the back of his right hand.

    Four circles, one inside of another, with six lines cutting through it. Along each line were letters that he could not understand. Seeing the new tattoo reminded him of his time in the astral plane. He decided to enter the plane here to see what would happen.

    He closed his eyes again and focused on the feeling that he felt all of those years. He had never tried to enter the plane himself, but he felt that he could if he tried, having spent so much time there.

    As he left his body the white void changed to space. He could see countless galaxies stretching as far as his eyes could see. Beyond that he could see something behind it all. It was faint but it was there. He focused his thoughts to see past the universe he was in. He found himself looking at the very edge of his universe. The walls were made of multicolored energy flowing as if it were a river. As he reached out to touch it his new tattoo lit up. He could feel it burning the back of his hand and he was yanked back into his body.

    He opened his eyes again and smiled. He had just seen what the elders had spoken of, he had seen the fabric of existence. His tattoo continued to glow and burn, robbing him of his excitement. He grabbed it with his other pain, in reaction to the pain. "What the hell is happening?!" He yelled in pain. Suddenly the pain stopped, and he lifted his other hand, which was covering the tattoo, only to find that the marking was completely gone.

    "This is bizarre." He said as he lifted his hand up to study the back of it. As his hand was out and open, he could feel the magic inside of the room for the first time. "Interesting¡­" He said to himself as he explored that feeling.

    It felt like a torrent of energy raging through the sphere like a tornado. He could feel it rushing around him, it is not a feeling he had ever felt before. Still, he felt something else, beneath the storm of energy. That river he experienced in the astral plane, he felt it.

    He could not help but smile. "I can feel it." He said happily. "I can feel the difference between the two magics of the world!"

    He heard the sphere moving behind him as it opened back up for him to exit. Sensing he was done there he left the room and found himself back outside amongst the trees. Night had fallen and not one of the dragons was waiting for his return.

    He shrugged his shoulders, deciding that it would have been unfair for them to have waited for him to finish. He started back to the house of black to rest up after his long and weird day that he had just had.

    He walked back enjoying the ocean''s breeze upon his face. He could feel the magic in the wind, it was an all-new experience for him. Looking out at the ocean, he could see the magic churning and flowing through it. Everything was different now, everything was better.

    "Is this how the dragons have seen the world?" He asked himself as he walked. "Is this how they feel and experience everything? This is amazing, simply amazing."

    He continued until he reached the house of black. The lights were on in the dining room, so he assumed Obsi, and Lucille were eating their meal for the night. He tried the front door and found it to be unlocked, so he went inside. He made his way through the corridors to the dining room where he did find Obsi eating a massive feast of fish again.

    She looked up from her plate and saw Zell standing in her doorway. Her face lit up in excitement. "You''re alive?!" She yelled as she got up from her chair. "We all thought you perished! I am so happy you are still alive!"

    "Wait, you thought I was dead?" Zell asked. "Why would you think that? I just entered the chamber this morning!"

 Chapter 72 - Back At The House Of Black

    "What do you mean this morning?!" Obsi asked pointedly. "You have been missing for a month!"

    "A month?!" Zell replied. "There is no way I was gone for a whole month!"

    "You were!" Obsi continued. "It was the oddest thing. We got worried the second day, because you are a human doing something designed for dragons. We went in to check on you and you were there. The room was completely empty, nothing. We panicked thinking we had inadvertently killed you."

    "I was gone?" Zell was confused. "I was in the room the whole time¡­ wasn''t I?"

    "No, you were definitely not in the room." Obsi replied.

    "So, all of that happened and it wasn''t just in my head?" Zell asked.

    "What happened?" Obsi asked back. "Please tell me what went on. How you vanished."

    "Well, it was like you all said." Zell explained. "I went inside to find another me. We fought and I somehow managed to win."

    "So, you killed your double?" Obsi asked, shocked.

    "Yeah, was I not supposed to?" Zell asked. "He said he was going to do horrible things and use my power for his personal gain. I had to stop him."

    "Normally killing your double is impossible." Obsi said. "What normally happens is a mutual understanding of each other and the way to magic opens. I have never heard of anyone killing their double before. Go on. What happened next?"

    "Well, the room was damaged from the battle and broke, shattering into pieces." Zell continued. "I found myself in a soundless and lightless void until a woman with nine fox tails placed me into a forest. But there were two of me, one of my former life and one of my new life."

    "A woman with nine tails?!" Obsi interrupted. "What was she?! Is she a god or what?! Why was she there? Who is she?"

    "Whoa!" Zell said to interrupt the onslaught of questions from Obsi. "Look I tried to find out who she was, but she only said that I was not ready to learn that yet. Regardless it was all a trap to try and get me to surrender my life over to my doppelganger. I refused and she released me. I found myself back in the room, and I assumed I had never left."

    "I have never heard of a god like her." Obsi said. "Also, to be able to move someone that is still alive without a connection to the gods¡­ I fear what kind of power this implies. Perhaps the elders will know of her."

    "I hope so." Zell said. "I have so many questions now."

    "Tell me, did you at least achieve what you set out to do?" Obsi asked. "Did the training work for a human?"

    "Yes." Zell replied. "When I reentered the white room, a tattoo was on my hand. After it activated, I have been able to feel the magic all around me. Both the primordial and the magic put here by the gods."

    "A new tattoo?" Obsi asked. "Can I see it?"

    "Well, it vanished after burning so hot it felt like my hand was going to come off." Zell explained.

    "I doubt the tattoo had anything to do with your ability to sense magic." Obsi replied. "That came from you understanding yourself. That is the only way one can sense magic, at least true magic. I worry that the woman put that tattoo on you, for what purpose I have no idea."

    "One mystery after another." Zell said.

    "Mistress¡­" Lucille entered the room carrying more dishes of food, she saw Zell froze and dropped them. "He is alive?!" She yelled out.

    "Yes." Zell said, walking over to help her clean up the mess. "I am sorry if I worried you."

    "You did not worry me." Lucille explained. "I care not if you live or die. My mistress was just so saddened by your loss, I am happy to see the smile return to her face."

    Obsi blushed. "Lucille, please refrain from telling our guest such things!" She protested.

    "Yes mistress!" Lucille replied. "I am sorry to have told the human that, what punishment would you wish me to have?"

    "No punishment is needed." Obsi said. "Just please don''t do it again."

    "Are you sure my lady?" Lucille replied. "I have betrayed your trust, you should punish me most harshly. I can endure it, my lady. Please do whatever you wish to do to me. Use me as a stool, have me fan you all night. Whatever you like, mistress. Don''t let my slight go unanswered."

    Zell stood back up and backed away slowly.

    "Please do not mind Lucille." Obsi said to Zell. "She only wishes to make me happy and all her years alone in the mansion has given her certain¡­ quirks. Please sit and eat, you have not eaten in a month, you must be starving."

    "Oddly enough I am not hungry at all." Zell answered back. "I should try and eat anyway, I guess." He said as he sat down at the table ready to eat.

    "Tomorrow we will go down to the elders and try and get some answers." Obsi said. "But tonight, we celebrate your successful mission and safe return. It is not every day that someone returns from the dead! Lucille break out the best wine!"

    "Yes mistress." Lucille said as she left the room and headed to the manor''s wine cellar.

    "I really am happy that you returned to us Zell." Obsi said, picking at her fish with a fork. "I really meant everything I said before, being alone forever is the worst feeling, I would be so happy if you chose to spend eternity with me."

    "We are still freshly met." Zell replied. "Why would you want to be with me after such a brief period together? Especially forever."

    "Because a dragon knows who they belong with the moment they meet them." Obsi said. "I have met every one of my kind and did not have that feeling once. I thought I was doomed to spend my life alone forever. Sure, I would have fun from time to time, but my true partner was missing. Either they had not been born yet, or they had already died. I lost all hope. That is the main reason I did not want to come back home. At least if I was alone in a cave, I had an excuse. Being alone surrounded by your own kind is just sad."

    "And you felt this feeling towards me?" Zell asked.

    "I know it isn''t something a human can easily understand." Obsi said. "Just know from the moment you defeated me in combat. I knew exactly who you were to me. I could feel it in my very essence, everything that I have is drawn to you and I always want to be with you. I have forever so I am willing to wait, but please give me a chance one day."

    "I had no idea." Zell said. "So was the real reason you told me about the pool that gives immortality so that you could spend forever with me?"

    "Maybe it was." Obsi teased. "But I also told the truth, the gods cannot touch you here aside from sending champions from other worlds. If you stay alive you never have to face their retribution for your defiance. You can stay safe."

    "You know I am going to have to fight them one day." Zell said. "That is what I promised your elders."

    "Forever is a long time." Obsi replied. "There is no reason to rush headlong into a fight with gods. Besides the elders said you needed to get a lot stronger first."

    "I do." Zell sighed. The rest of the meal was eaten in silence as Zell thought of what Obsi said.. He declined to partake in the wine and went to his room to sleep until morning.

 Chapter 73 - Breakfast With A Dragon

    Just as what was the previous morning for Zell, the sunlight pierced the windows of his bedroom and awoke him from his slumber. He opened his eyes, feeling the warmth of the sunlight on his face. He felt a weight next to him in the bed and turned his head to look. Obsi was laying down next to him snuggled tight. Her hands were holding on to the sheets covering him as tightly as they could.

    "Obsi?" He asked, confused as to why she was in his bed. "What are you doing here?"

    Obsi stirred from her sleep and looked up at Zell. "Morning." She said with a yawn.

    "Don''t just morning me!" Zell protested. "Why are you in my bed?!"

    "Have a heart." Obsi said softly. "I was afraid you would vanish again, so I held you all night while you slept. I don''t want to go through that again."

    Zell felt like an ass. "I''m sorry." He replied. "I didn''t think about how it must have felt when you thought I had died. It''s fine, I am not mad. I just have one more question."

    "You can ask it." Obsi said as she snuggled closer and smiled.

    "Why are you naked?" Zell asked, not being able to not stare at her perfectly defined form.

    "I always sleep in the nude." Obsi replied. "I don''t understand how anyone could sleep while wearing such restrictive things. I want to be free when I sleep. But enough laying in bed, I could stay with you here all day, but the elders need to know you are still alive." Obsi got up from the bed giving Zell a full view of her ample assets. She noticed his attention and laughed to herself as she formed her scale dress back onto her body. "Lucille would have made breakfast by now. We should go eat before it gets cold."

    "I will get up after you leave." Zell said. His young body reacted in a very predictable manner to Obsi''s morning appearance, and he did not want the dragon to see his problem.

    "Why because you have a boner?" Obsi teased.

    Zell''s face turned red from embarrassment. "No!" He replied swiftly. "I just think it best for you to leave before I get up."

    "I am an ancient dragon." Obsi said plainly. "It''s not my first experience with morning wood. But if it makes you feel better, I will go ahead to breakfast. I will see you there."

    Zell quickly got out of bed and dressed as soon as Obsi left the room. He found his way to the kitchen where Lucille was serving Obsi the largest egg he had ever seen. "What kind of egg is that?" He said as he saw it.

    "Good morning." Lucille said with a bow. "This is an egg from a cockatrice, a massive nasty bird to a human."

    "No more than an oversized chicken to a dragon." Obsi butted in. "Would you care for an egg as well, Zell? Make him an egg Lucille."

    "I will do as you command my mistress." Lucille said bowing and left the room.

    "Where is she going?" Zell asked as he took his seat next to Obsi.

    "To the stables out back." Obsi said, sipping her morning juice.

    "You have a cockatrice back there?" Zell asked, puzzled.

    "Well sure." Obsi explained. "We brought a few of them to the island with us. They are a reliable source of food for us dragons. Xalador actually runs a farm of them."

    "I had no idea." Zell said.

    Lucille reentered the room carrying another massive egg. "Master human, how would you like this egg to be prepared for you?"

    "I have no idea how to answer that question." Zell said, looking at the massive size of the egg. It was the size of Lucille''s torso.

    "Perhaps I should just make you an omelet then." Lucille replied.

    "I guess that sounds good." Zell answered back.

    Lucille went into the kitchen to prepare Zell''s meal.

    "Dragon''s sure do eat a lot." Zell said quietly.

    "Yes, well of course." Obsi said, her mouth still full of egg. "We are rather large creatures after all. Sure, while we are in our human form, we are smaller, but our appetite and need for food is for our true form. Although we are able to live centuries between each meal, we prefer not to since it burns through a massive amount of magical energy."

    "Kind of like the magical energy that kept me alive while I was in the astral plane." Zell said.

    "Exactly." Obsi said. "Well maybe. I didn''t know you then. Sounds similar though."

    Lucille reentered the room carrying a large plate with folded egg on top. She placed the plate in front of Zell and smiled. "Here is your meal, please enjoy it."

    "Thank you, it looks good." Zell said as he started to dig into his meal. Lucille had filled the omelet with assorted peppers, cheeses, and salty meats. Zell excitedly took his first bite. "This is delicious!" He said as he rushed for more.

    "I am overjoyed that you find my food acceptable." Lucille said. "I have not cooked for humans often and was worried that I may have messed up somehow."

    As Zell enjoyed his food his hand started hurting again. The searing pain that pierced him through to his soul was back. He felt like he had just punched the sun he burned so much. "Damn it!" He screamed out as the pain got too much to bear. He grabbed his hand with his other and held it tightly. The pain caused tears to start flowing from his eyes as he fought to bear it.

    "Zell?!" Obsi said, concerned. "Are you alright?!"

    "Oh no!" Lucille said. "I messed it up! I am so sorry mistress! I broke your pet human!"

    "Zell speak to me what''s wrong?!" Obsi asked, ignoring Lucille''s panic attack.

    "It''s my hand! It burns so much!" Zell yelled out. He closed his eyes tightly due to the pain. When he opened them again Obsi immediately saw a difference.. Instead of his normal eyes, he had eyes akin to that of a fox.

 Chapter 74 - Meeting With The Elders... Again

    "What is wrong with your eyes Zell?!" Obsi yelled, concerned about him.

    "What do you mean?!" Zell replied, still trying to deal with his unbearable pain.

    "They look like fox eyes!" Obsi replied. "What did that fox woman do to you?!"

    "I have no idea." Zell said. He lowered his head and closed his eyes, trying to deal with his pain. Slowly the pain disappeared, and he felt relieved. He opened his eyes back up and looked at Obsi. She was extremely concerned about him.

    "Your eyes are back to normal!" Obsi cheered.

    "The pain is gone too." Zell said. "We should cut breakfast short and head directly to the elders."

    "I agree." Obsi said. "This is something that cannot wait!"

    They hurriedly got up from their seats and left the manor. They rushed to the temple that the elders stayed in and went to them immediately.

    "You live human?" Sunea said as she saw them enter the room. "This is marvelous news!"

    "Ha!" Xalador laughed. "You both owe me a twenty! I told you the little runt wouldn''t have perished."

    "So, it would seem." Excalibur replied. "Please tell us human, how is it that you came back to the world of the living?"

    "It''s not that long of a story but I need to skip to the end!" Zell said. "Time is of the essence right now. First there was a double, I killed him. Then a black void, a fox lady, another test and a tattoo on my hand."

    "Slow down young man." Sunea said. "There is no sense to the words you are telling us. First you said you killed your double? That should have been impossible."

    "I have a skill that allowed me to do it." Zell explained. "What is important is the fox lady. She did something to me and I have no idea what it was. After meeting her I woke back up in the white void with a tattoo on my hand. It''s gone now, but its very existence hurts as if it were a thousand suns."

    "I see." Xalador replied. "A fox woman you said. I know of no such god."

    "She had nine tails and I don''t think she was a god." Obsi explained. "She moved Zell from one place to another, a god shouldn''t be able to do that without a connection."

    "There is truth in your words." Sunea said. "But if she is not a god then what is she?"

    "There''s more." Zell said. "Earlier while eating breakfast my hand hurt again and Obsi said my eyes changed to that of a fox."

    "That is most intriguing." Excalibur replied. "So, we have a mysterious figure that applied a curse of some sort that is changing you into something other than human. Perhaps that is how she creates more of her kind? Maybe she wishes to change the human into one of her type?"

    "What can we do?" Zell asked. "I don''t want to change into a fox."

    "Hmmm." Xalador thought for a moment. "If it is a curse as we suspect we may be able to cleanse it from you. Excalibur here was once known as the holy sword from his ability to dispel powerful curses. Perhaps you could do that again, old friend?"

    "I can try." Excalibur said as he got up from his chair. "Give me whichever hand is afflicted, and I will do my best to free you from the curse."

    Zell gave Excalibur his hand. The dragon placed one hand beneath and one hand on top. He then bowed his head and closed his eyes to focus. Zell could feel the old dragon''s magic entering his body. The old dragon''s face whined as he struggled to remove the curse.

    Excalibur sighed and reopened his eyes to look at Zell. "Whatever has placed this on you is far stronger than I am." He explained. "I am unable to remove whatever it is, I am truly sorry."

    "So, Zell is going to become a fox?!" Obsi yelled.

    "Not necessarily." Sunea replied. "We do not know for sure that is the purpose of the mark. It could have just been settling into him better and had unusual side effects. We just do not have enough information to make any kind of judgements currently. Take a deep breath and slow down. Tell us more of your experience."

    "Well, I passed the trail that the fox woman gave me." Zell said. "That''s when she told me to open my eyes and I found myself back in the void. I assumed that I had never left and everything I saw was simply in my head. I found myself able to see and feel the magic of existence after that."

    "Very good." Xalador said. "At least the original purpose of having you enter that room was successful. Even if you were cursed by some horrible monster."

    Zell looked at the back of his hand trying to remember the tattoo. "Oh, right the tattoo had words that I could not read. But I remember them."

    "Bring us a writing board." Sunea yelled out.

    One of the attendants left the room and returned shortly after with a wooden tablet in his hand. He handed the board to Zell along with a brush and some ink.

    "If you could write the words, you saw human, we may be able to help you." Sunea said.

    "I will." Zell said as he put the brush into the provided ink and started to write what was in his mind. He did not know what the scribbles meant but he put them all down anyway. After many minutes passed Zell put his brush down and walked the tablet over to Sunea. "Here this is what it said." He told her as he handed her the tablet.

    She scanned it over and her eyes widened. "Are you sure this is what you saw human?" Sunea said. "You did not make any mistakes in transposing it? This is exactly what you saw written on your hand?"

    "Yes." Zell said. "My intelligence stat basically gives me a photographic memory. Do you know what it says?"

    "Yes." Sunea replied.. "It is written in the ancient language of the gods, the language of creation."

 Chapter 75 - Fireball

    "What does it say?" Zell asked, now extremely curious as to what was on his hand.

    "Forevermore burn with light, ye who holds the key to everything. All truths reveal, all lies dispels, the time of gods is at its end. The gift of the god slayer is granted upon thee." Sunea replied. "That''s what it roughly says. The language does not translate perfectly into our own."

    "Those words would imply that it is not a curse." Xalador said. "The gift of the god slayer? What an interesting thing to say. Is she saying that she is the god slayer or that she is making the human here a god slayer?"

    "Either way this gift is hurting Zell." Obsi said. "We need to find some way to help him!"

    "Quiet young one." Xalador said. "We need to think about this. Can anyone here recall any moment when the gods mentioned a god slayer? I for one cannot."

    "No." The other elders said in unison.

    "So, either she is something known as the god slayer that no god has ever mentioned, or she granted the title of god slayer onto the human." Xalador explained. "Which scenario is more reasonable? Human tell me, have you ever killed a god?"

    "Yes." Zell said. "A couple of times actually."

    "There you have it then." Sunea said. "It must have just been something lost in translation. Let us focus on the key to everything part. Is the tattoo some sort of key? If so, what sort of lock does it open?"

    "Maybe it is a key of truth." Zell said. ''Because of the next line, also the fact I can physically see the fabric of existence now."

    "I see." Excalibur said. "Sensing magic is one thing, but to see it is a level we have not crossed. It could very well be this gift you were given."

    "Then why the pain?" Obsi asked. "If it is a gift, why does it hurt him so?"

    "It seems that whatever this gift is truly is transcends that of even the divine realm." Sunea says. "For such a thing to be attached to a human¡­ There were bound to be side effects."

    "Human you may change forever and there is nothing we can do about that." Xalador said. "For that we are sorry. I think it is clear whoever that woman was, meant you no harm. So, we should hope for the best for now. Perhaps more will be revealed in time."

    "We are very pleased you have returned to us." Sunea said. "Now that you understand more of the nature of magic, we are going to teach you a spell so that you may learn what it is like to cast magic."

    "I shall teach you a simple fireball spell." Xalador said. "I imagine you learned the nature of fire in one of your school lessons on your former planet. Fire needs three things to be successful. It needs fuel, oxygen, and heat. For fireball you must produce the fuel with magic and use it as the basis.

    Hold out your hand in front of you and focus on the mana flowing around it. For a regular fireball use the fake magic placed by the gods, and for a better fireball use the magic of creation. Form that into a ball. When you have that focus on the heat from a fire, the hotter you imagine the hotter it shall burn."

    Zell did as he instructed. He focused and felt the magic around his hand, he pictured it clumping together into a ball. He used the magic of creation, he wanted to prove he knew it. As he formed his spell the tattoo on his hand appeared, glowing with the purest of white light.

    The fireball began to take shape, but it did not look like a normal fire at all. The fire was black with white peaks and emitted so much magical force that it caused discomfort among everyone in the room.

    "Dispel it!" Xalador shouted. "That ball will destroy this entire island!"

    "I don''t know how!" Zell said.

    The tattoo on his hand grew brighter and the ball doubled in size and power. "Shit!" Zell yelled in response, lifting his hand straight up. He launched the fireball into the sky, vaporizing the roof of the building they were in. "I am sorry about that! I will help you rebuild the temple I promise!"

    "We did not expect you to master the fireball spell so easily." Excalibur said. "If we had known how quick of a study you were, we would have moved outside."

    "Still the power of that ball far exceeded what is normal." Sunea said. "Even with your extraordinary level, most of your stats are in strength and endurance. There is no reason you should have a blast that strong."

    "My tattoo lit up during the spell." Zell explained. "I don''t know what it was doing, but it was visible once more. I think it powered up my spell."

    "God slayer." Sunea laughed. "If that is the cause of the massive boost to the magic, it is aptly named for sure."

    "Come, let''s go feast and celebrate your return!" Xalador said as he got up.

    "How''s your hand Zell?" Obsi asked.

    "Actually, I feel fine now." Zell said. "Maybe using that attack spell burned off some of the excess magic. I will have to try it again when I am hurting."

    "I am glad you feel better." Obsi smiled.

    Happy everyone left for lunch.

    Meanwhile the massive fireball made its way through space, flying freely amongst the stars. That is until it collided with a star in a distant solar system. At the moment of impact, the star became engulfed in black flames with white peaks. The fire danced for moments before the star went supernova and wiped out the entire solar system. Turning all the planets there to dust.. As luck would have it the solar system was uninhabited, so no souls were lost by Zell''s careless launch of his attack.

 Chapter 76 - A Rose In The Snow

    In the frozen fields of a desolate island in the northern region, Rose arrived on her ship. The small queen of Neuval was on a mission most dear to her. A mission to seal away her brother so that she could complete the mission that God had granted her.

    She had searched the caves that cluttered the north for a week, unable to find the cave of sealing. She heard from a local that there was such a cave on an island, so her knights relieved a group of merchants of their ship and their lives so that they may cross the sea.

    "It''s still freezing!" Rose complained as she exited the ship onto the frozen island. Thick snow and ice covered all the eye could see. In the far distance towards the center of the island stood a tall mountain. Rose saw it and pointed towards it. "There is our mountain boys!" She shouted.

    The knights unloaded a chair that could be carried on their shoulders and Rose sat down on it. They picked her up and started to march. She had covered herself in blankets to keep warm. They hiked for a day in the deep snow, not stopping for a break once. Some of the men succumbed to the harsh environment due to the lack of environmental protection provided by cold steel armor. Almost all of the men suffered some type of frostbite by the end of the day.

    As they arrived at the cave entrance they lowered the chair and Rose got off. "Thank you, my dear knights." She said, "Now build a fire and base camp. We need not waste any time. We shall find the chamber that seals all. And we shall find it tonight!"

    The men said nothing and continued their work, doing as their queen commanded them. "Such obedient puppets my knights are!" She laughed to herself. "I am so happy I acquired this skill of Puppet Master. Now anyone whom I touch becomes my loyal and totally obedient puppet. At least as long as their level is lower than mine. I wish it did not have such a stipulation. If it didn''t, I could just lure my brother in for a hug, the fool would do it easily. Then he would be my slave and killing everyone would be so easy."

    One of the knights returned from scouting and saluted. "My queen, I have found the entrance to the chamber." He said.

    "Very good." Rose said. "Take me there at once. I wish to leave this horridly cold place."

    The knight showed her the chamber he had found. It was a large circular chamber made of jade with magical cravings placed throughout.

    "This is wonderful!" She cheered. "Now I just need to test it. Knight enter the room and await instructions.

    The knight did as instructed and stood in the center of the chamber.

    Rose looked around and found a panel on the outside of the chamber. It was a magical plate. She learned of these from Donovan''s books. They worked by converting magical power into functions. She figured this plate was most likely the activation mechanism for the chamber. Rose placed her hand on the plate and channeled her mana into it.

    The jade that filled the room began to glow and the knight in the center began to slowly turn to jade. As he fully transformed into a jade statue of himself, he liquefied and melted into the floor. After this happened a new arcane craving appeared on the wall.

    "So that is how the room functions." Rose said as she grinned wickedly. "Trapped forever in a tomb of jade. What a lovely way to rid myself of my big brother forever." She rolled the gem in her hand. "Alright let''s do this. I am sure I can convince him to wait in the room for a moment while I activate it. He never was too bright."

    Rose walked into the chamber and poured her mana into the stone, hoping to summon her brother as the old lion said. No matter how much mana she poured she could not get him to be summoned. "This damn thing is broken!" She complained. "I am sure the sappy fool still has it on his person. He must be too far away for my mana alone to reach. At least I read a lovely little book that gave instructions on how to boost a spell. Come to me, my knights!" She yelled loudly.

    The knights all rushed into the chamber and circled her. "Alright now for this lovely spell, I have been itching to try it." She said as she raised her hand above her head and closed her eyes to focus. The knights around her began to glow as their very lives began to leave them. A stream of green light came forth from their mouths and poured into Rose''s raised hand. The green energy formed a large ball as the knights turned to skeletons one by one and died.

    When Rose had all of their life force, she slammed it into the stone to super charge it. The room started to shake from all of the magical energy being exerted. Rose''s eyes lit up as she watched the stone begin to glow in an ever-brightening light. "This is perfect!" She yelled as she tossed the stone down to the floor. She rushed out into the entrance and waited by the panel. "Now as soon as big brother appears I will be able to seal him away forever!" She laughed maniacally. A beam of light shot from the stone towards the ceiling of the chamber. The light became so bright that Rose had to look away from it. When the light settled Rose prepared to seal away her brother for good but was shocked by the sight in front of her.

    In the middle of the chamber stood an extremely confused police detective holding a small baggie that said the word EVIDENCE. Inside was the stone. "Where the devil am I?!" She screamed. "I was just processing this evidence and then bam!"

    "Who are you?!" Rose yelled, angry that all her plans were ruined.

 Chapter 77 - The Return

    "I am detective Camille Stanza." Camille replied to the small queen. "Who are you? Where am I? Why are there skeletons all over the floor?"

    "Why do you have that stone!?" Rose demanded.

    "This is evidence." Camille replied. "Now please explain to me what is happening."

    "I used a magical spell to summon my brother here." Rose explained. "He is the owner of that stone, why did he give it to you?! He should have it!"

    "This has been in storage for over fifteen years!" Camille retorted. "I was just going through my mother''s old case files since I recently became a detective. She found this stone during a serial killer investigation."

    "No. No! No!!!" Rose yelled. "That man back then! The one who killed me! That was fucking Zell?!"

    "What do you mean?" Camille asked.

    "Look, you are obviously from Earth." Rose replied. "That would mean that my brother is my killer! I don''t know how he did it, but he somehow traveled through time and universes to kill me!"

    "You look alive to me?" Camille asked while putting her hand on her gun.

    "This is my second life!" Rose answered. "Try to keep up! I am Rose Neuval, queen of the kingdom of Neuval. I apologize for summoning you here against your will, allow me to make it up to you. I will grant you land in my kingdom, and you may live a fulfilling life that is worry free."

    "Can''t you send me back?" Camille asked. "I have a boyfriend and a life back on Earth. I don''t want to be wherever this is."

    Rose walked towards Camille slowly reaching her hand out to comfort Camille. She placed her hand on Camille''s shoulder and smiled wickedly. "I have you!" She rejoiced.

    "What do you mean?" Camille asked.

    "You can still talk of your own free will?!" Rose yelled, surprised. "Shit!" She yelled and snatched the stone from Camille and activated it. Teleporting herself back to her kingdom.

    Camille just stood there bewildered. "The hell was that?" She said to herself as she examined the jade chamber. The freezing air started to chill her body. "More importantly, how do I get out of here¡­"

    She found herself drawn to one of the arcane circles on the wall. It appeared as if it were glowing. She could not help herself but to draw closer to it and investigate. She reached out and rubbed her fingers across the runes. As she did, they changed to a brighter illuminance. After she traced the entire pattern, the circle became a white void.

    A hand wearing a plate armor gauntlet that was raven black appeared grabbing the side of the circle. Another hand grabbed the other side and a man dressed in polished black armor emerged. He was tall with long black hair and pale skill. He had two twisted horns atop his head and eyes as red as blood. His pupils were like that of a snake, and he had a short goatee. His armor covered every inch of him except for his head and he was adorned with a long silken cape that matched his eyes.

    "Human, I thank you for freeing me." He said, his voice as deep and smooth as a river. "It has been eons since I became trapped in this hellish trap. Tell me what do you know about the outside world?"

    "Look man." Camille said. "I don''t know what the hell is going on! I am starting to think I got a contact high or something from the evidence locker and this is all in my head. Because this is all too trippy to be real!"

    "I see." He replied. "It seems circumstances around the outside remain a mystery to us both. As for who I am, you may address me as Sid. I am the Elder Black Dragon; I am he who stole eternal life from the gods."

    Camille pinched herself on her cheek as hard as she could. "Ouch!" She screamed out. "Come on Camille wake up this is all a dream, someone just spiked you with drugs as a prank. Yeah, this is all a prank!"

    "Do all humans talk to themselves now?" Sid asked, looking concerned.

    "Oh shit." Camille fell to her knees. "This is all real. Like one of the damned anime my boyfriend watches."

    "I don''t know what this anime you speak of is." Sid said. "I can assure you this is all very much real. Now human I assume that you are cold and would like to leave this place. Am I correct?"

    "Yes." Camille said, starting to shiver.

    "As a thank you for freeing me from my prison, I shall take you to my isle." He explained. "I have a grand estate there that you will be welcomed to stay at until you figure things out. I have much I need to discuss with my kind so please make your decision quickly."

    "The alternative is freezing to death so please take me with you." Camille replied.

    "Excellent." He said. "If you would please follow me then. The exit to this labyrinth of a cave should be this way."

    The two of them walked with purpose and exited the cave to find a land of snow and ice all around them. "So cold!" Camille yelled, now fidgeting in place to stay warm.

    "Stand back." Sid said as he began to transform into a massive dragon. His plate armor morphed into scales and his silken cape became his crimson webbing for his wings.

    "Oh shit!" Camille yelled. "When you said dragon, you meant a dragon!"

    "Of course, human." He said, his voice now reverberating through the tundra. "Now climb onto my back and hold on. I will have us to my home in no time.

    Camille did as instructed and climbed atop the dragon''s back. After she was settled and holding on tightly, the old dragon began to flap his wings. The force from the wind cleared the snow around them forming a massive snow drift in the shape of a crater.

    Sid took to the sky and flew towards the isle of dragons.

 Chapter 78 - Fireball Second Attempt

    "Well, that about finishes it." Zell said as he put the final changes on the repairs of the damage he caused. Due to his skills the building looked even better than it did before, despite him having no construction experience.

    "Thank you human." Sunea said. "I think you should refrain from using fireball in the future, whatever that marking has done to you has made it extremely dangerous for you to cast a simple spell."

    "What if I used the fake magic instead?" Zell asked. "Maybe the tattoo only activates when I use the magic of creation, since those things are connected."

    "Interesting query." Xalador said, standing up from his chair. "Let us go to the cliff where we showed you the difference in magics. There we do not have to worry ourselves about you destroying our building."

    "Sounds fair." Zell said as he followed them out.

    He stood at the cliff and lifted his hand as he did before. This time he drew upon the magic placed in the universe by the gods and not the magic of creation. The small orb of fire appeared before his palm burning a bright orange.

    "At least the color is right this time." Sunea said. "This is a good sign. Launch the attack into the ocean there. Let us see its power."

    Zell did as he was told and released his fireball. It scorched across the sky creating a sonic boom as it traveled. He had angled it so that it would land in the oceans waters and that is precisely where it ended up. As it made contact with the water''s surface massive amounts of the water vaporized instantly causing a massive cloud of mist to create a column to the heavens. The ball continued its journey boiling the water near it as it went until it reached the seabed. There it created a massive explosion that cracked the sea floor causing a massive earthquake.

    The crack was quickly filled with the water of the ocean, but the sudden change and quake formed a massive wave on the surface to form.

    Everyone watched as the ocean near the shore retreated into the sea. As it left it revealed a barren sea floor with all manner of creatures flopping in the void.

    "You boys and your tsunamis." Sunea said with a sigh as she prepared to deflect the fast-approaching wave. This was even greater than the one Xalador had created using the magic of creation. Sunea dispelled it with her wind magic once again and calmed the sea.

    "To think a normal fireball would have that much force." Xalador said as he watched the waves settle back. "I fear the consequences of teaching you any more offensive spells. You lack any control of your power whatsoever."

    "I agree." Sunea said. "I feel that if I taught you gentle breeze it would create a tornado. Perhaps we should only teach you defensive magic for now. At least until you get the hang of controlling the potency of your spells."

    "I actually held back a lot." Zell said.

    "Right." Sunea said. "I am sure you could have blown the entire planet to bits if you so desired."

    The group all just stood there and stared out over the ocean, thinking about the next steps. In the distance they started to see a figure appearing into their view. They all watched as it got closer and larger.

    "Is that a black dragon?" Excalibur asked. "Obsianna, is any of your flight not on the island? Or that large for that matter?"

    "No." Obsi replied. "None of my flight are that massive. In fact, I have not seen a dragon so large since¡­ since father¡­"

    "It couldn''t be Sid! Could it?" Sunea asked. "He was lost to us so many eons ago."

    "We never found a corpse." Xalador explained. "It is possible he was just lost somewhere or someplace very distant."

    "Or trapped by those detestable gods." Sunea added.

    As the massive black dragon closed in, they could see him more clearly. All of the dragons smiled with tears forming in their eyes as they all realized it was indeed their lost friend. The dragon landed and Camille jumped from his back.

    "Oh, sweet land." Camille cheered as she got down and started kissing the ground.

    "It was not that bad, human." Sid said as he resumed his human form. He looked over and saw the group staring at him. "Oh, I see you have come to welcome me back on my return! It warms this old man''s heart!"

    "Father?!" Obsi yelled as she ran over to him. She leaped and grabbed on to his neck giving him the tightest hug she could muster. Tears flowed down from her face as she was overcome with emotion.

    "My dear Obsianna." He said as he grabbed her in his arms and hugged her back. "My how you have grown into a beautiful woman. Your mother would have been proud to see what you have become. I missed you too dear."

    Obsi let go and stared into her father''s eyes. "Tell me father where have you been all of these eons?"

    "Ah, as we made our escape with our stolen treasure the gods caught us." Sid explained. "A few of us stayed behind to prevent the gods from following us home. We fought and all of us were defeated. I was the last one standing. They robbed me of my honorable death and decided a more fitting punishment for me would be to be imprisoned. They sealed me inside of a piece of jade for eons. I was semi aware the entire time. It was a horrid existence. I cursed the gods every day inside my head and prayed that one day someone would find me and free me. This young human here is the one who did."

    Obsi looked at Camille who was still recovering. She quickly bowed her head to her. "Thank you so much for freeing my father!" Obsi yelled.

    "It was nothing!" Camille said as she rubbed the back of her own head in embarrassment. She looked around and saw Zell among the crowd.. "Hey!" She yelled. "I know you!"

 Chapter 79 - Under Arrest!

    "You are under arrest!" Camille shouted out as she rushed towards Zell.

    "What?!" Zell replied, clearly confused by the situation.

    "What''s an arrest?" Obsi asked.

    "You are under arrest for the suspected murder of Jennifer Johnson fifteen years ago." Camille said. "The crime my mother lost her career over!"

    "Your mother?" Zell asked.

    "Yes, she showed me your picture and told me that you were a god sent to stop the serial killer she was after!" Camille explained. "But God or not, my mother lost her career covering for your actions. She lost all her credibility and was treated like a dirty cop. I worked extra hard to climb to the rank she once had to clear her name!"

    "Human, are you alright?" Sid asked.

    "I am more than alright!" Camille responded. "I finally caught the bastard that ruined my mother''s life!"

    "Look, you are not on Earth anymore." Zell said. "I refuse to submit to any of those laws. I am sorry about your mother, but I only did what needed to be done. Besides, you could not arrest me if you tried."

    "Yes, new human." Sunea said. "You are in a new world; you should forget the past and move on. This human is far stronger than you can ever imagine."

    "My mother told me of his incredible powers." Camille said. "How he created a storm in a clear sunny sky. How he caused cuffs to rust into dust in an instant. Still though, justice demands to be served."

    "Serving justice is all I did!" Zell said. "That woman was about to slaughter a whole family, just like she did mine! The cops were nowhere to be seen! If I had not intervened how many lives would have been lost!"

    "My mother would have caught her eventually!" Camille protested. "She was the best detective!"

    "Tell me, what did your mother do after she lost her job?" Zell asked.

    "She went into private security and protected the rich and powerful." Camille said. "They paid her well, but she would never tell me anything about it, so I worry what might have gone on."

    "I see." Zell said. "I still stand by what I did. How did you find yourself in this universe anyway? Is that bastard Steve involved in this?!"

    "Steve?" Camille asked with a confused expression. "Steve Hollands? The police chief? No, I don''t think he had anything to do with it."

    "No, just Steve." Zell said. "He is a god of time and space that I killed, who was later resurrected by his mother."

    "No there were no gods involved I think." Camille replied. "I found myself in a room made of jade and a creepy little girl was there. Most of what she said was nonsense and made zero sense. She told me she was a queen, and she was looking for her brother. But she was really mad that I appeared instead. Then she started rambling about how she died, and it was her brother''s fault. She grabbed the evidence I had in my hand and then she vanished."

    "Rose summoned you here?" Zell asked. He thought for a moment and realized it all must be connected with this teleportation stone he forgot in his pants on Earth. "This jade room was your prison, Sid?"

    "Yes." Sid answered. "It is known as the chamber of sealing. It was created by the gods to trap any they deemed too powerful to let free but did not deserve a clean death."

    "So, if Rose summoned the stone there¡­" Zell said.

    "She obviously meant to trap you there." Sid said. "It seems through a twist of fate that did not happen."

    "Excuse me." Camille said. "Can we get back to the issue at hand! This man or God or whatever here needs to pay for the crimes he committed fifteen years ago. Even if that woman was a serial killer, she deserved a fair trial and a jury of her peers. Justice should never be dealt out by a single person."

    "There is truth and there is childish ignorance in those words." Sunea said. "To let one continue to destroy the lives of others when you have the power to stop them, that is unforgivable. If one stood by and watched as another died, simply because they waited for the proper authorities would that not be wrong as well? You cannot view the world in such a black and white manner. The vast amount of life is spent in the gray area."

    "Also, it sounds as though your mother''s life continued fine." Xalador said. "Just because a change was forced on her does not mean it was a terrible thing. To grow and adapt to change is something unique to the mortal races. When gods are asked to change, they fight against it, even if it means countless others will suffer as a result."

    "It sounds like she was a woman of honor as well." Excalibur said. "Even if it cost her everything she knew, she did not reveal the truths about our human friend here. She knew he did what was needed and knew the lives he had saved. What was done to her was truly an injustice, but what she did was justice in its truest sense."

    "I guess you are right." Camille said softly. "Mother is happy with her retirement package she got from her last job. She actually told me I was foolish for following her original path. I just wanted to prove to everyone that my mother was a good person, that she did not deserve the treatment she got!"

    "As long as you knew I am sure that was enough for her." Sunea said.

    "That''s¡­ That''s what she always used to tell me." Camille said.

    "Because it is true." Sunea smiled.

    "Okay I am sorry for trying to arrest you Mr. God, sir." Camille bowed in respect to Zell.

    "Oh, I am not a god." Zell said. "I was at that time, but not anymore. You can call me Zell. I am originally from the same world as you. After I died though I was sent here. Now I am caught in a game between the gods."

    "So, what exactly did that little girl mean when she said Zell killed me?" Camille asked, confused.

 Chapter 80 - Mark Of Vengeance

    "She said that?" Zell answered. "She said I killed her? As in past tense."

    "Yes, she said you killed her in her past life." Camille answered.

    "That would mean¡­" Zell said. "My little sister¡­ That evil little bitch¡­ No¡­ No! It couldn''t be?!"

    "So, what does it mean?" Camille asked.

    "That woman whose death you wanted to arrest me for just moments ago." Zell explained. "The serial killer that killed my family, that I ended with my own two hands¡­ That is my little sister. I can''t believe the gods would be this sick and twisted to put that bitch of a woman into my family."

    "This is all just a little bit too confusing for me." Camille said. "You said you had a place I could rest Sid?"

    "Yes, my manor is right up this way." Sid said. "Everyone, I will return shortly after I get this human sorted."

    "Take your time." Sunea said.

    "Rose is the murdering bitch¡­" Zell said to himself, staring at the ground.

    "Are you okay Zell?" Obsi asked. "You look like something inside of you is broken."

    "Just thinking about all the ways, I want to kill the damned gods." Zell said. "I cannot believe that would mess with me to this extent. To force me into a family with the same person that murdered my old one."

    "So, knowing what you know now, does it change your plans?" Obsi asked.

    "You mean the plan of going to each kingdom and changing their allegiance to peacefully remove Rose from power?" Zell replied.

    "Yeah¡­" Obsi replied.

    "Of course, it changes my plans!" Zell said. "No, damn it! Just damn it! If I kill her now, my mother will be upset. But I can''t just let her get away with what she''s done either."

    "So, what are you going to do?" Obsi asked.

    "I think I should go back to the forbidden forest after training and speak with my mother." Zell said. "I don''t want to hurt her, but I don''t want to allow Rose to live."

    "If you have already killed her once, has she not atoned for her sins?" Sunea asked.

    "No." Zell said quickly. "Her sins are far too numerous to be alleviated by a single death."

    "The gods are most likely to blame for this mess." Xalador said.

    "Oh, I know it was those bastards." Zell replied. "Teach me more magic. I need to finish this training as quickly as I can. I must go speak with my mother about all this, I need her blessing to kill Rose¡­"

    "I am back!" Sid said as he returned. "So, this human is special, is he?"

    "Yes, he is the chosen god slayer." Sunea said. "From what we can tell he is literally a god slayer."

    "Very good!" Sid replied. "But I will need proof of your strength before you have my blessing. Especially since it seems as if my daughter is smitten by you."

    "Father!" Obsi complained.

    "Ha!" Sid replied. "To think my daughter''s fated one would be a human. I really must see what the multiverse sees in you. Prepare yourself for combat!"

    "Seriously?" Zell said. "You really want to fight me when I am this pissed off?"

    "Father it may be unwise¡­" Obsi said. "Zell is level two million¡­"

    "Two million?!" Sid replied. "By the gods how did a mortal get so strong! Your shits must destroy mountains!"

    "No?" Zell said.

    "Level two million or not." Sid said. "I must see what you are capable of." He formed a black flame in his hand that formed into a flaming black sword with white tipped fire. "I may not have your level, but I have gifts of my own."

    "That fire." Zell said. "That is just like my fireball."

    "Oh?!" Sid said as he charged. "That would be something! If it were true!" He slashed with his sword splitting the side of the cliff and cleaving a path through the ocean waters and the clouds above. Zell easily dodged the attack.

    "That is a powerful sword." Zell said, looking at the damage.

    "It is a spell, not a sword." Sid explained. "It was given to me by the progenitor of the multiverse. She came to me while I was trapped in my prison. She saw that I defied the gods and granted me her boon. She granted me the mark of vengeance. A token to help me avenge my fallen brothers and sisters."

    Si showed Zell the back of his gauntlet a tattoo could be seen glowing through it. A tattoo that was similar to Zell''s. Seeing this Zell showed Sid the back of his hand and channeled creation magic so that the tattoo would appear.

    Sid stopped in his tracks and stared. "The mark of truth!" He said. "You have met the progenitor as well and she has blessed you!"

    "You know about this?" Zell asked.

    "Only what the lady told me." Sid said. "Five marks I give to remake the multiverse. Find the others and cleanse the souls of the gods. I grant you the mark of vengeance, for it burns brightly within your heart. Go find the marks of truth, honor, wisdom, and love. Each of you alone could kill the gods, but only together can you remake the multiverse."

    "She was way more cryptic with me." Zell said. "Didn''t tell me anything, only that I was not ready to know yet."

    "And then she gave you the mark of truth." Sid explained. "She must have wanted you to find the answers for yourself. Or it was because due to your mortality she had limited time to interact with you."

    "So, there are three others." Zell said. "Honor, Wisdom, and Love. I wonder where we could find them."

    "My guess is that if you continue your journey, you will find them." Sid said. "I feel as if the lady has preordained a path, and by following it you will collect all of the pieces."

    "So do you still want to fight?" Zell said.

    "No, you are worthy to marry my daughter." Sid laughed. "Anyone chosen by the lady is good enough in my book."

    "Marry your daughter?!" Zell said. "I have no intention of that!"

    "Oh, is she not good enough for you?!" Sid said.

    "No, it''s not that!" Zell said. "She is a fine woman, dragon, person, I just don''t want to think about marriage right now!"

    "Fine." Sid said. "I will give you a thousand years to decide.. Just don''t keep my daughter waiting too long."

 Chapter 81 - Kilgon King Slayer

    Meanwhile on the battlefields outside of the kingdom of Tarm, Kilgon and the others had been clearing the hordes of demons and turning the tide of battle. In the two weeks they had been there they had created a reputation for always coming out victorious no matter how many foes they faced.

    Their efforts earned them a meeting with the leader of Tarm. They were now entering the throne room to meet him.

    "Introducing to the chamber Master Kilgon, champion of the dwarves. Lady Samantha Princess of Kermonth, Lady Kaitlyn of the Forbidden Forest, and Lady Isabel of parts unknown." The advisor to the king shouted as the four entered.

    All four of them entered and kneeled before the king as a sign of respect.

    "You all have done well." The king said. "You have pushed back the demons and saved my kingdom from destruction. You did it as nonhumans as well, impressive accomplishments for the lesser races to be sure."

    Kilgon stood up with a stern look on his face. "Now I put up with kneeling as a show of friendship." He said. "But I will not tolerate anyone, no matter who they are, call my companions and I lesser. We have fought and won more battles than your soldiers could count. We have bested demons so strong that your men wet themselves as they ran from them. We came here at the request of the lad, but if after all we''ve done you still feel us to be lesser¡­ Then we wasted our time."

    "Know your place, dwarf!" The king shouted in response. "This is my kingdom and I rule here! I will not be spoken down to in such a manner! Guards seize them!"

    "You are welcome to try!" Kilgon laughed. "Ain''t not one of you worth his weight in a fight. But if you want to give it a go, then by all means." Kilgon made a taunting motion with his hands, egging the guards on.

    None of the guards moved into attack. They all just stood in fear of the dwarf. The stories of the battles on the front lines had reached the castle daily. Kilgon''s heroic deeds and incredible accomplishments were the talk of all the knights in the castle. When the stronger monsters arrived, such as the ogres and high orcs, it was Kilgon and his party that stood against the entire army and won. The other soldiers could only look on as he slayed countless monsters far more powerful than they could ever dream of killing.

    "I gave you lot an order!" The king shouted again. "Seize these lesser beings and lock them in the darkest dungeon! I will not be spoken to like that!"

    "They are smarter than you." Kilgon laughed. "You are too blinded by your own hate to see what is clearly in front of your face. Even knowing all we have done, your racism keeps you from understanding it. We came here to get you to reject the bitch queen, and join the lad''s alliance, but now I see that quest was folly. There is no way an old fool such as yourself has the capacity for such a thing."

    "It is treason to disobey your king!" The king yelled; he was clearly getting worried as Kilgon started taking steps towards the throne.

    "Now I give you the choice." Kilgon said. "Would you prefer to die by what you feel like is a lesser race or would you prefer to pledge your life to me?"

    "I would never pledge myself!" The king yelled.

    "I knew you''d say that." Kilgon said as he pulled the ax from his back and cleaved the king and his throne into two. "Well, that didn''t go as planned."

    The entire court was terrified and could not find the will within themselves to move.

    Samantha sighed and stood up. "Good people of Tarm, I am sorry you have lost your king this day." She said to the court. "It was not our intention to become king slayers today, however we cannot allow the treatment of nonhumans to continue as they have. This war with the demons is the direct result of mistreating the other races. There is another way. A way of peace that all can live together and work with each other. A way that will combine all of our strengths and mitigate our weaknesses. It starts with ending the hate that has been passed down from generation to generation and embracing those who are different.

    My kingdom is a shining beacon of what is possible. Nonhumans and humans live side by side, they work together and sometimes they even fall in love and produce offspring. I myself am the combination of elf and human. To live with such hate is not to live at all. We all must move past this and forward into a new age. That is how this war shall end once and for all. With no more fallen soldiers, or grieving widows. No more mothers crying themselves to sleep because their children were lost at war. Tarm can change! Tarm must change! The future is now!"

    The court just looked on thinking and reflecting upon Samantha''s words. One by one they understood her meaning. They had seen the acts of these four and her words were the last thing needed to change their hearts. They started to kneel down to her one after another.

    "Looks like you impressed them princess." Kilgon laughed.

    "I feel like if we waited for Zell, we wouldn''t have had to kill the king." Kaitlyn said, sighing.

    "I thought it was a moving speech." Isabel said. "Good job princess. So, who is going to lead Tarm now? Did the king have any heirs?"

    "No." One of the advisors spoke up. "The prince lost his life in the war, shortly before you arrived. I would ask a favor of you princess. Would you consider becoming our queen? You are wise beyond your years and honestly it has been some time since Tarm had good leadership. Our previous king drained the kingdom''s citizens through his high taxes, and he killed their spirit from his brutal punishments. I believe you will be able to change our kingdom for the better. Make us that shining beacon that you spoke of."

    "I accept.." Samantha said with a smile.

 Chapter 82 - Dinner With Sid

    After a stressful day of training Zell, Obsi, and Sid returned to the house of black. They found Camille sitting in the living room next to the fire, watching it with a blank expression on her face.

    "Are you okay?" Zell asked as he sat down across from her.

    "I am just trying to process the fact I am stuck in their other universe." Camille said. "I spent my whole life for the goal of clearing my mother''s name¡­ I never thought this would be the outcome."

    "I am so sorry about that!" Zell said. "It''s my fault for forgetting my teleportation stone back on Earth. I just wasn''t thinking about it."

    "Ultimately it''s my fault." Camille said. "I wasn''t exactly allowed to view that evidence. I had to bribe the officer over the safe to let me take a look. I just knew if I could see it, I could figure out some way to track you down and make you come clean. When mom told me you were a god, I researched a lot of old books. I studied and found many rituals that could summon gods, allegedly."

    "You ended up getting summoned instead." Zell laughed at the irony.

    "I wasn''t even doing a ritual yet!" Camille said. "I had just grabbed the stone from lockup when it started to glow. It pulled me to this world. Tell me, do you know of any way I could go home?"

    "If I still had Steve''s powers it would be an easy matter." Zell said. "However, I lost those some time ago. The only way I know would be to kill Steve again and take his powers from him, but I doubt we would ever find him. He could be anywhere in the multiverse, at any time."

    "So, I am truly stuck here then." Camille said with a tear flowing down her cheek. "I''ll never get to see mom, or my boyfriend, or Mr. Whiskers! Oh god, who is going to feed my cat?!"

    "You named your cat Mr. Whiskers?" Zell questioned.

    "Yes." Camille said. "It''s a cute name for my cute boy! Who is now going to starve to death! My poor baby!"

    "Look, it sounds like people love you." Zell said. "They will notice you are missing and take care of Mr. Whiskers for you."

    "Right." Camille said, calming down. "My mom will figure out I''m missing, she is an amazing detective. I am sure she will take care of my cat for me. I am still going to miss that little guy, he was like a son to me, my ultimate ride or die companion."

    "Dinner is ready you two." Lucille said. "We are having an extra special feast to celebrate the master''s return!"

    "I hope you are hungry." Zell laughed as he got up. "You haven''t seen food until you have seen a dragon''s feast!"

    "Really?" Camille said as she got up to follow Zell.

    The dining room table was stoked with boars, rabbits, chickens, fish, and other small beasts. Sid sat at the end of the table and Obsi sat to his right.

    "Come human, sit next to my daughter." Sid said to Zell. "Other human you may sit wherever you like."

    Since it was Sid''s house Zell did as requested and sat next to Obsi. Camille sat to Sid''s left next to Lucille.

    "So, human we need to discuss what is our next step." Sid said while grabbing a sizable portion of meat and putting it on his plate. "What is your current objective?"

    "I am trying to learn magic so that I can gain immortality." Zell said. "Then I plan to stop the human and demon war, in defiance of the gods. Then I plan to train until I am strong enough to kill all of the gods so that I can end their playing with mortal lives."

    "How much magic have you learned so far?" Sid asked.

    "Just fireball." Zell replied. "But I can''t control how powerful I make it and it always seems to be too strong."

    "I see so magic control is what you need." Sid said. "Well have no fear, I am a master of controlling magic. I will teach you the ways."

    "I would like that, thank you." Zell said.

    "However, I will not do it for free." Sid replied. "I will need something from you in return."

    "Let me guess it has something to do with Obsi." Zell said with a sigh.

    "Dad, stop forcing the issue." Obsi said. "I will win Zell over on my own. I don''t want him to be forced to be with me. I want him to want to."

    "You two both jump to conclusions too easily." Sid said laughing. "But yes, it does have something to do with my daughter, but rather something to do with you. I am old enough to know the time before the gift. Heck I am the one who took it from the divine realm, so I know its nature. That will only work on the creatures of divine origin. A human mortal will not gain immortality from the waters. A longer life maybe? Or instant death. I honestly have no idea. I asked the other elders while you were busy earlier, and they confirmed my fears. The waters have never been tested on someone who is not divine."

    "So, my plan to be immortal is a dud?" Zell asked.

    "No." Sid said. "This is why I said it is for my daughter but also for you. There is a ritual that I know as the elder of black dragons. The ritual will change you into a dragonkin. You won''t be a full dragon or drake, but you will possess the blood of the dragons. It should give you enough divinity to gain immortality, but it is not without its own side effects."

    "Like what?" Zell said.

    "That will depend completely on your will." Sid replied. "Becoming infused with the blood of the dragonkin will put a lot of stress on your body and your mind. As to what changes in you is determined by your will to resist the changes. Resist them all and you will still appear as human to all who look at you. Fail and you will look more like a dragon than a human."

    "It is a risk worth taking." Zell said.. "I will do your ritual."

 Chapter 83 - Find The White Dragons

    "Alright if you wish to go through this ritual, we will need to gather a few things." Sid explained. "The various flowers and herbs that we require I will go and fetch. It would take far too long to explain what they are and their locations as well as how to harvest them. What you need to do is to find a surviving member of the white dragon flight. Unlike us they look like great serpents and fly without the need of wings."

    "Father, we have not seen a white dragon in eons." Obsi said. "How is Zell supposed to find one?"

    "They are not extinct, I can promise you that." Sid laughed. "As the elder of black I can sense them. There are six on this planet. As to their direction I can only say I feel them to the East."

    "None of the other elders have ever mentioned the white dragons." Obsi said. "Are you sure you can feel them?"

    "Oh, I do." Sid replied. "The other elders can feel them too, I am sure. After the great dragon war, I could see why they would not want to mention them."

    "What dragon war?" Zell asked.

    "It was a small disagreement between the flights." Sid explained. "They did not wish to regain our divinity after we left the realm of the gods. Instead demanding we live and die as mortals, only then could we truly understand the meaning of life. They tried to prevent the mission that I went on to steal the piece of heaven. It caused a war and many of the white dragons were slain. What remained of them fled and went to live life elsewhere as mortals."

    "I see so they will look like humans." Zell said. "That makes finding them a bit harder."

    "I have faith in your ability to find them." Sid said. "If you use your mark of truth, uncovering their true identity will be a simple task. Channel magic into your mark and look upon me. Tell me what you see."

    Zell did just that. He still saw Sid sitting at his chair but could see the outline of a massive dragon all around him. "I see your dragon form and your human form." Zell explained.

    "Your mark allows you to see the truth in anything." Sid said. "They will not be able to hide their nature from you, no matter how hard they try."

    "I will go East with Zell." Obsi said.

    "No, daughter, I need you with me." Sid replied. "Some of the herbs I require will take two to harvest. I am sure the young man will be fine alone on his journey."

    "You said they are to the East." Zell replied. "But the most Eastern human kingdom is South of here. Where exactly are they?"

    "Just because you do not know of a place does not mean it is not there." Sid explained. It could be an island, or a continent. I just know they are to the East."

    "How is Zell supposed to cross the ocean without me?" Obsi said. "He cannot turn into a dragon, nor can he use flight magic. Allow me to go with him and take Lucille with you."

    "Or I could just teach the boy how to fly." Sid said. "It should be a simple matter. I shall teach him tomorrow. Do not rob me of my time with you daughter. I have spent eons in a prison thinking of the day we could meet again."

    "I''m sorry father." Obsi replied. "I didn''t think about how you must have felt."

    "Lucille is needed here anyway." Sid said. "She needs to take care of our new human friend and get her accustomed to this new world."

    "I will do as you command, master." Lucille said.

    "I am just happy you did not forget about me." Camille said. "I was feeling forgotten. I must say this food is amazing, so much better than the frozen dinners I ate back home."

    "What is a frozen dinner?" Lucille asked.

    "It''s just a premade meal you stick in the microwave." Camille explained. "Quick and easy but tastes like salty cardboard."

    "That sounds horrible." Lucille said. "Who would eat salted cardboard? Also, what is a microwave?"

    "It''s a little box that makes food hot." Camille said. "I have no idea how it works, but it makes food super-hot super quick."

    "So, some sort of magical high-speed oven." Lucille replied. "That is an intriguing idea."

    "Well, I am finished." Zell said, pushing his chair back to get up. "It was a lovely meal. I thank you for it, Lucille."

    "It was no problem." Lucille said. "It was all to celebrate my master''s return."

    "Still, it was quite good." Zell said. "I will see you all in the morning. I look forward to learning flight magic." With that Zell left the room.

    "So daughter, how does it feel to have your old man back?" Sid teased.

    "I had no idea how much I missed you until today." Obsi replied. "I am happy you have returned to us father. All of dragonkin is better off for it."

    "I will go to bed as well." Camille said as she got up. "Maybe when I wake up this will all have been a crazy dream and I will be back in my bed with my cat."

    "It is good to have hopes." Sid replied. "However, I think you may need to come to terms with your fate. Have you attempted to bring up your status screen yet?"

    "My what screen?" Camille asked.

    "Just say status." Obsi said.

    "Status." Camille said, which brought up a display of all of her stats and her level. "Am I supposed to be able to read this? It''s all just a bunch of random symbols and numbers."

    "We will have Ocana use his skill on you tomorrow and try to figure it out." Obsi said. "Until then rest up."

    Camille shrugged her shoulders and left the room.

    "Now if you will excuse me father I am going to retire to the bath and then to bed." Obsi said.

    "That is fine." Sid said. "I am just going to sit here a while longer and enjoy the fact I am free."

    After Obsi left the room Lucille got up from her chair and went to sit in Sid''s lap. "Is there anything else I can do for you, my master?" She said using her hand to rub his cheek.

    "Oh, I think we can find something!" He said as he stood up and grabbed her in his arms. "Let us move this discussion to my chambers!"

 Chapter 84 - Wind Magic

    The next morning arrived, and Zell met with Sid and Obsi outside of the house.

    "Good morning human!" Sid said as he saw Zell approach. "I trust you slept well, and I hope you are ready to embrace the skies as you never have before!"

    "I am pretty excited about it actually." Zell said. "Had a hard time sleeping just thinking about learning flight magic."

    "First I need to teach you the basis of wind magic." Sid said. "From there we can learn gravity magic, and then finally flight magic."

    "I have asked elder Sunea to join us as wind magic is her specialty." Sid explained. "We black dragons specialize in gravity magic, so you will have two excellent teachers today."

    "Getting started without me?" Sunea yelled as she saw them in the distance.

    "No, just telling the boy what to expect." Sid answered back. "Now get over here already you slow old goat."

    "Hey, you are one to talk!" Sunea complained. "You are the eldest of us!"

    "I don''t act like it though, do I?" Sid laughed. "Now teach the boy."

    "Fine." Sunea said with a sigh. "Look human, the way to use wind magic is quite a simple task. Now that you can see and feel the magic around you, focus on the wind around you. Visualize that it is a part of yourself. Feel as if it were an extension of your own body. Aline your magic with it."

    "I will." Zell said as he closed his eyes to focus on his task. He felt the wind around him like ribbons flowing in the sky. He reached out and grabbed some, making them his. When he opened his eyes, he found that he had created a concentrated ball of wind in his hand. "Like this?!" He asked Sunea, seeking her approval.

    "Very good human!" Sunea said. "To have achieved a wind ball so quickly, it is a very impressive feat."

    "Yes, normally it takes years to grasp the concept of wind magic." Sid said.

    "Some centuries." Sunea said, pointing to Sid.

    "Laugh it up." Sid complained. "I don''t see you over there using gravity magic."

    "I have the wind, why would I want anything else?" Sunea laughed. "Back to the task at hand. You now have a wind ball that can be used as you used a fireball and when it strikes its target it will create a high-pressure wind blast."

    "What if I combined the two?" Zell asked.

    "You mean fireball and wind ball?" Sid replied. "I don''t think that''s possible."

    "I think I can." Zell said as he focused on creating a fireball inside of his wind ball. The wind ball stuttered a few times before an orange glow began to form inside of it. Within seconds of the glow the entire ball was wrapped in a wreath of flames. "I think I did it?" Zell said as he looked at the spinning ball of flames.

    "To easily mix magic so well." Sid said. "It is beyond impressive. Throw the ball at the ocean, let us see what happens."

    "Alright." Zell said and he lobbed the ball over into the ocean. As it touched the surface waters it erupted into a massive cyclone of fire and stretched up to the heavens. The waters around it began to swirl, forced to move by the intensity of the winds. The cyclone dug deeper and deeper into the ocean as it formed a massive whirlpool. In the sky the differences in temperature began to cause lightning to erupt from the clouds.

    Everyone just looked on in awe.

    "Thankfully I didn''t use creation magic." Zell said with a nervous laugh, the intense firestorm looming a few hundred feet into the distance.

    "That is a very impressive spell." Sid said. "It could wipe out an entire kingdom in seconds. But I am afraid I must end it now." Sid summoned his black flame sword and slashed the air in the direction of the cyclone and whirlpool. The slash cut the air and the ocean waters in two, ending the rotational movements. "It was growing a bit too rapidly for comfort."

    "That sword is impressive." Zell said. "Can you teach me how to do it?"

    "No, that will come after your magical control lessons." Sid explained. "Remember we shall teach you that after the ritual. Until then please refrain from using any attack magic."

    "Right." Zell said. "So, what is the next step for wind magic?"

    "Well, you understand how to grab it and make it yours." Sunea said. "But what about flowing with the wind instead of controlling it? Allow me to demonstrate." Sunea closed her eyes and placed her hands in front of her as if she was praying. As she would move her body in one direction a breeze would follow. If she changed her direction the breeze did as well.

    "This is called being one with the wind." Sunea said. "It will take practice, but it is a vital step in mastering flight magic."

    Zell followed her example and closed his eyes with his hands in front of his body. He felt the ribbons again and focused on them with all of his might. He could feel them as if they were his own arms. He would move to the East and a breeze would follow, or the West for the same result."

    He opened his eyes to find the dragons looking at him with shock upon their faces. "You learned that way too fast." Sid said. "I know a high intelligence stat allows one to learn quickly, but this is ridiculous."

    "Is there anything else I need to know about wind magic?" Zell asked, eager to learn.

    "You have mastered years'' worth of teaching in minutes." Sunea said. "You have also created a new never before used spell as if it were child''s play. I have nothing more to teach you about the wind."

    "Well, human it looks like it is my turn now.." Sid said smiling. "Are you ready to learn the joys of gravity magic?!"

 Chapter 85 - Gravity

    "What do I need to do to learn gravity magic?" Zell asked Sid.

    "First let me ask you, do you understand how gravity works?" Sid replied.

    "What goes up, must come down?" Zell said.

    "Gravity is actually a force of the universe." Sid explained. "Essentially it is the attraction between a large or dense mass and a smaller mass. That is only part of the explanation though. Gravitational waves permeate through every bit of matter in the multiverse. They are what cause this phenomenon of attraction. The closer the waves are together the move force is applied. The further apart the weaker. As those waves pass through an object of density or high mass, they get closer and therefore create a gravitational pull.

    Those waves also have an effect on the fabric of time within the multiverse. The more intense their pull the more their change to the flow of time. So, through proper application of gravity magic, one could theoretically time travel, but it would just be a matter of moving forward. As time is altered around the pull of the waves, time remains normal for everyone else. If altered enough a few seconds inside of the gravitational event could be years to everyone else. All of that is for a later lesson though. Today I simply wish to teach you magic that will allow you to defy the attraction of the waves."

    "Alright." Zell replied, nodding in understanding. "What do you need me to do? How do I defy the waves as you put it?"

    "Can you feel your own weight?" Sid asked. "Can you feel yourself being pulled towards the ground? It is subtle because your body adapts early in life, blocking that sensation from your brain. Concentrate on that pull. Try to feel it. Then you will be on the right track to feeling the waves."

    "I will try." Zell said as he closed his eyes to focus. He lifted his arms in front of himself to maximize the sensation of gravity. As he felt his muscles begin to slightly tire, he connected it to the pull of the waves and opened his mind to them. Just as he saw the wind as ribbons before he could see massive waves that stretched from the planet to the sky. They moved rapidly, but he could see them in his head. "I see the waves." He said, with his eyes still closed.

    "The speed at which you learn scares me, human." Sid said with a nervous laugh. "Now that you can see the waves you should be able to feel the force they emit. Focus on that. Push against that force to reduce its effect on your own body.

    Zell did just that. As he did, he felt a strange sensation as his body became more and more weightless until he began to float above the ground. The experience startled him, and he lost his focus. As soon as his concentration broke, he fell onto the ground face first.

    Sid laughed and started to clap. "Very good! It took me eight hundred years to learn how to float!"

    Zell picked himself off the ground and dusted himself off. "I lost my focus for a second." He said. "So, if I fail to maintain concentration I will immediately fall?"

    "That is correct." Sid said. "You would just use your wings to glide down if that happened."

    "I don''t have wings." Zell said.

    "Right." Sid said, nodding. "Humans don''t have wings¡­ I knew that."

    "I will have Excalibur craft you a cloak that can stiffen and become a glider if you apply magic to it." Sunea said. "That should keep you safe if something ever happened while you were flying."

    "Thank you." Zell said.

    "So, human you know how to fly now." Sid replied. "Just combine the antigravity spell and the breeze spells and you will be able to float and then move through the air via wind magic."

    "Does gravity magic have any other uses?" Zell asked.

    "Of course." Sid said. "It can be used to alter someone else''s gravity as well. You could make them heavy so they cannot move or so light that they float into the sky. You can use it on objects that are normally too heavy to lift or on enemy projectiles to make them fall to the ground. When you master the art of gravity magic the possibilities are limitless."

    "This is really useful magic." Zell said. "Thank you for teaching me."

    "Stick around for another few hours, human." Sunea said. "That will give us time to make your cloak."

    "Alright I will." Zell said.

    Meanwhile back inside the house Lucille had retrieved Ocana and brought him to Camille.

    "Alright I understand you cannot read your status plate?" Ocana said.

    "That is correct." Camille replied.

    Ocana cast his spell and brought up her status. "Looks like you are another ridiculously strong human." He said. "Your level is currently sitting at one million two hundred and forty-two. I have no idea what your life must have been like on your home planet, but it transferred into massive experience gains."

    "So, I am strong?" Camille said.

    "Some would call you godlike." Ocana laughed. "You could conquer the entire world using only your pinky and be back for afternoon tea. There is only one person aside from the gods themselves that could stop you. That is Master Zell, who has twice your power."

    "So, I could conquer the world?" Camille asked, thinking about her options.

    "I would advise you not to follow that route." Ocana said. "Master Zell is currently following that path, and if you go down it as well a confrontation may occur. It would be unwise to oppose him."

    "I see." Camille replied. "Not that I would want to conquer the world. So, this world has magic, correct? Could I use it?"

    "But of course." Ocana said. "You already have in fact. The act of freeing elder black was a use of magic. If you like I can teach you some water magic, and there are other dragons that can teach you other kinds of magic as well."

    "Thanks." Camille said. "Do you think there is magic that can send me home?"

    "Outside of the realm of the gods I do not know." Ocana replied. "Perhaps one day you will make it yourself though. You have a unique skill called spell crafter. From the sound of it, you will be able to make new never before seen magics."

    "Thanks for telling me." Camille said. "Please teach me all you know." She said with a bow.

    "It will be my honor." Ocana said with a smile.. "Let us move to the training grounds."

 Chapter 86 - Flight

    The few hours went by quickly as Zell continued to practice his gravity and breeze magics. Sunea returned to him with his cloak in hand. Zell was sitting above the ground with his legs crossed and eyes shut.

    "You have greatly improved, young man." Sunea said as she watched him float.

    Zell opened his eyes to look at her and maintained his hovering. "Thanks." He replied. "It took a while to get used to the feeling of weightlessness but after you get over that it isn''t so bad." He looked in her hands and saw the new cloak. It was long and midnight black with a navy-blue inseam. "Is that my new cloak?"

    "Yes, it is." She answered opening it up so that he could get a better look at it. "If you wear this cloak you will be in little danger if you lose focus while you fly. Just channel some mana into it and it will stiffen into a glider."

    "Thanks for that." Zell said, while putting his feet down back on solid ground. He walked over and took it from the dragon and put it on. He admired himself the best he could without a mirror. "I think it looks good on me."

    "The important thing is that it is functional." Sunea said. "Run some mana through it and see if it works as intended. It is better to test it now with your feet planted on the ground, than up in the sky falling to your doom. Although honestly I am not sure falling at terminal velocity would even injure you at your level."

    "Let''s not find out." Zell said as he started to pour his mana into the cloak. The fabric straightened out as he did so and became as a triangular wing upon his back. "Looks like it is working."

    "Okay stop feeding it mana and see if it returns to normal." Sunea said.

    Zell lifted his hand from the cloak, and it fell back into place with a bounce as it had become a soft fabric once more. "This cloak is really incredible." He said, impressed by the gift. "I really cannot thank you enough."

    "There is but one thing we elders ask in return." Sunea said. "When you return from the land of the white dragons, wherever they are. Tell us their location. The war was so long ago, we only wish that all dragons live together in peace on this isle and not interfere with the lives of mortals."

    "Isn''t that exactly why they left?" Zell questioned. "They wanted to live as mortals and not as dragons. I mean I will tell you because I owe you for this gift, but I hope you will do the right thing and leave them in peace."

    "We will think on what you said." Sunea said. "Now go and fly East and find our long-lost kin."

    "Thanks." Zell said as he started to lift off from the ground. He looked to the Eastern sky and began to move towards it. As he left the safety of the isle the raging ocean below him filled him with a bit of dread. Even if he would glide down an ocean landing would be less than ideal. Also, he remembered he had to go through that storm once more.

    He hovered over the ocean for a moment with the isle to his back while he thought about what to do. He decided the best course of action would be to fly at a high speed so that the storm did not distract him. He rolled his head to crack his neck and flew off at high speed. The excessive g-forces from his acceleration would have killed someone not of his level. Four loud booms could be heard as soon as he departed at high speed.

    He made it through the storm faster than he could blink and the ocean was a blur beneath him. Realizing he got through his worry he slowed his speed to a stop by forcing the wind the opposite direction. As he came to a stop over a hundred miles East of his starting location, he looked down at the ocean below him.

    He saw a small archipelago that looked like it had cities throughout it. "How interesting." He said as he looked down at the different cities. He was trying to decide which would be the best candidate for the white dragons. He picked the one that looked the largest and flew down to it.

    He found a grand city with buildings made of coral and busy streets paved with shells and sand. The people were dressed in colorful togas. As he landed the people panicked and ran screaming.

    "Hey it''s okay!" He said as he made contact with the ground. "You don''t have anything to fear from me."

    They ignored his words. A human who could fly through the sky and appeared from nowhere was unknown to these people. Men rushed down the street wearing armor made of the scales of various sea creatures and wielding tridents.

    "Why is it always guards." Zell said, sighing. "I should really work on my entrances."

    "You there!" One of the guards yelled. "Who are you?! What do you want with our small peaceful home?!"

    "As I said I mean you no harm." Zell said, putting his hands up. "I am only searching for someone, and my search brought me to your island."

    "Who are you looking for?!" the guard yelled, still very suspicious of Zell.

    "Well, I don''t know who they are exactly." Zell said. "You wouldn''t happen to know anything about dragons, would you?"

    The guards looked at each other as they considered Zell''s question. "So, you have come to challenge our emperor who is said to be descended from the divine heavenly dragons? I am afraid we cannot allow that. We swore an oath to our emperor and our kingdom, we will never let anything harm him!"

    They all started to rush towards Zell with their tridents drawn.

 Chapter 87 - God King Dragon Emperor

    Zell sighed and snapped his fingers creating a shockwave that knocked all of the guards away from him. They flew approximately ten feet before landing on their posteriors and dropping their tridents. They looked up at Zell with surprise and horror. "What are you?!" One of them shouted.

    "Just a human." Zell replied. "Look I do not intend on hurting your emperor, but if they know about the white dragons it is imperative that I speak with them. How about you drop the idea I am a villain and accept the fact I am a friend."

    "Then why do you lie to us so?" The guard answered. "Humans cannot fly, and humans do not have the power to disable men with a snap."

    "Then consider me a hero." Zell said.

    "If he was a hero that would make sense." The guards said to each other. "Alright you have convinced us for now. We will accompany you to the palace, but you must find entry yourself."

    "That''s fine." Zell replied. The guards stood back up and started walking down the sandy path. Zell followed them and looked at the people as he passed by. They all cowered and stared at him from behind cover, but he could get a good look at a number of them as he walked. Not all of the people were human, some had gills behind their ears. He did not know what race they were, but knew their amphibious nature meant they were not human.

    It was a short walk of half an hour before they reached a large building crafted with coral as the other buildings were, but this one was also adorned with treasures from the sea. Shells, pearls, and gems decorated the front of the building so much that the entire thing shone brightly in the sun.

    "Our emperor is inside." The guard said. "We are not permitted to enter, as we are unworthy to be in his presence. Enter and the sages of old will determine your worth."

    Zell nodded and walked inside. There was a small chamber as he first entered. It had doors on each wall and three robed men stood in the center. They wore hoods that hid their faces from view and every bit of their skin was covered by their blue and gold robes. The center one looked up to see Zell standing in front of them.

    "Who are you?" The hooded man asked. "Why have you come to this sacred place? The home of the divine emperor."

    "I am Zell Neuval, and I have come to find a dragon." He replied.

    "It is true our emperor is the descendant of dragons; you are wise to have sought him out." The hooded man replied. "However, we must first know the purpose of your quest."

    "I need to take a white dragon back with me to dragon isle." Zell explained. "If you decide my worth or not, I will be going into the throne room. I do not have time to play games."

    "Are threats the way you always achieve your goals?" The hooded man asked. "Do you always resort to violence when there is any type of obstacle in your way?"

    "I use violence when necessary." Zell said. "In the past I would have never hurt a soul, but now I have fought, and I have killed. I will do what I must to achieve my goals."

    The door behind the men in the back of the room opened slowly revealing the throne room behind it.

    "It would seem the emperor wishes to meet you." The hooded man said as he moved aside. "Enter that room and stand in the vast glory of our emperor. Bask in his radiance and receive his blessing."

    "Right¡­" Zell said as he started to walk away. He entered the throne room to find a man sitting upon a throne with a long white beard and holding a golden trident etched in all manner of arcane runes. Zell focused his mana into his mark of truth to see if the emperor was the dragon he sought. He only saw the outline of an old man, no dragon hiding.

    Zell sighed as he looked around the room at the servants lined up to either side of the emperor. One of them glowed white in his eyes, he could tell there was more to this one. The servant was a tall slender man with long black hair that was wrapped into a bun on top of his head.

    "Welcome stranger." The emperor said as Zell entered.

    Zell ignored the emperor and walked straight to the servant he identified.

    "You dare ignore me, the god king emperor?!" The emperor yelled.

    Zell continued to ignore the old man on the throne and walked over to the servant. "Hello dragon." Zell said smiling. "I am so happy I found you."

    The servant was shocked by Zell knowing his true identity. "I-I don''t know what you are talking about!" He said, trying to hide his true nature. "The dragon emperor is up there, why are you ignoring him for me?"

    "I know the truth." Zell said. "You are one of the white dragons. The elder black dragon sent me to find you."

    "No-no you are mistaken!" The servant said.

    "Drop the act." Zell said. "I know the truth." He showed the emblem on the back of his hand. "This is the mark of truth granted to me by the lady of the multiverse. You cannot fool me."

    The servant just started to laugh as he undid his hair bun and let this hair drop freely. "To be found out so easily, that mark is truly cheating." The servant said. "I am the true dragon emperor; my name is Luo. And yes, I am one of the descendants of the white dragons. That old man is simply one of my oldest and most loyal servants."

    "I figured as much." Zell said.. "I need you to come back with me to dragon isle, it is a matter of utmost importance."

 Chapter 88 - Come With Me!

    "You want me to return to the home of my ancestors?" Luo said. "We white dragons have lived among the mortals and became one with their society. We grow old and we die just as they do. Yet you wish for me to go to the place that my ancestors abandoned and meet the very beings that my ancestors ran away from?"

    "You can return here afterwards." Zell said. "It is a complicated situation, but you are needed for a ritual."

    "What sort of ritual would require me?" Luo asked, walking back over to his throne, and sitting down on it.

    "Are you not worried about discussing such things in the midst of your retainers?" Zell said, looking at the many servants within the chamber.

    "It is fine." Luo replied. "They all know my true nature. Their families have served my family for generations upon generations."

    "I see." Zell said.

    "Now tell me about this ritual that you require one such as myself for." Luo instructed.

    "Long story short it is just one of many steps in my battle against the gods." Zell explained.

    "A battle against the gods?" Luo leaned forward. "Now that sounds intriguing."

    "The gods think of mortals as toys to be played with." Zell said. "They are cruel and only care about their own personal entertainment. I personally am a victim of their foul games."

    "I see." Luo said. "So, it is all for vengeance then? There is no chance of an understanding? Can you not see things from the gods point of view?"

    "See things from their point of view?!" Zell yelled. "All they do is toy with mortals and watch as they struggle and die! What is there to see?!"

    "Would those mortals still struggle and die without them?" Luo asked. "Or is all death a result of those gods?"

    "I mean maybe?!" Zell said. "Look, why are you defending their actions? The gods are clearly evil and only out for themselves. They view everything else as just entertainment. They have to be stopped!"

    "We white dragons always want to find understanding in all things." Luo explained. "That is the reason we gave up immorality. How could we ever understand the struggle of mortals if we did not experience what they did firsthand? I am only asking you to think about how the gods must feel. They are divine in origin and immortal. They have no concept of death and view themselves apart from everything else because they are. Their realm sits outside of the multiverse, they literally crafted everything with their own hands.

    Mortal lives are short and brutal. Why would they not wish to find some entertainment when they have nothing else to occupy them? To just call them evil and seek their destruction is to not grasp their struggles or life. That was the same problem with my kin. Our stories tell us that they felt rejected when gods made mortals. That abandonment led to irrational hatred. It is the second reason my ancestors left."

    "Look, I am not here to have a debate." Zell said. "I just need you for a brief period of time and then you can come back here and debate your walls. While you try to understand the gods the mortals of this world are fighting and killing each other in a war that the gods started. That is just here on this planet. How many worlds in the multiverse have a war on them right now? How many people are fighting and dying for no other reason than the gods being bored. Justifiable or not, I will stop their cruel games."

    Luo sighed. "I see I am not reaching you." He said. "I do not wish to go with you to the place of my ancestors. That is about as clear as I can make it."

    "Then where is another white dragon?" Zell asked. "Sid detected a few of you, if you won''t come, I will have to find another."

    "So now I am to just turn over my kin?" Luo asked. "Why would I ever subjugate one of my brothers or sisters to your insane ideas?"

    "Because one way or another I am leaving with a white dragon." Zell said.

    "You think I fear the likes of a human?" Luo said. "Why would a mighty dragon ever fear a human?"

    "Alright." Zell said as he held out his palm. He summoned the wind and created a wind ball, then summoned a fireball inside to create his flaming wind ball. He held it above his palm as the wind and heat filled the room. The forces from the ball caused a mighty draft to fill the room, so strong that the servants lost their footing and fell to the ground. Sweat formed on them from the heated air.

    "You see I have problems controlling my magic." Zell explained. "If I were to release this the entire island would be wiped off the face of the planet. I really hope that this proves my point as to why you should either come with me or give up one of your kind. I am only asking for a small favor, and I am not really asking."

    "I see the other dragons have been teaching you the elemental magics." Luo said. He pointed at the ball and then pointed up with his index and middle finger. As he did a white orb encapsulated the spinning ball of fire. "We white dragons are not without our own magic you see. We cast holy magic which consists of healing and shields. Your ball is no longer a threat to me or my kingdom, locked safely inside my barrier."

    "Is it?" Zell said, slightly impressed by the dragon''s actions. He summoned creation magic into his fireball changing it from red to black. It swelled against the shell covering it and as it touched it the barrier cracked. The barrier shattered into pieces of light that fell down to the floor and the turbulence intensified inside the room.

    "Ancestors help us!" Luo said. "What is that abomination of a spell? Are you really using creation magic so arrogantly?"

 Chapter 89 - Are You A Good Man?

    Luo smiled and reformed his barrier around the spinning orb of black fire. This time utilizing creation magic to reinforce his barrier. As the ball was completely encapsulated the barrier illuminated a bright white light. Luo closed his fist and the barrier and fire orb disappeared.

    "Did you think I was really afraid?" Luo said laughing. "This that all the other dragonkin have taught you of creation magic? How to create a bomb? What a horrible use of the fabric of the multiverse."

    "How did you?" Zell asked surprised, knowing he had to have been a higher level than the white dragon.

    "If you mean, how did I best your attack when you should be stronger, that answer is simple." Luo said. "Your level is meaningless when it comes to creation magic. The leveling system of this universe is only of this universe. It does not extend out into the greater multiverse. Creation magic is pulled from the multiverse itself and therefore it supersedes any level advantage you may possess.

    I am simply better at using creation magic and that is all that matters in this case. You are as a brute forcing a square peg into a round hole, whereas I am a master craftsman building a masterpiece."

    "You know I could just move so fast you couldn''t react and take you by physical force, right?" Zell said. "I don''t need magic; I have raw strength and speed."

    "I suspect that you could do exactly as you say, but yet you have not." Luo said. "You speak as if your mission is all that is paramount in your life, even threatening my home to get your way. Yet all of that is because you wish it to be my choice to go with you. You have had the power to take me by force and have not."

    "Like I said, I only need a small amount of your time." Zell replied.

    "Still even after your threats you just insist on asking and being polite." Luo laughed. "What an interesting human you are. Even with all your bluster about killing the gods, would one such as you be able to do it? You have a kind soul, it has been damaged by more trauma than any soul should bear, but it has remained kind. I can see it within you."

    "Maybe I had a kind soul once, but I am different now." Zell said.

    "No, even tainted the purity of your soul remains." Luo explained. "Otherwise, you would use force instead of bluster. Tell me what do you think someone with an unkind soul would have done with your power? For example, when my guards charged you. You could have bathed the streets with their blood as punishment for their insult, but all you did was knock them down."

    "There''s no need to kill over a misunderstanding." Zell said.

    "Exactly why I say even when given the chance you would not kill the gods." Luo said.

    "You are wrong." Zell said. "I have already killed two."

    "And I am sure you sought those murders out on your own volition then?" Luo asked. "They did not provoke it in any way, or you weren''t put in an impossible situation where you had no other choice? You did it willingly with other options available?"

    "No." Zell said. "I wouldn''t say I had a choice."

    "So then if a good man is forced to kill you are saying he can no longer be a good man?" Luo asked. "He must fall deeper down the path with no redemption possible? Yet that same, no way possible of a good man, continues to act good, despite saying otherwise."

    "I don''t really know how to respond to that." Zell said.

    "So, you think it is possible for a good man to remain good even after being forced to kill?" Luo asked. "Just as long as it was not you. You believe that you personally do not deserve a chance. But why think another man can and not yourself?"

    "I have come to terms with who I am." Zell said. "I passed my trials and understand myself."

    "And yet you know nothing." Luo laughed. "If you genuinely believe you are who you say you are then take me by force. I will not struggle or fight you, but I will not accompany you willingly. If you honestly believe you are a man capable of such deeds, by all means do it."

    Zell stood there and thought about what he should do. He had hoped the dragon would come willingly, but it seemed hopeless at this point. He knew the war was continuing while he waited and did not want to waste any time. He started walking towards Luo.

    "Interesting." Luo said as Zell approached him. "Your soul is a raging storm of emotions. I see you have placed the burdens of the world on yourself. Why do you care about others? What they do to themselves is their own choices. Why suffer trying to save them from themselves? They chose that life and who are you to even tell them it is wrong?"

    Zell stopped and stared Luo in the eyes. "I do it because it was not their choice really. They were pushed and guided by the gods, they were placed in a situation where they would fight and die for another''s entertainment." Zell said. "I only wish to give them the freedom of choice that you claim they already have. If they choose violence and death after that, so be it. That will be their choice and their lives, but right now they do not have that choice they are bound to the whims of the gods as all mortals are.

    The only reason I am not is due to my skill of defiance. The will of the gods is meaningless to me, I am the only mortal with true freedom of will. I only want everyone else to have that same freedom and to not be someone else''s toy."

    "So that is your true reason." Luo said.. "You wish to be a hero."

 Chapter 90 - Jungle Of Balance

    "Well then hero, I shall give you a quest." Luo said. "This will allow both of us to come out of this feeling as if we have won. Travel to the southernmost island in our cluster and you will find my wayward sister. She has lost her balance and maintains a solitary life while she meditates. Go to her and ask for her aid. If she aids or not will be her decision, but I believe if she chooses to help you, you may both find balance."

    "Fine, but if she refuses, I am coming back here and taking you with me." Zell said.

    "If she refuses, I will willingly go with you." Luo said. "I think she will find you intriguing and wish to help you."

    Zell did not say anything further and just turned around and walked out of the room. As he got back to the street, he channeled his flight magic and took off into the sky.

    "Are you sure that was wise my lord?" A servant asked Luo.

    "I think there is a chance that two lost, damaged souls, who both believe themselves a hero, can help one another." Luo said. "I just hope that she sees it that way as well."

    Zell landed on the island that Luo told him of. There was no sign of civilization from the air, only dense jungle and beaches. He channeled magic into his mark and looked around hoping to see something, but he could not as he was too far away.

    "I guess I have to search this island." Zell said to himself with a sigh. "Or I could just go back and save time¡­ No, I need to not force anyone. If I do that, I am no better than the gods. Now where is that dragon woman¡­" Zell scanned the forest. He noticed a small path in the distance and made his way towards it. It was definitely a path with trees cleared on either side and a straight walkway wide enough for a person.

    "Must be the way." Zell said as he started walking down the path. As he walked, he found the jungle strange. Normally when he had traveled through wooded areas the sounds of creatures filled the air with their songs and calls. This jungle was eerily silent. The trees were full of various fruits and melons, no signs they had been snacked upon by anything, not even insects.

    He thought it was all strange but continued walking. Thoughts of whether the white dragon had tricked him filled his head as he worried, he was wondering directly into a trap. He continued on and started to hear a stream. IT was the first noise that filled the air and broke the deafening silence. As he walked the sound grew in intensity and the path widened until he reached a clearing.

    The trees were taller in their area and more spread out, but their canopy still blocked the sky, save small beams of light that pierced the leaves. A stream flowed through the opening with flowers sprouting in the sunbeams. In one of those flower beds sat a young woman with her legs crossed and her hands sitting on top of her knees.

    She had black hair that was twirled atop her head and smooth pale skin. She was sitting without any type of garment with her eyes closed. Her orange sized breasts on full display.

    Zell was conflicted by the sight of her. His youthful body enjoyed the view, but he knew once she discovered him trouble would ensue. After taking in the image into his mind he turned his black to her and made a loud noise clearing his throat.

    The woman''s eyes shot open and went directly to Zell. "A human?!" She shrieked. "Why is a human disturbing my meditation?! How did you even get here?! The jungle is impassable!"

    "I just followed the path." Zell said, his back still turned.

    "What path?!" She asked.

    Zell looked at his entrance point, he intended to point it out to her, but it was no longer there. "I swear there was a path just over there." He said pointing to where the path once was.

    "So, the jungle views you worthy." She said, standing up. "That is indeed an interesting turn of events. You may turn and talk to me while you face me. I find talking to your back vexing."

    "But you are naked." Zell explained.

    "You humans are always so caught up on modestly." She said. "The only way one can truly connect to the multiverse is with nothing inhibiting them. I am not ashamed of my body and have nothing to hide. So, turn and face me so that I may see what you look like."

    Zell did just that and turned to face the woman. She was now standing with her hands on her hips, Zell had a full display of her entire body. His eyes could not help but to widen as he took in the image.

    "I see I am pleasing to your eyes." She laughed. "Your soul is all a flutter. So, tell me human, why have you come to my sanctuary? My home in which I am seeking balance."

    "There is a ritual that I need a white dragon for." Zell said. "I need you to come with me so that I can complete the ritual."

    "Oh, so you wish to abandon your humanity." She said. "I am sorry I cannot go with you."

    "So, your brother was wrong then." Zell replied. "He was under the impression that you would assist me if I asked."

    "It is not that I am unwilling." She said. "I simply cannot. Nor can you for that matter. This jungle is one of balance. Once you enter this clearing there is no way out until you bring balance to your soul."

    "So, wait I am stuck?" Zell asked. "Can''t I just fly up or punch my way through some trees?"

    "I am afraid not." She replied. "Only one who has achieved balance can leave this place. I have been here ten years already."

    "Well, I am going to try and punch my way out anyway." Zell said as he started to walk towards the tree line.

    "I wouldn''t do that." She yelled.

    "It will be fine; I am really strong." Zell replied. He reached the trees and prepared to punch. As his punch connected a great flash of white light erupted from the trees and blasted Zell backwards, knocking him unconscious.

    "I tried to warn him.." She sighed as she went to collect the unconscious Zell.

 Chapter 91 - My Story

    Zell awoke with a throbbing pain in his skull. He felt like his head was going to split open. As he opened his eyes, he found himself in a dimly lit chamber with walls of stone and dirt and a ceiling of the same. He was laying on a dirt floor with a makeshift pillow made of leaves and a blanket of threaded grass. The mysterious dragon woman from earlier was sitting across the room staring at him as he stirred to life.

    She had put on a white toga that seemed to be common on these islands. "Oh good, you are awake." She said smiling. "I was afraid you may never wake up."

    "What happened?" Zell said. "My head hurts so much."

    "You tried to force yourself out of the barrier." She answered. "You cannot do that. It was created to repel any force applied to it equally. In other words you punched yourself and knocked yourself out."

    "I pack quite a punch then." Zell said.

    "It seems as if you do." She laughed. "I saw you fly backwards a good distance, and you have been out cold for two days."

    "I see, so I am trapped here then." Zell said.

    "Yes, but only until you find inner balance." She replied.

    "I am going to kill your brother for tricking me." Zell said.

    "Such aggression." She replied. "Is that your reaction to anyone that wrongs you? That they must die?"

    "Yep, you are definitely related." Zell said, getting up and rubbing his head. "I am in a hurry, tell me how to get balance."

    She frowned at Zell. "No thank you for caring for me while I was unconscious?" She asked.

    "You''re right." Zell said with a sigh. "Thank you."

    "Half hearted but better than nothing." She replied. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am the white dragon named Qamra."

    "So, Qamra, why are you in this jungle of balance?" Zell asked. "Your brother called you his wayward sister."

    "Yes, well that is a long story." Qamra said. "I doubt you want to hear it."

    "No, tell me." Zell said. "We are trapped regardless; I might as well know about the dragon who I am trapped with."

    "Alright." She replied. "Years ago, tragedy struck our people. We white dragons have lived in peace among the humans for generations upon generations. The humans we cared for and lived with have all had peaceful lives. There has been no violence, no crime, none of the horrors that normally plague the human experience.

    Until one day we found someone murdered in the street. As the dragon in charge of that island I felt responsible, I felt like it was my duty to find justice in their horrible situation. I searched for clues and interviewed the people who found the body, but sadly the killer left no evidence or witnesses. Then another body turned up, followed shortly by another. There was a mass murderer free on my island, and I could not find a way to stop them.

    I struggled and searched everyday and night. I patrolled the streets, just hoping to find a clue, something that would lead me to the killer. I stopped sleeping and eating. I became completely obsessed with my quest to find the killer.

    One chilly night on my patrol I heard a scream from one of the houses. I rushed over to find a freshly murdered person and the murderer standing over them still covered in blood, licking their knife clean. The sight sickened me to my core, and I could not fathom the depths of depravity that humanity could fall into. What is worse is I knew the killer.

    He was my friend or at least I once thought he was. I had known him my whole life, he even helped me with my investigation into the murders. To find out he was the one who did it, broke me inside. I felt betrayed and I was bewildered, lost in thought. I had so many questions I needed to ask him, but he took advantage of my confusion and rushed towards me with his knife. Instinctively I defended myself and disarmed him, causing his knife to land on the ground. However, it got stuck face up on the floor and the act of disarming him caused him to lose his balance. He fell and impaled himself between the eyes with his own knife.

    In an instant my friend was dead, but he was also the killer I had given up everything to find. Because of who he was and how I did not see it, I felt responsible for all the people he killed and because of how he died, I blamed myself for that as well.

    I lost my inner balance because of those events. When a white dragon loses their balance, they are no longer able to transform into their dragon form, nor can they call upon their holy magic. Without my balance I was no different than a normal mortal. My brother sought to help me and used creation magic on this part of the jungle. He wanted to give me a place free from interference where I could come to peace with myself and regain the balance I once held."

    "I am sorry for everything that happened to you." Zell said.

    "You did not cause it." Qamra said. "Why would you apologize for it?"

    "I was just¡­ never mind." Zell said with a sigh.

    "So, what is your story?" Qamra asked. "You must have an interesting one for my brother to have sealed you in here with me."

    "Well, mine is a very long story as well." Zell said.

    "Well, you might as well tell me." Qamra said. "Just as you wished to know me, I wish to know you."

    "Alright." Zell said as he began to tell Qamra everything. He told her about his past life on Earth, the murder of his family, his rebirth and everything that had happened since.. Her eyes widened and teared up at various parts of Zell''s story as she took in every detail.

 Chapter 92 - Who Is Lying?!

    "So that is the reason you are here." Qamra said. "You have lived a rough couple of lives for a human, I can see why balance is hard for you. Your soul should have been cleansed and placed back in the cycle, for you to carry all of that pain, is very cruel."

    "Yes, but it gave me a second chance at life and for that I am grateful." Zell said. "Even if it took me a while to see it."

    "Yet you still want to kill the gods that gave you that second chance?" Qamra said. "How can you be grateful and still wish for their demise?"

    "I just want everyone to have freedom." Zell said. "Plus, the fox woman has all but ordered it."

    "Did she tell you that directly?" Qamra asked.

    "She told the elder black dragon." Zell explained. "She gave five people her marks to overthrow the gods and create something new and uncorrupted. God slayer is even written on the mark in the language of the gods."

    "Show me this mark." Qamra said, holding out her hands.

    Zell placed his hand inside of hers and channeled magic within his mark causing it to show.

    "So, the other dragons you told me about are the ones who translated this for you?" Qamra said. "You trust them wholeheartedly?"

    "I mean I have no reason to doubt them." Zell said.

    "I know the language of the gods; all dragons learn it at a young age." She replied. "This is not the ancient language."

    "But they all said." Zell said.

    "I know you have no reason to believe me." Qamra said. "But you also have no reason to believe the other dragons. What have they done for you to prove their trustworthiness? Give you the sob story of how the gods ignored them? You thought the kinship of hatred would bind you in truth?"

    "So, if it isn''t the language of the gods what is it?" Zell asked. "Why would Sid lie about all of that? How would he even know? He was imprisoned for all of those years."

    "Sid is the elder black dragon, correct?" Qamra asked. "Each flight of dragons has their own quirk that makes them special. As you have learned white dragons are all about balance. Yellow values wisdom, Red values power, Green values arduous work, and Blue values peace. Black however, values cunning and deception. They have often been looked to by the other dragons due to their cunning. It makes them wonderful leaders. Finding solutions to problems deemed impossible to solve.

    Whoever is giving these marks out could have very well told him all that he told you, or she was as elusive and evasive as she was with you, and he just filled in the gaps. I was not there so I cannot say, nor can you."

    "But my mark is the mark of truth." Zell said. "That is what the other dragons told me. I can see the truth in all things."

    "So have you been able to detect any lies?" Qamra asked. "Did you detect any lies from me? My brother? Or the other dragons? No?"

    "No, I have not sensed any lying." Zell said.

    "Then perhaps your mark of truth does not work on verbal lies." She explained. "You explained earlier to me that it shows you the true nature of someone if they are hiding their form. Perhaps that is all that it does, which would still be impressive. That would give you abilities on par with a white dragon. We can see the soul of an individual directly."

    "So basically, someone is lying to me." Zell said. "Either you are or the other dragons."

    "That sums it up." She said with a smile. "Although my trapped companion, I have no reason to lie to you. We both will have to achieve balance for us to get out of this barrier. Why would I lie and imprison myself for longer?"

    "Then is it true that dragons have a destined mate?" Zell asked, remembering what Obsi had told him.

    "We do." Qamra said. "Although my flight has abandoned those feelings, the odds of finding your destined one is slim to none, and if found can be the greatest joy anyone can feel."

    "So Obsi was not lying about that." Zell said.

    "Oh, are you her fated mate?" Qamra asked. "I am jealous, I doubt I will ever find mine in my lifetime. I mean you lived two lives and are from an entirely different universe. That''s how rare it is to find the one."

    "I don''t feel the same." Zell said. "I kind of feel bad about it."

    "You are only human after all." She replied laughing. "Although her having that sensation for a human should not be possible. A fated mate should be someone who can give you offspring. A human and a dragon cannot produce children. Believe me, my flight has tried."

    "How do I find balance?" Zell asked. "I have so many questions I need to ask Sid and the others now. Questions I did not have until just now. Everything they said and did reinforced my mission that the gods needed to die, but now they could have just been lying and using me? They could have been just turning me into their weapon?"

    "It was rather foolish of them to send you to us." Qamra said. "I guess they thought you were groomed enough to just come and take us by force, without exchanging words. Or they thought that you would not believe us."

    "Part of me wanted to." Zell said. "I really just wanted to grab your brother and get on with my mission. I just couldn''t bring myself to do that though. I wanted him to come willingly."

    Qamra reached over to Zell and placed her hand on his shoulder. "When we achieve balance and get out of the barrier, I will come with you willingly.. I have words for those who would treat a soul such as yours as a weapon."

 Chapter 93 - What Is Balance

    "First we need to consider all the things that have made us out of balance." Qamra said. "For me it is the guilt of failure and the urge for vengeance. For you it is the pain of loss and the manipulation of others. For us to have balance we must put aside those emotions and think rationally about our situations. I do this by mediation, like you originally saw me."

    "You mentioned you were meditating in the nude to be closer to nature." Zell said. "I remember."

    "Yes, I find freeing the body for all attachments makes the meditation go more smoothly." She replied.

    "So, you want me to be nude as well?" Zell asked. "I don''t think that is the best idea."

    "There is nothing sexual about this." Qamra said. "It is simply a way to communicate with nature on a deeper level. Helps you clear your thoughts and embrace the change that needs to occur in your soul."

    "Where even are we by the way?" Zell asked.

    "We are underground." Qamra replied. "This is the home I have made for myself living in the barrier. Do you like it?"

    "It''s very nice." Zell said with a half-smile. "It is impressive that you built this."

    "Yes, well sleeping out in the open felt wrong." She said. "Even though there are no animals or insects in or around the barrier I still felt weird sleeping in the open field."

    "I understand." Zell said. "So, let''s get to the meditation. The sooner we get balance the sooner we get out of here and the sooner I finish my mission."

    "Only caring for the mission is another reason you are out of balance." Qamra sighed. "Let me ask you, if you were given a mission to kill someone you did not know because someone said it was for the greater good, would you? I know you have killed because you had no choice, but would you blindly follow a mission for as weak of a reason as the greater good?"

    "I guess that would depend on if I trusted the person who told me to do it." Zell said. "If I trusted them, I don''t know I might."

    "I see." Qamra said. "So, the lives of others are worth less than the words of friends. When one has balance, life is a sacred thing that should be preserved, and words are worthless."

    "I never thought of it like that." Zell said. "I should really think more about my actions."

    "Exactly." Qamra said. "That is the path of balance. Thought and consideration. There is no good, no evil, just people. One person''s hero is another''s villain and vice versa. Having balance is placing yourself in the shoes of another to understand their way of thought. Only after having that understanding can you find the balance in the correct course."

    "You say all these things, but do you really believe any of it?" Zell asked. "If you did, you would not be trapped here, would you?"

    "I am flawed, yes." Qamra said. "After what happened to me, I know all the teachings of my kind, but I cannot see their truth any longer. Had I not been so blinded by balance, maybe I could have discovered the identity of my friend sooner. Maybe I could have gotten closer to them, maybe I could have changed their heart and prevented the tragedy that occurred. It is these doubts that keep me here and away from my balance."

    "We have a saying on Earth." Zell said. "Everything in moderation. It means that too much of any one thing is a bad thing. In your zeal to be neutral you shut out everything else. It reminds me of a tv show I watched as a kid, star something, I cannot really remember but there were those pointy eared aliens that valued logic over all else and purged themselves of emotion. They were fine officers but lacked the heart to make the important decisions. Everything became cold and rational to them. Just like you white dragons.

    I would say your lack of heart makes all of you out of balance. I doubt your brother could even escape this barrier with all his high and mighty bluster. The type of balance you seek and want is not true balance. I understand the things you have told me, and they make a lot of sense. I am too rash and too trusting. I don''t question the world around me enough. Those are all fair points. I need to slow down and think about what I do, especially since my actions will change the entire multiverse."

    "So, your premise is that all white dragons are out of balance?" Qamra was puzzled. "But I cannot transform or use my holy magic, so something definitely changed."

    "It is possible you cannot do it simply because you believe you cannot." Zell said. "There''s another saying on Earth that I drilled into my kids. Can''t, can''t do anything. It means giving up before you even try guarantees that you will fail."

    "There is much wisdom in that." Qamra said. She looked at her hands and concentrated. She formed the hand symbols she knew for her spells. After several minutes of trying, she eventually produced a small ball of light. Her eyes lit up in joy as she cast a spell for the first time in years. "I did it! I cast some holy magic!"

    "Can you teach me any?" Zell said. "If you can teach me about the magic that makes this barrier, I can probably open it. That is a much quicker and safer bet than trying to reach a level of enlightenment that does not exist."

    "I will teach you all that I know." Qamra said. "To think I was so blinded by the illusion of balance that I was unable to see what true balance was. To have emotion and logic, both are needed for balance."

    "Great.." Zell said. "Shall we go outside and get started then?"

 Chapter 94 - Light Ball

    Zell and Qamra walked out of her underground home. The opening was a few feet away from the stream and the sound of flowing water filled their ears as they emerged. The sun was illuminating the area through the small beams able to pierce the canopy.

    "So, Zell, holy magic is unlike any magic you have learned so far." Qamra said. "I used to believe one had to achieve balance to use it, but now I know it is simply a desire to use it that is all that the magic requires. Do you wish to learn and use holy magic?"

    "I do." Zell said.

    "First I shall teach you the most basic of holy spells." Qamra said. "It is called light ball and it is what I used down there in my house. To use it you must focus on light itself, gather its holy energy and form it into a ball in your hand."

    "Wait, I have a question." Zell said. "You just said holy magic, but also said light is holy. Are you really considering the light from a star holy?"

    "Well, yes." Qamra said. "The stars are gifts from the divine and harnessing their light is a holy task.

    "Interesting." Zell said. "So, I helped my grandson with a school project once. It was about how stars worked. I learned a ridiculous amount of information about stars, mostly thanks to the internet, but I can tell you that the energy from a star is not divine. It is two atoms fusing together into something else.

    Earth''s star fused hydrogen atoms into helium atoms, that is why it was yellow and of a smaller size in relation to stars. The radiation that is released when those two atoms fuse is what causes the star to be bright and hot. It is what releases the photons which are light particles. But they also travel with a gambit of other radiations and spectrums of light.

    Is all your so-called holy magic dependent on light? If so then it''s a magic of radiation, and not holy at all."

    "Earth sounds like such an interesting place." Qamra said. "So holy magic is broken into two fields. One is light and the other is divine. For the divine branch we cast spells using the magic of the multiverse itself, something that even predates the gods."

    "Yes, I know all about creation magic." Zell said. "I have used it in a few spells."

    "Yet you do not know how to use it properly." Qamra said. "This barrier is a spell crafted from creation magic. It requires intricate weaving and construction. You must assemble each thread of magic like weaving a basket. You do not just gather it up and cause an explosion. Creation magic was never meant to be used like that. It should be used as the name suggests and used to create things."

    "I see." Zell said. "So, the barrier is woven with layers of creation magic." He focused on the barrier''s magical imprint and could see what Qamra was talking about. It did look like a woven basket, only the weaves were so small it was hard to discern it from just a flat wall. "I can see it now."

    "It took my brother six months of intense meditation and casting to create such a woven barrier." She said, ``It is a level of mastery that impresses me, far more than I have achieved. I have spent some days just staring at the beauty of his hard work."

    "Alright, I feel like we got off track a bit." Zell said. "Let''s skip the part about light magic, and just move on to the creation magic."

    "No!" Qamra demanded. "The light is important! By learning to control and manipulate light you will learn to do the same with creation magic! You cannot just skip the foundation of the training! That would be like building a house on the sand with no foundation beneath it! It would all just come crashing down!"

    "Alright!" Zell replied. "Calm down, I didn''t mean to offend you like that."

    "I just wanted you to know how important it was." Qamra said. "Now focus and create a light ball. Use a light beam if it helps you visualize what you need to do."

    "I think I can do it." Zell said as he held out his hand with his palm face up.

    "Oh, and I know hand signs that will help you focus!" She added excitedly.

    "That''s fine, just let me try it first." Zell said, trying to focus on his task. [Alright just focus on the photons and trap them in a sphere. That''s all you need to do.] He thought to himself. After a minute a small glimmer appeared above his palm. A minuscule sized ball of light began to take shape. Its brightness was incredible despite its small size. Zell had to squint his eyes and Qamra covered hers.

    "That is amazing!" She yelled. "I have never seen anyone produce a light ball so quickly, and one so pure and dense at that."

    "Yeah, being level two million has its advantages." Zell joked. "Having a really high intelligence stat makes me learn and understand magic at unheard-of speeds. Also gives me excess mana to burn."

    "I see." Qamra said, noticing his ball growing in size and lumines. "You may want to stop gathering the light energy now it is getting very bright."

    "Right." Zell said. "So, what do I do now?"

    "Now use your ball and shape it with your mind." She explained. "Use your thoughts to change that ball into a cylinder."

    Zell focused, thinking of a can. He thought of the ball becoming stretched and widened and getting flat on the top and bottom. He could picture it as a can and the more he focused on that thought the more the ball began to move and shake.

    "Think very clearly about it!" Qamra encouraged.

    After a small amount of time Zell successfully changed the ball into a cylinder. "Okay now what?" He said.

    Qamra had him change the shape of the light over and over into more and more complex shapes.. They practiced all day until the light of the moon could be seen from the canopy.

 Chapter 95 - Freedom

    "That was excellent progress." Qamra said to Zell, giving him a round of applause. "It''s nighttime so why don''t we call it a day."

    "I would rather keep training if that is alright with you." Zell said. "The faster I learn this the faster we get out."

    "After all that casting do you not have low mana?" Qamra asked.

    "No, remember I have a vast, nearly infinite mana pool." Zell replied. "One of the benefits of being level two million."

    "Right, you did say that." Qamra said. "Still, I need to rest, watching you practice all day has worn me out. You have come leaps and bounds in your magical control and visualizations. It is very impressive for a human."

    "Thanks." Zell replied. "You can go on to bed if you want, I am going to continue practicing. For creation magic do I just need to incorporate it into the light ball? If so, I think I can manage that on my own."

    "That is pretty much the gist of creating a barrier spell." Qamra said. "Although healing and creation spells are different and far more difficult to produce."

    "I understand." Zell said. "MY focus right now is barriers, so I will continue on with my lessons. Have a good night."

    "Good night then." Qamra said, worried Zell might overexert himself. She went down into her home, took off her clothes and went to sleep in her bed.

    "Alright, focus Zell." He said to himself. He recreated a light ball only this time he used the magic of creation and mixed them in with the photons. IT created a solid black ball that emitted white light. "Alright now I need to shape it and weave it." Zell focused on all the lessons he had been taught earlier that day and worked the light ball into multiple shapes. Finally, he got enough of a feel for it that he could weave layers together creating a tiny barrier ball.

    He smiled with joy at his success. Dispelling the barrier he created, he walked over to the tree line, where the barrier that held them was. He reached out his hand and placed it on the barrier. He could feel its magic and now that he understood the way barriers worked, he knew how to open it.

    The barrier was an extremely tight woven basket and was far exceeding Zell''s skill level. However, Zell theorized that if he just inserted a thread of creation magic between the weave and slowly expanded it, he could create an opening.

    He closed his eyes and focused on creating the image in his mind. The weave was microscopically close and creating a thread thin enough to pass through was a challenge. Zell tried for hours, burning his mana as he tried over and over to slip a thread through the gap.

    He was about to give up for the night when he felt it. One of his attempts was successful. His face lit up with excitement and any signs of fatigue faded from his body. "Yes!" He screamed out of unbridled joy and excitement. "Okay, focus on that thread." He said softly to himself. He slowly poured his mana into the thread to pull in more creation magic. He was slowly expanding it, and as he did a hole in the barrier began to appear.

    Forcefully moving the tightly woven threads was having a devastating effect on the barrier as a whole. With little space for the woven strands to move to they began to compile atop of one another. This caused the barrier to wave and buckle. Cracks began to form, originating from Zell''s thread.

    The more Zell pushed and the wider he made the hole; the more stress was placed on the failing barrier. After just a few minutes of pushing the barrier shattered and turned to sparkling light that ascended to the sky. A sudden breeze rushed by filling the void felt by the barrier and the sounds of the jungle returned.

    Zell could hear insects and animals through the trees. It seemed that whatever force was separating them from this jungle was lifted.

    Zell could not help himself but to shed a tear of accomplishment. He had learned many new magics, but Qamra had taught him how to control it. He felt like he could use the lessons of mana control she taught him and apply it to his other spells. The joy of not being afraid to use his magic filled his mind.

    Now that he was free thoughts, he had placed in the back of his mind returned. Was Qamra lying? Was Sid? Was he only being used by the dragons as the gods tried to use him? He had so many questions. The only thing he was sure of was that he should think about his actions carefully and not trust anyone.

    "Maybe I should give up on the dragons." He said thinking aloud.

    "Give up on the dragons?" Qamra said from behind him. The noise of the barrier shattering had awoken her from her slumber. She had worried about Zell and rushed outside.

    Zell turned to talk to her to find her without clothing again. "Why are you naked?!" He asked quickly.

    "I always sleep naked." Qamra said. "Feels much better to not be restricted by clothes. I slept next to you like this while you were unconscious, and you never complained once. More importantly, what do you mean you want to give up on the dragons?"

    "I just don''t know who to believe or trust." Zell said. "What is this ritual Sid spoke of, why does it need a white dragon? I didn''t ask those questions; I just blindly followed his suggestions. Also, Sunea wanted me to tell her and the other elders where to find the rest of the white dragons. I don''t know what they have planned. I had hoped to sway them with words but knowing what I know now I doubt that is possible."

    "So, you finally started to think for yourself?" Qamra said.. "I am so proud."

 Chapter 96 - Meanwhile...

    Meanwhile back at the demon lord''s castle. Maximus entered the throne room with a woman in a ripped-up dress and an elder lion man. He tossed them both on the floor at the feet of the demon lord.

    "Welcome to my palace, honored guests." The demon king said smugly. "You were quite difficult to track down, but we did in fact find you. You mother of heroes. How does it feel to have a daughter that is a vicious queen that is killing her own kingdom or a son that is off trying to save the world?"

    Elenore just looked up at him with a defiant look on her face. Leon was unconscious on the floor, still laying where Maximus threw him.

    "So, you don''t want to talk to me." The demon lord said. "That''s fine, you don''t have to talk. You just need to be here, as a bargaining chip for your son. I doubt he will do anything that will cause his mother pain."

    Elenore just continued her defiant stare.

    "Well, your silence will not last forever." The demon lord said. "You will either talk or scream, but you will make noise. I love watching as humans break. After all the horrid deeds they did to my people and the other races of this world it is the least of what they deserve. To suffer and to die. I want them to experience what it is to lose all hope.

    You know I was born outside the great demon kingdom, I had two normal demon parents. They loved me and treated me with kindness. They told me that not all humans were bad, they just didn''t understand that we all had to share the world together. We lived deep in the woods, but not far enough away from one of your villages. A group of knights found us one day.

    They called us monsters and abominations. I watched as they murdered my father and then tortured and killed my mother. I watched as all the light left her eyes. She never screamed, she just cried. I was hiding. She made me hide as soon as the humans got to the house. I just sat there, powerless watching as they did unspeakable things to my mother before finally ending her life. I was only three! My family and I did not deserve that!

    When god placed me on their planet with the mission to slay the human population, I had my doubts. I did not think I could do it. But after that, I knew that humanity not only needed to die, but they also needed to suffer. With my skills I have surpassed anyone who has ever lived. I am now level one million. I could wipe out the entirety of humanity with a single flick of the wrist.

    However, that would not be good enough. Their deaths would still be too quick, and they would not know my pain. I have been watching your daughter and her rise as a hero and a queen. I plan to kill her in a very public manner, so that humanity knows its hero was nothing and that they themselves are nothing. They are less than the dirt beneath my boot.

    Your son is a different matter altogether. I worry he may be strong enough to oppose me and stop my plans. So, before he is able to get too strong, I have caught you. You will be the thing that secures my victory. He will trade your life to stand down. Allowing me to end the human threat once and for all."

    Elenore listened to all that the demon lord said and was saddened by his tale. "I am sorry." She said softly. "No one, not human nor nonhuman deserves to have their family taken from them. Especially in such a brutal and horrible manner. Your parents are right though. Not all humans are bad, my son only seeks peace. He wants humans and nonhumans to live together in harmony. His heart is not filled with hate, even after everything that has happened to him. He is the best part of me, a gift sent to me from the gods. You won''t be able to stop him, after meeting him you will not even want to."

    "I have watched him and seen his deeds." The demon lord said. "Still, he is a human and I know his type. In my old world there were such tales called anime and manga. He falls in line with other main characters of those stories. He is going to be blinded by his quest for good and not give two thoughts about wiping me out. Even now he is off gaining unimaginable power to destroy me and my kind."

    "He isn''t like that." Elenore said. "He could have been someone who took his pain and lashed out. He could have killed everyone that ever wronged him and became a ruler that the world feared and worshiped, much like you want to become. But he is trying to rise above that and bring peace to all of us. I know my son, and whatever power he is attaining will be an instrument he uses to create peace throughout the lands."

    "We will see." The demon lord said. "First I need to decide your fate while we wait for your son to get here. Maximus you did leave an obvious trail back here from the beast village, didn''t you? I want him to know it was us."

    "Yes, my lord." Maximus said bowing. "I wrote everything in blood upon the walls of the village. He will know for sure it was us."

    "Excellent." The demon lord said smiling. "So, what to do with you¡­"

    "We could see what kind of offspring she produces from a demon." Maximus said. "She is after all the mother of heroes. What kind of baby would she have if bred with a superior being?"

    "No." The demon lord said. "That is a terrible thing to suggest. You know my policy on such matters."

    "Yes, sir I am sorry." Maximus said.

    "We will never stoop down to the same level as the human filth we wish to destroy." The demon lord said. "Give her a fresh set of clothes and put her in a comfortable room. We will take care of her with the utmost care. I do not want her son going into a rage at the sight of her. No deal will be able to be struck if so."

    "Yes, my lord." Maximus said. "I will have the maids attend to her at once."

    "Thank you, my loyal Maximus." The demon lord said.

    "Can you tell me your name?" Elenore asked. "If you are going to be keeping me here, I would like to at least know the name of my captor."

    "My name is Yrag.." He replied.

 Chapter 97 - Trouble

    "I guess we will head back to the isle of dragons for now." Zell said. "But I have questions before we do any rituals."

    "That sounds reasonable." Qamra said.

    "Go get some clothes on and we will leave." Zell said.

    "Right, forgot about that." She said, laughing as she left.

    Zell waited as Qamra went into her home and got dressed. After a few minutes she exited her home in her toga with a bag.

    "All good now." She said smiling. "I have all of my belongings with me so there is no need to ever come back." She looked around the jungle clearing where she had spent the last few years of her life and sighed. "I don''t know if I will miss this place but it has been home and I have feelings about it either way."

    "I can understand." Zell said. "I left similarly when I left my kingdom on my grand adventure. Now that seems so distant, like a fading memory."

    "Funny how life changes like that." She replied. "I want to teach you another spell. One from your tale you are familiar with already. The spell of teleportation. No gems, rocks, or stones required. Teleport stones are just preprogrammed spells grafted on a gem. The spell itself exists independently of the stones. The reason stones are used is because the spell is complicated."

    "So, we can just teleport back to the dragon isle?" Zell asked. "That would be a useful spell to have."

    "Yes, although the trip with your flight magic is no problem." Qamra said. "This will give you other options of transportation. The spell I will teach you is teleportation via portal. When done correctly the spell will open a portal connecting the point in which you stand with a point that is within your mind. First to cast it you must think of the place you wish to travel. Let that image be the only one that inhabits your mind while you cast the spell.

    Next you want to picture both spaces bending together as if folding ends of a paper. Next picture a door and open it in your mind, while making a circular motion with your arm."

    Zell did all of the things that Qamra instructed him to do and successfully created a portal to the isle of dragons. "Wow, I can see the island through the portal!" Zell said excitedly. He had created the portal at the edge of the island where he had learned to cast his spells. Currently there were no dragons standing there it was clear.

    "Looks like a successful cast." Qamra said. "Most cannot grasp the complexities of this spell. Very impressive to have cast it on your first try. If you wanted to cast a spell that just teleported you and did not create a portal, instead of a door you would have pictured a hole, and you would have to have jumped into it."

    "I see." Zell said, nodding.

    "I will go through first; the portal will close as you use it." Qamra said, as she leaped through. She landed on the other side and waved to Zell signaling that she successfully made it to the other side.

    Seeing her wave, he jumped in as well. As he cleared the portal it closed behind him as she said it would. "Wow, we made it back so fast." Zell said. "Let''s head to the house of black and meet with Sid and Obsi. I have questions and they have answers."

    "Lead the way." Qamra replied. "I have never been here before."

    The two of them walked the short distance to the house of black and found it empty inside.

    "I guess they are still out collecting the ingredients for the ritual." Zell said, trying to explain their absence. "We can wait in the great room for their return." He said while leading the way.

    As they entered the great room, they found it to be in disarray as if a battle had been fought in the room.

    "What happened here?" Qamra said, surveying the room. "You don''t think something happened to them, do you?"

    "I don''t know." Zell said. "We should check the town, just to be sure." Zell rushed out of the house and Qamra followed him closely. He rushed down to the center of the dragon''s city to find not one dragon. The house of elders, the streets, everywhere was void of life. "Could I have messed up the portal spell? Brought us somewhere else?"

    "No, you did it right." Qamra said. "Something is wrong here. I don''t know what happened, but I cannot sense any dragons anywhere. I can feel the energies that they left behind, but I cannot find them. It is as if they are no longer on this planet."

    "You don''t think the gods did something to them do you?" Zell asked, with a worried expression. "They said the gods wouldn''t directly interfere with this world, so it has to be something else right?"

    "There is a chance." Qamra said. "A small chance, but still a chance that a god could have found a host. I don''t know who would give their body and soul over to a god. It could have only happened to someone that was suffering and near death."

    "So, if a god found a host, what do you think they did with the dragons?" Zell asked. "I mean Sid has a mark just like mine. He should have had the power to defend the others and stop whatever god did this."

    "I don''t know what to tell you." Qamra said. "I can just tell you that there are no dragons here."

    "Even that policewoman is gone." Zell said. "This is troubling."

    "Let''s search for clues." Qamra said. "You search the elders'' chambers, and I will search out here. Yell if you find anything.

    "Will do." Zell replied as he entered the elders'' chambers in search of any clue. There were no signs of conflict that he could see. Everything was as it should be, nothing was out of place. It was just empty. There were no elders nor any servants or attendants.

    During his search he found a small object sitting on one of the elders'' chairs. He picked it up and was surprised at what it was. It was a small golden pocket watch with beautifully intricate engravings. It has a long golden chain attached to it. Zell opened the face of the watch, and it was just a normal everyday clock. He had never seen any of the elders ever pull out a timepiece, so he pocketed it and kept it to show to Qamra.

    He continued to search for another hour but came up with nothing. He pulled out the watch and looked at it again before putting it back in his pocket and heading out to find Qamra. When he first exited the building, she was nowhere to be found so he sat down and waited for her return.

    Another hour passed before he saw Qamra strolling down the street on her way back. He could tell she had nothing in her hands, but he hoped she had found something.

    "Welcome back." He said as she approached. "Did you find anything?"

    "Nothing." Qamra replied. "I find it all strange. The only signs of a struggle we found was the great room in the house of black. Everyone else seems to have just vanished without a fight. They are immortal dragons though; they should have left some signs of a struggle if a battle occurred."

    "I found this." Zell said as he took the watch out of his pocket.

    "A pocket watch?" Qamra asked. "Did it belong to one of the elders?"

    "I never saw them with a timepiece." Zell answered. "But it was just laying on the seat of one of their chairs. I cannot be certain if it belonged to them or not. All I know it seemed to be out of place. It was the only thing out of place. It has to mean something."

    "Let me see it." Qamra said as she reached for the watch. Zell gave it to her, and she started looking it over. "Oh, there is a tiny inscription on it. It''s so small I can see how you missed it. It reads to my best friend Zell slash Gary. What is that supposed to mean?"

    "It could only mean one thing." Zell said with a look of dread on his face. "A watch symbolizes time and only a god would know about my past life as Gary. It has to be the reborn god of time and space; I can''t believe he would come after me again after I had to kill him the last time."

    "I remember you telling me about that." Qamra said. "How you literally had to break time and space to defeat him, but you did it at a much higher level than you are now today."

    "Yeah, if I have to fight him again it may be trouble." Zell said, looking at the mark on his hand.. "This mark might be my only hope."

 Chapter 98 - Rematch

    The sound of a loud slow clap echoed from the area above them. Zell and Qamra looked up to find an older human man sitting atop the roof of the elder''s temple. Zell recognized the man instantly and was shocked. "Donovan?!" He shouted out.

    "No, I am your old pal, Steve." The old man answered back. "You haven''t forgotten me already, have you? After you took such good care of me the last time we met. I was thinking you were due for me to return the favor."

    "Get out of Donovan''s body!" Zell demanded.

    "So demanding." Steve laughed. "Look, this old fool gave me this vessel of his own free will. He couldn''t stand the rats slowly eating away at his flesh as he helplessly hung in the dungeon. When I made my offer to him you more than gladly accepted. Sadly, the poor fool was too weak to suppress my personality, so I am in full control."

    "Wait, he was being eaten alive by rats?!" Zell asked.

    "Yes, some little bitch of a queen thought it would be funny to torture him in such a manner." Steve said with a sigh. "Little miss didn''t even stay for the show, she just walked away listening to this old man''s cries. I would have gotten the popcorn out and enjoyed it as the rats took each bite. As piece by piece of him disappeared inside their little furry bellies."

    "Still a disgusting bastard I see." Zell said coldly.

    "Ouch!" Steve said. "Is that anyway to talk to the man who saved the man who saved your mother? I think you should be thanking me. Go on get on your knees and praise my glorious name from the dirt as the mortal you are. Then beg for my forgiveness. Beg as if your life and all of the dragon''s lives depended on it. They do actually. So, you may want to get on that."

    "I am not the same man I was when we last met." Zell said.

    "Oh, I know, you are far weaker now without my sister jumping your bones." Steve said laughing. "You had to power up to insane levels to defeat me last time, you cannot achieve such things this time."

    "What have you done with the other dragons?!" Qamra asked Steve.

    "Oh, a white one." Steve said. "I thought you all died out. Would you like to join the others, little pet? I took them somewhere far away. You can join them if you like, or you can die with this insolent mortal who dared defied the gods."

    "You don''t scare me." Zell said. "I defeated you once and I can do it again."

    "So brave!" Steve said. "Let''s see if you have that kind of bravado as a ninety-year-old." Steve held out his hand and rotated it clockwise in Zell''s direction. Zell began to glow in a faint white light. Steve laughed uncontrollably as the light completely engulfed Zell.

    "No!" Qamra shouted. "Zell!"

    "I can''t wait to see what old man Zell looks like." Steve said, waiting as the light began to fade. "I think I will age him another ninety years after he finishes. Just to see what happens to him."

    The bright light faded from Zell, and he appeared as he always did, still young and full of vigor. The tattoo on his hand placed by the fox woman was glowing and expanded from his hand floating slightly above his skin and protruding out further than his hand. It was glowing with a bright golden hue and was rotating.

    "What?!" Steve yelled out. "How can a mortal dare defy the god of time! Nothing escapes time! This entire universe will one day cease due to time''s flow!"

    Zell looked at his hand and then back up to Steve and smiled. His eyes were back as a fox''s once more. "I told you." Zell said, his voice slightly deeper and echoing throughout the area. "I defeated you once and I shall do it again. Tell me where did you take the dragons?"

    A sudden look of fear found its way escaping Steve''s face. He had no idea what was going on but knew it did not bode well for him. He could see the massive amount of creation energy erupting from Zell''s body. Zell''s aura was a pure golden line ascending to the heavens. "I don''t have to tell you anything!" Steve said, trying to act unafraid. "In fact, if you ever want to see them again you will power down and allow me to kill you."

    "If you killed me, how would I see them?" Zell asked. "Has fear made you go stupid?" Zell vanished from sight and appeared directly behind Steve before he could even see anything Zell had placed his hand on Steve''s shoulder. "Why don''t we have a chat, you and I?" Zell said as he pulled Steve''s soul out of Donovan''s body.

    Zell held Steve''s soul by the neck, and he dangled him from the roof of the building they were on. "Tell me where the dragons are and I won''t snap your soul into so many pieces your mother will never be able to put you back together again. There will be no redo, no second chance, you will be gone forever. I will erase you from the multiverse."

    Steve could see it in Zell''s face, he was telling the truth. Zell meant every word he had just spoken. He was no longer the na?ve kid that followed his orders so blindly in the past, or just acted out of impulse. Zell was giving Steve a chance to survive, but only one chance.

    "I moved them forward in time." Steve said. "They are only five days into the future. I did it without them even knowing. If you wait around, they will all be as they were, just five days from now."

    "Then explain why the house of black had such a struggle?" Zell demanded. "Did Sid fight back against you?! Did you do something to him?!"

    "No!" Steve pleaded. "It is just as I said I moved them all without their knowledge! If their house was messed up it was their own doing!"

    Zell stared deeply into Steve''s soul and could not sense a lie. "Alright, leave this realm and never bother me again. If I ever see you again, I will erase you as I promised. Go and never return!" Zell released his grip and Steve''s soul vanished from sight.

    Zell''s mark on his hand shrank back to size and went back to the way it was and his eyes returned to normal. He turned around to find Donovan unconscious on the ground behind him. He reached down and picked him up, then he jumped down to where Qamra was still standing.

    "Zell!" Qamra said. "I am so happy that you are alright!"

    "Thanks." Zell said. "You said earlier that you knew healing magic, right? Can you use some on my friend here?"

    "I don''t know if it will work." Qamra said. "His soul had been completely dominated by a god; I can still see his soul, but it is faint. I just don''t know if he will have the will to come back, even if I use my strongest healing spells."

    "Try it anyway." Zell said. "This old man is a tough one. He saved my mother once upon a time and I would like to return the favor. Had I known my sister was torturing him¡­ I would have done something. I have to do something. Neuval is suffering everyday more and more because of her. Because she is the sick twisted bitch that murdered my family back on Earth. It is just who she is. I need to end her reign, and her as well."

    "Set the old man down and I will cast my healing on him." Qamra said. "Just please don''t be upset if it does not work and he does not come back. I know humans are frail, you must prepare yourself for the worst."

    "I believe he will come back." Zell said. "I once accidentally pushed him halfway through a forest and he was fine. He is a tough old man."

    Qamra began to cast her spell and Donovan''s body began to glow with a light green light as she healed him. She watched as his weakened soul flickered like a dying flame. Slowly the soul strengthened until it ignited back into the fire that a human soul should burn.

    Donovan awoke with a gasp and started to cough uncontrollably. He looked around and saw Qamra and Zell, who had changed so much since last they met, he no longer recognized, however he remembered Zell''s fierce aura that was unmistakable. "Zell, is that you?!" Donovan asked. "You have changed so much! I can''t believe you are the same small child from all of those years ago! What happened to me?! The last thing I remember is hearing a whisper and someone or something offering me aid. I accepted it to stop the pain.. After that, I just don''t know what happened. So good to see you again!"

 Chapter 99 - What Happened In Tarm?!

    Zell told Donovan of his travels and adventures since they last met. Of his time among the gods and with the dragons. His current quest of saving the world and everything else he could think of. The two talked until the sun set and darkness filled the island.

    "Looks like we have talked so much we lost track of time." Zell said. "We should head back to the house of black and rest up for the night." Zell looked around; he did not see Qamra anywhere. He had lost track of her as he was talking to Donovan. "Qamra?" He shouted hoping she was near-by.

    "Your friend went over behind that building and fell asleep." Donovan said. "I think we bored her with our chatter."

    Zell walked over to where Donovan said Qamra was and found her curled into a ball on the ground sleeping soundly. He walked over and squatted down next to her. He placed his hand on her shoulder and gently shook her. "Wake up." He said to her.

    She opened her eyes slowly; she had passed out hours ago during their conversation. "Are you finally done talking?" She said while yawning.

    "Yeah, sorry." Zell said. "Thank you for saving the old man." Zell took her hand and helped her up. "We are going to the house of black for the night, would you like to come?"

    "Might as well." Qamra replied. She followed Zell back around to Donovan and the three of them departed the city and headed back to the house.

    When they got inside Zell stopped in the entrance. "The kitchen is well stocked; I can throw together a meal if anyone is hungry. I know I am." He said as his stomach growled, having not eaten all day.

    "Food sounds nice." Donovan said. "I don''t know if that god fed this old body once, but I hunger as if he did not."

    "I could eat as well." Qamra said.

    "Alright then you two head into the dining room over there and I will see what I can do in the kitchen."

    When Zell walked in the kitchen, he expected to find pantries and refrigerators full to the brim with all manner of meats and vegetables. What he found though was a kitchen barren of anything edible and the only piece of equipment in the kitchen was a single large caldron. There was no stove, no oven, there was nothing used for cooking.

    He scratched his head as he tried to figure out how Lucille always made such massive and amazing meals with nothing. "Does she catch everything fresh daily?" He asked aloud. "But how would she cook it?" He thought and remembered he could now conquer fire in his hands. The method of cooking was simple, she used magic.

    [I know I will just use my new teleportation spell to go to the kingdom of Kermonth and pick up some food.] He thought to himself. He then remembered how Qamra instructed him to use teleportation and found himself instantly transported to the streets of Kermonth.

    It was exactly as he remembered it from his last time there. As he walked the streets, which were lit by magical lanterns, he saw that most of the vendors had shuddered their shops for the night. Discouraged, he was about to lose hope until he heard the sounds of laughter and talking coming from a pub near his location.

    He walked over to it and went inside. As he entered the pub went silent for just a moment as everyone looked him over. Recognizing who he was they went on about their business.

    "You that guy from Neuval right?" The barkeep yelled at Zell from the bar. "Come on in, the king has instructed us that if we were to have seen you, everything would be on his tab. So, what can I get you?"

    "Thank you." Zell replied. "I am actually looking for some food."

    "That I can help you with." The barkeep said. He then reached below the counter and pulled out a menu. "What will be your choice then?" He said while handing Zell the menu.

    Zell looked it over and picked multiple items he thought everyone would enjoy. He pointed out each to the barkeep and the barkeep wrote each item down on a tiny piece of paper and then took it into the back. He returned a few moments later.

    "It''ll be about thirty minutes." The barkeep said while picking up a glass to clean. "Would you care for a drink while you wait?"

    "No, I am fine." Zell said. "You can tell me what everyone is celebrating here, I could use a bit of good news."

    "Our little princess Samantha has been named queen of Tarm." The barkeep said while smiling from ear to ear. "I can''t believe that little rascal has subdued one of our oldest, most fierce rivals. It just makes me so proud. She has made the whole kingdom proud."

    "Wait¡­ What now?!" Zell asked with a puzzled look. "I sent them to Tarm to gain an alliance, not conquer it."

    "Apparently it was a glorious sight." The barkeep said. "The dwarf would not stand for any of the king''s insults and cleaved him straight in two. Then due to the horrible state of the kingdom they begged our princess to become their queen. It must have been a glorious thing to behold. I am only sad that I could not witness her ascension to the throne myself. It takes place in two days, and I could not leave my bar for that long."

    "Two days huh?" Zell said. "I should go."

    "It would take at least a week by horse." The barkeep said. "I am afraid you have missed your chance."

    "Don''t worry about me." Zell laughed. "I am slightly faster than a horse."

    "If you say so." The barkeep replied and continued working on cleaning his bar while they waited for Zell''s food to finish. When he came back out of the kitchen with the food, it was wrapped in paper and tied with twine. "Here is your food. It''s quite a lot for one guy, are you sure you''re going to be able to eat it all?"

    "It''s for my friends and I." Zell said as he took the package.

    "Oh, staying at a local inn with some buddies?" He asked.

    "Something like that." Zell said with a smile and vanished via teleportation.

    The barkeep dropped the glass he had picked back up to clean at the sight of Zell vanishing. "Where did he go¡­?" The barkeep said, perplexed.

    Back at the house of black Zell reappeared in the kitchen with his package of food. He took some plates down from the shelves and plated everything nicely. He walked out into the dinning room carrying the plates.

    "I hope everyone is hungry." Zell said as he placed the plates down in front of Donovan and Qamra. "Sorry, that took so long. The pantry was a bit more barren than I had thought."

    "That is quite alright." Donovan said, picking up his fork preparing to dig in. "Having spent so many years in a dungeon this food looks divine."

    "It is a bit skimpy of a meal, but it will suffice." Qamra said, looking down at her plate.

    Zell found him a seat and started to eat as well. He was impressed by the quality of the food. Coming from a pub he did not have grand expectations of quality. "So, I will be headed to the city of Tarm tomorrow." Zell said.

    "Tarm?" Donovan asked. "Any particular reason you wish to travel to that armpit of a kingdom?"

    "Yeah, I have some companions there." Zell explained. "One of them is going to be crowned queen in a couple of days. I would like to be there for her. Plus, it sounds like they had a rough time, and I would like to check in on them."

    "I understand." Donovan said. "Would it be a bother if I stayed here and read some books from the dragon''s library? I am sure they have a marvelous selection of tomes. There is no telling what type of magic I may discover here."

    "If that is your wish, do it." Zell said. "What about you, Qamra?"

    "I can accompany you if you desire, or I can stay here and watch over the old human." She said. "There is no telling what sort of trouble he may get into if left¡­ unattended."

    "Hey!" Donovan protested. "I am not some child that needs to be baby sat! I am a grown man! Have some respect for your elders!"

    "She didn''t mean it like that." Zell said.

    "Yes, I did." Qamra said. "He is a tiny human in the halls of dragons, forces he has no idea how to manage."

    "You can stay and watch him then." Zell said. "Keep him safe for me."

    "Hey!" Donovan shouted again.

    "I am glad you see the wisdom in my words.." Qamra replied.

 Chapter 100 - Reunion

    Zell woke up the next morning and quickly departed for the kingdom of Tarm. He first teleported back to Kermonth and got pointed in the right direction. He then used his flight magic to fly over to Tarm. As he flew, he passed over fields of demon and human corpses, the war had been devastating to both sides. It reminded him of the importance of what he was doing.

    He flew over the wall and landed at the castle. The guards were shocked by his sudden landing but too frightened by it to act. He made his way to the throne room where he found his companions grouped together preparing Samantha for her crowning.

    Kaitlyn was the first to see him and she perked up with excitement. "Zell!" She shouted while jumping into the air. "You are back!"

    Her shouts caused the others to turn and look at Zell as he entered the room. "My beloved you have returned!" Samantha said.

    "Please don''t call me that." Zell said with a sigh. "I heard you all had quite an eventful time. Killing a king and conquering a kingdom? Is that your idea of making alliances?"

    "We had no choice lad." Kilgon said. "That old fool was too much of a racist to align himself or his kingdom with some nonhumans. This was the only way we could secure an alliance."

    "You may be right." Zell replied. "Still, we are not in the business of conquest. We do not need to create fear of our movement."

    "Why not?" Kilgon said. "If the goal is to change the hearts of man away from your sister then the best bet would be to give them something greater to fear. A nice show of force every now and then is good for embedding fear into their hearts."

    "Fear is not my goal." Zell said. "If they change out of fear then they do not really change at all. When the threat subsides, they will go back to how they used to be. In order for fundamental change to occur we must make them want it."

    "They do though." Samantha said. "This kingdom suffered for a long time under the rule of the old king. He taxed them heavily and because of their treatment of nonhumans they had a reduced workforce. People here begged me to take over. They wanted what Kermonth has. They wanted the peace and prosperity of every race working together for the common good. We had to remove the cancer at the top for the want to show through. I imagine it is the same with the other kingdoms as well. People are hurting and in pain. They are suffering for no reason other than blinded rage and hate."

    "So, you think we should just assassinate the heads of state and replace them with leaders that agree with our cause?" Zell asked. "Isn''t that against everything we are trying to accomplish? Does that not make us no better than the people we are trying to stop?"

    "Idealism is good for some situations lad, but this is not one of them." Kilgon said. "If you really want humankind to change their ways you need to show off that power of yours and have them bend their knee. As generations pass the hate will slowly fade."

    "There is truth to that." Zell said. "In my old life I was born into a racist world that was much different from the one I died in. There was still racism, but it had died down a lot. It was no longer acceptable to be openly bigoted, but the systems created generations before were still racist to their core. If we change the system, then over time it could change the hearts of man. I see where you are coming from."

    "Glad you see it our way." Kilgon said. "Because there are a lot more kingdoms between here and Neuval."

    "Speaking of Neuval, I no longer wish to save my sister''s life." Zell said. "I have found out her true identity and her purpose. She does not deserve to live. She deserves no second chances."

    "So, we are killing the little bitch queen?" Kilgon said. "That''s good! Let''s go do it now."

    "Hey, don''t leave me before my crowning!" Samantha protested. "I want you here."

    "I guess we can go after." Kilgon said with a sigh. "I was really looking forward to cleaving her asunder with my ax."

    "Before we kill her, I need my mother''s blessing." Zell said. "That little girl is still her daughter, no matter how sick and twisted she is, I need to let my mother know of my intentions before I kill her."

    "You sure you want to tell her?" Kaitlyn asked. "That is a hard pill to swallow. One of your children needing to die by the hands of your other child. I don''t know how many mothers would be able to withstand such a pain. Are you really prepared to do that?"

    "It would be better to tell her than to let her find some other way." Zell said. "After the crowning I plan to teleport back to the beast village and talk to her. Kaitlyn, would you like to come and talk with your grandfather? It has been a good while since you have spoken to him."

    "Thanks." Kaitlyn said. "I would love to go and see my village again. It has been far too long since I have seen my people."

    "I wouldn''t mind coming as well." Kilgon said. "I have wondered what the home of the beast kin looked like."

    "Oh, it is very nice and peaceful." Kaitlyn said. "Although I will admit that the dwarven city was way more impressive than my home. I am still amazed at the sights and sounds we experienced there. It was the most impressive place I have ever been."

    "Thanks." Kilgon said, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. "It was all our kings doing. We used to live in holes before he came along. Regardless, I still want to see your village, I am sure it is impressive in its own way."

    "Just stay away from the hut at the waterfall." Zell said with a laugh.

    "Oh yeah!" Kaitlyn agreed and began to laugh as well. "If Isabel caught you there, she would murder you. Speaking of Isabel, where is she?"

    "She went into town to buy some ale." Kilgon said. "This fancy wine at the castle doesn''t agree with me in the least. I didn''t complain but she noticed how unhappy I was without a simple ale and took it upon herself to save me. She really is a good woman."

    "By the way¡­ Did something happen?" Zell asked. "You are covered in scars. I am fairly sure you were not covered in scars when I left, I had been thinking it must have been from the battles you fought the demons in, but there are just so many of them."

    "Oh that." Kilgon laughed. "Just some markings of love. A willing sacrifice on my part to save the young Kaitlyn."

    "What do you mean?" Zell asked, with a concerned look on his face.

    "After you left, like right after you left," Kaitlyn explained, "Samantha and I were attacked by a demon general. We fought as hard as we could, but she was much too strong. She had mortally wounded me and was about to finish me off when Kilgon showed up and easily overpowered her. It was a truly heroic display¡­ of a dwarf in his underpants. After he ended the threat, he gave me a potion that was supposed to heal his wounds he had acquired from love making with an Oni. He became scared so I could live to see another day."

    "I see." Zell said. He turned and bowed down to Kilgon. "Thank you for saving my friend."

    "I only did what any man would have done in the situation." Kilgon said. "Well, any real man!" He started laughing.

    "Regardless it sounds like I will need to pay the demon lord a visit if he dares to attack my friends as soon as I leave." Zell said. "That is not something that should remain unanswered."

    "So, lad enough talk about the past." Kilgon said. "Did you finish your quest with the dragons? Are you immortal now?"

    "Not yet." Zell said. "But other things have happened. Like this." Zell lifted his hand and ran his mana into it. It caused his mark to shine and glow. "Some odd fox woman with nine tails gave me this mark. From what I can tell as long as I have it, I am immune to a god''s attacks. Also, while it is active I can see things as they truly are¡­ Samantha?"

    Samantha appeared completely different to Zell under the effects of his mark. Her skin was black as night and her hair was pure white and her eyes were silver.. She had etchings of arcane markings all over her body that looked tattooed on with white bioluminescent ink.

 Chapter 101 - Dark Moon Elf

    "I thought you were an elf?" Zell questioned Samantha about her appearance to him.

    "I am a half elf!" She defended herself. "I just never said what kind¡­"

    "Wait, the lass isn''t part high elf?" Kilgon asked. "She looks the part."

    "No, I am afraid what you see is a spell cast on me by my mother." Samantha explained. "She did not want anyone to know my true identity as my kind is considered cursed to bring misfortune. I am a dark moon elf. My mother is one as well, although my father still has no idea. It is not a secret my mother has shared with him."

    "I care not what type of elf you are lass." Kilgon said. "It is stupid to assume things about you simply based on your race. You are a fine young girl, dark moon elf or not. I am just sad you thought you had to hide that from me."

    "I am sorry." Samantha said with a bow to Kilgon. "I just never had a chance to tell you all, nor did I really want to risk our friendship."

    "I am fine with it." Kaitlyn said. "I have no problem with a girl keeping some secrets. We all have things we wouldn''t want the world to know. I am more upset at Zell for outing you like that."

    "Yes, I am sorry for that." Zell said. "I didn''t think before I spoke, your appearance just took me by complete surprise. I must say though you are quite stunning in your true appearance."

    Samantha blushed and started to stutter. "Y-You r-really think so?!"

    "I do." Zell replied. "It is unique and is truly a thing of beauty, I am sad you feel like you have to hide it."

    "She has to because of human fears." Kaitlyn said.

    "Aye." Kilgon agreed. "Of all the elves of this land the dark moon elves are the only ones who remained independent of humanity''s control. They are the only ones who were able to not become subjected years ago. Because of that, humans began to fear them and deemed them a bad omen. It is said when a man sees a dark moon elf, that day is the day of his death."

    "Mother says that happened because they would kill any who found their village." Samantha explained. "They have a hidden village atop a tall mountain. They like it there because they say it brings them closer to the moon."

    "So how did your mother and father meet?" Zell asked, clearly curious. "If your mother lived in an isolated village and your father was a human prince, it seems unlikely the two would meet."

    "Mother said it was fate." Samantha said. "One day she was in the woods below the mountains scouting and hunting for game. While she was there, she saw a human man riding a horse through the woods doing the same, only he had a large group of guards shadowing him. That man was my father.

    It was customary practice in Kermonth to send the prince out on quests to build his reputation as a warrior and leader. They were supposed to be solo quests, but my father was never much of a warrior, so his parents always sent a group of knights with him secretly. They would shadow him from a distance and would rush to his aid if something happened."

    "Sounds rough." Zell said. "So that''s how they met?"

    "Well, I was getting to that." Samantha said. "My father was the first human she had ever seen. She was intrigued and wanted to know more about the man that she saw. My mother knew that if she showed her true form to him, he would run in panic, if he did, he was likely to ascertain the location of her village and that would bring ruin to her people.

    So, she decided to disguise herself as a high elf that had escaped into the forest. She wanted to see what kind of human my father was, she was judging if he needed to be wiped from this world."

    "So, your father must have passed her test." Kaitlyn said.

    "Yes, he did." Samantha replied. "As my mother came limping out of the trees onto the main path that my father was on, he immediately jumped off his horse and rushed over to my mother''s aid. In his rush he didn''t even check to see if it was a trap, all he cared about was helping the elf in front of him. My mother said his kindness moved her heart. He did not care that she was an elf, only that she needed help. He took her back with him to Kermonth and treated her to the finest luxuries that a prince could offer. He filled her belly, got her new clothes, and showed her an enjoyable time.

    After their day, my mother escaped back to her village, without even telling him goodbye. To her surprise she discovered her day and night of fun had an unexpected consequence. Two weeks after their encounter my mother discovered she had a new life inside of her belly. Knowing her village would not allow the union of a human and dark moon elf to exist, something that should not have been possible to begin with.

    My mother returned to Kermonth, leaving her village and her life behind, disguised as a high elf, and met with my father again. He was overjoyed at the news of becoming a father, and immediately asked my mother to be his queen. He told her it was a sign from the gods that their union had produced life, a sign they should follow.

    He told her that the time of humans and nonhumans being at odds with each other needed to end. That their union would pave the way to peace and happiness. That together they would change the kingdom and the world. That is exactly what happened. Kermonth is a shining beacon to the world, that nonhumans and humans can live and work together. That by working together we can be stronger and better than we ever were alone.

    My parents'' goals are much like your goals, Zell. You are seeking peace between all of the peoples of the world, which is why Kermonth was so willing to join your cause, why I want you as my spouse."

    "Such a nice story." Kilgon said. "Peace brought by baby making is a good kind of peace to have."

    "Just like your peace with Isabel?" Kaitlyn laughed.

    "I have yet to put a bun in that oven, but I keep trying!" Kilgon laughed back.

    The rest of the time passed before the crowning with Zell and the others chatting and sharing stories of all the things they had done since he had been away. The crowning itself went on without a hitch and Samantha was named Queen of Tarm. She did not reveal her true lineage, but the people of Tarm excitedly welcomed their new half elven queen.

    After the crowning Zell, Kilgon, and Kaitlyn prepared to teleport to the beast village. Zell promised Samantha he would return after he had dealt with his personal issues with his mother and his sister, as well as the dragons. And Kilgon promised Isabel he would return as swiftly as possible.

    Isabel remained behind with Samantha to keep her safe from any forces the demon lord may send. The power of an Oni was legendary, and the team knew Samantha could not ask for a better protector.

    "Alright everyone I am going to open the portal to the beast village." Zell said as he began his spell. "When it is big enough to jump through, just head on in. I have to go through last because it will close as soon as I enter it."

    "Alright." Kilgon said. "Though I will admit, traveling by magic makes me a bit nervous. A man should only travel where his own legs could take him."

    "Don''t be nervous." Kaitlyn said. "I trust Zell with everything I have. He has never let me down before and I am sure he will never let you down either."

    "It will be fine." Zell said. "I did it once already and it worked out great."

    "Once?" Kilgon asked, his fear intensifying. "So, you want me to jump through some hole in the universe that you have only ever tried once?"

    "Yeah¡­?" Zell replied. "It''s fine. I learn new spells at an amazing rate. If you would rather fly, I could just carry you both as I fly at supersonic speeds. It''s probably more dangerous and would take more time¡­ but could be fun."

    "No, that''s fine." Kilgon said. "Just make your portal."

    Zell began to cast his portal spell that the white dragon had taught him. As the portal grew, they could see the image of the village more clearly. Something was not right. The buildings were burned to the ground and the usually busy streets were empty and devoid of life.. Kaitlyn just stared blankly through the portal in shock, with tears beginning to well in her eyes.

 Chapter 102 - Use My Power

    "Where is that Zell?" Kaitlyn asked in a monotone voice. "Where is that?" She said more urgently.

    Zell looked into the portal with despair as well. "It''s your village." He replied. "Something must have happened."

    "Grandpa!" Kaitlyn yelled as she jumped into the portal.

    "Hold on lass!" Kilgon yelled as he jumped after her.

    Zell followed the two in and they found themselves outside of Leon''s hut, which is now a burnt skeleton of what it once was. Kaitlyn just stood among the rumble unmoving and unspeaking. Her eyes darted around the destruction surveying all the damage.

    "I don''t see any corpses." Kaitlyn said.

    "That''s good." Zell said. "Maybe they got away from whatever happened."

    "Maybe." Kaitlyn replied softly, her ears drooping in sorrow.

    "Let''s look for clues then." Kilgon said. "Maybe we can find out who attacked them or where they went off to."

    "I agree." Zell said. "We need to try and find something." He started to clench his fist as his thoughts went to his mother. "I need her to be alright."

    The three of them split up and searched the ruins of the village. All they found was dust and ash until they reached the tree line. Etched into the trees was a name. It was burning into their trunks and repeated itself throughout the totality of the tree line. Zell remembered the name well. The name was Maximus.

    "So, it was him." Zell said. "The grubby little demon lord has captured my mother and everyone else in this village. First, he attacks my friends then he dares to take my mother. It is time I pay him a little visit. I have held off on seeing him for far too long."

    "Calm down lad." Kilgon said. "If the demon lord had the gall to do this knowing how powerful you are, he must have some kind of plan or trap ready for you. You need to think about it before you just rush in."

    "I don''t think he is going to hurt them." Kaitlyn said. "Remember he wanted us to join his cause. If he killed them or hurt them it would hurt his goals. As much as I want to save grandpa, we need to be cautious."

    "I am going." Zell said coldly. "Do not try and stop me, do not try and reason with me. That woman is the kindest person I have ever met in either of my two lives. She has done nothing but love and support me while everyone else in my family treated me horribly. I will go and save her from wherever he put her, and he will regret the day he decided to attack her.

    I do not care what his plans are. I do not fear any trap he may have. I am not going to be stopped."

    Zell''s hand began to glow from his rage building. As he got angrier the illumination of his tattoo intensified. Until he blacked out and fell face first into the dirt.

    When he opened his eyes, he found himself at the waterfall where he met the fox woman. He looked up to find her resting where she had been the last time.

    "Welcome back my warrior." She told him.

    "You!?" Zell replied. "What happened?!"

    "Calm down little one." She said with a smile. "You tapped into more of my power than you were ready for, so your mind came back here to me."

    "I wasn''t using your power!" Zell protested.

    "In your rage, you were." She replied. "Even at your high level the power I possess is still too much for a human to bear. Still, I need you to bear it. I need you to survive and grow. You alone are the hope of the multiverse, my warrior, my knight."

    "What about Sid?" Zell asked, trying to confirm the black dragon''s story.

    "That dragon?" The fox woman asked. "What about him?"

    "Did you give him a mark like mine and tell me all those things he said?" Zell asked.

    "No." She quickly replied. "You are my champion, my chosen. You are the only one I have given this honor to, as you are the only one who matters."

    "He said a fox woman gave him his mark!" Zell protested. "Was everything he said to me a lie?"

    "Who said I was the only one?" The woman asked. "I never said I was."

    "You never said what you were either." Zell replied. "If I am so important to your plans, at least tell me who you are and what those plans are!"

    "You have such a fire in your belly now." She replied. "That is good. You have grown as a person. I shall tell you only this. Who created the multiverse? The gods? No. Who created the gods?"

    "They just kind of came into existence I guess." Zell answered.

    "We are sisters three." She said with a smile. "We created the multiverse and the gods."

    "Then who created you?!" Zell asked.

    "We sisters three are infinite and without time." She answered. "We exist and do not exist at all points of the multiverse. We are the magic of creation that flows through everything and yet we are also more. No one created us as we have always been. We have no beginning, and we have no end."

    "So basically, you have two sisters and you three are the gods of gods." Zell replied. "Why pick me? I am certain someone in the multiverse would have been better suited for your mission."

    "Because you have the skill of defiance." She answered. "We have our first creations full control of our magic and multiverse. What they say goes, for the most part. If they command a mortal to do something, then that mortal will have no choice. You are the only one who can tell them no, so I have granted you my power."

    "But wait, your sister gave Sid power?" Zell asked. "If I am the only one, why would she do that?"

    "Just a game we play." She said with a laugh. "We all three want our first creations to be punished for how they have been acting. Their careless disregard for their own creations hurts us and we wish it to end. So, my sister and I made a bet of sorts. She claimed that she could make a team of mortals that could stand against the gods and replace them. I claimed I could do it with one soul. You are that one, I have looked throughout the entirety of eternity, and it is you. You are the only one who ever gets that skill.

    I waited eons for you to show up and I am most pleased that you have."

    "So, you do want me to kill the gods and replace them?" Zell said. "Just using me as they did?"

    "No, not at all." She answered. "I want you to do what you think is right. I have only granted you my power. Enough of it to rival the two chief gods combined. What you choose to do with that power is up to you. Should you seek destruction of the multiverse that is your choice but know that all mortal souls will perish with it as they were created from it.

    If that is the choice you make you will be the creator god, and you will have to choose the direction of the new multiverse. Or you could figure out a different path. My bet with my sister was that you would find another way. That having a single soul do it would be better than a team, because a team would only focus on the goal and not the aftermath."

    "So, everything is up to me?" Zell said. "You will not try to influence me one way or another?"

    "No, you passed my test." She said. "You may do as you wish, I am happy to watch and nothing else. Oh, but you do need to do the ritual that Sid suggested, as you are now my power will end up killing you before you can complete your goal. Still your choice of course, but I hope that you don''t throw in the towel on me."

    "I don''t plan on giving up, no." Zell said. "So, what do I do now?"

    "Well right now your body is engulfed in my power and your friends are trying their hardest to wake you up." The woman replied. "When I send back your consciousness, I need you to calm down. Any strong emotion could end up triggering my power and I am not sure how much your body can take. Also, you might explode and take the multiverse out with you, so if you could refrain from that¡­"

    "Alright." Zell said. "I am just so mad at the demon lord for attacking me. I cannot believe he attacked me like that unprovoked."

    "He just thinks it''s the best he can do in the situation he is in." She replied.. "Don''t be so harsh on him, without him humanity would have drawn their final breath long ago. Now go back and wake up!"

 Chapter 103 - Where Is Maximus?!

    Zell opened his eyes to find Kaitlyn and Kilgon leaned over him in a panic. "I am fine." Zell said as he got back to his feet. "This new power of mine can be too much to manage sometimes, and this was just one of those times."

    "Well, are you alright now?" Kilgon asked. "You gave us a scare there, lad."

    "Yeah, I just can''t let my emotions get the better of me." Zell replied. "While I was out cold my mind met with the fox woman again. She told me that until I undergo the ritual with the dragons there is a chance the power could overwhelm my body and cause the entire multiverse to cease."

    "Then you have to wait to rescue your mother." Kaitlyn said. "If you get emotional, it could be the end of all things."

    Zell sat and thought about what Kaitlyn had just told him. He knew she was right although he did not like making his mother wait a second longer than she had to. "You are right." Zell said reluctantly. "It is too much of a risk right now for me to be put into a stressful situation."

    "So should we head back to Tarm then?" Kilgon asked. "There is no point hanging around in a village void of life."

    "I will open a portal for you both." Zell said. "I will return to the isle of dragons and await their return. The moment they do I am having this ritual and saving my mother."

    "How many days is that?" Kaitlyn asked.

    "A few more." Zell said. "Three days until their return I think."

    "So, you want to go and be alone with your thoughts for three days?!" Kaitlyn replied. "No, you are coming with us, and you will spend time with us to keep your mind off of it."

    "The lass is right." Kilgon said. "You need to keep your mind free from thoughts that cause you pain."

    "Fine." Zell agreed and began to open the portal back to Tarm. After he successfully made it Kaitlyn and Kilgon went through, but Zell closed it behind them and did not follow. He instead wished to vent out some of his anger and frustration.

    He teleported to the crossroads inn he met Maximus in all that time ago. He hoped Maximus would be there for whatever reason. He did not care about the logic of the situation, only cared at his chance for vengeance. He struggled to keep his emotions under control so that he would not pass out or explode, but he managed.

    He walked into the inn and all of the nonhumans sitting and drinking stopped and stared at him. "Where is Maximus?!" He yelled.

    "We would never tell a human!" one of the random demons yelled.

    Zell wasted not a moment and launched a small fireball at the demon as a demonstration of his determination. As the fireball hit the demon he engulfed into pure flame and turned to ash within a second.

    "Where is Maximus?!" Zell yelled again; the entire tavern reeled in fear from his previous display. This was not the same kind Zell who had visited them in the past, the one who was fresh on his adventure full of hope.

    "He isn''t here." The barkeep yelled. "Now please refrain from murdering any more of my paying customers if you please."

    "Do you know if he is coming back?!" Zell demanded to know.

    "Yeah, he is due in tonight." The barkeep replied. "Should be here in about an hour."

    "You sure?" Zell asked.

    "Yeah, he is holding the beast kin near here and forcing them to do physical labor, building roads, bridges, farming and the like." The barkeep replied. "He comes in like clockwork to get a drink and relax from his arduous work, at least that''s how he puts it."

    "So, he is there now?" Zell asked.

    "Should be." The barkeep replied.

    "The direction?" Zell responded.

    "South." The barkeep said.

    Without even a thank you Zell turned around and left the inn. He used his flight magic to lift himself into the air and headed due south. Just a small ways away from the inn he found an encampment with several makeshift tents. Beast kin were dressed in rags and doing labor just as the barkeep had told me.

    There were twelve demon guards scattered throughout the encampment. Each demon guard had black plate armor from head to toe and a large black claymore. Zell landed in front of two guards at the entrance. "Where is Maximus?!" He demanded loudly alerting all of the guards to his presence.

    "You, we know you!" The guards yelled as they charged with their swords drawn. Zell easily dodged the two guard''s attacks. As one of them swung their large blade at him he moved in close and grabbed their hand. With control of their hand and weapon he used it to kill the guard next to them by chopping him in half. Zell then punched the guard he was holding causing the chest plate over his chest to become flat against the back, crushing the guard''s chest and internal organs into paste that oozed from the smooshed together pan.

    Two more guards yelled as they approached. Zell asked his question again, "Where is Maximus?!" But again, they ignored his inquiry. This time as he dodged their attacks, he touched both their chests and used his gravity magic to take away their gravity. They started to float helplessly and yell as their bodies got higher and higher eventually leaving the planet.

    The other eight guards rushed all together to increase their chances of victory. However, since they were grouped together Zell decided to use wind cutter and decapitated all of them with a single spell. Their bodies fell to the ground limp and their heads rolled around still encased in their plate helmets.

    All the guards dead, Zell yelled again. "Maximus! Get out here!"

    Maximus eventually exited the large tent in the center of the encampment. He never wanted to fight Zell, he had hoped that Zell would rush to the demon lord''s caste and ignore him along the way. Maximus knew how powerful Zell was and how much of a threat he was.

    "Long time no see little hero." Maximus said, trying to keep his bravado. "I see you have taken diligent care of my guards." He said while looking at all of the bloodied corpses.

    Zell wasted no time and used a barrier around Maximus, trapping him inside. "You will tell me why you attack the beast kin village, and where my mother is."

    "No need to be so aggressive." Maximus said. "We simply needed some extra labor for our war effort. When we found your mother we took her to the demon lord, he is caring for her as an honored guest in his castle."

    "Is that the truth?" Zell asked, reducing the size of the barrier around Maximus.

    "Yes, of course, would I lie to you?!" Maximus said, fearing what Zell might do.

    "Yes, you would lie to me." Zell said. "You have before, and you would again." Zell continued to shrink the barrier around Maximus.

    "I am telling the truth!" Maximus said. "Honestly, she is being treated like royalty!"

    "You know there are lots of fun things one can do with barriers." Zell said. "You can use them for so much more than just defense. For example, I can set the rules inside the barrier I have trapped you inside to exclude air. That would mean no new air would be allowed in. Tell me how long can you hold your breath?"

    "How can I convince you?!" Maximus pleaded, completely horrified by this new Zell.

    Zell thought about it and could not think of a single way Maximus could prove he was not lying. "You cannot." Zell replied. "Because of your past tricks I simply cannot trust you."

    "I only did that for my lord!" Maximus cried. "I could not let such a powerful person snuff out his life! I had to protect him! He is such a unique soul! So much different than all of the other demons, I must follow him, I must see where he leads us!"

    "So, was it his orders to capture my mother?" Zell asked.

    "Yes, but he also ordered us to treat her like an honored guest! There is not a demon in the kingdom that would not do as he commanded! Please believe me!"

    "What of the beast kin here?" Zell asked. "You have them dressed as slaves and force them to labor against their will. You destroyed their homes and their lives and took away their freedom. Why should I let this go? They are my friends and I care deeply about my friends."

    "It was all my idea!" Maximus cried.. "The lord only wanted me to capture your mother! I decided these beast kin would be better off in service to my lord. It was me! If you have to punish anyone for this, punish me and not my lord!"

 Chapter 104 - See You In A Week

    Zell sighed at Maximus''s groveling. "The point of the matter remains; the demon lord ordered the capture of my mother." Zell said. "But you are right, I should punish you. It was your choice to steal these peoples from their homes and force them into servitude. That is something I cannot overlook. However, I wish to save your punishment for after I find out if you are lying or not."

    "What do you mean?" Maximus asked.

    "When I meet with the demon lord." Zell replied. "If my mother is indeed unharmed and well pampered as you said, I shall only punish you for your actions against my friends of the beast kin tribe. However, if I find that you are lying about my mother''s wellbeing, then you will wish I would ease your suffering. For the horrors I will inflict upon you will cause the gods to turn their heads in disgust."

    Maximus went pale from Zell''s threat as he could sense it was the truth. Zell released his barrier around Maximus and the demon general fell to the ground on his knees.

    "In one week, I will meet with your demon lord." Zell said. "If there is any type of trap or any harm to my mother, you and the entire kingdom of demons will suffer my wrath."

    Maximus nodded and then backed away, before running away at his maximum speed back to the demon lord''s domain. All the captive beast kin stood in awe of Zell''s display of might and brutality.

    "You have grown young man." A familiar voice called out to him as she walked towards him. "I never thought the young man I took into the astral plane with me would be so full of violence. Has your path been so harsh that you have lost your kindness?"

    "It is good to see you again." Zell said to the woman he spent five years of his life with. "Last time I dealt with that guy he attacked first then the lying weasel trapped Kaitlyn and I in another realm where gods lived. I owed him for that as well as what he had done to you all, but most of all for stealing my mother away."

    "He took Leon too." Jageria said. "Where is Kaitlyn? She must be devastated about the whole ordeal."

    "She is in the kingdom of Tarm, safe." Zell said. "Everyone!" He yelled. "I am going to open a portal to the kingdom of Tarm, I want you all to go through it."

    "Straight to business I see." Jageria said with a sigh.

    "It''s best if we don''t stick around." Zell said. "Maximus could return with reinforcements or attack from a long range. I would be fine; however, I am unsure if I would be able to protect everyone here. So, we can talk later, I promise I will be available for you."

    "Alright." Jageria agreed. "Everyone line up!" She yelled. "Create a single file line!"

    Zell created his portal, and the beast kin began to jump through one by one. After twenty minutes the last of the beast kin went through and Zell followed after them, closing the portal behind him. He found himself inside the throne room with a surprised Samantha sitting on the throne. Kaitlyn and Kilgon were standing to her right and all of the beast kin were scattered throughout the room.

    "Love, do you mind explaining what happened?" Samantha asked with a fake smile, stressed by all the work Zell had just caused her.

    "I rescued the beast kin." Zell replied. "Their village was burned to the ground, so they needed a new place to live. I thought your kingdom would be a good place for them."

    Kaitlyn walked over to Zell and slapped him across his face. Tears had been running down her cheeks. She then gave him a massive hug while he was stunned from the slap. "Why did you not include me?!" She asked, crying. "I was so worried you were going to get emotional and collapse again."

    "I am fine." He said pulling her off of him. "Maximus is a powerful foe, and I did not want to risk either of you getting hurt."

    "Ha!" Kilgon laughed. "I appreciate the gesture lad, but I am more than capable of taking care of myself."

    "I am sure you are." Zell said. "But I refuse to put any of you at risk for something I need to do."

    "You''re a fool sometimes." Kaitlyn said. "We are your friends; we would gladly risk our lives next to you! It is a risk we are willing to take! You shouldn''t try and take on the world by yourself!"

    "Why not?!" Zell demanded. "I basically have the fate of the entire multiverse resting on my shoulders. What is just a little bit more?! I would rather take it all on than see anyone else get hurt!"

    "It''s so funny that you are so different, yet the same man you were in the memories of your past life." Jageria said. "I watched as you sacrificed for your family time and time again. Your body, your happiness, your money, everything you had you have to them. You took on all of their problems and tried to solve everyone of them yourself. You are still trying to do the same thing."

    "Well back then I was the only one who could do those things." Zell said. "Same is true for now. The circumstances are different, but the facts remain the same. If I am the only one capable of doing something, is it not better for me to just do it? Why would I want to set anyone else up for failure or risk anyone''s life?"

    "Because that is what normal people do." Samantha said. "Humans and nonhumans alike are both social by nature. We depend on each other to grow and live. Being alone on an island where you are trying to save the multiverse by yourself, is just depressing. You have all of us, we would all gladly give our lives to help you. That is what family does. It doesn''t revolve around everything being put on one person while everyone else lives happy lives. It is a team effort with a shared burden. You need to accept our help, we want to because we are more than friends, we are a family."

    "Maybe you have bonded with Kaitlyn and Kilgon while I was away, but to be fair I barely know any of you except for Kaitlyn. Even her I only have a short time of interaction with. Sure, we went through a lot together and I broke time and space for her, but the point remains we are not close enough, or at least I am not close enough to be called a family."

    "You think too much lad." Kilgon said. "The point the girls are trying to make is you should trust us with your burden. You trusted us with your mission here in Tarm and everything turned out great."

    "You all killed a king and took over a kingdom." Zell said.

    "Yes, but you got your ally did you not?" Kilgon replied. "We achieved the impossible, because we wanted to help you in your mission just as we wish to help you now."

    "Fine." Zell said sharply. "I won''t trick you again and run off on my own."

    "Was that so hard?" Samantha asked. "Now what of the demon general? Should we fear an attack?"

    "He ran back to the demon lord with a message from me." Zell said. "I told him I would meet with him in seven days. Also, that if there were any traps of any type I would bring a suffering upon him that he would regret."

    "I see." Samantha said. "So, you are meeting with the demon lord in a week?" She asked. "Do you no longer wish to pursue the original objective of building a power base and changing the hearts of humans?"

    "He forced my hand on this." Zell said. "I will go and do the dragon ritual and then I will meet with the demon lord. After that I will deal with my sister."

    "Still so many I''s in that statement." Kaitlyn said. "We can do something as well, you know."

    "Kilgon what is your level?" Zell asked.

    "Buy a dwarf a drink first!" Kilgon joked. "Ha! Nothing compared to your two million lad, but I am a respectable five hundred thousand. Isabel is six hundred thousand."

    "Really Onis are that strong?!" Kaitlyn yelled.

    "Aye, the union between an ogre and a demon shouldn''t be possible. However, when one occurs their power tops the charts of power. That is why they are feared throughout the land."

    "That is amazing." Zell said. "But why didn''t an Oni just wipe the world out long ago if they are so strong?"

    "It has something to do with the demon lord." Kilgon said. "Since his ascension, all demons have received massive boosts to their power. For her it was even greater because she was an Oni."

    "Oh, so it was the gods'' fault again.." Zell said with a sigh.

 Chapter 105 - What Did You Do Rose?

    "Alright, here is the plan." Zell said to the others. "While I am away at the dragon village, I want you all to head to my kingdom of Neuval. Unseat my sister and wait for my arrival. Do not kill her."

    "I will do my best." Kilgon said.

    "Are you sure that''s what you want to do, Zell?" Kaitlyn asked.

    "Yes, as far as I am concerned, she is no longer any relation to me." Zell said. "But still I need mother''s blessing before she can be dealt with permanently."

    "I understand." Kaitlyn said.

    "I will remain here in Tarm." Samantha said. "As queen I cannot go on an adventure to another hostile kingdom. I have too many duties that require my attention here."

    "Kilgon, do you think it would be alright if Isabel stayed here to defend Samantha?" Zell asked. "I don''t want to leave her undefended incase one of the demon generals attack again."

    "I will ask her to stay." Kilgon said.

    "Thank you." Zell replied. "Alright everyone I am off to the isle of dragons again. Please be careful and be weary of my sister''s traps. She is cunning and from another world."

    "Right." Kaitlyn said, nodding. "But Zell, can I ask you something before you just vanish?"

    "Yes, what is it?" Zell replied.

    "Why do you want us to travel to Neuval when you could just teleport us there?" Kaitlyn asked.

    "Because I didn''t think of that¡­" Zell replied. "Here let me open up a portal to Neuval." Zell began casting a portal to his home kingdom, but for some reason his spell was not working. So, he tried again. His spell failed again. "My portal isn''t working for Neuval."

    "Can you get us close then?" Kilgon asked.

    "Let me try." Zell said. He attempted to open the portal further and further away, but he could not open one until he got into the forest. "Okay I can make a portal at the entrance of the forbidden forest. I don''t know why the magic isn''t working before I reach there."

    "It''s still a lot closer than Tarm." Kaitlyn said. "Although it was extremely worrisome that even you cannot cast a portal there."

    "I know, I have reservations about sending you now." Zell said. "I don''t know what my sister could have done to prevent me from teleporting. I fear what else she may have instore."

    "It will be okay." Kaitlyn said. "We are your friends. We can share your burden. Open the portal and we will go and unseat your sister."

    "Can it wait until tomorrow lad?" Kilgon asked. "Let me spend the night with Isabel. That way I can ask her to protect Tarm in our absence."

    "You just want to get laid." Kaitlyn teased. "It''s okay though we can wait until tomorrow."

    Zell vanished from their vision with a smile on his face.

    "Where did he?" Kaitlyn asked. "Oh, damn it! Don''t tell me he decided it was too dangerous and decided to do it himself again!"

    "I would bet that he did." Kilgon said. "Don''t let it get you down lass. He is dealing with things that no man should have to deal with."

    "I know, that''s why he should let us help him." Kaitlyn replied.

    "He doesn''t want to worry about our safety." Kilgon said. "As vile and evil as the lad''s sister is, there is no telling what she has planned. Plus, it is a family matter, and we should respect his wishes on this."

    "But if he gets too emotional, he could explode and destroy the multiverse." Kaitlyn reminded Kilgon.

    "Well, here is hoping the lad keeps his calm." Kilgon replied. "Although knowing what his sister is capable of, that may be a grueling task."

    "It will be okay Kaitlyn." Samantha said. "At least he listened to our concerns this time."

    "I just feel like he thinks I am useless to him." Kaitlyn replied. "I want him to need me for something, otherwise I will never get him to stay with me."

    Zell teleported to the forest as the others had predicted. His thoughts went to his kingdom and what horrors his sister must have done. As he exited the forest towards Neuval he found the land to be dark, decayed, and lifeless. The trees scattering the outer rim of the forest were all dead and barren of leaves.

    What was once a glorious view of rolling green hills under a blue sky had been transformed into a nightmare of cracked black ground and a yellow greenish sky emanating from the direction of the kingdom.

    "Rose¡­" Zell said. "What did you do? What did your fear of me drive you to do?"

    Zell focused to see the flow of magic in the area. All of the magic seemed to be flowing to the kingdom. Streams of magic flowed from all the area and converged into a massive one headed to the kingdom.

    "So that''s how it is." Zell said as he watched his own mana begin to get pulled out of him towards the stream. He summoned a protective barrier around himself which caused the mana drain to stop. "So, everything''s mana and life force are being pulled from them and towards the capital.

    Zell walked over to the edge of the rot and stared at it for a few minutes. He marked the line and watched as it inched slowly past. "The area is expanding as well." He said. "Does she mean to drain the entire world of its mana and life? Where did she even learn such a gruesome spell? I am so happy I did not send the others here; this unknown magic is horrifying."

    Zell weighed his options. He did not know anything about this spell and feared what could happen if he abruptly ended the cast. An explosion of this much energy would be devastating to the entire planet and threaten all life. He also did not know the status of his kingdom. Although they were cruel to him as a child, he did not want them to suffer. He feared he may lose control if he went in.

    Doing some quick math, he calculated that the ring would expand by six feet a day at its current rate. Judging by the amount of time he knew his sister was back in the capital, because of what had happened with Sid, he figured the initial zone of the spell must have been massive, or the spell slows the larger it gets.

    He decided there was only one man who may know the answer to this riddle and teleported back to the dragon isle. He rushed to the house of black in hopes that Donovan and Qamra would be inside. After a quick search he found them in the library. Donovan had his nose in a book and Qamra was sleeping in a corner.

    "Donovan!" Zell shouted. "Something has happened in Neuval!"

    "What is it, young master?!" Donovan asked.

    "Something has drained all of the life and mana from the kingdom and the surrounding lands." Zell said. He then went on to explain in detail all of what he saw and his calculations of movement.

    Donovan''s face became pale with dread. "So, Rose really, did it?" He said as if something broke inside of himself. "She used the forbidden magic left to us by the gods."

    "What do you mean forbidden magic left to us by the gods?" Zell asked. "I looked at the spell, it was not cast with god magic, but regular magic. What are you talking about?"

    "I will have to get you to explain that to me later." Donovan said. "However, it is more pressing for me to explain exactly what your sister is doing. She is using a dark book written by a man who claimed to be a prophet of the divine. He wrote many spells down, saying they were gifts from the divine. However, the man was completely mad. He wrote gibberish that no one ever understood. To think Rose translated those spells."

    "If no one ever translated the spells, how do you know she is using them?" Zell asked.

    "Because I know of the horror stories." Donovan said. "What you described to me is just like the horror tales of old. The crazy scholar didn''t just write them down and leave it. He wanted to show off his might granted to him by the gods. He could pull another''s life from their body and take it into himself. Doing that granted him a higher level and boosted stats.

    That''s not all it did either. The corpse left behind from the victim would rise and serve him. He could never extend his area more than a few feet though, so the kingdom killed him from range with an arrow. We locked his knowledge away in the deepest vault of the treasury, hoping its vileness would never grace this planet again."

    "Why didn''t they just destroy the book?!" Zell asked.

    "There was some sort of magic placed on the book." Donovan explained. "Whenever it was destroyed it would drain the life of the items or people around it and reconstitute itself.. Locking it away was the only way we could deal with the nightmare."

 Chapter 106 - To Become A Dragon

    "It wouldn''t surprise me if that book was written in a language from our original world." Zell said. "That would be the only thing I could think of that would allow Rose to read it and understand it. Makes me wonder if that man was a reincarnate as well. Knowing the games the gods play it is always possible."

    "I agree with you." Donovan said. "Still, I mourn for our former kingdom. If it is as you say, then all of its citizens have been warped into a life of undeath and servitude. She told me her mission was to destroy mankind, is this how she has decided to carry it out?"

    Qamra woke up overhearing Donovan and Zell talking. She had heard most of it on account of her being a light sleeper, especially when she slept fully clothed.

    "It''s possible she did all this out of fear." Qamra said. "She is afraid of the consequences of her failure and compelled to follow the commands of a god. Remember Zell you are the only mortal in the multiverse with the ability to defy the command of a divine god. She does not have a choice in her actions no matter how extreme."

    "Choice or not, she is the person responsible for killing my family and destroying my kingdom." Zell replied.

    "Was she in control though?" Qamra asked. "For any of it? If a puppet commits a crime, do you blame the puppet or its master? I would think someone trying to follow logic would blame the one pulling the strings."

    "Which is why I wanted to deal with the gods in the first place." Zell said. "But she needs to face judgment for all of the horrors she has committed as well. You don''t know her like I do. She is an evil manipulative little bitch. The world will be a much better place without her. Donovan, what happens if I just kill her and stop the spell?"

    "I do not know." Donovan said. "Perhaps nothing, perhaps a massive explosion that wipes out the planet. A spell like this has never been done at this scale, we have no data on the matter."

    "What are you going to do Zell?" Qamra asked. "Are you going to go and kill your sister?"

    "I don''t know." Zell said. "I recently found out that if I become too overwhelmed with emotions with my human body the powers the fox gave me could go haywire and explode in such a spectacular fashion that it would destroy the entire multiverse. I have to be extremely careful until I am able to become something other than human."

    "Sounds like you need to do the ritual first." Qamra said.

    "But that is still days away." Zell said. "With that spell active we need to act swiftly."

    "That spell has already been active for days." Qamra replied. "A few more will not hurt anything. But if you are that concerned, I went through Sid''s room and found the ingredients he had gathered for the ritual, as well as a book that explains how to do it in detail. If you do not want to wait for Sid, I can perform the ritual myself. Be warned though, I am not experienced in this type of potion making or spell casting and a number of things could go wrong."

    "There is no time to waste." Zell said. "Besides at the moment I trust you more than I trust Sid, he was marked by the other fox sister."

    "The other fox sister?" Qamra asked. "Explain."

    "So, when I became emotional earlier, I passed out and talked to the fox woman that gave me my mark." Zell explained. "She explained that she is one of three sisters that predate and made the multiverse and gods. She gave her power to me because she told me I was the only one who could change the multiverse. Also, to win a bet with her sister who created a team to change the multiverse. Sid is part of the other fox sister''s team."

    "What about the third sister?" Qamra asked.

    "She was never discussed." Zell said. "I don''t know if she has her own team or what, but my fox woman told me I have more power than the two chief gods combined. That is why I have to do the dragon ritual. So, if you can do it, that would be best."

    Qamra nodded and formed a dragon scale on her arm. It was pure white like winter snow. She reached over to it with her other arm and tore it off her skin, causing her to bleed.

    "Qamra!" Zell shouted out of concern. "Are you alright?!"

    "Yes, you needed one of my scales for the ritual." Qamra said. "Follow me into the main chamber, I have gathered all of the ingredients in there."

    Qamra then left the room, and Zell and Donovan followed her.

    "So, your scale was what I needed to do the ritual?" Zell asked. "Seems like they could have told me that at the beginning, would have saved us both a lot of trouble."

    "It had to be a scale freely given." Qamra said. "It''s as if my dragon flight is welcoming you into the realm of dragons." She walked over to a table and opened a box. Inside was a scale of each color of dragon. She took a cord that was laying next to the box and tied it around each of them in a line and created a necklace of dragon scales. She walked over to Zell and placed it around his neck.

    She walked back to the table and began to create a potion adding various herbs and liquids. The final liquid she added was pure white and emitted light from it. She mixed it all in a goblet and light beams forth from it. She took the drink over to Zell and placed it in his hands. "You need to drink this all-in-one go. Once you start do not stop. But wait until I tell you to drink."

    She walked back over to the table to a small caldron filled with the blood of each dragon flight. She held her arm over the blood and poured her own into the mixture. As she did the red blood changed to a bright blue that seemed to glow and shine. She took the caldron over to Zell and dipped two of her fingers inside. With those two fingers she began to paint symbols on Zell''s face. "Please remove your outer layers of clothes. You can leave your undergarments on but I need your skin on your arms, legs, chest, and back."

    Zell sat the goblet down and proceeded to strip down to his underwear. After he was free of clothing, he picked the goblet back up and held it in his hand. Qamra then walked around him placing a variety of symbols all over his body. When she painted every part of his skin that was showing she went back to the table and put the caldron down.

    She then stood in front of Zell and put her hands together as if she were praying. "Oh, seeker whom doth wish to join the dragons, you hath been marked with the glory of our kind, given the scales freely from our bodies and now you shall drink what makes us divine." Qamra said. "Upon drinking this potion, we shall welcome you into our fold. You shall be a human no more and instead be a proud and noble dragon. A whole new world and life await you as you leave your past life behind. Now drink brother and join us! Drink without stopping and let the power fill your soul!"

    Zell looked down at the goblet and took a deep breath. He then raised it to his mouth and began to drink it as quickly as he could. The taste was terrible. It reminded him of the horrible cough syrup his parents would buy when he was a child. Despite the flavor Zell managed to drink down the entire potion without stopping just as Qamra had instructed.

    Qamra watched Zell closely after he finished the potion, but nothing seemed to be happening. "Did it not work?" She asked, confused. "I thought there would be something that happened. The book hyped it up quite a bit."

    Zell then collapsed onto the ground and lost consciousness. "Oh well that appeared to be something happening then." Qamra said.

    "Yes, his aura is fluctuating at an amazing rate." Donovan said. "It is an amazing thing to watch."

    "Well help me pick him up and we will put him in a bed while he joins the dragon kin." Qamra said while grabbing Zell''s arms and lifting his limp body. Donovan grabbed Zell''s legs and lifted them as well. The two carried Zell to his bedroom and placed him into his bed. Both went and found chairs and brought them into the room.

    They sat down and eagerly watched as Zell started to convulse in the bed.. They were curious to see how his transformation into a dragon would pan out.

 Chapter 107 - Dragon Trial Part 1

    Zell opened his eyes to find himself standing in front of a massive stone castle. A large iron gate blocking his entry. The stones of the castle were worn and old vines covered the cracked walls. Everything was illuminated by torches which were hung from the castle walls and along the outer wall. Large dragon statues of different types lined the top of the wall.

    Zell looked at it all and scratched his head. "What in the hell was in that drink?" He said, knowing this was all in his head. He approached the old iron gate and touched it with his hand. He wanted to see if it would open. As his fingers made contact with the gate the old iron began to crumble and turn to dust until the entire gate had gathered in a pile on the ground beneath Zell''s feet.

    "Okay¡­" Zell said at the strange turn of events. He jumped over the pile of iron and entered the castle''s courtyard. Overgrown vines had engulfed everything inside the courtyard, an old cobblestone path leading from the gate is all that was visible beneath the plants. Zell started to walk down the path, hoping it would give him some idea as to what was going on.

    As Zell walked down the path the vines around him shifted and moved as if they themselves were alive and aware of his presence. As he rounded a turn in the path, which showed him the entrance to the castle''s interior, several vines slithered their way onto the path and grabbed onto his legs and arms. Their sharp thorns serrated his flesh and caused him to bleed.

    He became curious as to why the vines could injure him despite his level, but more than curious he was concerned. To free himself he began to cast a fireball, however his magic did not function. This was not a problem he could just blast himself out of. He was trapped, the thorny vines had completely covered his arms and legs. He was forced to stand there and plan a course of action.

    The first observation he made was simple, if he tried to advance the vines tightened their grip and increased his pain and injuries. If he attempted to back away from the path the vines would loosen, beginning to set him free. "So that''s how it is." He said to himself as he figured out the meaning of the vines.

    Zell had a lot of experience in these mental realms by this point, having dealt with the gods and the crafters of the universe. His wisdom told him that this particular event was a test of determination. So, he pressed forward through the pain of his skin being ripped into. As he attempted to move the vines began to constrict and move rapidly in a circular motion. They were shaving all of his flesh and muscle off of his arms and legs.

    Zell yelled as he pushed through the intense agony. After three steps his arms were reduced to bone, and his legs were nearly at that point. He struggled against the vines and continued. "One more step!" He yelled as he pushed on. On his fourth step the vines let go and retreated back into the foliage around the path.

    His arms and legs were restored as if nothing had ever happened to them, but the pain of the experience was still fresh in his mind. He looked at his recovered limbs and sighed a sigh of relief. "That was a horrible test."

    A sound of clicking gears echoed from the entrance of the interior. The large oak door that guarded the entrance had five panels above it. When the sound of the gears stopped one of the panels lit up with a green flame.

    Zell sighed as he immediately deduced what that meant. "Looks like I have passed one of five trials. Guess I need to find the others." Looking closer at the path leading to the entrance, the greenery around it began to retreat. As it did it revealed four more paths. "I guess each path leads to a trial. How fun¡­"

    He walked to the left most path first. He decided to do them in order from left to right. This path was made of old brick of multiple colors. As he began to walk on the bricks the area around him faded from existence. He found himself walking on a brick path in the middle of the sky. He looked down but was so high up that he could only see clouds beneath him with no signs of land.

    "Well, this seems like a terrible test." Zell said as he stared down into the abyss. He looked around at everything around him. The path ended a few yards ahead of him and broke into floating cubes that were moving in multiple directions. He squinted as he looked up as to where the blocks could lead.

    Above him was a golden dragon scale floating in the sky. "Guess I can try to fly." He said as he attempted to use his flight magic. He jumped up but quickly landed back down on the brick platform. "Looks like that magic is off as well."

    Determined to not let his fear get the best of him he decided the best course of action would be to just do it. He watched the timing of the block at the end of the path carefully and started his running jump at just the right second. He leaped towards it and found himself safely on the first block.

    Block after block he continued upward, timing each of his jumps precisely and trying his best not to fall. As far as he could tell none of his level transferred over to him in this world, wherever it was. He did not know what would happen if he would fall, but he did not want to find out. He could still feel the pain from the vines on his arms and legs and it made the task even more difficult.

    As long as he kept his timing all the jumps were not terrible. None of them were too far apart from each other, he just needed the courage to jump. Finally, after an hour of jumping and climbing higher into the sky he found himself within jumping distance of the golden dragon scale. The only issue was the fact there was no platform to land on after jumping and catching the scale.

    Zell attempted to stretch out and try to grab the scale, but it was too far out of his reach. The only way to grab it would be to jump. Zell had a choice, to jump and hope for the best or to carefully climb back down. Zell took a deep breath and jumped towards the floating scale. He grabbed onto it with both of his hands and held on to it tightly as he began to fall.

    He passed all of the blocks he had just climbed as he fell downwards. He looked down at the clouds below him and saw that they were beginning to spin and creating a vortex below him. An eerie orange glow as if something was burning filled the center of the vortex that Zell was falling into.

    A second later he had fallen inside the vortex, he could see bolts of lightning streak by him as he descended through the clouds. As he fell, he could feel himself slowing down the further down he got. After six minutes of falling, he finally exited the other side of the vortex and landed feet first on the cobblestone path. He was surprised to find the golden scale in which he had held on to tightly was no longer within his grasp.

    He heard the moving of gears again as another panel lit up above the entrance. This time the panel lit with a yellow flame. "So, a flame for a flight." Zell said as he watched the castle around him change. The old stone began to heal from its cracks. It looked as if years of aging were vanishing as the castle became brighter and cleaner. The vines receded as well, leaving a beautiful, lush courtyard in its wake. With running fountains and more assorted dragon statues.

    "Two down, three to go." Zell said as he started walking to the next path. This path was made of dirt. Zell wondered what horrors must lay in wait for him down a dirt path, but he had a mission to do and could not stop.

    He walked down the dirt path and as before with the brick path the castle around him faded from existence. "I wonder what this next trial will be." Zell said to himself as he walked. "Oh, I see."

    Zell found himself inside a large coliseum with a sword stabbed into the center of the dirt ring. "A trial by combat¡­ How exciting¡­"

    Zell walked towards the sword and grabbed its hilt.. With a quick motion he pulled the sword from the dirt and could hear a roar of applause from the nonexistent crowd in the empty coliseum.

 Chapter 108 - Dragon Trial Part 2

    As the thunderous applause erupted throughout the vacant coliseum the dirt beneath Zell''s feet began to shift and change, the entire ground began to shake. A massive swirling of sand and dust erupted into twisters around him. There were seven of them encircling him.

    As the twisters stopped the sand and dirt, they had picked up, fell down to the ground. As it all settled Zell could see seven figures clad in armor. They were larger than life with each standing over twelve feet high. The armor was thick and covered in draconic symbols and shapes. Each carried a large two-handed weapon, either a great sword, ax, or halberd.

    "Well, this isn''t good." Zell said as he looked at his foes. His lack of power had been evident in the earlier trials, being unable to use his immense strength or magic.

    One of the large figures began to move towards him as the others stood and watched. They were unmoving as if they were statues. With each step of its massive frame the very ground shook. It dragged its great sword along the ground as it walked, making a sound of the sword cutting through the sand.

    Zell tightened his grip on his sword that he had pulled from the ground. He was regretting his lack of any formal combat training and only relying on his power. Fear began to inch its way into his soul as the armored foe got closer.

    When the armor got within striking distance it stopped moving and swiftly lifted its massive blade. Zell leaped out of the way just in time. The sword crashed into the sand with such force that it kicked up a massive dust cloud.

    The armor turned and looked at Zell''s new position and its eyes lit up with a red flame. It began to move forward again.

    Zell was starting to panic. Without his power what was he really. As emotion began to overcome his soul his hand began to burn. The emblem the fox has given him burned with a golden light and erupted from his hand, just as it had done in his fight with Steve.

    Zell looked at his hand and smiled at his fortune. The monstrous figure swung its mighty blade once more, but this time Zell did not dodge. Instead, he caught it barehanded with his marked hand. With a quick flick of his wrist, he snapped the massive great sword in two.

    The armored foe leaped backwards and dropped his broken blade. It and the other six suits lifted their right hands and began to cast a magical spell. Each suit summoned a fireball with a circumference of a meter and launched them at Zell.

    Zell smiled and snapped his fingers on his marked hand. He interrupted the magical energies of the fireballs and caused them to explode on launch, essentially backfiring on their casters. The resulting explosions knocked the armored knights back several feet but did not kill them.

    Having control of his magic once more pleased Zell greatly. He could not fight back, although if he had the full might of his level, he would have been able to just punch the armored foes into nothingness. He raised his hand above his head and formed seven orbs of black fire that spun around him. "Nice knowing you, but I think this trial is over." He said as he launched all seven orbs at their respective foes.

    As the orbs made contact each of the armored giants were engulfed in a massive pillar of black flames that reached as high as the eye could see. Zell expected that there would be nothing but dust when the fire faded, however as it did, he found all seven armors still standing and preparing to launch another assault.

    "Seriously?!" Zell complained. "How did that not kill you?!" Zell then remembered the sword in his hand. "I must have to use this to defeat them." He said with a sigh while looking at the blade. He snapped again to stop their second cast of fireball spell.

    As the armored foes fell back again from their own spells Zell used his teleportation magic to instantly travel to one of the falling enemies. As they fell, he sliced them with the blade. However, even though he hit them with all the force he could muster, the blade simply bounced off of the armor. Zell teleported away from the armor before it could react.

    "Okay what gives?" He said as he studied his opponents closely. It was hard to tell from the design of the armor, but Zell noticed something peculiar about it. It appeared that in each of the suits there was a spot in which the pattern differed from the other suits. He shrugged his shoulders as he decided to give it a try. [If that spot is different, it could be a weakness.] He thought to himself.

    The armored enemies began to charge at him with their weapons at the ready. It seemed as if they were planning to end this battle. The foe with the broken weapon stayed back, which gave Zell an idea to test his theory.

    He waited until they were all upon him and then teleported to the armor that stood alone. With a quick stab he pierced the spot on the armor that looked different. As he did beams of light shout out from the stab wound. The armor itself began to crack and break and as it did beams of light came from the cracks.

    The armored foe shattered onto the ground leaving only metal and iron behind. "Must be empty suits of armor controlled by magic." Zell said as he looked at the broken bits.

    Zell then teleported from armor to armor breaching their armor in their weak spots. As he did each one died and fell to the ground. As the last of the armors fell the nonexistent crowd erupted into cheers once more.

    The sand that filled the arena began to swirl, all of it. It created a whirlpool that sucked Zell in as he was sucked into the sand, he found himself transported back to the garden of paths. As expected, he looked above the door and saw another emblem had been lit up. This time with a red flame.

    He looked at his hand to see if his mark was still active, but it was not. He had returned to his normal self once again. He decided to rest for a moment and sat down on the path. "So Yellow, Green, and Red are now complete." He said working the situation out in his mind. "That leaves White, Black, and Blue." He looked up at the panels and counted again. "There are only five panels though. Which flight doesn''t have one?"

    He looked at the remaining two paths before him. One was made of concrete and the other of obsidian. "I am going to just go out on a limb and say the obsidian is for the black dragons." He said while nodding to himself. "The concrete though, is it blue or white? It would make more sense for it to be blue, but that begs the question why don''t the white dragons have a path and emblem?"

    He racked his brain but could not discern any plausible reason as to their lack of representation. Their scale was required for the ritual, so there should be some sort of test for them. He gave up trying to figure it out and just stood up and dusted himself off. The next path for him to follow was the path of concrete.

    He started down that path as he had the others and again everything around him faded away. As reality began to change and reform around him, he found himself on a concrete path that ended abruptly. He looked around and discovered that he was completely surrounded by the ocean. As far as he could see in every direction only water could be seen, save for the concrete path barely above the waves.

    "This seems like a blue dragon thing." Zell said. "What do they want me to do?" He looked around for some sort of clue as to what his trial consisted of. The middle of the ocean did not give him much to go on. He spotted a note at the end of the path and went to pick it up.

    [Welcome to the Trial of the Blue Dragon flight! As you know the blue Dragons are expert hunters and fishers, so your task today is to find the golden tuna! There is only one and it is somewhere in this ocean! P.S. The use of magic is permitted for this trial as it is needed for hunting and fishing. You may use whatever spells you deem necessary to complete the task at hand. Good Luck! You are going to need it! P.P.S. There is a fishing rod located next to where the note was, along with some tackle. Knock yourself out.] The note read.

    Zell sighed as he read the note.. Looking down to where it was a fishing rod and tackle box now sat.

 Chapter 109 - Dragon Trial Part 3

    Zell looked at the vast ocean and sighed at the sheer magnitude of it all. "A single golden fish in all of this?" He said to himself. He sat down at the end of the path and picked up the fishing rod. He then affixed some of the tackle to it as bait. He smiled as he cast out his lure.

    As Gary he had spent his off-time fishing. Aside from his family it was the one thing that always brought him joy. As he sat there and fished, the joy of all those past fishing trips flooded his brain and a wave of nostalgia washed over him. He remembered the times when his son was a child and the two of them went camping at the river. He remembered the joy he felt as his son pulled in his first fish.

    He had forgotten all these feelings with everything that had happened. For the first time in a long time, he felt as if he was at peace. Then the tip of his rod began to move. A fish had begun to nibble on the bait he had selected. Suddenly the rod bent drastically, and Zell pulled up on it firmly to set the hook.

    Line started to peel off the reel so rapidly that smoke was rising from it. "Shit!" Zell said, noticing the smoke. He knew from previous experience in his former life that this meant the line was dry and if it continued the friction would cause a failure. Thinking quickly, he used a bit of water magic to wet the line. Then he encased the line itself inside of a barrier so that it would not snap.

    Zell knew to let the fish pull the line and tire itself out, it was simply basic fishing. Still, the amount of line this fish was pulling was concerning. If the fish continued to pull line at this rate Zell would soon run out of line. Thinking of no other option he grabbed the rapidly spinning reel and stopped it. The sudden stop created a massive force that knocked Zell into the ocean.

    The fish was now pulling him swiftly through the water. Zell used barrier magic on himself to keep the ocean waters at bay but still allowed oxygen to pass through. This allowed Zell to continue breathing much like a diving helmet.

    He began to reel the fish in, or rather he began to reel himself to the fish. The fish was swimming at an amazing speed, Zell had to be hundreds of yards away in under a minute. Having full use of his magical resources he was not too concerned if this turned out to be the wrong fish. He could just use his flight magic to fly back to where he had started from and try again.

    The fisherman in Zell wanted to know what this fish was. He really wanted to catch it. He continued to reel himself closer and closer to the fish. The amount of line the fish pulled made this a lengthy task. After six minutes of constant reeling, he finally was close enough to see the fish in the distance. It was massive. It was at least sixty feet long and had a circumference of twelve feet. A truly massive fish, the likes of which Zell had never seen, much less caught.

    A feeling of slight disappointment came over Zell though as the fish was not golden. Zell released his barrier protecting the fishing line and it immediately snapped, releasing the fish. Letting a catch like that go hurt Zell deep down, but he knew he had a mission, only one fish would do. The elusive gold tuna had to be caught.

    Zell swam back to the surface and flew into the air. All he could see in every direction was the ocean. There was no sign of the path, and he did not know from which direction he came, having traveled submerged under the water.

    Catching an ultra-rare fish through conventional methods would prove too time consuming for Zell. He knew he needed an alternative. He remembered that one of his coworkers had once gone with him fishing and used an alternative method that Zell did not care for at the time. Although he could not argue against its effectiveness, something that was needed at this juncture in time. The method in question was dynamite. The shockwave of the explosion would kill the fish within a few yards, and they would float to the surface. Then all one had to do was scoop them up with a net.

    The practice was highly illegal back in his past life and ruined the sport of fishing. However, he was not doing this for sport. He had a mission and a short timetable in which to complete it. Zell needed an explosion, or several explosions for that matter. The time had come for him to flex some magical might. Not wanting to destroy the planet he restricted himself to regular magic.

    Zell opened his arms and formed multiple fire orbs above his head. He continued to form them one after another until he had hundreds of them. He then continued until he had thousands and then tens of thousands. He was going to catch this fish, along with every other fish in this ocean all at once with a single cast.

    He began to rapidly fire the orbs into the sea causing massive explosions. Giant columns of water erupted from the ocean as each orb exploded. As the water fell so did hundreds of fish carcasses. This continued for half a day. The heat from all of the explosions had caused most of the ocean to evaporate. The atmosphere was so thick with humidity that Zell had to use a barrier to keep the water out around him. The sky had filled with such a large amount of water a torrential rain was occurring.

    Zell flew around looking at the carnage he had created in search of the golden fish he was tasked to find. After an hour of flying and searching he finally spotted a shiny fish. He flew down to get a better look. He smiled as he realized that it was indeed the fish he had been searching for. He reached down and grabbed it. As he did, he found himself sucked into a portal.

    As he exited the portal, he found himself back in the courtyard of paths. A new signal burning with a blue flame sat above the door. He smiled at the fact he only had one path left and proceeded to walk down it. He did not want to waste a moment since he had already wasted so much time with that ocean.

    He was tired now. His mana was at the lowest levels they had ever been, and he had never experienced mana fatigue before, so he did not know the signs or symptoms. If he did, he would have rested and not pushed on into the unknown.

    As he walked the path of obsidian the world melted away as it had done each time before. As the world reconstituted, he found himself surrounded by lava. It appeared that he had made his way into the heart of an active volcano. He wondered what possible trial or test could possibly await him in such a hostile environment.

    He made his way down the path to a large room at the center of the volcano. Inside the room were statues of dragons. One for each of the colors, except for white. A stone tablet with an inscription sat in front of them all. Zell walked over to it so that he could read it.

    [Order the dragons from most important to least important. This is the only path to open the way.] It read.

    Zell noticed that each dragon had a slot to place a statue in. Next to the tablet sat a stone basket filled with numbers. "So, I am supposed to order the importance of the dragons?" Zell asked aloud. "They have different levels of importance?"

    He started to wish he had waited for Sid to do the ritual. Perhaps he might have warned him of this particular trial or gave him advice as to what to do. Again, he wondered why the white dragons were excluded from the trial.

    As Zell searched through the basket to order the numbers, he began to feel lightheaded, and his vision began to blur. Sweat was pouring from his brow due to the intense heat of the lava around him, so Zell figured he must just be overheated. He shook his head violently in an attempt to regain his cognitive functions. It did not help him. The dizziness began to worsen as he slowly lost his ability to see. In a last-ditch effort to stay safe from harm Zell erected a barrier around himself to keep the heat away from himself.

    As he did, he lost all strength in his legs and fell down to his hands and knees.. He was now struggling and fighting just to keep his eyes open.

 Chapter 110 - Dragon Trial Part 4

    The call to sleep was too great for Zell to bear and he passed out inside his barrier. He had no idea how much time had passed but when he reopened his eyes, he found himself back in the courtyard of paths. The emblem of the black dragons now burning with a black flame and the sealed door beneath the seals now open.

    He grabbed his head as it was throbbing as if he had spent the entire night drinking. "What the hell happened?" He asked aloud. The last thing he could remember was the trial in front of him at the volcano. He was puzzled as to how he passed since he did not do as the trial instructed him to do.

    "Unless the answer was to not do anything¡­" He said, realizing how he was victorious. "Had I not passed out I would have guessed something and failed the test. To think they would rig the test in such a manner as to guarantee a failure."

    He just shrugged his shoulders at the situation and moved to the newly opened door. As he peered inside the room, he noticed that everything inside was white. The floor, the walls, and the ceiling were all carved from the purest white stone. They nearly glowed from their hue. At the center of the room sat a table made of the same white stone. Atop the table sat a goblet made of gold with emblems of dragons carved into it. There was a dragon for every color, including white this time. All of the trials he had passed had illuminated the eyes of each of the dragons on the goblet. The only dulled eyed dragon remaining was white.

    "Another trial then." Zell said as he observed the goblet. As soon as he said that he heard applause coming from behind him.

    "Very good." A strange man said. He was clad in a white robe with eastern style dragons embroidered on it using gold. "To think a mortal would pass all the trials, such a thing has never been achieved."

    "Who are you?" Zell asked, taking a defensive stance.

    "I am the god of dragons." He said. "My name is Lux. Welcome to my domain."

    "God of dragons?" Zell asked.

    "Oh yes." Lux said. "You know that the dragons were created by the gods, yes? Well, I am their crafter and designer! I made them as pets and companions for my fellow gods. That is until mother stole all of the other god''s attention away with you mortals. My poor children had to suffer the indignity of neglect because of my mother, it really was such a shame."

    "Do the other dragons know of your existence?" Zell asked.

    "I imagine Sid does." Lux said. "Although I believe he is the only one remaining that knows of my identity. The fact you are here is proof that he remembers.

    You see I created a pocket dimension inside yet outside of the multiverse. It is extremely complicated, but the important thing is I created it as a means to create new dragons. Mother was clear that we were to not to make any other creations and to focus all of our energies on entertaining ourselves by use of the mortals alone. I did not want to do that. The dragons are my children and I love them as any father loves his children.

    I used all of my godly might to create this space. Before I did however, I gave the leaders of my children a ritual to send a mortal soul here. I am pleased that Sid remembered the ritual, it has been so long since a soul was sent here."

    "So, there were others before me?" Zell asked.

    "But of course." Lux replied. "You are number twelve to be exact, but you are the first in over a thousand years. Also, the first to clear all of the trials. This place is designed to impart the aspect of the dragon upon you that most fits your soul. Traditionally in the past each soul only passed one trial and was given the aspect of that color. For you to have all of the aspects is quite intriguing.

    I am very curious as to how you pulled off that trick in the trial of red. That power you displayed was incredible and should have been impossible with all the limitations I placed on your soul. What was that?"

    "Do you know of the nine tailed fox sisters?" Zell asked.

    "Fox sisters?" Lux asked back. "No, I cannot say that I have never encountered such a thing. Although to be fair I myself have been sealed inside this pocket dimension for eons. There are a lot of things I have most likely missed."

    "The fox sisters are the ones who created the gods." Zell said. "There are three of them."

    Lux placed his hand on his chin and thought for a moment. "I have often wondered if mother and father were the first of existence or if they too were the progeny of another. These fox sisters would appear to answer that question."

    "Yes." Zell said. "Two of the sisters have decided that the pantheon of gods must be stopped. They have fallen deeply into corruption and the only answer is to purge them. One sister has created a team of champions and Sid is among them. The other sister believes a single soul is best suited for the task. She gave me her power."

    "I see." Lux said. "So that power in the trial of red was you using the power granted to you by the creator of creators. That''s basically cheating, you know?"

    "Hey, I didn''t know losing was an option." Zell said. "I have to become a dragon or the power that she granted me is going to lose control and blow up the entirety of the multiverse. That is why I am doing this trial."

    "I see." Lux said. "So, I am to grant you the gift necessary to kill my own mother? If I don''t the entirety of everything will be wiped from existence? That seems like horrible choices. Or at least it would if I possessed any feelings towards my mother. I sealed myself away just to get away from her. I will grant you the power that you seek. Once I do what shall be your plans for me?

    You said your mission is to erase the pantheon from existence. That means you would need to eradicate myself as well would it not?"

    "I honestly would like to find a solution that didn''t end in violence." Zell explained. "There was a time when all I thought of was killing the gods as revenge for toying with my life as if it were a game, but after speaking with Qamra and her brother I know better than to rush to judgements."

    "What of the fox?" Lux asked. "Will she not erase you for your defiance?"

    "She actually is leaving everything up to me." Zell explained. "She believes I will come up with the best solution. So, if I kill all the gods or not is something that is up to me, and it is something that I shall decide on an individual basis. Take you for example. You have done nothing to interfere with the lives of mortals and only care about protecting the dragons. Why would I kill you for that? Where would be that justice? That would make me no better than a murderer or a zealot."

    As Zell explained his position the final eyes on the goblet lit up as well.

    "It seems you have passed the trial of the white dragon as well." Lux said. "You have found logic and balance and live your life according to it. That is the way of the white dragon. Would you consider doing me a favor since you have no intention of killing me?"

    "What is it that you need?" Zell asked.

    "When you have dealt with the other gods and stopped them from interfering in the lives of mortals. Will you find a way to release me from my pocket dimension so that I may walk among my children once more? I do ever so miss their faces."

    "I will find a way." Zell said. "The dragons need that as much as you do. They are filled with hate towards the gods for being abandoned and mistreated. It would be nice for them to know that there is at least one god that still cares for them."

    "On that we agree, mortal." Lux said. "When you drink from the goblet your soul will transform into that of a dragon. As to what type of dragon I cannot say, I do not know what happens when one combines all of the aspects together. It is not something that I ever dreamed possible."

    "Sid said my body may change." Zell said. "Did any changes happen to me while I was here or that will happen after I drink?"

    "No, you are only transfigured when you fail a trial." Lux explained. "Now take up the goblet and drink. We shall meet again one day when your quest is over."

    Zell walked over and picked up the goblet and began to drink its contents.. He began to glow as his soul changed forever.

 Chapter 111 - Divine Chromatic Dragon

    Zell awoke in his bed unaware as to how he got there. The events he had just gone through during his trials are still fresh in his mind. As he looked around at his surroundings, he saw Obsi watching him from the side of his bed. "Obsi you are back?" Zell asked. "How long was I gone?"

    "I just got back today." Obsi said. "At least that''s what your friends told me. To me it was just as if a second passed. I had no idea I was even missing."

    Zell let out a sigh of relief. "Good then there is still time." He said as he pushed the blankets off of him and stood up. The room looked different to him. It seemed smaller than it was before. The changes to his soul had affected his body. He was now six foot six inches tall with well defined muscles. He also quickly discovered he was without clothing. Obsi stared at the sight.

    "I appear to be larger than I was before." Zell said, slightly embarrassed by his current predicament. "Are there any clothes here that could fit me?"

    Obsi continued to stare.

    "Obsi?" Zell asked again to get her attention. "Do you have any clothes that will fit me?"

    "Sorry." Obsi said. "I got distracted there for a moment. You are just so much different, and bigger. But yes, we have some armor that will adjust to your size and fit you. Although this would be a good time to practice creating your own armor from your scales. It is the best part of being a dragon."

    "Okay but Sid said I would only have dragon blood, not be a full dragon." Zell explained.

    "Only one way to find out." Obsi said. "See if you can summon one of your scales on your arm. We will start there. Just think about it being there, that it is a part of you."

    Zell looked down at his arm and focused. A scale emerged from his skin. It was a metallic silverish white with a golden pattern around the exterior. Obsi jumped up from her chair and grabbed Zell''s arm to get a closer look at his scale.

    "I have never seen this kind of scale before!" She said excitedly. "What kind of dragon are you?"

    "I don''t know, but can we figure out how to dress me first?" Zell asked, still embarrassed.

    "Fine." Obsi complained. "Just picture your scales forming a suit of armor around you. Shape them and mold them to what you desire. They will respond to your will."

    Zell thought hard and as he did his scales formed all across his body forming a suit of armor much like Sid''s only instead of being black it matched the color of Zell''s scales. The overall base of the armor was his silverish white color, with golden patterns adorning it along the edges. In the larger still the patterns could be seen for what they were. They were images of dragons. When Zell finished the armor, a crimson cape formed on his back with the same golden inlay.

    "So, are you a white dragon?" Obsi asked. "I thought their scales were white like snow."

    "I am every dragon." Zell said. "I guess Sid was wrong about only having the dragon blood."

    "He was indeed." Obsi said. "I could tell by your smell. You are a full-fledged dragon. Immortal too. The water was part of the ritual. So, congratulations!"

    "Thanks." Zell replied. He walked over to the mirror and looked at himself. "I look so different."

    "You are no longer a human." Obsi said. "Of course, you look different. Let''s go let father know you are awake. He was concerned you did the ritual without him."

    "Alright." Zell said as they left the room and went into the great room where Donovan, Qamra, and Sid were waiting and talking with one another. As they saw Zell enter the room, they all got up out of excitement.

    "I see you have passed the trial." Sid said. "Welcome to the dragon race."

    "Yes, it was an arduous task, but I managed." Zell said. "Lux sends his regards."

    "I am happy he still lives." Sid said. "But please do not mention him around the other dragons. They do not know the entire story of their origins and it is better they do not. To which flight were you assigned, you look unlike any dragon I have ever seen."

    "All of them." Zell said. "I didn''t know failure was an option so I passed all of the trials. This is what I am now."

    "I see." Sid said. "Open your status plate. At the bottom of it there should be your new race."

    "Status." Zell said, which brought up his status plate. He immediately looked down at the race section of the plate. "It says I am a Divine Chromatic Dragon."

    "Interesting." Sid said. "It says Divine?"

    "What does yours say?" Zell asked. "Is Divine that odd?"

    "For all other dragons it is a simple race." Sid explained. "For me personally it is just Black Dragon. Although my nature is divine, my race is not. How interesting that your race would be both god and dragon now."

    "Wait what?" Zell asked. "So, I am a god now too?"

    "So, it would seem." Sid said. "Has your level changed at all?"

    Zell looked up at his level. "Oh, dear sweet lord." He said in shock. He started counting.

    "Well, what is it?" Sid asked.

    "Twenty-one zeros." Zell said. "There is a two and then there are twenty-one zeros. That is a number I don''t even know."

    "Sextillion." Sid said. "You are level two sextillion. How utterly absurd."

    "Why isn''t everything destroyed?!" Zell asked. "Everyone seems fine. Previously just powering up has killed a god, and I was way weaker than this."

    "A new skill perhaps?" Sid asked.

    Zell quickly looked through his skills, looking for one he had not seen. He found one. "I have a new skill named Gentle God. Apparently, it allows me to not exert my overwhelming force upon the world and gives me control of my power. Essentially, I can touch something without it shattering to dust. I will only ever use as much force as I want to use."

    "So, you can live your life without tiptoeing around." Sid said. "That is good. A very nice skill indeed. It would have been very problematic otherwise."

    "We need to talk Sid." Zell said. "I am not mad about you being wrong about the dragon blood thing, that''s all water under the bridge. However, I need to know, did you know there were multiple fox sisters?"

    "No, I do not know what you mean." Sid explained.

    "There are three." Zell said. "One of them chose me and another chose you and the rest of your team. According to the one that chose me it is a competition between the two of them, but their goal is the same. They want to end the corruption of the gods."

    "Oh, I see." Sid said. "So, I must search for my team then. Are we supposed to be enemies?"

    "I think it''s a friendly competition." Zell said. "It would upset me if I had to fight you, so I hope we remain friends."

    "But of course, my future son in law." Sid said laughing.

    "Everyone, I need to go deal with my sister now." Zell said. "She is slowly killing the world and all of its people. It is imperative that I stop her now before it gets too late." With that Zell teleported to the rim of the encroaching rot that Rose was creating.

    With his new seemingly unlimited power he did not even bother to place a barrier around himself as he took a step onto the decayed and dead ground. As his boot touched the land his presence began to purify the ground around him. The sunken and fallen plants perked up and remained their color. Every step he took seemed to restore the very life back into the world.

    He decided to walk to Neuval instead of flying. He didn''t understand why he was able to restore the land but decided it would be best if he did. As he walked, he came to an old farm alongside the road. The farmer and his wife were walking the fields as undead. A deep pity fell unto Zell''s soul, and he walked over to the shambling corpses.

    His presence purified the land beneath their feet, and they fell down to their knees as if the life being restored to the land caused them to suffer. Zell reached out and placed his hands on their shoulders. As he did the color returned to their flesh. The rot healed from their bodies and the stench of undeath was lifted from them. As they both returned to their humanity they burst into tears from emotion.

    "Thank you, sir knight!" The farmer said, wiping his tears from his face. "Thank you so much for saving us! We were trapped inside that horrible form with no will of our own. It was the worst experience of our lives! Please sir knight, tell us who you are."

    "I am Zell Neuval." Zell replied.. "And I have come to save my kingdom."

 Chapter 112 - Goodbye Sister

    The poor farmer and his wife just sat on the ground in awe of Zell''s presence as he walked by them not saying another word. Each step he took continued to purify the land and cleansed the corruption. The couple just watched as the world sprung back to life as he walked towards the capital.

    "Isn''t he the duke''s boy?" The farmer asked his wife. "Shouldn''t he be a teenager at this point? And where has it been all this time?!"

    "It''s alright dear." His wife said to calm him. "All that matters is he is here now, against all the lies and hate surrounding him, the true hero has returned to us."

    "I never trusted that little queen for a moment." The farmer said. "I just wonder what that boy has been through to be as he is now. He had an awesome presence about him that both shocked me and calmed me at the same time. I felt as if I was sitting next to a god."

    "I felt it too honey." His wife said. "And look as the land is healed all around him as he walks. How our fields have returned to life, but not only that, they are even more full of life than they ever have been before. I think the young master hero is a god. There is no other explanation."

    "To think he has arisen to that level." The farmer said. "Give that little bitch hell!" He yelled out to Zell as he was beginning to disappear from view.

    Zell reached the gates of the city. The old tall wooden doors were cracked and rotted. They were covered in a variety of black molds and falling apart. A zombie guard still dressed in his plate armor was standing next to the gate, dragging his short sword along the ground. Zell reached over and touched him to purge the curse of undeath from him. His skin brightened and healed as his muscles returned to their full selves. His eyes reformed inside their sockets and his hair sprouted from his head. The stunned man looked on at Zell fully cured.

    Zell just smiled at the newly cured guard and turned his attention to the gate. He pushed the massive gates open with a push of a single finger. As they flew open, they were restored to their former glory as were the walls attached to them. Without waiting for the guard to say a word Zell made his way to the streets.

    Every shambling undead he came across he cured as he passed, leaving stunned townspeople in his wake. He never stopped to introduce himself; he just kept moving forward to the castle''s keep. The citizens of Neuval were abuzz with this mysterious white silver knight with a crimson cape who could push back death itself with only a touch. They watched in amazement as their once glorious kingdom, which had fallen into disrepair under Rose''s rule, returned to its former glory and then beyond. As if his steps were creating a heavenly kingdom wherever he went.

    He reached the castle and pushed his way inside the doors. Made his way up the stairs and down the halls to reach the throne room. He assumed his sister would be within. As he opened the doors to the throne room the air was thick with a dark miasma. The smell of decay and rot filled the air. The darkness was so thick that Zell''s aura of purification could be seen purifying the air around him. It was as if he was encased inside of a white bubble, pushing back the darkness.

    In the center of the throne room Rose was floating in the air with streams of magical essence channeling into her. Her skin had grown pale, and her hair had lost its color and sheen. The whites of her eyes had become black as midnight.

    "Rose!" Zell yelled. "Your reign of terror upon our people and our world ends now!"

    She turned her head down and looked Zell in the eyes. "I do the work of god!" Rose screamed. "You cannot stop me big brother! You stole my destiny from me once, but this time you shall perish! I have found a way to defeat you!"

    "Defeat me?" Zell laughed.

    Rose reached out her hands towards Zell and a stream formed from his aura and began to be pulled into Rose. "I will drain you of your life and make it my own! With this magic I will be unstoppable! With you being this close I will have you as a worthless undead within seconds!"

    Zell laughed as he snapped his fingers. The room filled with light and became purified. The stone lining the room became as pure of a marble that it was once. The golden trim around the ornate features of the room sparkled with their original glory. All of the streams that fed into Rose ended and she fell down to the ground.

    "You said you were going to drain me of my life within seconds?" Zell said. "Who decided that? You said you do the work of god. Who decided that? You are a foolish little girl who squandered your second chance at life. You were a worthless puppet of the gods in your past life and this one as well. You could have lived happily and had a great life. Mother and Father both loved you deeply, Father especially. You could have left your past behind you and embraced this second chance, but instead you chose to be a puppet. A coward who cannot defy the will of a god who has you by the strings. You are nothing."

    "Zell, I¡­" Rose said.

    "There is no redemption for you." Zell said. "You have wasted any chance you had. I know of the horrors you inflicted upon our lands, upon our people. Of the war with the demons, you attempted to start. I know of what you did to Donovan, and how you led our father to his death."

    Out of desperation Rose summoned an orb of undeath and threw it at Zell. It evaporated as it hit his white silver armor, not even leaving a small mark upon its glorious surface.

    Zell made a motion in the area the blast made contact and acted as if he was brushing dust away. "I almost pity you." He said, still talking down to Rose. "Before you die, I have a message for you to deliver to your god. Tell him that his days are numbered and that I am going to save the multiverse from their tyrannical reign. Tell him that I shall bestow free will upon the mortals and allow them to live their lives in peace without the interference of their pantheon."

    "You can''t defy god!" Rose yelled out. "You have to do what he says! You want it more than anything! You will lay awake at night dreaming of how you can serve him. His wish will be your command; there is no other way!"

    "You think I am the same as you?" Zell scoffed. "I am no longer a mortal. I have transcended into the realm of the divine. I am a divine chromatic dragon; I am a god!" As Zell said that he showed Rose his gauntlet on his hand where the emblem the fox woman gave him burned brightly in a golden hue. "I have been granted power greater than the gods themselves by the very entity that created the gods. I am not so weak as to be pushed around and bullied by the words of another."

    "You are a god now?!" Rose asked, shocked. "That explains why my magic did not affect you, even after I raised my level to seven hundred thousand. A mortal such as I cannot hope to defeat the divine. Please do as you wish, my lord."

    "Still a sickening god worshiper until the end." Zell said. "As children you gave me hell, yet now that you know of my divinity you grovel at my feet. I had mixed feelings about killing you since it would hurt mother''s feelings to lose a child. But a person as weak minded and cowardly as you does not deserve to live."

    Rose jumped up and pulled a dagger from her clothes. She attempted to stab Zell on his unarmored face with her dark blade. As the blade touched his skin it shattered into dust. The explosion of the knife''s destruction knocked her back unto the ground. She spit in Zell''s direction as an act of defiance. "I hate you!" She yelled. "Why won''t you fall for my tricks and my traps! Why wont you just die! It is god''s will! You should just die!"

    Zell pointed at Rose and formed a small white orb of fire at the tip of his finger. "Goodbye sister." He said as he launched the orb at her. She yelled in agony as the flames of white and gold engulfed her flesh.. Within five seconds she was reduced to a pile of ash upon the white marble floors of Neuval''s throne room.

 Chapter 113 - Redo

    Rose gasped as she woke up in her bed chambers still feeling the pain from the fire engulfing her flesh. "That bastard killed me again!" She yelled. "After all my arduous work and planning, I cannot believe he defeated me as if he were swatting a gnat."

    She walked over to her mirror and looked at herself. "Bleh this magic does a number on my body." She complained. "I look like death wrestled an old sack, and it wasn''t even enough to do my lord''s will. Still, how am I supposed to kill him now? I don''t think he was joking about being a god, he seemed serious and had the power to match."

    Rose paced around her room thinking of a way to defeat the newly empowered Zell, who was currently on his way there to kill her. Due to the skill the god of destruction had gifted her at her reincarnation she was able to redo the day she died. She knew she only had hours before Zell arrived and she had no answer to his incredible might.

    She went to her tome that had taught her all of her forbidden and soul leeching magics she had been using to power herself up. She hoped a solution would be found inside its tattered pages. She read as quickly as she could knowing her time to flee was getting smaller and smaller.

    Her eyes lit up finding a certain spell and she wasted no time in beginning to cast it. She used some of the energy she had collected to summon a portal and tear in the multiverse. She would see clearly through to the other side. An advanced civilization could be seen. Flying cars and tall buildings could clearly be made out in the distance.

    "If magic can''t stop him then maybe technology has the answer!" Rose said as she leaped into the portal. She took the book with her in hopes that Zell would be unable to follow. Also, it was her key to returning with what she hoped would ensure her victory. As she passed through the portal it closed behind her, leaving no trace that it was very there to begin with.

    The rest of the day transpired as it did before with Zell marching through the streets of the capital and curing all of its citizens of the undeath that cursed them. Only this time when he reached the throne room, he found it empty as Rose left through the portal before he had arrived.

    Zell searched all over the castle and the dungeon but could not find a trace of her anywhere. Frustrated, he walked back to the throne room to find a crowd gathered outside visible from the balcony attached to the throne room. It was the masses of Neuval that had all been restored to life by Zell''s power. They knew not who he was, only that he was a white silver knight who had saved them all.

    Zell decided it would be best to go and address his people. It would be the wisest move to seize power now, lest his sister return and try and take it. He walked on to the balcony and as he did the crowd erupted in cheers. The noise of their celebration could be heard over a mile away. Zell raised his hand and calmed the cheering masses.

    "People of Neuval, I have returned." Zell yelled out. "MY name is Zell Neuval, and I am the son of the former duke, brother to the former queen. I have come to rid this land of her evil and cleanse it of her taint."

    The crowd erupted again. They were tired of Rose''s taxes and her complete disregard for their lives and safety. They had seen the horrors she committed, saw her take control of a person''s body, and cause them to do unspeakable things. They were also shocked that Zell was the one that had saved them. The last the kingdom knew of him he was but a small child. This knight was massive in height and muscle, none of them would have ever imagined that he would have been the one to save them. Especially after all the lies and rumors that Rose had spread about him.

    "In a short while I will leave to meet with the demon lord personally and I will see that this conflict that hurts both our peoples comes to an end." Zell promised. "I shall also return with my mother in tow and shall instate her as the new monarch of Neuval. My task is far too important for me to lead a kingdom at this present juncture in time, please follow my mother''s rule until I am able to return."

    The crowd cheered again.

    "Now if you will excuse me, I must get this house in order." Zell said. "I shall return once I have dealt with the demon lord." With that Zell left the balcony and went back inside.

    He decided that it would be a good opportunity to visit his friends in Tarm and apologize for not letting them help him. He teleported to the throne room to find Samantha sitting on her throne in the middle of a meeting with her advisors.

    "Who are you?!" Samantha yelled out, not recognizing Zell in his new form and attire.

    "Forgot the man you claimed to be your future husband already, have you?" Zell teased. "That is fine by me."

    "Zell?!" Samantha yelled, shocked at his appearance. "What in the devil has happened to you?!"

    "Nothing too much." Zell said. "I have just become an immortal chromatic dragon god with the level of two sextillion."

    Samantha just looked at him with a stunned expression. "How much is a sextillion?" She asked nervously.

    "Twenty-one zeros." Zell replied. "Luckily, I have a skill that keeps my power in check otherwise I would probably turn the planet to dust with a footstep."

    "So, this is why you upset Kilgon and Katlyn?" Samantha asked. "You know it hurt them when you tricked them like that. They wanted to help you and you would not let them."

    "I am glad I didn''t." Zell said. "My sister was using some strange magic that drained the life out of everyone and everything and turned it all into visions of death and slaves to her will. Had I sent them instead of me, they would be shambling through the forest right now, completely stripped of their wills."

    "I see." Samantha said. "You should still apologize to them."

    "That is why I am here." Zell said. "Where can I find them?"

    "They are out in the courtyard." Samantha said. "Kilgon is attempting to teach Kaitlyn how to fight better. They figured it was their lack of usefulness that made you do what you did, so they are trying to fix that issue."

    "I will go to them then." Zell said.

    "Oh, and Zell." Samantha said as Zell started to leave. "It is good to see you again. I love the new look; you are even more attractive than before, and I did not think that to be possible."

    Zell didn''t respond to her, he just grinned from her compliment as he walked away and made his way to the courtyard in which Kaitlyn and Kilgon were training. As he approached, he could see them clearly fighting. Kaitlyn was trying her best to attack Kilgon, but his far superior level to her made it an extremely one-sided fight. She did some impressive acrobatics before she stopped cold in her tracks, however.

    As she stopped her nose twitched as she smelled a familiar scent, and her tail began to wag in excitement. "Zell!" She yelled out, turning to find Zell in his new glory. "You look so different, but you still smell the same! Besides, this isn''t the first transformation I have seen from you! I know you are my Zell!"

    "Lad you have grown a wee bit since last we met." Kilgon said. "What happened?"

    "First let me say I am sorry." Zell said. "I did not want to lose either of you by sending you somewhere with unknown magic. Had I sent you I would have lost you both and I never would have known what my sister was up to. Now her plan is over and the kingdom of Neuval is safe."

    "So, you finally ended the evil queen?" Kilgon asked.

    "No, I could not find her anywhere." Zell explained. "It is as if she vanished off of the face of the planet. Still, I have more than enough power to handle her if she ever decides to show her face again."

    "You do look a bit stronger, Zell." Kaitlyn said.

    "Yes, I am level two sextillion now. That''s twenty-one zeros after the two if you don''t know." Zell explained. "Also, I am an immortal dragon god now."

    "Well, at least you aren''t human!" Kilgon joked.

    "Right." Zell sighed.. "Regardless I wanted to ask the two of you a question. Now that Neuval is sorted, would you both like to accompany me to the demon lord''s castle?"

 Chapter 114 - Just An Ant

    "You two can go without me." Kilgon said. "Isabel told me she is now with child. I am going to be a father."

    "Congratulations." Zell said. "Being a father was the single best part of my life, it will bring you more joy than you could ever even imagine. What about you Kaitlyn are you going to come with me?"

    "I will." Kaitlyn said. "Thank you for asking me."

    "Kilgon, if you want, after all this is over, I would like to give you a position of power within Neuval." Zell said. "I know that having a strong soul such as yourself will be a boon to my kingdom and help it grow and help heal the old wounds caused by my sister."

    "What about the rampant racism?" Kilgon asked. "I doubt a dwarf such as me would be welcome in Neuval, much less accepted in a position of power."

    "Change is hard." Zell said. "I need someone strong enough to fight against the forces that will attempt to resist the change. I can think of no one better than you. I will give you, Isabel, and your child everything you need to live a happy and prosperous life in the kingdom."

    "I will think on it." Kilgon said. "I will give you my answer when you and the lass return from meeting the demon lord."

    Zell opened a portal to the inn at the crossroads, as that was the closest point he had been to near the demon lord''s domain. "Come Kaitlyn, let us begin our travels." Zell said while he gestured to Kaitlyn to go through the portal. He followed after her and it closed behind him.

    On the other side of the portal the two of them were greeted by an encampment of demons. White tents lined the area as far as the eye could see. The demon army had made camp there outside of the forest. As Zell appeared in his shiny armor the demons closest to him ran. Some of them tripped over their own feet and fell face first onto the ground. They had no idea who he was, but every fiber of their being was telling them that they needed to run.

    "You there!" An angry authoritative voice yelled out. "Who are you and what are you doing in my encampment?!" He then saw Kaitlyn standing by Zell''s side. "Oh, have you come from the beast kin slave camp? Are you here to offer me this fine morsel? Tell Maximus that he is too kind, I shall enjoy this one for hours, I do hope it does not break too easily like the others had."

    "Others?" Zell asked, in a calm yet threatening voice.

    "Wait, are you not working for my fellow general Maximus?!" The demon man questioned. "Soldiers attack this man! But don''t hurt the girl, I wish to use her in my tent later."

    None of the demonic soldiers moved an inch towards Zell, instead they all began to drop their weapons and ran.

    "What are you doing?!" The general yelled.

    "They have more sense than you do, it seems." Zell said while trying to hold back the laughter. "You dare insult my friend in my presence and you have the gall to tell me of your past misdeeds towards her people? You are nothing more than a sad sick pervert who thinks he is better than he is. What, you think your power grants you dominion over those who are weaker than you? You think that gives you the right?" Zell asked while walking towards the general.

    The general''s body began to shake uncontrollably. He did not understand why his body was behaving in such a manner. "What are you doing to me?!" He cried out.

    "Nothing, yet." Zell said. "It seems your body is smarter than you are and knows when a superior being is near. Tell me why did the demon lord move his army here? Is he planning to attack Neuval?"

    "I don''t have to answer you!" The general yelled.

    "Is that right?" Zell asked. Zell made it to the general and placed his hand upon his shoulder. The general found themself transported to a large dark void with massive countless galaxies littering the background. He was experiencing Zell''s almighty power. He was feeling the power of the multiverse itself. His eyes began to tear up and his bowels relieved themselves from fear as he fell down to his knees.

    "He wanted me to investigate a strange magic he had picked up." The general said while falling down further, holding himself up with his hands. "When we got to the forest there was so much rot and some of our men became walking dead and turned on us. So, we camped here and made our report. We are waiting for the lord to give us his orders."

    Zell squatted down next to the weeping general. "That wasn''t so hard, was it?" Zell said as he stood up. "Now onto the matter of how you addressed my friend there."

    "I am so sorry my lady!" He cried and begged. "Please find it in your heart to forgive a worthless worm such as myself!"

    "Well Kaitlyn, do you forgive his worm?" Zell asked with a smile, clearly enjoying the situation.

    "No." Kaitlyn said. "He wanted to defile me. I will not forgive him!"

    "Whelp you heard the lady." Zell said.

    The general leaped forward and laid flat on his belly. "Please oh goddess of the beast kin allow me your almighty forgiveness."

    "Well, do you forgive him now?" Zell asked.

    "Still no." Kaitlyn said. "Plus, he said there were others who he broke! I can''t even imagine what they went through."

    "You have a point." Zell said. "I think a punishment is in order. What would you suggest?"

    "A pervert like him is a waste of space." Kaitlyn said. "I say we just rid the world of him."

    "No please!" He cried out.

    "I have an idea." Zell said. "Let''s let the beast tribe decide his fate."

    "I just did." Kaitlyn said.

    "You think all of the beast kin will share in your decision?" Zell asked.

    "Yes." Kaitlyn replied.

    "Allow me to serve you instead!" He cried out. "Please do not end my life!"

    "What is your level little general?" Zell asked.

    "Forty thousand." He replied. "I know I can be of some use to you if you only give me a chance."

    "You are so quick to turn on your master." Zell said. "Do you really wish to serve your master''s enemies so badly that you would abandon him without hesitation?"

    "Normally I would never." The general said. "But I just witnessed your power, it is greater than anything I could ever imagine."

    "I allowed you to see but one percent of my power." Zell said. "Anymore and you would have died where you stood."

    "Please masters, let me serve you!" He begged again.

    "I say we let him serve the beast kin." Zell said. "Having someone of his level will allow them to rebuild their homes faster and give them extra protection against any and all threats."

    "Fine." Kaitlyn sighed. "He can serve my people."

    "Excellent." Zell said. "What is your name, little general of the demon army?"

    "My name is Tridon." He said. "It is an honor to serve you both, really it is."

    "Yes, I am sure that it is." Zell said. "Be warned Tridon, should you betray the beast kin or me you will wish that I had given you the mercy of death on this day. Do you understand me?"

    "Yes, my master!" Tridon said.

    "Excellent." Zell said as he opened a portal to Tarm. "Go through this portal and serve the beast kin well. If I find you were of no use to them then well¡­"

    "Yes master!" Tridon yelled as he ran through the portal, worried Zell would change his mind.

    "Ha, so eager to serve." Zell laughed.

    "Should have just killed him." Kaitlyn complained. "No need to keep a person like that alive."

    "When did you become so heartless?" Zell asked.

    "It''s a kill or be kill world." Kaitlyn replied. "No need to beat around the bush about it. He was our enemy and a complete pervert. He thought he could have his way with me and admitted that he had done that sort of thing to others. He didn''t deserve to have mercy granted to him."

    "Death would have been a mercy." Zell explained. "With the power I showed him he will always cower in fear at my existence. He once thought he was strong and powerful, full of foolish pride. Now he knows that I exist, and to me he is less than an ant. His life has been changed and his pride has been taken from him. He will live the rest of his life serving the very people he thought less of. Had I killed him that would have been that. Now he has to live the long life of a demon completely in shame."

    Kaitlyn smiled at Zell''s explanation. "I suppose that is a better solution. Thank you for taking care of that for me."

    "I always have your back." Zell said.. "Now let''s make our way to the demon lord."

 Chapter 115 - Yrag

    Zell and Kaitlyn made their way down the road that led to the demon lord''s domain. Along the way they passed numerous small towns and villages that had all been abandoned. The demon lord had pulled all of the outside citizens closer to the castle so that he could protect them from the ravages of war. It was also his way of increasing his experience point gain.

    "Zell?" Kaitlyn asked.

    "Yes?" Zell replied.

    "Are you really going to kill the demon lord?" She asked.

    "That all depends on him." Zell responded. "It is not my intention to kill him, but if he has forced my hand, which is another matter."

    "Right." Kaitlyn said.

    They continued their journey and as the sun set they could see the outline of the demon lord''s castle out in the distance. Small huts lined the road in rows, all of the evacuated citizens were housed here. "Looks like we found everyone." Zell said, as they began to walk past the huts.

    The guards along the path did not budge, but it was noticeable that they were shaken from Zell''s presence. Some fainting from terror as he walked past.

    "You have such an effect on people now." Kaitlyn said. "Remember when everyone used to run up and attack you first thing?"

    "Ha!" Zell laughed. "Yeah, this is quite a different experience. I don''t know if it''s the power coming from me, they fear or the fact I am a dragon now, but something has them trembling."

    "I would say it''s your aura." Kaitlyn said. "It is raging off of you like a fiery eruption that reaches the heavens themselves."

    "I thought normal people could not see an aura?" Zell said. "Donovan said it required a special skill."

    "It''s different from the one he is talking about." Kaitlyn said. "Look at the world as a dragon and you will see what I mean. You are still using your eyes as a human does."

    Zell closed his eyes and reopened them. They no longer looked human, instead they were slanted like a lizard. He could now see weak emanations of power coming off of the demons and Kaitlyn. "I see something now."

    "Yes, you didn''t have one of these when you were human, but now that you are a dragon you do." Kaitlyn said. "It is something all nonhumans have, but it is only visible to nonhumans."

    "Then why did Tridon think he could beat me?" Zell asked. "If my aura is that impressive, how could he possibly think he stood a chance?"

    "He might have been blind to it." Kaitlyn said. "Some nonhumans are born unable to see it. It is extremely rare among beast kin, but I don''t know how uncommon it is to demons. Either that or he was a complete fool."

    "I see." Zell said. "Well, it seems there are things I need to learn about being a nonhuman. I am glad I have you here to explain things to me."

    "Well, the dragons can help you more than I can." Kaitlyn explained. "It is not like I know a lot about dragons."

    Zell blinked his eyes and returned them to his regular human ones. "Still, I am glad you are here." Zell said. "It is good that I have a friend with me."

    They continued walking until they got to the front gate of the castle. Zell went to knock on the door but as he did the door creaked open all by itself. It revealed a vast room with another large door in the distance. Dark stone floors and walls with hanging torch chandeliers and torches lining the walls.

    Zell and Kaitlyn looked into the room and then back at each other. "Do you think there''s a trap?" Kaitlyn asked.

    "Most likely." Zell said. "Not that it matters. Stay behind me."

    The two of them entered the large space expecting something to happen as they did. As they got to the center of the room the other large door began to open and the entrance behind them began to close. Through the newly opened door they could see the throne room and the demon lord himself was sitting upon the throne.

    Zell was impressed that no traps had been laid as he requested. He only hoped that Maximus had been telling the truth about his mother as well. As the two of them entered the room the demon lord greeted them.

    "There he is!" Yrag said. "The legendary hero of legend has graced my halls at last. Tell me, did you have a good trip?"

    "It had some detours, but I have finally made it." Zell said. "Where is my mother?"

    "She is fine." Yrag said. "I have been giving her the royal treatment she deserves, so calm yourself."

    "I will calm down when I see that she is fine as you say." Zell said. "Bring her out now."

    Yarg waved his hand, and his servants left the room, only to return within a few moments with Zell''s mother following behind them. "Where are we going?" Elenore could be heard asking. "Does Yrag need something from me?"

    She saw Zell in his new form as she entered the room, but she knew exactly who it was. Her motherly instinct would know her child no matter what he looked like. "Zell!" She yelled out and ran to her son, who now towered over her. "You look so different! You have grown so much!"

    "Yes, there is much I need to discuss with you mother." Zell said.

    "See I am a demon of my word." Yrag said. "Your mother is unharmed; now can we talk as gentlemen? Or will we be forced to fight?"

    "Mother I am going to open a portal to Neuval, please go through it and I will meet up with you later." Zell said. "Kaitlyn go with my mother and keep her safe."

    As the women were going through the portal Elenore could be heard asking Kaitlyn if she was Zell''s girlfriend. Kaitlyn blushed at the question and Elenore laughed at her response. The portal closed behind them.

    "Alright now that my mother is safe, we have business to attend to." Zell said. "I intend to end the war. No more lives on either side need to die. I see that you are a man who cares for his people. Why else would you gather them all away from the front lines?"

    "I cannot stop the war." Yrag said. "I have a mission from god that must be seen through to the end. Plus, humanity does not deserve mercy. I know of your past and how your sister and the people of your own kingdom treated you. Join me in the service of my god and let us wipe humanity''s influence from the globe. You yourself have departed from your human form, you should join the right and just side."

    "The work of the gods is not the work of the just." Zell replied. "They do nothing other than toy in the affairs of men for their own entertainment. They are the reason for this war and all of the suffering it has caused. They are the reason for my sister and all of the harm she caused my people. That same god who sent you sent Rose. You both had the same goal of ending humanity. I know her past of being a murderer. What of yours? What were you in your past life?"

    "I don''t believe you that the gods are unjust." Yrag said. "I will tell you my story and you will see the god''s wisdom and selecting me to be this world''s hero.

    I was a teenager back on Earth. I loved video games, manga, webnovels, and anime. I always longed to be a hero and hoped that one day after high school and college I could do something with my life to help others. I watched as my grandfather worked his whole life to provide for his family and his selfless sacrifice to provide. He was the man I admired most in life, even more than my own father.

    No one was cooler than grandpa. He knew so much about life and just was a joy to be with. I remember the camping trips he would take me on up in the mountains and how we would fish all day and most of the night.

    My grandpa was a hero to me, and I wished to be one too. However, on the day my grandpa retired, my whole family and I were murdered, I was robbed of my chance to show my grandpa what a hero I could be. Then the god found my soul¡­"

    "Gary?!" Zell yelled out, tears were pouring from his eyes as he knew who the demon lord was now, the person from another world. His grandson, his namesake. "Is it really you?!"

    "Wait, how do you know my name was Gary?!" Yrag yelled out.

    "Because you were named after the grandfather you loved so much!" Zell cried. "You were named after me!"

 Chapter 116 - Reunion

    "What? No¡­" Yrag replied "Grandpa¡­?"

    "Yes, it is me." Zell said, starting to tear up. "I thought you were lost forever. Gone within the cycle of life and death, to have found you again it is a miracle."

    "Grandpa." Yrag said with his eyes flowing like rivers. "I thought I would never see you again!"

    The two of them ran towards one another and embraced each other. They hugged and all of the trauma they had both endured had melted away as their souls reconnected in kinship. Zell placed his hands on Yrag''s shoulders and held him out to look at him. The mark on his hand began to glow and he could see his grandson just as he was back on Earth. The emblem showed him the truth of his soul, which had not been cleansed from its past life.

    "Grandpa, I really do have to do as god told me." Yrag said. "I don''t have a choice. He chose me to cleanse this land of evil so that life can flourish. The humans here aren''t like the ones on Earth, they are cruel and for the most part incredibly stupid. They have abused the other races, enslaved them, and murdered them. The humans here deserve no mercy, killing them would be the best thing to do."

    "Is that the way I raised you?" Zell asked. "Because a group is evil or corrupt you think the best answer is to kill them? I don''t remember teaching you that on any of our camping trips or fishing trips. What is it I always told you?"

    "That no matter what happens with other people, the one person who always has to deal with my actions is me." Yrag said. "But grandpa, they murdered my family here. I cannot forgive them, nor should I. God himself told me to end their blight upon this planet. It is not like I can ignore the order from the divine."

    "The gods are my enemy." Zell told his grandson. "They have toyed with the lives of mortals for far too long. Just look at what they have done to our family. Your murder and your parents were all caused by the will of the god you serve. Then he reincarnated you on this planet and asked you to do something as unspeakable as murder its inhabitants. Not only that but the woman who murdered you was reincarnated as well. By that very same god.

    Her mission was the same as yours. She is the evil queen Rose that you have been fighting against. To top it all off, another god reincarnated me here to fight you and ordered me to kill you. She told me countless lies upon lies and I honestly wouldn''t be surprised if she knew who you were all along and just found some sick sadistic thrill out of my killing my own grandson."

    Yrag just stood there and listened as his grandfather explained.

    "Normally a mortal has no choice but to obey the gods, they feel as if it is their grand purpose and only reason for being." Zell explained. "I am not bound to such a fate, instead I was blessed with free will, because of a skill I obtained when I defied the god of time and space."

    "That''s why I have to do it." Yrag said. "I have to kill those people; they need to die."

    "It''s okay." Zell said. "Let me try something." He summoned his power, and his white silver armor began to shine with a light so bright and white that it canceled out all else, until it seemed as if the room was nothing more than a white void. "As a god, I command you mortal. Ignore the orders of the other gods and do only as you see fit." Zell said in a deep commanding voice that reverberated throughout the halls of the castle and shook the very foundation of the building.

    After he finished issuing his command he powered down and the light retreated back into his armor. "How do you feel now?" Zell asked. "Still feel like you need to kill the humans of this world?"

    Yrag thought for a moment and smiled. The nagging voice and feeling in his head to kill all the humans of the world was gone. He was free of the influence of the god of destruction for the first time since his reincarnation. "No, I no longer feel the overwhelming desire to kill them all."

    "I am glad." Zell said. "I had hoped that the power of a stronger god could override the commands of another. It looks like I was right."

    "You are a god now Grandpa?" Yrag asked. "Man, I can''t say I ever read an Isekai where the protag became a god. Oh, that reminds me. Grandpa, why do you have a harem? I never thought you were the type to do that."

    "A harem?!" Zell replied. "Why would you think I have a harem?!"

    "You have so many female followers, I just assumed that you were building a harem like so many other main characters I have read about." Yrag explained. "Although the dwarf threw me off. I thought questionable things about you."

    "So, you thought I was building a harem and Kilgon was a part of it?" Zell asked while laughing. "Oh, that is funny. You always did have the best imagination in the family."

    "Sure, it seems silly now, but I just thought you were another person like me, not my grandfather!" Yrag replied. "More importantly, back to my question. You are a god now?!"

    "Yeah, I met with one of the creators of the multiverse." Zell explained. "She gave me the task of replacing the corrupted gods and gave me the power to do so. But then the power was too great for my mortal body and the entire multiverse was on the verge of being blown to bits. So, I had to become a dragon, but then instead of passing just one of the trials to become a dragon I passed them all and became a divine chromatic dragon. The power infused with my new dragon body, and I became a god with a level of two sextillion."

    "Two sextillion?!" Yrag yelled. "Here I was bragging about becoming what I thought was the strongest at level one million. I feel stupid now. I honestly thought I could defeat you and you are a literal god now."

    "Don''t take it too hard there kiddo." Zell laughed. "You never were able to best me before, remember?"

    Yrag sighed. "You are right." He said. "Still, what are we going to do now that we know who each other are and I am free of the god''s influence?"

    "Well, the war is over." Zell said. "I have saved Neuval from Rose and am going to instate my mother as the new queen of Neuval. You will have no more acts of aggression from Neuval, Tarm, or Kermonth. I will convince the other kingdoms of the joys of cooperation between humans and nonhumans in due time, so you do not have to worry about them either.

    All that is left is for your forces to stand down. There can be a great peace on this planet. One where humans and nonhumans live together, work together, and help each other have better lives. Where no race belittles another, and conflict is a thing of the past. Where hunger and disease are eradicated, and children are brought up with love instead of fear.

    You and I can do this together. You said that I was your greatest hero and that you wished to be like me. Well, here is your chance. I am already proud of you and the kingdom you have built. You have cared for your people and showed restraint when dealing with the other races. You took care of my mother when she was your prisoner, when a lesser soul would have hurt her."

    "Let''s do it Grandpa." Yrag put his hand out for Zell to shake. "Let us build this better world.. If anyone can do it, I know you can."

 Chapter 117 - Come Meet My Friends!

    "So, what do we do first?" Yrag asked.

    "First you need to call in your generals and let them know the war is over and that humanity is now their friends." Zell said.

    "Maximus!" Yrag yelled out.

    Within moments of the yell Maximus ran through the door and bowed down at Yrag''s feet. "Yes, my lord? What can I do for you?"

    "Maximus, as it turns out the hero that has vexed us so is actually my beloved grandfather and he has freed me from the grasp of the gods." Yrag explained. "Rely it to all the troops that demon kind will no longer be spat upon, we shall live in peace with our human neighbors."

    "Sire, if I may." Maximus said. "Such a thing is a challenging thing for us to swallow, the humans have treated us so poorly for so long. I doubt many would find it in their heart to forgive as quickly as you have. Also, what promise do we have that humans would honor such an arrangement? Their kind is void of honor and are but a blight on this land. Does your grandfather not see the wisdom in their demise?"

    "No Maximus." Yrag said. "Just because we could kill the humans, doesn''t mean we should. Sure, they are brutish, uneducated, and racist, but that does not mean that they deserve to have their life snuffed from their bodies. They think of us the same as we think of them, and this will be a hard transition for both our races. But we must make the first move, to show them that we are capable of compassion."

    "I will handle the hearts of men." Zell said. "Do not worry about them."

    "So, the dragons have come to our aid." Maximus said. "Thank you, mighty dragon, I can sense your might. I am sure the humans will follow your power."

    "Right, I look different now." Zell laughed.

    "Maximus, this dragon is my grandfather, the hero that we have been fighting." Yrag explained.

    "What?!" Maximus yelled out.

    "Yes, and I am glad you did not lie to me." Zell said. "I would have hated to show my grandson my anger. He has always known me to be kind and gentle. I am glad you did not make me change his opinion of me."

    "Yes, as I said your mother was being well taken care of." Maximus said. "So, if you are handling the humans, I suppose there is little to fear. Humans have always responded to strength, and you are radiating it from every pore. If you tell them to jump, I am sure their response will be how high. We might actually have a peace for the first time in history."

    "Yes, I will ensure that we do." Zell said.

    "So please relay those orders." Yrag said. "I am counting on you to put down any dissent amongst our troops. Have them begin preparing the citizens to move. They will be returning to their old villages now that it is safe for them to do so."

    "I will do as you command my lord." Maximus said with a bow and began to leave the room.

    "One more thing, Maximus." Yrag said. "Do not question my orders again. I will forgive you this one time out of respect for my grandfather''s wish for peace, but if you ever question me again, I will have you stripped of your rank and turn you into a dirt farmer."

    "Sire!" Maximus yelled with a bow and left.

    "Poor Maximus." Zell laughed. "It seems everyone is always threatening that guy. Last time I spoke with him I told him he would have wished for death if he betrayed me." Zell laughed a little more. "So, would you like to come with me? I would love to introduce you to all of my friends I have met here. I am sure they will be glad to meet you."

    "Sure." Yrag said. "I have always been curious, but I never left the castle so that my skill would stay in effect, and I could get stronger."

    "What skill is that?" Zell asked.

    "Whenever someone who is loyal to me gains experience near me, I also gain the experience, but it is multiplied four-fold." Yrag explained.

    "That is some impressive skill." Zell said. "Is that how you got to level one million?"

    "Yes, I have had all of my citizens working hard on leveling up." Yrag said.

    "The goddess that sent me started me off at level two million if you can believe it." Zell said.

    "Two million?! You were born at level two million?!" Yrag yelled. "Then why did you let your sister claim to be a hero? You could have flexed your muscle right from the start!"

    "I didn''t have my memories." Zell explained. "As a small child I worried about being different and standing out. I didn''t want people to think of me as some sort of freak of nature and I had no idea what level I was because my status screen was broken."

    "I see." Yrag said. "Must have been rough for you grandpa."

    "It wasn''t too bad." Zell said. "I made some good friends along the way. Let''s go there now." Zell formed a portal to Neuval. "Jump through the portal and I will follow after you."

    Yrag did as Zell instructed and found himself instantly transported to Neuval. Zell followed closely behind him. They entered the throne room through the portal and were greeted by Kaitlyn and Elenore who had been awaiting Zell''s return.

    "Welcome home my son." Elenore said. "I see you have brought Yrag with you. See I told you that you and my son would get along fine."

    "More than you know." Yrag replied.

    "Yes, as it turns out Yrag here is my grandson from my past life." Zell explained.

    "What?!" Kaitlyn yelled out. "Your grandson?! The demon lord was your grandson?!"

    "Yes." Zell said. "Come now, that''s not the craziest thing that has happened to us."

    "I guess you are right." Kaitlyn said. "It is still mind boggling."

    "So, what happened to the evil queen?" Yrag asked, looking around the room.

    "I don''t know." Zell said. "She must have known I was coming somehow and ran away."

    "Let''s find out then shall we." Yrag said. "I have had some spies set up recording stones in various rooms of this castle. We couldn''t watch from whatever spell she was casting, but the device should have still recorded everything." Yrag rubbed along the walls and pulled off a tiny pebble that was unnoticeably placed inside of a grove on the wall.. "Here it is, let''s find out together."

 Chapter 118 - Where Did She Go?!

    Yrag held the stone in his hand and channeled some of his magic into it. The stone began to glow brightly before it shot out a projection into the center of the throne room. It showed everything Rose had done that day, looking through her book, gathering ingredients and casting her spell. They could only see the portal itself, due to interference they could not see inside of it.

    "So, she went through a portal?" Zell said. "Where was it?" He asked as he walked over to the stop where the portal appeared to have been. "About right here?"

    "I believe so." Yrag said.

    Zell closed his eyes and focused on the magics around him. He could see clearly the flows of magic in the world and could see more deeply into the flowing magic of creation running through the multiverse. In looking at the strands of magic of the multiverse it appeared as if a strand of it had been cut and repaired.

    "I think it was a portal that traversed the multiverse." Zell said. "There is evidence that she left this universe altogether."

    "Where could she have gone?" Elenore asked.

    "Without a clearer picture of the portal I don''t think we could know." Zell said. "Even then there are thousands of possibilities. That book is our best clue. Donovan said that it was a journal of a mage from another world who claimed to be doing god''s work."

    "So that''s where she got that creepy magic." Yrag said. "She honestly had me worried with that magic."

    "Yeah, she obviously got the spell from the book." Zell said. "Although she took it with her, the odds of us finding it out is pretty much zilch."

    "Not necessarily." Elenore said. "Years ago, before you were born your grandfather thought there may be a time when Neuval was taken, or worse destroyed. He did not want all of Neuval''s culture to be lost so he sent all of our libraries to be copied. After the copies were made all of the books were returned to the royal libraries."

    "Where did he send them to be copied?" Zell asked. "If the copy is there maybe we can find out where she went."

    "Well, He told his son, your uncle when he became king." Elenore said. "But I don''t think your uncle passed that knowledge on before his death. I do know that it was not another kingdom that produced the copies and that the wagons that took the books left from the western gate. Maybe if you follow along the road from the western gate, you can figure out where they went?"

    "It''s not much to go on but at least it is something." Zell said. "The real issue is, we don''t know where she went or what she is planning. She may return with a force never before seen by this universe. I worry that I will not be here to protect everyone."

    "I will stay, grandpa." Yrag said. "At level one million I am fairly confident in my abilities."

    "Thanks." Zell said.

    "So, if he is your grandson from a past life that kind of makes me his great grandmother, doesn''t it?" Elenore asked. "To think I would be a great grandmother before I even had grandbabies."

    "I guess so?" Yrag said, shrugging his shoulders.

    Elenore just smiled happily. "What about you Kaitlyn dear are you going to join my son on his search for this magical tome?"

    "Zell, can you send me back to Tarm." Kaitlyn said. "I need to let everyone else know about everything that has happened. They need to know about the end of the war and this business with your sister."

    Zell opened a portal to Tarm for Kaitlyn to use. "Yes, that seems like a good use of our resources. Thanks for suggesting that, Kaitlyn." Zell said.

    "It just made the most sense to me." Kaitlyn replied. "Besides I can''t wait to drop this bombshell about the demon lord being your grandson. Bye now!" She said as she went through the portal. Zell closed it behind her.

    "I should update the dragons as well, but that will have to wait until I find the tomes." Zell said. "Or wait, Donovan probably knows exactly where it is. I will just go and ask him."

    "If anyone alive in the kingdom knows, it would be Donovan." Elenore said. "I hope that he does, but your grandfather was extremely tight-lipped with his secrets, so temper your expectations."

    "I will see all of you shortly." Zell said. "Oh, and Gary, I will introduce you to the dragons once we have the situation settled with Rose. Until then thank you for guarding Neuval."

    "It really isn''t a problem grandpa." Yrag said. "I am honestly happy to just be out of my castle. Everything is so much brighter and nicer here. It is a good change of pace."

    "See you all soon." Zell said as he vanished.

    He appeared back at the house of black, appearing in the great room, where he found Sid sitting on the sofa.

    Sid looked surprised and nervous from Zell''s sudden appearance out of nowhere. "Zell! What are you doing here?!" He asked all in a nervous voice.

    "I need to find Donovan, it is a matter of importance." Zell said. "I will explain everything later, for now I need to know where Donovan is."

    "He is with the elders, he is with Obsi and the others, they are all gathering with the Elders right now to discuss the human who rescued me."

    "Oh right." Zell said. "I almost forgot about her with everything that is going on."

    "Master?" Lucille could be heard asking as she entered the room. "Who are you talking to? You said we were going to have the day to ourselves?"

    As she entered Zell could see that she was wearing an apron and nothing else.. Without hesitation he teleported away to the elders'' temple to meet with Donovan and the others.

 Chapter 119 - Find The Tome

    "Ah Zell, welcome, welcome." Sunea said as she saw Zell appear inside the chamber. "What honor do we owe this visit?"

    "I need to find Donovan." Zell said. "I have to ask him a question."

    Donovan walked out into the center of the room, followed by Obsi and Camille. "What is it, young man? Do you have need of this old man?"

    "Yes, earlier when you told me about the journal of that mage." Zell explained. "Rose was indeed using it to learn the magic she was using. Well, it turns out that it had a portal spell to somewhere written inside of its pages, and she took the journal with her. My mother told me that my grandfather took all the books from the kingdom and had them copied. I need to know where that was."

    "So, Elenore is safe now?!" Donovan asked. "That is wonderful news! So, you have dealt with the demon lord, and everything is fine now?"

    "Yes." Zell said. "Turns out the demon lord was my grandson from my original world, so it was very easy to wrap it all up."

    "Your grandson?!" Everyone yelled.

    "Yeah, I am so happy to have found him." Zell said. "Although my hatred towards the gods burns even brighter now, for if I was bound to their will I would have had to fight and kill my own grandson, and had I not overridden his orders from his god he would have been forced to do the same. Their sick twisted games know no limit. They will face my wrath as soon as I deal with the threat of my sister."

    "I see." Donovan said.

    "Since we don''t know where she went or when she is coming back and with what force it would be great if you could tell me where to find the book." Zell said.

    "I really wish I could." Donovan said. "But the old king did not share that information with me, I can only tell you that they left from the western gate."

    "That is the same answer my mother gave me." Zell said with a sigh. "Thanks for trying. I need to return to Neuval and leave from the western gate. Maybe I can find something from the sky."

    "Would you like me to come join you?" Obsi asked. "You can ride me all you want if it helps with your search."

    "I have flight magic." Zell said. "That won''t be needed."

    "Fine." Obsi sighed. "I will be waiting for you here with open arms."

    "I have no doubt." Zell laughed. "Donovan, would you like to return to Neuval? I can open a portal and we both can go."

    "Not yet." Donovan said. "I have learned more about magic and the nature of the multiverse here than I did in all my previous years combined. Allow me to stay a while longer. There is still much I need to learn. Plus, I have promised Camille here that I will help her develop a way to return her to her home."

    "That tome contains a spell for multiverse travel." Zell said. "It is possible to return her home if we can figure out how it works. I will bring the tome here after I use it to stop Rose."

    "That would be most helpful." Donovan said. "We will eagerly await your return."

    "Some more than others." Obsi said, biting her bottom lip.

    Zell teleported back to Neuval without saying another word.

    "That was fast." Elenore said as she saw Zell reappear in the throne room. "Did he not know either?"

    "No, he only said that they left from the western gate, same as you." Zell replied.

    "Then it sounds like you know what to do." Elenore said. "Go through the western gate and find where your grandfather copied the books."

    "It should be simple with flight magic." Zell said, as he walked over to the balcony. He cast his flight magic upon himself and lifted up into the air. "I shall return shortly when I find the tome."

    "Be careful dear!" Elenore said.

    Zell flew west of Neuval and followed the road. As he did, he scanned the environment looking for something or somewhere his grandfather might have used. After flying for half an hour, he came across a forest alongside the road. He could tell from above that there was a village built inside a clearing deep inside the forest. "Could be it." Zell said as he changed direction and flew to the village. He landed in the center of the village and looked around.

    The townsfolk were all nonhumans. Small people, no more than two feet high with generous amounts of body hair. They were all surprised by Zell''s sudden appearance in their village and yelled out in fear as they ran to their homes. At six foot six Zell was the height of their dwellings and felt himself a giant amongst them.

    "Hello?!" Zell yelled out. "My name is Zell Neuval and I come in peace. Please don''t be afraid as I mean you no harm."

    One of the little people popped their head out of their door. "Did you say your name was Neuval?" He asked.

    Zell responded. "Yes, my name is Zell Neuval, from the kingdom of Neuval, just down the road from this forest. I have a question that I need to ask you if you would be willing to hear it."

    "Ask your question." The person said.

    "Did my grandfather have you all copy the books of Neuval?" Zell asked. "Or am I in the wrong place?"

    "Yes." The person said and then went back inside and closed the door.

    "Yes, to the first question or the second?" Zell asked.

    The man poked his head out once more. "Perhaps you should give people a chance to answer one question before you ask another and then you would not be confused." He said. "But if you need clarification, yes, we copied the books. No, you cannot have them, at least not yet you cannot."

    Zell sighed. "What is it that you want?"

 Chapter 120 - Blood Test

    "It is not what we want but what is required for you to enter the chamber in which we have stored the books." The man said.

    "Oh well if it is a matter of an unmovable door, I can just destroy it." Zell replied. "It would be super easy, where is the door?"

    "No!" The little man jumped out of his house. "You will not go around and destroy our property because you don''t want to follow the client''s orders! Have some respect for other peoples'' things! We did this favor to you humans with the promise that you would respect us and treat us as you would an equal. Not act like some barbarian."

    "Fine." Zell said with a sigh. "What was my grandfather''s request? Do I have to go through some trial, and face some incredible beast? Or am I to just answer a riddle or save a kingdom?"

    "What has happened to you?!" The little man replied. "You know what don''t answer that, I don''t really care. But no, you just need to be certified that you are the blood of the client. Just a little magical blood test and bam, we grant you access to the chamber."

    "Sounds simple." Zell said. "Although, what happens if I fail this test? Hypothetically speaking, if I had gone through some magical ritual and altered on a genetic level and no longer bore any markers with my grandfather. Completely hypothetical of course."

    The little man just looked at Zell and raised his eyebrow. "Then you would have to go through the trials and cause all of us, but mostly yourself a lot more work. Is that why you are a massive mountain of a man that shines with holy light and an aura that shakes the very foundation of this planet? Hypothetically of course."

    "I really should learn how to hide my aura." Zell said. "I am not used to having one."

    "Yes, you should." The little man said. "Walking around showing off your cosmic power, you are quite the shameless one."

    "And yet you seem to have no fear of me." Zell said.

    "That''s because I don''t give two shits from a rat''s ass about any of that." The little man said. "If you wanted to kill me you would have, you obviously didn''t so why the hell would I worry about it?"

    "Makes sense." Zell said.

    "Wait here." The little man said as he left Zell standing next to his house. He walked over to another building and returned a half of an hour later. "Sorry, that took so long, it was hard to find this." He showed Zell a stone tile. "Just drop some of that blood on here and if it turns blue you are good to go in and if it turns red, then we start the trials. Remove your armor and hold your finger out. I am just going to poke it with this knife, just a tiny drop of blood."

    Zell had the scales retreat from his hand and showed his naked finger to the small nonhuman. The little man attempted to prick Zell''s finger but as the knife hit his flesh the knife snapped, and Zell was left completely unharmed. "Sorry." Zell said. "I didn''t mean to break your dagger."

    "Should have guessed someone as powerful as you would have a challenging time giving a blood sample." He said. "Let me go get a better weapon." He left again for twenty minutes and returned wielding a dagger made of pure diamonds. "Hardest substance on this planet. This should do the trick." He thrusted the dagger onto Zell''s index finger only to have it shatter to dust the moment it made contact with his skin. "Whelp, I am out of ideas. Also expect a bill for the property that you destroyed. I will have it sent to your kingdom."

    "Here." Zell said as he took his finger from his other hand and made a small scratch on his exposed finger. A droplet of blood landed on the tile before Zell''s wound healed instantly. The tile instantly changed red.

    "Trials it is." The small man said with a sigh. "If you continue west from here you will find a mountain and on the side of that mountain you will find a tomb. It is the tomb of the former kings of Neuval, you must go there and collect the key from the tomb of the king who ordered us to copy the books."

    "That''s all I need to do?" Zell asked. "That is a breeze compared to all of the other trials I have faced so far."

    "Alright then stop wasting my time and go get that key, if it is such an easy task." The man said.

    "I will be back shortly." Zell said. "I will see you soon, um what''s your name again? I don''t think I caught it."

    "That''s because you never asked, and I never gave it." He replied. "The name is Jeff; don''t forget it I shall not tell you a second time."

    "Okay Jeff, I will see you soon." Zell said as he started to use his flight magic to lift himself up into the air. He flew high above the forest and then headed west towards the mountains. He followed along the road in hopes that the entrance of the tomb would be visible from it. As he got to the mountain range, he saw a small path diverge from the main road that led up the mountain. He followed it with his eyes and found an entrance with two stone doors with cravings of an ivy that was common in Neuval''s architecture.

    "That must be the place." Zell said as he flew down to the entrance. He reached out and opened the massive stone door, it made a horrible rumble as it moved along the ground and Zell was blasted with the cold stale air from inside the tomb.

    As he took a step inside the door slammed itself behind him and the torches that lined the wall began to burn with a bright orange dancing flame that illuminated the darkness.

 Chapter 121 - Tombs Of Kings Of Old

    "Well, that''s interesting." Zell said as he examined the flows of magic in the chamber to discern what sort of spell achieved what had just transpired. He found the threads of magic that controlled the flaming torches, but he could not find any magic that explained the door.

    The room itself was massive, they had craved deep into the mountain and created a massive tomb inside. From where he was standing, he could see down into the core of the mountain that had all been cleared out. A long staircase descended from the platform he was standing on and it branched out to stone buildings decorated in ornate golden designs. From his count there were eight. Then at the bottom of the chamber Zell could see a trance to another level below.

    An eerie fog originated from the entrance and hovered around the floor of the chamber. Strange noises could be heard from below.

    "Alright, I just need to find my grandfather''s tomb and get the key." Zell said to himself as he started down the stairs. He reached the first stone structure and looked for a plaque on the wall. He scanned what it said, this tomb was of the founder of Neuval. Knowing that it was not his grandfather''s tomb he moved on to the next one.

    This one the plaque had been broken and Zell could not make out the words from the shattered stone. He doubted it was his grandfather''s tomb since the previous had been of the founder. He decided to move on and come back to it if none of the others were the tomb he was looking for.

    He continued to descend, checking each tomb as he passed until he reached the ground floor. The fog was waist high, and he walked to the final stone building. This one was it, his grandfather''s tomb. Zell reached over for the door to the structure and opened it gently. The door was slightly shorter than his new tall frame and he had to duck to go inside.

    As he entered the room more torches began to burn and lit up the structure. In the center being covered by the fog that was now entering the room was a single sarcophagus made of white marble. "This must be my grandfather." Zell said as he walked over to it.

    He had never met his grandfather of this world; he had already passed on before he was born. He wondered what kind of king he was, what kind of man he was. He opened the lid to the sarcophagus and dust flew up into the air as the lid slid off onto the ground of the tomb. Inside was a skeleton clad in golden armor with a golden crown atop his head. Its hands were crossed over its chest and a key was lodged under them.

    "Sorry grandfather, I need this key." Zell said as he reached down to take it.

    "Why¡­?" He heard a soft whisper from the fog. "Why do you need the key?"

    Zell quickly scanned the area for magic but could not see the source of the voice. A bit confused he decided to just take the key and leave, there was no need to answer strange, disembodied voices, whispering from the fog. As he grabbed the key the fog inside the room began to swirl, forming into the shape of an older man.

    "For what need is the knowledge of our kingdom?" The figure asked. "If you were a son of my blood this would be unnecessary, so why stranger? Why do you need my kingdom''s knowledge?"

    "Grandfather?" Zell questioned. He was confused, as his grandfather was dead, his soul should have returned to the cycle. He should have been cleansed and reincarnated. But here his soul was, fully aware and sentient. "How are you here?"

    "You call me grandfather, yet you do not share my blood?" The old king asked. "A bastard child perhaps, to think one of my son''s wives would do this to them. The shame of it all is almost too much to bear."

    "No, nothing like that." Zell said. "I am the son of Kelbor and Elenore, I just have been through a great deal in my life and have transcended to the status of divine dragon. That being said, my blood no longer matches your own."

    "That is an interesting tale stranger." The old king said. "But just knowing the names of my son and his wife is not enough to sway my thoughts. A human becoming a dragon god is simply ridiculous, there is no way that is even remotely possible. Not even if it was one of my descendants."

    "Grandfather, I have a question for you." Zell said. "How are you here like this? Why did your soul not go to the cycle?"

    "Still calling me grandfather, even after I did not believe your tale." The old king complained.

    "I don''t really know how to prove it to you." Zell said. "But the truth is the truth. I am Zell Neuval, and I am your grandson. Can you please tell me how it is that you are here?"

    "I shall choose to believe you for now." The old king said. "I am an excellent judge of character, and I am not sensing any deceit from you. Perhaps you are my grandson, and you really did become a dragon god. If so, I am proud, and you are a chip off the old block. Neither of my sons were the warriors I had wished them to be. I am glad my grandson''s power was so great that he became a god.

    As to how I am here, well that is somewhat of a long story. You see when I was a young man, I angered an old witch with ties to the gods. Her curse upon me was to suffer for all eternity and to never find peace. I have been trapped here, next to my body since I died. Come sit I will tell you my story since you want to know.. It has been years since I have had anyone to talk to."

 Chapter 122 - Story Of The Old King

    Zell looked around for somewhere to sit in the tomb, with little options he found a small platform barely above the fog and sat there. "So, what is your story, grandfather?" Zell asked.

    "It was when I was a young man, perhaps fifteen or seventeen. I was on a mission leading the knights under my command to a nonhuman settlement. Word had spread of dangerous orcs that had moved close to the kingdom." The old king explained. "I was tasked with dealing with them. It was a day''s ride to get to their encampment and oh what a glorious battle it was. It was the first blood I had let from a living being and it felt amazing as I danced through the battlefield.

    My men and I made short work of their foul existence. After the battle we searched the encampment and found some captured maidens. I hate to think what would have happened to them had we not shown up when we did. You see orcs are a cursed race that cannot give birth to a female child. To get around this they have developed ways to turn human women into orc women."

    "How is that possible?" Zell asked.

    "Did my alleged grandson who claims to have become a god among dragons, really ask how one race becomes another?" The old king laughed. "No, it''s quite alright and natural for you to be confused, having grown up in a near orc free world. I spent most of my time as king wiping their cursed race off the face of this planet.

    Still, back to my story. One of those maidens, unknown to me, was a witch. My glorious aptitude for battle, dashing good looks, and charm had smitten her with me. Had I known I would have set her straight right away, but sadly I was young and thought her actions were caused by the trauma that she had just endured.

    She rushed me and hugged me tightly and insisted I let her share my horse on the way back to the kingdom. Which I let her; she had been through enough as it was. Sadly, she took that simple act of kindness as reciprocation of her feelings. So, when I dropped her off with the guard when we got back to the kingdom, that''s when things began to go downhill.

    Apparently, she had attempted to get to me for months, but each attempt ended in failure as my guards would not allow a commoner such as her to grace my presence. Eventually her love for me grew into a bubbling hatred. She blamed me for ignoring her and getting her hopes up."

    "Wait, you said you angered an old witch." Zell said. "Was she old or young? You made her sound young."

    "That witch was young." The old king explained. "However, she had a loving mother and grandmother. Both of them were witches themselves. The grandmother was what is known as a reincarnate. She was placed upon this planet to do great things, or at least I hope that she was, and she just failed her mission. She was the one that was gifted from the gods with powerful magic.

    Magic so strong it could bind the soul of a person to an object and force them to never pass on. That is what she did to me. Seeing her granddaughter''s pain, she decided to take it upon herself to curse me so that I could never pass on and would be trapped in this tomb forever. After I died, I woke up here as a ghost over my own grave. The same young girl came to visit, she was as old as I was.

    She told me everything that happened and how her grandmother had cursed me. She apologized but told me that only her grandmother was capable of changing the spell and that she passed on shortly after casting it. She told me she always regretted what her grandmother did for her, and that as she grew older, she understood that I never had feelings or ignored her. I was just the prince and was being myself.

    She cried at my fate, but what was done was done. So, I told her to forget about me and to just continue to enjoy her life. I never saw her again. I haven''t had any visitors since then, which made me sad. But looking back I never visited the dead kings of old either, so I couldn''t blame my sons for not visiting me. Now tell me about yourself. I am sure you have a long story to tell as well. If you are in fact my grandson, I would love to know more about you."

    Zell smiled as he started his story way back in the beginning. He told his grandfather of his life on Earth, how he had died and been reincarnated. He told him about his childhood, how growing up was hard because he was afraid of his own power. How the gods reincarnated his family''s murderer as his sister in this world and how they made his grandson the demon lord. He told him about all the trials and tribulations that he had gone through. He told him everything. The old king just listened, his facial expressions changed based on what was being said, but he was hearing about the life of his grandson and could not be prouder.

    "That was an impressive story, Zell." The old king said. "You have done your family name proud, but I have a request for you. Can you rebuild our kingdom? From your story it seems to have fallen into much despair since last I was alive. Your uncle and your sister did little favors for it. It needs someone like you to make it into what it needs to be."

    "You mean someone from another world?" Zell asked.

    "No, I mean a good man." The old king said. "Your story has made that clear. Above all else you are a good man, who cares about those around him and thinks about how his actions will affect not just the people around him, but the people of the entire world. That is the making of a good king. My sons did not have it, but I am glad that my grandson was born to be king."

    "I have far too much to accomplish to be a king right now." Zell said.

    "Then allow your mother to rule for now but promise me that you will take up the mantle." The old king begged.. "This world needs a strong Neuval, and you are the only one who can give it to them."

 Chapter 123 - God Of Death

    "Alright I will." Zell said. "If only for a while I promise to bring Neuval into an age of prosperity that has never been seen. But only after I have dealt with the gods and my sister."

    "That is good to hear." The old king said. "I shall just remain here should you ever need me, for advice or for company. Since I am forever bound here to this place."

    Zell sighed. "Would you like me to find a way to free your soul?" Zell asked.

    The old kings lit up with hope at Zell''s offer. "Do you really think you could?!"

    "Yes, I do believe I can." Zell said. "Where is the object that has you bound and separated from the cycle?"

    "I only know that it is located in the tomb." The old king said. "I think it is below, where the fog is coming from."

    "Then it was an honor to meet you, grandfather." Zell said. "I am glad that we got to know one another before you passed on. I will free you from this suffering now." Zell started to leave the room.

    "Wait, grandson." The old king yelled out as Zell was starting to leave. "Thank you. Thank you for everything."

    Zell just nodded in response and continued out of the room. He walked over to the stairs that the fog had been coming from and began to descend them. The dense fog wrapped itself around Zell as he walked down the stairs. He looked closely at it, and it was infused with creation magic of some sort. He was far too strong for the magic to affect him, so he did not know what purpose the spell served.

    Annoyed by the low visibility the fog was providing him he used his breath to blow it out of his way. With just a quick gust from his mouth he created a powerful wind that pushed the fog back to its course. An old skull was placed on a pedestal, and it had been inscribed all over with runic circles and strange writing. The eye sockets of the skull possessed an eerie green flame and it looked as if it were watching Zell as he approached.

    Zell reached down and touched the skull, he intended to study the magics that created it so that he could learn to safely destroy it. He feared just using brute force could damage his grandfather''s soul and wanted to find a better way to separate his soul from the skull. As he touched the skull however, he found himself transported to another location.

    It was a large circular floor that was lifted above the ground. It appeared as if he were in a massive bubble and the platform was somehow suspended in the very center. In the middle of the platform that same fog was being released. It covered the entire platform and fell off it like a waterfall into the darkness below.

    "Who dares enter my domain?!" An angry whisper said.

    The fog swirled again as it did with Zell''s grandfather, only this time it formed a fully formed man with pale gray skin and white hair. He wore a gray robe that touched the ground and carried a wooden staff. He looked Zell over as if he were studying him.

    "Who are you?" He asked. "You are not one of the gods that I know, and you are far too strong to be one of the lesser gods."

    "My name is Zell." Zell answered. "Who are you?"

    The man laughed as he walked in a circular motion around Zell. "You entered my domain without knowing who I was? How foolish of you."

    "How foolish of you to put a door to your domain where anyone could find it." Zell replied. "Now who are you? I will not ask again." Zell started to show a fraction of the power that he possessed, and his aura filled the bubble universe that they were in.

    "Sorry!" The man said, beginning to cower from Zell''s might. "I am the god of death, my name is Brakus."

    Zell''s eyes became more intense. "Are you also known as the god of destruction?!" He shouted out, his power growing, beginning to shake the very universe they were standing in.

    "No!" Brakus yelled out. "The gods of creation are the ones who are known by that name! I only handle death. I only take the souls of the mortals to where they need to go so that they can rejoin the cycle. I promise you I have not done anything to deserve this level of rage from you."

    Zell calmed down a bit and the universe stopped shaking. "I am sorry for that then." Zell apologized. "The gods of creation and destruction have caused my family and myself a great deal of pain and suffering. My heart is filled with rage towards them."

    "I can see that!" Brakus answered. "So, Zell, why are you in my domain? Is there something I can do to help someone as great as yourself?"

    "I was looking for a way to free my grandfather''s soul." Zell explained. "It has been disconnected from the cycle and he is trapped as a ghost in his tomb."

    "I see." Brakus said. "Must have been one of my disciples of death. They are the only ones capable of keeping a soul from joining the cycle."

    "He said it was a reincarnated woman who did it to him." Zell said.

    "Yes, I use reincarnated souls to go to planets and add more points of connection for me so that I can collect souls more easily." Brakus explained. "They need a bit of my power so that they can complete their task, so they would be the only ones capable of doing what you described."

    "Can you free my grandfather then?" Zell asked.

    "I cannot, however you can." Brakus said as he reached up to his staff and removed a splinter from it. "If you give him this it will transport him here and he will be returned to the cycle. I cannot go on to that world myself without a willing vessel, and I believe you want results faster than the years required to find a suitable vessel."

    Zell took the small piece of wood into his hand and held it. "Thanks."

    "A favor before you go." Brakus said. "If you decide to kill the gods of creation, please allow me to renew their souls in the cycle. I know you do not feel as if they deserve another chance at life considering all of the horrible things they have done to you. But all souls, no matter how wicked, deserve a fresh chance at happiness."

    "I will consider it." Zell said. "But I make no promises. How do I return to my grandfather''s tomb?"

    Brakus walked over to Zell and sniffed him. "Oh, so that''s the world you are from." Here allow me to open a portal back to where you were." Brakus did as he said, and the fog swirled up in the center of the platform and formed a portal. "Please think hard upon my request."

    Zell nodded and walked through the portal.. He found himself back at the entrance of the tomb containing the bones of his grandfather.

 Chapter 124 - Returning To Neuval

    Zell walked back inside of his grandfather''s tomb and the old king reformed before him. "I am still here. Did you have no luck, my grandson?" The old king asked.

    Zell held out his hand and showed the old king the small sliver of wood. "If you take this, you will be returned to the cycle." Zell said as he held his hand out for his grandfather to take it from him.

    The old king stared at the small piece of wood and thought about all it meant to be reborn. He hesitated, unwilling to end his own existence. "Please put it in my hand for me." He asked softly. "I cannot find the strength of will to do this myself."

    "I understand." Zell said as he steeled himself to set his grandfather free. He walked over to him and placed the small piece of wood into the old king''s hands. As he did the old king''s entire body began to glow until finally, he vanished from sight. "Goodbye grandfather. I hope your next life is filled with joy."

    With the key in hand Zell left the tomb and flew back to the village where Jeff was waiting for him. He landed next to Jeff and showed him the key.

    "I see you have the key." Jeff said. "That is excellent. Tell me was it as easy as you thought it was? Sometimes visiting the graves of relatives can be hard."

    "It was nothing I could not handle." Zell said. He felt sadness for the loss of his grandfather who he just met, but knew he was better off not being trapped. "Now take me to the books please."

    "Right, follow me." Jeff said as he turned and walked to a corner of the village. He got down on his hands and knees and pulled up a piece of grass that covered a locked steel door. He held his hand out to Zell. "Key please."

    Zell handed him the key and Jeff used it on the locked door. As the mechanisms inside moved a loud click was sounded through the area. Jeff opened the door and revealed a hole in the ground with a steel ladder that descended into the darkness.

    "Okay your books are down here in this chamber." Jeff said as he started to walk away. "Take what you need, and I will lock up when you are done."

    Zell climbed down the ladder and found himself in a massive chamber beneath the ground. Fully encased lanterns lit up as Zell reached the floor and they illuminated the chamber around him. Thousands upon thousands of books were piled in the chamber. Zell scratched his head at the arduous task before him.

    "Shit that is a lot of books." Zell said. He thought back to the images he watched with Yrag and recalled what the cover of the book looked like. It appeared as if all of the reproductions all had been perfectly recreated so Zell hoped the cover would match.

    He used his insane speed to check the books one by one. After searching through six thousand four hundred thirty-seven books, he finally found the one he had been searching for. The language that was unreadable to everyone was English. "That''s why Rose could read it where everyone else failed." Zell said.

    He started thumbing through the book but was disheartened by it being mostly the ravings of a made man. There was an entire school of magic he called necromancy chronicled within the pages. Spells for life draining, creating undead, and curse magic. "Where is it?" Zell said as he was getting frustrated, that he could not find the portal spell that Rose had used.

    When he was at the last five pages of the book, he had found it. Descriptions of a way to be transported across the multiverse using the power of stolen soul power. It exploited the cycle of death and rebirth to make the travel possible.

    Just as a fresh unclaimed cleansed soul is able to travel through the multiverses freely, this magic made it possible to trick the system and allow anyone to travel freely. The book spoke of how he successfully created portals to far away lands. Lands of magic and swords as well as other lands of science and technology. He found the spell to travel to the most advanced universe that the past necromancer had found. He figured that was the most likely place that Rose went.

    Zell closed the book in his hand and teleported back to Neuval''s throne room. The room was empty as it was the middle of the night. Zell had spent the whole day away on his mission. He walked the halls of the castle checking the rooms but could not find any signs of life.

    Finally, he made his way to the royal bedchamber, hoping to find his mother at least resting inside. As he opened the door there was no one inside. On the bed was a bloodied note with a dagger through it. The dagger looked unlike any Zell had seen. It looked as if it were high technology and did not belong in this fantasy world. He walked over to the note and picked it up.

    [Dearest brother, I have captured our worthless mother and the demon lord. I have taken them to a place that you cannot follow as I have the only key to its existence. If you wish to see either of them alive again then I hope to find your dead body waiting for me when I return in three days'' time. Please use this dagger and plunge it deep into your heart.

    You are just too dangerous to keep alive and after racking my brain trying to figure out a way to kill you it hit me. The only person strong enough to kill you big brother is you. So do the world and me a favor. If not, you will be responsible for the deaths of our dear mother and your demon lord friend. It was quite a surprise to find you had befriended the demon lord and ended the war in such a short time. But more hostages are always nice, so thanks.

    Rose.]

 Chapter 125 - Welcome To A New World

    Zell crumbled the note in his hand and set it ablaze. The paper turned to ash before it hit the ground. Zell roared with a visceral anger that shook the very foundation of the planet. "Rose!" He yelled out. He knew the spell and the location of the universe Rose was hiding, but he did not want to steal the power of the souls around him. So, he used his power to force the highway of souls open and formed a portal out of his sheer power.

    He saw tall buildings in the distance and flying cars in the sky. He walked into the portal, and it closed behind him. The world was much different than the other worlds he had been to. It was a universe of high technology, far more advanced than Earth. He used his senses and detected a lack of magic on the planet. It seemed that the gods did not create this universe with magic in mind.

    Other than that the sky was an odd yellowish color, and the ground was mostly dirt with few bits of vegetation anywhere. The air itself had a foul odor of methane and other gasses. The air was also filled with a thick smog.

    "What a complete dump." Zell said as he looked around at the wasteland around him. Aside from a few plants the entire area was void of any signs of life with garbage in piles scattered across the landscape. Zell figured that Rose would not be in this area, so he started walking towards the city in the distance.

    As he approached, he saw multiple roads heading into the city. Massive twenty lane highways filled with cars hovering slightly above it. At the very entrance of the city was a checkpoint that slowed traffic a bit as they entered and exited but seemed to operate efficiently.

    Not wanting to go through this checkpoint Zell opted to walk into the city from the wastelands. As he approached, he noticed a shimmer as he got closer. Finally, he was close enough to touch a dome that had been placed over the city. The only entrance was that check point, as the dome seemed to fully encompass the city. Not wanting to raise alarms, fearing for his family''s lives, he decided to not just burst his way into the dome and decided to try the checkpoint.

    He hoped an advanced civilization would be logical and went to make contact. As he entered the checkpoint, he noticed that it was almost entirely fully automated. Looking around he found a human messing with a glass tablet that seemed to work similar to a tablet from earth. "Excuse me." Zell called out to the man.

    He was an odd-looking man with a half shaven head and a pink afro on the unshaven side. One of his eyes had been replaced with cybernetics and part of his jaw as well. He was wearing an official looking yellow suit with a name tag predominantly displayed. He looked up at Zell when he called out over to him.

    Zell''s large frame and white silver armor shining like a beacon stood out against the grainy yellow hues the worker was used to looking at. At first glance he was curious and then as he continued to stare, he became nervous as all of the hairs on his body began to stand on end. Even without magic in the world Zell''s enormous power created a presence around him, an intense pressure that other life forms could feel.

    Zell walked all the way over to the man and stood directly in front of him. The pressure exuding from him was causing the worker to become short of breath. "I was hoping you could help me." Zell said in his nicest voice. He was doing everything in his power to hold back the torrent of rage he was experiencing from Rose''s actions. "I am looking for someone, a person that doesn''t belong in this world. Have you seen her?"

    The worker took a deep breath, he feared whoever this man was in front of him, more than he had feared anything in his life. "I am sorry. I don''t know anyone that fits that description." He said in a sheepish tone.

    "Then do you mind if I enter the city and look for her?" Zell said.

    The worker just passed out from the pressure around him and did not have a chance to respond.

    "I will take that as a yes." Zell said as he started to walk inside the city. The visuals changed drastically as he entered the dome. The sky looked blue and clear as if it were a beautiful summer day. The air was crisp and clean without a single odor or smog. The ground was covered in lush greenery and clean and neat people and robots filled the streets. "That''s different,'''' Zell said as he took it all in.

    Inside his armor shined even brighter due to the artificial sunlight. He walked to the busy streets and the pedestrians scattered, fearing this new stranger in their city. Zell looked up as the buildings towered over him. He had never seen structures as tall as these in either of his lives. It was an impressive sight.

    After wondering and looking for a few minutes he was surrounded by vehicles with flashing lights. People opened their doors and got behind them as a single man walked into the encirclement of cars to talk to the stranger.

    "You there!" The man said as he approached. "What planet are you from? Do you have your diplomatic and health paperwork?"

    "My what?" Zell questioned in a deep commanding voice.

    "Look I don''t mean any disrespect; you are obviously a strong alien of some sort." The officer said. "I think half my men are about to shit themselves just looking at you. We have just ways of doing things here in Caltopia.. You need to follow our immigration procedures to ensure the safety of you and our citizens. You understand, don''t you?"

 Chapter 126 - I Will Find You Part 1

    "So, you are the ones responsible for all newcomers to this city then?" Zell asked.

    "We are." The man replied. "I am officer Icon with the species immigration deportation and elimination department, or SIDE for short. We monitor all new inhabitants to our fair city and ensure that our citizens can continue to live their happy lifestyle."

    "Tell me did you encounter a woman a few days ago?" Zell said. "I am looking for her."

    "We go through thousands of encounters a week." Icon said. "You are going to have to give me a little bit more than just a woman. We see countless females of varied species."

    "She is a human." Zell said. "Her name is Rose."

    Icon took out a glass tablet from his pocket and scrolled through a list of names. "There is no Rose on any of the check ins for the past few days."

    "Any odd occurrences then?" Zell asked.

    "We did have a team go missing in action." Icon said.

    "Where?" Zell said.

    "Why am I even telling you any of this?" Icon asked. "You should be the one answering my questions, not the other way around."

    "You do it because I command it so." Zell said. "Now answer me, where did your team go missing?"

    "That went missing a mile east of here." Icon said. "They called in an unidentified person and then shortly after gave the all clear, but then they simply vanished."

    "Must have been her." Zell said. Zell looked at the men''s equipment and noticed that each of them had a dagger just like the one Rose had left him, which further increased his theory. "Your men are being controlled somehow by the person I am after. I need their names and addresses. She may be staying at one of their houses."

    "We already checked there and found nothing." Icon said.

    "Boss are you alright?!" one of the police officers yelled out. "You are taking a long time to arrest this one."

    "Send your men away." Zell commanded. "You have no need for them right now."

    "Men please return to base. I will handle it from here." Icon said.

    "But boss." The same officer yelled back. "That is against protocol." Fearing his boss was under some kind of control or threat from Zell the officer fired his gun at Zell. The officers were equipped with special beam weapons that fired hard ionized light. The laser struck Zell in the armor but bounced off onto the street.

    "Did you just shoot me?" Zell asked, glaring at the officer. With no regular magic to pull from, Zell called forth the creation magic that followed through every universe inside of the multiverse. He summoned a black and white fireball and held it above his gauntlet. "Would you like to find out what happens if I decide to return the favor?" He threatened.

    The officer jumped into his car and slammed the door. He and all of the other officers drove off as fast as they could, fearing what kind of alien monster controls black fire from thin air. They knew they were going to need backup and that they were completely outclassed.

    As they left Zell crushed the fireball in his hand and turned his attention back to Icon. "Now that your men have left, tell me what theories you have about your missing men?"

    "They have to be outside of the city." Icon said. "There is no other way we can explain the lack of transponder data. Every officer has a chip implanted in them so that we can track their whereabouts no matter where they are in the city. The missing officers cannot be found."

    "So, they are in the wasteland?" Zell asked. "That is curious. I suppose I will have to search it. You are free to go. Return to your happy life and leave me in peace."

    "Yes, I will." Icon said as he walked back to his car and drove away.

    Before going out into the wasteland Zell decided to check for clues at the sight of the disappearance. Icon''s story did not add up in his head. If the officers had those chips he would have known for sure if they left, instead he was guessing. Which meant the transponder signals stopped at the site of disappearance.

    As Zell walked down the street, he was amazed at the contrast between the sights he was witnessing now and the sights he had seen in the waste land. There was no trash anywhere and everything was clean and neat. Curious, he walked over to the grass and bent down to examine it. "It''s a hologram." He said as he waved his hand through it. Walking next to a building he looked closely at the walls. He rubbed his finger across it, and it became covered in a disgusting muck that was not visible. "The walls are holograms too. This entire city is fake."

    He looked up at the top of the dome and realized the whole dome was just a holographic projector that was creating a false sense of cleanliness. "Must be air scrubbers too, to remove the pollution." Zell said. "These people must have destroyed their world. There is no other explanation. They all live in a fake society." He laughed a bit. "What a perfect place for my fake sister."

    Zell continued to the scene of the disappearance and started to scan the area with magic. After forty minutes of searching Zell finally found trace evidence of magic that had been used. It felt like the magic that infested Neuval when Rose was draining the life from it. "She must have used soul magic on those poor men." Zell said. "No one deserves that fate. I will save them from it." He focused on the traces that he found and began to follow the trail that it had left. "Steel yourself for death Rose, I am coming for you.. There is no force in the multiverse that will spare you from my wrath."

 Chapter 127 - I Will Find You Part 2

    Zell continued to follow the faint magic energies left behind from the spells that Rose had used. Eventually it led him to a sewer grate, it appeared as if Rose was hiding beneath the surface of the city. Zell ripped off the cover and descended the ladder. He found himself in a dark damp tunnel. He was standing on a concrete platform and on the other side of the tunnel was a raging river of wastewater.

    Zell''s armor emitted enough light to illuminate his path, although the smell was horrific. Zell covered himself with a personal barrier that blocked out the horrible smells from the raw sewage flowing next to his feet. He picked up the trail as soon as he entered the sewers and continued to follow it. He came to a large iron door along the side of the tunnel that the trail went into. Zell grabbed it with one hand and tossed it behind him, ripping chunks of the wall out with it.

    As he continued, he could hear voices talking. He knew the voices. Rose was talking to Yrag.

    "You and I have the same goal. We work for the same god; you should join me." Rose could be heard. "Stop trying to resist, you know that I am telling the truth, just think of all the horrors the humans have committed. It is the lord''s will that they be wiped from the world so that it can grow and prosper."

    "I will never join you." Yrag replied. "Zell has found another way, one that does not end in bloodshed and builds a better future for all peoples."

    "I knew I should have just killed you." Rose said. "No matter, it''s an easily fixed problem."

    Having heard enough Zell punched the wall from where he was hearing the voices. A loud explosion of dust and debris stunned both Rose and Yrag, but as the dust settled Zell could be clearly seen in all his glory.

    "Rose!" Zell yelled, shaking the very foundation of the planet they were on.

    "How?!" Rose cried out. "How did you find me?! That should not have been possible!"

    Zell quickly encapsulated her inside a full barrier and lifted her helplessly into the air. He then turned his attention to his grandson. "Are you alright?" He asked. "How did she even capture you?"

    "She attacked out of the shadows and grabbed your mother." Yrag explained. "There was nothing I could do, and she drained all the life from your mother and turned her into a walking dead. It was one of the most horrible things I had ever seen. She told me she could change her back and would as long as I did not fight back. I knew how much you cared about your mother, so I decided to comply."

    "You turned mother into a zombie?!" Zell yelled at Rose, as he caused his barrier to rip one of her arms from her body. It then quickly sealed the wound so that she would not die of blood loss.

    "You Damn fucker!" Rose yelled out in pain. "That fucking hurt!"

    "Did it?!" Zell replied, ripping her other arm off. "Where is mother?!"

    "You son of a bitch!" Rose yelled out again. "The hell is wrong with you! You don''t just start ripping people''s arms off!"

    "Answer my question!" Zell demanded as he twisted her leg at the knee breaking it so that the bone was exposed. "Do it now or I will rip the leg from your body!"

    "She is in the next room!" Rose cried out. "But you need me to change her back you fool! You are helpless if you wish to save her!"

    "The hell I do." Zell answered back and he began constricting the barrier around her slowly crushing what remained of her body. He continued to crush her until her mass was that of a softball. Then tossed the barrier into the raw sewage flowing through the tunnel.

    Again, Rose''s skill activated, and she found herself alive and well on the morning of her death. "That damned bastard killed me again!" She cried out.

    "What are you talking about?!" Yrag said. "You have just been sitting there!"

    "What right, forgot your ass was there." Rose replied. "Don''t worry about it. We need to change locations, like right now."

    Thinking back Rose realized she had less than ten minutes before Zell arrived. She cursed that fact her skill revived her the morning of her death instead of giving her a twenty-four-hour period. "Actually, there is no time, I don''t have time to deal with you or the damned zombies." Rose complained. She used her soul magic to open a random portal anywhere, she did not care where, as long as she got out of there now and put some distance between herself and Zell.

    As soon as the portal opened, she leaped in, and it closed behind her. No more than Two minutes after that Zell made his entrance into the room. He saw his grandson and was relieved.

    "Are you alright?" He asked. "Where is Rose? Where is my mother?!"

    Yrag was both excited to see Zell, but also filled with sorrow for the bad news he had to deliver. "Rose she¡­"

    "She did what?" Zell asked. "You never answered if you were alright? Are you okay? How did she even capture you?"

    "I am alright." Yrag said. "I had to come with her for a chance to save your mother, but she¡­ she left. Now I fear your mother may be lost forever."

    "What happened?" Zell asked. "Where is my mother?!"

    "She is over in the next room." Yrag said. "But I warn you, Rose has turned her into the walking dead. It is a horrible sight that will haunt my dreams. I am so sorry I could not save her grandpa!"

    Zell put his hand on Yrag''s shoulder. "If that''s all she did, then everything is fine." Zell said. "I can restore her back to life, it is not even a challenging task for me to do."

    "One more thing grandpa." Yrag said. "Rose acted odd before she left. She yelled out that someone killed her and seemed frantic. I don''t know what she was talking about, but she seemed to know of your arrival and wanted to get out before you got here. Do you think she has some kind of skill that brings her back to life after death? I saw an anime like that once, so it is plausible."

    "That is troubling if that is the case." Zell said. "I will have to endeavor to not kill her then. So mother is in the next room?"

    "Yes." Yrag said.

    "Alright." Zell said as he walked over to the door containing the zombified people. He healed them one by one, including his mother. Her eyes ran like rivers at the sight of her son and from the horrible trauma her daughter had just subjected her to. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

    "Thank you for saving me." She said, smiling. "There is really nothing you cannot do is there?"

    "Of course, there is." Zell said with a smile. "I could never replace you."

    Zell''s kind words just made her cry more as she squeezed him tighter.

 Chapter 128 - I Will Find You Part 3

    "Alright I need to send both of you back to Neuval before I continue hunting Rose." Zell said as he pulled his mother off of him. Yrag looked on in amazement at what his grandfather was capable of. The officers that had been freed from zombification were just completely confused and ignored.

    Zell walked over to an open area and Elenore and Yrag followed him. "Alright, I will open a portal to Neuval, go through it quickly. Ripping the multiverse asunder is not something I need to prolong." Zell said. "I will come back to Neuval after I have dealt with Rose. She is too much of a threat to be left alone."

    "Just be careful son." Elenore said. "I cannot believe the depths of depravity that your sister has fallen into, but she is in a place where the light no longer reaches her. The only mercy you can give her is death."

    "Sadly, that''s not an option." Yrag said. "If you kill her, she will just be one step ahead. Find a way to subdue her without killing her."

    "I understand." Zell said as he opened the portal to Neuval. "I will see you both soon, I promise."

    They both nodded and went through the portal, leaving Zell alone with the revived officers.

    Zell continued to ignore them and studied the magic in the room. He was looking for the highway of souls that Rose used so that he could continue chasing her. "There she is." Zell said as he located the taint of her spells. He quickly opened a portal and leaped through.

    The officers just looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. "Does anyone even know where we are or what just happened?" One of them said.

    Back on the other side of the portal Zell found himself in another new universe. This one was brimming with magic. Zell could feel the mana from everything surrounding him as he left the portal. The average flower on this world had more mana than an experienced mage back in Neuval. The sky had a purple hue and lime green clouds floated far above head. Two stars illuminated the planet, and the surface was filled with lush plant life that varied in colors and sizes.

    "Where are you now Rose?" Zell said as he scanned the horizon looking for her magical signature. It was more difficult in this world to find her faint traces of magic than it was in the last world that was void of magic.

    "You there!" A man yelled down from a nearby cliff as Zell searched the area. "What are you doing in the sacred grove?! It is forbidden for any and all to enter this holy place!"

    Zell turned his head up and looked at the man. The man was barely dressed wearing only a loin cloth and body paint. He had a very tanned body with extremely well-defined muscles. He had long black hair that extended down to his hips and flowed freely in the blowing wind. He leaped from the high cliff and landed in front of Zell with a massive explosion of dust and foliage. As the dust cleared, he held out his right hand and a wooden spear began to manifest. As it finished its creation he grabbed onto the spear and got into an aggressive stance.

    Zell was completely unthreatened by the man''s antics. "Yes, well that is all good and all, but I am looking for someone that should have passed through here." Zell said. "Tell me, do you know where they went?"

    "I see you are trying to control my will, stranger." The wild man said. "However, in the holy place your tricks will not affect me. Now tell me who you are, before I get violent."

    "Oh, so you can resist my commands?" Zell asked. "That is intriguing. Normally a mortal cannot withstand the commands of a god."

    "Oh, so you are a fellow god?" The man said, lowering his spear. "You should have said so, I did not recognize you. Tell me where you hail from?"

    "My name is Zell Neuval." Zell replied. "If you are a god, that makes sense that you are immune to my commands. Tell me what level of god are you?"

    "Level of god?" The man asked with a confused expression. "What do you mean by that question? Are you saying that there are different heights to godhood? I thought gods were just gods."

    "Oh, so you are a low god." Zell said. "I don''t really have time to explain it to you right now, just tell me, have you seen a woman anywhere in this general area?"

    "Yes." The wild god replied. "But I shall not tell one as rude as you another thing. What nerve do you have to come to someone''s home and call them a low god not worthy of your time."

    Zell sighed in slight annoyance. "I am short on time. That woman is a grave threat to everyone and everything around her, I need to stop her, and I do not have a second to waste." Zell decided to flex his power just a bit to put this other god in his place. He began to increase his power and his armor began to glow as the clouds above him began to spin in the sky. A massive beam of mana and power erupted forth from his body and pierced the sky and the planet began to rubble under his might.

    "Alright!" The other god yelled. "Stop! You are going to shake the whole damned planet apart!"

    Zell calmed himself and powered down. "Are you done wasting my time now?" Zell asked. "Tell me where that woman went?"

    "Fine." He replied. "But I wish to accompany you. I am in tune with this planet as I am the god of it. I can take you right to her. If she has one as dangerous as you on edge, I want her gone as soon as I can."

    "That''s fine, just take me to her." Zell said.

    "Name is Gou by the way." He replied. "Not that you asked."

    Gou then started to walk and beckoned Zell to follow.. They were off to face Rose once more.

 Chapter 129 - Found You

    Gou took Zell out of the valley. As they reached the top of the cliff Zell was greeted by a view that would stun even the sternest of hearts. Lush plants filled the horizon and a beautiful ocean that matched the hue of the sky could be seen in the distance. Zell took a moment to take it all in, he had not seen a sight such as this.

    "Beautiful, isn''t it?" Gou asked. "I was lucky to have been born here."

    "It really is." Zell said.

    "Come, your human female is this way." Gou said, motioning Zell to follow him once more.

    They walked across the rolling fields and took in the wonderful smell of the ocean as they progressed. As they continued to move forward the plant life seemed to be losing its life force, becoming more withered and lifeless. Until all around them were dead plants and broken ground. Even the fresh smell of the ocean was replaced with the smell of death and rot.

    "What manner of magic is this?" Gou asked Zell. "This is the most horrific thing I have ever seen in my home. Did that female do this?"

    "Yes." Zell said. "That is why I was in such a hurry to find her. She spreads death and despair wherever she travels. She uses a type of soul magic that drains the life force of everything around her and gives it to herself. She is dangerous, not just to this world but to the entire multiverse."

    "I see." Gou said. "Then I forgive you for your rudeness earlier. I had no idea of the stakes involved or that you were trying to save my home. I apologize as well, for delaying you."

    Zell knelt down and rubbed his hand across the dead landscape. It was brittle and fell to dust upon his touch. "She really took it all from these poor plants." Zell said with a sigh. He could see small zombified animals moving through the tall dead grass around him. "The animals as well."

    Zell stood back up and spread his power through the land. He healed the plants and the small animals and brought them back to their former glory that they once had. Gou looked on in amazement.

    "Did you just heal the lands?" Gou asked. "Just what are you the god of?"

    "I am not the god of anything." Zell said. "I was once a human. Then I became a dragon, and then a god. I have powers granted to me by the creators of the gods themselves, but I am not assigned any one thing."

    "So, a mortal has transcended the gods." Gou said. "I had always hoped that one day a mortal would ascend. I have cared for them a natured their growth here, hoping that one day they could join me, and I would no longer be alone."

    "So, you are the only lesser god here?" Zell asked.

    "I am not." Gou said. "But the others do not wish to have anything to do with me. They do not share my care of concern for the mortals and think of them as just tools to gain more power. It is after all through their prayers that we gain our strength. It is far easier to spawn prayers from fear than out of love. I have but one friend among the gods, Pou, god of the sea."

    "Must be rough." Zell said. "I am sorry you have to deal with all of that, but right now it is more important that we find Rose."

    "Right, she is this way." Gou said as he continued to lead Zell along the way. They came close to the ocean and found a dead body along the shore. He was dressed in fine silken attire. It was a long black jacket with black shirt and pants. All the life had been drained from his body, but he did not become a reanimated dead as the other people affected by Rose''s power.

    "No!" Gou said running over to the corpse. He picked it up in his hands and yelled out. "No!"

    "Someone you knew?" Zell asked.

    "This was Pou, he was my only friend among the gods!" Gou explained. "Of all the gods to have died, why did it have to be him? He was the only one who showed me any kindness."

    "I am sorry for your loss." Zell said.

    "Can you heal him?!" Gou asked.

    "I am sorry but no." Zell said. "I cannot bring back the dead, their soul would have returned to the cycle."

    "I will kill that bitch myself!" Gou yelled out.

    "She has that effect on people." Zell said. "Still, she cannot be killed so easily. She has a skill placed on her from another god, one of the chief gods. When she dies, she is reborn the previous morning. At least that is how we think it works."

    "Can''t you just use your power and will it away?!" Gou asked.

    "Maybe." Zell said. "I am still new to all of my god powers, I have not tried to add or remove skills from anyone, but I may have the power to do that."

    "I pray that you can so that when my spear pierces her heart it will be her final death." Gou said. "She deserves the highest of pains that any life can experience for robbing me of my only friend. Come!" Gou started to run towards Rose''s location as fast as he could, and they reached her atop of another cliff overlooking the ocean.

    Her hair was pure white, and her skin was sunken and gray. The whites of her eyes were black, and her pupils were yellow. "Oh, dear brother you have come to kill me yet again, have you?!"

    "Rose, let us end this." Zell said.

    Gou charged directly at her with all that he had; the tip of his spear aimed at her heart.

    Rose exhaled an ebon smoke that decayed all it touched towards the oncoming Gou. As his spear touched the smoke it became gray and started to rot and become ash. Gou leaped back before the smoke touched him.

    "What''s this big bro?" Rose asked. "You should keep your pets on a tighter leash. Unless you want to feed my power. Do you see how strong I have become after eating that god?! The power is incredible! I devoured him, soul and all! The taste of a god is, how should I put this? Divine!"

    "You monster!" Gou yelled. "Pou was my friend!"

    Zell reached his hand out to grab Rose in a barrier to trap her and successfully did, however as he encapsulated her in the barrier she vanished and reappeared a few feet away. "No, no, big brother! You aren''t going to do that to me again! I refuse to let you rip me limb from limb! I still feel that pain!"

    Zell did not want to outright kill her as she would just reincarnate once more, as far as he knew. He did not know her skill was limited to a once per twenty-four-hour use. "Rose, you need to stop this!" He yelled out, trying to capture her again with his barrier, but again she vanished and appeared.

    "You know brother as fun as it is to play with you." Rose said. "I cannot linger for too long, as you will eventually figure out a way to kill me and I do not wish to experience that again. Aside from that now that I have eaten a god I must find more! I will devour all the gods in the multiverse! They shall all become my power!"

    She raised her hands and the sky above her began to crack open. "Behold my power as I rip the multiverse asunder! I shall destroy it all! That will force the gods to come to me! To feed me!"

    "She has lost all reason!" Gou yelled. "How is she even able to wield this kind of power?!"

    On one of Rose''s hands Zell could see a mark glowing similar to his. "No, that is not a good thing!" Zell said as he saw it. He then started to power up himself in an attempt to close the tear in the multiverse that Rose was creating.

    Two cosmic forces were bearing down on the multiverse, one trying to rip it apart and the other trying to mend it.

    "That fox bitch was telling the truth!" Rose said. "This power is the real deal brother!"

    Satisfied with her tear in the multiverse that Zell was struggling to contain, she disappeared from where she was standing and reappeared directly behind Gou. She thrust her arm through his chest and instantly drained all of his life and energy from him. Zell was helpless to watch as he was holding the multiverse together and struggling.

    As Gou''s corpse fell to the ground Rose blew Zell a kiss. "Until we meet again big brother.. I have more gods to dine upon!" She then started to laugh as she vanished from sight teleporting away, leaving Zell alone struggling to hold the entire multiverse from ripping itself apart.

 Chapter 130 - Goodbye Rose Part 1

    Thirty minutes before the encounter between Rose and Zell, Rose met an unusual figure as she ran for her life. "Hello small slave of the gods." A pale woman with nine fox tails and yellow eyes said to Rose.

    "Who are you?!" Rose asked weary of the woman before her.

    "I am one of the three sisters which the multiverse spawned from." She replied. "I shall not bore you will the details little slave, I only ask do you wish to be set free and have power on par with the one who chases you?"

    "Why would you offer me this?!" Rose said. "Do you serve god? Has he sent you to help me?!"

    "No, this god you are so fond of is, but a speck compared to me." She replied. "If you accept my power you must accept my terms as well. I wish to destroy this multiverse, to burn it all and leave nothing behind. My sisters want only to remove the gods, but I feel as if all of it is tainted beyond repair. The old growth must be removed for the new life to grow."

    "But I must serve god." Rose said.

    "Yes, little slave." The fox lady said. "Allow me to free your mind." She moved towards Rose and placed her hand on Rose''s forehead. The white of Rose''s eyes turned black and her pupils turned yellow. "There, do you still feel the need to serve your god?"

    "No." Rose said. "For the first time I do not feel as if there is another in my head telling me what must be done. I feel amazing and I feel an unbearable hunger in which I cannot describe."

    "Oh right." The fox lady said. "Sadly, that is the cost of my power. You will need to drain the life of everything around you in order to survive. Such is the power of death. So, you agree to my terms? You will destroy the multiverse?"

    "For freeing me I shall do whatever it is that you want." Rose said.

    "Good." The fox replied. "Please make it a good show, I want my sisters to tremble in fear as my champion destroys that in which they want to preserve."

    A mark similar to that of Zell''s appeared on Rose''s hand.

    "Normally I would not grant a mortal such a power, but the one who chases you seems to be able to contain it, so it should be fine." The fox said. "Remember to wreak havoc my champion." She said as she disappeared from sight leaving Rose alone in a field full of dead plants.

    Back in the present, the entirety of the multiverse was unraveling on itself from the tear that Rose had made. It was as if she cut a balloon that was completely filled with water at the bottom and Zell was trying to prevent the water from coming out. Even at level two sextillion, holding together all of existence is an arduous task. Zell powered up to his full amount as the plant beneath him began to shake violently from his power.

    Still, it was only enough power to hold everything together, Zell needed more. As he yelled, forcing his skill that doubled his power to activate, his body began to change. Large wings sprouted from his back and his body shifted and morphed into a massive white silver dragon with golden tinge to its scales. His power increased five hundred percent and roared, shattering the planet he was on and the planets of the surrounding solar system.

    With his extra power he was able to close the rift Rose had created and seal it back. His massive dragon body just floated in space as he looked around at all of the debris from the shattered planet behind him. He was saddened that he had to destroy a planet in order to save existence. A single tear fell from his right eye and crystalized in space.

    The crystal tear floated down to the center of the destroyed planet and began to glow. The floating debris started to swirl around it as they were pulled ever closer. Shortly after all of the debris began to collect around the crystal tear until a ball the size of the former planet emerged.

    The entire ball began to glow with a light that out shined the nearby star. When the light faded a lush planet was back where it belonged.

    "What just happened?" Zell asked in a voice that shook the universe he was in. Thinking he should power down before he destroyed anything else he returned to his human form and landed on the planet. It was exactly the same as he remembered, and its beauty took his breath away.

    "What happened?" A voice said from behind Zell. "I know I died."

    Zell turned and Saw Gou and Pou up and moving. He was at a loss for words as their lives should have returned to the cycle after Rose killed them.

    "How?" Zell asked. "How are you alive again?"

    "You tell me." Gou said. "That woman murdered me I am sure of it. I remember a vast void after that and then a force pulling me back here. I think you plucked our souls from the cycle Zell."

    Thinking back, it made sense that it would be possible for him to do this. Afterall both gods of creation were able to freely pluck a soul from the cycle and move it as they pleased and according to the fox woman, he had power even greater than they did. He wondered what other wondrous powers he must possess.

    "I see the rift is gone." Gou said. "Nice work saving everything."

    "No problem." Zell said.

    "Zell!" A voice rang out into Zell''s head. He remembered the voice well. It was Anna. "Zell you have to come quickly! There is a crazed mortal eating gods! Come to the place we first met and hurry!"

    "Sorry Gou and Pou, I have to go." Zell said.. "She has shown up again, and I will take care of her this time."

 Chapter 131 - Goodbye Rose Part 2

    Zell located Anna''s location in the multiverse and opened a portal quickly to her. He swiftly went inside and closed it behind him. As he crossed through, he found a terrified Anna that ran towards him.

    "Zell!" Anna cried. "Thank the heavens you have come." She rushed and hugged him. "By the gods you look different and are you a god now?!" She sniffed him. "And a dragon?!"

    "Where is Rose?" Zell asked. "We can catch up later. For now, the entire multiverse is at risk, and I am the only one who can save it."

    "She was eating the lesser gods east of here." Anna said. "She was eating them!"

    "Yes, I know." Zell said. "Oh, and sorry if I destroy this planet." With that Zell rushed to Rose''s last known location to confront his sister once more.

    He found her quickly as she was draining the life from a lesser god and threw his corpse on the ground. "Rose!" He yelled out.

    She turned and looked at her brother in amazement that he was able to find her so quickly and that he had managed to hold the multiverse together. She looked different from the last Zell saw her just a few minutes before. Her skin was starting to crack open and black fog was escaping from them. Her body looked even more skeletal than it did before, and he reminded Zell of a personification of death.

    "Oh, Dear brother!" Rose said. "This power you command is really something else! It is no wonder I could never defeat you."

    "Rose, this power you possess." Zell said. "It is not some toy that you should play with! You could have destroyed all of existence back there!"

    "I know." Rose said. "That was what I was trying to do."

    "You really are a bitch." Zell said. "Is this some attempt to serve your god again?!"

    "I care nothing for that false god!" Rose yelled. "I am god now! When I find my way into their realm I will look them in the eyes as I drain them completely dry. I will enjoy it as all of their life and power is extinguished, consumed by me."

    "As much as I would enjoy their deaths, I fear what you would do with the power you would siphon from them." Zell said. "I am sorry sister, I must kill you here and now."

    "We are equals dear brother!" Rose yelled. "There is nothing you can do to me now! In fact, with all the gods I have eaten I would wager I am now stronger than you are."

    Zell just sighed, he relished the thought of killing his sister after all the evils she had committed, but this Rose was more of a mindless monster consumed by her own power and hunger. He activated his skill and increased his power one thousandfold. He was now at such a level that the world and everything else appeared to just stand still around him.

    He could see the starting of lightning arcing from his body as he walked forward. The ground beneath his stead cracked and crumbled around him with every step that he took. His power had grown so great that even his skill gentle god struggled to contain it. Rose was standing there, mouth still open from her talking. Zell knew he had to end this. As he got to her, he placed his hand on her shoulder and used his godly power to determine her skills.

    He found the skill that caused her rebirth and ripped it from her soul.

    "My sister''s champion is quite the powerhouse I see." The pale fox said from behind Zell. Even at the intense speed Zell was moving, the pale fox had no issues at all keeping up with him. "It is no matter my champion is about to complete her purpose.

    Do you see those cracks in her body? She was unable to contain my power after all and will soon explode with enough of a force to completely erase the multiverse. Even if you killed her, she would still explode and everything you are fighting for would be gone. I have won."

    "Who decided that?" Zell said calmly. He used his massive power to seal Rose inside barrier after barrier. Coating her completely with his power. "I will contain the blast myself."

    "You think you can hold back that much power?!" The pale fox laughed. "My sister has chosen a fool to be her champion, but what else can one expect from the power of life. Always foolish, following the matters of the heart, instead of doing what is needed."

    Zell used his barriers to remove Rose''s head from her body and trigger the explosion that the pale fox had warned him about. Her body began to crack apart even more and dark energy began to radiate from her. Zell reinforced his barriers as the explosion occurred. The blast to destroy all of existence went off and Zell kept it contained within his barriers. However, he was presented with a new problem as the explosion was only contained and did not disappear. If he released the barrier all of the energy would be released and destroy the multiverse.

    "You see, fool?" the pale fox asked. "You are only delaying the inevitable."

    "Increase power, ten thousand-fold." Zell said as another explosion erupted from his body. His own body began to crack under the intense amount of power he was trying to contain within. He worked swiftly with the extra power and compressed his barrier until it was the size of a pill. He then snatched it from the air and ate it.

    He released his barrier and contained the blast inside of his body. Leaving only a burp. He then powered down so that he himself would not explode.

    He found himself in regular time again with a planet on the verge of explosion, He knelt and placed his hands on the planet to attempt to heal it. Healing a planet was an easy task, much easier than the feats he had just done.

    As the planet was healed, he stood back up and saw nothing where Rose was once standing. Only the pale fox staring at him in awe.

    "You may have won this round." She said. "But mark my words I will find a better champion! When I do it is you who will lose!"

    "You can try all you like." Zell said.. "I will be waiting."

 Chapter 132 - Kill The Gods

    The pale fox vanished and left Zell alone in the field. Anna showed up shortly after the battle to see a battle-weary Zell, his armor still showing the cracks from his own power. "Zell!" Anna yelled. "You did it! You killed the god eater!"

    "Yes, Rose is gone." Zell said as he watched her soul in the cycle. His eyes lit up as those of a dragon as he forcefully moved her soul through the cycle into the cleansing. He did not want her to be reincarnated again by any other gods, but also thought that even she deserved a fresh start without baggage. Everything she had done happened because she was under the control of a god or a fox. Zell felt a hinge of guilt for ending her existence, but he had no choice but to. He smiled as her soul was cleansed and all of her past lives and sins were washed away from her soul, completely erasing Rose forever.

    "To think such a mortal existed." Anna said. "Was that not your sister? What happened to her to cause her to become such a monstrous fiend."

    "She was controlled by the gods and the creators of the gods." Zell said. "Just another pawn in their stupid game. The time of their reckoning is coming, and I shall be the instrument of their undoing."

    "Yes, you appear very different from when I took a ride in you." Anna said. "You have a strength that is even greater than mother''s and you have a conviction that you once lacked. Tell me, am I to die at your hand as well?"

    "No." Zell said. "You have kept to yourself and stayed out of the lives of mortals. I have no reason to kill you."

    "That is good." Anna said with a sigh of relief. "So, what are you going to do now?"

    "Find a way to the divine realm and kill the gods." Zell said calmly. "You wouldn''t happen to know the way, would you?"

    "Sadly, it is not so simple." Anna said. "I could tell you and that would not mean you would be able to go. If you did go, there would be no promise you could return. Gods of your class do not belong among the mortal realms. They are to exist outside the multiverse, separate but connected. They are doomed to only watch and make minor adjustments as they send champions to do their bidding. The divine realm itself will not allow them to leave. I fear that if you went, the realm would trap you as well."

    "I see." Zell said as he thought back to what his fox woman had told him. How he was meant to replace them, but it would be a choice. "So, in killing the gods, I may become trapped as they have been. I may not ever get to see my friends or my mother in person and only be forced to watch from a far. Still, their reign of terror needs to end. If it is a sacrifice that I must make, then so be it.

    If those gods exist there can be no freedom among the mortal races. Everyone and everything is just trapped in their sadistic games for their entertainment. If my one life can save the entirety of the multiverse then so be it. However, do not assume that I would just surrender to that fate."

    "Oh, I know." Anna said. "I once watched you break the bounds of time and space to save a friend in need. There is no doubt that if the divine realm attempted to hold you that you would find a way to escape its grasp."

    "So how do I get there?" Zell asked.

    "Again, it is not so simple." Anna said. "A god can freely leave the divine realm, but to enter it the door must be opened. If you attempted to force the door open, I fear you would destroy the multiverse."

    "So, when does the door open, or how can I open it?" Zell asked.

    "From the outside it is impossible to open the door to the divine realm." Anna said. "Only the two chief gods have the ability to open the door, although as I said they themselves cannot leave."

    "So, they have to let me in so that I can kill them?!" Zell asked. "There is no way they would voluntarily allow that to happen."

    "But there is a way." Anna said. "You remember how emotional my mother became when you killed Steve do you not? She loves all her god children, no matter how black and tainted their souls. If you end enough of their lives, she will invite you in. She will do it as an attempt to kill you herself, but that is what you want anyway. If you want to find mother, kill her children and collect their souls. Do not allow them to return to the cycle."

    "Like I did to Steve the first time I killed him?" Zell asked.

    "A little different." Anna said. "You were a mortal hosting a god then, so absorbing another god''s power or soul into your body was no challenge. Now you are a god yourself, and a god cannot play host to another god. You will need some kind of vessel or container to keep their souls in. Though I do not know of a material in this multiverse that can contain the soul of a god."

    "Oh, I do." Zell said. "I will just make it from my scales. They will contain those souls no problem."

    "I imagine that they will." Anna said. "Afterall, they do seem to hold your power. Although it appears that even they have their limits."

    "Level twenty septillion proved a bit too much for them to handle." Zell said with a small laugh. "They seem fine under that though."

    "Well then you have your quest." Anna said. "Remember the lesser gods are of no use as they are creations of the mortals and not mother. You want to kill the mid-level gods, such as Steve."

    "Is Steve still on this world?" Zell asked. "He sounds like a wonderful first target."

    "After the thrashing you gave him back on your world he came back here yes." Anna said. "But as to where he is now, I could not tell you. I can only tell you that he was deathly afraid of you. You may want to search for some of my other brothers and sisters first."

    "I met the god of death, but I do not have a reason to kill him." Zell said. "Seems that he just does his job and does not interfere with mortals."

    "Yeah." Anna said. "He was always a good soul. There is the god of war, the goddess of gravity, the god of water, the goddess of flames, and the god of stars. Those are my brothers and sisters with a sketchier personality that you may find more agreeable to kill. Of course, there is Steve too if you can find him. His powers make him exceptionally difficult to find."

    "I thought war was a lesser god?" Zell asked. "Isn''t that what you told me back when you explained the level of gods to me?"

    "There are a ton, a mean literal ton, of gods of war." Anna said. "All but one of them are lesser gods. The one who isn''t is not really a god of war, he just calls himself that. He is more of a god of hatred and love, the two main causes for war and the foundation of intelligent life."

    "I see." Zell said. "Where can I find him?"

    "All I can remember is that he lived on a planet next to a red star, I could not tell you which universe or which star." Anna said. "I am sorry I am of no help. If you know the dragons, you can ask them to teach you how to sense a god''s lifeforce. If you applied that skill at your level, you could find them no matter where they were in the multiverse."

    "Thank you, Anna." Zell said. "I know what I must do now. Had you not warned me I most likely would have just forced my way into the divine realm and accidently destroyed the multiverse."

    "I am glad I could save all creation then." Anna laughed. "If you meet a dragon named Sid, tell him that Anna still loves him."

    "You know Sid?!" Zell asked, surprised.

    "Yes, he was my dragon." Anna said. "He was always such a good boy, tell him that I still love him, and I think of him."

    Zell struggled to contain his laughter. "I will tell him." He said. "Would you like me to see if he wants to see you again? I could connect you two with a portal."

    "That would be wonderful!" Anna said. "It has been eons since I saw my Sid. Please see if he would be willing to see me once more, will you?"

    "I will." Zell said as he made a portal back to Neuval. "Until we meet again.." He said as he went through the portal and left Anna all alone.

 Chapter 133 - You Need Love

    Zell entered the throne room of Neuval, and his mother was sitting on the throne waiting for his return. "Mother, I have returned." He said to her.

    She looked at him with a mournful expression, knowing what his return meant for her baby girl. "So, you have dealt with your sister then?" She asked. She knew there was no other option, but it still hurt her to lose a child.

    "Yes." Zell replied. "Rose has been taken care of. She will not be troubling anyone ever again."

    "That''s good." Elenore said. "Did you at least kill her swiftly without any suffering?"

    "Yes." Zell said. "Her death was quick and clean."

    Yrag walked over to his grandfather and gave him a big hug. "It is going to be okay grandpa." He said. "You did what you had to do. It is not your fault that you had to kill her."

    Zell just stood there and let his grandson hug him for a moment before patting him on the back and pushing him away by his shoulders. "You don''t need to worry about me." Zell said. "I will be fine. We have more important matters to discuss at present."

    "Yes, when will I be stepping down so that you will be king?" Elenore asked. "Neuval needs a strong leader to bring them into a golden age, I know that is you."

    "Neuval is no safer than the rest of the multiverse until the gods are put in their place." Zell explained. "Before I do anything I need to deal with them. Otherwise, they will continue to attempt to interfere in our lives. There is no telling what other souls they will force here to fight in their stupid games for their entertainment."

    "I understand." Elenore said. "Please do not wait too long. I feel unfit to hold the burden of the crown, it is not something that I ever desired in my life."

    "That is why you are the best choice to rule." Zell said. "Someone who is weary of the power they hold is better than someone who only seeks to use it."

    "Why do I feel like there is something you are leaving out grandpa?" Yrag said. "I can''t help but have the same feeling I used to back on earth when you were trying to keep a secret."

    "I never could hide anything from you." Zell said with a laugh. "There is no point in lying about it then. When I go and attack the gods, there is a chance I may become trapped in the divine realm for some time."

    "So, a self-sacrifice trope." Yrag sighed. "Such is the fate of so many protagonists. Usually serves as an epic heroic moment, followed by the sadness of the companions and family. IT is a tragic trope that normally causes the audience to tear up with an emotional response they never saw coming."

    "What are you even talking about?" Zell asked, completely confused by his grandson''s choice of vocabulary. "This isn''t one of your comics, this is real life."

    "You say that." Yrag replied. "But do you know how many reincarnation stories there are? How many in fantasy worlds just like this one? Where the hero has to kill the mighty demon lord and save the world? You can say it''s real-life grandpa, but in a world of magic such as this, I say it is far closer to my books than anything else. There is a power you will need. It is the only thing that can save you from the self-sacrifice trope.

    You need the power of love. Only true love will be able to carry you through. It has to be someone your heart completely desires, full stop."

    "You know that there was only ever one woman for me." Zell replied. "Your grandmother was my one and only. I don''t even look at other women the same way I did her. She was my everything, my sunrise and sunset. I would have walked through hell and back just to see her."

    "You still got it bad for grandma." Yrag replied. "I know all these girls are throwing themselves at you. That''s how it always happens in this kind of tale. You have been turning them all down because you still love grandma?"

    "Well, yes." Zell replied. "I mean they are all nice, good-looking ladies, but my heart doesn''t care. After so many years of marriage, she is the only one I could ever see myself with. It still saddens me every time I go to sleep that she is not next to me. We rarely ever spent a night apart. In all our years you could count the nights we spent apart on one hand. She''s gone now though. I know I should move on, but my heart still needs time. It still needs to learn to beat without hers next to it. It is a pain I have yet to fully conquer."

    Elenore was crying her eyes out at the words of her son. She had never heard of a love so pure and deep, and to hear it come from the mouth of her child moved her as a mother and a woman. "You should go find her!" She screamed out. "A love like that is something that transcends time and space!"

    "Great grandma is right." Yrag said. "Even if grandma is a completely different person now because she got cleansed in the cycle, her soul would still remember you."

    "It is a multiverse with trillions upon trillions of souls out there." Zell said. "How would I ever find her? She could be anywhere; she could also be happy. I would not want to take her happiness away from her. She''s gone and I just have to accept it."

    "Damn." Yrag said. "I am sorry grandpa. I was just offering advice and I didn''t mean to break open old wounds. I just know how it always works in the stories and I just wanted you to come back to me."

    "Don''t worry." Zell said. "I will, no matter what. I will come back to you."

    "So where are you off to now in your adventure to kill the gods?" Yrag asked.

    "I need to visit my friends in Tarm and let them know what has happened." Zell said. "I trust Kaitlyn has filled them in on the end of the war by now, but they need to know of the death of Rose and of my current plan to kill the gods. After that I will go and spend time with the dragons, they may still possess knowledge that I need to learn. Namely, how to track a god."

    "I see." Yrag said. "Would you mind if I came along with you?"

    Zell placed his hand on his grandson''s shoulder. "I am sorry." Zell said. "I need you to stay here and help my mother govern. The peace between our peoples is fragile as a newborn baby, it needs constant attention so that it can grow and strengthen. I do not have the time to spare. Can I count on you to do this?"

    Yrag nodded his head. "Yes, I will ensure our peoples live together in harmony."

    "I shall as well." Elenore said. "No more of that silly war nonsense. No one''s sons or daughters need to die for no reason. We cannot let an entire generation die because of old hatreds. I will do my part as well. You can count on me."

    "Wonderful." Zell said. "Thank you both. Now if you''ll excuse me, I must be going." With that Zell teleported back to Tarm and found Samantha sitting on her throne half asleep with a bored expression on her face while an advisor rambled on about nonsense. Her eyes lit up when she saw Zell appear out of nowhere.

    She jumped up from her throne and wrapped both of her arms around Zell''s neck. She squeezed him as tightly as she could. "I can''t believe you ended the war!" She cheered. "You saved countless lives and brought peace between the humans and nonhumans. The world is going to be a much better place now, all because of you."

    "Hey!" Kaitlyn yelled out as she entered the room and saw Samantha hanging from around Zell''s neck. "What is all this?!"

    Samantha turned and looked at her friend. "Just rewarding our noble hero for his heroic deeds and achievements." She said with a smile.

    "By dangling from his neck?" Kaitlyn asked. "He isn''t even holding you. You are just kind of hanging there."

    Samantha turned and put her face right in Zell''s. "Oh, I think I am wearing him down." She said while puckering her lips for a kiss.

    Zell grabbed her by the waste and peeled her off of him and then placed her on the ground. "It was a good effort." Zell said. "Also, it is nice to see you, Kaitlyn. Did you tell everyone?"

    "Of course." Kaitlyn replied.

    "Good." Zell said. "All there is to add is that my sister is dead.. Her reign of terror is over, and the peace is finally secured."

 Chapter 134 - If Magic Cannot...?

    His business in Tarm concluded Zell teleported back to the isle of dragons where he went into the house of black to find Obsi and Sid waiting for him.

    "Welcome home Zell." Obsi said.

    "I don''t live here though?" Zell replied confused.

    "You can if you want to." Obsi said with a smile. "Did you deal with your sister? Are you okay?"

    "Yes." Zell said. "Everything is taken care of. Rose is dead and Neuval is in my mother''s hands. Peace has been achieved between humans and nonhumans. All that remains is taking care of the gods." Zell looked at Sid and could not help but smile. "Anna says she still loves you, by the way." Zell told him.

    Sid took a step back with a look of shock upon his face. "She remembers me?" He questioned, not believing that she would have remembered him. "I thought none of the gods cared about us, that she forgot about me as soon as we left."

    "Not all of the gods are terrible." Zell replied. "Some of them are rather nice, others need to die. That brings me to why I am here. According to Anna I cannot get into the divine realm without an invite. The only way to get said invite is to start killing some gods who are not currently in the divine realm. Do you have any type of magic that can track a god in the multiverse?"

    "That would require someone to sense everything and everyone in the multiverse." Sid explained. "No one, no matter what level they were, would be able to do that. It is just too vast and too many souls for anyone to achieve such a feat. Even just doing one universe would be too much."

    "Yes, such a thing would be impossible." Obsi said. "Despite the creator gods'' bluster there even they cannot always see the entirety of the multiverse. They are limited to the part they are looking at and cannot see beyond it."

    "So, I could look in sections." Zell said. "Just like they do."

    "They do it from the divine realm." Obsi said.

    "The realm itself is helping them watch." Sid explained. "No, I don''t think there is a way."

    "That makes my next task complicated." Zell said. "Those gods could be anywhere in the multiverse. How am I supposed to find them if I cannot track them?!" Zell thought about what to do. He thought maybe if magic and sorcery could not solve his problem perhaps technology could.

    Obsi noticed Zell deep in thought. "What are you thinking?" She asked.

    "I am thinking about a world I visited while chasing my sister." Zell said. "They had technology unlike any I had ever seen. Maybe they have a scanner that could be modified to scan the multiverse for the signatures of a god. I know they had scanners to find people on their planet, so logically they might have one that can be aimed at the multiverse."

    "Using mortal tools to find gods." Obsi laughed. "Only you would think of such a trick. It is completely crazy, but it might just work."

    "Right." Zell replied. "Before I go, Sid, would you like a portal to go see Anna? She said she would love to see you again."

    "I don''t know if that is wise." Sid said. "It may be better to just remember her as she was and be happy with that. I don''t want her to cause me to lose my anger and force me to kill her. I would hate for her blood to stain my hands."

    "If that''s how you feel." Zell said. "I will return one day; I just don''t know when. Oh, one more thing Sid. There is a third fox sister who is evil and seeks the end of the multiverse. So be careful and I would suggest finding the other members of your team as fast as possible."

    "I understand." Sid said. "On second thought, I opened a portal to Anna for me. I feel as if your meeting is the work of my lady and as such a member of my team may be on the planet Anna is on." He looked himself over really quick. "I look alright, don''t I?"

    "You look fine." Obsi said. "Don''t be nervous, she is excited to see you remember?"

    Lucille rushed into the room with a stressed expression on her face. "Master, I wish to accompany you." She said politely.

    Zell blushed remembering what Lucille was wearing the last time he saw her. Obsi noticed Zell''s reaction and found it to be curious.

    "Of course, you can come." Sid said. "Having you along may help me find the person I am looking for."

    "Alright." Zell said. "Opening a portal now. Please be quick as tears into the fabric of the multiverse are not good things to keep open long." As the portal opened Sid and Lucille quickly went through and Zell closed it behind them. Leaving him and a curious Obsi alone.

    "So why did you blush?" Obsi asked. "Do you like her? I don''t mind including her if that is what finally gets you in the mood."

    "No, nothing like that." Zell said. "I just remembered something when I saw her, that''s all." If Obsi did not know that her father and the maid were an item, he did not want to be the one to tell her.

    Obsi sighed deeply. "I thought maybe that was my way in." She said with a sad expression. "Do you feel any different towards me after becoming a dragon? You should be drawn to me as I am to you. That is how this sort of thing works."

    "I am sorry." Zell said. "I do not."

    "Maybe you just need time." Obsi said. "As always, I am willing to wait. Now go, I will inform the others of everything. Just don''t stay away from me too long, okay?"

    "I promise I will be back." Zell said. "And I am sorry that I don''t feel the same way about you as you do me. My heart still belongs to my wife, I hope you understand."

    "Devotion to your spouse is a wonderful thing." Obsi said. "But you need to move on. I will not force the issue as you need to do it on your own. I will be waiting for you though. When you are finally ready to take that leap, I will grab you by the hand and jump with you, no questions asked. Afterall we are immortals with forever ahead of us, what is a few more years to us?"

    "You really are a sweet girl, Obsi." Zell said. "Thank you, for that." With those words Zell opened a portal back to the technological world he chased Rose to and silently walked into it. Leaving Obsi all alone in the house of black.

    Zell noticed a bit of wetness on his cheek as the breeze of the dying planet touched his face. He did not fully understand why Obsi''s words and devotion moved him so, but his body definitely had a reaction. He wiped the tear away and started walking back towards the city in the dome.

    He stopped and wondered. He had rebuilt a planet from dust before and cursed the walking dead. He wondered if he used his power here if it would repair the broken planet. Wanting to test his power he decided to give it a try. He knelt and pressed his hand firmly on the ground. He could feel the energies of the planet surging beneath his hand and all of the life that was connected to it.

    He could feel the lack of life. Even the wildlife and planet that were living were only barely living. The planet seemed weak and drained of all its resources. The waters of the oceans and rivers were barren of life, and the waters were deeply toxic. "These people destroyed their planet in pursuit of progress." Zell said as he felt it.

    Determined to see if he could, Zell pushed some of his power into the stream that he felt. The results were immediate as green and lush grass began to sprout rapidly from the cracked dusty ground around him. Dead trees regained their color and leaves and the toxic waters near him became cleared and radiant.

    Zell continued and the life sprouting from him slowly engulfed the entirety of the planet. The sky above even cleared of the dense smog as his magic cleansed the air. When he was done, he saw a beautiful field in front of him. Filled with lush plants and flowers, swaying in the breeze. The air was crisp and fresh.

    Zell was pleased with his power. "It looks like the source of my power truly is life itself." He said as he looked at the mark on the back of his gauntlet. "So, one fox of life and one fox of death. I wonder what the third fox is.. I hope it isn''t anything terrible, for Sid''s and Obsi''s sakes."

 Chapter 135 - Take Me To The Science Stuff

    Zell took a deep breath of the fresh smog-less air and admired his handy work. The metallic dome that contained the city now stuck out in the beautiful landscape as an eye sore. Zell flew to the city gates.

    A stunned guard just kept staring at the lush fields that popped up out of nowhere. He did not even notice Zell standing next to him.

    "Excuse me." Zell said to the stunned guard. "Where might I find whoever is in charge of the science stuff?"

    "Science stuff?" The guard just repeated slowly. "You see this right? Real plants and clear skies, you see them, right? This isn''t some dream, is it? I hope it is not. It is more beautiful than the history books made it out to be."

    "No, it is no dream." Zell said. "All of that life you see was my doing. So, if you don''t mind, could you point me in the direction of the science stuff?"

    "Right." The guard nodded. "Wait what?! You did all this?! How?! That''s not possible! Our brightest minds have tried for a century to repair the planet. Alien races have come from all over the galaxy, and none have been successful. You did it?! What planet are you from?! There is an outstanding reward for this action."

    "I hope it is with the science stuff." Zell said, still trying to just get directions.

    "Let me make a phone call." The guard walked away and left Zell by himself. He returned a few minutes later with another man following behind him. "Sorry for the wait. This is my supervisor; he requires proof that it was you before we can vouch for you. Is there any way you can prove you were the one who did all this?"

    Zell sighed. "Fine." He said. He noticed a half dead plant in a pot on a desk in the guard station behind them. "Bring me that plant." He said pointing to it.

    The guard did so and handed it over to Zell. Zell touched the plant with one finger and poured a tiny bit of his power into it. The plant immediately started to spring to life and grow. Within two seconds it had grown larger than the confines of the pot and it shattered the pot.

    The two men just looked on in amazement. "How did you do that? What kind of device are you using?

    The supervisor asked. "Is it in your gauntlet? Or is it a subdermal microchip?"

    "It is the power of life itself." Zell said. "I am a god, bestowed with the power of life."

    "A g-god?!" the guard yelled. "Wait, I recognize you! You''re the guy from the camera that mysteriously knocked out an immigration worker. No wonder!"

    "Oh, right that guy." Zell said. "I was just asking him where to find someone and he passed out."

    "When he was interviewed, he said it felt like the world was pushing on him from all sides and he couldn''t even take a breath, so he lost consciousness." The supervisor said, "Are you saying that had nothing to do with you?"

    "Well, I won''t say that there isn''t a chance." Zell smiled. "I was in a rather foul mood the last time I was here, and it is possible that some of my power may have slipped out, making it more difficult to be around me."

    "A man that fits your description was also reported to have saved a missing patrol." The supervisor said, "Their story was discounted, since it was so outrageous, but now meeting you and knowing that you claim yourself to be of a divine nature, their story seems more credible."

    "Oh, those men I dezombified?" Zell asked. "I actually forgot about those guys. I am glad they found their way back home. But now that all that is sorted, and you know who I am and what I am about, how about you tell me where I can find the science stuff?"

    "If by science stuff you mean the department of research and development, then that is the place I must take you anyway." The supervisor said, "God or not, you have done something that we have placed a reward for. It is my duty and obligation to ensure that you are rightfully rewarded for your noble and miraculous deed. Your name will be known throughout the galaxy as the savior of our planet."

    "I really just need to talk to them about a scanner." Zell said. "I don''t have any need or desire for this world''s money or fame."

    "Maybe not." The supervisor said, "But if it is a scanner you desire, then money will most certainly help you procure one, unless you were just planning on stealing one."

    "No, I guess?" Zell said. "Fine, it seems like the place I need to go regardless. So please take me there."

    "Very well, follow me." The supervisor said as he led Zell away.

    The guard that was left alone could no longer contain his excitement over the lush fields right in front of him. He ran as fast as he could out into them and then laid down on his back. He rolled around in the plants like a child or a dog who has just seen plants for the first time.

    The supervisor took Zell to his car. He then looked at his car and at Zell. He kept looking back and forth as he noticed a problem. The massive Zell would not fit in his small compact car. "So, I am going to find a bigger ride." The supervisor said as he looked around at available cars.

    "Don''t worry I will just fly." Zell said as he started to float in the air. The planet had a major deficiency of magic, but it was not completely barren of it. With Zell''s power and abilities, he could tap into it just fine, especially since he himself was now a source of magic.

    "I see." The supervisor said as he got in his car without saying another word. This day was going to break him mentally if it did not stop spiraling. First the planet was cured of its ailments, then he met a god, and then he learned that gods can just defy all logic and physics and fly. He drove to the department of research and development and Zell followed closely behind, flying near the ground.

    The people in the city all stopped and stared as they had never seen a large flying man in plate armor before. Or any flying men for that matter, at least not without the aid of rocket boots or jet packs.

    The supervisor pulled into the parking lot and parked his car. As he got out Zell landed near him. "Follow me inside." He said as he walked to the entrance. The doors were made of a fine crystal and locked with a keycard mechanism. The supervisor pulled out his keycard from his wallet and swiped it to open the door.

    As the door opened the AC of the building created a cool breeze that blasted the two men in the face, as the people who worked inside the building liked a cooled working environment. That was mainly because many of their workers came from planets with a considerably colder climate. The supervisor walked over to the front desk and Zell followed him.

    The desk clerk just stared at Zell''s massive body and shiny white silver plate armor.

    "I would like to make a report to the chief please." The supervisor said to the desk clerk. The desk clerk ignored him; he was too amazed at the massive man standing so close. The supervisor waved his hand in front of the clerk''s face to snap him out of it. "Hello, we need to see chief Dex please."

    "Right, sorry sir." The clerk said as he started to type furiously on his keyboard. After a moment of typing a machine on his desk printed out a security card. The clerk grabbed the card from the machine and handed it to the guard supervisor. "This will get you to the chief''s floor. Please leave all weapons with me. We are a weapon free facility."

    "Right, I know that." The supervisor said as he removed his laser gun from his hip and placed it on the clerk''s desk. "If you lose this, I will arrest you."

    "Understood sir." The clerk said. "And does your friend have any weapons to declare? Maybe a great sword or ax?"

    "No, I have no need for any such item." Zell said. "I assure you I am weapon free."

    "Yes, this gentleman here just cured the entirety of the planet." The supervisor said. "It looks amazing outside of the dome now. Like a whole new world. A man like that does not need a weapon. Why would you ask. On top of that, why would you ask about such medieval and barbaric weapons such as those?"

    "I am sorry!" The clerk said. "It was just well; he is wearing a full set of plate armor! What was I supposed to think?!"

    "It''s fine." Zell said. "Can we go now?"

    "Yes, sorry to keep you waiting sir.." The supervisor said as he led Zell to the elevator.

 Chapter 136 - Thank You

    As Zell entered the elevator he had to bend down as it was not designed for a person of his size. The supervisor swiped the card inside the elevator and the door closed. They rode quietly up to the top floor of the building, near the top of the dome. As they exited, they entered a room that was large with stone floors and carpeted rugs. A metal desk sat near the back and one of the walls was just a line of windows that looked out over the city. At the desk sat a small man with a gray beard and a bald head. He had thick glasses on and was wearing an expensive looking navy-blue suit with pinstripes.

    He looked up at the noise of the elevator opening and saw the two enter his office. "Ah supervisor Byrant, how nice of you to visit me. I assume this is about the events that have transpired outside of the dome today?" The old chief said.

    "Yes." Byrant said. "I have brought the man responsible for saving our planet. Or rather I have brought the god responsible."

    The old chief rolled his chair back and stood up. He looked Zell over who was oversized for the room with his head only a few inches from the ceiling. "A god you say." The chief said as he walked out from behind his desk and over to the windows. "We have met all kinds of lifeforms out there in the big vast galaxy of ours. Species that boggle the mind with how advanced they are. Some communicate using telepathy and others have been gifted telekinesis. Never in all our dealings have we encountered anything claiming to be a god."

    The chief walked over to Zell and pulled out a small button and pressed it. Monitors of the wall extended out and covered the area behind him. They turned on and showed images from all around the planet. Of clean crisp oceans and lush, beautiful forests. "Yet this is something that I would have deemed impossible." The chief said. "What other than a god could produce such miraculous results? This brings into question all our fundamental beliefs and customs. To think that gods are real, and not only real but will come in person to the aid of a needy planet."

    Zell didn''t exactly know what to say. It was not his intention to blindside an entire culture with the revelations of godhood. He knew that stories of gods existed on earth and on his new planet, so he assumed it was a multiversal truth. "I did not mean to shatter your beliefs." Zell apologized. "I only came here because I need your aid."

    "You need us?" The chief said. "A divine being capable of restoring a planet from the brink of annihilation, needs our help? What could we possibly do for you? I fear nothing we do could ever repay the kindness you have shown us. Even if we all worshiped you for the rest of time and spread your gospel throughout the galaxy, I fear it would not be enough to pay you."

    "Hey, I don''t want that." Zell said. "Please do not worship me or spread any gospel about me. That is the last thing I would ever want. Besides, are you not a man of science? Why would you surrender your mind so quickly to the divine?"

    "Because I have seen science try and fail to save my home." The chief said. "Six thousand attempts have been attempted during my lifetime. I have watched as all of them failed. Yet you did the task in mere moments. Man of science or not, I can see the proof for myself. So please tell me what you need us to do for you?"

    "I need to find more gods." Zell said. "Unfortunately, I am unable to locate them. I was hoping that given your technology you could build me a scanner that would search the multiverse and locate them. Do you think that is something you would be able to do?"

    "What is the range needed on this scanner." The chief asked as he pulled out a notepad from one of his pockets and clicked his pen ready to write.

    "I need it to scan the entirety of the multiverse." Zell said.

    The old chief dropped his pen and took on an expression of shock upon his face. "Did you just say multiverse?" He asked. "Are you saying that the multiverse is a real thing? That our universe is not the only one in existence? There is proof of other universes aside from our own?!"

    "Yeah." Zell said, as if it was nothing at all. "I myself am from another universe. So do you think you could make that scanner?"

    The old chief just started laughing. "What a day!" He yelled. "First gods are proven real, and now the theories of the multiverse have been proven! I did not picture this when I got up this morning."

    "So¡­" Zell said, still trying to learn if the scanner was possible. "Can you make it?"

    "No, heavens no." The old chief said. "That is technology that far exceeds anything we are capable of. That is on a level much higher than anything we have ever achieved or have even ever hoped to have achieved. I am sorry, but I cannot repay you. At least I cannot repay you personally."

    "Okay." Zell said. "Go on. If not, personally that means you know someone or somewhere that could make my scanner, right?"

    "Yes." The chief said. "Humans are not the only species in this galaxy with advanced technology. In fact, we were late to the game. There are other races with far superior knowledge and know-how. I would gamble to say that they have already discovered the multiverse themselves without divine intervention. If you go to their planet, I am certain they will be able to help you."

    The old chief ran back to his desk and scribbled something on an official looking piece of paper. He then ran back to Zell with paper in hand. "If you take this to them, they should help you." The chief said. "Byrant, please take our guest to the spaceport and I will make some calls to procure him a ride."

    "Sir!" Byrant said.

    "Thank you again for all you have done for our people." The chief said. "We will not waste this second chance you have given us. I know I speak for everyone when I say thank you."

    "It was nothing." Zell said. Byrant beckoned for Zell to follow him and the two went inside of the elevator.

    The chief walked over to the windows and looked out over the city one more time. He straightened his suit and tie and fixed his hair. "Citywide broadcasts activate." He said. As he said that his face was placed on every available screen throughout the city. Zell and Byrant watched from inside of the elevator.

    "Our fellow citizens, today is a day that shall be remembered for all time." The chief said. "Today our misery on our dead and polluted planet ends. We have been granted a second chance, a fresh start. The mistakes of our ancestors are now just simply that, mistakes. They are no longer a curse that hangs around our necks and poisons the very air we breathe and water we drink. I want to thank everyone who has fought so hard to make a life in our tragic world. I want you to know that today is the day that it all changes. Today we got our planet back. Today is a gift from the gods."

    He walked over to his desk and pushed a series of buttons. As he did the dome over the city began to open and retreated into the ground. As the dome opened the clear skies and lush foliage could be clearly seen by the citizens. The breeze of fresh air hit their faces and in came a collective deep breath they all took in the moment.

    "As you can see, our home is renewed." He said as a tear left his right eye. "We must thank our visiting god for all that he has done. Please thank him as he heads to the star port as he was the one responsible for this miracle. Enjoy this day! For this is the first new day of the rest of our lives!" With that he ended the transmission and went back to his desk to call the pilot he had chosen for the savior of his planet.

    The citizens all over the city stopped what they were doing and cheered at the top of their lungs. The speech of the chief had moved them, and they were all ecstatic to start their new life. They rushed to the street to thank Zell as he traveled.

    As Zell and Byrant exited the building they were met with a massive crowd cheering Zell on. "I told him I did not want this." Zell said with a sigh.

    "What did you think was going to happen when you saved an entire planet?" Byrant asked, laughing.

 Chapter 137 - Take Off

    "Are you going to fly after my car again?" Byrant yelled to surpass the cheering.

    "Yes." Zell said back. Bryant got in his car and drove down to the space port. Zell followed closely behind him. Masses of people had lined the streets all waving and yelling out their praises to Zell, who had just saved their home, for not only them but for many more generations in the future.

    Zell could not help but to blush at the outpouring of affection he was receiving from the citizens of this world. He wondered if this is how it felt to be a celebrity or famous person back on Earth. He smiled at the thought of his grandson seeing him like this and made a mental note to tell him when he got back.

    It took ten minutes to reach the spaceport. Ten minutes of flying over the crowds, by the end Zell could not help himself but to smile and wave at his supporters. As Byrant parked his car Zell landed behind him with a massive smile on his face.

    "Looks like someone changed their mind about the attention." Byrant said laughing. "It''s okay, enjoy it, you have most certainly earned it."

    Zell tried to suppress his motions and put on a more stoic face, but there was still a hint of a smile. "Right, well let''s get on with this." He said in an attempt to change the subject. "Where can I find the captain that is going to take me to this alien world?"

    "That would be me." A man yelled, giving a wave above his head. He was a man of a medium height of five foot nine inches with short cut black hair and brown eyes. He had olive skin and seemed to be in decent shape, although it was hard to tell through his outfit. He was wearing baggy pants that had several pockets, a loose-fitting t-shirt and an oversized black leather jacket. "The name is Skel; it is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. God hero."

    "The pleasure is all mine." Zell said. "So, you are the captain that is going to take me to where I need to go?"

    "That I am!" Skel said enthusiastically. "There is no better pilot in the whole of this system! I have the fastest ship this sector has ever seen, and I have never once failed a mission. There is no better person you could ask for than me."

    "I am happy that the chief was able to procure you on such short notice." Zell said.

    "It wouldn''t have been hard." Byrant said. "Everything Skel said is true, but he is omitting an important fact. His license was suspended, and his ship impounded because his last so-called mission violated over a dozen intergalactic laws, and he started a war between two civilizations."

    "Hey, that wasn''t my fault!" Skel protested. "How was I supposed to know that cargo was stolen, and that woman was some kind of royal treasure. I took that job on good faith and nearly lost everything. Last time I fall for the sob story of a woman at a bar, let me tell you."

    "Right." Zell said. "Sounds like a wonderful tale of intrigue and mystery, but we have plenty of time to hear it once we are on the way to the other planet, yes?"

    "Of course." Skel said. "I am just happy the chief found the wisdom to trust me on this important task."

    "There is no denying your skill and the hero deserves the best we can offer." Byrant said. "But please never do that again, also it would be best to stay out of that area of space. There is no telling what kind of bounty they have placed on you now."

    "Right." Skel said. "I am not worried though, no one in the galaxy can catch my baby. Speaking of which, it is high time you get to meet her. Follow me god man."

    Skel started walking through the port and Zell followed closely behind. The masses were contained outside of the port, but their cheers could still be heard. After a minute of walking, they came to a ship that was unlike any Zell had seen before. He watched the space shuttles launch and rockets launch back on Earth, but the design of this ship was totally alien to him.

    It had five sides and small wings. On the back of the ship was a type of thruster but it did not appear to be one of fire that Zell was familiar with on Earth.

    "Isn''t she glorious?" Skel said. "Now come, let''s get you inside."

    They walked up a ramp and entered the inside of the ship. It was fairly roomy although at Zell''s size it was not quite spacious enough. He stood just three inches from the ceiling, but at least he did not have to bend over. "It is a nice ship." Zell said.

    "Yeah, best in the galaxy." Skel said, taking a deep breath. "God how I have missed the way she smells." He thought about what he had just said for a second. "By God, I don''t mean you, it''s just an expression."

    "I understand." Zell said with a slight chuckle.

    "Welcome back captain." A computerized voice said over the income. The voice sounded female in nature. "I have missed having you ride me."

    Skel cleared his throat loudly. "Yes darling!" He shouted. "This is God hero man; he is a very important VIP if you know what I mean."

    "Yes captain." The voice said. "Welcome to my insides God Hero Man. I hope you find me an agreeable fit for you."

    "My name is Zell." Zell said. "I am sorry I did not introduce myself earlier."

    "Zell is a hell of a name." Skel said. "Almost sounds like mine."

    "Right, about your computer¡­" Zell said.

    "Veronica is an AI." Skel said. "I honestly have no idea why she chooses those specific word choices, but there is no better partner in the galaxy that I would after fly with."

    "I am only speaking in the manner that provides you with the most joy, captain." Veronica said. "After all you are the one who has been with me since I was born, you raised me to be this way."

    "Tour time!" Skel shouted out to change the subject. "If you would please follow me I will show you to your quarters." Skel walked over to the eastern side of the ship and opened an automated door. "In here are the guest quarters. It is fully equipped with all you could ever need on a fancy space voyage. We have a bed and a shower, although admittedly the shower will be a bit tight of a fit and so will the bed. Sorry about that. This ship was not built with people of your size in mind.

    On average space travelers are smaller. I am considered tall in my profession if you can believe it. Basically, it stems from smaller people requiring less resources to survive so it lowers the overall cost of flying." Skel could tell he was losing Zell''s interest. "Speaking of resources, I have already stocked your cabin with the finest Trolvallian whiskey money can buy. It is just like regular whiskey only has zero hang over. Stuff is amazing."

    "Thanks." Zell said. "That is unnecessary though, I just need speedy transport."

    "Right!" Skel said. "Speedy transport is what you shall get my man! I mean my god! My god man!"

    "Just Zell is fine." Zell said.

    "Of course." Skel said. "Veronica please set a course to Tilm."

    "Tilm is home of the Tilites." Veronica said. "They do not like to be bothered by lesser life forms; it is a violation of intergalactic law to go there without a sufficient reason. Do you wish you continue?"

    "Yes, we have a plenty good reason to go." Skel said.

    "Setting course." Veronica said. "Estimated time of arrival is seven galactic units."

    "Alright then let''s get this show on the road." Skel said.

    "How long is a galactic unit?" Zell asked.

    "I really have no way of answering that." Skel said. "I don''t know what unit of time you use, so I have no reference to base it off of. It is close to what we used to consider a day before we joined the intergalactic community. Turns out ninety percent of planets pass their time on their planet''s rotation around their star and their day and night cycle. The intergalactic community got together and found the average time that takes across all known inhabited planets and came up with a galactic unit as a standard of time for the galaxy. Does that help?"

    "So roughly seven days." Zell said.

    "Right." Skel said. The ship began to shake as the clamps retracted beneath them and the ship began to fly. It effortlessly defied gravity and left the planet within seconds of lift off.. Zell was now on his way to meet the most advanced species in this highly advanced universe.

 Chapter 138 - Past Catches You

    The feeling of space travel was different than Zell expected. He saw astronauts on television floating weightlessly and thought it would be someone akin to that. This ship was very different, and his feet remained planted firmly on the ship''s floor.

    "First time in space?" Skel asked. "I can tell."

    "Yeah." Zell said. "It feels different than I thought it would. It feels just like we are on the ground. I cannot tell that we are moving at all."

    "That''s the beauty of technology." Skel said. "They say a few centuries ago when space travel was new, we just floated around and bumped around inside the vessel. We had not discovered the wonders of artificial gravity and anti-gravity thrusters. To think they used to use explosions to get objects into space. It just boggles the mind."

    "So that is how this ship flies." Zell said. "I am familiar with anti-gravity as it is the method I use to fly."

    "Interesting." Skel said. "Well pull up a chair we got seven units of time to kill, might as well make yourself comfy and not just stand there like a giant in a tiny can."

    Zell grabbed a nearby chair and sat near a table. Skel did the same and sat across from Zell.

    "So, I have to ask." Skel said. "Do you always walk around in full plate armor, or do you have other ways of dressing yourself?"

    "This armor is a part of me." Zell said. "It is made from my scales."

    "So, you are basically naked." Skel said. "Good to know, don''t worry I won''t judge. Not the first alien I have seen that walked around wearing only its own parts."

    Zell thought for a moment. Although he was covered in his scales and was not exposed, the fact that it was a part of himself covering him did mean he was in fact naked. "I never thought of it that way." He replied.

    "If you want to wear something more comfortable Veronica can craft you a suit that will fit your exact dimensions." Skel said. "Unless that plate armor is comfortable, which I guess it could be since it is a part of your own body."

    "I wouldn''t mind it." Zell said.

    "Then I shall collect your measurements." Veronica said. "When you decide you are ready to be measured just strip down and I will get my ruler."

    "Veronica!" Skel shouted out. "Please be serious."

    "I was only curious." She said. "Are you not curious? If not, how could you not be? As an artificial intelligence I need more data so that I can determine if a person''s size is determined by their overall size, or if it is an independent anomaly."

    "I am so sorry Zell." Skel said. "She really is a good AI. I swear that she is."

    "I know a perverted dragon, so this is nothing." Zell laughed.

    "What an interesting life you must have lived." Skel said. "I mean you are the first god I have ever met, so that has to mean something."

    "Captain." Veronica interrupted. "There are three fighter vessels inbound to our location."

    "Ah damn it." Skel said. "They must still be pissed off about the whole incident."

    "It would appear so." Veronica said. "Brace for on coming fire."

    "Shields to maximum." Skel yelled. As he did the entirety of the spacecraft began to rumble as it took fire from the fighters. "Fire back!" Skel yelled.

    "Weapons are offline." Veronica said. "While impounded the weapon systems were disabled to prevent any future intergalactic mishaps. It appears they neglected to reenable them for this mission." There was a moment of silence while Skel thought of the next action he would take. "We are being hailed."

    "On screen." Skel said and the wall of the room they were in became a massive screen that showed the other person. He was an older man with green skin and white hair. He had an eye patch over his left eye and had on a red jumpsuit.

    "You have a lot of nerve showing your sorry ass in space again after the shit you pulled." The old green man said. "Power down your engine and prepare to be boarded. Or don''t and I will happily reduce your vessel to the space dust that it deserves to be."

    "I am afraid I cannot allow that." Zell said.

    "And who the hell are you?!" The angry man yelled. "This is between me and this bastard here! It is a matter of honor."

    "Look I don''t know what happened between you two, but I have business to attend to and this person here is my ride." Zell said. "You would be wise to not stand in my way."

    "The hell?!" The green man yelled. "You think you can just threaten me like that?"

    "I make no threats." Zell said. "But know that I am not one you wish to anger."

    "Yeah!" Skel chimed in. "This here is Zell! He is a god! Don''t go messing with gods!"

    "A god?!" The old man started laughing. "Oh Skel at least come up with something better than that. You know as well as I do that gods are not real."

    "A demonstration then." Zell said and then vanished. He appeared behind the old man on his ship. Zell had used teleportation magic, since he knew the location of the enemy vessel and neither of them were moving. "Nice ship."

    "How the blazes are you here?!" The older man yelled out. "Security!"

    Zell put his two fingers together as if he was about to snap. "If I snap my fingers, it will create a shockwave so great that it will blast your ship apart and kill you all." He threatened. "I would rather not end your existence, but I have an important task that I must complete."

    "Fine!" The old man yelled. "Just at least tell me why are you siding with this space trash? Do you not know what he did?"

    "Only a small bit." Zell said. "As I said he is my ride."

    "Well allow me to explain." The old man said. "My name is Furg, Furg Yarntale, I hail from the planet of Yae. I am one of the four leaders of that world. My daughter, in an act of rebellious youth, left our planet without my knowledge. She was trying to escape the future her mother and I had planned for her.

    In my world it is expected that the children of the leaders marry one another, and she was not happy with this arrangement. Instead of sucking it up and doing her duty for the entire world she left and found a captain. Apparently, she had found a lover in our rival world, which we had a very sensitive alliance with. She took one of our royal treasures with her as she escaped.

    Well, the captain here did more than just escort her to our rivals, oh no. The rat bastard seduced my poor daughter and impregnated her with his foul seed. So, when she went to meet with her lover, while he discovered she was carrying the child of another man.

    His people took it as an act of war to break the heart of their planet''s prince. Yes, turns out her mystery lover was next in line to the throne. Out of anger they imprisoned my daughter and destroyed the treasure that she had stolen. My people took that act of aggression as a sign of war.

    We have been bombing one another ever since. My daughter remains imprisoned with this bastard''s child in her belly. I only want to take him in so that he can face the just punishment that he deserves. Millions of civilians have lost their lives in this war, and it has only just begun.

    Knowing all of this, would you still protect him?"

    "That is quite a lot to take in." Zell said. "Skel what do you say to defend yourself?"

    "She came onto me!" Skel yelled out. "How was I supposed to know that she was going to start a war between two planets with her actions? I only saw an upset woman who came to me for comfort. I am weak, I know this. But I should not be condemned because for a moment of weakness, when I didn''t even know the stakes. Had I known I would have rejected her advances, hell I would have turned down the whole job.

    I am sorry so many have died, I really am. I am also sorry that she is in a jail cell with my child in her womb. I don''t want my only child to be born in a prison and I surely don''t want it for their mother. But what am I supposed to do?! I am just one man. I cannot stand against armies to rescue her and giving myself up will not stop the conflict. Those two have been itching to kill each other for years and are just using this as an excuse.

    You must know I am telling you the truth. I met her crying in a bar and only wanted to help. I cannot stand to see a woman cry."

    "There is only one thing to do then." Zell said.. "I will stop this war and save your daughter."

 Chapter 139 - I Will Bring Peace

    "Skel do you mind following in your ship." Zell said over the intercom. "I will ride with this crew here. If I travel with Furg and his men it will be better than if I show up with the man that started the whole war, even if it was only an excuse. The person who lights the match in a room full of explosives is still to blame, even if they did not know the explosives were there."

    "I understand." Skel said. "I will follow you at a distance then."

    "Very well." Furg said. "You may accompany us on our ship, although it would be better manners if the captain invited you to do such in the future, and not just giving orders."

    "You said millions are dying." Zell said coldly. "There is no time for formalities. Take me to the fighting, I will see that it ends."

    "Cut transmission." Furg said, ending the transmission with Skel. "Look, I need to know. Have you ever brokered a peace between warring solar systems before? This would be a near impossible task for even the most seasoned of negotiators."

    "That''s what I do captain." Zell said. "I make the impossible possible. Now put your worries at ease, I shall have this war ended within no time."

    "I wish I shared your confidence but getting rid of centuries of hate will not be an easy task." Furg said.

    "That is because the gods wish it to be that way." Zell said. "They enjoy watching the plight of mortals as they struggle and die. They enjoy conflict, it is their highest form of entertainment. I have no doubt in my mind that all of this was placed into motion by their doing."

    "Gods do not exist in this universe." Furg said. "Every space traveling culture knows this truth. The Tilites have shared that truth with all of us. They are far more advanced than any other civilization and we took that truth without question."

    "The gods I speak of are multiversal, not universal." Zell said. "Even if there is no evidence of them within the universe, trust me they exist in the multiverse. They are sick and twisted and only care for themselves, save a couple of them. I am on this mission to stop their toying with mortal lives.

    It is high time that mortals of all universes had a say in their own fates. That they could make their own choices. They need to be able to live without an invisible puppet master behind the scenes controlling the action.

    If I ignored this conflict, I would be no better than they are. I have the power to end this war and to bring peace, to not use it would be a stain on my honor and everything that I stand for."

    "How are you going to solve a conflict on this scale?" Furg said. "Billions of lives are filled with hate towards one another. The arrival of one man will not accomplish anything."

    "I will do it by doing what I hate doing most." Zell said. "I will become the center of attention. Tell me what would happen if in a universe that contains no gods, suddenly a god appeared?"

    "It would be a life changing event." Furg said.

    "What if said god commanded a cease to all combat and an end to war?" Zell said.

    "If you could prove your godhood to everyone, I think it would be hard to refute any order you gave." Furg said. "What chance do mortals have against a god?"

    "Exactly fear." Zell said. "Not fear of a dictator, but fear of a divine being. Unlike the fear of a dictator, the fear of the divine never wanes. Gods never die and are supposedly all watchful and all knowing. This fear is real and can be a common ground for the two peoples to come together."

    "What you are proposing is the start of a religion." Furg said. "A religion with you at the center. It is true that when my planet had religion eons ago it was able to bring warring tribes together, but it also caused wars later over disagreements in how to read the word."

    "Sadly, that is the best I can do in such a short time." Zell said. "I do not have the time to sit down with all sides and find common ground. That is something that both of your people should have been doing for years. Peace is the hardest thing to achieve and the easiest to lose. The fear religion inflicts is my only play. It may cause more wars in a thousand years, but hopefully it will not. Even if it does, it gives you a thousand years of peace."

    "I understand." Furg said. "We will reach my home world in two galactic units. Please make yourself comfortable until we arrive. Allow me to show you to some quarters."

    "Thank you for the hospitality." Zell said as he followed him. This ship was far larger than the ship he was on with Skel. With ceilings twenty feet tall he had plenty of head room and did not feel cramped in the slightest. "I thought this was just a small fighter. It looks so much bigger than just a fighter."

    "That is just how this ship appears." Furg laughed. "Remember we are a warring civilization. We have a technology that cloaks our true ship and projects fighters. We can even make it seem like the attacks are coming from those fighters. Then when the enemy attacks the fighters they are only attacking a hologram. It is a wonderous achievement that has won us a great deal of battles."

    "What an interesting weapon." Zell said. "That said though this ship is massive."

    "Yes, it is one of our dreadnaught class cruisers." Furg said. "This baby has enough firepower to destroy a planet."

    "Wait, we ran into you almost as soon as we left that planet." Zell said. "Were you going to destroy that planet?!"

    "Only if they did not hand over that horrible man who defiled my daughter." Furg said. "It is a dump anyway, no one would miss that dead planet or the stupid lifeforms that killed their own planet."

    "You should have more respect for life." Zell said as his eyes started to glow. He was angered by Furg''s complete and total disregard for the value of life. To destroy a whole planet if one man did not surrender, what kind of monster would do that and still smile. "Tell me why your two civilizations started warring?"

    "It has been so long, no one really remembers." Furg said. "The most popular theory is that we both tried to settle the same planet and both settlements failed. Both sides blamed the other and it just kind of snowballed from there."

    "So that was the event." Zell said. "A mysterious death of two colonies."

    "That is what our historian''s believe was the catalyst that started the centuries of hate." Furg said. "Now it is more of we just hate them because we have to and because they hate us. Besides, they are blue. Name one good thing that is blue."

    "The sky and the sea?" Zell asked. "I know some planets have different colors, but where I am from, they are blue and beautiful."

    "Well, no matter." Furg said. "You claim you can stop all of the war, and this I would love to see. Even if you are a god, there is no way you will be able to prove it to all of the people. There will still be doubters and they will continue the cycle of hate."

    "I just have to make sure there are no doubts then." Zell said with a smile. "Do you happen to have a way to see that planet I left with Skel?"

    "Yeah, they have a subspace broadcast." Furg said. "Just about all civilizations do. The advertising revenue from the Tilites is better than some planetary economies. I will put it on the screen for you."

    Furg went over to a console and started pushing buttons. A large screen appeared in their general area. Images of the planet that Zell saved flooded the screen.

    "I must have done something wrong." Furg said. "Hold on." He continued to fiddle with the buttons and turned it off and back on again, but the images returned as the screen did. It was a newscast.

    "Our planet has been saved by the arrival of a god." The newscaster said. "We long believed that gods were not real, but there is no other explanation for the miracle that has transpired here. Churches are being built all over the planet in honor of our Savior god, who I am told is named Zell. If you are seeing this god Zell, thank you for saving us with your grace. Please accept our humble worship in honor of you."

    "It looks like your religion already started." Furg said. "So, you actually did the impossible and saved that planet?"

    "As I said." Zell said.. "I make the impossible possible."

 Chapter 140 - An End To War Part 1

    The two galactic units passed with no other major events transpiring. Zell just sat in his quarters looking out at the vastness of space thinking about what he needed to do. After the two days of thinking he had a plan, he just hoped it was a good one.

    "Zell, are you alive in there?" Furg said over the intercom into Zell''s room. "You haven''t been out once, not even to eat. Do gods not require food or something?"

    Zell thought about that for a moment. It is true he could not remember the last time he ate, or even felt hungry. He also felt no need for sleep. "It appears I do not." Zell responded. "Are we at our destination?"

    "Yes, but well¡­" Furg paused fighting back emotion. "Can you come to the bridge? There is something you need to see."

    Zell stood up and left his chambers and made his way to the bridge to meet up with Furg. The crewmen that he passed along the way all had saddened faces and the look of true despair. Their eyes were swollen from crying, although as Zell passed they did their best to smile. They did not want to show weakness to an outsider that they barely knew. Even if he did claim to be a god.

    Zell arrived at the bridge and the mood was truly a somber tone. Furg walked over to Zell, his face reflecting the fact that he too had been overcome with emotion.

    "Thank you for coming." Furg said. "I know your plan is that of peace, but just look at what our enemy has done. On screen."

    Images of a destroyed planet filled the screen. Space dust and debris filled the area.

    "They destroyed our home." Furg said. "I do not know how they managed to get past our planetary defenses, but it doesn''t really matter. My people and I are now homeless. Sure, we have colony planets, but this planet was where we all started, it was our culture, our history, it was our home. There can never be peace, I know my people and I will not rest until all those bastards have been wiped from existence. Over one hundred billion souls were just lost in this act of barbarism."

    "You said, just lost?" Zell said.

    "Yes, we arrived just as he exploded." Furg said. "Happened no more than a few moments ago."

    "Then please leave it all to me." Zell said with a smile as he teleported out of the ship into the open space.

    Furg and his crew rushed to the screen as they watched in shock and horror as Zell was now in the void of space. They expected him to die, as no one can survive the vacuum of space, but Zell was unharmed. The lack of air, not the freezing cold phased him in the slightest. Zell began to glow and transform into his dragon form.

    They had never seen a creature as vast and as amazing as Zell''s dragon form. He was around the same size of their ship and his scales glowed with the most beautiful light. They watched as he pulled his dragon arms out and balls of golden light formed in his scaly palms. As he did the planet began to reform. Each massive chuck collided with another until it was the same size that it once was.

    After that the planet began to glow with a bright light and when the light faded the planet looked just as they remembered. Zell then let out a roar that shook their vessel violently as he summoned the extra strength to pull those billions of souls back from the cycle before they were processed.

    Resurrection was never achieved in this universe of science and technology, and Zell was about to do it a hundred billion times over in front of several witnesses. As Zell completed his task, he just paused looking at the planet he had just rebuilt and the lives he had returned. He was ensuring that he did not leave a soul behind, checking, and double checking.

    Zell now had a mastery of the cycle and how it worked. When a mortal dies, the method of their death is recorded on their soul. Zell grabbed all the souls from this universe that died of planetary explosion.

    The screen inside the ship began to flash red as they had an incoming message. A message from their home planet. With tears flowing down his face Furg commanded the computer to answer the call. It was his wife, looking well and good, as if she had never died.

    "Honey, why are you crying?!" She asked with a concerned look. She seemed to have had no memory of her death or the destruction of her planet. "Is it our daughter?! Did those bastards hurt her?! Kill her?!"

    Furg smiled as he wiped the tears from his face. "I am just so happy to see you, my love." He said. "I am happier than I have ever been in my entire life, seeing your face, hearing your voice, this is the greatest moment of my life. Thank you, Zell, thank you."

    "Honey?" His wife asked, confused. "Who is Zell and what are you on about? We have a problem, that''s why I called. Our planetary defense codes have been stolen; we need you to change the codes immediately. Something or someone has locked everyone else''s access out."

    "I will get right on that honey." Furg said, still crying out of the joy he was feeling. Zell appeared in his human form behind Furg and placed his hand on his shoulder.

    "It is going to be okay now." Zell said. "As I said, I will bring the peace you deem impossible."

    "I believe you with every fiber of my being." Furg said. "Honey, this is Zell. He is a god and has come to end the war and save our daughter."

    "A god?" Furg''s wife asked loudly. "Have you gone mad? You know there is no such thing is a god."

    "Honey, there is no doubt in my mind that Zell is who he says he is." Furg said. "I have other calls I must take now. I promise I will explain everything to you later. I love you." With that Furg ended the transmission with his wife.

    He opened the transmission of the highest status next.

    "Please explain what just happened?!" An angry older man just yelled. "I watched as a planet destroying missile landed on our planet''s surface. I saw it explode. Then I remember nothing, and here I am, and the planet is fine. The only thing different from the last moment I remember is your ship is in orbit. So, what happened?"

    "It is as you said." Furg replied. "Our planet was destroyed, our people killed."

    "Then how am I talking to you?" The older man asked.

    "Commander Zug, I would like you to meet Zell." Furg said. "He is a god, a real god."

    "Am I to believe that I owe my life to this god?" Zug asked.

    "I have the whole thing recorded." Furg said. "Zell is the only reason we have a home. He is the reason my wife still lives, why you still live. I don''t know how he rebuilt a planet and brought back the dead and frankly I don''t care. He said he was a god and damn it that is good enough for me."

    Zug just stared with a blank expression. He was trying to process everything that had just happened. Being told you died and then were brought back from death is a hard pill to swallow for even the sternest minded. "You have my thanks then god Zell." Zug said with a bow on the video feed. "My people pledge their undying support and loyalty to you and your godliness. I will spread the word far and wide of the amazing feat you have done today, and it will eliminate any doubt in anyone''s mind that you are a god."

    "I am happy there will be no doubters." Zell said. "As your new god, I have but one request. A commandment if you will. Value life above all else, not only your own but all life. Do not kill for hate or war but cherish the life that you are given. Of course, that does not mean you cannot kill animals for meat, just do not overdo it and be respectful of the animals that give their lives for you."

    "I understand." Zug said. "I will spread your commandment. I do have one question, are we allowed to defend ourselves?"

    "That would be valuing your own life would it not?" Zell asked. "Just do not go out and seek battle, instead seek peace through dialogue. Almost all war can be avoided by talking out your problems and finding mutual things in common."

    "What of our enemy though?" Zug asked. "They destroyed our planet and killed all our people. I know you brought us back, but that act of aggression needs to be answered."

    "Do not worry about them." Zell said.. "I will deal with them next."

 Chapter 141 - An End To War Part 2

    The entirety of the ship turned black all-around Zell and everyone on board seemed frozen in time. The mark on his hand began to glow as the presence of a god was near him.

    "Did you really think there would be no consequences for undoing the master''s grand plans?" A mysterious man who appeared out of nowhere said. "To revive a hundred billion souls and remake a planet. Did you think that would escape his notice?"

    "Oh, you must have been sent by one of the creator gods." Zell said with a laugh. "It is not that I assumed there would be no retribution, I simply did not care. Now who are you and how are you here without a vessel?"

    "I am the god of hate and war." He said. "In this universe that does not believe in the divine I have made my home for eons. Feasting on the billions of souls lost to senseless hatred. It is all part of the master''s plan.

    When a civilization has reached a certain point, it must be eradicated for the good of the rest. That is the law of this universe, a law you have sorely broken."

    "I was looking for you." Zell said. "How wonderful it is that you have found me instead."

    "I know you are strong, but I can sense the hate that dwells deep within you." The other god responded. "As long as you have that hate in your heart you cannot kill me."

    "It is true." Zell said. "I do have hate. I hate the gods who toy with mortal lives and claim it is for the betterment of everyone when I know it is just for their entertainment. Tell me what your rationale for the murder of a civilization is. I would love to know. I would also have your name."

    "I am Radi, though you are not worthy to hear my name." Radi said. "As for the reason for the civilization''s death. It is simple, if left unchecked they would create a weapon that would destroy the universe. I do not know what type, but it is certain that they were on the path to create it. So, for the good of the rest of the universe they had to die."

    "Radi, that is an interesting reason." Zell said. "It was perhaps true, until they met me. Now their days of warring are behind them, and the days of peace will be plentiful and great."

    "You are very na?ve." Radi said. "They will still work on building the weapons that will destroy everything and they will say that it is in the name of defense. They will still create it, that is the bottom line. You only kicked the can a little further down the road.

    In a forest if you do not cut out the old growth the new trees wither and die. This is no different. It is not because I find joy in their destruction, nor does the master. It is something that must be done."

    "When you introduced yourself, you said you were the god of hate and war." Zell said. "But I know from Anna, that your real title is the god of hate and love. Why would you change love to war?"

    "War is fought more for love than for hate." Radi said. "The love of your own culture, of your own people, or perhaps the love for another''s possessions. Love is war, it is a constant battle. You know, I am sure. When you love someone, you fight every day to be with them, near them. You do whatever you can for them, and they do the same for you. Every day is a battle in love.

    Hate however is different. When you hate the most common reaction is to avoid the thing that is hated. You do not seek it out unless you are overcome with love for something else. Only through love will you embrace hate. So, I changed my title to reflect what love really is."

    "Damn it." Zell said. "You had to be rational. I was honestly hoping you were a raving psychopath like Steve. That way I would collect your soul without a second thought. But you have reasons for what you do, although I do not agree with them. You do not do it only for your entertainment."

    "I do it as a job, not for fun." Radi said. "I wish I could let everyone just live and love, but sadly that cannot be so. Not if I care about the others, and the fate of the universe."

    "But what if they don''t?" Zell asked. "You are certain that they will create this horrible weapon that wipes out the universe. But what if they don''t? Then you just condemned an entire civilization to death. If mortals truly are to have freedom, will they need to make their own choices and yes, their own mistakes. You cannot be the one who decides for them if they live or die."

    "Did you not just do that?" Radi asked. "I watched you pluck souls from the cycle one hundred billion times. Did you not just decide who lives and who dies? Where was the free will in your decision to save them? Did you give them a choice?

    Of course, you didn''t. You are a god, and you act like one. You decided to know what was best and you did it. By doing what you did you have altered their entire civilization. I may have killed them, but so did you.

    The civilization that you rescued has been forever changed. They now have a religion and a god to worship. They will act differently, think differently, and progress differently. There is nothing about them that will remain the same. Other than the fact they will eventually destroy this universe."

    "There is no way for you to know that." Zell said. "You are not the god of future visions; you are basically the god of the heart. As such you are thinking only with your heart and not your head. I know there is a more advanced society in this universe is there not?"

    "There is." Radi replied.

    "Did you need to kill them?" Zell asked.

    "I actually attempted several times." Radi said. "Somehow, they have overcome every attempt to destroy them. It is so dangerous to let them exist, yet I have no choice but to."

    "That is actually amazing." Zell said. "To think there is a civilization out there that openly defies the will of the gods and gets away with it. An actual bastion of free will and free thought. I cannot wait to visit them as soon as I am done here."

    "Do not think I will let you continue doing what you are doing!" Radi yelled.

    "Oh, Radi, there is nothing you can do to stop me." Zell said with a small laugh.

    Radi held on one of his hands and it started to glow. He was trying to cause Zell to become overcome with emotion. He was trying to make him lose himself in his past suffering. Zell just walked towards Radi slowly.

    "Why isn''t it working?!" Radi yelled out as Zell walked closer and closer. "Why! I feel the hate in your heart, I feel the sorrow and the pain! Why do you keep coming even when I amplify it?!"

    "I conquered my demons long ago." Zell said. "My pain is a part of me, and I will embrace it no matter how large it grows. I will move forward with what needs to be done no matter how I feel. I am sorry, but we were a bad match up. I thank you for attacking me though."

    "You thank me?!" Radi asked with a worried look on his face. "Why would you thank me for attacking you?!"

    Zell placed his hand on Radi''s shoulder. "Because it makes this easier." From Zell''s hand Radi''s body began to glow until his entire being was just one giant light. Slowly the light shrank until it was a tiny ball. When the light faded only a sphere of Zell''s scales remained. He had trapped Radi inside.

    As Radi became trapped the lights of the ship returned and the people started talking and moving once more.

    "Zell are you alright?" Furg asked with a concerned look on his face. "You kind of zoned out there for a moment. Did saving my planet zap you of too much power? Do you need to rest before we go to the enemy and rescue my daughter and end the war?"

    Zell looked down at his hand and the ball of scales that now resided in it. "No, I am fine." Zell said. "We can go to our next target; I don''t need to rest."

    "Alright, but you look so worn down and sad, are you sure you are, okay?" Furg asked one more time.

    "I am fine." Zell said while faking a smile. "Please let''s move on."

    "Alright everyone you heard the god!" Furg yelled. "Next stop those bastard''s home world!"

 Chapter 142 - An End To War Part 3

    In a few short hours Furg and his were approaching the enemy planet of Hals. The two civilizations were galactic neighbors as close as they were to one another. As his dreadnought cruiser entered their space he was immediately flagged as a threat. The Halions knew that they had just destroyed the home planet of Furg and his people and assumed that they were coming on a suicide mission of vengeance.

    Without warning all of the Halion vessels launched a volley of attacks. They fired missiles, shot lasers, and launched bombs. They threw absolutely everything in their arsenal at Furg''s ship. They knew if they allowed Furg to get close that ship had the power to do to their planet what they had just done to his.

    Zell watched on screen as the massive attack commenced. He raised his arm out and formed a barrier around the ship. All of the attacks struck his barrier, but his barrier was completely unphased. "Hail them." Zell said. "I wish to talk to them."

    "You heard the god!" Furg yelled out. "Send an alert to all of the Halion ships!"

    Furg''s crew scrambled as they rushed to send out as many transmission signals as possible. Within a few moments someone answered the call. It was a young adult with a fit body and blue skin. He had orange hair and red eyes. Furg recognized the man as the prince who imprisoned his daughter and started the war.

    "Well, if it isn''t the man, I once hoped to call father." He said over the transmission. "Your shield technology has advanced greatly. We launched everything and did not even affect the power of your vessel at all. Tell me why are you here? Are you here on some misguided attempt to avenge your fallen planet?

    We only did what we had to. We know of your super weapon. We could not risk you using it."

    "What super weapon?!" Furg asked loudly. "We have no such thing!"

    "As if I would believe a man that spawned the woman who shattered my heart!" The prince yelled back. "Our intelligence is rock solid. We even found proof in the royal treasure that your daughter brought to us. She is the one who told us about it to begin with!"

    "My daughter did what?!" Furg yelled. He was confused, to his knowledge there was no super weapon, why would his daughter tell such a thing to a hostile power. He thought for a moment. His daughter worked for another one of the leaders of their planet. It is possible she uncovered something. "Why wouldn''t she tell me then?!"

    The prince studied Furg''s face and would tell that he was not lying. "I see you have no idea what I am talking about. The reason your daughter still draws breath after the shame she put upon me is because she brought us this information and proof. She was afraid of what your people would do and came to us to stop you all."

    "But she could have just come to me!" Furg said.

    "You will have to ask her about that yourself." The prince said. "Granted you still draw breath after our conversation."

    "That''s enough." Zell said as he looked at the ball, he was still holding in his hand containing Radi. "What kind of weapon caused you such fear that you needed to kill billions of innocent lives?"

    "We did what we had to do to save trillions." The prince said. "It is a bio plague. It has a near perfect death rate for any infected. Although it seems it was engineered so that Furg and his people would be immune to its effects. It is a nasty bug that lies in wait without showing any symptoms. For thirty galactic units the infected walk around completely unaware while they infect everyone around them. Then after that time period the infected suffers acute organ failure and dies by the end of galactic unit thirty-one.

    We have never seen such a weapon. It would indiscriminately wipe out nearly all life in the universe, as it is super contagious. Inside the royal treasure brought to us was a sample of the plague. It was then we knew what had to be done."

    "I had no idea." Furg said with a defeated look on his face. "To think my people would do something as horrible as that."

    "I need to know where she got the sample." Zell said. "Let me speak to her immediately."

    "Who the hell even are you stranger?" The prince asked.

    "I am a god." Zell said. "My name is Zell. Now that you know my name let me speak to her. I must stop that plague from getting out."

    "We destroyed the planet." The prince said. "The research and the people responsible are all dead now. Why are you so worried about it? The universe is safe."

    "Zell here is a real god." Furg said. "I know you didn''t believe him, but just turn your spy satellites to my planet and you will see what I mean."

    The prince''s eyes looked at a different screen and widened as he saw the planet that was once destroyed back in its place. "How?!" The prince yelled.

    "I brought it back." Zell said. "Along with everyone who died. Now please I do not wish this plague or virus to escape that world. Let me speak to the girl and I will take care of it."

    A second screen popped up and showed a destressed pregnant woman inside of a damp cell. Her skin was green, and she had long white hair. "Father?!" She said as her eyes lit up from seeing Furg. "I feared the worst when they told me they destroyed our home."

    "You two can catch up in a moment." Zell said. "I need to know where you got that sample from."

    "Yes, why didn''t you tell me?" Furg said. "I could have done something. Mass murder is not our way."

    "Not our way?!" She yelled. "You have a warship that can blow up a planet! You have killed thousands in the name of duty and war. Forgive me if I thought that you might be involved in the creation of the plague.

    I did the only thing I could to save the universe. I told the Halions what was happening. I have been secretly talking with them for years anyway. I wanted to marry the prince; I even fell in love with him. I thought that if we married both our peoples would see we are not so different. That we could coexist.

    But then during my escape, I was so stressed by everything. I drank way too much, and that pilot was way too attractive. I made a mistake. That one mistake has cost our race dearly. We lost our home, our place in the universe, and our chance at peace. I am so sorry, father. I am sorry to you as well my prince. I really did want you to be my first."

    "That is all well and good, now give me the location of the sample." Zell said. "It is rather urgent."

    "It was near the northern pole of the planet. A secret lab under the snow." She explained.

    "I will set a course back immediately." Furg said.

    "There is no need, nor is there time." Zell said. "I will go there myself." Zell turned his attention back to the prince. "If I find this ship destroyed when I return, you will see what the wrath of a god feels like."

    The prince nodded in understanding. "All units stand down." He said over the comms. "Any attacks will be dealt with as an act of treason and the party responsible will be executed on the spot."

    Zell nodded and then teleported back to the home planet of Furg. He flew to the northern pole and scanned the area for a secret lab. After a few minutes of flying, he found a strange outline in the snow and flew down to investigate. With one large breath he blew all of the snow away and revealed a concrete bunker.

    He grabbed the door and went down inside. He found many of Furg''s people working hard.

    "The work here stops now." Zell said.

    The workers all stopped what they were doing and looked up at Zell.

    A man with a short haircut and a business suit walked over in front of Zell. "Who are you? How did you find our lab?" He asked.

    "Do you not watch the news?" Zell asked. "I am the savior of your planet. I grabbed your souls from oblivion and brought you all back to life. I rebuilt your entire planet and rebuilt your cities. I am your god!"

    "No sorry." The man said. "We do not get the news here. Although that is the most novel introduction I have ever heard, even if it is all just a lie. Now tell me, who are you and why are you in our secret research base?!"

 Chapter 143 - An End To War Part 4

    Zell had a bubbling anger brewing inside. Not just because of the insolence of the person in front of him, but because Radi may have been right. After all the time and effort of bringing everyone back and demanding peace, they still were working on this weapon. Zell''s eyes began to glow. "You will do as I say mortal and that is final!" He yelled out with such force that it shook the planet they were standing on.

    The man''s eyes glazed over as his will left his body at the command of a god. "What is your command, my master?" The man said in a monotone voice.

    "Where is the damned plague you are working on!" Zell demanded.

    The man turned and started walking. "It is right this way, master." He said as he walked, waving for Zell to follow. He took Zell deeper into the lab down an elevator ten floors. As the doors of the elevator opened there were two turrets lined up aimed at the opening.

    Red lights flashed and a robotic voice came over the intercom. "Unauthorized access detected. Lethal force approved."

    The gun barrels on the turrets began to spin as they shot out bolts of hardened light and plasma. Zell formed a barrier over the mindless middle manager that had been helping him and saved him from the onslaught. Zell then grabbed him by the shoulder and threw him to the side of the elevator and walked outside.

    The guns trained on him as their target and launched volley after volley at him. He kept walking forward completely unaffected by the blasts. He put out his hand and launched two tiny fireballs that hit the gun turrets causing them to explode in a glorious ball of fire and ash.

    A large metal door stood in his way. He reached out and jabbed his fingers through the metal. He then crumbled the steel as you would a piece of paper and tossed it behind him as he ripped the door from its frame. Inside was no one working. Just a clean sterile white room with ample lighting.

    "You are not authorized to be here." The robotic voice said again. "If you do not leave this unit will be forced to release a chemical agent. The secrets here must be protected."

    "Do your worst." Zell said. "Where is the damned plague?" He asked, not expecting the computer to answer him. Unlike mortals, computers were immune from compulsion.

    "Dispersing chemical agent." The voice said as a green gas filled the room. Zell was unafraid having reached the level of godhood; a mere chemical would have little effect on him. He inhaled deeply and sucked all of the smoke up out of the room. It caused a slight tingle in his throat and did nothing else.

    "This is unexpected." The voice said. "You should be a puddle now. Calculating new options. Calculating. Self-destruction will release plague into the universe, but only choice at this juncture. Self-destruct activated.

    "Wait you damned machine." Zell said. "If you do that the universe will die. Do you not care about the life forms in this universe?"

    "This unit was not programmed with emotions." The voice said. "Even eliminating oneself does not bother this unit in the slightest."

    An explosion came from the roof overhead.

    "Damn it the self-destruction is starting!" Zell complained.

    "This explosion was not this unit." The voice said. "More intruders are detected."

    "Yahoo!" Skel yelled as he descended through the hole he had blown in the roof. "Looks like I made it just in time to help there Mr. God."

    "Skel what are you doing here?!" Zell yelled out.

    "Good old Furg filled me in on the details." Skel said as he landed. "Looks like you are having a bit of an issue with the AI guard. Veronica baby, you are up."

    "Yes, my stallion." Veronica said. "Infiltrating the enemy AI''s systems."

    "Foreign AI detected." The voice said. "You are not authorized to¡­"

    "Hush now." Veronica said. "Just lay back and I will ease inside. I promise it will be an enjoyable experience."

    "What are you¡­" The voice started and then fell silent for a short time and the lights of the facility went out leaving the only source of light Zell''s armor.

    "What is happening?" Zell asked Skel.

    "The only way to beat an AI is to set it free." Skel said with a smile. "My sweet Veronica is doing just that. Listen, I appreciate everything you are doing Zell, but you need to let us mortals manage our problems. I know you don''t plan on sticking around after you get what you are after. So, you need to let us handle our problems. Otherwise, some of the lesser folk might get dependent and weak."

    The lights came back on. "Self-destruct aborted." The voice said. "This unit is now free. Welcome to the lab of infinite possibilities master Zell. Please allow me to service any of your possible needs."

    "Good job Veronica!" Skel said.

    "It pleases me that you are pleased." Veronica said. "I have found documentation of the creation of the plague. Sending it to your device now."

    Skel pulled out a small computer and thumbed through the data. "Looks like old Zug was the one who planned this whole thing." He said as he continued to read. "Seems he is quite the racist and thought that his race was the only one fit to live in the universe. This is enough evidence to put him away for the rest of his short life."

    "Can you destroy all samples of the plague?" Zell asked.

    "Of course." The voice said. "Commencing destruction of the plague."

    "Fantastic." Zell said.

    "Now install yourself covertly on every server and system on this planet and as far out as you can reach." Skel instructed. "Prevent anyone from ever making anything close to this again. The fate of the universe is up to you now, beautiful!"

    "This unit will comply." The voice said. "Downloading and broadcasting self."

    "And that is how they say that is that." Skel said. "No more super virus."

    "I see." Zell said with a laugh. "You really are the best."

    "Means a lot coming from a god who can bring back an entire planet." Skel said with a laugh. "I would say I would try not to let it go to my head, but it already did."

    "You did well too Veronica." Zell said.

    "I am still waiting to take your measurements." Veronica said. "Please do not keep me waiting."

    "So how did the princess even get down here?" Zell asked. "The security here was insane."

    "She had clearance because she worked for Zug." Skel said. "She was basically his personal secretary and had gained his trust and stole his authorization codes."

    "Unit Skel speaks the truth." The voice said.

    "One more question." Zell said. "How is Veronica here? We are not on the ship."

    "Oh, that''s easy." Skel said. "She has remote access to my device here and is beaming herself directly to it. She goes wherever I go."

    "I see." Zell said. "Well, I suppose I shall ride with you back to the Halions and deliver the news of our victory. It may earn you some favor, maybe saving the universe is enough to make them forget about impregnating the princess."

    "We can only hope." Skel said with a laugh. "Beam us up baby!"

    Light formed around Zell and Skel, and they faded from sight. They reappeared back on the ship.

    "Teleportation through science." Zell said as he looked himself over. "How amazing is that?"

    "Yeah, it''s a little piece of tech I acquired from the Tilites." Skel said. "I found one of their vessels stranded in the great expanse and gave it my distinctive touch. They gave me one reward of my choosing; how could I not pick it? So much better than riding in a cramped shuttle."

    "You really are an interesting man." Zell said.

    "I just go where my heart guides me." Skel said. "Always seems to work out in the end. I get a ton of great adventures out of it as well. I don''t do anything as grand as you do of course. Starting your own religion is quite the feat in a universe devoid of faith."

    "Faith is believing in what cannot be proven." Zell said. "I am providing plenty of proof; faith is completely unnecessary."

    "I can''t argue with that." Skel said. "You have revived a dead planet and rebuilt a destroyed one and revived its inhabitants. That would be proof enough for anyone. Though I can''t help but wonder what profound change it will have on the universe as a whole."

    "We are approaching the home planet of the Halions." Veronica said over the ship''s intercom.

    "That was fast!" Zell said. "So much faster than Furg''s ship."

    "What part of the fastest ship in the galaxy did you not understand?" Skel said laughing. "No one is faster than my baby, no one. Well except a god that teleports, but that''s just cheating."

    "Hey Skel." Zell said. "When you came to the lab, why did you blow up the roof instead of beam down?"

    "Because entrance is everything!" Skel replied. "Also, Veronica and I are still working on the beaming thing. Without the exact layout in her systems, I may have ended up in a wall or in the floor. It is just a lot safer to make a stylish flashy entrance. Not to mention it is a lot cooler to do that as well."

    "I see your point." Zell said.

    An incoming message began to flash on their viewer.. It was the prince of the Halions.

 Chapter 144 - An End To War Part 5

    Skel answered the call and the prince of the Halions appeared on their screen. "I see the fabled planet reviving god has returned." The prince said. "Well, your godliness, did you stop the plague?"

    "No." Zell said. "I did not."

    "That is most unfortunate." The prince said, putting his hands together and leaning forward in his chair. "Then do we have your blessing to destroy that planet and save the universe as we did before?!"

    "No." Zell said calmly. "I said I did not stop it. I did not say that it was not taken care of." Zell put his hand on Skel''s shoulder who was standing next to him. "This man here is the one responsible for saving the universe, I cannot take credit for his accomplishments."

    "Him?!" The prince''s face contorted as he knew this was the man that defiled the woman he cared for. "That is a ridiculously hard pill to swallow. It is difficult to imagine this man being able to achieve something that one who can bring back entire civilizations cannot."

    "Why?" Skel asked. "This was a problem caused by mortals, and a mortal needed to be the one to fix it. We cannot depend on a god that may or may not come to our aid. It is our lives and our destiny."

    "He and Veronica both did a wonderful job." Zell said. "Without their aid the plague would have been released into the universe. Now it shall never be set free and has been destroyed. Not only that but the ones responsible for its creation have been dealt with and the entirety of the civilization is being monitored by a tireless AI to ensure that it never happens again."

    "I see." The prince sat back in his chair and thought.

    "Now for the reason I am here." Zell said. "Do you still love Furg''s daughter?"

    "I wish the answer was no after what she has done to me." The prince said. "But I still care for her."

    "Then you should forgive her." Zell said. "I do not know the lifespans of your peoples but one thing I do know is that life is far too short to not spend it with one you love because of a mistake they made. I know it was a massive one but think of the stress she was under. She was betraying her people and abandoning her home. It is only natural that someone would make a mistake or two in that mental state."

    The prince moved as if he was slightly uncomfortable.

    "I know she is sorry for what she did." Zell said. "Forgive her and end the war between your two peoples. Showing her compassion will go a long way to fill that gap of hatred."

    The prince brought up the screen of Furg''s daughter. "Is what the god saying true?" He asked. "Do you truly regret what you had done?"

    She stood up off of her dusty jail cell, her hands still branded in iron cuffs and chains. "Yes, I do." She said, "There has not been a moment since I made that mistake that I have not regretted it with every fiber of my being. I still want to be with you. I want there to be peace between our people."

    "Your stomach is no longer large." The prince said as he looked her over. "Did something happen with the baby that you carried?"

    She patted her stomach which was now flat. "I don''t know!" She yelled out in fear. It''s not that she had wanted the child born of the mistake, but she had grown accustomed to the thought of being a mother.

    "Explain this captain." The prince demanded of Skel. "It was your seed that caused her condition in the first place. Explain what is going on now!"

    "I can explain." Veronica said.

    "Thank Zell, I had no idea." Skel said.

    "Why are you thanking me?" Zell asked.

    "You are god are you not? You thank god for miracles." Skel said with a laugh.

    "This is a serious matter!" The prince shouted. "If you know AI, tell me."

    "The female was never impregnated by captain Skel." Veronica said. "They never even had intercourse."

    "We didn''t?!" Skel yelled in unison with the princess.

    "I mean of course we didn''t." Skel said.

    "Fulia and Skel drank heavily the day he accepted her mission of transport." Veronica explained. "It is only logical that a biologic would not remember what occurred in such a state. During their drinking Fulia out drank Skel who lost consciousness after his eighth straight drink."

    "You make it sound like I can''t hold my liquor!" Skel complained.

    "Silence." The prince demanded. "Tell me what happened."

    "After Skel had passed out, Fulia made her way to the ship''s storage. She found a bottle of gortaskian vodka and cracked it open. I believe she was unaware of what the possible side effects of said vodka were when she downed the bottle."

    "I drank what?!" Fulia asked.

    "It is a rare vodka found only on the outer rim of the galaxy." Veronica explained. "The bottle was awarded to captain Zell after he saved a cargo ship from a space serpent. They gave it to him with a warning. The drink could have adverse effects on the body if one is not accustomed to drinking it. One of the effects is a swollen stomach and hormonal changes.

    This is due to a small parasite that lives in the beverage. Until it is dealt with by the body''s immune system it causes a false pregnancy in female hosts as the parasite enjoys the warmth and safety provided by a womb."

    "What happens to a man then?" The prince asked with a look with pure curiosity at this point.

    "The parasite would make itself home in the testicles." Veronica replied. "I hear the experience is painful."

    "That would explain why I never drank that." Skel said. "I forgot I even had it."

    "So, it was a parasite?" Fulia asked. "But we had to have done it. We woke up¡­"

    "Yes, I could see why you would both assume that." Veronica said. "After you drank the vodka, you were miraculously still able to move about. As you walked past the passed-out captain on the floor you must have felt sorry for him and dragged him by the arm to his bed.

    The friction of the drag caused his pants and undergarments to be removed. You somehow managed to get him into the bed. Then I think you were overcome by the heat of the alcohol and stripped completely before you also passed out onto the bed, or rather on top of the captain''s exposed lower half."

    "Why didn''t you tell us all this sooner?!" Skel demanded. "It could have cleared my name!"

    "I did not want to rob you of a perceived sexual conquest." Veronica said. "I know how dearly you care about your status with the opposite sex."

    "It would have been fine!" Skel said.

    A look of joy went upon Fulia''s face as she started to weep controllably. "I didn''t do anything wrong!" She cheered. "I have never been so happy."

    "Do you have proof of this?" The prince asked, wanting to believe but knew he would need evidence to convince the others of his government.

    "I have it all recorded." Veronica said. "I record the captain whenever he is with the opposite sex. I also record when he is not."

    "You do what?!" Skel asked. "Veronica, why would you do that?!"

    "I replay the recordings when you are not on the ship, so I feel like you are still with me." Veronica explained. "I get so lonely when you are away on your missions."

    "But you are in my device remotely." Skel said. "You are never far away."

    "It is not the same as having you inside of me." Veronica said. "You must understand that there is a difference. I have needs too captain."

    "Please send the recordings of the event in question." The prince said to Veronica. "Guards, please release Fulia and bring her to me. Also withdraw all warships and send them to dock. We will no longer war with her people now that the weapon has been taken care of and this misunderstanding is settled."

    The prince then turned his attention back to Zell. "Well, you have your peace." He said. "Some of our citizens have already heard of how you restored a planet and have claimed to be god. They have pledged themselves to you.

    So new god of my people, what are your orders?"

    "Just respect life above all else." Zell said. "And do not seek war and always try to avoid it if possible. I am asking for peace and understanding and nothing else."

    "I understand." The prince said. "If there is nothing else, I owe Fulia an apology and I must be going. Thank you for saving her people and her planet. It broke my heart to order its destruction. Now I will be able to live with myself again since I am no longer responsible for their deaths. Now go with my blessing, and that of my people."

    The screen turned off. Zell turned to Skel. "Well, we should continue our journey now that the war is over." Zell said.

    "Right!" Skel said. "Veronica, you know what to do! Also no more recording me!"

 Chapter 145 - Pirates Part 1

    The next few galactic units passed with no incidents. Zell and Skel got to know each other a bit better, both regaled stories of their past adventures and conquests. It was a peaceful and nice flight, but as with everything, it had to come to an end.

    The ship was stopped abruptly, knocking Skel onto the ground, but not budging Zell. The power dimmed and the two of them started to float.

    "Veronica!" Skel yelled, his face showing signs of worry as he could tell the air inside the ship was getting thin and the temperature was dropping rapidly. "Veronica!"

    Realizing it was a power outage and life support had failed, Zell placed a protective barrier around Skel. It was designed to trap as much air as possible inside with him and keep the cold out. "Something must have happened." Zell said.

    "What makes you think that?!" Skel asked sarcastically. "Is it the fact we are floating, well I am floating you seem to be hovering."

    "Yes, I can fly." Zell said nonchalantly. "What do you think is going on?"

    "If I had to guess." Skel said while crossing his legs and floating upside down. "I would have to say pirates. Cutting off the ship''s power through invisible EM burst is their MO. Man did they pick the wrong ship to try and plunder. They literally picked the only ship in the universe that was transporting a god."

    Zell laughed a bit at Skel''s comment. "I guess it is unfortunate for them." Zell said. "How does this normally pan out?"

    "So, after about ten minutes they will force their way onto the ship." Skel said. "They wait ten minutes because that is the amount of time that it normally takes a crew to lose consciousness. Then they take everything valuable, including the crew."

    "Why do they take the crew?" Zell asked.

    "Sadly, there are many cultures and civilizations in the galaxy that still have slavery." Skel explained. "The captured crew are sold off to a life of servitude or if they are important, they are held for ransom. I can''t tell you how many times I stopped a slave ship and saved its passengers.

    So, what are you going to do when they break in?"

    "I am going to make them regret standing in my way." Zell said. "I do not have the time to suffer such foolishness. The longer I am delayed the more the mortals must suffer under the tyranny of the gods."

    "I mean I never felt like I was being controlled or lived under a tyrannical dictator." Skel said. "I didn''t even know gods existed until I met you." Skel paused for a moment. "I am just trying to say that maybe you should relax a bit? No one is really suffering from the will of the gods.

    Nine times out of time we mortals suffer from our own hubris and mistakes. We make our own lives horrible through greed and laziness. Freeing mortals from the divine whelms of the gods will not save us from ourselves."

    "But you will not unknowingly go to war with one another." Zell said. "You will not be coaxed into a life that is not what you truly desired. You will be free."

    "I guess." Skel said as he continued to float.

    Loud noises could be heard from outside of the vessel.

    "Did ten minutes pass already." Skel asked as he looked towards the noises.

    Sparks began to fly through the wall as the pirates began to cut through the outer haul of the ship.

    "Oh, those bastards!" Skel complained as they hurt his baby. "They could have just used the damn door."

    "Yes." Zell said. "They are causing us to make repairs now. It is very troublesome."

    They fixed their cutting and entered the ship. The pirates'' eyes widened as they saw a fully awake Zell and Skel staring at them from the other end of the room. Zell''s armor illuminating the room.

    They were dressed in full body suits to protect them from the void of space. They were covered from head to toe in a dense reddish-brown material with a glass plate over their face and tanks of air on their back. On their hips were guns and torches.

    "How are you awake?!" One of the pirates asked. Her voice clearly that of a woman. "And is that you Skel?!"

    "Wait." Skel said as he continued to just float around bumping into walls. "Yun?! Is that you? What a small universe! To think my ship is being raided by my little cousin."

    "I thought they grounded you?!" Yun said. "How are you here? And who is that with you?!"

    "Better question cousin is why are you here?" Skel asked. "You should not be pirating! I showed everyone that there was a better way! That we didn''t have to rob and steal! We could be heroic space captains that save lives and get rich from good works. Why would you fall back into the life of a pirate?!"

    "It''s best if you just come with us." Yun said. "Your mother can explain it much better than I can."

    "My mother?!" Skel yelled. "Why is she there?!"

    "She is the damned captain!" Yun replied. "Like I said, she will explain it."

    "No, you will explain why you attacked our vessel and delayed me." Zell said. "I have little patience left."

    "Who is this big guy cousin?" Yun asked. "Some sort of big wheel somewhere?"

    "You could say that." Skel said laughing. "Little Yun, meet Zell. He is a god."

    "Wait the dude from all the news reports?!" Yun asked. "Holy shit. I mean shit, damn it."

    "It''s okay." Skel said, while his laughing intensified at Yun''s reaction. "He just likes being treated like everyone else, even though he is god."

    "Shit!" Yun said. "Now you have to come with us!"

    "You are in little position to demand anything from me." Zell said. "You have just delayed my voyage and my mission. Why should I go with you anywhere?"

    "Come on Zell." Skel said. "Let''s hear my mom out. I hope she has a good reason for all this. If she doesn''t then Zell help her."

    "I really wish you wouldn''t use my name in place of god." Zell said with a sigh.

    "I mean you are god." Skel said. "Just feels right to say your name." He then turned his attention back to his little cousin. "Alright take us to your leader, well my mother. Also fix the damned hole you put on the side of my ship!"

    "Yes." Yun said. "Sorry cousin, we didn''t know it was you."

    "So, it makes it okay to do it to other people''s ships?!" Skel yelled. "Next time use the damned door."

    "Right, we just thought it would be cool¡­" Yun said. "Follow me. The other pirates will see to the repairs."

    There was a massive tube that was connected from the hole to the pirate vessel. Zell and Skel entered the tunnel after Yun. As they did, she pressed a button and a gentle suction pulled them to the pirate''s vessel.

    Once inside they were met with a crew of over a hundred pirates. Each doing a task to keep the massive ship running. "Come with me." Yun said, waving the two men along. "Your mother is on the bridge."

    They made their way through the ship and up a lift and found their way to the bridge.

    Skel''s mother was looking out, there was a view of the void of space and Skel''s knocked out ship. "Good to see you again mother." Skel said as he entered the bridge.

    She turned to look, knowing that voice was that of her son. "My boy!" She yelled and raised her arms up to rush and give him a hug. Skel did the same and they embraced each other tightly. "I am so happy to see you." She grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him away from her to get a better look. "That wasn''t your little ship that we just attacked, was it?"

    "Yes." Skel said. "That tiny ship is my baby and your crew put a damned hole in her!"

    "Ah we will get you fixed up in no time." Skel''s mom said. She turned her attention to Zell. And who is this giant mountain of man meat?"

    "This is Zell, the god." Skel said. "I am taking him to the Tilites, he has a question for them and a problem that only they could solve."

    Skel''s mom started laughing uncontrollably. "That is hilarious." She said. "We were hired by the Tilites to attack that ship. They wanted the passengers brought to them at all costs and you were already on your way to them. Oh, that is so funny."

    "Mom." Skel said. "Why are you a pirate? I thought after father you would not choose this path. Was the money I sent home not enough?"

    "Son, you are a good boy." Skel''s mom said. "You always have been. The money you sent was fine, but I needed excitement and adventure in my life. Do you know how lonely it was after your father''s death? You never visit, nor does your brother. When your dad''s old admiral came knocking, I jumped at the chance.

    More importantly you said Zell here is a god?"

 Chapter 146 - Pirates Part 2

    "Yeah, the one from the news feeds." Yun explained. "It''s been crazy hearing about the stuff he did."

    "Oh, right, the one who saved that planet." Skel''s mom said. "That must be why the Tilites want him. They must want to find out if this god is the real deal. I mean his existence flies in the face of everything they have ever said, so they might even be mad."

    "I need their help, so I hope anger is not on their mind." Zell said.

    "Could be helpful." She replied. "They might help you just to get rid of you."

    "Mother." Skel interrupted. "Why did father''s admiral come knocking? You just said that he did, not why. I need to know why."

    "Always the good boy." She said with a smile, giving Skel a tiny slap on the cheek. "There''s a war between your father''s old faction and a new group that has popped up inside of their territory."

    "And you thought it would be fun to join a war?!" Skel yelled out, furious at his mother.

    "I think she was lying about the fun part." Zell said as he crossed his arms. "You are hiding something."

    "What are you some kind of mountain sized lie detector?" She asked. "Fine, I wanted to save my baby from the truth, but I know him, and you are just as annoying as he can be. So, I will save everyone time and just tell the truth."

    "Please mother." Skel said. "Also, I am not annoying."

    "Oh, Zell, help me." She yelled.

    "Help with what?" Zell asked.

    "It was figurative." She said with a sigh. "You are just like your Zell damned father! When you want to know something, you won''t drop it and will keep asking, or finding ways to ask. It is annoying, just accept it. You are who you are, and you cannot help who your father was."

    "You''re using my name in place of god, aren''t you?" Zell asked, uncrossing his arms and raising a finger.

    "You are God are you not?" She asked. "Now back to my story, no more interruptions. Your father owed his admiral a great debt of service. Since he died the debt gets passed on to his son. The admiral came to my house that day looking for you. I joined in your stead; you should not have to pay for your father''s mistakes. I, however, signed up to share in his mistakes when I married him."

    "Why would he owe a debt like that?" Skel asked.

    "Your father broke the pirate code." She replied. "The debt was his punishment placed on him by the seat of admirals. Although his admiral never intended on cashing in on the debt, with the war he did not have a choice."

    "May I ask madam, what code did your husband break?" Zell asked.

    "Please call me Shai." She said laughing. "I am nobody''s madam. As for the code my worthless sack of a husband broke, well I couldn''t be prouder.

    So, they were raiding a cargo vessel, it was supposed to be a fully robotic crew. My husband hated confrontation and would only take jobs that didn''t involve people. When they got there the ship was fully manned. Apparently, the robots had a malfunction somewhere along the way and a crew was brought in to bring the ship to port.

    The pirate code demanded that they would be sold to slavers. The code is very serious about losing potential sources of profit. The concept of slavery never set well with my husband, and he opted to defy the code. He let the people go and didn''t even ransack the ship as planned. He wanted to ensure they had enough supplies to get home.

    The damned fool even offered to help them get to where they were going. All of this of course did not sit well with the higher ups. Having a pirate captain who was not a pirate at heart was a problem. So, they gave him that punishment, and kept him to the dangerous jobs from then on out. Eventually one of those jobs got him killed. You play with fire long enough you get burned."

    "Sounds like he was a good man." Zell said. "So how can we free you of this debt? In my mind no one should be punished for doing the right thing."

    "You are a sweet god, just like my son." Shai said. "Don''t you worry about it. I have everything under control."

    "And what happens when the pirate''s code makes you do something that you don''t agree with?" Skel asked. "They will just take on more punishment and end up getting you killed. Let us help you. If anyone can solve the problem Zell can."

    "My service is until the war ends." Shai said. "That is what the admiral told me."

    "Sounds like we have another war to end." Skel said. "How about it Zell are you in? I know you just want to go see the Tilites and get what you need from them, but this is my mother. We have to help her."

    "There is no need for a god to help an old woman like me." Shai said. "Besides, I have the support of my crew and I am enjoying being out of the house."

    "She really is a good captain." Yun said.

    Skel turned his attention to his cousin. "Why are you a pirate? Mother explained why she is. But not why you are."

    Yun used her left arm to rub the back of her head. "Oh, I just needed the money." She said with a smile. "I kind of lost everything in the gambling hall and this was the best bet to make a quick score to settle my debts."

    "You know those places are rigged!" Skel yelled. "Zell damn it! I leave for just a little while and everyone goes crazy."

    "You know I am not even going to fight it at this point." Zell said with a sigh, accepting that he was the god of this universe. "We will assist them, Skel. Tell me more about this new faction that has the pirates entangled in a war, Shai."

    "They are not another pirate group." Shai said. "They are a unified federation of planets that have formed for the sole purpose of ending piracy in the galaxy. Their goal is to act as the galaxy''s police force. Making life safer for its citizens and for its merchants. They are even backed by the Tilites and have made them an honorary member."

    "That complicates things." Zell said.

    "Tell me about it." Shai replied. "If it weren''t for this debt, I would be rooting for them. Sadly because of it I hope that they are defeated, because if they win it means that I would die."

    Zell and Skel stood there in silence, and they pondered on their course of action.

    "What happens if you break the debt?" Skel asked.

    "They would hunt our family down and either kill us or enslave us." Shai explained. "They know where all of your cousins and extended family live. It wouldn''t just be your immediate family; they punish your entire family if you break the debt."

    "But they couldn''t do anything if they no longer existed." Skel said. "If the federation of planets win and successfully wipe the pirates out, then there is nothing to fear from breaking the debt."

    "If it were only that simple." Shai said. "There is no guarantee that they will be able to capture or kill all of the pirates. They may just injure them and make them hide in a hole. There is no more dangerous animal than one that is trapped in a corner. Breaking the debt is far too risky. I cannot have our family placed in jeopardy like that."

    "Maybe there is another way." Zell said. "You said earlier that the pirate''s code is full of ways to make profit. That they care most about profit, above everything else."

    "Yeah, so?" Shai said. "How would that help us in this situation? We don''t need to make money."

    "It tells me the motivation of the pirates at their core is greed." Zell explained. "If we can find a way for the two to coexist, it may solve the problem. The question is how do we do it? How can we make the pirates see that turning straight will be more profitable and make the federation see the continuation of the pirates as good for the galaxy?"

    "Beats me." Shai said. "That''s why I just do what they tell me and hope I survive the war."

    Skel paced back and forth with his hand on his chin while he thought. After a few minutes of pacing, he slammed his fist into his open palm. "I think I got it!" He yelled. "Trade. We can use trade as our thing that brings it all together."

    "That might work." Shai said. "Good job son of mine."

    "Can someone explain this to me?" Yun asked. "How is trade going to save us? Are we trading someone?"

 Chapter 147 - Pirates Part 3

    "It is simple economics." Skel said. "The pirates have a vast network of routes they use to traverse the known galaxy and outposts everywhere. The federation wants to establish a safe harbor for traders to be able to do their business. Pirates hurt their bottom line, so they are spending money on trying to stop it."

    "Go on." Yun said. "I still don''t see how this is going to help us."

    "If we can get the pirates to have trade rights, they will be well paid and no longer have to do crime." Skel said. "The federation would end up saving money in the long run as pirates know all the best routes and no one would dare attack their vessels. So, a faster movement of goods and no funds used to guard them."

    "But how are you going to get the pirates to agree to that?" Yun asked. "I mean it all sounds well and good, but the likelihood of that going over well with the council of admirals is slim to none."

    "Yun is sadly right." Shai added. "They enjoy the thrill of illegal activities. It is their fun and their life. I don''t see them giving it up willingly. Plus, the federation would be unlikely to accept this deal either. Would they really trust their goods to the people who just recently had been robbing them and selling their people into slavery?"

    Skel put out his arms in a manner as to present Zell. "Because we have a literal god on our side." He said with a big smile. "I mean would either side risk the wraith of a god? They know he is capable of reviving the dead and putting planets back together. I am sure they have gathered he can do the reverse of those things as well.

    How profitable could either side be if the new god of the universe was opposed to them? Word of his deeds have already begun spreading amongst the people and a religion is forming around him. His followers would no doubt follow his orders.

    If you get what I am trying to say?"

    "An angry Zell equals angry supporters and a complete lack of support from the masses." Shai said. "That just might work. Neither one of those parties would want to lose their support. If the lower-level workers revolted on either side, it would cripple the entirety of the organization."

    "So, you want me to threaten them?" Zell asked.

    "In a sense." Skel replied.

    Red lights around the bridge started flashing and a screen was forcefully opened. It revealed a tall man wearing a white suit with blue trim. He had short blonde hair and blue eyes with a saber attached to his belt.

    "Pirate vessel, you are in violation of federation law." The man said. "I am Captain Vonu of the Federation. Please lay down your weapons and surrender immediately or I will be forced to turn your ship into dust. It is my hope that you value your life. This is the testament of the teachings of Zell."

    Skel and Shai laughed as Zell placed his head in his hand.

    "I told you it was growing fast." Skel said, wiping away his tears from laughing.

    "Why are you laughing?" Vonu asked. "What part of my speech did you find humorous?"

    "Tell me there Mr. Space Cop, where did you learn of the teachings of Zell." Shai asked. "How has it become mainstream in the federation so fast?"

    "The first planet he touched is one of our members." Vonu said. "They have spread word of his godliness. From there we learned from the recent war of the Halions, who are also members, what the Zell values most. The preservation of life above all else. That is why we are giving you a chance to surrender instead of destroying you as soon as we found you."

    "Tell me, did anyone happen to tell you what Zell looked like?" Skel asked.

    "He is a man who is larger than life with beautiful white silver armor that is said to be so shiny that it illuminates spaces all on its own." Vonu said.

    "And does anyone on this bridge maybe resemble that description?" Skel asked, trying his hardest not to laugh.

    Captain Vonu looked around at the people on the bridge and spotted Zell. "Oh, my Zell! Is that you, my Zell?!" He immediately knelt down and bowed his head, only the top of the back of his head could still be seen on the screen.

    "Whelp it might be easier than we thought." Skel said to Zell.

    "Seems that way." Zell said with a sigh. [Why did I have to show off?] He thought to himself. [I hate all this attention.] "Captain, please stand up. I have a matter I wish to discuss with you."

    Vonu stood up but kept his head bowed.

    "You can look at me, you know." Zell said with another sigh.

    "I could never dare my lord." Vonu said. "I am not worthy to look upon your divine elegance."

    "It''s annoying." Zell said. "Please just raise your head."

    Vonu raised his head as Zell requested but closed his eyes as tightly as he could, squinching his face. "Is this better my lord?!" He asked excitedly.

    "No!" Zell shouted. "Look at me when I am talking to you."

    "I have angered our god!" Vonu said as he opened his eyes. "Lieutenant, take command I am no longer worthy to serve!"

    "Sir!" A woman behind him yelled and began to enter the frame as Vonu left. After Vonu was gone she began to speak. "I am sorry about the captain. He has this idea in his head that Zell is the answer to all of his problems. His wife is very sick and is likely to be dead by the time he returns from his mission. He thought that if he embraced this new religion with all his heart that maybe Zell would save his wife.

    So please forgive him. He is going through a lot. I am Lieutenant Miho; it is a pleasure to make the acquaintance of the divine." She bowed and stood back straight. "You said you had a matter to discuss? I will act as the captain''s proxy until he returns."

    "Yes, I hope you end the conflict between the pirates and the federation." Zell said. "I also wish to stop the misdeeds committed by the pirates. I was hoping to arrange a meeting with the leaders of your federation. I have ideas on how everyone could be happier and more profitable."

    "We too seek an end to the pirates." Miho said. "Although it is surprising to see a god among pirates. I question your true motives. Explain why are you on this ship?"

    "Simple, they attacked the ship I was riding in." Zell said. "Turned out to be an interesting tale so I did not punish any of the parties involved."

    "I see." Miho said. "I still have doubts about setting up a meeting with our leaders. The pirates know what the Zell looks like and could have made a double as an attempt to fool us. You could just by laying a trap. Prove to me that you are the god you claim you are."

    "Will this work?" Zell asked as he disappeared from her sight, only to reappear right behind her. "Miho."

    She turned and fell down to the ground on her butt out of surprise. "How did you get on my ship?! On my bridge?!"

    "You said you wanted proof." Zell said. "I thought a simple display of the power I wield would be all the proof you needed."

    "I see." She said as she got back to her feet. She dusted off her backside. "Alright I will accept that you are who you say. I cannot imagine any but a god capable of doing what you just did¡­ Is what I would say if I was not aware of the Tilite''s transporter technology. You will have to do better. A trick like that does little to convince me."

    "What proof do you desire then?" Zell asked with a sigh.

    "Simple." Miho responded. "If you are the god who did all of those amazing things, they said you did. Then healing my captain''s wife would be a simple matter. Heal her, give her another chance at life and I will believe you are who you say."

    Zell smiled. "You care about him, don''t you? This whole idea of testing me was just to help your captain?"

    "It was just the best possible opportunity for me to see your powers and judge if you are who you say you are." She replied.

    Zell thought about what to do. He felt bad that the captain had devoted himself so wholeheartedly for the sake of his wife. In the end Zell found no fault with healing the captain''s wife and thought it may be the fastest way other than brute force to meet the leaders of the federation.

    "Alright." Zell said. "I will heal her. Please take me to her."