《Necromancer System: Children of Kynar》 1 Announcement!!! @@ Hi guys, Mrdojo here. It has been a while since my last update. Just wanted you guys to know I''ll be back in the coming weeks, and the novel will be updated regularly again (although there might be some days I''ll disappear, but you''ll get regular content). I decided to separate the books because I wanted you guys to treat each book as a separate stage of a large puzzle. I wanted new feedbacks to this stage of the novel and did not want to mix it up with the first book. If you''re on my discord server ( the server for The Seven Realms), you would have read about the good and bad news of my last announcement. For those in the dark, I''ll write the two announcement again. Good news; the complete second book of NS and T7Rs will be uploaded on Webnovel and Moonquill before it goes live on Amazon. There will be little changes between this version and the Amazon version (editing and additional dialogues). And, both books will be longer than the previous books. Hopefully, the books will be finished in 3-4 months. Bad news; sorry guys, this will be the last book on the series I''ll upload on Webnovel. I''ll be a full time Amazon author after, but I''ll release other works on Webnovel and Moonquill, too. If you like sci-fi military, fantasy, YA, cyberpunk, and mythological novels, then please check out my future works. Thanks again for the support. I''m grateful!!! P.s. I changed my mind on rewriting the second book, it will mess up a lot of the things I''ve planned ahead. P.p.s hopefully, all chapters will be thoroughly edited before publishing. See you soon. Mrdojo.@@ 2 Mathras With thousands of kingdoms found on the Continent of Skyhaven, the Great Kingdom of Mathras occupied the northern regions. Bordering the Black Lands and several allied kingdoms and small kingdoms. Unlike other Great Kingdoms, Mathras comprised a gigantic forest. Home to thousands of magical creatures and the Elf race. Even the radiant sunlight could not illuminate all parts of this forest. Because, most of the trees towered over fifty feet above the ground, and the length of their leaves differed from normal plants found in other regions of Skyhaven. Within the Mathras Forest, otherwise known as the Great Kingdom of Mathras; the occasional howls of beasts reverberated into the air, accompanied by the faint sound of the whistling wind¨Ccarrying a cold air. The vegetation in the forest also varied, and different natural barriers dominated the forest¨Csuch as; lakes, mountains, valleys, and swamps, etc. The divergent weather of the Forest, was its unique feature. Divided in two halves, one sections looked like a tropical paradise while the other looked like an icy resort. Also, on either sections, a unique vegetation grew. The Mathras Forest embodied the uniqueness of Nature. One of the most prestigious races on the Continent of Skyhaven lived at the center of the forest¨CThe Elves. A race known for their keen connection to nature and lovers of peace. The Lifespan of an Elf differed from most races in Skyhaven. While others lived for a hundred to three hundred years, most elves lived for over six hundred years. Also, they had a similar appearance to Humans. But, their pointed ears and extreme beauty differentiated them from Humans. Also, in terms of speed, agility, archery, intelligence, and Sorcery related to Healing, no race on Skyhaven stood ahead of the Elves. On Skyhaven, they considered the Elves the most gifted races. Several subdivisions of the Elves existed, such as; the Dark Elves, Ice Elves, Forest Elves, and the high Elves. Their skin color and the place they lived differentiated the Elves. At the periphery of the forest, in one grove comprising tall trees, several beautiful constructions lined the top of the trees. They carved these trees in such a way that, several constructs which looked like houses lined the trees from the top to the midway point. Also, they used the branches, leaves, and vines of the trees to construct a multicolored walkway. At the center of the settlement, stood a majestic statue carved from glistering wood; in the image of a beautiful Female Elf. The statue had the same height as the tallest tree in the grove. Although a statue, it exuded a heroic and tranquil aura. Also, several birds swirled around the statue while their loud chirping echoed in all directions. Looking at the settlement, several beautiful female and handsome male Elves bowed to the statue at odd intervals. Led by an older Elf who dressed like a local witch-doctor. Within their blue eyes, a look of reverence gleamed. Based on the clothing of the Elves - made from leaves and hemps, once could infer that, the Forest Elves inhabited the settlement. Although clothed, the Elves wore no protective coverings on their feet. "Bow in acknowledgement of the savior of our race!" the old Elf said. For an old man, his voice had a powerful aura. Under his instructions, the over three hundred Elves bowed to the gigantic statue. Only raising their heads when the old Elf order them. Observing the old Elf, he wore a brown robe made from hemp. His disheveled golden hair fluffed in wind while he had a stern expression on his wrinkled face. Maybe because of his age, he could not stand straight; instead, he hunched as he stood. Using a long cane for support. While they bowed in adoration, the sound of neighing and the hooves of several horses drifted into their eyes. At that moment, most of them had surprised expressions on their faces, while a few had looks of disbelief. "Take the children inside, now! Anyone below the rank of an Elder, should not make a sound. Elders, follow me. All Parf, prepare for battle. We don''t know what intentions these foreigners have," The old Elf said. Saying nothing in response, some men and women carried the curious children into the hollow trees. While several men and women, hurried to grab their bows to prepare for battle. Meanwhile, the old Elf remained in the same position, with his eyes fixated on the incoming party. Looking at the approaching party, they wore an all-black robe which covered their facial features and body. Compared to the Elves, they looked at least five times larger. Even their mouths had a strange black armor strapped to their bodies. Also, they had weird shaped maces strapped to the sides of the mounts, which looked like a mutated horse. Because, its hind and forelimbs had protruding bone spikes on its surface. "Lumvug, what do we do? Judging by their appearance, they might be from the Black Lands," a tall Elf said. Lumvug was the name of the elderly elf. "If it''s the Ogres, we cannot allow them advance further! Send Lilis to the Capital, she must report the advancement of the Ogres," Lumvug said. The faces of the elders changed the moment they heard his words, since their settlement stood at the periphery of the Black Lands, being attacked by foreign races occurred frequently. "Lumvug, the Parf is ready," an Elder said. "Good. Prepare for battle. Maybe the spirit of our ancestor watch over us. Elders, follow me. Let us pray for the victory of the Parf," Lumvug said. Saying nothing in response, six of the Elders including Lumvug walked towards the direction of the altar. The same place they worshiped earlier, meanwhile, the last of the Elders walked towards an unknown location in the grove. A few meters from where Lumvug and the others prayed, over hundred Elves gazed at the approaching foe. They all had their groin, chest, and arms covered by a glistering silver armor. While they held a four feet tall longbow, and its quiver strapped to their backs. Also, a sheathed dagger hanged from the sides of their waist. From plain observation of the armor, longbow, and the arrows; one could see the quality materials used in its construction. While they stared at the approaching foes, their ears twitched; as if something fiddled with it. "Brothers, Sisters, the Elders have given the order. We must protect our families! We are the proud descendants of the Parf, we''ll not fall here!" A handsome Elf said. While is voice echoed, all the Elves had stern expressions on their faces as they roared in acknowledgement. Saying nothing further, the Elves soared from one vine to another on the tall trees that made up the grove. As the Elves moved, a loud and sickening war cry reverberated into the air¨Coriginating from the approaching party. The moment the distance between the Elves and their foe reduced to five hundred meters, a sudden turn of events occurred. The Black riders stopped in their tracks, not daring to approach the grove of trees. Meanwhile, with their bows nocked; the Elves stared at the riders with no trace of sympathy in their blue colored eyes. If any of the riders dared to enter the grove, they would not hesitate to strike them down. With tensions rising on both sides, one of the black riders jumped down from his mount while approaching the grove. A few meters from entering the grove, a whistling sound echoed in the air, as if something tore through its invisible grasps. With a quick reflex, the huge figure jumped to the side. Seconds later, seven arrows landed in the same patch of land he stood earlier. "If you do not want to die, go back, now!" The warnings of one Elf echoed, meanwhile, the hooded figure showed no reaction to the threats. Seconds later, the Elves fired another round of arrows towards the same target. Unlike before, the arrows moved at a greater velocity. Before the hood figure could react, five arrows sent him swirling in midair, knocking his huge body at least twenty meters away from his previous standing position. Still, the other riders did not respond. Even the figure fired at, did not scream in agony. "Gamgult, did it pierce your armor?" a hoarse voice said, it originated from one of the huge hooded figures. He faced the hooded figure lying on the ground. At that moment, a thunderous laughter reverberated into the air. The figure shot at, stood on his feet while removing his black robes, "Rheh, those bastards from the Order did not lie to us. Their Demiri arrows can''t pierce our armors. It''s time we end their lives," Gamgult said. By the time he finished his statement, the radiant sunlight illuminated his black armor, and his huge body. But, the most shocking feature about him, was his race¨Can Ogre. Standing at feet, he wore a black armor which had several runic designs etched on its surface. The color of the armor contrasted with his green skin. Although he looked like a human man, he resembled a more primitive and violent for of man. Unlike man, his lower canine tooth protruded out of his mouth like a saber-toothed beast. His deformed nose looked as if something scorching hot melted it. While his red eyes resembled that of a killer. Also, a thick black hair cover the top of his head. In fact, he tied it into a ponytail. Seconds after his declaration, the other Ogres revealed their bodies, too, while laughing in a sickening voice. "Gamgult, catch," Rheh said as he threw a mace towards the laughing Gamgult. Meanwhile, as the Ogres revealed their identities, the Elves had surprised expressions on their faces. Because, their arrows could not penetrate the body of the Ogre. In their hundred years of living, such a scenario had never occurred. "Elhorn, what do we do? Our arrows can''t pierce their armors," A beautiful female Elf said. She faced the Elf who warned the Ogres earlier. "Melola, it does not matter if our arrows can''t pierce them. We cannot let them advance. Although they have covered most of their bodies, we can target their eyes. We also have our daggers, too. Everyone! Prepare yourselves!" Elhorn said. While his voice echoed, all the Elves nodded their heads in approval. Blessed in the skill of archery, targeting the eyes of the Ogres was not a difficult task. As they strategized, the loud voice of the Ogre named Gamgult drifted into their ears, "Elves, if you don''t want to die, you better surrender. Your females can warm our beds while the males will serve as our slaves. This you last warming! Surrender!" While his voice echoed, another Ogre stepped forward while laughing, "Gamgult, why waste your time on lower beings? We will kill all their men, including the little boys, and we will **** all their¡­" as he spoke, the loud whistling sound reverberated through the air. Unlike before, a sonic boom accompanied the arrow. Before the Ogre could finish his statement, a Demiri arrow whizzed into the eye opening of his helmet. He did not even scream as his huge body fell to the ground. The arrow made its made to the brain of the Ogre, killing him instantly. The sudden turn of events left the other Ogres slack-jawed. "You bastards will pay for this! Kill everyone!" Rheh said, and his furious roar woke the others from their stupor. As a result, they all screamed like enraged beasts. Before they charged into the grove, Elhorn''s voice drifted into their ears, "Mere Ogres dare to proclaim themselves has a higher race. Today, abominations like yourselves will learn never to attack the Braris tribe!" At that moment, several Elves emerged from their hiding positions. Wielding a glistering silver dagger on their hands as they stared at the incoming Ogres. Others remained in strategic positions, with their bows notched. A thrilling battle between races was imminent. 3 Corpse Army Like enraged beasts, the horde of Ogres rushed into the grove holding their maces. Meanwhile, Elhorn and the other Elves who held their daggers, jumped from one vine to the other as they approached the rampaging horde. The Elves hidden at various spots on the trees, rained down arrows on the incoming Ogre horde. Unlike the previous case, most of the arrows ricochet off the armors of the Ogres. They could not target the openings in the helmets of the Ogres, too. Because, they ran with their heads facing the ground. Rather than relying on their sense of sight, they used their superior sense of smell to determine the position of the Elves. Seconds later, both factions engaged in a brutal life and death struggle. In terms of physical strength, the Ogres had the advantage. Although not the most intelligent race on Skyhaven, they knew how to use their inhumane strength to their advantage. With Rheh leading the charge, the Ogres attacked the Elves with their massive maces. It sent the Elves unfortunate to meet its spike surface head-on, into midair. While fresh blood sprayed into the air. Some unfortunate Elves, had their bodies assaulted several times while midair. Unlike the armor of the Ogres, theirs cracked from the might of the Ogres. Just like the Elves, the Ogres suffered losses, too. With Elhorn leading the charge, the Elves used their superior agility and intellect to dodge the berserker-like attacks from the Ogres. Unlike the Ogres who fought in individual units, the Elves fought as a unit. Comprising four members in a unit. Twisting in midair like agile monkeys, they bounced off the bodies of the Ogres while targeting the weak spots in their armor¨Cthe small gap in each joint. Also, the more skilled Elves killed the Ogres by plunging their daggers into the eye openings of their helmet. As Elhorn and the other Elves faced off with the Ogres, the hidden archery unit also assaulted the rampaging Ogres. Bombarding them with a continuous rain of arrows. Working in sync with the archery unit, the attacking unit ensured the Ogres raised their ends, which ensured the archery unit got a clear shot. With both factions locked in heated combat, the enraged war cries of both parties echoed. Drowning the miserable shrieks of the slain and twangs of several bows. Blood stained the grass-covered earth, dying it with a mixture of red and gray. While several corpses and arrows littered the stained earth. A few minutes later, from the over seventy Ogres, only twenty remained. Meanwhile, only twenty had fallen from the side of the Elves. They had used their superior agility and intellect to their advantage. Observing the corpses of the slain Ogres, several of them had one or more arrows embedded in their skulls. While their gray blood dyed the green grass. Also, a thick smell of fresh blood pervaded the air. "You bastards! You will pay for this!" Gamgult said. His howl reverberating in all directions, only a few minutes had passed since the battle started, yet more than half of his brothers laid on the ground. Never to wake up again. It filled him with rage as he stared at Elhorn and the others. Even though they had superior armors, weapons, and strength, he could not believe the outcome of the battle. Meanwhile, Elhorn had the others had no change in their expressions upon hearing Gamgult''s shout. Unlike before, the hidden archery unit merged with the attacking unit. They all had a fierce expression on their faces. Because, several of their friends corpses laid on the grounds. The same people they prayed with a few moments ago, would never see their families again. It filled them with rage. They had to avenge their slain brothers and sisters. "Gamgult, there is no point wasting words with these bastards. We must avenge our brothers! Let''s use the Item, the Order gave us," Rheh said. Like most of the Ogres, he took deeps breaths at odd intervals. While he used his mace to support his body. Looking at his left arm, an arrow pierced the elbow opening in his armor. While his voice echoed, the Elhorn had an alerted expression on his face. Although he did not know what the Ogres talked about, he recognized an organization from Rheh''s declaration¨CThe Order. Leaving at the edge of the Great Kingdom of Mathras, he had encountered the occasional traveler or two from the Black Lands - Who spoke about a mysterious organization made up of powerful individuals belonging to the path of Darkness. According to what he remembered, this organization controlled a certain portion of the Black Lands, and its members comprised several races. Also, they had a hand in most of the gruesome mass murders carried out in the Black Lands. "Parfs! We cannot let them do as they please! Eliminate them all as an offering for our slain brothers and sisters!" Elhorn said. The anxiousness in his voice alarmed the other Elves. Before they could move, a silver urn appeared on Gamgult and Rheh''s hands. While their sickening laughter echoed, "You bastards, you brought this on yourselves! This is your reward for killing our brothers," Gamgult said. At that moment, in unison, both Ogres crushed the silver urn. Seconds later, a shocking turn of events followed. A black mist appeared out of nowhere, making its way into the slain corpses. Seconds later, a tarrying scene occurred. The dead Ogres and Elves, rose their feet while screaming. The sudden change sent chills down the spines of the Elves. They had never seen such a bizarre and sickening sight! Even the other Ogres took a step back after the corpses stood again. From their reaction, they did not know Gamgult and Rheh had such an Item. "Kill them all!" Gamgult said. His mad howl would send chills down the spines of those who heard it. Screaming in unison, the corpses dashed towards the stunned Elves with a savage expression on their faces. "Prepare for battle! Kill these abominations! These animals will pay for disrespecting the corpses of our brothers and sisters!" Elhorn said. His roar brought the frightened Elves back to reality. As the corpses approached the Elves, the Ogres retreated to the spot they left their mounts. They showed no signs of joining the impending battle. Unlike before, Rheh and Gamgult revealed their faces. Which shocked their counterparts, before they could say anything, Rheh''s voice drifted into their ears, "Don''t worry, we have won this battle. These bastards can''t handle what''s coming next." Meanwhile, Elhorn and the rest of the attacking unit greeted the corpses in combat. The archery unit, fled to the top the surrounding trees, and they rained arrows on the corpse army. Contrary to their expectations, the corpse army was weaker than they imagined. Within seconds, both units massacred the corpses. Leaving them with awkward expressions on their faces. ''So weak! How can this be a trump card?'' The Elves had the same thought in their minds as they stared at each other. Meanwhile, Ogres had panic-stricken expressions on their faces, except Gamgult and Rheh. In fact, they both had sickening smiles on their horrifying face. "Gamgult, is that all? I thought¡­" before an Ogre could finish his statement, Rheh interjected, "Just watch! It''s about to begin." While his voice echoed, something strange occurred on the side of the Elves. The Elves who belonged to the archery unit, fell from their hiding places while gasping for air. Thick veins appeared all over their faces as if something choked them. The same scene played out with Elhorn and the other Elves comprising the attacking unit. They had looks of this belief as their visions became hazy while they plummeted to their knees. Their faces also had a pale color while the veins grew more prominent with each passing second. "Rheh, Gamgult, what''s happening? Is this poison?" an Ogre asked. Just like the Elves, the sudden turn of events surprised him. "Don''t be silly. Poisons won''t work on these bastards. I don''t know what is happening to them, in fact, I don''t care. The higher ups said it will have a devastating effect on them, looks like they were not joking," Gamgult said as he laughed at the Elves. "Gamgult, no need berating him. Newbies always have a lot of questions," Rheh said. Just like Gamgult, he enjoyed the miserable sight of the Elves. "It''s time to end these bastards, I don''t have the patience to wait for them to die a natural death," Gamgult said as he picked up his mace. His words also caused the other Ogres to pick up their weapons as they approached the helpless Elves. Asphyxiating while alive, the Elves felt tremendous pain coursing through their bodies. Just like the previous Ogre speculated, they wondered how poison could affect their bodies¨Cwhen they had the natural gift of healing. In fact, they did not know who or what caused their current situation. Dread gripped their hearts as they stared at the approaching Ogres. They did not fear death, but they feared what the Ogres would do their kin. With no sign of mercy in their red eyes, the Ogres approached the suffocating Elves with hurried steps. They wanted to end the battle quickly. Seconds later, Rheh towered over the body of female Ogre who stared at him with terror written on her face. With a sickening smirk, he raised his mace and dropped it on the skull of the Elf. Like a ripened watermelon, her skull cracked into a thousand pieces while fresh blood flowed live a river. The body of the female Elf went limp at that moment. Just like her, other Elves met their gruesome ends at the maces of the laughing Ogres. A few minutes later, over fifty Elves had their heads bashed by the Ogres. Elhorn and Melola counted among the few Elves left alive. Their faces distorted in despair as they watched their brothers and sisters die with each passing second. While they watched, Rheh and Gamgult''s huge physique towered over their bodies. "Bitch, you were the one who shot this arrow. I''ll return it back to you," Rheh said, as he removed the arrow stuck in his elbow. Using the arrow like a spear, the plunged the arrowhead into Melola''s thigh. Which caused fresh blood to spray into the air while she shrieked in pain, and it delighted Rheh. Meanwhile, Elhorn also shrieked in pain. Because, Gamgult broke his right knee with his mace. The reason Gamgult tortured Elhorn, was because several of his brothers met their end at Elhorn''s dagger. "Beg for mercy and I''ll let you go," Gamgult said, while he broke Elhorn''s right arm. Just like him, Rheh also tortured Melola. He had already broken her four limbs already. Seconds later, while Elhorn watched, Rheh dropped his maces on Melola''s skull. Like the others before her, she died a gruesome death. Meanwhile, as Rheh and Gamgult tortured the duo, the other Ogres had slain the remaining Elves. Only Elhorn remained. "Bastard, won''t you beg for your life? Don''t worry, nobody will witness your show of shame. Just throw away that pride of yours and beg," Gamgult said as he laughed. "Gamgult, there is no point wasting time on him. Let''s complete the mission. We have gotten revenge for our brothers, it''s time to reap the rewards our harvest," Rheh said with a grin. "Okay, Okay. I have had my fun anyway," Gamgult retorted. Just like him, the other Ogres had sly grins on their faces as they stared at the settlement in the distance. With the warriors killed, only women and children remained. In plain words, no form of opposition stood in their way to completing their mission. Maintaining the sly grin he had on his face, Gamgult hoisted his mace above his head. Unlike the others, he wanted Elhorn die a painful death. So, he targeted his stomach instead of his head. Just as Gamgult lifted his arm, several twangs reverberated in the air while sonic booms echoed. Within seconds, of the twenty Ogres, eighteen dropped to the blood-soaked earth. With three arrows embedded into their heads. Only Gamgult and Rheh remained standing, but Gamgult''s raised arm had three arrows embedded in it while Rheh had one arrow embedded in his left knee, and two in his stomach. The mace on Gamgult''s arm also dropped to the ground, falling backwards. The duo had looks of stupefaction on their faces; they did not know what happened. Confused and frightened, a melodious voice drifted into their ears, "Those who invade the Great Kingdom of Mathras will die!" 4 Arilya Although Gamgult and Rheh heard this voice, they could not identify the person who spoke, and it made them uneasy. "Show yourself! Don''t be a coward!" Rheh said while staring at Gamgult. Apparently, he wanted to lure the mysterious foe (s) into the vicinity of the mysterious attack. Noticing Rheh''s ploy, Elhorn tried to warn the unknown party, but the words did not come out from his mouth. He prayed within his mind that, the assailant would not fall for the taunts of the despicable Ogres. "Coward, show yourself!" Gamgult said. Since the mysterious party did not answer Rheh''s initial shout, he felt anxious. In their current state, they stood no chance against a warrior Elf. Just like before, silence greeted his taunts. Anxious, he raised his left leg to end Elhorn''s life. The moment he raised his leg, a whooshing sound echoed, and a person clothed in warrior robes appeared. Looking at this beautiful female Elf, she wore a gray robe which had splits towards her thighs. She tied a red fabric around her waist, which also had two sheathed daggers. Her black thigh-high leather boots matched her robes, too. She also had a quiver filled with several odd-looking arrows strapped to her back, while she held a sturdy-looking bow. Unlike the bows of Elhorn and the fallen Elves, hers looked exquisite. Like most Elves, she had a beautiful facial appearances. And, she tied her long blond hair into braids. Unlike the Forest Elves, she looked different. Because, she had a diamond-shaped mark on her forehead which glowed in a radiant blue color. Among the Elves, only the High-Elves had such a distinguishing feature. As she stared at her surroundings, she had a stern expression on her face while rage covered her blue colored eyes. Meanwhile, Gamgult and Rheh had stunned expressions on their faces when they saw the new arrival. Because, they did not expect a High-Elf to wander to the outskirts of Mathras. But, it only surprised them for a moment. Within seconds, they had devious smiles on their faces. Because, they believed the mysterious Item would take effect on the Elf soon. "Who knew High-Elves did something as shallow as sneak attacks? Disgrace!" Rheh said, which caused Gamgult to laugh like a hysterical madman, "Rheh, you can''t blame the stupid bitch. Who wouldn''t fear our mighty race?" Gamgult said while laughing. They acted so confident because they believed the High-Elf had no way of resisting the mysterious Item. Known as a proud race, the duo saw it as the perfect opportunity to mock the most esteemed race among the Elves. While they laughed, Elhorn who was on the verge of death, tried to warn the beautiful Elf. Like before, his voice failed him. "Abominations! For killing members of the Elf race and for invading our territory; I, Arilya, sentence you to Death!" Arilya said. While her voice echoed, Gamgult and Rheh stared at each other with amused expressions on their face. Any other day, they would have taken the threats of a High-Elf serious. But, not today. Being a proud member of the High-Elves, Rheh and Gamgult''s actions infuriated Arilya. Wasting no time, she nocked an arrow on her bowstring. Before she could release the arrow, she felt a mysterious pressure course through her body. Which made her alarmed. At that moment, she understood why the Ogres acted arrogantly. "Gamgult, it''s taking effect. Finish that bastard and let''s have fun with this bitch. Who would have thought we''ll get to play with a High-Elf?" Rheh said as he laughed. A lecherous gleam covered his bloodshot eyes as he stared at the Arilya, who dropped to her knees. Like Rheh, Gamgult laughed while licking his lips as he stared at Arilya. Among the Elves, High-Elves had the best looks. Wasting no time, he used his uninjured hand to pick his mace. Before he could raise it for the second time, a sudden turn of events followed. Which caused both Ogres to have stunned expressions on their faces. In a fifty meter radius, the vegetation and the earth trembled as if a gigantic beast approached, and a gray mist swirled in midair around the corpses of the Ogres and Elves. In fact, the corpses vomited this mist. Like the corpses, Elhorn vomited the mist, too. As these strange phenomena occurred, Arilya chanted a weird incantation while the diamond-shaped marking on her forehead glowed. Panic-stricken, both Ogres attempted to flee. But, they realized to their horror, an invisible field restricted their movements. It also levitated the duo into midair. While they floated, Arilya stopped her chants. "How dare you use soul-corroding powder against my people?! Where did beasts like you get such an Item? Tell me, now!" Arilya said. She had a somewhat anxious expression on her face as she stared at the floating Ogres. Meanwhile, Gamgult and Rheh had looks that portrayed their confusion. They had never heard of soul-corroding power. Meanwhile, Elhorn had an amazed expression on his face as he struggled to stand on his feet. Not that he knew what Arilya talked about, her strength surprised him. She dispelled the same thing that killed most of his brothers and sisters in seconds. With silence greeting her questions, Arilya had a stern expression on her face as she stared at the floating duo, "Speak!" she said, while making a strange gesture with her right hand. At that moment, a loud explosion reverberated into the air, and the miserable screams of both Ogres followed. Looking at their bodies, various lacerations covered it, and the duo lost both arms, too. But, blood did not flow from their injuries. But, they felt a great deal of pain. "We don''t know what you''re talking about! The¡­" before Rheh could finish his statement, a gigantic black spear impaled him through the mouth. At that same moment, a second spear wheezed through the air. Heading towards the frightened and stunned Gamgult. But, before the spear contacted Gamgult, over fifteen arrows shifted its trajectory. But, it tore a section of Gamgult''s left thigh. "Who dares?!" Arilya said as she surveyed her surroundings. The first spear caught her by surprise. Although she wanted to kill the Ogres earlier, she reconsidered when she realized they had a soul-corroding powder. Instead of killing them, she had to interrogate them. Meanwhile, although her voice echoed, no one replied. But, this did not deter Arilya. "Watch over him! Don''t let him die! Some of my subordinates will arrive soon, tell them what happened!" Arilya said while facing the recovering Elhorn. Before he could reply, she disappeared. Meanwhile, Gamgult fell on the ground and blood flowed from his body like a tap. His miserable shrieks echoed into the distance. Although it infuriated Elhorn that Arilya asked him to watch over Gamgult, rather than ending his life, he had to obey orders. Because, Arilya as a High-Elf had more power than himself¨Ca forest Elf. "Kill me! Please, kill me! I said nothing¡­ I swear! Don''t let them capture me! Don''t you want revenge for your brothers and sisters? Don''t be a coward! C''mon!" Gamgult said as he groaned in pain. He had a terrified expression on his face as his eyes gazed at different locations at random. Any other time, Elhorn would have accepted his request within the blink of an eye. But now, he did not dare to do as he pleased. Why Gamgult begged for death puzzled him. As Gamgult begged for death, the sound of violent explosions drifted into Elhorn''s ears. Which freighted him, and with each passing second, the explosions got louder and louder as if two behemoths clashed with each other. At that same moment, Gamgult''s cries intensified. He even bit his tongue to end his life, but unfortunately for him, Elhorn healed his injuries. "Let me die! Please, let me die!" Gamgult said, as blood poured out from his wounds. "Shut up vermin! Do you think I want to protect someone like you?" Elhorn retorted. "You don''t understand. If they catch me alive, it will¡­" before Gamgult could finish his statement, another loud explosion reverberated into the air. At that same moment, everything around a thousand meter radius vibrated as if an earthquake would occur. Even Elhorn who stood, found it difficult to maintain his balance. ''Who is capable of pushing a High-Elf so much?'' While Elhorn mused, a loud but familiar voice drifted into his ears, "Brother Elhorn you''re all right. Glory be to the spirit of the Parfs!" Turning his head to gaze at the owner of the familiar voice, Elhorn had a mixed expression on his face. He was excited and dejected, too. Looking at the new arrivals, they comprised three female Elves and a male Elf. Divided into two female and one High-Elf and a single female forest Elf. The two female High-Elves wore the same clothes as Arilya and looked just as beautiful. They also had the same diamond-shaped marking on their forehead. Also, they had a quiver filled with arrows strapped to their backs, while holding their bows. Meanwhile, the male High-Elf wore a long black robe which covered his body from head to toe, exposing only his face. Unlike the female duo, he did not hold a bow. He looked like an ordinary, defenseless High-Elf. Meanwhile, the female forest Elf dressed like the slain Melola, but without the armor. Just like the male High-Elf, she did held no weapons. As they arrived, the four Elves had stunned expressions on their faces as they witnessed the horrifying scene. Especially, when they saw the corpses of the slain Elves. Unlike the forest Elf who broke down in tears, the sickening scene distorted the face of the three High-Elves. It filled them with rage. "Sisters¡­ Brothers¡­" the female forest Elf said, as she sobbed. "Lilis, I''m sorry. Please forgive me. I could not protect¡­" before Elhorn could finish his statement, the male High-Elf interjected, "Why is that abomination still alive? How can you heal such a vermin?" he said. The moment he finished speaking, Elhorn felt a strange pressure course through his body, and it brought him to his knees. "Please, don''t misunderstand. My savior asked me to watch over him. She told me to ensure his safety until your arrival," Elhorn said. Cold sweat covered his body as he stared at the mean expression on the face of the Male High-Elf. "Nonsense! Do not tell¡­" before male High-Elf could finish his statement, another thunderous explosion echoed, and it sent shock waves through the air. Using strange techniques, the three High-Elves remained standing, meanwhile, it flattened Elhorn and Lilis. "What''s that?!" the male High-Elf asked. Looking at his body, a radiant blue glow covered it. "High-one, please listen to my explanation. The High-one, called Arilya, requested I explain the situation upon your arrival," Elhorn said as he coughed. While he spoke, Gamgult continued to beg for death. But, Elhorn restrained his voice using a strange technique. "You have five minutes. If I''m not convinced, I''ll end your life for healing a vermin!" the male High-Elf said. After his declaration, Elhorn bowed his head in acknowledgement, "Thank you, High-one," Elhorn said. Wasting no time, he recounted the events that took place from when the forest Elves first engaged the Ogres. As he spoke, the faces of the three High-Elves became sterner and sterner. Right until he finished his explanation. "they call you Elhorn, right?" the male High-Elf asked. "Yes, High-one. That is my name," Elhorn said. "I''m sorry for my earlier comment. You may call me, Deython. And, these two are, Oravera and Valolora. Thank you for the explanation. Here have this," Deython said as he threw a gray color porcelain bottle to the stunned Elhorn, "The potion will heal your injuries. I will have to trouble you to watch over that vermin for a few more minutes. We need to aid our captain," Deython added. "Thank you, High-Deython. I will do as you have asked," Elhorn said. Adding the prefix¨CHigh, to a High-Elf''s name was customary among the other Elves. Without saying a word to Elhorn''s words of thanks, the three High-Elves magically disappeared. Seconds later, the sound of explosions amplified, and shock waves followed each explosion. Unlike before, several uprooted trees accompanied by large boulders and sands flew in every direction. Elhorn and Lilis could not imagine the battle occurring in the distance. The strength of the unknown foe (s) also surprised them, because they could fight against four High-Elves. While the duo had different thoughts drifting through their minds, Gamgult''s incoherent voice drifted into their ears, "If you give me a quick death, I''ll tell you everything I know about those bastards from The Order. I will also tell you why they asked us to attack your village. Please, I only want death in return!" 5 Taskmasters Just like before, Elhorn ignored Gamgult. He had no say in the matter. Meanwhile, Lilis stared at Gamgult with bloodshot eyes. After listening to Elhorn''s explanation earlier, she knew how her brothers and sisters died. And, it infuriated her. Only thoughts of Killing Gamgult in the most violent way possible occupied her mind. On reflex, she inched closer and closer to Gamgult. Meanwhile, Gamgult had a somewhat relieved expression on his face as he saw Lilis. The looks on her face showed that, she was on the verge of violating the orders given by the High-Elves. "You two are cowards! I killed your brothers and defiled your sisters, yet you tend to my wounds. The spirits of your brothers and sisters will screaming in pain from your shameless actions. You are not even worthy of being called¡­" before Gamgult could finish his statement, Lilis interjected, "Shut up!" she said. At that same moment, she dashed towards Gamgult''s defenseless body. His taunting words from earlier had the desired effects. It made him glad. Because, all he wanted was death! With a gleam of expectation in his eyes, Gamgult stared at the approaching Lilis. With a small distance separating the duo, five arrows embedded themselves into the ground, "Lilis, stop!" Elhorn said. He had another arrow notched on his bow, if Lilis dare to disobey the orders, he would have to injure her for her own good. Because, he could not imagine the punishment that would befall her when the High-Elves returned. Meanwhile, Gamgult had a dejected expression on his face. He also cursed Elhorn multiple times in his mind. He prayed Lillis would remain stubborn; he did not want to miss a great opportunity. Just as this faint thought of hope entered his mind, Lilis words shattered it, "Elhorn, thank you," Lilis said. The moment she finished speaking, she walked back to the same spot Elhorn stood. Meanwhile, Elhorn said no words of consolation. He would be a massive hypocrite if he said he did not want to kill Gamgult, too. The punishment accompanied with defiling the orders of a High-Elf prevented him from fulfilling his heart desires. "Cowards! Come back if you¡­" before Gamgult could finish his statement, a pebble smashed his mangled nose, and it drew blood. While he writhed in pain, Elhorn''s voice drifted into his ears, "This is your final warning!" he said. Elhorn''s current demeanor would send chills down the spines of most people. He looked as if he could not control his raging bloodlust. Only the looks in his eyes made Gamgult petrified with fear. In his life, he had not seen an Elf enraged so much. Like a meek little lamb, Gamgult shut his mouth. Who knew what Elhorn would do to him if he pushed his luck? The High-Elf only instructed that he should remain alive, she did not say he has to be in one piece. "Abomination, you know that I can torture you, right?" Elhorn said. His words caused Gamgult''s body to tremble. He felt as if Elhorn just read his mind. Saying nothing in response, Gamgult nodded his head. "Good! You have two choices. First option, tell me who sent you to attack our village, the reason for the attack, and the person you don''t want to meet. Second option, I will beat you until you give me the answers to the first option! You have five seconds to decide!" Elhorn said, as he inched closer and closer to Gamgult''s body. Meanwhile, Gamgult''s heart thumped as if it wanted to escape his body. Elhorn''s words instilled fear into the depths of his soul. "Wait, a minute¡­ Please, wait¡­" Gamgult said, but Elhorn continued to approaching him with two daggers in his hands. "I choose the first option! I''ll talk¡­ I''ll talk," Gamgult said. With his declaration, Elhorn halted his movement while waiting for Gamgult''s explanation. "An organization from the Black Lands, called The Order tasked my tribe to attack your village. I don''t know the reason they gave this command¡­ but, they prioritized the capture of the youths. As for your last question, they call them Taskmasters. Anytime a unit under The Order fails a mission, it is the duty of a Taskmaster to eliminate all witnesses. Please, I''ve told you all that I know. Please, kill me! If they find out I talked, they will torture my soul forever," Gamgult said. Meanwhile, Elhorn and Lilis had stern expressions on their face. Only Elhorn knew the gravity of The Order''s involvement. But, what he did not understand was why they asked the Ogres to prioritize the kidnap of the younger Elves. Also, from Gamgult''s explanation, he knew the identity of the person battling with the four High-Elves. "What do they want with the younger Elves? What so special about the youths from our village?" Lilis said. She voiced the same thoughts Elhorn had in his mind. "Special? Your village? Don''t think too much of yourselves¡­" before Gamgult could finish his statement, another pebble landed on the same spot from earlier. Elhorn''s accuracy transcended the best of the best among human archers. "Did you forget your current situation? Answer her questions!" Elhorn said. He had another pebble on his palm, in case, Gamgult wanted to behave stubborn. Wriggling in pain, Gamgult stared at Elhorn and Lilis with his bloodshot eyes. He wished he had the power to kill the duo, and he also cursed his luck for running into High-Elves. "They did not instruct us to target only your village. According to the rumors I heard, they attacked thousands of locations across the Great Kingdoms, Allied Kingdoms, and small Kingdoms. With the same aim in mind," Gamgult said. His shocking declaration left Elhorn and Lilis stunned and confused. A few seconds later, fear gripped their hearts. Because, the sound of clapping drifted into their ears. Gamgult''s face distorted in terror, while fear covered his eyes. Turning their heads, Elhorn and Lilis stared at the approaching figure - A human woman clad in a unique black-and-white robe. Because of the robes, they could only see her face. Looking at her facial features, she had a beautiful black hair on her head, which she tied into a long braid. Just like her hair, her pupil had a black color. Which highlighted her milky-white skin complexion. With her pointed nose and her succulent-looking lips covered in black lipstick, she personified the term - a sultry woman. "You know the consequences for blabbing, yet opened that gutter mouth of yours. Well, I''ll deal with you once I''m through with these cuties," the lady said with a seductive smile on her face. "Apprentice Taskmaster¡­ Please¡­" before Gamgult could finish his statement, a shocking scene followed. Out of nowhere, several vines tangled against his body. Seconds later, they dragged him underground. The sound of breaking bones echoed into the air, which muffled the sounds of his screams. ''Apprentice Taskmaster? We can''t handle someone like this. Did she escape from the High-ones? No, that''s not possible. They must have been two from the start.'' As Elhorn mused, he stepped in front of Lilis while they retreated step by step. Like Elhorn, Lilis also knew they stood no chance against the human woman. "Cuties, what did that ugly say to you? Can you please tell me?" the Apprentice Taskmaster said while puckering her lips, which revealed her dimples. Elhorn and Lilis said nothing in response, although the human in front of them acted like a little girl, the looks in her eyes made them terrified. "Cat got your tongue? If you tell me, I''ll let you guys go. That''s a good deal right?" the Apprentice Taskmaster said. Just like before, Elhorn and Lilis remained silent. At any moment, they would flee for their lives. One of them had to live because they had to inform the High-Elves of what Gamgult said. While this thought floated through their mind, another loud explosion echoed. Accompanied by a more terrifying shock wave. Surprised by the sudden explosion, both Elves dropped to their knees. At that same moment, the Apprentice Taskmaster disappeared. Before the Elves could say a word, she appeared right in front of their eyes sporting a wonderful smile, and it sent chills down the spine of the duo. "Cuties, I''m running out of time. The bald oldie fighting over there can''t hold on much longer. So, what did that ugly tell you?" she said. The moment she finished her statement, a loud shout reverberated, "The second one is missing! Deython, help the forest Elves!" At that moment, the Apprentice Taskmaster shook her head. While dread gripped the hearts of Elhorn and Lilis. From their perspective, Arilya''s shout echoed at the wrong time. "Too bad, cuties. They have noticed I''m missing. Since we don''t have enough time, I''ll take the two of you with me," the Apprentice Taskmaster said. Before Elhorn and Lilis could voice their objection, several vines wrapped their bodies like Gamgult''s. "Don''t worry, cuties. You won''t feel any pain like the ugly. I can''t harm something so cute. I''ll be a good Mama to you, too," the Apprentice Taskmaster said. At that moment, Lilis could not stop herself from crying. While Elhorn tried his best to free himself from the thick green vines. As the earth swallowed the duo, the Apprentice Taskmaster searched Rheh''s corpse. A few seconds later, she retrieved a silver-colored pendant from his armor. Like a little girl, she skipped to the sinking sight of the two Elves. As she approached the duo, the smile on her face disappeared. At that same moment, she jumped into the air. The moment she jumped, three Demiri arrows pierced the ground. Meanwhile, as she floated in midair, five loud sonic booms echoed. Followed by the words, "Human, how dare you kill my brothers and sisters." The eyes of the Apprentice Taskmaster shrunk as she saw the approaching arrows. Compared to the arrows fired by High-Elves she fought earlier, it was faster. ''Huh? Who is this? Those Cuties fighting the bald oldie can''t reach here this fast,'' the Apprentice Taskmaster mused. Seconds later, like a helpless lamb, the five Demiri arrows pierced her body and nailed it to a nearby tree. The sudden turn of events surprised the sinking Elhorn and Lilis. They also felt the restraint of the vines weakening. A few seconds later, Elhorn freed himself. Just as he wanted to assist Lilis, three arrows appeared in front of his eyes, and it rooted him to the spot. The arrows came out of nowhere, and he believed his time had come. Before the three arrows pierced his skull, they changed direction in midair. Attacking, the resuscitated Apprentice Taskmaster behind Elhorn. "Meanie! Leave me and my cuties alone! Can''t you see he wants to stay with me?!" the Apprentice Taskmaster said. Unlike before, she dodged the arrows and dove into the sinking earth with Lilis. Seconds later, the ground returned to its natural condition. But, Lilis and the Apprentice Taskmaster had disappeared. "Lilis! No¡­!" As he screamed, Elhorn dropped to his knees with a dejected expression on his face. Tears streaked down his cheeks, too. At that same moment, the sound of the fierce battle between the unknown individual and the four High-Elves disappeared. While Elhorn wallowed in despair, a voice drifted into his ears, "Brother Elhorn, I''m sorry for coming late. Please forgive me. It''s been twenty years, but your brother, Hariel has returned." 6 Racism Stunned, Elhorn turned his head. At that moment, the familiar face of a handsome Elf greeted his eyes. Unlike most Elves, he had blue hair which he tied into a ponytail. While a blue scarf covered his forehead. His clothes also differed from the forest Elves and High-Elves. He wore the clothes of an adult human male. A plain gray tunic matched with black breeches, and silver-colored boots. Also, he had a quiver filled with Demiri arrows strapped to his back, while he held an odd looking bow with his right hand. Unlike the bows used by the forest Elves, his looked as if someone made it from metal. Under the noon sun, it glistered like a gemstone. Apart from his blue hair, he looked identical to Elhorn in all aspects. Another distinguishing feature, was the star-shaped scar he had underneath his left eye. "Hariel¡­? Is that really you?" Elhorn said. "Brother Elhorn, it is me. Please, pull yourself together. We can still save our sister, I don''t think the human woman has gone far," Hariel said while using his hands to pull Elhorn to his feet. Seconds after his declaration, a thunderous explosion reverberated into the air. Compared to the previous explosions, it was a hundred times stronger. The shock waves produced from the explosion uprooted several trees and launched the fallen trees and other debris in various directions. The speed at which the debris moved caused a greater destruction than the main explosion. The bodies of the slain Elves and Ogres also exploded into a bloody mess of flesh and blood. Wasting to time, Hariel grabbed Elhorn and ran at the fastest speed he could muster. Looking at the blue scarf covering his forehead, it had a faint red glow as he ran. His eyes, too, had this red glow. Hariel''s speed had surpassed that of a typical elf. Instead of running towards another region of Mathras, he ran to the grove which had his village. Although he ran at a speed that reached superhuman levels, the destruction caused by the sound wave reduced the distance each second. With less than fifty meters left until they reach their settlement, a shocking scene followed. The statue which had been dormant for countless number of years, released gong sound which reverberated into the air. It surprised Lumvug and the other Elders who prayed for Elhorn and the slain Elves. Since they were born, they had never seen the Statue react. No matter how much they prayed. "The Ancestor has heard our prayers! We will triumph over the invaders!" Lumvug said. After his declaration, all the Elders prostrated towards the statue. Like the Elders, Elhorn had the same reaction. If Hariel was not carrying him, he would have prostrated himself in worship of the statue. "Our Ancestor has answered our call! Those vile creatures will never no peace¡­ Our Ancestor will get revenge for us!" Elhorn said. Having watched so many of his brothers and sisters die, he was on the verge of losing his sanity. Meanwhile, Hariel had no reaction to Elhorn''s words or the strange sound from the statue. Instead, he continued to run closer to their settlement. With the distance reduced to thirty meters, Hariel stopped in his tracks while staring at the approaching destructive wave. Seconds later, another loud explosion echoed. This time it resulted from the approaching wave striking an illusionary golden wall, which protected the Elf settlement. Observing the massive statue, it emitted a faint golden radiance. Although the explosion from the impact destroyed everything with a hundred meter radius around the settlement, it did not affect even the tiniest leaf within the barrier. A few minutes later, the illusionary wall disappeared. It coincided with the moment the red glow from Hariel''s scarf vanished. "Brother, are you all right? Do you need my help to heal your injuries?" Hariel said as he stared at the kneeling Elhorn. Meanwhile, silence greeted his words. Because, Elhorn immersed himself in praying towards the statue. Which caused Hariel to have a somewhat dejected expression on his face, "Brother. Please, don''t follow the teachings of the High-Elves. A god did not create that statue¡­" before Hariel could finish his statement, someone interjected, "Silence! You dare speak blasphemy against our Ancestor?!" While the shout reverberated, Hariel raised his head to stare at the new arrivals¨CLumvug and the other Elders. From the expressions on their faces and their deep breaths, Hariel''s words displeased them. Angered, the seven Elders stared at Hariel and the kneeling Elhorn. The seven of them had a confused expression on their faces as they observed Hariel''s facial features. Seconds later, Lumvug had a stunned expression on his face. Because, a sudden realization dawned on him. "Oh! No wonder! It''s you! How dare you return to the tribe?! Hariel, do you think twenty years will erase what you did?" Lumvug said. Rage distorted his wrinkled face while he pointed at Hariel. Upon hearing the Hariel''s name, all the Elders became stunned. "Hariel! How dare you show yourself here! Because of your brother, we showed mercy. But, you return to mock our decision and insult the ancestor!" an enraged Elder said. Just like him, the other Elders hurled various insults at Hariel. However, Hariel refused to speak or pay attention to the Elders. Instead, he stared at Elhorn who looked as if he had gone insane. "Parfs! Eliminate this traitor!" Lumvug said. Contrary to his expectations, No cheers of acknowledgement or rain of arrows fell on Hariel. Instead, silence greeted his words. "Elhorn! What are you doing?! Eliminate the traitor!" Lumvug said. Angered to the extreme, his body trembled as he shouted. Still, Elhorn remained in his kneeling position, praying. "Elhorn! Do¡­" before Lumvug could finish his statement, Hariel interjected, "Shut up! Don''t disturb my brother! What? Do you want to declare him a traitor, too? Open your eyes, you frauds! Your Parfs? They all died and don''t even have a body to bury! While my brothers and sisters fought for their lives, you stood before a useless statue praying!" "Lies! There¡­" before Lumvug could finish his statement, Hariel nocked four arrows on his bow as he stared at the Elders with a stern expression on his face. Lumvug knew if he spoke further, Hariel would not hesitate to end his life. Insulted by Hariel''s actions, the bodies of the elders trembled. But, they couldn''t do anything. "Brother Elhorn, listen to my voice¡­ That woman placed a curse on your mind, and it is corroding it," Hariel said. The moment he finished speaking, a green hazy light appeared on the tip of his arrows. Which pointed towards the Elders.Because, Hariel whispered, they did not hear what he said. They assumed the brothers colluded with each other. While this thought entered their minds, Hariel released three of the arrows. A second later, another four joined the previous three arrows in midair. The seven arrows made a beeline movement towards the frightened Elders. The sudden turn of events rooted them to the spot. "Hariel! You want to kill the Elders of¡­" while Lumvug''s voice echoed, one arrow flew past him and the other Elders, too. ''He wasn''t aiming at us? Then, what did he aim at?'' The Elders had the same thought in their heavy hearts as the arrow flew past them. Stunned, before they could turn their heads, a loud shout drifted into their ears, "Insolence!" At that moment, a whirlwind gust blew the seven Demiri arrows away. Also, four figures emerged out of nowhere. The same familiar faces who instructed Elhorn to guard Gamgult. "High-Ones?! Pay respects to the High-Ones!" Lumvug said. Which caused the other six Elders to bow in response. Meanwhile, Hariel had four Demiri arrows nocked on his bow. His facial expression did not change upon sighting Deython and the others. Just like him, Oravera and Valolora had three arrows nocked on their bows, too. Meanwhile, Deython and Arilya had stern expressions on their face as they stared at Hariel and Elhorn. Because, they could not find any sign of Gamgult. Also, Hariel''s sudden arrival puzzled them. "How dare you remain standing in the presence of a High-one?!" Lumvug said. ''Insolent beast! This will teach you a lesson you''ll never forget,'' Lumvug mused as he awaited the response of the High-Elves. Hariel''s actions made him bitter, and he wanted to use the High-Elves to deal with him. Knowing the person Lumvug was, the other Elders knew his intentions from the look on his face. They too, could not wait to knock Hariel of his high horse. Meanwhile, although Arilya and the others heard Lumvug''s words, they remained silent. They only continued to stare at Hariel. "Who are you? And, what have you done to Elhorn?" Arilya asked a few minutes later. Like before, Hariel remained silent. Which caused the faces of the High-Elves to distort, and it delighted the watching Elders. "I''ll ask one more time, who are you? And, what have you done to Elhorn?" Arilya said. Her hand rested on her daggers this time. Like before, Hariel remained silent. ''Is this brat insane? Has he forgotten about the High-Elves?'' Lumvug mused as he watched the scene. He could not believe Hariel ignored a High-Elf. "Bastard! A mere low-born dares ignore¡­" before Oravera could finish her statement, Deython pushed her to the side. A microsecond later, an arrow breezed past the spot she stood earlier. "Call me a low-born one more time and see if I don''t end you!" Hariel said. Observing his bow, only three arrows remained. Meanwhile, Oravera''s body shuddered when she heard Hariel''s declaration. It also stunned Valolora, Lumvug and the other Elders. Meanwhile, Deython and Arilya had a calm expression on their faces. But, the diamond-shaped marks on their forehead glowed red. Their eyes also changed in color, too. "What? You can threaten me, but I can''t do the same?" Hariel said while laughing. The reaction of the Elders and the High-Elves excited him. "You know the punishment for your insolence, right? You better realize the situation you''re in, before you dig yourself into an unescapable pit. Kneel!" Deython said, as he walked towards Hariel and Elhorn. "Don''t make me laugh. Do you guys think you''re special because you''re the direct descendants of the ancestor? You think all ''low-born'' will remain ignorant like these old buffoons? Worshipping a defective barrier generator as a deity," Hariel said while holding back the urge to laugh. "High-Ones! Please forgive us. Our tribe produced this beast who dares to blaspheme the statue of our ancestor! But, we exiled him twenty years ago for the crimes he committed¡­" before Lumvug could finish his statement, Deython ordered him to shut up by raising his hand. Since Hariel''s words infuriate Lumvug and the other Elders, they did not notice the High-Elves reactions when Hariel spoke about the statue. "Before, I wanted to punish you for your insolence, but now, you will follow us to the capital. Surrender yourself for spreading falsehood, attempting to murder a High-Elf, and invading the great Kingdom of Mathras," Deython said. He continued to approach Hariel in casual steps. Also, Arilya, Oravera and Valolora made their moves. Deython approached from the front, Arilya approached from the rear. While Oravera and Valolora approached from the left and right side. "Retrieve and heal the one called Elhorn. Make sure nothing happens to him," Deython said while staring at the Elders. "Yes, High-Deython!" Lumvug said on behalf of the Elders. After his declaration, Lumvug clapped his hands twice. While the sound echoed, Elhorn walked like a mindless zombie towards him. Hariel did not restrain him, too. "Brother Elhorn, I''m sorry. Next time, I''ll take you with me," Hariel whispered as he stared at the dazed Elhorn. Tears gathered at the corner of his eyes, too. "For a low-born, you''re not so stupid¡­ I thought you would have tried to escape with Elhorn," Valolora said. The mark on her forehead glowed, too, like the other High-Elves. She did not care that Hariel hated being called a low-born. From her point of view, his feelings or beliefs did not matter. Also, he held dangerous beliefs which could topple the hierarchy of the High-Elves. She would never allow a¨Cnobody like Hariel, to challenge the position of her tribe in the Elf race. Meanwhile, Hariel laughed in response to Valolora''s words. "You think your tribe will remain number one forever? Idiots! A new era is upon us! From small kingdoms to Great Kingdoms and the Black Lands, a new wave is coming! You better get ready for it! For the safety of my brother, I''ll retreat. But, next time? Let''s see who is the low-born, then!" Hariel said. After his declaration, the four High-Elves dashed towards him in unison. Ten meters away from where he stood, Hariel levitated into the air. At that same moment, a pitch-black rift space opened in midair. Seconds later, He vanished into the rift. The four High-Elves watched with stern expressions on their faces as his blue scarf fluttered while falling to the ground. ''Are my eyes deceiving me? Did I see that on his forehead?'' Arilya mused as she stared at the blue skies. While she questioned what she saw, Deython''s voice drifted into her ears, "Captain, what do we do. We have to report this incident to the Capital." "Yes. Let''s not waste time here. Bring Elhorn, too. Also bring the leader of this tribe. We need to investigate the identity of that fellow," Arilya said. Without waiting for Deython''s response, she disappeared towards an unknown region of the surrounding forest. 7 Odon Seas Unlike the other parts of the Continent of Skyhaven, which had rulers of Kingdom and nations, the Black Lands had no sovereign ruler. This made the huge territory of the Black Lands available to the strongest faction or highest bidder to do as they pleased. With various races living in the Black Lands, they called it the de facto Capital of Skyhaven. Although the presences of multiple races enabled each one to understand the other better, it also lead to various forms of enmities between various races, which originated from a conflict of interest. Because of this, one had to be knowledgeable of which race (s) occupied a particular territory. If not, they could wander into the territory of a hostile race. Except the individual was powerful, such a person would meet a painful death. With no sovereign ruler, various factions ruled different territories in the Black Lands. Because of this, those from the Great Kingdom likened the Black Lands to lawless zone. Paradise for the strong, but hell for the weak. The strong bullied and killed the weak for their possessions. But, if one was too strong, it could cause trouble, too. Because, the ruling faction of a particular territory would feel threatened by a rising power. In most cases, the ruling power would either absorb the rising power or destroy it. Only on rare occasions does the rising power triumph over a established faction. With such a system in place, if one wanted to survive in the Black Lands, they had to maintain a balance between being weak and strong. If not, their time in the Black Lands would end in the twinkle on an eye. Although the Black Lands was responsible for the highest ratio of deaths within the Continent of Skyhaven, thousands upon thousands of people did whatever they could to move there. Because of the natural wonders and rare oddities found within its territories. Whether one was looking for a legendary ore, a rare flower or Animal, or an essential ingredient for a powerful spell, they could find them within the Black Lands. Also, several natural oddities and rare wonders produced Items that could even make the four Great Kingdoms salivate with greed. Since greed was a common trait shared among all races, they flocked to the Black Lands hoping they would make it big. With the Black Lands akin to a massive treasury, it was not a surprise the Man of Darkness took control over it. The massive brawl that ensued after his death did not come a surprise to most people living in the Black Lands. In fact, they all prayed for the day. The fallen saints and the Great Magus only made their wish come true. Although most of the inhabitants of the Black Lands leaned towards the path of Darkness, those from the path of Light and regular people also forayed into the Black Lands. Like every other part of the Continent, the Black Lands also had various forests, seas and rivers. There were also islands, peninsulas, and unexplored regions that even the top factions in the Black Lands did not dare to tread. Although, it was the most hate place in Skyhaven, most considered the Black Lands to be the most interesting place on the Continent. Unknown region in the Black Lands. As the moon hanged in the desolate skies, over an unknown island in the Black Lands. Its silver light illuminated a thick forest surrounded by mountains. Like most Islands, the air was humid and the whistling sound of breeze echoed, carrying the faint smell of fresh salt. But, the color of the water surrounding this island would leave most people slack-jawed. Because, it was pitch black! Its majestic waves assaulted the Island''s cliffs. The sound of the wave crashing against the cliffs echoed like that of a large army charging into combat. These waves reached a terrifying height of 50ft, while the clouds above the sea was thick and pitch black, too. Several white and red lightning sparks appeared on intervals, accompanied by the sound of thunder, and the downpour of rain. Like the sea, the rainwater was black, too. Meanwhile, the weather condition on the island differed to that of the sea. The island looked like a serene and peaceful environment compared to the apocalyptic nature of the sea. In the serene forest, a florescent green portal opened in the southern section of the Island. The moment this portal appeared, it spat out a familiar figure on the cold hard ground of the forest. Seconds later, the portal disappeared with a muffled explosion. Meanwhile, observing the figure on the ground, he wore a gray tunic with no special designs on it. Which he paired with black breeches and a leather knee-high boots. Unlike his plain clothes, the silver moonlight illuminated his fiery-red hair. While he laid on the floor with a dazed expression on his face, and drool poured from the corner of his mouth. After using the Milkyway stone, James had arrived at the Black Lands. His current demeanor resulted from experiencing instant teleportation for the first time. A few seconds later, the effects of the teleportation wore off, and James had an ugly expression on his face. As his eyes scanned the surrounding forest, the scowl on his face got uglier. "where the hell is this?" James said. From what Damien told him about the Isles of Ojoh, he was 70% certain he was not in the same place. Because, Damien mentioned nothing like a forest. ''What''s that sound? Is that the sound of an ocean?'' James mused as he heard the crashing waves. Although it frightened him, it made him curious, too. With no clue about his whereabouts, he walked in a cautious steps towards the sound of crashing waves. Also, he believed something went wrong when Damien activated the Milkyway Stone. Since he could not change what has already happened, James decided not to dwell on the topic. Finding out his current whereabouts was his priority. He speculated that, the item sent him to a neighboring location close to the sea. He hoped to meet the natives, who would explain his situation to him. Naturally, James would not invite them for a chat, since he did not know whether they were hostile to foreigners or not. He was planning to kidnap one local before drilling out of the required information from the said local. With this thought in mind, James walked towards the sounds of crashing waves. Fortunately for him, the Milkyway portal dropped him in a place close to the southern cliff of the Island. Hence, he did not need to walk too much. As he made his way to the cliff, the lighting of the forest became darker and darker. Which made James perplexed and alerted. A few seconds later, his eyes bulged out of their sockets while his mouth was wide open. What he expected to be a shore was actually a huge cliff which was being assaulted by gigantic waves from a pitch black sea. Above the sea was a pitch black sky with several traces of red and white flashes while the sound of lightning and thunder reverberated. His idea of kidnapping a native, disappeared from his mind as he saw the raging sea. One did not need to tell him that, death awaited those unfortunate to fall into such a sea. While the eerie scene overwhelmed him, the familiar sound of the system''s notification echoed in his mind. Scanning Complete! Name: Odon Sea. Effects: Water in the sea is capable of corroding the user''s body. Those who drink 3 liters of water from this sea, lose their minds forever. They also walk into the sea to become one with it. The user''s Mana capacity will reduce if exposed to the water of the sea. Limitations: Skill - Hell-Fire Manipulation, is capable of neutralizing the effects of the sea. Odds of User surviving in the Odon Sea: 1.34%. Warning! Warning! Warning! Life presence detected within the sea. The user is incapable of defeating the creatures with the current level. While reading the system''s notification, James had a stern expression on his face. When he read the Limitation section, his lips curled into a wry smile. Although the flames from hell could neutralize the effects of the black sea, James was not stupid enough to dive into eerie sea that screamed death. That living beings lived in such a place made his skin to crawl, and he wondered what sort of monstrosities lived beneath the sea. Even though things were not looking good for him, James did not panic. Because, he wanted to know the overall situation of the island before he made his next step. ''What sort of rotten luck do I have? When I fulfill the system''s ranking requirements, I''ll pour all my SP into Luck!'' James mused. While these thoughts floating through his mind, the familiar sound of the system''s notification echoed for a second time. Warning! Warning! Warning! A pack of Level 1 monsters is approaching the user''s location. Name: Moonlight Wolves Level: 1. Rank: Unevolved. Path: Light and Darkness. Quantity: 8. Distance between the user and target: 350m... "What kind of shitty luck is this?" James said. He had not spent twenty minutes on the island, yet he was already meeting various stumbling blocks. The same moment James cursed his luck, several savage howls reverberated underneath the beautiful night sky of the unknown island. 8 Level Two Monster The moment the howls of the Moonlight Wolves drifted into James''s ears, he had a stern expression on his face. Which caused him to summon the two merged damned souls of the - Superb rank, while he ran into the forest. With the distance between him and the wolves decreasing, James did not want the Level 1 monster to corner him at the edge of the cliff. Hence, he had to take the initiative even though the sudden turn of events displeased him. As James ran within the thick forest, he changed into his Grim Reaper form as he shortened the distance between him and the Level 1 monsters. Unlike when he was back at the central region cemetery, James was much stronger than a regular Level 1 monster, equivalent to a Level 10 sorcerer based on the system''s ranking system. With his current level at 19, the chances of the Moonlight Wolves ending up as objects for James to vent his frustrations, was high. Meanwhile, a few meters away from the southern cliffs of the island, a pack of bloodthirsty creatures ran under the silver moonlight. Inspecting these creatures, which had an average height of 5ft. One would notice that they had similar appearances to typical wolves. But, the only difference was the strange manner the silver moonlight gathered on their fur which had a silver color, too. Apart from this unique feature, the fangs of these creatures also had a strange multicolored glow when the moonlight touched them. It was as if their fangs gathered a concentrated amount of a strange form of Mana. If their height of 5ft did not induce fear, then their width of close to two meters and a length of five meters will do the job. With their bloodthirsty scarlet red eyes shining underneath the moonlight, these creatures looked like genuine killing machines. On the Continent of Skyhaven, they called these creatures the Moonlight Wolves. They were also famous for being territorial monsters, who would to anything to eliminate perceived intruders into their territories. Apart from their territorial tendencies, they also acted prideful and would never shy away from anything that trespassed on its territory. They would rather die than yield! As they ran through the thick forest, the monsters howled in unison, which sound like ritual battle cries. Just as James dashed towards their direction, these monsters also mimicked his actions. They went full throttle towards the incoming James with a savage look in their scarlet eyes while a thick and pungent saliva dropped from their opened mouths. Although they had not seen him yet, they could sense his presence. Meanwhile, as James approached the monsters, the system reminded him of the shrinking distance. Meanwhile, the two merged damned souls he summoned earlier, moved ahead of James as they made their way towards the approaching Moonlight wolves. Just like the monsters, they too had a menacing look in their horrifying faces. A few minutes later, a distance of 50m separated James and the moonlight wolves. Whereas, 15m separated the merged damned souls and the monsters. ''You know what to do! Go!'' James said via his mind towards the merged souls. Since the monsters were not outside the merged damned souls attack range, he planned to use their possession effect on the monsters. He wanted to sow the seed of betrayal amid the monsters while he beat them to death. Without wasting anytime, the damned souls dashed towards the incoming Moonlight wolves after receiving James''s orders. Meanwhile, James continued approaching the monsters with a chilling look on his eerie skeletal face. As James ran, the familiar flames of the Hell-Fire Manipulation covered his hands. While the purple purifying flame flickering in one of his empty eye sockets burned brighter. The same moment these flames appeared on his skeletal fist, eight massive creatures emerged from the thick bushes. While making a beeline movement for James''s skeletal body. With a nasty smile on his face, James also launched himself towards the incoming beasts. While his fist covered in flames wheezed through the air. At that same moment, the sound of the system''s notification echoed in his mind. Warning! Warning! Warning! Target''s fangs has a unique psychedelic effect. If the user falls under the psychedelic effect, it will negate Title - Grim Reaper, for five minutes. The moonlight is increasing the durability of the target''s fur. Limitation: Skill - Hell-Fire Manipulation, can bypass the durability of the Moonlight armor. Odds of user eliminating the target: 90% James did not even flinch or pause as he read through the system''s notification. He maintained the same nasty grin on his face. Seconds later, his right fist coated in flames contacted the first moonlight wolf. At the moment of impact, a resounding booming sound echoed as the body of the wolf launched towards a nearby tree after its miserable shriek reverberated throughout the air. The same moment his fist contacted the Moonlight wolf, a strange incident occurred with the other monsters. The two wolves at the rear end of the attacking formation, changed targets as they used their fangs to bite the closest wolf beside them. Their strange action surprised the other Moonlight Wolves. Meanwhile, the miserable screams of the wolf sent flying earlier reverberated throughout the air. Because, not only did James''s fist cause severe damage to its skull, the flames from the Hell-Fire Manipulation burned its soul, too. With one of the eight monsters out of commission, and four of them battling among themselves because of the confusion caused by the merged damned souls. James''s Grim Reaper form continued to charge towards the remaining three monsters, who looked at him with deep enmity in their scarlet eyes. Because of how he sent one for them flying. Without a care in the world for what was going on in the minds of the wolves, James launched another ruthless blow towards another incoming moonlight wolf. But unlike before, the monster evaded the attack, and it made a beeline movement for James''s skull. Which made him laugh. Just like how the wolf evaded his attack, so did James evade its attack. Unfortunately for the monster, James caught its hind limbs with his flaming hands, which caused the monster to scream in pain and agony. Instead of releasing the monster, James crushed the limb in his hands while hurling the miserable wolf through the air, towards the direction of the incoming monster duo. Within seconds, a muffled booming sound reverberated as the monster collided with one of the incoming moonlight wolves. The other wolf escaped by turning to the right, but at that same moment, James figure appeared before the moonlight wolf like a ghost. Which caused the scarlet eyes of the monster to shrink to that of a pinhole. Before it could even defend itself, James interlocked hands came down on its head like a sledgehammer which caused the massive head of the wolf to crack open, with its mournful cries reverberating throughout the air. It died after receiving James''s point blank attack, its soul also suffered from the effect of the hellfire flames in the spirit realm. Blood and gray matter stained his skull as stared at the dead wolf. While James beat the prideful members of the pack on his end, the moonlight wolves being possessed by the merged damned souls received the beating of their lives from the wolves they sneaked attacked earlier. With James limited level, the merged damned souls could not use the skills of the moonlight wolves to its fullest. They did not care though since the wolves were making it easier for James. The merged damned souls also waited for the two wolves attacking them to beat their vessels to a certain stage before they changed bodies and let the same process continue over and over until the moonlight wolves finished themselves off. With the dazed moonlight wolf yet to recover, James pounced on it like a death god from the depths of hell, "Good doggie," he said as he inched closer to the beast. While his voice echoed, his knee clad in the special armor of his Grim Reaper form collided against the mouth of the dazed moonlight wolf. Which caused its miserable shrieks to echo while its body left the ground. Instead of letting the beast fall, using his right hand, James grabbed the neck of the massive wolf while applying pressure. The miserable monster wriggled and gasped for air, but it could not free itself for James''s grip. At that moment, James lowered the head of the monster to meet his gaze. So that, they could look into each other''s eyes. The moment their eyes met, the purple soul purifying flames jumped out James''s empty eye socket. Which caused the body of the moonlight wolf to go up in flames. Like the first wolf, its miserable scream echoed in all direction. In barely three minutes of exchange, James had successful beaten four level 1 monsters. As for the four moonlight wolves in which James''s merged damned souls played with, the four of them looked miserable. With their bodies covered in fatal injuries. A few minutes later, only James stood amid the corpses. Meanwhile, the corpses continued to burn with the flames from hell. At that same moment, the sound of the system''s notification echoed in his mind. Congratulations! The user has eliminated 4 level 1 monsters! The user has almost attained Half-completion of the Ranking Requirements {Kill 10 Level 1 monsters}. The user has gained a cumulative Exp of 135,604 from the 4 Monsters killed. The user''s Exp: 1,015,504.98 (+135,604). The user has attained Completion of the Ranking Requirement {Accumulate 1,000,000.00 Exp}. The user''s purification process is a failure! Limitations: Target was too low to produce a Beast-Soul Incarnate. The user has gained 8 corpses of the Creature - Moonlight Wolves. Will the user like to save these Items to the Inventory? James had an ugly expression on his face after seeing the system''s notification especially when he saw that they system counted the number of kills as 4 instead of 8. A sudden realization dawned on him concerning his damned souls. From what had just happened, he knew that he could only get Exp from kills he made himself. Even though the damned souls were under his command, the system did not regard them. His disappointment was only fleeting since he had gained a valuable information from the fight with the moonlight wolves. Next time, he would use the same strategy. Instead of letting the targets kill each other, he would deliver the final blow himself. Before James could even celebrate the success of completing one of the ranking requirements, the system''s notification echoed in his mind. Warning! Warning! Warning! 5 packs of Moonlight Wolves heading towards the user''s location! I have detected a Level 2 Moonlight Wolf. Odds of user eliminating the target: 45% 9 Second Completion The moment James read the system''s notification, he cursed his luck in his mind. But, the news excited him, too. Because, he would test himself against a stronger foe. With five packs coming his way, it meant at least 40 Moonlight Wolves headed his way. Led by a Level 2 Moonlight Wolf. Although such a large force headed towards his direction, James was neither scared nor did he have the intention to flee. Needing six more Level 1 monsters to complete the second of the three ranking requirements, he would never such a free meal walk away. The only thing that would give him a slight headache was the level 2 Moonlight Wolf. But, with the merged damned souls in his possession, he knew that all he had to do was to possess the Level 2 monster. Then, slaughter the rest. After which he would return for the head of the monster. The moment this train of thought drifted into James''s mind, the surrounding air distorted which caused an eerie black smog to appear at his standing position. As soon as the black smog appeared, James saved seven of the eight corpses into his Inventor. He left the last one out in the open, and its fresh blood pervading the air. About two minutes later, a pitch black smog covered the area James and the moonlight wolves fought earlier. And, it further extended to 300m in all directions. Except the direction the copse of the dead moonlight wolf laid; because James had other ideas in mind. Because of the darkness, it was not possible to see anything even though the radiant moonlight shined on the forest. It was as if the darkness swallowed the silver rays of the moonlight. Meanwhile, several Moonlight Wolves 500m away from James''s location, ran like deranged beasts. Leading these monsters, was a monstrosity like no other. Its mere appearance would send chills down the spines of those who saw it. It had a height of more than 7ft, a width of 3 meters, and a length of 7 meters. The silver colored fur of this monster was dazzling, too. Unlike the beasts behind it, its eyes had a mixture of scarlet-red and green. Just like the moonlight wolves behind it, Saliva fell from its mouth as it ran. With a small portion of its razor sharp multicolored fangs exposed. This monster was much more intimidating than any regular Moonlight Wolf, the reason for this was because it was a Level 2 monster - a King Moonlight Wolf. Just from the aggressive manner in which it ran, one could tell that it was going on a bloody mission. As they ran, the howls and growls of these monsters reverberated into the air, and their beautiful fur became radiant under the silver moonlight. About five minutes later, the Level two monster leading the pack of Moonlight Wolves came to a sudden stop. Which also caused the others behind it to stop. Because, it had gotten to the spot where the miserable looking corpse of the moonlight wolf laid. In front of it was a pitch black darkness that would make the skins of most people to crawl. Although they saw the darkness, they did not fear it because of their affinity to the path of Darkness. With the artificial fog created from Death Energy, these monsters had no reason to be afraid of it. The moment the King Moonlight Wolf saw the miserable corpse of one of its subject, it had a bloodthirsty look in its scarlet red and green eyes. While its fur made a slight rustling sounds as the limbs of the monster swelled, which caused the Level 1 moonlight wolves behind it to become frightened. Most of them lowered their heads in response while they made piteous cries for the fallen, and to show their status as followers to their king. As their cries reverberated, the black smog in front of their eyes churned, and it caught the pack of Moonlight Wolves by surprise. At that same moment, a corpse-like figure dashed out from the darkness towards the King of the moonlight wolves. Two moonlight wolves launched themselves towards the approaching figure like a heat-seeking torpedo, with their eerie mouths wide open. Wasting no time, they shredded the figure into two with their razor-sharp teeth. Leaving the figure defenseless to their onslaught. With the sudden emergence of the figure from the darkness, all the other Moonlight Wolves were in an alerted state as they growled towards the darkness with a bloodthirsty look in their eyes. At that same moment, the sound of light clapping of hands drifted into the ears of these monsters. Followed by a ghoulish voice, "Well done, let''s see if you can handle 500 of them? Arise Army of the Fallen!" A loud sickening cry accompanied James''s voice, and it originated from the darkness. The battle readied Moonlight Wolves responded with savage howls, too. While the monsters howled in retaliation, about 300m away from where they stood, the pitch black smog had already covered the route they used in coming to their current location. While also enclosing the monsters on all sides. A minute after the howls of the moonlight wolves reverberated, they heard multiple unorganized footsteps coming from the darkness, coupled with the sound of metal being dragged on the ground. The hair on the furs of the Moonlight Wolves stood straight while they maintained attacking positions. Expecting the imminent arrival of their enemy. The moment the first corpse from the Army of the Fallen emerged from the darkness, the king of the Moonlight Wolves made a thunderous roar, before jumping towards the incoming corpses. With their king springing into action, all the Level 1 monsters dashed towards the direction of corpses. At that same moment, the black smog approaching from the rear sped up. Covering everything within a distance of 300m in all directions. The moment the King made its move, ten corpses pounced on it. While the others went after the rampaging Level 1 moonlight wolves. Within seconds, they turned that section of the forest into a chaotic battle zone. Also, the constant growls and shrieks of the Moonlight Wolves reverberated into the air. Although they had the overwhelming advantage over the corpses in terms of physical strength, the sheer number of regenerative corpses was just too much for them to handle. Which caused them to suffer severe injuries from the attacks of the corpses. But, none of the Moonlight Wolves died. Meanwhile, the King Moonlight Wolf, was like a beast of carnage. It killed corpse after corpse in the most brutal way possible. Littering the ground with several limbs and body parts. It dismembered the corpses that tried to sneak attack it when their attacks did not penetrate its thick fur. The reason the Moonlight Wolves fought in such a brutal manner, was because their saliva which had a psychedelic property had no effect on James''s Army of the Fallen. Because, they had no functioning organs. Since, their skills became useless. The monsters resulted to their primordial ways. Meanwhile, James had not made his presence known in the chaotic battle. Even his damned souls, had yet to make an appearance. It was as if he was using the Army of the Fallen to play with the Moonlight Wolves by wearing them down in a slow and brutal manner before dealing the final blow. A few minutes later, the amount of wolves injured by the Army of the Fallen had risen to over forty. Although the Army of the Fallen suffered at the hands of the King Moonlight Wolf, they continued to attack. Unlike its subjects, it had no injure on its beautiful silver fur. Although it had been fighting for over ten minutes, the intensity at which he fought decreased neither. In fact, it became madder the more it fought. Unlike before, James''s figure and his hovering merged damned soul appeared. They focused their attention on the rampaging Level 2 monster. "End it, I''m bored with watching," James said via his mind to the two merged damned souls, which caused the duo to head into the chaotic battlefield comprising monsters and the undead. One of the two merged damned souls made its way towards the king Moonlight Wolf while the second damned soul made its way towards a Level 1 Moonlight Wolf who had an advantage in their battles. They had a simple mission - subjugation. That James used his Items, showed that he did not want to stress himself, when he could let an undying army do the work for him. The moment the merged damned soul entered the body of the Level 2 monster, it shook violently before its eyes had a lifeless light in it. At that same moment, its violent attacks seized on the battlefield. In its defenseless state, over 50 corpses to assault its body. Seeing their proud king being overpowered, the other Level 1 monsters flew into a fit of rage as they dashed towards their king. While the Army of the Fallen pursued them. As they fought to shield their king, different Level 1 moonlight wolves attacked members of their own pack. A move that surprised the victims. When their king attacked its subjects, instead of the corpses. It further compounded their confusion. Watching the comical scene, James''s laughter reverberated into the ai. But, the constant growls and shrieks coming from the Moonlight Wolves, who fought against each other and the Army of the fallen, muffled his sickening laughter. About ten later, all forty nine Level 1 monsters had serious injuries on their bodies. But, they were still standing. Meanwhile, the King of the Moonlight Wolves had no injuries on its body. But, the blood of its subject dyed its fur - red. Getting bored with the show, James dashed into the battlefield while instructing the merged damned souls controlling the Level 1 moonlight wolves to bring them towards his direction. Being in a one vs one situation with James''s Grim Reaper form, he slaughtered the pitiful Moonlight Wolves within the darkness. Which caused the familiar sound of the system''s notification to ring out within his mind, but James did not pay attention to it. Based on the system''s ranking, Level 2 monsters were equivalent to sorcerers in Level 20-29. Which means they were much stronger than James even if he was in his Grim Reaper form. But, with the merged damned soul capable of possessing Level 2 monsters, James knew he would win if he possessed the monster. Unlike the members of the Army of the Fallen, whose attacks had no effect on the Level 2 monster. James''s fist covered in hellfire flames caused its screams of agony to reverberate throughout the air. As the hellfire flames burned on its head, its soul screamed in agony within the spirit realm. The only reason James did not use the purple soul purifying flame was because the system told him his level was not high enough to complete the task. Although disappointed, it did not bother him. Because, it was not as if the King Moonlight Wolf would be the last Level 2 monster he would ever see. With all fifty members of the pack meeting their end at James''s hand, the system''s notification sounded in his mind until the last one died, which was the Level 2 King Moonlight Wolf. Standing in the darkness with an eerie smile, James read through the system''s notification. Congratulations! The user has killed 49 Level 1 Monsters! The user has attained Completion of the second system ranking requirement {Kill 10 Level 1 monsters}. The user has gained 1,661,149 Exp from the 49 Monsters killed. The user''s Exp has increased: 2,276,653.98 (+ 1,661,149). The user has killed 1 Level 2 Monster! The user has gained 169,505 from the Monster killed. The user''s Exp has increased: 2,446,158.98 (+169,505). Level 2 Monster Core not produced! The user has gained 50 corpses of the Creature - Moonlight Wolves. Will the user like to save these Items to the Inventory? ''System, save the corpses into my inventory. Maybe I can turn these monsters into members of the Army of the Fallen.'' James said as he turned to his human form. The moment James finished his statement, the corpses of the moonlight Wolves disappeared into his Inventory. ''System, is there any threat nearby?'' James asked. He did not want anymore surprises. Scanning... Scanning Completed! No sign of Life detected within a 1km radius. The user''s Level is too low to search above 1km. Even though the system kept on reminding James of his low level, he had a relieved expression on his face. With two of the three system ranking requirements completed, he was happy he fled the Tiodon kingdom. Because, he knew the possibility of finding Monsters there was on the low side, but in a place like the Black Lands where monsters wrestled for supremacy with the other races, their kind was everywhere. With James back to his human form, the black smog caused from Death Energy disappeared. Although he did not know where he the MilkyWay stone sent him to, James was not too worried since there was no immediate danger within a 1km radius. He believed that, by the time he explored further into the island, he would find an escape route. Still standing on the same spot, James summoned over 200 hundred damned souls, "Explore this place, relay everything you find out. Go!" James said. With their orders given, the damned souls spread themselves out, as they went towards different directions. With that settled, James had a relaxed smile on his face as he sighed in relief. With the damned souls doing the work, he would not have to bother himself too much. With nothing else to do, James headed back to the cliff of the southern section of the island. He wanted to see if he could retrieve a portion of the black water for potential experiments, but the moment he took his first step, the sound of laughter followed by an aged but cheerful voice drifted into his ears, "I now understand why they took an interest in you. A human capable of donning the form of a Grim Reaper¡­ This is too spectacular!" 10 The World Underneath James felt a chill go down his spine when he heard the cheerful words. Wasting no time, he transformed into his Grim Reaper form. He also released his two merged damned souls for the specific goal of surveillance. At that same moment, the earth beneath his feet rumbled as hundreds of corpses struggled to break free from the ground. After the Army of the Fallen emerged, the air around James''s standing position distorted in a rapid and eerie manner, which was causing the familiar black smog to make another appearance. While all these happened, James waited for the system''s notification. But, a deafening silence greeted his expectations. With all these changes happening together, James had not even turned his head to locate the origin of the voice. "Oh? You want to fight me? You? Boy, don''t put me in the same category as those cute monsters. Sit down!" the mysterious person said while laughing. While his voice echoed, James felt a strange pressure overpower him. Which buried all the corpses into the ground, almost as if a massive hammer knocked them back into the earth. Meanwhile, the merged damned souls screamed in agony and looked as if they were suffering from gruesome torture. Their reaction made James to return them to his Inventory. Because, he could not afford to lose the damned souls. The moment the merged damned souls disappeared, a turbulent wind dispersed the black smog. In less than five seconds, the mysterious individual bested James. James who was still in his Grim Reaper form could not move an inch because the pressure he felt overwhelmed him. It was like a small lamb standing in the presences of a Lion, there was no way the lamb could control itself in such a scenario. ''System! What is the meaning of this?! Didn''t you say there was no one within 1km radius?! Where is this bastard hiding?! Scan his stats now!'' James said via his mind. In response to James''s furious bellows, the familiar sound of the system''s notification echoed in his mind. Scanning... Scanning Completed! There is no living being within a 1km radius of the user''s current location. Error! I cannot detect any target! I have denied the user''s request! When James saw the system''s response he was beyond livid. But at that same moment, he noticed the system warned him with the phrase - There is no living being within a 1km radius. Being a Necromancer, a sudden realization dawned on him. ''System, scan for any sign of the undead,'' James said within his mind. Scanning... Scanning completed! There is no living and undead beings within a 1km radius of the user. The moment James read the system''s display, it was as if his brain short circuited for a moment. Because, the current situation confused him. "Oh? You are still conscious. Your Grim Reaper form is unique. If not that those bastards have their eyes on you, I would have stripped you clean by now. Tsk, tsk. How unfortunate for me," the mysterious person said. Although it sounded like complimentary words, James felt as if the mysterious person mocked him, and it made him furious. "who are you? Show yourself. Don''t be a coward who hides in..." Before James could finish his statement, the same aged voice interrupted him, "Coward? Yeah, you''re right. I''m a coward, but I need not hide from a mere Apprentice ranked sorcerer. Even if you were five ranks higher, I''d still mop the floor with those bones of yours," he said. While his words echoed, the air in front of James distorted. Almost as if someone or something tore through space. Although a beautiful sight, James felt chills as he watched. About five seconds later, a skinny old man in a black mage''s robes appeared from the rift. He had a radiant smile on his wrinkled face as he stared at James. Because of the hood he had over his head and the poor lighting conditions of the forest, James could not see his face. From his lying position, he could only see the scanty teeth in the mouth of the old man. Even though the man stood right in front of him, the system still did not recognize his presences. Which made James baffled. In a tight spot, James commanded the flames burning in his empty eye sockets to attack the old man. Meanwhile, the old man laughed in response to James''s sneak attack. A few seconds later, James''s mouth opened in disbelief. Because, the two flames from his skull fell on the ground, without even touching the body of the old man. Although everything happened so fast, James saw as the flames passed through the illusionary body of the man. After James''s failed attack, the old man stretched his hand towards James''s skull. Which caused him to feel a life threatening fear for the first time since he came to the Continent of Skyhaven. Instead of cowering in fear, James had a devilish grin on his face as he laughed. From his point of view, he preferred to die than beg for his life. Contrary to his expectations, a shocking scene occurred when the old man''s wrinkled hands touched his skull. At that moment, something suppressed his Grim Reaper form. Forcing him to return to his human form. The sudden turn of events left James with a dazed expression on his face, and after the old man touched him, he felt as if something restricted him from using Mana. "Kid, no need to put up such an expression on your face. We have both had our fun. So, it''s time to get to business. Don''t worry about your Mana, it is just temporary," the old man said. Meanwhile, James remained silent. He tried his best to communicate with the system, but he received no response. "I can''t believe you came! They told me you would come, but I did not believe them... So that means Dame... Damien Dumas is dead, right? Why do I feel you can''t remember who I am?" The old man said. Meanwhile, his words stunned James. Which made him more cautious of the mysterious man. At that same moment a sudden realization dawned on him. ''Wait¡­ wait, this should be him! He is the one who placed the curse! Who told him I would come here!'' James mused. The reason he came to this conclusion, was because the old man called Damien''s name. Although he mispronounced Dumin as Dumas. James was certain he talked about Damien Dumin earlier. "Who the hell are you? What do you mean that, ''they'' told you I''ll be coming here? Who is ''they''?" James said. "Tsk, tsk. You can''t even remember the person who placed such an easy curse on your body? You should not be talking in that tone of voice, I''m still the person who saved your life. Nobody is here with us. So, there is no need to play the fool. I''m sure you know who I''m talking about," The old man said with a knowing grin of his face. Just like he suspected earlier, the old man made it easy for him to break the curs. James did not know how the old man predicted the future. In fact, fear engulfed his body has he listened to the old man. Because, he knew he could not mess with the old man. Meanwhile, James did not know what the old man meant by he saved his life. Unknown to James, it was the old man who tipped off the Dumin military of his whereabouts. His last statement puzzled James, too. "you don''t know? They haven''t contacted you? Kid, I can only wish you good luck. You will really need it. Since you know nothing, I think it''s better I let you find out yourself. Put out these flames. They can''t hurt me, since I''m talking through a projection," the old man said. ''Oh! That''s why the system could not detect his presence. So, it has been a projection all along,'' James mused. While these thoughts drifted through his mind, he had a hesitant expression on his. Because, he did not know if the old man told the truth. "Don''t worry, I have no plans to kill or steal anything from you. If I had such intentions, I would have killed you a long time ago. If you don''t want to put out the flames that''s fine by me, too. In the long run, you are the one jeopardizing your chances of survival when it''s discovered by the people on this island," the old man said. Even though James would like nothing more than to smash his face, he had to admit his words made sense to a certain extent. With his Mana restricted, there was nothing he could do to stop the old man from attacking him, too. "I can''t do anything with my Mana restricted, let me go and I''ll extinguish the flames," James said. James''s words caused the old man to laugh like a hysterical madman. "I lied earlier, you can still use Mana. I only sealed a part of your brain, which made you think you can''t use manner anymore. Try it for yourself and see," The old man said. Being taunted like a fool, James''s wished he had the strength to bury the old man. Instead of giving the old man the satisfaction of his seeing his anger, James maintained the same facial expression as before. While following the old man''s words. To be honest, the old man''s strange techniques awed him. But, he would never admit it. At least, not to the old bastard. The moment he tried to extinguish both flames, he felt a splitting headache in his head, which almost caused blood to drop from his nose. Instead of stopping, James continued. Meanwhile, James''s miserable demeanor excited the old man. When he told James the way to use his Mana, he was not telling the complete truth. Because, he wanted James to suffer the pain of trying to break free from the barrier he kept in his head. A few seconds later, blood dripped from James''s nose, but at that same time the hellfire and purple soul purifying flames disappeared. "Old man, you better die before I become as strong as you. Also, pray I meet no one related to you. I''m not one to hold grudges, but I believe in returning favors. Surely, I will repay this favor," James said. After his declaration, both of them looked at each other with beautiful smiles on their faces. A facade for the nasty words they said within minds. The moment the flames disappeared, James felt a sturdy hand grab him from behind, and it lifted him into midair. "Who knows who will die first between the two of us. Since we have finished discussing with each other, I''ll take you to the World Underneath. Kid, just a heads up. If you don''t prove yourself to be useful in that place, you won''t last a day. A vile bastard like yourself, will fit in over there," the old man said. Before James could retort, the arm of the old man dragged him into a tear in space. Meanwhile, the old man''s projection disappeared. Thousands of miles away from the spot where James disappeared, a massive mountain covered in different vegetation towered into the skies. On this desolate mountain, the howls and groans of several beasts echoed in all directions. Which showed that the mountain served as a home for several monsters on the island. The most fascinating feature of this mountain, was the massive gorge on its surface. Observing the gorge, it resembled a bottomless pit - leading to the pits of hell. Just like James''s black smog, the moonlight could not illuminate the gorge. Unlike other parts of the mountain, the silence reigned supreme at the top. Only the wheezing sound of strong winds echoed. A few minutes later, a tear in space appeared at the top of the mountain. Seconds later, James''s figure which hanged upside down emerged from the rift. A sturdy arm held his ankles. With the strong winds assaulting his face, a strange ringing sound echoed in his ears. Observing his surroundings, his facial expression distorted in terror. Before he could utter a word, the voice of the old man drifted into his ears, "Scared, right? Don''t worry, you won''t die. You''ll only break one or two bones, or lose an arm or two, but it''s no biggie. Once I toss you in there, my Mana will shield you from dying. Whenever, or if you get out of there is up to you... Maybe you will be dead before morning, remember to make yourself useful. Goodbye," the old man said. "Wait¡­ wait, you can''t be¡­" before James could finish his statement, the old man tossed his body towards the gorge. "I will kill you!" James said as the wind assaulted his face. Which caused his hair and clothes to flutter, and his body wheezed through the air. Meanwhile, the old man laughed at James''s declarations. "You''ll kill me, right? I can''t wait!" The old man said as the darkness of the gorge consumed James''s silhouette. At that same moment, the real body of the old man appeared from another portal. The moment he emerged, and from his feet upwards - his body turned to dust. Before he disintegrated, he laughed like a hysterical madman. "I''m free! That bastard will look for me all over the continent but he will not know I have died!" the old man said. After his declaration, he turned into dust, and the unforgiving wind spread his remains in all directions. 11 Welcome to Kynar The exact moment the mountain breeze carried away the remains of the old man, a portal opened by the side of the gorge. Seconds later, it ejected the mangled corpse of a youth. Because of nasty burn marks on the face of the corpse, it was not possible to determine its identity or gender. But, from its miserable appearance, one could tell the gruesome torture it suffered when alive. Meanwhile, James continued to fall at a frightening speed. As the wind assaulted his face, it distorted the livid expression he had on his face. Since the gorge was pitch black, the system activated the night-mode. To Jame''s surprise, he saw nothing. He only felt the strong winds on his body, and its loud howling sound ringed in his ears. The walls of the mountain seemed to have magically disappeared, and it caused a chill to run down his spine. He felt as if he had been through into the nothingness of the abyss. Since the old man did not remove the barrier restricting his Mana, he fell like a ragged doll. ''If I survive this fall, that bastard better pray I don''t find him alive! System, what are my chances of survival?'' James mused. Although he was still angry that the system did not aid him with the old man, he knew he had no choice but to ask for its help. Scanning¡­ Scanning Completed! Warning! Warning! Warning! Estimated time till impact:??? I have updated the user''s Status. {Status} Mana Restriction forcefully enabled (Temporary). Estimated time till effects wear off: 45 minutes. Someone has placed unknown Mana in the user''s body. Effects: Mana can forcefully teleport the user. Limitation: Teleportation can only happen once. The user''s Level is too low to expel this Mana. ''What?! So, that bastard placed his Mana in my body. Forcefully teleport the user? Is that even possible, what sort of sorcery is that?'' James mused. Since the wind distorted his facial appearance, it covered the stunned expression on his face. ''System, why can''t you determine the estimated time until impact?'' James asked. A theory brewed in his mind, but he prayed he was wrong. I cannot detect any end to the gorge¡­ The user might fall for a considerable amount of time, estimated at 45 minutes; or, will continue to fall forever! Asan''s heart sank after he heard the system''s response. It confirmed his ominous thoughts. The seriousness of his situation dawned on him, and he regretted he was powerless in front of the old man. ''System, why is there a great disparity between the time estimates?'' James asked. Although his situation looked grim, he noticed the shocking difference in time estimates. I can detect the feint undulations of a barrier thousands of miles below. Because of the user''s Level, I can''t confirm its presence. James''s heart sunk for the second time. He knew what the system meant by its earlier response. If the faint barrier turned out to be a dud, then he would fall forever in the gorge. ''I can''t accept this! There has to be a way to escape. I can''t fall for the rest of live. So¡­ that bastard wanted to torture for the rest of life,'' James mused as he continued falling. ''System, can you detect the barrier when we get closer?'' James asked. If the barrier exists, I''ll detect it when the user approaches its perimeter. Warning! Warning! Warning! If the barrier exceeds the user''s Level, the user could end up with fatal injuries. Death is also a possibility. James was tired of being surprised with bad news. The more questions he asked, the grimmer his situation looked. ''Well, since I can''t do anything, I might as well expect the worse while hoping for the best. Maybe, I would have gained control of my Mana before we reached the barrier,'' James mused. All he could do at this point was hope for the best. Unlike most people, James neither screamed nor cried as he fell. He only closed his eyes while racking his brain to find a solution to the imminent disaster. While he did this, the howling winds ceased, and only James''s clothes flapped as he fell. Because of the presence of Mana and the Necromancer System in his body, one could not regard James could as a normal or regular human. Although he stood above mortal men, he suffered the same symptoms as those who fell from a great height and at a frightening speed. Although he did not vomit or anything of the likes, he became muddle head because of the random manner in which he fell. Although he tried his best to think of a solution to his predicament, he did not think of any workable solutions, and it infuriated him. The best idea that drifted into his head, was to summon the dead bodies of the Moonlight Wolves. He wanted to use them to break his fall. But, the moment he attempted to summon one from his Inventory; he felt a splitting headache greater than that caused by the Hell-Fire Manipulation from back in the cemetery. Unlike before, when blood only trickled out of his nose when he tried to use his Mana. James felt blood rising from his throat towards his mouth while his eyes became bloodshot red and his ears made a strange ringing sound. At that moment, the system told him he would suffer permanent damage to his body if he continued. The only reason he did not pass out from his futile attempts, was because of his high - Endurance stat. Coupled with the strong mentality he got from experiencing physical and mental pain from his past life as a soldier and a royal prince. If any other person in his Level had attempted to do what he did, they would have passed out on the spot while their seven orifices bled out like a fountain. With his attempts ending in failure, James had no choice but to wait for the inevitable. Although he was no stranger to pain, this did not mean he welcomed it with open arms. ''System, how long has it been, and can you detect the barrier?'' James asked. He lost his sense of time since he entered the gorge. The user has been falling for 35 minutes. I cannot detect a barrier. The user''s Level is too low. James did not flinch after the system''s response. He was already expecting the worse, so more bad news meant nothing to him. Seconds after the system''s response, a sudden turn of events occurred. Since he entered the gorge, he fell at a constant but frightening speed. But from nowhere, the velocity of fall tripled. Before, James could complain. The system''s notification rang in his mind like an alarm. Warning! Warning! Warning! The user''s body has entered a Dumat Region! Effects: it amplifies the speed of the user''s body. Limitations: None! ''What?! This is not good! If it amplifies my speed¡­''That means certain death for me,'' James said within his mind. He had never heard of anything like the Dumat Region. He wondered how such a thing existed. The imminent fall could end up being more fatal than he had expected. With his situation delicate, James did not have the luxury to choose whether he wanted pain. He could only prepare himself for what was coming. With his situation dicey, James''s mind seemed to slow down while his brain worked on overdrive. Because of this, he remembered the statement of the old man. Saying that, he would only break a few bones or lose one or both arms as he fell. He did not know why he remembered such words at such a critical moment, but it infuriated him it was the only thing that occupied his mind. Warning! Warning! Warning! I have detected a barrier. Estimated time until impact: 5 minutes. The user has a 0.0012% chance of survival! For the first time since he closed his eyes, James opened them to look at the barrier which could end his life. There was no sign of fury, hatred, or regret within them. Instead, it looked like the eyes of someone who had come to terms with their death. Even though five minutes separated him from the barrier, James felt and saw nothing. With his mind prepared for the inevitable, he controlled his breathing while purging all negative thoughts away from his mind. Although he looked like someone who had lost all hope of survival, he hoped for a miracle within the depths of his mind. The user is 30 seconds away from impact! With both of his eyes closed and his hands across his chest, James listened to the system''s countdown within his mind. By the time the system said there was only five seconds left, his body involuntarily tensed up as cold sweat formed all over his body. By the time the system announced that it was only three seconds remaining, something extraordinary happened to James''s body. At that moment, a gray light shot out from his head and opened a portal below the approaching James. Since he closed his eyes, he did not see this strange phenomenon. But, he felt as if something lifted a weight off his shoulders. Before he could react, his tensed up body entered the opened portal. The moment he went through the portal, the portal also disappeared from the emptiness of the gorge. The same moment James disappeared, something opened another portal on the floor of an illuminated room. On closer inspection, the room looked as if it spanned more than a hundred meters on either side. The walls of the room, however, were identical to each other. In the sense that, they had a radiant white gemstone embedded in it. Which served as the illumination source for the room. In the room, the bodies of several unconscious youths littered the floor. From the appearances of these children and the clothes they wore, one could tell they came from different places within the Continent of Skyhaven. The moment the portal opened on the floor, James''s figure emerged a minute later. And, the portal disappeared in the same mysterious manner it appeared. Meanwhile, James still had his eyes closed. But, he sported a wry smile on his face. His chest heaved up and down while different parts of his body twitched. He had flirted with death, and he did not like it at all. ''So, that old man played me for a fool till the end. Who would have believed he spoke the truth? His Mana saved my life¡­ I don''t think I would have survived that¡­'' James said within his mind. He did not believe the old man earlier that was the reason he did not expect the portal to emerge. From his point of view, the old man did it on purpose. As James laid on the ground, the sound of the system''s notification echoed in his mind. Mana Restriction disabled! No foreign Mana is in the user''s body! Scanning... Scanning Completed! The user is amid several Targets whose Level''s range from: Level 18-28. Number of Targets: 230! Occupation: Sorcerers! Warriors! Path: Light (170), Darkness (160). Odds of the user eliminating the weakest target: 90% Odds of the user eliminating the strongest target: 9% Warning! Warning! Warning! An Item is hypnotizing all the Targets. Name: White Rose Light. Rank: Good Effects: Light from these flowers can force the user into a coma-like state. The user will enter a hypnotic dream. Excessive exposure will lead to the user developing a faulty brain. Limitations: Existence with no means of light absorption are immune to its effects. Title - Grim Reaper, is immune to its effects. Item - Damned souls, is immune to its effect. Warning! Warning! Warning! The user will fall into a coma-like state in approximately: 5 minutes. Will the user like to use the Item - Damned souls, to deflect the hypnotic effects? Warning! Warning! Warning! It will destroy item - Damned souls, if summoned. The user can still transfer the effects to the Item within the Inventory. Will the user like to use the Item - Damned souls, to deflect the hypnotic effects? ''Yes!'' James said. The new development frustrated him. He had jumped from the frying pan to the fire. Not only was he placed in a room full of sorcerers who were stronger than him, someone could gather all of them in one place made him uneasy. As for the hypnotic White Rose, he already knew about it through Blay De Tovar''s memories. If not that it would destroy his damned souls, James had the intention of turning everyone in the room into his personal Exp farm. ''System, can you detect anything or anyone outside this room?'' James asked. Scanning¡­ Scanning Completed! A similar barrier to that of the gorge is covering the room. Because of the user''s Level, I cannot detect anything beyond the barrier! James could only sigh in defeat. His Level has been the source of most of his troubles, and he could not wait to level up to the next rank. Although he was not under the effects of the White Rose, he played along, and laid on the floor like the others. He was 100% certain someone gathered everyone in the room for a purpose, and if they could subdue people stronger him, he would look for trouble if he stood out. With this thought in mind, James laid on the floor like a log of wood. He did not dare to open his eyes to check his surroundings because he did not know if someone or something observed the room. About 30 minutes later, the radiant white light within the room dimmed. At that moment, an annoying ringing sound reverberated. A few seconds later, the bodies of the youths except James''s, shook as if they were going into shock. While some of them muttered gibberish, too. ''System, what the hell is happening?!'' James asked. The targets are recovering from the effects of the White Rose. The targets are trembling because their bodies is trying to adjust to reality from the hypnotic dream. Some users will utter gibberish, too, because they believe they are dying in their dreams. Estimated time until they regain consciousness: 3 minutes! ''I can''t be the odd one out. Whose knows if someone or something is watching this freak show,'' James mused. As this thought entered his mind, he opened his eyes a little, and mimicked the actions of those nearby. His acting was not exaggerated or forced, he looked no different from the other youths. A few minutes later, the youths woke up one after the other, and they each had a disoriented look on their faces. James who was still lying on the ground, opened one of his eyes to observe what was happening in the room. The moment he saw that the youths were awake, he assumed a sitting position. While having a dazed expression on his face, but he used his eyes to scan everyone in the room, hoping to find out what was going on. While all this was going on, the ringing sound continued to echo. By the time 90% of the hypnotized youths were awake, a silver glow assaulted their eyes. It came from the ceiling of the room. Because of the intensity of the light, most of them squinted their eyes in response. They were not to be blame too because they had been asleep for a considerable amount of time. Some youths suffered mild headaches from the sudden illumination. To James''s surprise, none of them had said a word to each other since they woke up. He did not know it was part of the symptoms of White Rose. Because, Blay De Tovar was clueless about it, too. ''System, does the light have any negative side effects?'' James asked. Scanning¡­ Scanning Completed! Light is from a normal Illumination rock! It has no effect on the user! ''That''s good. I thought my shitty luck would¡­ Huh?'' while this thought drifted into his mind, a loud rumbling sound reverberated within the room. Drawing the attention of the youths, and they all stared at the same direction. In this section of the room, the wall rumbled while slowly shifting to the side. As the wall moved, the ringing sound in the room ceased. Everyone within the room had cautious and curious looks on their faces while they maintained a safe distance from the parting walls. Although they attempted to see what was on the other side, the radiant silver glow prevented them from doing so. Unlike them, James could see what was behind the wall. ''Is that¡­ Wow! What sort of place did that bastard send me to?'' James mused with his brows furrowed. Seconds later, a melodious voice drifted into the ears of everyone within the room, "Young ones, I welcome you to Kynar." 12 Great Kingdom of Hoogpor Just like Mathras from the north, the Great Kingdom of Hoogport bordered the Black Lands, too. But, it bordered it from the eastern region of the Skyhaven. It was a kingdom created thousands of years ago, by the only female among the four surviving Great Magus, named Atelia. She named it Hoogport because of the port found at the northern part of the kingdom, and Hoog was the name of a special wood the kingdom exported to other parts of the continent. They could only grow and harvest this tree within the great kingdom of Hoogport. Unlike the Tiodon which was a small kingdom in the grand scale of the continent, the Great Kingdom of Hoogport was second only to the Black Lands in land mass. It was a thriving kingdom for those who belonged to the path of light, albeit a human only territory. Its population numbered in the billions, and just like the Tiodon kingdom it operated a monarchy system. It had seven cities within its territory, with each city ten times bigger than the whole Tiodon Kingdom. Its streets were more lavish and bustling than that of the Tiodon Kingdom, with several armored soldiers found on every street corner. The flags of the Great Kingdom had the emblem of a roaring Lion, which represented the insignia of Atelia. She had the nickname - Roaring Lion. Because of the land mass of the Hoogport, depending on the city one found himself, they would either experience night or day. Like Mathras, one could observe a divergent weather in the various cities of the kingdom. Some places where covered in lush grasses while snow fell all year long in other areas. In some cities, it rained all year long while others were akin to a desert. Because it was a Human only territory, other races regarded Hoogport as the Human capital city of the world. Apart from being the largest of the great kingdoms, Hoogport was also the richest in terms of natural resources. Being the human capital of the world, it also had some of the greatest human minds within its lands. In terms of the quantity of warriors and sorcerers belonging to great kingdoms, the Great Kingdom of Hoogport was ahead of the others. In fact, most of the talents of humans had the lifelong goal of serving under the illustrious banner of Hoogport. Since its formation, it had never experienced war nor internal strife. Owing to the status and might of its Royal Family. Although certain factions from the Black Lands attempted to cause internal strife on various occasions, the Royal Family foiled their plots on each occasion. While crushing the instigators behind the rebellion. On the Continent of Skyhaven, most people would think twice before them attacked a citizen of Hoogport. Not to talk of a member of the Royal Family or the military. Three factions made up the spine of Hoogport. The Royal Family, its military, and its Hall of Wisdom. Haveme City, Great Kingdom of Hoogport. The City of Haven was one of the seven cities in Hoogport, and Its total population numbered in the millions. They built the city in a valley amid various mountains which towered into the skies. Unlike other cities in Hoogport, the weather was fair. Because of this, most people referred to it as the third best city in Hoogport. Its major export was a rare ore minded from the surrounding mountains called Olahyme. Thousands of people trooped into the city each day because they wanted to buy this rear ore. Because, it had a myriad of uses. Although the major occupation in the city was mining, Haveme looked nothing like a mining city. Beautiful structures of varying shapes and height lined its busy streets. The strange thing about most of these structures, was the material used in their construction. Most of the buildings glistered as if made from a precious gem. Such a sight would leave most tourist awed. It even mesmerized the citizens of the city on various occasions. Apart from mining, Haveme had one of the biggest organized and underground markets on Skyhaven. No matter what an individual sought, they would find it in the Haveme markets. Since Hoogport operated under a monarchy, a prince governed its affairs. One of the three arms considered being the spine of Hoogport had its headquarters in Haveme, too. It was another reason most people considered it the third best city. In a certain part of Haveme, Dustan stood in a beautiful garden. While assuming a pensive his demeanor. Three weeks had rapidly gone by since the events that took place in the Tiodon Kingdom. Standing beside him was an old man, who looked as if he had been alive for countless eons. Unlike Dustan who dressed in plain clothes, the old man wore a blue mage''s robes which had several garish colors on the chest region of the robes. As the gentle wind blew, it tousled their hairs while carrying the fragrance of several flowers to their nose. Although they stood in such a beautiful scenery, which had several mountain peaks in the background. The duo had solemn expressions on their faces as they discussed in a soft tone of voice. "Great sage, is there any change to marigold''s condition?" Dustan asked. His eyes had a tinge of regret in them while his lips trembled a little. Dustan''s reaction and question caused the old man to sigh while shaking his head. "Dustan, don''t trouble yourself with matters concerning Marigold. I know you mean well for her, but you must let her weather this storm herself. She can still find fortune from this disaster. I''ll convey your messages to her when she steps out from her training, but I must warn you. After her recent experience, it might not be the same Marigold of yesteryear," the great sage said. Just like Dustan, his aged eyes had a tinge of regret in them. But, unlike Dustan, he maintained a calm demeanor. Meanwhile, Dustan''s heart sank in helplessness. He could not help but feel dejected. The scene of James jumping though the portal kept on playing over and over in his mind. Since the incident, he held himself responsible for James''s escape. He berated himself for not doing better. The massacre carried out in the Dumin household also made him scared of the future casualties that would arise from James''s escape. Most of all, he hated that he could not apprehend the person who shattered the reunion of his friend. Noticing the saddened expression on Dustan face, the Great sage patted him lightly on the back, "Dustan, do not let the events of that day trouble you. That Blay De Tovar character hid himself relatively well. Even our Clairvoyants could not detect something like this would occur. If fate wills it, you will meet him again," the great sage said. It was his attempt to console and motivate Dustan. Meanwhile, Dustan nodded his head as he heard these words. But, his face still had the same expression. Seconds later, a certain thought flashed through his mind. "Great sage, what is the status of the grandfather and granddaughter duo?" Dustan asked. The old man furrowed his brows upon hearing Dustan''s question while assuming a serious demeanor. "The two of them are recovering better than I had expected. If they had arrived a day or two later, they would have died a gruesome death. The young lass is also someone shrouded in mystery. Although she is only a human, I can sense she is not someone normal. I want her to recover first before I test my theories. If they are right, then she can become a pillar within Kingdom," the Great Sage said. Listening to the manner in which the Great Sage praised Daisy, Dustan had a stunned expression on his face. Because he knew the status of the old man. Considering the number of talents in Hoogport, if someone like him could praise Daisy so much, he could not imagine how frightening she could become. ''Hmm¡­ The Great Sage is not one to speak words carelessly. If the consultant to the Royal Military says; she can develop into a pillar for the Kingdom. Who am I not to believe? If that girl grows into another pillar for us, it will be our gain. Whoever placed that nasty curse would never have expected this¡­'' Dustan mused. "Great sage, does that mean you will take her as a disciple?" Dustan asked after overcoming his initial surprise. "Yes! A talent like her should not remain in the mundane world of mortals. I only hope she will accept me as a Master," The Great sage said. "It is her great fortune to have you as a Master. I''m sure she will be glad to have you as a master, Sir," Dustan said. He felt as if the great sage was joking when he said he hoped Daisy would take him as a Master. From his point of view, in the whole of Hoogport, who would dare turn down such an offer? The title of Great sage was not for show. Only those who had accumulated hundreds of years'' worth of experience in their respective occupations had a chance of being given the title. Even ten thousand libraries could not compare to one Great sage. Hearing Dustan words, the Great sage could not help but chuckle. At that same moment, Dustan continued his statement, "Sir, did either of them mention anything about this Blay De Tovar? From the investigation carried out in the Tiodon Kingdom, we found out he was posing as the adoptive son of Lord Dumin, James Dumin." "Although they did not know his identity back then, the trio contacted each other. The description in your report matched that of the duo. So, I assumed it was the same person. They mentioned they came in contact with him at a cemetery. Apparently, since the day they made contact, the young lass condition became worse. Although the grandfather was suspicious, it was the handwork of James Dumin, he reasoned that it was impossible. Because, he detected Blay De Tovar was only a weak apprentice mage. I''ve read the reports from the interrogation of those Halflings. Apparently, they three of them are from The Order. It is really not surprising when you consider their history. But, how they went unnoticed for several months is a source of worry for all Kingdoms." The Great Sage said with a solemn look on his face. "lest I forget, the young lass also mentioned something about purple and red things floating beside Blay De Tovar. Although I''m uncertain, but from her description, she might have seen damned souls. But, I''ve never heard or seen anything like a purple damned soul," the Great Sage added. As if a lightning bolt struck him, Dustan remembered all the damned souls he saw at the Iroko walkway and the Tiodon Kingdom. He did not report it earlier because he felt it was impossible for damned souls to appear that way. Even though he was not a necromancer, it was common knowledge for those who practiced soul related sorcery that Damned souls were red. A purple damned souls was unheard off, not to talk of an active sighting. "Sir, I''m sorry for not mentioning this earlier, but I also saw those purple damned souls. Even though I was certain I was not under any illusion, I could not believe such a thing exists," Dustan said while lowering his head in apology. Meanwhile, there were no changes in the Great sage''s old face as he listened to Dustan''s words. It was impossible to determine if he was angry or not at Dustan for that slight oversight. "Don''t bother yourself with such mundane issues. If I were in your shoes, I would have being skeptical, too," The Great sage said with a slight smile which caused Dustan to have a relived expression on his face. A few seconds later, his voice echoed again, "What is the current situation at the border? What of the other Great Kingdoms?" "Sir, everything is chaotic at the moment. According to our people at the border, the armies of two of the successors are making subtle movements. War looks inevitable at this moment, the only problem is when they will strike. According to our strategists and spies, it is likely they will strike seven to ten years from now. Although it is not a long time, it is not a short time, too. We can only do our best to prepare for the inevitable. As for matters concerning the other Great Kingdoms, preparations are still being made," Dustan explained. "Hmmm¡­ The successors of the Man of Darkness are about to throw this word into chaos again," The Great sage said in a helpless manner while shaking his head. "Sir, unlike ten thousand years ago, we will not allow those from the path of Darkness to do as they please. We will not let the peace our ancestors fought for to end in this generation," Dustan said. His facial appearance also carried the same confidence as his voice. Noticing this, the Great sage nodded his end in an approving manner. "I like your confidence Dustan, but I''ll advise you not to be too overconfident. In your generation, hardly will you find anyone who can rival you and other - four kings. But, the next few years will see the rise and fall of several heroes and villains. I might not have the gift of clairvoyance, but even I can foresee war and bloodshed covering the lands of Skyhaven. Whether the path of light or that of Darkness prevails, is unknown. Who knows if Skyhaven remain the same? Only the heavens know," the Great Sage said. Dustan had a solemn look on his face as he digested the Great Sage''s words. Just as he wanted to respond, the Great sage interrupted him, "Your men are on their way here. Visit me in my quarters when you have the time, I''ve something important to discuss with you. I believe the same people who placed the curse on the young lass have something to do with the Dragonsites." The moment the Great sage finished speaking, he disappeared from the garden like a puff of smoke. Meanwhile, Dustan had a stern expression on his face which showed traces of surprise, anger, and fear. The word Dragonsites stirred his emotion, causing an involuntary chill to go down his spine. "After all these years, the Dragonsites are becoming active again. It seems they will drown the next few years in bloodshed and chaos," Dustan muttered while sighing. Just as he finished his statement, the silhouette of five armored guards appeared within the garden. After discussing briefly with each other, Dustan and the five armored guards disappeared from the beautiful garden. Meanwhile, in another part of the Great Kingdom of Hoogport. Hundreds of the top military officials gathered in a secret chamber which acted as a war room. Within the slightly rowdy room, various maps of the entire Kingdom of Hoogport floated in midair. Because of various magical runes found at different corners of the room. On each of the maps, it was possible to see various military positions of the armies of the Great Kingdom. Inspecting the individuals found in the room, one would notice that they were of two categories - based on their dressing. Half of them wore the familiar armor of the great kingdom while other half wore a gray scholarly robe which had several star-shaped embroideries on the sleeves. Those clad in armor were from the military branch of the great kingdom while the others were from a branch called the Hall of Wisdom. One could say the Hall of Wisdom was the military backbone ofHoogport. While the main military groomed monsters in the art of war, the Hall of Knowledge groomed the brightest minds. With hundreds of people found in the war room, the atmosphere was a little tensed, which was because both sides of the military were in a heated argument. "Gentlemen, we can no longer underestimate the threat the Black Lands poses. If we don''t act now! We may as well be inviting a disaster by folding our hands," A burly man clad in military armor said. "General Thoa, we all know the threat the Black lands poses, but it will be injudicious to wage war against them right now. We neither have the numbers nor the resources to wage war against as of now. Please don''t act rashly," a scholarly looking old man retorted. General Thoa''s words displeased him. With a sneer on his lips, General Thoa spoke to the scholarly old man, "Master Kane, what the hell do you know about the Black Lands?! Do you think because you have read a thousand or two thousands tomes you are qualified to speak about the black lands?" Master Kane could not help but cackle when he heard General Thoa''s words, he knew he had hit a sore spot. "Whether I have read a hundred or a thousand scriptures is none of your business. As a representative of the Hall of Wisdom, it is my responsibility to act in the best interest of the Kingdom and his majesty. We are not like you lots from the Military," Master Kane said. Just as he finished his statement, there was deafening booming sound within the war room. Because, General Thoa smashed a small table into smithereens. "What the hell do you mean by that?! Are you trying to pick a fight with the main military?!" General Thoa said, he looked ready for a fight. With their general acting out, the other members of the main military in the room all stood of their feet while staring at daggers at the members of the Hall of Wisdom. A faint glow covered their bodies while they had a bloodthirsty look in their eyes. Meanwhile, the scholars from the Hall of Wisdom also stood on their feet''s while preparing to meet their counterparts in battle. Although most people regarded them as scholars, it did not mean they were not proficient in sorcery or other battle arts. With tensions rising within the room, a slight snort suddenly reverberated within the room. Followed by a hoarse a voice, "Impudence! You dare act this way in the crown prince presence?!" While this intimidating voice echoed, an overwhelming aura assaulted everyone within the room. At that moment, the soldiers and scholars felt as if someone poured a bucket of cold water over their heads. They did not know the crown prince had made his way into the war room; they knew the voice from earlier was that of one of his trusted aides. With the tensed atmosphere abating, they could hear the refined voice of a young man, "Gentlemen, there is no reason for you to be at each other''s throats. Our enemies are those vile beings from the Black Lands and all those who seek to throw the world into chaos. What''s the point of fighting each other when you''re part of the same faction? Do you think, his Royal Majesty will approval of your actions?" Fear distorted the face of General Thoa and Master Kane as they heard the words of the young man, who had yet to reveal himself to the group. They knew that if word of their actions got to the King''s ears, they would suffer severe punishment. "I apologize for my rude behavior and that of my men, your highness," Both men said unison. The moment they finished apologizing, they could hear again the hoarse voice again, "You can leave now! General Thoa, Master Kane, stay behind!" With no form of delay, the over hundred men within the room disappeared within seconds. They did not dare to utter any word of complaints because they knew the identity of the man behind the command. Just as they vacated the room, a loud whooshing sound echoed in the war room, which coincided with the appearance of eight men. Four wore the robes of the Hall of Wisdom while the other four wore the armor of the main military. General Thoa and Master Kane both had surprised expressions on their faces the moment they saw these individuals. Because, they were the highest decision makers in Hoogport. Other than the Royal Family. "Thank you for coming on such short notice, you all honor me," The crown prince said. At a certain corner of the war room, the figure of a neatly dressed young man who looked only twenty-nine years old emerged from the darkness. He had a sturdy-looking body, which showed he was no stranger to physical activities. His blue eyes were sharp as an eagle''s, which contrasted with the black hair he had on his head. He was a relatively handsome man, who exuded an aura of confidence and superiority, while also having the look of someone who is gentle and humble. Flanking him on both positions were two heavily armored men, who had a black mask covering their face. They wore the familiar armor of the Great Kingdom of Hoogport, but their armor was pitch black. Compared to the prince who looked only 6ft 3inches tall, both men were over 9ft tall, and they looked more menacing than the crown prince. The most frightening aspect about the duo, was the bloodthirsty aura they exuded from their bodies. Apart from General Thoa and Master Kane, none of the other men flinched at the sight of the two giants. They all had relaxed expression on their faces as if the bloodlust did not bother them. "Your Majesty, you flatter us. It good to see you''re in good health. Pardon me for asking, but why have you summoned us?" A middle-aged man said in an unhurried, gentle and flattering voice while having a warm and gentle smile on his face. It was easy to assume this man was a normal, friendly middle-aged man. But those who truly knew him, knew that behind the gentle smile on his calm face, was a mind that loved to cause chaos. Just as the crown prince was about to respond to his words, they could hear another voice within the war room. "General Tiasho, are you trying to tell the crown prince what to do?" An elderly man retorted. Unlike General Tiasho, the old man belonged to the Hall of Wisdom. Even though it looked like he had one foot in the grave, he still exuded an aura akin to a youth in the prime of his life. With a slight chuckle, Tiasho retorted "Grandmaster Bern, how can I tell his Majesty what to do? Who am I? Who do you think you are to interrupt his Majesty, huh?" Grandmaster Bern sneered at Tiasho''s words, because he knew the lunatic was trying to invoke the wrath of the crown prince on him. Just like the strife between the lower ranked members of the military, the top echelon also battled against each other, albeit in a more subtle and refined manner. "Tiasho, shut the hell up. What are you trying to do right now? Who gave a brat like you the right to talk in the first place?!" Instead of Grandmaster Bern responding, the oldest-looking man among the eight men shouted on General Taisho. Unsurprisingly, he belonged to the Hall of Wisdom. The manner in which he talked to General Tiasho was that of an adult scolding a young child. However, General Tiasho did not dare retort the old man''s words, instead he smiled while bowing his head to apologize. Meanwhile, Grandmaster Bern had a delighted expression on his face. But, his expression soon turned pale when the ancient-looking eyes of the old man fell on him. Like an obedient child, he lowered his head. "Ryan, why have you sent for us? Don''t waste my time, I''ve other things that need my attention," The old man said to the crown prince. If it were any other person, their head would have left their necks for calling the crown prince by his name. But, the crown prince had an apologetic look on his face as he listened to the old man''s words. The old man looked older than the Great Sage, Dustan discussed with in the garden. It was impossible to determine how many dusk and dawns he had witnessed. Before Ryan could explain himself, he heard the voice of the old man again, "You two get out from here. How many times do I have to tell you not to release that foul smelling Mana in my presence?" Like a meek sheep, the two masked giants disappeared from the room. They did not even wait for Ryan to dismiss them because they did not want to irritate the old man further. With a humble and submissive look on his face, Ryan bowed slightly to the old man, "Great Sage, I apologize on behalf of my men. Please bear no grievances towards them. The reason I summoned you all, relates to the activation of a new Dragonsite." The moment they heard his words, the indifferent and calm expressions on the faces of the men changed. This was especially so for General Taisho. With an ugly expression on his face, Master Kane''s voice echoed, "Your Majesty, how is this possible? We destroyed all the Dragonsites ten years ago. How can a new one appear in only ten years?" His words expressed the sentiments of the other men within the room. "This news came from our S-class spies in the Black Lands. I can vouch that 80% of this news is reliable. According to the Intel we received, there was not only three Dragonsites back then. Instead, there were four Dragonsites. But, we only destroyed three with the help of the unified army," Ryan explained with a somewhat helpless expression on his face. The scholars and military personnel had a stern expression on their faces as they heard his words. Because, they knew the gravity of the words they had just heard. An uncomfortable and tensed silence soon developed within the room. "Ryan, what is the name of this Dragonsite? Was its location given in the report?" Old man called the Great sage asked. "We don''t know its name or where its location yet. But, our spies said something about The Order being involved," Ryan said in a solemn voice. A sudden realization dawned on one grandmaster, which did not go unnoticed by the others within the room. "Grandmaster Sparrow, what is it? Did you remember something?" the Great Sage asked. The man called Sparrow looked like he was in his early fifties, but still maintained the aura of one in their late thirties. He had a slightly hunched back, with a bland facial features. "Great Sage, I''ve read several reports of missing youths in the last couple of weeks¡­" Grandmaster Sparrow stopped as he got to this point while conjuring a blue orb on his palm. The moment the orb appeared, it illuminated the room, and projected several names into midair. Meanwhile, everyone within the room had stern expressions on their faces as they read the hovering names. Because, it numbered in the thousands. "Grandmaster Sparrow, you mean they were all taking by Dragonsite?" General Taisho asked in a solemn voice. Which caused Grandmaster Sparrow to nod his head, "I am at least 70% confident they were taking to this new Dragonite. The number of missing youths has been on the increase in the last eight years. The Hall of Wisdom, initially thought it was the work of heretics from the path of Darkness. Now, it seems a greater evil is responsible. We all know that the Dragonsites have been responsible for breeding some of the most dangerous sorcerers known to man. With the appearance of the successors of the Man of Darkness, I don''t think it''s a coincidence they have activated a new Dragonsite," Grandmaster Sparrow said. The eyes of the Great Sage had a bloodthirsty look in it for a moment as he heard the words - Man of Darkness. His reaction made everyone in the room shiver uncontrollably. A short while later, they could hear the voice of the Great Sage, "This is not a matter we can discuss among ourselves. We have to inform the king of the latest developments. I will discuss with the other Great Sages. Mete, you handle the affairs in the main military. Inform those old bastards we may have a future crisis on our hands. Ryan, I''ll ask you to inform the other Great Kingdoms of this discovery. We have to find and exterminate this Dragonsite before it grooms a new catastrophe for the world." The moment he finished speaking, he disappeared from the room. It was also the same for the remaining men, except Ryan. He had a stern look on his face as he gazed at the hovering names from the blue orb. "I wonder if Dustan has heard about the new Dragonsite. It''s already been ten years, but it seems the past still hunts him," Ryan muttered. The moment he finished speaking, he also disappeared from the room in a flash. In the now empty war room, only the fading lights of the blue orb remained. 13 Unknown Origins While Ryan and the military personnel were discussing in the war room, the Great Sage who discussed with Dustan earlier, walked through a beautiful flower field. Which stretched as far as the eye could see. In the background, several mountains towered into the crystal clear skies. Meanwhile, a light fog covered the flower field, too. But, it did not impede the movement of the Great Sage. As the strolled through the field, a gentle wind carried the fragrance of the divergent flowers towards his nose. Which made him have a gentle smile as he hummed a light tune, and his robes flapped in the gentle wind. About five hundred meters east in the direction he walked; stood a small wooden cabin which looked as if they had forgotten it in the annals of time. A total contrast to the beautiful buildings found in Haveme. The wood used its construction had a deep gray color, just like ash. Although the surrounding air was humid, the wood looked dry and somewhat on the verge of decaying. From the perspective of most people who weren''t native to Hoogport, nothing stood out about the cabin. But, one could not say the same for the citizens of Hoogport. Because, the wood used in creating the cabin was the national treasure of the kingdom. One that only the Royal Family and the upper echelon of the Military and Hall of Wisdom had access to. While the Great Sage was leisurely approaching the cabin, two individuals sat on the porch of the cabin with relaxed expressions on their faces. As they discussed with each other, their occasional laughter reverberated into the air. Looking at the duo, one had the physique of an adult while the other had that of a slender child. They were the grandfather and granddaughter duo who suffered immensely via James curse, Daisy and her grandfather. Unlike when Dustan rescued them at the Iroko walkway, they looked healthier and happier. This was especially so for Daisy, although she lost her chubby physique, and was thinner than an average little girl her age, she still looked far better than when she suffered from the effects of the curses. "Grandpa, when will the funny-looking Grandpa come back? Do you think he ran away?" Daisy asked as she hummed a little tune. She had an innocent look in her eyes as she stared at her grandfather, waiting for his answer. Meanwhile, her grandfather chuckled while grin from ear to ear, after the watching his only family suffer for so long, he could not be any happier as he saw Daisy acting her age. "Daisy, why do you think our benefactor will run away from his home? Don''t call him - funny looking, okay? It is not a polite thing to say, do you understand?" He said. "I''m sorry Grandpa, I won''t call the funny-looking Grandpa, funny looking anymore. Grandpa, it is freezing and lonely out here, maybe that''s why the funny¡­ the other Grandpa ran away. Grandpa, why is there some strange mist coming from the cabin. I don''t feel the cold because of the mist," Daisy said while grinning. Daisy''s grandfather had a wryly smile on his face as he heard her words, just like how he could not see - the purple and red things, he could not see the mist, too. But, he knew that the wood used in constructing the cabin was not ordinary. Because, he felt Mana rushing into his body since he regained consciousness some weeks back. Unlike Daisy who only woke up a few days ago, he could not find out about the special properties of the wood. Apart from the wood, the surrounding flowers also piqued his interest. Although they looked ordinary just like the cabin, he recognized some of them were rear medicinal herbs used by various healers. Although he could only identify less than 1% of the flowers, the discovery shocked him. Which made him to speculate about the status of the Great Sage. Someone ordinary could never own such rare commodities, he speculated. With her grandfather consumed by his thoughts, Daisy continued to ask different questions on everything she was clueless about. A few minutes later, they could see the Great Sage''s silhouette in the distance, which caused Daisy to yelp in surprise. The reason for this, was because she noticed he was floating a few inches above the ground. While the fog in the field looked as if it was avoiding him, it was a very mysterious and fascinating sight for the curious young lady. "Funny-looking Grandpa, you''re back! I thought you ran away!" Daisy shouted while waving her little hands. While her shout echoed, her grandfather to snap open his shut eyes. He was pretending to be asleep to avoid Daisy''s barrage of questions. Because of this, he could not caution Daisy in time. "Daisy¡­ What did I say? Don''t call our benefactor funny-looking," her grandfather whispered. Although he did not have a stern expression on his face, Daisy lowered in apology while muttering, "Grandpa, I''m sorry¡­ I won''t call the other grandpa funny looking anymore." Meanwhile, the Great Sage had a cheerful smile on his face as he heard Daisy''s shout. Seconds later, he disappeared and reappear at the porch of the cabin, much to daisy''s surprise and delight. "Daisy, which part of my face is funny looking? Don''t I look very handsome for age?" The Great sage asked while he stood in a heroic pose in front of Daisy. His eyebrows were shuffling up and down while he flashed a grin at Daisy. He also raised his arms while trying to stress his non-existent muscles. With his current demeanor, Daisy lost her calm as she laughed while mimicking the Great Sage''s pose. Tears flowed down her eyes as she laughed, too. "Grandpa, come join us¡­" Daisy said as tears rolled down her eyes as he held her tummy. Her laughter was out of control. Watching the comical scene, her grandfather had a wry smile on his face. ''Our benefactor is so carefree, one wound underestimate him¡­ I did not even notice when he arrived¡­ It''s good he has a good relationship with Daisy¡­'' He mused. "Benefactor, welcome," He said in a low voice. "Daisy, here is a treat for you," the Great Sage said as he handed a blue colored orb to the surprised Daisy. And, he continued his statement, "Play with it. If you''re lucky, it will give you some candy." Although she wanted to grab the orb at once, Daisy did not because of her upbringing. She looked at her grandfather, asking for permission through her eyes. "Daisy, why aren''t you thanking our benefactor for the gift? C''mon take it and tell him thank you," he said. "Thank you, funny looking Grandpa," Daisy said. Before her grandfather could complain, like an agile cat, she grabbed the orb and ran into the cabin. Meanwhile, her reaction caused the Great Sage to burst into a bout of laughter. "Youngsters of nowadays," he said while shaking his head. "Benefactor, I''m sorry for¡­" while Daisy''s grandfather tried to apologize, the Great Interjected. "It''s all right. Abel, please have a seat," The Great Sage said as he gestured towards an empty seat. Wasting no time, Daisy''s grandfather - Abel, sat on a wooden chair while the Great Sage on the one opposite to his. With the duo seating opposite each other, Abel heard the Great Sage''s voice again, "Abel, have you made your decision? Do you plan on telling Daisy you''re not are Grandfather?" Abel had a pained look on his face. The initial smile he had on his face disappeared into oblivion. ''I guess I can runaway from this question forever¡­ But, why does reality have to be so cruel?'' Abel mused as he lowered his head. *** A few weeks ago, the soldiers from Dustan''s party carried Abel and Daisy to the Great Sage''s residence. As if he already knew about their imminent arrival, the Great Sage wasted no time in healing the duo. He did not even question the soldiers, he only told them to drop the sick duo and return to Dustan. Although Abel suffered immensely from James''s curse, because of the Great Sage he recovered in two weeks. A testament to the unique healing capabilities of the Great Sage. On the eighteenth day after his arrival, Abel regained consciousness. While sporting a stupefied expression on his face as he observed the unfamiliar room of a cabin. That he wasn''t a dead man was a great surprise to him. When he discovered he had made a remarkable recovery, it left him speechless. "How are you feeling? Do you feel any pain?" These were the first words, Abel heard as he regained consciousness. Since he did not know where he was, he became frightened. Just as he was about to activate his Mana, he heard the same voice again, "I mean you no harm. You are not in the best condition to use your Mana, please don''t stress your body. You still need to rest." While the Great Sage''s voice drifted into Abel''s ears, it had a calming effect on his tensed body which caused him to fall into a slumber-like state. He did not even utter a word in the short period he was awake. A few days later, he regained consciousness for a second time. But unlike before, he did not act rashly this time around. "Benefactor, thank you for saving me. I''m also grateful for your help in saving my granddaughter," Abel said in a humble, but an uncertain voice. He had to know if Daisy was also in the cabin, he prayed the Great Sage also rescued and healed her, too. "It''s a good thing you''re awake. Don''t worry about your granddaughter. She needs time, but everything is okay. Friend, pardon my intrusion, but I''ll like you to answer a few questions," the Great Sage said. The Great Sage asked Abel about the events that took place from when they left the Black Lands to the Tiodon Kingdom and when they were making their way back. Abel did not leave out any information as he was being questioned. First, he was grateful that the Great Sage healed him and Daisy. Second, he felt that the Great Sage was an unfathomable existence he could not lie to. hence, he thoroughly cooperated in the questioning. "Benefactor, that is all I can remember. Pardon my poor memory capabilities," Abel said after narrating his whole ordeal. "Friend, you have said enough. You and the young lass have had it rough," The Great Sage paused as he sighed. From the look on his face, a subject weighed on his mind. "But, why did you call that young lass your granddaughter? You neither share the same bloodline nor do you share an ancestral Mana pool," the Great Sage added. A chill went through Abel''s spine as he heard these words. It tugged his heartstrings. He was certain that the Great Sage was not an ordinary person at this point. To check a sorcerer''s ancestral Mana pool - which is the connection all sorcerers of a particular lineage share in common, one must have attained a rank of at least Magus. A stunning five ranks above his rank of Apprentice. "Friend, the reason I asked that question, was because of the curse placed on the young lass. If the two of you shared the same blood, the curse would have affected you, too. The person who placed the major curse wanted her to afflict her entire family. Please tell me all you know about the young lass, it will help me in saving her life," the Great Sage said after noticing the struggling look on Abel''s face. Meanwhile, Abel''s facial expression distorted as he heard these words. "Benefactor, please save Daisy. We may not share the same blood, but I have always thought of her as my family. Please save her!" Abel begged while tears streaked down his cheeks. "Please save her. I''ll tell you anything you want to hear," Abel struggled to go on his knees as he said these words. But, a restrictive spell which originated from the Great Sage stopped him. "Friend, I can sense you truly care for the young lass. Don''t worry, I''ll do everything to make sure she recovers. Please go ahead," The Great Sage said. He had not revealed his face to Abel since he entered the cabin. "Ten years ago, I found Daisy floating in an abandoned canoe of the coast of the green river in the Black Lands. I was just a fisherman then. I and my companions were shell-shocked when we heard her cries coming from the canoe. Being old men at the later parts of our life, none of us knew what do in such a situation. In fact, we all hardened our hearts and pretended we never heard or saw her. It was cruel, but it''s the way of the Black Lands. We could not guarantee our own safety, how were we going to guarantee the safety of an innocent child? We consoled ourselves, by saying it was better she died than live to see the ugliness of the world," Abel paused at this point with tears dripping down the side of his cheeks while his eyes had turned red. "After four days, we couldn''t hear her cries anymore. We thought she was dead. There were vultures and crows circling over the small canoe, too. But, we wondered why they haven''t torn her to pieces. None of us bothered to give her a burial, on the excuse she might have a contagious disease. I don''t know what happened, but I couldn''t take it anymore. If I could watch a young child die like that, how am I different from those sorcerers who kill the innocent? Although my friends discouraged me, I had to save her," The tears poured out from Abel''s eyes uncontrollably at this point. "Luckily, she was still alive when I got to her. She was weak and sickly, but she was alive. Just looking at her innocent eyes, I did not care if she was suffering from a plague. I had to rescue her. No¡­ she rescued me! I''ve never regretted the decision I made that day. The only regret I''ve, was I did not rescue Daisy sooner. It thought it was because of our delay she developed such a nasty illness. I''m sorry, I''m sorry... I was a coward, a foolish old coward. I''m sorry Daisy, I''m sorry..." Abel''s voice was incoherent as he bawled. A few minutes later, the voice of the Great Sage drifted into his ears, "Friend, don''t let the errors of the past define your present. You were neither a coward nor were you foolish. Hardly would anyone from the Black Lands show such compassion for an innocent life. Do not hold yourself responsible for her illness. It was not your fault." "Friend, I''m sorry for asking. But, did you find anything in the canoe or anything on the young lass that could trace her origins?" The Great Sage asked. "Benefactor, I''m sorry. The canoe was empty, and I found her naked. I know nothing about her parents or where the boat came from. It is even impossible to determine the travel path of the canoe because the green river empties into five different seas. The Odon sea, the Kode sea, Bythehim sea, the sea of the Fallen and the Barto Sea. I don''t know how a small canoe could have survived any of those auspicious seas," Abel said. "That''s okay. Rest easy, Friend. It might not be my place to say this, but consider telling the young lass about the special history she shares with you. Even though you might not be her blood relation, you have done more than enough to be qualified as one. Excuse me, we''ll talk later," he Great Sage said. "Thank you," Abel replied. But, there was no response. He still had tears pouring out of his eyes, but unlike before when he had a dejected look in his eyes, he had a determined expression in it. The reason for this, was because he lied to the Great Sage not too long ago. Unlike what he said, he actually found something on the small canoe that day. But, even if someone threatened to kill him, he would never reveal it. To him, this was the only way to protect Daisy. *** "Benefactor, I''m ashamed to say I''m not man enough to tell Daisy the truth right now. I don''t want her to resent me for hiding the truth from her," Abel said. His eyes had a deep expression in them. The Great Sage could only sigh as he heard Abel''s reply. He did not plan on meddling with the duo''s relationship. "What do you plan on doing now? Do you still want to return to the Black lands?" The Great Sage asked. There was a contemplating look on Abel''s face as he heard the question. He did not know what the best course of action would be, he also did not want to risk Daisy falling into another dicey situation because of his nomadic lifestyle. With a determined expression on his face, Abel plummeted to his knees. Which startled the Great Sage, making him have a perplexed expression on his face. "Benefactor, please help Daisy. Please take her under your wing. I don''t want her to return to a foul place like the Black Lands, please pardon my selfish request. I don''t have the power to protect her," Abel said while bowing his head. "Friend, please sit down," the Great Sage pleaded. "Benefactor, I can''t do that. Please accept my selfish request, I don''t mind being your slave for the rest of my life...", before he could finish his statement, the Great Sage''s voice interjected. "Please don''t say that. No man should serve as another man''s slave. Not that I''m not willing to take her as a student, the problem is if she will take me as a Master," the Great Sage said. "She will. Even if she doesn''t, I will decide for her since I''m her guardian. Benefactor, I will persuade her to accept you as a Master," Abel said in a confident voice. Just as he was about to dash into the cabin, the voice of the Great Sage drifted into his ears, "Even if you convince her, it will all be for naught if you leave soon. You don''t expect her to stay with a stranger while her grandfather travels through the chaotic Black Lands, do you?" Abel stopped in his tracks as he heard this question. He did not know how he would reply. "Don''t rush things, Abel. Relax, spend time with your granddaughter. Life in Hoogport might not be as interesting as the Black Lands, but it also has its own strengths. I have business that needs my attention, I''ll see you later," The moment he finished speaking, the Great Sage disappeared into a puff of smoke. Left alone had, Abel had a deep look on his face. Which he only awoke from after hearing Daisy''s excited shouts from the cabin. ''Gods in the skies and the devils in hell, please let this child have a peaceful life from now on. Take my life or my soul as a tribute. Please, just let the happy days last forever,'' Abel made a desperate prayer as he stepped into the cabin. 14 Lucundiz Later that same day. In an unknown part of Hoogport, an eerie swirl fog swirled over a somewhat deserted island. The silver moonlight illuminated the outline of a massive fort which had several protruding spike on its walls. Observing these spikes, it emitted a strange, but faint green glow. Almost as if it exuded a potent poison. From an aerial point of view, the fortress occupied two third of the island. Meanwhile, hundreds of people clad in a pitch-black robe manned the walls of the fortress. Coupled with their long robes, they also wore a gray mask which had faint markings on its eye region. These individuals not only looked terrifying, the manner in which they hovered above the ground would leave most people terrified. As they moved about, their robes flapped because of the chilling air originating from the nearby sea. As the howling wind echoed in all directions, the silhouette of a monstrous bird appeared in the star-studded sky. The sudden emergence of the bird did not frighten the masked individuals. In fact, they ignored it. They continued pacing around the island like mindless beings. A few seconds after the emergence of the bird; a faint, thin barrier covering the fortress disappeared. Allowing the bird which was a Dark-Clawed Eagle to gain entry. It landed on a lush field which had several ornamental statues placed at various locations. These statues were in the shape of several races from Skyhaven. The only problem with these statues, was the eerie expressions on its face. They looked panic-stricken. It looked as if someone captured the perfect moment fear griped the heart. Meanwhile, Dustan and two of his subordinates stood on the Dark-Clawed Eagle with a stern expression on their face. "I hate coming to this place¡­ Why did that sadist have to summon us? I thought they would give us more time to recuperate," Leo said while shaking his head. "We don''t have a choice vice-commander¡­ Please don''t let the warden hear you. A friend told me the prisoners remembered something. According to him, they would only speak to the commander," Bren said with a shallow smile on his face. While he faced Dustan, he hoped he would calm their usually lazy vice-commander. But, Dustan remained silent. He looked as if he wanted to complain too. "To hell with those bastards and that sadist of a warden. We flew all the way from Haveme¡­ If those bastards did this to mess with us, I''ll break their legs," Leo said. With each second, he grew angrier. Meanwhile, Bren no longer responded. Because, he did not want Leo to unleash the brewing anger on him. "Leo, if they are playing a game with us, you can do as you please," Dustan said. While his words echoed, Leo and Bren had stunned expressions on their faces. They could not believe what they had just heard. "Commander¡­ I was only joking earlier. If I break their legs, Lucundiz will break mine, too. Do¡­," before Leo could finish his statement, Dustan interjected. "Don''t worry about Lucundiz. She won''t hurt you when I''m with you," Dustan said. ''Commander, do you want to kill me? What will happen when you''re not there? huh? Me and my big mouth. Why did I say those words earlier?'' Leo mused within his heart, but said nothing in response to Dustan''s words. As he regretted his previous utterance, his face distorted in a somewhat comical and tensed manner. Bren used every willpower he could muster not laugh. ''The vice-commander''s big mouth have finally landed him in trouble. I''m torn between hoping those Halflings keeping quiet and them giving us the location of that Blay De Tovar. The commander has been acting strange since we got back from that small Kingdom,'' Bren mused as he stared at Dustan who had a stoic expression on his face. Unknown to Leo and Bren, the parting words of the Great Sage weighed heavily on Dustan''s mind. And, it was part of the reason he gave the previous order. With different thoughts floating through the minds of the trio, none of them spoke further. They did not even disembark from the back of the Dark-Clawed Eagle. A few minutes later, a loud rumbling sound echoed in all directions. And, it caused Dustan and the others to snap back into reality. "Commander, do you need me to wait behind?" Bren asked. "Bren, what nonsense are you saying? You''re coming with us. In fact, you''re to discipline those bastards if they refuse to talk," Leo said while staring at Bren. He spoke just as Dustan was about to speak. He had a sly smile at the corner of his lip. ''You think you can runaway? Dream on! If that crazy bitch breaks my legs, she''ll break yours, too. I can''t suffer alone,'' Leo mused within his mind as he laughed. Meanwhile, Bren''s face distorted on hearing Leo''s declaration. ''Vice-commander, why are you doing this? Commander, Please help me. Warden Lucundiz will break my legs, too,'' Bren mused as he stared at Leo. Although they exchanged no words, the manner in which they looked at each other was worth a thousand words. Bren had a pleading look in his eyes while Leo had that of total ignorance. A few seconds later, Dustan''s voice drifted into their ears. "Leo, we need someone to attend to our mount. I can''t assign you to such a task. So, Bren will do that for us. I need you to interrogate the Halflings. I might do something bad if I am near them," Dustan said. After his declaration, Bren''s face changed for a second time. But this time, joy covered his face, and it was his turn to have a smile on his lips. Meanwhile, Leo''s face became ashen. "Commander¡­" before Leo could finish his statement, a loud female voice interrupted him which sent chills down his spine. "Dustan! You have finally come to see me. Welcome to Echia!" she said. After her loud declaration, Dustan and the others stared at the approaching figures. They rode a strange creature which looked like a transparent Jelly fish, and it hovered in midair. Three individuals stood on it, and they wore the same clothing as those outside the fortress. But, among the trio, one of them did not wear a mask. As the silver moonlight illuminated her face, it highlighted her beauty. From her facial appearance, she looked only twenty-five years old. She had a tanned her skin, and her caramel brown hair fell across her shoulders. She also had a faint tribal paint on her face. Drawn across her green colored eyes to her small, but curved ears. A nose ring decorated her small but pointed nose. While her seductive lips had a blood red color. Just like the masked individuals beside her, she wore a pitch black robe. Her figure and that of the others wearing the black robe was identical. It was the same for those who hovered outside the fortress. From the smile on her face and the look in her eyes, one would assume Dustan''s presence made her happy. "Lucundiz, you falter me. Thanks for the gifts you sent earlier. Please forgive, my vice-commander, Leo, will interrogate the prisoners in my stead. I will watch from the side," Dustan said with a warm smile on his face. It contrasted with the gloomy expression on Leo''s face. After Dustan introduced him, he lowered his head at the same instant. Which caused Bren to chuckle. ''I can''t let this mad women remember my face. Bren, I promise you''ll handle cleaning duties for the next two years,'' Leo declared within his mind. He did not lower his head because of etiquettes, rather it was to prevent the approaching lady from remembering his face. With his head lowered, Leo retrieved a silk clothing from his armor, and tied it around his face. It covered everything except his eyes. With cold sweat covering his forehead. "It''s not a big deal. Lao can handle it. We''ll watch from the side, together," Lucundiz said with an even brighter smile on her face. Meanwhile, Bren stared at Leo with pity written on his face. Because, a few minutes earlier, he detected a subtle killing intent when Dustan said Leo would handle the interrogation. And, it only disappeared when Dustan said he would watch from the side. Like Bren, Leo felt this killing intent, too. And, he could not control his hands and legs from shaking. A few seconds later, Dustan and Leo boarded the Jelly Fish with Lucundiz. They left Bren and the two other masked individuals with the Dark-Clawed Eagle. As they traveled through the lush field occupied by several statues, Lucundiz ignored Leo while focusing on Dustan. In fact, she acted as if Leo did not exist. Although she treated him this way, Leo was delighted and nervous at the same time. ''gods in the heavens, please answer my prayers. If this madwoman does not remember me, I''ll make several sacrifices when I return. Please, let those bastards in the prison talk. Please, I don''t want to have my legs broken¡­'' Leo prayed within his heart. Meanwhile, Dustan and Lucundiz discussed with each other. "Dustan, how is Marigold? Has she recovered?" Lucundiz asked. Her warm smile disappeared as she stared at Dustan. However, Dustan did not respond. He only sighed while shaking his head. Just like Dustan, Lucundiz could only sigh, too. Although she wanted to ask more questions, from Dustan''s demeanor, she knew it would be a waste of time. "Lucu, do you have any idea what those Halflings want to reveal? I thought we got everything from the previous interrogation," Dustan asked. Although he was changing the question, why they summoned him to Echia puzzled him. "I am curious, too. It seems as if someone or something unlocked a section of their repressed memories," Lucundiz said while shaking her head. "They kept on shouting the words - From nether he will emerge. The connection of the realms will emerge in Kynar, and from nether he will emerge," Lucundiz added. Meanwhile, Dustan and Leo, who listened from the side had puzzled expressions on their faces. "What does that mean? Who will emerge from nether, and what is Kynar? I''ve not heard of such a place in Skyhaven," Dustan muttered. Leo had the same thought in mind. In fact, he believed the prisoners only said nonsense to get Dustan''s attention. ''How am I supposed to get any information from those madmen? Kynar? Nether? my god, will I lose my legs today?'' Leo mused. "We don''t know what they are talking about. When I searched the archives, nothing like Kynar came up. Meanwhile, nether could refer to the mythical essence which flows between the realms of the living and that of the dead. But, we have no record of such a thing ever existing," Lucundiz said. "Wait¡­ why am I here? According to what you have said, how does any of this concern me?" Dustan asked. Leo was also curious why they were in Echia. From what Lucundiz said, he too did not know what the matter had to do with them. Although the duo stared at her with keen expressions on their faces, Lucundiz remained silent. And, she closed her eyes, too. "Lucu, what are you hiding from me? Did¡­" before Dustan could finish his statement, Lucundiz interjected. "Dustan that''s not all they said. They mentioned your name and said you would user in an era of doom," Lucundiz whispered with her head lowered. Her declaration stunned both Dustan and Leo. "The Commander? That''s not possible. Those bastards are only making a fool of us! How can we believe such nonsense? Do¡­" before he could finish his statement, Dustan interrupted him. "Lucu, who is waiting for me in the prison?" Dustan said. Although he spoke in a warm voice, Lucundiz''s body trembled. Meanwhile, Leo''s eyes widened. He involuntarily blurted out the words, "You made it up? You''re leading my commander into a trap? How dare you?!" he said. "Calm down, Leo. Lucu is not lying. Let''s listen to her explanation," Dustan said. There was no change to his expression still. However, Lucundiz still had her head lowered, and she remained silent. "Lucu, what do they have on you? Tell me, I''ll help you. Did¡­" before Dustan could finish his statement, Lucundiz interjected. "Dustan, I''m sorry. I tried to contain the news before it got out, but it made its way to the ears of Prince Marko. He said he would make life difficult for Irene if you didn''t come. Did not know what to do¡­" Lucundiz paused at this point as her voice became shaky and incoherent. "All right. I understand the current situation. Prince Marko wants to use the babblings of the Halflings against me, right?" Dustan asked. Saying nothing in response, Lucundiz nodded her head. "Are those two members of Prince Marko''s envoy?" Dustan asked. A chill went down Lucundiz and Leo''s back while his voice echoed. They could fell a minute, but devastating energy surging. "No¡­ no, they are my men. They will protect your subordinate," Lucundiz said. She no longer lowered her head, she wanted Dustan to see the sincerity on her face. "All right. No need for too much talk. I''m sure we will resolve everything in the Coombs," Dustan said with a warm smile on his face. However, Leo and Lucundiz remained silent, as different thoughts flashed through their minds. ''So, the aura I felt earlier belonged to the guards of Prince Marko. For him to use Irene to threaten Lucu, it means he has something concrete this time around. Well, let''s see what that brat wants. Who knows, I might the chance to work out,'' Dustan mused as he closed his eyes. With none of the trio talking, they traveled on the Jelly Fish in silence. Tracing the trajectory of the creature, it headed towards several pitch black structures which looked like chimneys. *** Author''s Thoughts *** Hi guys, Mrdojo here. Bren and Leo made appearances in the Tiodon Kingdom. In the previous versions, they were unnamed characters. P.s. this chapter is the end of chapter 3. In case you haven''t noticed, Book 2 is following events in three places (Mathras, Kynar, and Hoogport). Other locations might make a brief appearance, but those three are the primary locations for Book 2. p.s.s. forget about book 2 description. I only wrote it because I did not want to reveal spoilers. Thanks for reading. 15 Welcome Party The moment the melodious voice drifted into the ears of the youths who were still trying to adjust to their normal functionalities, they all had stunned expressions on their faces. Some of them also had an intoxicated look in their eyes. Unlike the ringing sound from earlier, the feminine voice, instantly awakened them from their drowsy-like state. With their bodies rejuvenated, all the youths in the room had their eyes focused on the parted walls with a curious look on their faces. They wanted to know the identity of the mysterious person behind the wall. Unlike the other youths, James had a somewhat frightened expression on his face. Because, the same moment he heard the feminine voice, something projected another voice into his mind. Saying, "Brat, this is my farewell gift to you. Don''t forget about our bet. It will be a shame if you died here." The reason James''s demeanor changed after hearing the voice was because it was the same as the old man''s. After his near death experience with the old bastard, he wanted nothing to do with him. Just as the voice echoed in his mind, the system''s notification followed. Warning! Warning! Warning! The user''s Mana is undergoing subtle changes. External Force detected in the user''s subconscious! Facial Modification has begun! Effect; it is altering the facial features of the user! I cannot detect any harmful side effect of his change! The user''s Level is too low to stop this change! Estimated time until completion: 60 seconds! ''What?! Damn it! That Old bastard better pray I don''t find him!'' James cursed within his mind. While he cursed, his face slowly changed. With most of the youths focused on the opening between the walls, they did not notice this subtle change. As the youths in the room waited, they could hear multiple footsteps from the dimly lit area behind the parted walls. A few seconds later, everyone in the room had a stunned expression on their faces. Because, ten beautiful women made their way through the opening of the wall. Looking at these beauties, who had seductive bodies and a matching attractive face, it was easy for their natural beauty to mesmerize most people. They were all clad in an elegant pink dress which revealed a significant level of their milky white skin. They each looked identical to each other, it was as if the ten beautiful ladies were decuplets, and they packed their flowing blue hair into various hairdos. They had an oval face, with their eyes having the same color as the hair on their head. Even though they had a small and slightly raised nose, it perfectly complemented the smiles they had on their succulent looking lips, which were pink and a little red. The only thing that would make one curious about them, was that all ten of them wore no footwear. Instead, different beautiful anklets decorated their ankles. It further made these beauties to have a mysterious and seductive appeal to the males within the room. While the young ladies in the room could not help but wonder how and why the ladies were so beautiful. With everyone taken aback by the beauty of the ladies, they could hear the same melodious voice again. "Children, I welcome you to Kynar. My name is Noeny and these are my sisters. It''s a pleasure to meet you all!" The person who spoke, stood in front of the remaining nine beauties, as if she was their leader. After hearing her voice, all the youths within the room had trance-like expressions on their faces, except James who had a somewhat stern and surprised expression on his face. The reason for this was because, right from the moment the voice of the young lady drifted into his years, the sound of the system''s notification went off like an alarm in his mind. Facial Modification Completed! Scanning¡­ Scanning Completed! Name: Noeny &??? Age: > 300 years. Race: Sirens Rank: No affinity for sorcery. Path: Darkness. Quantity: 10. Warning! Warning! Waning! Call of a Siren detected! Name: A Siren''s Call. Effects: Ability to cause the user to lose all form of rational thinking. The user''s brain will become comprised if exposed to the Siren''s Call for a prolonged period. The user will enter a subjective trance-like state, while also losing control of all body functions. System''s recommendation: The user''s hearing organ will be temporarily deactivate to counter the effects of the Siren''s Call. Will the user like to deactivate the hearing organ? With a dumbfounded expression on his face, James read the system''s notification. Although he had Blay De Tovar''s memories in his head concerning some different races within the Continent of Skyhaven, he could not believe that the beauties who stood in front of him were the mythological creatures known as Sirens. Looking at his current face, it differed from his normal appearance. Apart from his eyes, hair, and ears; everything else looked different. With his facial bones somewhat rearranged, James had a rugged look which differed from his former innocent appearance. Just like the other males within the room, the beauties of the ten young ladies also enthralled James. But, after reading the system''s notification, he understood the reason for their beauty. ''System, deactivate it. Use Mana Manipulation to convert their words into letters. I want to read what they are saying,'' James said via his mind. Seconds after he gave the order, he felt a ringing sound in his ears, and a deafening silence followed. But, just as his sense of sound vanished, there was a strange unnoticeable blue glow in his eyes. This blue glow resulted from the activation of the Skill - Mana Manipulation, and it converted any word spoken within the room into letters. "Huh? Miss., where are we? Why are we all in this room? What and where is this Kynar?" a random youth asked. Like most of the youths, he had a confused and cautious expression on his face. The moment the youth spoke out, it had a domino effect within the room, as several other people threw different questions to the ten beautiful ladies who maintained heart-warming smiles on their faces. "Where are we? Where is my sister?" "Father, Mother, where are you?!" "Did you kidnap us? Who the hell are you people? Do you know who I am?!" "Please, has anyone seen my sister?! Heather?! Where are you?!" The room quickly descended into confusion as the youths asked various questions to the ten smiling beauties, while also being wary of one another. Since they wore different attires from various kingdoms and nations, the knowledgeable ones among them could spot the attires of those from the Black Lands and those from the Four Great Kingdoms. Even the youths from some smaller Kingdoms who neighbored each other or had conflicts, identified each other based on their clothing. The moment the room was about to become too noisy, the ringing sound from earlier echoed for a second time. It caused all the youths within the room to hold their heads because they felt a painful headache from the sound. Unlike them, the ringing sound did not affect the ten beauties. The lady who stood in front of the other nine, motioned with her hand and the ringing sound in the room stopped. Before anyone within the room could react or say anything, the ten beautiful ladies spoke in unison, "Don''t be afraid young ones, we mean you no harm. Please have your seat. We have Items to distribute to you all!" With ten Sirens speaking together, their voice resonated within the room. Which caused the over two hundred youths to plummet to the floor like trained dogs as they each sat down without saying a word in response. Looking at the eyes of these youths at the moment, one would notice it looked cloudy. The moment the youths sat on the floor, the young ladies who had radiant smiles on their faces step towards either side of the opening in the wall. On either side of the wall, five of them stared at the children with warm smiles on their faces. Seconds later, the sound of multiple footsteps echoed, and about thirty figures covered in black made their way into the room. The manner in which these figures walked was enough to send a soul inducing fear into the minds of these children if they were clear-headed. Just like the Sirens who all looked identical to each other, these figures who wore a skintight body suit had the same physique with each other and also walked the exact the same way. Their heads were bent in a strange forty-five degree position, as they tried to drag their awkwardly shaped legs. Their height of 6ft also contributed to their odd walking posture, and they strapped a small brown leather bag containing several black rings to their waist. James who was sitting at a position that was facing the approaching figures, tried his best not to show any reaction on his face, because the system had already scanned their stats. Scanning Completed! Warning! Warning! Warning! Man-Eating Trolls detected! Rank: Unevolved. Path: Darkness. Quantity: 30. As James read through the system''s notification, the urge to kill the old man grew wilder and wilder in his heart. All he wanted was to find a way out of the Island, he wanted nothing to do with a monster''s paradise. The moment these Trolls appeared into the room, they spread themselves out. Just like that, the trolls dipped their big hands into the bag hanging on their waist to retrieve a black ring. In the next moment, they placed these rings on the fingers of the youths closest to them, which caused the bodies of the youths to tremble slightly, before the ring magically disappeared into the fingers of these youths. Throughout the process, the youths still had smiling expressions on their faces as they stared at the ten beautiful Sirens. ''System, can those rings!'' James said. Cold sweat was already forming on his forehead. Scanning¡­ Scanning Completed! Name: Odon Alloy Rings. Effects: This is a metal gotten from bathing a mid-grade metal into the Odon Seas for an extended period. It will place a parasitic Mana in the user''s Mana Output - to be triggered at any point. The user will become temporarily weakened if it''s activated! Prolonged exposure will lead to the user losing control over mental functions, enabling mental reformation. Limitations: The user''s level is too low to stop the effects of this Item. With the system telling he could not prevent the inevitable, James heart thumped furious as he considered if he should make a run for it. From the system''s notification, he already knew that the effects of the Odon Alloy Ring was not something he would like to experience. Especially the part that side he would lose control over his mental functions, making him vulnerable for brainwashing. Although the thought of running entered his mind, James discarded it. Because, he was certain that the Trolls and Sirens were not the real mastermind. Instead of fleeing, he racked his brain to find a solution to his predicament. Because, the ring allocation was only ten heads away from reaching his turn. While all these was happening, James had to make sure he maintained the same ridiculous expression the other youths had on their faces. By the time it was four heads away from his turn, the Troll handling his section of the room was about to give the ring to a fair skinned boy who looked as if he was only 16 years old. He wore a traditional attire, which resembled a Kimono, and he also wore a pair of leather sandals. Observing his face, one would notice that he had a short blue hair on his head, which contrasted with the brown color of his eyes. Although he was not handsome, he was not ugly too. However, he had a sturdy physique, with a height of almost 5ft while seated. One could only imagine how tall he would be if he stood up on his feet. Just like everyone else within the room, he also had a ridiculous expression on his face, but if one were to look closely, they would notice that there was a tinge of clarity in his eyes. Just like James, this young man was pretending to be under the call of the Sirens. The moment the troll appeared in front of the young man to place the ring on his fingers, an amazing happened within the room. In a ruthless and brutal manner, the young man launched a fierce punch towards the chest of the Troll which caused a loud wheezing sound to reverberate within the room. As it flew, it sprayed a greenish substance on the hypnotized youths in its path. Surprised by the fist, it sent the Troll flying while its incoherent, loud, cries reverberated in the room. The punch from the sitting giant, was so vicious and powerful that it sent the Troll flying 40m away. The reason the troll only stopped at the 40m mark, was because the bodies of some youths broke its fall. As for the young man who assaulted the troll, he was already on his feet. Measuring his height, the young man stood at a staggering height of 12ft. The moment he got on his feet, he made his way towards the parted walls of the room, staring at the beautiful Sirens with a fierce look in his eyes. As if he was saying, they would meet the same fate if they stopped him. Because the other Trolls spread themselves within the room, none of them could react in time. Even the Sirens at the door, did nothing to stop the young man, allowing him to pass through the opening in the walls. When the Trolls wanted to pursue the giant, the melodious voice of the siren named Noeny echoed, "Leave him alone and get back to work. We have little time left." Although they hesitated, the Trolls heeded the command of the Siren as they went back to distribute the Odon Alloy Rings. As for the beaten Troll, its haggard breathing and loud coughing echoed within the room. Ignoring its injuries, it tried to get back on its feet to continue distributing the rings. Meanwhile, James had a somewhat stunned expression on his face, because he did not expect that someone else within the room still had their sanity. ''That giant is an idiot. Does he really think they will let him go just like that? What an idiot!'' James mused. He was happy he did not escape too, because of the indifferent way in which the siren reacted after the attack. James was sure that things would not end well for the giant. But, James was grateful towards the giant, because his act of stupidity bought him more time to figure out a way he could avoid the effects of the Odon Alloy Ring. Just as James entered a pondering demeanor, a horrifying scream echoed from the parted wall. Accompanied with several sickening growls of what sounded like Monsters. James did not need to be a genius to know that the miserable scream came from the giant. Meanwhile, the faces of the Sirens were radiant the moment the screams of the young man drifted into their ears. Even the Troll the giant attacked became rejuvenated the moment the screams of the young man entered its ears, and in a limping manner, it made its way to its assigned section of the room. A few minutes later, the Troll handling James''s section was placing the ring on the fingers of a young girl who sat beside him. James had an unnoticeable gleam of anticipation within his eyes while he communicated with the system. ''System, once the Troll place the ring on my fingers, send it into my inventory. Use Mana Manipulation to mimic the reaction of the others,'' James said. Just as James gave the order, the Troll stood in front of him. Just like everyone else, the Troll placed the ring on James''s middle finger on his right hand. Waiting a little to confirm the ring''s merger with its host, the Troll stood in front of James and religiously watched the ring disappear into his finger. Only then, did the Troll move to the next person. Leaving James who had a smile that was not a smile on his face, as he stared in the same bamboozled manner as the others. About twenty minutes, they placed the last ring on the finger of the last youth within the room, which caused the awkwardly walking Trolls to depart the room. The moment they left, Noeny''s melodious voice echoed again, "Children, please follow me." The moment she finished speaking, all the youths who were sitting on the floor, got up on their feet as they made their way out of the room, with Noeny and her sisters leading them. With the call of the siren active, the sirens did not even bother to check the youths as they walked. If they had paid attention to all the youths, they would have noticed that over five of them were clear headed. At the other side of the room, was a cave like structure that looked as if it had no end. The cave also had no source of lighting, but there were strange insects hanging on the ceiling of the cave which partially illuminated it with a red glow. With no form of obstruction on their way, the youths and the sirens walked within the maze-like cave for over 10 minutes. Each time the effects of the Siren''s Call was about to wane, Noeny or one of her sisters would say a random statement to make sure the youths did not awaken. When they were 15 minutes away from the room, James who had his night vision mode activated, had a slight smile on his face as he saw blood scattered on the walls of the path they were taking. James did not need to guess who owned the blood, because he knew it belonged to the giant. The only thing that surprised him was how the giant could get that far away in a minute. James now understood why the giant did what he did. If he could cover a distance that took fifteen minutes worth of time in less than a minute, he too would also be confident of his chances of survival. As James walked through the wet cave which had a damp air, the system''s notification suddenly went off in his mind. Warning! Warning! Warning! Monster detected above the user! Name: Mud Slime. Rank: Evolved. Level: 6 Path: Darkness. Odd of the user eliminating the target: 0.00007% Reading the system''s notification, James''s heart thumped while he tried to control his breathing. A level 6 monster was on the same rank with someone like Blay De Tovar he met back in the town of Boar. With such odds of victory, James was not stupid enough to give away any signs he was lucid. As long as the Sirens were not bringing them over to serve as snacks for the Monster, James was not prepared to take any actions. With the system''s notification, James understood what killed the giant. James did not even dare to stare at the ceiling of the cave. From his perspective, it was not his business if the monster was relaxing there. If the worst-case scenario should happen, he would use the body of the other youths as meat shields to preserve his own life. Was it cruel? Most definitely, did James care? Not at all. While James did not stare at the ceiling of the cave, a young girl among the over 200 youths stared at the ceiling of the cave with a blank expression on her face. What she was staring at was unknown and whether she was lucid was also unknown, but hanging on the ceiling of the cave was a dirty brown gelatinous creature, who was amoebic. It had no form or facial features or body features, it was just a massive blob of what looked like mud. But within this mud, if one were to stare closely enough, they would notice a lifeless body, which was already decomposing a terrifying rate. Most of the facial features of the corpse had already decomposed, but from the decomposing traditional attire the corpse wore, one could tell that the corpse belonged to the giant from earlier. Just like an antigen being devoured by Phagocytic cells, the body of the giant was also decomposing within the monster. After making several twists and turns along the way, and walking for thirty minutes, James could see the light at the end of the cave which made him relived. "Children, please go on. The Caretakers will handle the rest, it was a pleasure to meet you all," Noeny said with a radiant smile on her face, while she and her sisters made way for the youths to move ahead. ''System, can I take possession of the Sirens?'' James asked. Warning! Warning! Warning! Item - Damned Soul, cannot leave the inventory right now. Because, several monsters will feed on them! Will the user like to use the Item - Damned soul? ''Monster''s who feed on souls? What the hell! System, forget about it! Can you detect any danger ahead?'' James asked. However, he could not believe monsters who ate souls existed. I cannot detect anything because of barrier! The user''s Level is too low to scan through the barrier! James did not even bother to respond. Hearing about his low level was becoming boring to him, it was not his fault he was weak. Meanwhile, the youths went ahead of Noeny and her sisters, with their destination, the other side of the cave. The moment the last of the youths went pass the Sirens, they could hear a loud rumbling noise within the cave. Because, a large wall dropped from the ceiling of the cave to separate the youth and the Sirens. At that moment, all the youths regained their lucidity, while staring at each other with a stunned expression on their faces. The last thing they could remember was awakening in the room from earlier, they did not know how they got to the cave. The more fragile ones among them, cried. All of them were trying to find answers to what was going on which caused the cave to be rowdy. However, the quick witted ones among them and those who were awake during the ordeal quietly moved towards the exit of the cave. Their actions naturally caused a domino effect within the room, which caused those who were crying and shouting to mimic their actions. No one wanted to remain within the darkness. Because they had been walking in the darkness for over forty minutes, these youths could not help but squint their eyes when a radiant light assaulted it. Because of this, none of them could observe their new surroundings. A few breaths worth of time later, some youths opened their eyes to observe what was on the other side of the cave and what they saw left stunned and confused. The reason for this, was because they were standing in what looked like a massive gladiator arena. The only thing that differentiated it from that, was that there were no stands for a viewing audience. Apart from that, everything else was identical to a coliseum. "Where are we?" a random youth said within the crowd. "Hello! Why did you bring us here?" another random youth said. "Who the hell do you people think you are? I''m the crown prince of Pavoa, I demand to see the person in charge!" a luxuriously clothed youth said, with a pompous look on his face. "Heather! Heather! Where are you? It''s me Tiana! Where are you?" a young lady said as she sobbed. Just like that, the coliseum entered a somewhat frenzied state as all the youths were asking questions while also expecting to answers at the same time. There were also others who were searching for their loved ones within the crowd, but unfortunately for them, they were all disappointed. Unlike most of the youths, James stood in place drawing no attention to himself. With the Sirens departing, he told the system to reactive his hearing organs. But, he wished he hadn''t done so. Because of the level of noise assaulting his ears. Although he was also curious about the identity of those behind the grand charade, he did not behave like the others. With the level of the noise increasing by the second, some youths tried to attack the huge walls of the coliseum which had a staggering height of 20ft. But, before anyone of them could do anything, a ringing sound reverberated in their heads, which caused all the youths to plummet to their knees, with a pained expression on their faces. At that same moment, they could see three figures clad in a white and black mage''s robes standing at the place which usually belonged to the emperor when watching a match at a coliseum. The moment they appeared, a thunderous voice reverberated into the ears of all the youths, "Welcome to Kynar! Today marks the end of your former lives as nobodies. Rejoice, because you have the choice to be reborn today. Forget about what and who you once were. Forget about what small kingdom or allied kingdom or great kingdom you came from, whether you''re from the Black Lands has no meaning in Kynar. This is a paradise for everyone, in this place we will help all of you hone your precious talents. By the time you spend a year here, you will not even remember the miserable life you once had. My name is Bronwyn, Caretaker in Kynar. On behalf of everyone, I welcome you all to Kynar!" Looking at the middle-aged man who had just spoken, one would notice that he had a somewhat handsome face, which had a long black goatee hanging on his chin. He had beady eyes which made him look like a typical shady businessman, while the hood of his mage''s robes covered his hair. The two men beside him, were more handsome and younger than this man. Just like him, they also had long goatees hanging on their chins, but unlike Bronwyn, theirs were a mixture of white and black. Unlike Bronwyn, they had amiable and trustworthy looks on their faces as they smiled towards the confused youths. "Kynar?! What nonsense are you saying?! I never asked to be here! Let me out!" a young man who looked as if he was only 18years old shouted. "Where is my sister?! We don''t want this! Please let us go! I beg of you, we have to see our parents!" the young lady who had been looking for her sister also shouted. "Bastards! Who asked to be reborn in your Kynar?! Do you think you can get away with kidnapping the crown prince of the allied Kingdom of Pavoa?! When my father find out about this, you are all dead!" the luxuriously clothed young man said, while sporting a furious expression on his handsome face. Just like that, other people in the crowd shouted towards the three figures who still maintained smiles on their faces, which further incensed the youths. With tensions rising, they could hear the voice of the luxuriously clothed prince again, "Everyone, my name is Rowan! I''m sure you already know my status, so there is no need to beat around the bush! These men have kidnapped us, with unknown intentions. They have separated you from your families and friends, just to fulfill a useless fantasy of being reborn. From the words they have said so far, it is possible to determine that they are heretics. I know that there are people of the path of Darkness and that of the righteous Light here, but we must put aside all differences and work together. They are the common enemy, we must stand and fight together as one, if we want to escape this place!" Speaking in a loud and intimidating voice, it drew the attention of the other youths within the coliseum. Many of them had pondering expressions on their faces, as they listened to the analyzed the content of his words. Meanwhile, James wanted to die of laughter, because he knew that there was no way any youth could take the men standing in the podium. When Bronwyn gave his speech earlier, James tasked the system to scan him and the other two men beside him. When James got the result of the system''s scan, he had a wryly smile on his face. Because, the weakest among them was a Level 34 sorcerer, while the strongest was Bronwyn who was a level 37 sorcerer. They were all in the journeyman rank, yet some Apprentice and Student Ranked sorcerers wanted to take them on. Just like James the three Journeyman ranked sorcerers were laughing in their minds at the thought of the youths fighting against them. From their perspective, it was like hundreds of new cubs teaming up together to fight the leader of a pride. "Let''s support him, I''m sure no one wants to remain in this Kynar," a young man said. "I''ll support you. I don''t want them to initiate me into any cult," A young lady said, while sporting a determined expression on her face. Just like that, some youths threw their support for Rowan, who had a slight smile on his face. With over 190 of the youths supporting him, Rowan turned around to face Bronwyn. "You did not expect this, right? Enough of your useless games! If you don''t let us leave. You can''t blame us for being ruthless. As the crown prince of¡­" before Rowan could finish his statement, Bronwyn interrupted him. "Child, do you really want to leave?" he asked. Rowan stared back at him with an expression on his face that suggested he was looking at a retard. "Don''t say stupid words, can''t you see that none of us want to be here?! If..." Just like before, Bronwyn interjected again. "Hmmm... If you want to be a part of Kynar please step forward. If you have no interest in Kynar, please remain where you are. We will send you home after identifying those who want to be with us. Please you have 5 minutes to make your decision," he said. Hearing his words, most of the youths had stunned expressions on their faces. Seconds later, they screamed with joy. They all crowded Rowan to thank him for speaking up for them, although rowan had a smile on his face, he became alert because of how easy Bronwyn conceded. With a celebratory mood in the air, a lanky young man faced Bronwyn as he spoke in a mocking voice. "Do you think anybody in that right mind will choose to..." Before the young man could finish his statement, the next turn of events left him tongue tied. Because, he saw James walking towards the designated spot Bronwyn pointed out earlier. Just as he wanted to curse James, some other youths also followed in James''s footsteps, which confused the others who remained on the same spot. "What the hell are you guys doing? Were you guys Kynar moles?!" The lanky youth barked at James and the others. Forty youths already stood at the assigned spot, and none of them bothered to look at the lanky young man. They all focused their attention on Bronwyn.With the casual way they ignored the lanky youth, the remaining youths who remained on the same spot suspected that they were Kynar moles, which caused them to hurl insults towards them. Meanwhile, Rowan who remained in the same position, had a dangerous sense of foreboding in his heart. "You guys, don''t let this people deceive you. Have you ever heard of a place called Kynar? Isn''t it clear that these guys are members of a secret cult? Why do you want to waste your lives like this?" Rowan said as he walked towards the spot James and the others stood. Seeing Rowan moving to the other side, they could hear the voice of the lanky youth, "Prince Rowan, the five minutes period will soon be up. Don''t waste your time trying to convince these heretics. Leave them to their Kynar!" "What kind of prince will I be, if I can''t save these heretics?" Rowan retorted as he inched closer and closer to the others with a concerned look on his face. Hearing his words, it touched the people on the people on the -Leaving Side, that Rowan would go that far for strangers. Meanwhile, Bronwyn and the two other men just watched what was happening without saying a word. "Please listen, don''t lose hope yet. We can still leave this place. There is only 50 seconds left, if you have nowhere to return I''ll take you to the Allied Kingdom of Pavoa. Don''t waste your lives," Rowan said in a pleading voice. Meanwhile, the others on the Leaving side shouted to Rowan to leave the heretics alone since the time limit was almost up, but Rowan did not respond as he continued to try his best to convince the others. When the 5 minutes limit exhausted, they could hear Bronwyn''s voice again. "The five minutes time limit is up. I feel sad that only 41 people want to remain in Kynar. A promise is a promise, the rest of you will go home now," he said. The moment he finished speaking, the three men made strange incantations in an inaudible voice while making strange handle symbols. Although most of the youths on the Leaving side felt bad for Rowan that he remained on the Staying side, they could not help but Jump in joy the moment they heard Bronwyn''s words. Meanwhile, the youths on the Staying side focused their attention towards those who were jumping in joy at the Leaving side. The moment the men on the podium finished their incantations, they could hear Bronwyn shouting, "Activate!" While is voice echoed, all the youths on the Leaving side plummeted to their knees with a dazed expression on their faces, and a look of confusion followed. In that same instant, the body of a young girl who looked only 15 years of age, swelled to five times its normal size. Before anyone could react, a loud explosion echoed. Followed by blood, body fluids, human meat and bones splashing in different directions. The eyes of some 41 youths on the Staying side nearly bulged out of the sockets, as they stared in disbelief. As for those who were kneeling on the Leaving side, mortal terror gripped their hearts. And, their faces distorted in terror. They wanted to talk, but they were too weak to do so. They did not know want happened to them. Seconds after the young girl exploded into a chunk of meat and blood, a young boy of almost 14 years of age was next to swell up to an inhuman size, and a terrifying explosion followed. Doom and gloom replaced the former joyous mood in the Leaving side. The blood of the exploded young girl and boy bathed the bodies of the kneeling youths. Some of them had already soiled themselves, while the others vomited. Within seconds, the nauseating smell of fresh blood, human flesh, gut juice, vomit, urine, and excrement pervaded the air. Rowan who was watching the fear inducing scene, could not help but vomit while thanking his lucky stars he came to the Staying side. Just like him, most of the 41 youths on the Staying side puked out their livers. Seconds after the young boy died, the lanky young man from earlier had a petrified expression on his face as his body swelled. Seconds later, the young man looked like someone who was suffering from a serious case of obesity. Just like the others, he exploded too, and the blood, meat, limbs and severed head of the young man rained down on the others. The head of the young man rolled to the spot where Rowan stood, which caused him to have a pale expression on his face. Tears mixed in with blood poured out of the eyes of those kneeling on the ground, because they all knew that they had made the biggest mistakes of their lives. From the manner in which the kneeling youths were being eliminated, James knew that Bronwyn and the other men wanted to set an example. From the system''s notification, James already knew the effects of the Odon Alloy Ring, he knew that it was possible to kill all of them at once, without resulting to such theatrics. The act of making the kneeling youths guess who would be next was a psychological torture on its own. From James''s point of view, the men wanted him and the others to understand what will happen if they refused to cooperate. A few minutes later, it was the turn of the last of the 189 kneeling youths, who was a young girl bathed in blood so thick she looked as if she was an existence made from blood. Just like the others, this young girl also swelled up, before exploding like a pricked balloon. With the death of the young lady, the survivors could hear Bronwyn''s voice again, "On behalf of the Caretakers Committee, I welcome you all to Kynar! I hope you all enjoyed the welcoming party? Since those lovely children have gone home, it is time to..." Before he could finish his statement, Rowan interjected. "Demons! How could you do this to children?! You promised to send them home, but you brutally murdered them! Demons!" Rowan said. With no changes to his facial expression, Bronwyn looked at the enraged Rowan with a smile on his face, "Rowan, right? It seems you lost track of time earlier. Will you like to leave or stay? Consider this as an apology to you," Bronwyn said. The moment Rowan heard Bronwyn''s words, his reaction was akin to that of a deflated balloon which caused Bronwyn to chuckle. "Oh? You will stay with us then? Wonderful. Children please make your way to the reception. A feast awaits you," Bronwyn said while trying his best not to laugh. The moment he finished his statement, a section of the walls of the coliseum rumbled violently, while revealing a small tunnel within the parted walls. "How can you threaten a Prince... Do you.." Before Rowan could finish his statement, James tapped him slightly as he said "Give it a rest prince. If you shout from now till eternity, those people are not coming back. Hahahaha... You should not be playing the innocent act in front of us. Do you think we are all retarded? Hahahaha.." James said while shaking his head. With a fierce look in his eyes, Rowan rebuked James as he said, "what do you mean? Do you think I''m a coward like you? I only came here to convince the rest of..." Just like before, someone interrupted Rowan again. But, this time it was by a young lady. "Why didn''t you take up the caretakers offer then? Why did you have to walk all the way to this side to convince us, when you could have stood there and said all you wanted to say? It''s not as if we can''t hear or see you. Like the kid with the red hair said, we are not retarded. Go play your game of innocence with the people who are lying over there," she said while pointing towards the messy pool of blood. After she pointed towards the pool of blood, this young lady walked towards the opening in the coliseum''s walls, without bothering herself with Rowan. Just like her, most of the other youths still alive did not even bother to glance at Rowan. They wondered why James and the young lady even bothered to talk to him, they all knew what he was. The caretakers knew what he did and Rowan, himself knew what he did. Hence, there was no need to waste words on the topic. James did not even bother to face Rowan after he finished his statement, neither did he bother to listen to his reply or that of the young girl. The only reason he tapped Rowan earlier, was because he found a new Exp farm. Judging from the reaction of the other 40 youths, James knew that they must have faced different trials to have sharp senses. As for the welcoming feast, Bronwyn talked about, it already filled James''s mind with expectations, because he knew people like Bronwyn very much. 16 The Crazy Red Hair I Without saying a word to each other, the 41 survivors of the welcoming party walked through the opening in the coliseum''s walls. Unlike the cave from earlier, several dazzling crystals scattered on the walls of the hallway-like path illuminated the path that laid in front of James and the others. Instead of admiring the beauty of the hallway, they had varying expressions on their faces, which ranged from stern to caution. After the events that took place in the coliseum, no one could not blame these youths for putting up such expressions on their faces. Meanwhile, Rowan''s face was ashen, because he felt that everyone in the hallway were mocking him in their hearts. He honestly believed he did no wrong back at the coliseum, his eyes had a furious look in it as he stared at the back of the lady who talked him down earlier. Being a Prince from an Allied Kingdom, he felt humiliated by her actions. Since he was a child, they taught him to always maintain a positive image wherever he found himself. Now that the young lady tarnished his image, Rowan was transferring his anger to the young lady. After walking for over twenty minutes in the hallway-like path, the forty-one youths reached a specious room, which had a dome. Within this illuminated room, one would notice that there were several doors marked with numbers on it. With 30 doors marked in the room. Unlike normal doors, the doors in this room had no handle on them and they were all painted in stripes of white and yellow. The moment the last of the youths crossed over to the room, they could hear a loud rumbling noise, followed by the hallway closing behind the youths, causing them to have serious expressions on their faces. The expressions on their faces became more serious the moment they counted the doors in the room, which was lesser compared to their forty-one man count. At that moment, all the youths created a distance between themselves. They had a looming sense of foreboding within their hearts, especially when they remembered what happened in the coliseum. Just like the others, James was also preparing for an all-out brawl. Even though some youths within the room had higher levels than him, he was well prepared to take advantage of what would be a chaotic brawl. From his perspective, if he used the damned souls and the Army of the Fallen, coupled with his other skills, there was no way he would not emerge as one of the thirty people to pass through a door. Although James had this thought in mind, he could not help but marvel at how clich¨¦d their situation was. He was expecting something far more intriguing, but it seems the Kynar people were going the simple and efficient route, which was an all-out battle. With tensions rising within the room and everyone developing a case of paranoia, a bloody battle was not too far away from starting. "Wait! There is no need for us to suspect or fight each other. No one told us to fight! So, what is the point in us having bloodthirsty looks towards each other? We don''t even know if the doors in the room lead to an ominous location. Let''s calm down and think this through, we will only stain our hands with blood if we murder each other," Rowan said. Although he said these words, he still maintained a serious look in his eyes, with his posture akin to that of some prepared for battle. Hearing his words, there was no reaction on the faces of the other youths, but none of them approached the other to begin the fight. Just like Rowan, they did not want to fight any unnecessary battles and just like Rowan said, there was no way to guarantee that the Caretakers wanted them to battle each other. There was also no guarantee that, what was lying behind the closed doors will favor anyone. Those swayed by Rowan''s words, relaxed their tensed bodies while also maintaining vigilance towards the others. "So what do you propose we do? Although I don''t know the intensions of those bastards, with only 30 doors in the room and 41 of us here, it is not too difficult to guess their intentions," A bald youth said in a stern voice. Taking a closer look at this young man, who looked only 17 years of age, one would notice that he dressed like a typical monk. Around his hands were prayer beads, which were black and red. On the bald head of this young man, one would notice that there were five black beautifully drawn circles. They could also find a miniature version of these circles on the forehead of this youth, which aligned down the path in between his two eyes, all the way to his nose. With his fair skin complexion, the tattoo like circles really stood out. Even though he looked only seventeen years old, he had a small goatee on his chin, tied into braids. Unlike Rowan who was a handsome young prince, this young man was not handsome, but borderline ugly, but one would not really notice this, because he had an amiable aura around him. Meanwhile, Rowan had an athletic physique with a height of 6ft. He had a handsome chiseled face, with no blemish on his tanned skin. The black hair on his head, curled in an unnatural and dazzling manner. Covering a section of his face, leaving only one of his eyes visible. Unlike the young man who wore a monk''s attire, Rowan wore luxurious clothes befitting of a prince. Just like how their clothes were a total contrast to each other, the aura around Rowan was also different to that of the monk. While the monk had an amiable aura, Rowan had the proud aura of a prince far above the common man. The only thing identical with the two, was that they were from the same age bracket. Hearing his words, all the youth in the room turned their attention towards the monk, with most of them agreeing within him. That there were only 30 doors within the room, was a clear message to everyone within the room that only 30 of them would exit the room. Rowan''s face became slightly ugly after hearing the words of the monk, just like the others he also came to the same conclusion about the brawl, but he did not what to fight in a free for all. "Why don''t we use one door as a sample? This way can confirm if the Caretakers want us to decide among ourselves who should proceed or not," Rowan said. "So, who gets to pass through the sample door? I hope you will not recommend yourself?" the same young lady from earlier retorted while sporting a smile on her face. Looking at this young lady, one would notice that she cross-dressed as male. She wore silver tunic matched by a pair of black breeches, while wearing a shin high leather boots. Even though she cut her brown hair to the length of a young boy, it did not hide how cute her face. Just like her hair, her eyes were also brown. From her facial features, one could easily tell that she was 16 years of age. Unlike most ladies her age who were already being affected by puberty, she was still as flat as a board; one of the major reasons she could pull off the cross dressing look. If she did not speak, she could pass off as a boy, but if she opens her mouth to speak, her feminine voice will surely give her away. With an ugly expression on his face, Rowan wasted no time in replying as he said, "Did you hear me recommend myself? Do you have¡­" before Rowan could finish his statement, a loud female voice drifted into the room, "Children, I''m sorry for the slight delay. It is a good thing there were no accidents." The moment the voice drifted into their ears, all the youths in the room who were already tensed suddenly relaxed their muscles, while sporting smiles on their faces. Unlike the Call of a Siren, what was happening to youths was different. Instead of putting the youths in a state where they could be controlled, the voice rejuvenated their bodies and uplifted their souls. At that same time, the sound of the system''s notification went off in James''s mind. Scanning Completed! Name: Cry of the Beloved (mimicry). Rank: Good. Path: Light. Effects: Voice from the ''Pure Soul'', used in soothing a raging and tensed mind. The user will lose control of Item - Damned Souls, if subjected to the Skill. Item - Army of the Fallen, will become purified if subjected to the Skill. Limitation: Because it is a mimicry, the user has a 10% of stopping the purification process. James had bland expression on his face the moment he read the system''s update, he was tired of being surprised by the people within Kynar. "Children, you can each go through a door of your choice. All doors lead to the same destination, you don''t have to fight for the right to enter any door, because you are all esteemed guests of Kynar. Please make your choice within the next 5 minutes. Please try to make yourself useful before the feast. See you on the other side children," The mysterious feminine voice said. The moment after she finished speaking, all the youths within the room came to their sense. Meanwhile, Rowans had a smug expression on his face as he stared at the young lady who did not even bother to glance at him. Instead of waiting around to applaud who was right or not, most of the youths immediately made their way towards the door of their choice. With what happened after the last five minutes declaration, none of them wanted to face the penalty of being late. Just like the others, James walked towards a door of his choice, which had the number 27 written on it. Unlike the others, he had a stern expression on his face, because he remembered how the old man repeatedly told him to make himself useful in the world underneath. Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves James pushed the door. But, nothing happened. Instead, a hidden trap door opened underneath his feet, which caught him by surprise. The strange way in which James exited the room surprised even the others who had yet to leave the room. James had a wryly smile on his face as he slid down what looked like a tunnel, He felt as if the Kynar people were messing with them too much. With the night mode activated, he could see within the dark and cold tunnel. Since he could do nothing and did not know where the tunnel led, James cautiously enjoyed the ride to his unknown destination. While listening to the reports of the damned souls he out before the old man kidnapped him. About ten minutes later, James who had being listening to the reports of the damned souls had a stern expression on his face. Because of the information reported by the damned souls. According to the reports of his damned souls, they had yet to find signs of any intelligent race on the Island. Coupled with the fact the island was far, far larger than what James had expected. Another thing that made him livid, was that an unknown monster living in the forest ate his damned soul and he did not even notice it. It was not as if it killed the damned soul, rather it stored inside its stomach. Even with Blay De Tovar''s memories, James did not know which monster could do such a thing. However, as these thoughts flashed through his mind, he could see a light coming from about 10m. With the appearance of the light, James snapped out from his pondering demeanor, because he knew that whatever was waiting for him at the other side would require his maximum attention. Unlike when an underground trap door swallowed him, James exited the tunnel from the ceiling of a spacious room. The height from the ceiling to the floor was more than 30ft, if a normal person fell from such a height, they would suffer serious injuries or may even die, depending on how they landed. With an ugly expression on his face, James used his past military training to good use, enhanced by his high Agility stat. Like a veteran gymnast, he flipped in mid-air twice, before landing on his feet with his knees slightly bent. On his home plant, such graceful skills would have won him multiple gold medals, but within the room he landed in, all it brought James was a series of loud mocking laughter. Because of the awkward manner in which he exited the tunnel, James did not take a proper look at the room at first glance. But, having saved himself from any injury associated with falling, he had a stunned expression on his face when he saw the amount of people within the room. What made shocked him the most, was that not everyone within the room was a human. The laughter that occurred after he landed were from a group of humanoid creatures who had a gray colored skin, which was also rough. Looking at their sturdy bodies, it would leave one slacked Jawed, because even if James was to gain times three of his current weight he was nowhere near coming to the weight of these humanoids. Unlike the humans, these humanoids only had their stomach, privates and rear covered by a thick animal fur. Inspecting their faces, it would leave most people terrified, because these humanoids had massive fangs protruding out of their mouth. With a circular nose ring dropping from their round nose, their ears were also gray as it pointed outward, while their eyes looked menacing and bloodthirsty. If their bulging muscles which had veins has thick snakes, did not induce fear; then looking at the eyes of these creatures would to do the trick. Although some of them had hair on their head, the others did not.A common feature among them, was the chains around their legs, wrists and necks. The moment James looked at them, the system notification echoed in his mind. Scanning¡­ Scanning completed! Race: Ogres Rank: Unevolved. Occupation: Warriors. Level: 60¨C79. Age: >130. Path: Darkness. Quantity: 30. Other Races within a 100m radius: Slimes, Demons, Halflings, Humans, Dark Elves, Lizardmen and Beastmen. Quantity of other races: 30 per race. Apart from the fear inducing ogres, there were other races within the room common to the Black Lands. Among them, included; the Beastmen, who looked like regular men, but the only difference between them and regular humans was the fur they had on their body, coupled with an eerie-looking claw some of them had on their limbs. Just like regular humans, they also wore clothes, but their clothes resembled ancient Egyptian clothing from James''s planet. Just like the Beastmen, another race within the room was the Lizardmen. They also looked like regular humans to a certain extent. The main difference between them and humans, was the obvious tails at their rear, and greenish slimy scales which covered their bodies. Instead of having the facial features akin to a lizard, their facial features resembled that of a human. It was only their eyes and tongues that had similarities with reptilian creatures. Among the races within the room, the Dark Elves were the most beautiful. Whether it was the males or the females, they all looked gorgeous. They all had a tanned skin complexion, while having silver hair on their heads. The male among them, wore a black tunic-like upper garment, which looked as if it was an armor. While a gray pants made from cotton, matched with a pair of black leather boots covered their lower half. Meanwhile, most of the females wore knee-length black dresses, matched with Amazonian sandals, whose straps extended all the way to their knees. Those who did not dress like this, cross-dressed as their male counterparts. One common feature among them was that, they each had a short dagger hanging by the side of their waist. Meanwhile, the most divergent race within the room was the Halflings. With Blay De Tovar''s memories in his head, James already knew that the Halflings were remarkably different to the ones he read about in his former life. Some of them had humanoid appearances, while the others looked like monsters. In Skyhaven, they used the term - Halflings, to describe a being that was the offspring of two different race. If an Ogre and a Lizardman had a child, it will not adopt the race of its parents rather it will become a Halfling. With most of the considered abominations, they were the most discriminated races on the Continent of Skyhaven. Unlike most of the races found on the continent, the Halflings were the only one who did not have a particular territory of their own. They were all roaming wanderers, who were looking and longing for a place that accepted their kind. If the Halflings could be considered as the most divergent race, then the Slimes were the most predictable. There were two types of Slimes within the Continent of Skyhaven, which were; the Evolved Slimes and the Normal Slimes. Like the name suggest, the normal slimes were just the typical slimes who usually acted as waste cleaners. However, the Evolved Slimes were slimes who had gained intelligence. Unlike normal slimes, who could neither speak nor assume a definite form, the evolved slimes had intelligence on a par with humans, while also possessing the ability to transform into any shape or size. One thing they share in common with the normal slimes, was their varying colors. The last of the races within the room, were the demons. They had a humanoid appearance, coupled with a divergent color of skin color, which ranged from pale gray to a slight red. Another distinguishing feature on the bodies of these creatures, was that one could see the outline of horns emerging from their foreheads. Just like typical demons, they had a pitch black wing attached to backs, which extended out of their noblemen and noblewomen-like clothes. Just like with every race within the room, except the slimes, both sexes of their race stood in the room. Although both sexes looked beautiful and pleasing to the eyes, the aura of death loomed over the area they stood. From the condescending manner in which they looked at the other races, one could tell that they held themselves as Higher Beings compared to the others. A common trait shared by the various within the room, was that none of them had yet to reach adulthood. Just as the system''s notification sounded off in James''s mind, he heard the same feminine voice from earlier, "Children of all races, I welcome you to Kynar. You have all chosen to be reborn in Kynar, you honor us! But unfortunately, not everyone can partake in the feast we have prepared. To prove that you belong on the table, make sure you are among the last 10 members of your race left standing. There are no time limit children, please enjoy yourself!" While her voice echoed, they could hear chains rattling all over the room, and several strange growls followed. Having made it this far into Kynar, all the people within the room knew the hidden meaning behind the words of the feminine voice. Even though the announcer said only 10 people from each race would qualify for the feast, there was no guarantee that the chaos bound to begin, would be stop after getting the required number of people. Although it seemed logical for each race to fight among themselves to determine the final 10, most of the people within the room knew that it was tantamount to committing suicide, because other races could sweep in to finish them completely. Unlike humans for example, some other races within the room were not capable of fighting themselves because of their sense of kinship. They would rather slug it out with the other races to determine who had the right among them to emerge as the final 10, although some of them had no problem with acting out against a member from their own race, they had to be mindful of the atmosphere, because one false move could lead to the others forming an alliance to eliminate a common target. These were the thoughts going through the minds of some experienced members of the different races. And with this thought in mind, most of them distanced themselves from the others, because they knew an all-out battle was inevitable. James was also among those who subtly distanced himself from the group of humans beside him. Unlike the 41 youths in the room earlier, he couldn''t identify anyone from earlier. Because of this, he concluded that there were other rooms containing multiple youths. "Feeble Humans! I, Gigraaz Deddas, end life!" The menacing voice of an Ogre echoed as he pointed towards James and the other humans. Although he spoke like a human child, all the humans got the message loud and clear. The Ogres and Humans were natural enemies to each other on the Continent of Skyhaven, it was only natural that the Ogre made such a declaration. "Red baby, is mine!" Another Ogre declared as he pointed towards James, which caused him to have a brilliant smile on his face. The Ogre that chose him was the one that laughed the most when he landed earlier, from the way he was looking at James, one could easily tell that he wanted to subject James to a violent beat down. Like the Ogre who chose James, the other 29 also chose a target for themselves. While this was going on, the Beastmen and the Lizardmen were staring at each other with a menacing looking in their eyes. Although there were Halflings within the room, they ignored them. Because of the lasting hatred both communities had towards each other. However, the strangest scene with the room, occurred in the section the evolved slimes stood. Instead of targeting another species for combat, in their humanoid forms, the slimes merged with each other at an accelerated speed. Barely thirty seconds after the declaration, the 30 humanoid slimes reduced to only 10 humanoid slimes. Instead of fighting against the other races or fighting against themselves, these slimes merged to form a new slime, preserving their own lives. As for the Halflings, they had no sense of kinship towards each other or the other races, hence a brutal battle erupted within their midst. However, the Demons had nonchalant expressions on their faces to the brouhaha going on within the room. The Dark Elves who stood close to the demons had strange gleams in their eyes as they stared at the position of the Demons. Being a proud race themselves, they hated the way the Demons looked down on every other race within the room. "Listen up everyone, I believe we can survive if we band together and fight those Ogres. They may be stronger than us physically, but in terms of sorcery they are nothing but ants compared to us. What do you say?" A young man of about 17 years of age said. His words coincided with that of the Ogres when they were choosing their targets from the humans. With his expression, one could easily tell that he was expecting people to agree with his suggestions, but contrary to his expectations, none of the youths even glanced at him. They all had all maintained a cautious distance away from each other, with their attention divided between the Ogres and their fellow humans. A minute after the declaration, the spacious room had descended into a full blown chaos, but only two races had yet to make their moves, which were the humans and the Ogres. The constant sound of metal colliding against each other and the sound of explosions echoed within the room. The Halflings were decapitating each other in the most brutal way possible, which caused the screams of their victims to reverberated throughout the room while their blood painted the floors with divergent colors. And, it caused a disgusting and nauseating smell to pervade the air. Just like them, the Beastmen and Lizardmen were slugging it out in the most brutal way possible. Several nasty looking injuries decorated the bodies of the Beastmen, which was a result of the razor-sharp teeth of Lizardmen. Not only were their flesh ripped out from their bodies, it also poisoned, which caused most of the injuries to turn purplish green, with a putrid smell being released from it. Several Beastmen laid on the floor, while fresh blood continued to pour out of their corpse. Meanwhile, the Lizardmen were not faring any better than the Beastmen. Most of them were bleeding profusely from their scales covered skin, which had eerie looking claw marks on it. Several miserable hissing sounds echoed in the chaotic room, originating from those injured. some corpses of the Lizardmen had their heads cut off by the sharp claws of the Beastmen, while others had their heads crushed. The duel between the Dark Elves and the Demons was the most brutal and technical within the room, because it was a battle between two intelligent races with a high affinity for sorcery. With both of them being of the path of Darkness, the spells they used against each was far from being humane. With their inhuman like dexterity and their proficiency in using daggers, coupled with the affinity for sorcery, the Dark Elves were more than capable of holding their own against the Demons. Just like before, the Demons still maintained the same nonchalant expressions on their faces, but their eyes burned with the flames of cruelty. That the Dark Elves dared to attack a Noble race like theirs, made them enraged, but they were not willing to give the Dark Elves the satisfaction of seeing them enraged. Naturally, with several fierce encounters going within the room, some standout performers would emerge from the various races. From the section of the Halflings, the standout performer, was an 8ft tall monstrosity, who had a humanoid appearance. But, he also resembled the Beastmen with the fur found on various parts of his body. He used a long sliver bone which he broke off from his back to brutal beat any and everything that came his way, to the extent that, the sliver bone turned into a bloody red color. As for the Lizardmen, the standout performer was yet to have any injuries on her body, while also being responsible for the deaths of five Beastmen. Although she was a female, she was far more powerful than the male Lizardmen and the Beastmen around her, The only person who matched up to her, was the standout performer from the side of the Beastmen. This Beastman had bulging muscles all over his fur coated body, while resembling a giant man-gorilla. Unlike the female Lizardman who killed with precision, he ruthlessly pummeled the Lizardmen to death with his gorilla-like fist. Coating his fists with the blood of the Lizardmen, which amounted to over 8 of them. Meanwhile, the standout performer in the camp of the Dark Elves was a devilishly handsome Elf proficient in using sorcery with affinity to water. Even though he looked like a meek and calm soul, the violent manner in which he murdered the Demons that came his way, showed that he was a sadist at heart. From brutally ripping off the wings of his target to skillfully mutilating their bodies with his knife, he did everything like a seasoned butcher or surgeon of death. The standout performers from the other races, all paled when compared to his brutal killing techniques. Even after killing three demons, one could not find the slightest trace of dirt or blood on his body or clothes. However, although this Dark Elf caused so much damage to the Demons. He still paled compared to the most brutal killing machine within the room, which was a Demon who looked as if she was only a 16-year-old girl. She had a dazzling smile on her beautiful face, as she massacred the Dark Elves, Beastmen, and Lizardmen who came her way. On a closer look, she appeared to be a meek and gentle lady. She had a beautiful oval face, with long eyelashes which made her very seductive. On her gray colored skin, in slightly below her small round nose, and above her soft-looking lips was a beauty mark. Which added to the beauty of this young demon. The most striking feature of this young lady, was her beautiful red hair. Unlike the Dark Elf who killed like a skilled surgeon of death, she fought like a harbinger of death to the living world. The blood of her victims covered her from her neck to her feet, yet she giggled and smiled at the corpses. While pleading for other people to quench her thirst. Even her fellow Demons stood clear away from her. Although the battle had only lasted for a short while, everyone in the room had noted her, and gave her the title - The Crazy Red Hair. With different sounds reverberating within the room, which comprised the miserable cries of the injured, sounds of explosions caused from different sorcery, the deranged sounds of laughter coming from those who were cheerfully murdering their opponents and the sound of the injured begging for mercy, the room descended into chaos. In the midst of the chaos, the Ogres felt left out as they stared at the human with vicious looks in their eyes, which caused most of the humans to respond in kind. However, James had a brilliant smile on his face. With all the fresh Death Energy being produced, it was only natural he would be excited. Since he was facing the Ogre who threatened him, it was possible to misunderstand the reason behind his smile. The Ogre felt incensed that at James unintended provocation. For such a weak looking human to mock him with a smile was a great humiliation to him, and he had to make James suffer for it. From his point of view, if the young female demon was the crazy red hair, then James was the retarded red hair. As this thought drifted into his mind, a pitch black smog formed within the room. Immediately, James''s voice drifting into the ears of the Humans and Ogres, "What are you ugly bastards waiting for? How long are you going to keep me waiting? Hahaha... Forgive me for expecting so much from a retarded race!" James said. 17 The Crazy Red Hair II Just as he finished speaking, all the Humans beside him had dumbfounded expressions on their faces. While staring at him with a gleam of amazement in their eyes. From their point of view, James looked ordinary. For him to taunt a vile race like the Ogres, some of them felt he had gone mad. Their look of amazement only lasted for a few minutes, before rage gripped their hearts as they stared at James with bloodshot eyes. Since James''s words had the potential to infuriate the Ogres, they knew he had made their battle more difficult. Meanwhile, the Ogres flew into a fit of rage. Being creatures who wore their emotions of their sleeves, such a reaction was only natural. Just like the bewildered humans, they wondered what gave James the impetus to mock them. In fact, they did not care. The thought of smashing James to tiny bits was all that preoccupied their minds. Some members of the other races battling in the spacious room also heard James''s declaration. Like every other person, they wondered what was wrong with him. But, none of them care about his wellbeing. If he had the mouth to insult the Ogres, then he should use his fists to protect himself. Enraged by his words, the Ogres made a mad dash towards the section of the room where the humans stood, with their bloodlust radiating from their bulging bodies. The massive fists of the Ogres brutally smashed away the combating races unfortunate to come in between them and the humans, which caused the unfortunate victims to either scream from the agonizing pain or die from the brutal blow. Seeing the Ogres charging towards them, those around James could not contain the rage they felt towards him. Those who were close to James wanted to hack him down first. But to their surprise, a black mist shrouded James''s figure and the surrounding 10m. It more or less looked like a smog. Before anyone could even realize what was happening, the black smog quickly covered the human section of the room, while also spreading to the other combating races, which left them surprised to the sudden development. Although the Ogres saw the eerie-looking smog, they did not stop in their tracks. Because, there was no way they would allow someone like James talk them down and get away with it, especially when their two races hated each other to the marrow. With the room gradually descending into darkness, most of the combating races thought it was the handiwork of the Caretakers, instead of stopping to analyze what was going on, most of them saw it as the perfect camouflage to massacre the opposition. However, as the black smog grew thicker and thicker, a nasty and eerie cry echoed within the room, which was akin to the sound of the undead shouting in unison. A chill went down the spines of the combating races who heard the sickening screams, a ghoulish voice which reverberated into the room soon followed, "Arise! Army of the Fallen! Kill them all!!" While the voice echoed, the sound of footsteps within the room intensified. As if an army marched through the fields. Accompanying the erratic marching rhythm were the sounds of hollowing shrieks and groans, which would make the skin of most people crawl in terror. Seconds later, a massive free-for-all taking place within the darkness. Although darkness covered the room, most of the other races could easily adapt with their natural advantages over humans. However, the humans had to result to casting spells to illuminate their immediate surroundings. It was only those who practiced a sorcery with affinity to fire and light that were able see to a certain extent within the darkness. Meanwhile, they left the others to their fates. With the stage set for an epic brawl, what followed next did not disappoint. The Members of the Army of the Fallen launched themselves like a heating seeking torpedo towards the battling races in a brutal and precise manner. Their manner of approach was exactly the same as what happened in the Tiodon Kingdom, they wanted to cause maximum confusion with the room, which would lead to a more chaotic battle. Even though they were much weaker than all the races within the room, they could still cause significant damage to the unsuspecting combatants, which was their goal. Seconds after the appearance of the black smog, the sounds of explosion with the room and the miserable cries of those being beaten amplified by ten times. The humans who were searching for James earlier engaged the enraged Ogres which lead to a brutal beat down between the two race. Although humans were weaker than Ogres based on pure physical strength, with their warrior and sorcery training, humans were more than capable of holding their own against them. Meanwhile, in the spot where the Crazy Red Hair fought, corpses of different races littered the ground. She had a somewhat orgasmic smile on her face which made her body tremble in excitement. Even the dashing Dark Elf did not dare to near this beauty, who looked as if she was having an epiphany from murdering her victims. Instead of approaching her direction, he diverted towards the direction of the Beastmen. With the room shrouded in darkness, it was the perfect opportunity for all the perverts to massacre to their heart''s contents. Meanwhile, the young man who tried to rally the humans against the Ogres engaged several of the corpses from the Army of the Fallen. Unlike the soldiers from the Tiodon Kingdom, who outsmarted by the devious corpses, the young man skillfully dodged their crazy attacks. While brutally slaughtering them. He looked like a skilled performer from the manner he danced as he decapitated the corpses. Even though the corpses regenerated at a rapid speed, the young man had a nice time beating them to a pulp. Being a sorcerer of the path of Light, he had a small metal wand on his right hand, which he used to conjure a blue-colored blade he used in dismembering the corpses. From the graceful and precise manner in which he fought, it was easy to tell that he was not a greenhorn to battles, even the loud explosions and miserable screams did not affect him. With over ten corpses attacking him at once, the young man danced in between their midst while efficiently mutilating their already unsightly bodies. Just like everyone else, it scared him when he first saw the corpses. But after he noticed their weak strength, he could not help but have a merry smile on his face. He believed the corpses and the voice he heard earlier, originated from a caretaker. From his perspective, it was another test from the sadistic people of Kynar. Unknown to this young man, a bigger calamity was approaching from his rear. The moment he eliminated the last of the ten corpses, who did not regenerate, a monstrous fist which came out of nowhere greeted him. A thunderous booming sound echoed the moment the fist landed on the back of the youth, which caused the muffled sound of breaking bones to follow. Just like an ancient geyser, blood sprayed out from the mouth of the young man while his faces distorted in extreme pain. Before his body could propel through the air, the same fist caught him and launched him into the air while also bring in down swift motion to receive a devastating knee blow to the face. Like his spine earlier, a muffled bone breaking sound echoed. The knee strike shattered the skull of the young man. Like a ragged doll, someone hurled his bloodied corpse through the air, and a brutish voice followed, "Red baby, where you?! I kill all red baby human people!" The perpetrator of the brutal sneak attack on the youth, was the Ogre who chose James as his prey. Although what he said barely exceed being gibberish, one could easily tell his intentions, which was to kill all the humans until James revealed himself. The moment the Ogre finished his statement, he prepared to move on to the next human. But at that moment, an eerie laughter drifted into his ears, followed by a ghoulish, "Hahahaha¡­ Red Baby? Such a simple minded race. Don''t disappoint me, I''m yet to have a good bout in this world," James said. At that moment, the darkness in front of the Ogre churned. Seconds later, James''s 6ft 5inches skeletal figure emerged from the shadows. He had a nasty grin on his face, as the two deadly flames flickered in his empty eye socket. Clad in his black armor, James was akin to a knight who escaped the confines of hell to wreak havoc on the world above. The moment the Ogre saw James, there was a look of defiance in his eyes. He did not know that the person he called Red Baby was the one standing in front of him, but he was more than ready to meet the challenge of the aberration that stood in front on him. Saying nothing in response, the Ogre dashed towards James''s position with a menacing look in his eyes. As he ran, the muscles on his body bulged and trembled, too. Almost as if it would explode at any moment. However, James did not shy away from the challenge of the Ogre. He also made a beeline movement to greet the Ogre, with the help of the system, James saw the Level 67 warrior stat floating above its head. Although it would be difficult, James wanted the challenge. Since he got the Title - Grim Reaper, he had yet to test it to the limit. He believed that fighting the Ogre would reveal a few limitations of his Grim Reaper form. Such an information, would help in his future battles, and also increase his battle prowess. Although a strong opponent like Dustan revealed himself in the Tiodon Kingdom, James was not suicidal enough to fight someone of that level. With his aim to test the limit of his Grim Reaper form, James was not planning on using the Soul purifying flames or the hellfire flames. To avoid any form of interference, a much thicker smog covered their with several corpses from the Army of the Fallen keeping guard around the perimeter. The moment they got with a touching distance of each other, the Ogre launched a powerful blow towards James''s gut region, which caused his fist to generate a wheezing sound. With James''s increased Agility stat, he easily dodged the blow. Countering with an uppercut which connected sweetly with the chin of the Ogre. Contrary to James''s expectations, the massive body of the Ogre did not rise into the air; rather the Ogre tilted his head slightly to the back, before responding with a massive head-butt to James''s skull. A loud booming sound could be head as both skulls contacted each other, which caused the distance between the two to increase to 5 meters. Meanwhile the system notification sounded off in James''s mind, telling him he had lost some HP because of damage, which caused James to laugh in a deranged but joyful manner. With a short distance of 5m separating them, both of them charged towards each other with a nasty look on their faces, while a hidden gleam of excitement burned in their eyes. They both enjoyed staking their lives for the fight. From the expressions on their faces, they looked like junkies lost in the ecstasy of trying each other. Just like before, the duo exchange several blows and kicks, targeting vital spots on their bodies. Since they were both adept at countering, the battle entered a stalemate as the duo created another short distance between themselves. With his heightened stats, James moved in a ghoul like manner towards the Ogre whose breathing had become a little heavy. However, the Ogre countered by throwing a deadly blow towards James''s direction. He waited for James to enter his strike zone before attacking, and his heavy breathing had returned to normal. Unlike before, his target was James''s skull rather than his gut, and from the wheezing sound generated by his fist; he used a considerable amount of energy in the attack. For most people, dodging such a surprise attack was impossible. But, James was not most people. Like an agile monkey, he dodged the punch by tilting to the right while releasing a series of blows towards the exposed face of the Ogre in a quick succession. A muffled sonic boom accompanied each of his punches, which left the face of the Ogre looking uglier than it initially was, while also drawing blood, too. However, before James could withdraw and create a distance between him and the Ogre; like a sledgehammer, the interlocked fists of the Ogre landed on his chest which sent him flying into mid-air. Just like the young man killed earlier, the Ogre caught James''s skeletal body in mid-air, while dragging him down to receiving a brutal knee strike. But at that moment, James used his left fist to launch a devastating blow to the eye of the Ogre which caused the Ogre to scream, but it still delivered the knee strike to James''s armored shoulders. If not for James''s last attack, he would have received the attack straight to his skull. The moment the knee of the Ogre and James''s armored shoulder made contact, the screams of the Ogre became louder, because it cracked his knee, because of the durability of the Grim Reaper form''s armor. Since James was akin to the undead in the Grim Reaper form, he neither felt joy nor pain. Although the Ogre''s attack caused his HP to reduce drastically, James felt no form of emotion. He was the perfect killing machine in the Grim Reaper form, with the screams of the Ogre drifting into his ears, he jumped to his feet while also launching himself slightly into midair via the kneeling Ogre''s body. The moment the Ogre''s face and James''s knee were of the same height and perfectly aligned, James grabbed the head of the Ogre while smashing his knee into the unguarded face of the Ogre. Causing the miserable Ogre to have a dazed expression on his face while he poured out mouthful after mouthful of fresh blood, with his eyes slowly turning into a dull lifeless white color. Instead of James stopping there, he twisted his body in midair, while dropping a destructive kick on the head of the Ogre which caused the muffled sound of breaking bones to echo while blood gushed out like a flowing river from the head of the Ogre. With the Ogre falling face-first, James who was still in midair sped up the process by stamping his feet on the back of the Ogre''s head, which sent the bloodied face of the Ogre into the bloodstained floor of the room, and a thumping sound reverberated in that area. Standing on the fractured skull of the Ogre, James had a nasty smile on his face while he maintained his Grim Reaper form. "System, save the corpse in my inventory. Hahahaha¡­ Ogres are difficult to deal with, it is a good thing they are slow," James muttered with an eerie grin on his face. The moment he finished his statement, the massive body of the Ogre disappeared from the room into his Inventory. Instead of being saddened that he accumulated damage from the fight, the results of the fight made him excited. Because, the Ogre was the first person to have pushed him so far since he reincarnated in Skyhaven. Although he defeated the Ogre, James did not become haughty. Because, it was among the weakest in the Ogre group, and there were also several races that exceed the strength displayed by the Ogre. The major reason he came out on top against the Ogre, was because of his superior agility, which made the Ogre seem slow. If it were any other person, they would have suffered miserably at the hands of the Ogre. From the damage James accumulated from the fight with the Ogre, one could easily tell that it was not as easy as James claimed it to be. ''If my guess is correct, the others are probably fighting in other rooms. No wonder that old bastard kept blabbing. I''m not even among the top 50 strongest people here. Hehe¡­ This is getting interesting,'' James mused as he stared at the various combating races. Since the Ogre fell at his hands, he had his sights set on his next target. All he waited for, was the right time to strike. With the system constantly accumulating Exp via the Death Energy in the room, James felt it would be wrong it he did not contribute his own quota to the killing spree. With this thought in him and an eerie laughter reverberating in the air, James figure disappeared into the darkness. While James fought with the Ogre, varying colors of blood dyed the floors of the room red. Which caused a pungent and nauseating smell to pervade the air of the room, but still the killing within the room went on in a more brutal manner. Each race had long met the 10 per race quota, but they all continued to battle with reckless abandon. Even the slimes who had no business in the battle initially, Joined the foray the moment Darkness covered the room. Even though they were slimes, their killing techniques was just as brutal as the other races. Instead of attacking one specific race, they attacked all the races within the room, while paying special attention to the humans. An unsuspecting young human lady was the first victim of the slimes. The manner in which the humanoid blue colored slime killed her was bizarre, but bloody and gruesome. The moment it set its eyes of the young lady, it turned into a gelatinous blob, while forcing itself into the orifices of the young lady which left her gasping for air while her body trembled. The moment the slime disappeared into her body, hundreds of tiny spike-like projections suddenly burst out from the body of the young lady which caused her body to resemble a perforated tank of water. Blood poured out from every opening in her body, even are organs, too. Before the body of the young lady dropped to the ground, the slime had vacated her perforated body, while looking for the next target. However, some humans also eliminated the slimes. Especially those who practised sorcery with affinity to Fire. With fire being a major weakness to slimes, they did not stand a chance against the sorcerers. Unlike before when each race had 30 members, which was a total population of 240 beings within the room. Ten minutes after the commencement of the brawl and eight minutes after the appearance of the black smog, there were only 28 people left from the eight races put together. The humans had only 3 members left, the Ogres had 4, the Dark Elves had 5 & the Demons, too. Meanwhile, the slimes had 7 members left, the Beastmen had 2 members left, and the Lizardmen & the Halflings each had one member left. As fate would have it, none of the standout performers of each race had yet to fall within the battle. But, with the way things were going, it was inevitable they would collide. Since James was killing like true Grim Reaper, no one could detect his presence within the smog, they had even forgotten about him. In fact, no one cared if he was still alive or not. The standout performer of the humans, was a tall youth who looked only 19 years of age. His kill count in the battle was already up to 10, spread among the various races. Although he was from the path of Light, he was a cold and brutal killing machine who did not hesitate to eliminate members of his own kind. Clad in a blue warrior''s armor, he fought against one of the Dark Elves within the room, with the Dark Elf being at a disadvantage.Even though he had no weapons, he used the gauntlet on his hands to pummel the Dark Elf in a manner that rendered it miserable. Wasting no time, the young man grabbed the head of the Dark Elf, as he twisted it without mercy, ending the life of the Dark Elf. He felt neither joy nor sorrow as he took the life of the Dark Elf, instead his eyes searched for the next target. Just as he was about to make a move, a sweet and gentle voice drifted into his ears, "Hehe¡­ Handsome, will you play with me? You will play with me, right? I''ll give you something special if you do¡­ Hehe¡­" As the voice echoed, the handsome face of the young man became ugly. Because the person who said those words, was none other than the female demon who had the nickname - the Crazy Red Hair. Since the humans did not fight off the bat, he watched how she brutally killed over 4 Dark Elves in less than two minutes. From his expression, one could easily tell that he wanted nothing to do with the young demon. Just as the young man wanted to back away, a white glint appeared in the darkness. At that moment, a dagger embedded itself in the youth''s skull. Although he was already dead, his corpse had a stunned expression on his face as he fell to the ground. Meanwhile, the young demon had a displeased expression on her beautiful face. "Who the hell dares to play with my food! Do you¡­" before she could finish her statement, a ghoulish but cheerful laughter interrupted her. Followed by a ghoulish voice, "Food? Hahaha¡­ What right does a demon have to kill one of my kind? You want to play, right? Don''t worry, I''ll keep you company. I rarely play with little girls, but I''ll make an exception for redheads!" Hearing these words, spoken in a condescending voice, the face of the young demon had a masochistic smile on it, which made her face looked radiant as she stared at a certain part of the darkness. Seconds later, James''s Grim Reaper form emerged from the darkness with a nasty grin on his skeletal face as he stared at the young demon who briefly had a stunned expression on her face after seeing him. Seconds later, she had an orgasmic smile on her face, while her lust inducing voice echoed, "A Grim Reaper? Although you are skinny, I''ll enjoy the meal." 18 Announcement!!! @@ Hi guys, Mrdojo here. Don''t worry, I''m not here to announce another break. Rather, I''m doing a giveaway!I''ve some promo codes (12) for my audiobook (Necromancer System). If you''re interested, lemme know, and I''ll send it to you. There is a catch though. You have to review the novel, simple right? P.s. it''s totally free. You don''t have to pay anything. P.p.s. I''ll give the codes on a first come first serve basis. If you''re interested, send me a message on discord @ Mrdojo#8216. Mrdojo.@@ 19 Emissary From the Order Within an unknown room and in an unknown location, several figures clad in black robes stared at glistering mirrors which projected the images of a fierce battle between the various races. Among the thirty mirrors in the room, one of them had projected nothing but darkness. A total contrast to the remaining twenty-nine mirrors. Meanwhile, the cloaked individuals which numbered in the hundreds, laughed and chatted as they watched the grueling battles. One of the major talking point of their discussion centered on the events that was taking place in James''s combat room, which was the only glistering mirror that had no image projected on it. Although they heard sounds of explosions and pleas of mercy from the room, they did not know what was happening in the room. "What''s wrong? Why did we lose the image from that room?" "What''s going on in this room? Is this sorcery?" "I''m not sure. This is really strange. This is the first time the Oron Mirrors has failed." "Hmmm¡­ That black mist is not something ordinary. I wonder why the Headmaster has not stopped the bout, the amount of trainees in that venue keeps dropping." "Hehehe¡­ Who knows what she is planning, maybe she wants only one person from each race to survive¡­" While the cloaked individuals discussed with each other, another series of events was taking place in another unknown location. Within a well-furnished room, illuminated by the multicolored glow of various crystals, two individuals sat a few feet away from each other. Just like the other dark room which had several Oron Mirrors, this room also had the same amount of mirrors. Unlike the rowdy discussion taking place in the other dimension, the room was eerily quiet and only the sound of the raging battles echoed in the room. Taking a closer look at the two individuals, one would notice they gave off contrasting auras. Seated on a green colored chair, was a beautiful lady who looked like an eternal beauty. She had a black flowing hair on her head, which matched her pitch black eyes and succulent looking lips. She wore the same outfit as the supervisors of Kynar, but had multiple red crucifix pendants attached to her robes. Although she looked like a lady in the prime of her life, her eyes had a look of an ancient being. As she watched the events taking place on the mirrors, she had a devious smile on her face which made her look somewhat seductive. Unlike this lady who looked as if she was enjoying the battles being projected on the mirrors, the expression of the second lady was unknown. Because, she had a strange blue mask on her face. The blue mask on her face contrasted with her silver flowing her, which fell on either side of her shoulders. The unique feature about this mask was the strange question mark drawn on its surface. Unlike the other lady who wore a white and black mage''s robe, she wore a silver robe which had several eerie-looking red markings on it. With both individuals focusing on the battle being projected, they did not bother to discuss with each other. Only the sound of cries and screams being projected from the Oron Mirrors echoed in the room. However, the smiling lady broke the silence a few minutes later, when her melodious voice echoed, "Emissary, what do you think of our new recruits?" "Whether they will become useful to the Order is unknown, but some of them have potential. This news will please the Elders. Good work, Headmaster Piri," The masked lady said. Her voice was a bit hoarse, it was almost as if something was restraining her from using her real voice. Hearing the words of the emissary, the lady named Piri had a radiant smile on her face as she replied, "Thank you Emissary. Have you taken an interest in anyone of them?" "Headmaster Piri, I think you should focus more on the battle taking place in room 10. Do you plan on letting all of them die?" The emissary asked. Causally brushing off Piri''s enquiry. However, Piri only laughed while having a teasing smile on her face. "Although they have attained the minimum requirements, I don''t want to spoil the fun the children are having. It will be too cruel if I don''t let them have a fill, don''t you think so?" Piri said. The moment she finished speaking, she stared intently at the emissary with her pitch black eyes, while having a seductive smile on her face. "I don''t give a damn what you have in mind towards those children. Keep in mind that, I must report all events taking place in the screening. So, if you want to kill them all, you better have a good reason for it. I''ve seen enough of the recruit, I''ll be returning to the headquarters," The emissary said as she lazily got up from her seat. "I''m sorry for the delay Emissary, please don''t add this in your report. I''ll bring an end to the selection process. Please stay a while, we haven''t gotten the reports from the headquarters yet," Piri said in a pleading voice, while having an apologetic expression on her face. Hearing Piri''s words, the emissary who stood up previously sat down for a second time, while Piri got up and made her way towards a strange formation in the room. The moment she arrived at the center of the circular formation, she disappeared from the room. Leaving the emissary behind, but at that same moment, the mumbled voice of the emissary echoed within the room. "What an annoying lady. I wonder what kind of skill generates that black mist, it render even the Oron Mirrors useless. Hmmm¡­ at least coming here is better than searching for Blay De Tovar." Meanwhile, in the other room where the cloaked individuals watched the battle; they suddenly heard a melodious voice, "The Selection process is coming to a close. Supervisors, you all know what to do. Go!" "Yes Headmaster!" The cloaked individuals replied in unison. At that same moment, they disappeared from the room. On the mirrors found within the room, one could see several gory battles taking place, which produced a high fatality rate. The images of some youths who were in the coliseum with James also appeared on the Mirrors, with one of them projecting the image of Rowan killing the young lady who was searching for her sister. A few seconds after the supervisors disappeared from the hidden room, Piri''s voice reverberated within the various fighting rooms, "Congratulations children. You have earned the right to feast on the tables of Kynar. You have three seconds to stop all forms of fighting." A few seconds before Piri''s message, James and the red haired demon were still staring at each other with menacing looks in their eyes, while the sounds of battle rage around them. Unlike James who had a stern expression on his skeletal face, the young demon had a smug look on her face. The reason for this, was because of the three pitch black aberrations swirling above the head of the young demon.The moment these aberrations appeared, James received a system notification. Looking at these aberrations, they were spiritual entities which looked like vicious devils from the depths of hell. They were pitch black, while also having claws that looked as if it was bathed in blood. The most surprising feature about these aberrations was their striking resemblance to James''s damned souls. In fact, they resembled a matured and more ruthless version of his damned souls. Scanning Item¡­ Scanning completed! Warning! Warning! Warning! Name: Lesser Demons. Rank: poor. Effects: Item can devour all Item named - Damned Souls and Army of the Fallen. Item can attack the user. Limitations: Item cannot possess and assassinating the user. Item is weak against the Skill - Hell Fire Manipulation. The user''s Soul purifying flames can refine the Item. Estimated time for refinement: 20 days! Odds of the user defeating the item: 90%. Warning! Warning! Warning! Changes to the Target detected! Scanning Target Again¡­ Scanning completed! Name: ??? Age: ??? Race: Demon. Rank: Student and Knight. Level: 10-27 (sorcerer), 60 (Warrior). Occupation: Sorcerer, Warrior, Soul Tamer, and Torturer. Path: Darkness. Current status: Suffering from Mana Deviation. Effects: Mana in the target fluctuates between levels and only lasts for 12 days. Target will attain the highest level once it completes the Mana Deviation process. Target will suffer mental and physical pain during the Mana Deviation process. Limitations: Process can kill the target if it succumbs to the pain. Starting the Mana Deviation process does not guarantee the process will increase the level of the target. Odds of the user defeating the Target: 30% After reading the information displayed by the system, James felt cheated. When he first scanned the demon, she was only a level 19 sorcerer and a level 20 knight, while his odds of victory was at 80%. He did not know how the situation suddenly turned against him, even the knowledgeable Blay De Tovar had nothing in his memories relating to Mana Deviation. It also surprised him when he saw the words - Lesser Demons. Because, he had a feeling they were the next rank after the Damned souls. It was usually his thing to act weak to devour his opponents, but this was the first time someone was playing this same trick on him. "Are you going to let a lady make the first move? Where is your decency? Aren''t you a man? Hehehe¡­" the young demon said in a teasing voice. However, James said nothing in response. But, he wished he could slap the scammer in front of him. "What a boring Grim Reaper. You can''t¡­" before the demon could finish her goading words, James''s ghoulish voice interrupted her, "Nobody likes a lady who is too clingy. This is your lucky day, I''m willing to let you and your ugly demons go." Hearing James''s words, the young demon had an amused expression on her face. She could not stop herself from laughing when James said would let her go. That James could see her Lesser Demons did not come as a surprise to her. In fact, James not being able to see them would have been the greater surprise. However, the amused expression on her face gradually disappeared. Within seconds, her face turned stone cold. "Do you think I will let you go just like that? I have never fought a Grim Reaper, let me see if you guys are worth the hype. Don''t worry, I will only¡­" before she could finish her words, she felt a slight heat wave. Originating from two Hell-Fire fireballs appearing on James''s hands. As he stared at her, he uttered the word "Come." At that same moment, Piri''s announcement reverberated within the four corners of the room. But, neither James nor the young demon backed down. Before the duo could charge at each other, they felt a slight breeze in the room. Before James could process what was happening, the system display appeared in his mind. Warning! Warning! Warning! The user''s Skill - Mana Manipulation, is being forcefully dispersed. The user has 20 seconds until it''s deactivated! Warning! Warning! Warning! Several Targets above the user will soon enter the room! ''Hmmm¡­ It seems the people behind this Kynar are finally making their move. Well, they came at the right time. I did not want to waste to waste my time fighting such a weirdo,'' James mused. With several unknown people approaching, the Hell-Fire on James''s fistdisappeared. Which surprised the young demon, just as she wanted to speak, one of her Lesser Demons relayed something to her in a strange dialect. At that moment, she had of sudden enlightenment. "We''ll play with each other next time, I''ll be seeing you around," James said. Before the young demon could say a word in response, the black smog within the room churned, while James''s Grim Reaper physique disappeared within the darkness. A few seconds later, the room became brightly lit. Revealing multiple mangled corpses on the blood-soaked floor. Only 28 survivors emerged from the frenzied battle, among them was a young boy with a brilliant red hair on his head. He had a mysterious smile on his face as he stared at a red-haired young demon, whose eyes probed the room in search for someone or something. Meanwhile, members of the other races had miserable looks on their faces. Most of them had just experienced the most gruesome battle of their lives. 20 Captain Vadis Under the scorching noon sun, a slight fragrant wind blew a grassy field in the Great Forest known as Mathras. The occasional sounds of birds chirping and the faint howls of beasts whistled through the air. Apart from a group of four traveling through the grassy field, nothing looked out of the ordinary in the picturesque scenery. They small group walked through the only path carved in the field which led towards a fairly large settlement made from a sturdy gray wood. Since the grassy field sloped downwards, these travelers had a perfect view of the military like settlement. From their standing, position, they saw an oddly shaped wooden barrier surrounding the perimeter of the settlement. They also saw over twenty soldiers station at different locations. However, the most obvious attraction of this settlement, was the massive female statue which stood at the center of the city. Its elegance and majesty was on display, and it made the settlement look like a spiritual, holy land. "We are finally here. It has been three weeks already. It was tiring traveling such a long distance," Deython said. He had a weary but satisfied expression on his face as he stared at the settlement below. "Stop complaining, Deython. It''s your fault we lost our mounts. If you had done your job, we would have arrived here a long time ago," Arilya said. Unlike Deython, she had a somewhat stern expression on her face as she stared at the settlement below. Because of the scorching sun, beads of sweat covered the top of her forehead. "Captain, are you really blaming me for that? It''s obviously the fault of those vermin from the Black Lands. How¡­" before Deython could finish his statement, Arilya interjected. "I don''t want to hear your excuses. We are still a long way from reaching the Capital. Hopefully, the captain of this station will lend us some mounts," Arilya said as she stared at Deython. However, she suddenly diverted her gaze towards the two individuals standing behind him. "Elhorn, are you still experiencing symptoms of the mind corrosion?" Arilya asked. "High-Arilya, I better now. Thank you for looking after me and Elder Lumvug over the last three weeks," Elhorn said as he bowed his head in gratitude. Just like him, Lumvug also bowed. However, Arilya said nothing in response. She only nodded her head, while cleaning the sweat from her forehead with a small white handkerchief, and her expression was not as fierce as when she talked with Deython. After the events of that day, the small party journeyed towards the capital city of Mathras. Unfortunately, their mounts at the hands of an unknown assailant. But, they suspected it was the handiwork of the taskmasters from The Order. With the death of their mounts, they had to journey on foot for the past three weeks. To prevent a repeat of the former calamity, Oravera and Valolora stayed behind to heal and protect the residents of Elhorn''s settlement. With the amount of resources in the forest, they did not starve or thirst. They ate fruits and killed beasts as they traveled, while drinking fresh water from hidden springs and flowing rivers. "Let''s not waste any more time. Deython, do you still remember the plan?" Arilya asked with a meaningful look in her eyes. Deython, on the other hand, felt somewhat embarrassed by her question. "Captain, you don''t have to make fun of me. I know what I''ve to do. Once we get to the settlement, I''ll take some of their guards and head back to their village," Deython said as he pointed at Lumvug and Elhorn. "After which, I''ll join up with Valolora and Oravera. Hopefully, we will catch up with you on your way to the capital," Deython added. "All right, let''s move," Arilya said with a rare smile on her face. But, Deython felt terrified after seeing her smile. Meanwhile, Elhorn and Lumvug said nothing. Because, they knew their status as Forest-Elves was lower than compared to the High-Elves. But, they wondered what made Deython terrified by Arilya''s smile. Since no natural barrier obstructed the view of the guards in the settlement, they had already noticed the traveling group. But, they could not determine their identities. Within the settlement, a Forest-Elf wearing a leather armor took hurried steps as he climbed the stairs of a four storey building. As he got to the third floor, his breathing became somewhat heavy, and he had an anxious expression on his face. Unlike the previous floors, he did not climb beyond the third floor. Because, two High-Elves manned the staircase leading to the final floor. "Who are you and what business do you have here? Don''t you know the third and fourth floor is forbidden for Forest-Elves?" A High-Elf dressed in casual clothing said. He had an obvious condescending look in his eyes as he stared at anxious Forest-Elf. Just like him, his counterpart also had this same expression on his face, but he had a somewhat livid expression on his face. "High¡­ High¡­ High¡­" scared out of his mind, the Forest-Elf stuttered. Although he knew what he wanted to say, the pressure from the two High-Elves made him too nervous to compose himself. "Speak, fool! If you don''t have a good reason for coming here, you will definitely be punished" the other High-Elf yelled. His hands were already curled into a fist. Unfortunately, his reaction only made the guard more scared. To the extent, his legs wobbled. A few seconds later, he fell to the floor. Infuriated, the High-Elf who yelled earlier, kicked him in the gut. Which sent the pitiful Forest-Elf into mid-air, as he vomited on the silver boots of the High-Elf. "Hahaha¡­ It seems you''re tired of having a peaceful life. A mere Forest-Elf dares to vomit on my shoes? When I''m done with you, it will teach other lower beings to know their place," the High-Elf said as he stared at the Forest-Elf with a subtle smile on his face. Meanwhile, his partner folded his arms across his chest. With an amused expression on his face, he stared at the pitiful Forest-Elf who continued to cough. He did not even have the strength to beg for mercy. With his left leg raised, the High-Elf towered over the body of the Forest-Elf. Calculating the trajectory of his raised foot, it would land on the right leg of the Forest-Elf. Although it did not look like the High-Elf had the intention of causing any permanent damage, the Forest-Elf would nonetheless feel a great deal of pain. With an indifferent expression on his face, the foot of the High-Elf came charged towards the leg of the Forest-Elf. But, seconds before impact, a gentle voice reverberated within the room, "Feynron, stop!" With superhuman agility, the High-Elf named Feynron retracted his foot as if nothing had happened. "Addor, heal him. Let''s hear what he has to say. If he broke the rules for no reason, Feynron, send him to the prison; he will spend the next two months there," the mysterious person added. Feynron and Addor both had faint smiles on their faces as they stared at the Forest-Elf. They did not take delight in his misery, rather; the command made them slightly surprised. "You better answer before Captain Vadis changes his mind and increase you punishment," Addor said as he approached the Forest-Elf. With only a few inches between them, the diamond-shaped mark on his forehead glowed in a radiant green glow which fell on the body of the Forest-Elf. Although the glow only appeared for a few seconds, it caused a great change in the body of Forest-Elf. He stopped coughing and his face looked livelier. "Speak. My time is limited," the voice of the Elf called Captain Vadis echoed again. But, this time it did not fluster the Forest-Elf which was because of the effects of the mysterious green glow. "Captain High-Vadis, I''m sorry for intruding. But, I had no choice. While manning my station, I and some of my brothers noticed a strange party of four approaching from the distance¡­" Before the Forest-Elf could finish his statement, Feynron interrupted him. "The closest settlement is that of a Forest-Elves. Did you break the rule because of that?" He said. Addor also had this thought in mind. He felt it was pointless for the Forest-Elf to report the arrival of other Forest-Elves. Although it happened rarely, Elves migrated from one settlement to another based on a myriad of reasons. "Feynron, let him finish. I don''t believe he broke the rules for such a travesty. But if that''s all there is to his report, then send him to the prison. Instead of two months, he will spend the next six months in the pits," Captain Vadis added. While his voice echoed, sweat covered the forehead of the Forest-Elf. "High-Ones. That''s not all," he hurriedly said. "Among the four arrivals, two of them are High-Ones, and they demanded to speak to the Captain," the Forest-Elf added. Meanwhile, Addor and Feynron had surprised expressions on their faces. Because, it was rare for another High-Elf to wander to their settlement. "Where are they now?" Captain Vadis asked. "Captain High-Vadis, they are at entrance of the settlement," the Forest-Elf said. Seconds after he finished his statement, the sound of an old creaking door drifted into their ears. A few seconds later, they could hear the sounds of light footsteps. A minute later, a tall High-Elf wearing a blue leather uniform stood at the bottom of the staircase. Like most High-Elves, he had a devilishly handsome face and the same diamond mark on his forehead. But, he wielded no weapons. Instead, he wore two silver gauntlets on both arms. With his deep blue eyes which resembled a serene ocean, he stared at the Forest-Elf who looked overwhelmed and the two High-Elves. Unlike Addor and Feynron, he looked like a peaceful and gentle being. With an aura that matched goddesses of peace. "Addor, Feynron, wear your uniforms. Let''s go greet our brethren," Captain Vadis said. Turning his head to the Forest-Elf, he said, "Lead the way." 21 Bligh "What''s taking him so long?" Deython said with his brows furrowed. Over ten minutes had gone by since they entered the settlement, yet nobody had attended to him. Meanwhile, as Deython complain, Arilya remained silent. She only sat on her seat while having a pensive look on her face. Nothing stood out within the small wooden cabin they stay. Even the furniture looked worn out and showed signs of decay. However, its condition was still better than most of the homes in Elhorn and Lumvug''s settlement. Just like Arilya, the duo also said nothing in response to Deython''s words of complaint. Not that they did not have their own opinions on the matter, they just did not have the right or authority to air their views. Within the small wooden cabin which had a faint murky smell, only the sounds of Deython''s footsteps echoed within the room. Occasionally, he would curse or complain, too. A few seconds later, Arilya snapped out from her pensive state as she stared at the Forest-Elves with a strange gleam in her eyes. Which caused the duo to shudder involuntarily. "Since this is not my station, I don''t have the authority to overrule the decision of the High-Elf stationed here. Unless, my rank is higher than theirs," Arilya said with a relaxed expression on her face. Meanwhile, Elhorn and Lumvug did not know why she told them that information. However, they listened to her words intently. Even Deython who had been growing irritated, paused his aimless pacing, while focusing his attention on Arilya. "Depending on the person in charge, it might become very difficult for you two to stay here. I don''t think I need to remind you of the hierarchy among our race, right?" Arilya asked with a somewhat stern expression of her face. Involuntarily, both Forest-Elves nodded their heads in approval. "Good. When the Captain arrives, say nothing unless I give you permission to speak. Also, if there is a need, you must share the same story you told us about your brother, Hariel," Arilya said as she focused on Elhorn''s reaction. Surprised by her words, Elhorn''s face twitched as he heard Hariel''s name. However, Lumvug had a faint smile on his face. Over the last couple of weeks, the duo relayed every bit of information they had on Hariel. Although Elhorn was reluctant to give out information on his younger brother, he did not have a choice. Even if he said nothing, Lumvug would have gladly given out the information. "Captain, is that necessary? Although he is an extremist, that Hariel is just a small character, is there any point in mentioning his name?" Deython asked. "Deython, if he is a small character, how did he¨Ca mere Forest-Elf, escape out formation? Do you think he was just lucky? Or, you feel that we are weaker than a mere small character?" Arilya said. She stared at Deython with her left brow raised while awaiting his response. However, Deython remained silent. Because, he too could not explain how Hariel escaped that day. With Deython growing silent, Arilya continued her statement, "Elhorn, you can do that, right?" "Yes, High-Arilya," Elhorn said with his head lowered. Because, he did not want to look at Arilya''s probing gaze. "Good. Lumvug, if Elhorn becomes overwhelmed, then you cover for him. Okay?" Arilya added. "Yes, High-One. I''ll do whatever I can to aid you," Lumvug said. Unlike Elhorn, he had a smile on his face as he stared at Arilya. "All right. Once you give your testimony in the capital, we will escort you back to your village," Arilya said while fiddling with the surface of the table that separated her from the duo. "Thank you, High-One. It''s my pleasure to aid you in capturing¡­" before Lumvug could finish his statement, Arilya interrupted him. "They are here. Deython, prepare to leave at once," Arilya said. Then, she faced Elhorn and Lumvug, "Remember what I told you," she added. Just as she finished her statement, a gentle voice echoed with the room. "Pardon the intrusion!" While the voice echoed, the creaking door of the cabin opened, and three High-Elves in a blue uniform made their way into the cabin. Which prompted Arilya and the Forest-Elves to rise to their feet. Meanwhile, Vadis probed the four-man party with his deep blue eyes which resembled a beautiful sea. While sporting an amicable smile which could melt the frostiest of hearts. "Welcome to Fyhir, my brethren. My name is Vadis, and I''m the Captain of this Settlement," Vadis said with a gentle smile on his face. these are my deputies, Addor and Feynron. May I ask who am speaking with, and why you have requested to see me?" Vadis added. From the way he talked and gestured, one could easily tell he was a courteous man. He even bowed a little after introducing himself and his deputies. "Forgive us for intruding in your territory Captain Vadis. My name is Arilya, Captain under the roaming force, and this is my deputy, Deython," Arilya said while bowing a little. She also had a rare, but a faint smile on her face as she spoke. Just like Addor and Feynron, Deython did not bow in greetings. Because, Arilya represented him. Just as Vadis represented Addor and Feynron. Meanwhile, the corner of Addor and Feynron''s eyes twitched as they heard Arilya''s words. With their mouths almost opening in surprise. However, Vadis was like a serene lake. There was no change to facial expression after hearing Arilya''s words. ''Hmmm¡­ this guy is not even fazed by a member of the Roaming Force. He must be someone deployed from the Capital,'' Deython thought within his mind. Arilya also had the same thought in mind as she stared at Vadis. Mentioning the force she belonged was her probe to determine if she ranked above Vadis in their complex military hierarchy. "Wow! It''s rare for a Captain from the Roaming Force to arrive here. Forgive me for not recognizing you. So... Captain Arilya, what brings you to Fyhir?" Vadis asked. "Captain Vadis, it''s a fairly long story. Pardon me for skipping for minor details," Arilya said while gesturing for Vadis to take a seat. When both of them had their seat, she continued her statement, "Three weeks ago, while patrolling the periphery of our kingdom. I and my deputies came across a young messenger Forest-Elf from a nearby settlement. Through her, we learned a group of creatures from the Black Lands had invaded our territory. Unfortunately, when we arrived at the location of the battle, several of the Parfs from the tribe had fallen at the hands of the invaders¨Cthe Ogres. Most of the Forest-Elves died because of Soul Corroding Powder," Arilya paused at this point. Because, Vadis facial expression changed for the first time. "Captain Arilya, please don''t be offended, but are you confident it''s Soul Corroding Powder the Ogres used, and not a variant of it?" Vadis asked. Although his question seemed harmless, Deython''s face distorted in anger. From his point of view, Vadis line of question doubted Arilya''s abilities. Seeing Deython''s reaction to his question, Vadis had an apologetic smile on his face, but did not apologize for asking the question. However, Arilya maintained the same facial expression, and did not take offence at Vadis words. "Captain Vadis, if you doubt my words, you can send one of your deputies to verify my claims. The settlement is only five days away using a Manjar Horse," Arilya said. "No¡­ no, no. That''s not what I meant Captain Arilya. How can I question the judgement of a Captain from the Roaming Force? Please continue," Vadis said with an apologetic smile on his face. "All right. Since the Forest-Elves do not have the blessings of our ancestors, they couldn''t protect themselves from the effects of the Soul Corroding Powder. Fortunately, my unit arrived on time to subdue the invaders. But, another foe emerged from the shadows. The Taskmasters of The Order¡­" before Arilya could finish her statement, Vadis interrupted her. "What?! The same Order from the Black Lands?" Vadis said. Unlike before, he had lost his calm demeanor. Meanwhile, Arilya gently nodded her head. On the other hand, Vadis reaction stunned Addor and Feynron. From their facial expressions, they did not know about the organization called The Order. "How is this possible? Why is The Order supporting the Ogres? What is their aim? Have you reported this to the capital?" Vadis asked. "From the information we got from one of the captured Ogres, he said The Order executed the kidnapping of many youths from the Great Kingdoms, Allied Kingdoms, Small Kingdoms, and the Black Lands. Unfortunately, we don''t know the reason behind this strange order. We have not reported the case to the capital yet, because we lost our mounts during the battle with the Taskmasters. That is the reason we traveled here. I hope you can spare some of your resources to enable us report this case. I also hope you can dispatch some of your men to protect the small settlement. Two of my deputies are protecting them as we speak. Deython can show your men the way. What do you say, Captain Vadis?" Arilya asked. However, Vadis remained silent as he tried to process all the information he received. Although he assumed a pensive demeanor, he would occasionally stare at Lumvug and Elhorn. Since Vadis had not responded, Arilya said nothing further. While she and Deython awaited his response. A few minutes later, Vadis broke the silence in the room, as he said, "Addor and Feynron will escort your deputy to retrieve the others. I have a swift-pigeon in my office, you can use it to deliver your message to the capital. I can''t blame you for the misfortune that happened to your mounts, but you can''t delay this report anymore. However, why have you brought these two here?" Vadis said as he pointed at Lumvug and Elhorn. Before Arilya could respond, Addor, Feynron, and Deython made their way out of the cabin in hurried steps. Just as they shut the creaking door behind them, Arilya responded. "Thank you, Captain Vadis. I will remember this favor." However, Vadis waved his hand casually, as if telling Arilya not to bother with formalities. "Apart from the Ogres and Taskmasters, another person appeared that day. A banished tribesman from their settlement," Arilya paused at this point as she placed a blue scarf on the table. Which caused Vadis to have a curious expression on his face. "Captain Arilya, this is¡­?" Vadis asked as he stared at the scarf. "Captain Vadis, have you heard of heretical movements among lower Elves?" Arilya asked. "Of course. I don''t know what the lower Elves are trying to accomplish, but those heretics are only wasting their lives. They can''t change the hierarchy created by our ancestors. Wait¡­ does this scarf have something to do with them?" Vadis asked with a keen expression on his face. However, Arilya took her time as she responded. "Captain Vadis, I also believe those heretics are wasting their time. But, one of those groups has risen to prominence in the last couple of years. Captain, have you heard of the organization called Blight?" Arilya asked. Meanwhile, Vadis eyes bulged as his breathing became somewhat heavy. He had a look of disbelief as he stared at the scarf while muttering, "Captain Arilya, you mean¡­ this scarf belongs to a member of Blight?" "I''m not one hundred percent sure, but I believe he has some connections with them," Arilya said. However, Vadis reaction caught her off guard, and piqued her curiosity. Titling his head slightly, Vadis stared at Lumvug and Elhorn who felt terror from staring at Vadis deep blue eyes. "You two, tell me all you know about the banished member of your tribe, and don''t leave out anything," Vadis said. 22 Omen Tongues Despite his trepidation, Elhorn did not dare refute Vadis order. Meanwhile, Lumvug could not wait to spill all he knew. "Elhorn, you can start," Arilya said after throwing him a casual glance. "Yes, High-One. The owner of the scarf is my adopted brother, Hariel," Elhorn said. Captain Vadis brows furrowed a little after Elhorn''s declaration. Before, Elhorn could continue his statement, Arilya motioned for him to stop. "Captain Vadis, is there a problem?" Arilya asked while staring at him with a probing gaze. However, Vadis had his eyes focused on Elhorn. With a faint smile on his face, he retorted, "Captain Arilya, I''m good. Will you give me permission to ask the questions? I don''t want to interrogate your subordinates on my volition." Vadis still had his eyes focused on Elhorn and Lumvug. Although he had a faint smile on his face, his eyes had an undescribable gleam in it. "Okay. You can ask them whatever you want. But you must do here it," Arilya said. "Of course. That''s not a problem," Vadis said as he flashed an amiable smile towards Arilya. Before turning his head towards Elhorn, "What happened to the parents of your adopted brother? How did they die, and what was their position in your tribe?" Vadis asked. "High-One, Hariel''s parents served under the scouting unit of our Parf, and they both held the position of squad leader. Unfortunately, they died while rescuing the victims of the Harew fire which razed the Harew settlement. We never found their bodies," Elhorn said. His hands were curled into a fist as recounted the events leading to the demise of Hariel''s parents. "You, is this accurate?" Vadis said as he stared at Lumvug. "Yes, High-One," Lumvug hurriedly said. Which made Vadis place his hand on his chin as if he was in deep thought. "Okay. Why was he banished from the tribe?" Vadis asked. At this point, Elhorn involuntarily closed his eyes while sighing like a dejected man. "High-One, Hariel committed the crime of blasphemy against the image of our ancestor. He also tried to convince the younger Elves to abandon the teachings of the High-Ones. He targeted talented but unknown members of the Parfs. Being a squad leader himself, he could lead them to their meeting place under the guise of training. Unknown to us, he had recruited over fifty percent of the Parfs. They planned on forming a movement that would liberate other Elf settlements. He allowed anyone to join their cause, as long as they stood against the rules of the High-Ones. The night they planned on liberating a settlement, one of his followers who had seen the error of their ways confessed to Elder Lumvug. Unfortunately, we could not stop them before they left the settlement. We rallied the remaining members of the Parfs and gave chase. But since they had a five-hour head start, we lagged behind," Elhorn paused at this point. Because, his voice became incoherent. However, Vadis waited patiently for him to continue. Although Lumvug was eager to continue from where Elhorn paused, he refrained from doing so. Arilya''s strict warning still echoed in his mind. "Forgive me, High-One. When we caught up with them, we saw a scene we''ll never forget for the rest of our lives. A few meters before the Varhir settlement, we found hundreds of corpses littered on the ground. They all died from a dagger wound. We feared the worst when we saw the corpses, but none of them belonged to our Parfs. However, it only made us more anxious. When we got to the Varhir settlement, we saw the same scene. But this time, it was the corpses of our brothers and sisters littering the ground. Words cannot describe how we felt that day. After gathering the corpses, we couldn''t find Hariel''s. Before we could search for him, a survivor stumbled out from the surrounding forest. He kept on muttering the same words over and over¡­" before Elhorn could finish his statement, Vadis interrupted him. "Whatdid he say?" Vadis asked. "High-One, he said, Kill him¡­ please kill him. Hariel... betrayed us. I''m¡­" Elhorn said. "So, what happened after? Did you find him? From the look on your face you did not go after him, right?" Vadis said as he motioned for Lumvug to answer. "Yes, High-One. Elhorn, convinced us that our best course of action was to return to the settlement. We did not know if Hariel would decimate of settlement like Varhir. That same night, we expunged his name from our records, and banished him from our tribe. We also sent a report to the High-Ones in the Capital. Since that day we never saw him again, that is until he returned to the settlement three weeks ago," Lumvug said. "Elhorn, you are the one who reported your brother, right?" Vadis suddenly said. At that moment, Arilya''s brows furrowed a little while Elhorn''s body shuddered involuntarily. "No need to answer. I already know the answer, but what I don''t understand is how Hariel turned into a heretic. Elhorn, what have you not told me?" Vadis said as he stared at Elhorn with a stern expression on his usually amicable face. Meanwhile, Arilya also stared at Elhorn. She also wanted to know what made Hariel turned Hariel into a heretic. Although she asked him the same question a few weeks ago, but she could decipher nothing from Elhorn''s answer. She hoped Vadis would unravel the mystery. Just like he guessed Elhorn was the betrayer. Unlike him, she interrogated Lumvug before she got the information. "High-One, I don''t know where Hariel got his heretical views from," Elhorn said with his head lowered. His words and reaction made Vadis''s face become sterner. "Did he hangout with any foreigners?" Vadis asked. "No, High-One. After the death of his parents, Hariel became introverted. Spending most of his time in the house. Apart from me and my parents, he hardly spoke with anyone," Elhorn said. Meanwhile, Vadis turned his gaze towards Lumvug, as if asking for confirmation on Elhorn''s words. Which made Lumvug nod his head like a lizard, confirming Elhorn''s statement. At that moment, the room fell into silence, and Vadis assumed a pensive demeanor. A few minutes later, he stared at Elhorn with an undescribable gleam in his eyes as he said, "You said Hariel''s parents were scouts, right?" Elhorn nodded his head in confirmation, "Good. Around the time his parents died, did Hariel read a lot?" Vadis asked. "Yes, High-One. Read the murals, scrolls, books available in our tribe. At least those accessible to him," Elhorn said with a puzzled look on his face. He wondered why Vadis asked that question. Arilya had the same thought in mind, but she had an idea where Vadis was going with his line of question. "No¡­ no, that''s not what I''m asking. Did he read books left behind by his parents? Most scouts are fond of leaving behind journals of their travels. Did you ever see him reading his parents journals in private?" Vadis asked. At this point, they all knew what meant. "High-One, Hariel read the journals of his parents, but so did all the Elders and other members of the Parf. They did not keep private journals, too. When they died, we handed all their possessions over to Hariel, and it did not include a personal Journal. I can still remember that day," Lumvug said. However, Vadis focused his attention on Elhorn who looked as if he remembered something. "Elhorn, what about you? Did you see him with a personal Journal?" Vadis asked. With an uncertain expression on his face, Elhorn retorted while shaking his head, "High-One, I did not see him with a personal Journal. But, Hariel had his own Journal." Vadis''s face lit up as he heard Elhorn''s words, "What was written in it? Hurry, tell me," Vadis said. "High-One, I honestly don''t know. In fact, I bought the journal for him. But, he always took it with him whenever he read his parents journals. After reading, he would jot down gibberish in his journals. He did this until he read all his parents journals. However, he did not start his heretical ways until thirty years later. I don''t think there was anything in those journals, because I read them, too," Elhorn said with a puzzled look on his face as he stared at Vadis who smiled at him. Just like Elhorn, Lumvug and Arilya did not know the reason for Vadis''s smile. "All right. Captain Arilya, that''s the end of my questioning," Vadis said with a smile on his face. However, Arilya had a frown on her face. Because, she felt as if Vadis had gotten something she missed from Elhorn''s words. "Two wait outside," Arilya as she pointed to Lumvug and Elhorn. Saying nothing in response, the duo exited the room after bowing to Vadis and Arilya. Meanwhile, Vadis reclined on his seat while staring at Arilya who frowned at him. "Captain Vadis, what did you get from Elhorn''s words? What made Hariel descend to the heretical path?" Arilya asked. She could not hide her curiosity. However, Vadis remained silent. He only continued to stare at her with a smile on his face. Growing irritated, Arilya was about to speak for the second time, but Vadis''s voice drifted into her ears. "His parents led him to the heretical path through their journals," Vadis said. "How? Others read the same journals, but they did not become heretics until Hariel convinced them. So, how is that possible?" Arilya asked with her brows furrowed. While staring at Vadis like an expectant child. "If not for Elhorn''s words, I would have missed it, too. Captain Arilya, have you heard of the Omen tongues from the Black Lands," Vadis said with a stern expression on his face which made Arilya to gasp in surprise. ''Elves learning the Omen tongues¡­ this is bad. This means they have infiltrated our territory,'' Arilya mused with her head lowered. "It seems you have heard of it. So, I won''t bother to digress. Hariel''s parents were spies from the Black Lands, and it''s possible they taught Hariel the Omen tongues. We must retrieve those journals. We might understand why Hariel murdered the people from his tribe, and his mission in our territory. But if my guess is right, it means someone has compromised our territory. Remember, this happened several decades ago," Vadis said with a stern expression on his face as he stood up. Just as he wanted to leave the cabin, Arilya''s voice drifted into his ears, "Captain Vadis, I think there might be a bigger problem." Surprised, Vadis stared at Arilya who looked lost in her thoughts. "What do you mean? What could be bigger than an invasion?" Vadis asked with his brows furrowed. Although he did not know Arilya personally, he believed she was not the type to raise fall alarm. He made this judgement after interacting with her and watching her reactions over the last couple of minutes. Meanwhile, Arilya said nothing. She only used her index finger to touch the center of her forehead. Her actions made Vadis confused. "Captain Arilya, if¡­" before Vadis could finish his statement, Arilya interrupted him. "I still doubt the authenticity of what I saw. But, after the revelation about Hariel''s parents, I have to tell someone. Captain Vadis, I saw the Blessing of Parf on Hariel''s forehead," Arilya said as she stared at Vadis who opened his mouth in disbelief. Coupled with his pupils shirking, and his body trembling. "How¡­ are¡­ how is that possible? Are you sure?" Vadis muttered in disbelief. "Captain Vadis, like I said, I''m still in doubt if what I saw was real," Arilya retorted. The moment she finished her statement, Vadis sat on the wooden chair for the second time. But he had yet to recover from the shock of Arilya''s words. With neither of them saying anything, silence enveloped the room. "We have to report this to the Capital. If what you saw is real, we have underestimated those heretics. If they have the Blessings of the Parf, then war may erupt at anytime," Vadis muttered. But Arilya said nothing in response. 23 The Hands of Bligh Thousands of miles away from Fyhir, Savage beasts and wild vegetation predominated region. Unlike most sections of Mathras, a dense fog covered this area which caused most of the vegetation to have strange colors. In fact, they would only grow in places like this¨Cwhere the sunlight could not touch them. Unlike most plants who needed the sun for its growth, they abhorred its piercing light. Just like the floral, the beast also thrived within the artificial darkness caused by the fog, and a majority of the beast had a reputation for being the most venomous creatures in Mathras. If the constant howls of beasts or, the oddly shaped vegetation, and the ominous whistling caused by the howling wind did not scare Intruders away, then the number of beast corpses would do the job. Coupled with the fowl stench which pervaded the air. Originating from the corpses and excrement of the beasts. With several venomous creatures inhabiting this region of Mathras, poisonous gases covered a fair proportion of the region. Death, and a painful one at that, would be the only reward for those who wandered carelessly into this deathtrap. However, the silhouette of a man-like being weaved through the vegetation covered with fog. Taking a closer look, it was an Elf who had a black glow covering his body. Meanwhile, the fog and poisonous gases in the area, churned and parted, almost as if the black glow on the Elf''s body was their weakness. Without saying a word, the Elf who had only his eyes and ears exposed, continued on his journey through the forest. A few minutes later, he appeared before a massive rock formation. The fog in this area was denser than others regions of the forest, and the number of vegetation had decreased, too. Occasionally, the faint howls of beast reverberated, but none of them ever wandered to this area. With a distance of twenty meters separating the Elf and the entrance of the formation, a loud but serpentine voice echoed. "Who goes there?! Bring forth your sacrifice or lose your life," it said, and the hissing of several snakes followed. However, the Elf said nothing. Instead, he removed the cloth covering his face. Revealing his handsome face which Elhorn, Lumvug, and Arilya would instantly recognize. Because, the Elf was the famed Hariel. Although he removed the cloth covering his face, a blue scarf covered his forehead. Meanwhile, just as he removed the cloth, he made a strange gesture with his index and thump fingers while saying, "Malak¡­ it''s me." While his voice echoed, the sound of several snakes slithering together drifted into Hariel''s ears. However, he maintained is bland facial expression while staring at the entrance of the rock formation. A few seconds later, he could see the silhouette of an off creature through the fog. It made its way towards Hariel''s position, but still Hariel showed no reaction. "What''s the need for all these theatrics? Don''t waste my time Malak," Hariel said as he crossed his arms around his chest. Just as he finished speaking, a large serpentine creature appeared before him. Only a distance of three meters separated them. Taking a look at this creature, it had the lower half of a serpent while its upper half was that of a human man. Albeit a serpent-like human male. It had a black scale which complemented the ground of the forest while its naked upper half had no distinguishing feature. But, his face lacked a nose and ears. Instead, he had strange gill-like openings on his neck. Just like its lower half, the hair on his head which went down to his back had a black color. The same with his reptilian slit eyes. He had a sly smile on his face as he stared at Hariel with his forked tongue occasionally popping out from his mouth. "Hariel, what happened to you? We haven''t seen you in the last three weeks. The boss was about to send someone to search for you. By the way, stop calling me Malak. My name is Malikieth," Malikieth said while mimicking Hariel''s posture. Hariel, on the other hand, had a frown on his face as he heard Malikieth''s words. "What I was doing or where I went is none of your business. I had some stuff to handle, and I lost track of time. What does Yenarel want with me? Did you tell him I went out? If you did, I''ll¡­" before Hariel could finish his statement, Malikieth interrupted him. "I said nothing! Don''t blame me for your mistakes. The boss found out himself, and how many times do I''ve to tell you not to call him by his name? If you keep on threatening me, you''ll become an enemy to all Snakemen," Malikieth said while increasing the distance between him and Hariel. Although his words sounded like that of someone confident in himself, his facial expressions and reaction betrayed his words. "Snakemen? Haha¡­ you guys will join the long list of those who have me already. I''ve being traveling for a while now, I don''t want to spend another minute here. Open the gate for me and don''t tell Yenarel I''ve returned. Do you understand, Malak?" Hariel said with a meaningful expression on his face while curling his hands into a fist. Malikieth could not hide his terror as he saw Hariel''s reaction which made him to turn around and flee. But, just as he slithered a few meters, he suddenly paused as if he had remembered something. Which made Hariel wonder what the cowardly snake was up to. "Hariel, the others have being waiting for you. With your arrival, the Hands of Blight will assembled for the first time in ten years. Don''t say I didn''t give you a heads up!" Malikieth said as he slithered away like a frightened snake. Meanwhile, Hariel assumed a pensive demeanor after hearing Malikieth''s declaration and his facial expression had become sterner. ''If Yenarel has gathered everyone, it means something big is about to happen. Or, is he about to start the plan? Hmm¡­ I wonder if he knows about those human Intruders already,'' Hariel mused. While this thought occupied his mind, a loud explosion echoed into the air. Followed by Malikieth''s voice, "Hariel, it''s open. The boss already knows about your arrival. He said you should come to the river. The others are waiting for you!" "Damn it," Hariel muttered he walked towards the entrance of the rock formation. ¡­ A few hours later. Hariel weaved through the gigantic rock formation which resembled a massive multicursal maze. Since the rocks in the formation were several hundreds of feet high, the fog gathered at the surface. Leaving a clear, but cold and dark path below. However, several crystalline rocks embedded in the rocks acted like neon lights¨Cilluminating Hariel''s path. With his head slightly lowered, Hariel walked in lazy steps while the occasionally chirping and cracking of insects and frogs echoed around him. If one listened closely enough, they would hear crashing waves, almost like the sound of a waterfall. ¡­ After walking on the same path for several minutes, Hariel made a sharp turn to his left and then again to his right, and then to his left again. At that moment, he reached the center of the massive rock formation. The rocks at the center towered higher than the other paths, and the accumulated fog formed a continuous downpour of water which formed a waterfall and a river at the bottom. The river had a slight brownish blue color, and visible living creature swam in it. Hariel did not know the depths or width of the river or, where the water flowed towards. In fact, he did not care. Unlike most people who would have appreciated the wonders of nature; instead, Hariel focused his gaze of four people sitting close to the river. Since the crashing waves of the waterfall echoed in all directions, they did not know about Hariel''s arrival, and he did not plan on drawing their attention, too. But, he had a questioning look in his eyes as he scanned the area around the four individuals. Almost as if he was looking for someone. Just as he began his search, a calm but sharp voice drifted into his ears, "Are you looking for me?" Before Hariel could respond, someone placed a hand on his shoulder pulling him into a side hug. "Yenarel, why are you looking for me? Why did you gather all of us?" Hariel said as he brushed off the hand from his shoulder. He still maintained the same bland expression on his face. Meanwhile, the person he called Yenarel was a Forest-Elf like himself. He wore the same clothes like a human male and looked just as handsome as most Elves. But he had a deep scar on the left side of his cheeks and underneath his right eye. On both ears, he had two earrings placed on them, and his nose, too. Just like Hariel, he had a blue scarf covering his forehead. Unlike Hariel, he had the amicable aura around him; amplified by the smile he had on his face as he stared at Hariel. "Haha¡­ you haven''t changed one bit, Hariel. It has been a while, but it''s good to see you. Let''s not keep the others waiting, we have already waited ten years for this day," Yenarel said while tapping Hariel''s shoulders for the second time. Just like before, Hariel brushed off Yenarel''s hand again. Saying nothing in response, he walked in light steps towards the four individuals seated by the river. Meanwhile, Yenarel chuckled softly while shaking his head. Wasting no time, he also joined Hariel as they approached the others. With only a few meters separating Hariel and Yenarel from the others, one of them noticed the approaching duo which alerted the remaining three. "Hariel, where the hell did you go to? We searched all over Mornwood but we couldn''t find you!" a brutish-looking Snakeman bellowed. Unlike Malikieth, his upper half resembled that of a seasoned warrior who had survived countless battles. Although not flexed, his bulging muscles had several thick veins which resembled mini-snakes. His muscular physique coupled with the scars on his body, would send chills done the spines of those who saw him. As he stared at Hariel, he had a stern expression on his face. Meanwhile, the two female Ice-Elves by his right said nothing, the same with the Forest-Elf by his left. However, they had indifferent expressions on their faces as they stared at Hariel and Yenarel. Just like the duo, they also had a blue scarf covering their foreheads. Unlike Forest-Elves or High-Elves, the Ice-Elves have a frosty white complexion. They usually had silver hair and wore thick clothes. Like most Elves, they also had a proficient for archery and magic. But their magic related more to the ice element. Although their frosty white complexion made them look like frozen corpses, they looked just as beautiful as the other Elves. Hariel, on the other hand, did not bother to answer the muscular Snakeman. In fact, Hariel looked towards the direction of the waterfall. Pretending as if he did not hear the words of the Snakeman. Infuriated, the Snakeman was about to speak again, but Yenarel beat him to it, saying "Xix, calm down. This is the first time in a long time we have gathered together. Do you really want to spoil the mood?" Yenarel asked while frowning. Although he felt aggrieved, the Snakeman named Xix said nothing in response. With his arms folded across his chest, he stared at Hariel with a frown on his face. Hariel chuckled softly after Yenarel chided Xin. He stared at the brutish Snakeman while mouthing the word ''Pussy'' with a smile on his face. At that moment, all the muscles on Xix''s body bulged in anger but he did not react to the provocation which made Hariel giggle. "Now, now¡­ let''s settle down. I know we have a lot of catching up to do, but we have gathered for an important event," Yenarel said while gesturing for Xix to remain calm. "Boss, what important event? Are we finally enacting our plan?" the Forest-Elf asked. Apart from Hariel, the others stared at Yenarel expecting his answer. "Not really. This is the final step before we begin our plan. Listen carefully everyone. First, I want to take you all for the good work over the years. If not for your efforts, our brothers and sisters would still be suffering under the oppression of the High-Elves," Yenarel said while clapping his hands. Apart from Hariel, the other Elves had faint smiles on their faces while Xix had a broad smile on his face. "Haha¡­ your words are too kind, boss. Those bastards made it easy for us," Xix said while the tip of his black tail wiggled. "It doesn''t matter. You have done a great job for your brothers and sisters, and history will remember you kindly. But we must now focus on the next task. Have you heard of Nahjor?" Yenarel asked. "Boss, isn''t that one of the settlements housing a section of the infantry protecting the border," one of the female Ice-Elf asked. "Yes. Unlike the other settlements, its infantry numbers in the thousands. A bit above our numbers. If we can eliminate the High-Elves assigned to Nahjor, then it will convince our brothers and sisters who think the High-Elves are invincible. It won''t be easy, but I''ve a plan that will turn the battle in our favor. We have all shed blood to get to this point, some of us more than others," Yenarel paused at this point as he stared at the others, with his gaze lingering on Hariel. "It has taken us everything we have to get to this point, and I know we''ll not fail. We are the hope of our brethren. A blight to the evil of the High-Elves, and together, as the Hands of Blight, we shall begin a new history for our race," Yenarel added. The moment he finished speaking, Xin, and the others had looks of anticipation in their eyes. Only Hariel did not show much reaction to Yenarel''s words. "Prepare your men, we will strike in three months. You may leave now. Hariel, wait behind," Yenarel said. Saying nothing in response, Xix and the others left the area. Leaving Yenarel and Hariel alone. "Yenarel, I''m not interested in Nahjor. You guys can do whatever you want. I''ve other things to do," Hariel said while gazing at the flowing river. However, Yenarel chuckled softly as he said, "Are you sure you won''t join us?" Hariel said nothing in response. In fact, he was already walking towards another direction. But after he took five steps, Yenarel''s voice echoed again, "Well, too bad you won''t join us. You could have found answers to what happened that night." Yenarel sighed as he made his declaration, "it''s a real shame," he added. Meanwhile, Hariel was rooted on the spot while his body shuddered. But he had not turned his head yet. "Yenarel, don''t mess with me! Tell me what you know! Now!" Hariel roared as he walked towards Yenarel with bloodshot eyes. A black glow radiated through his blue scarf as he approached Yenarel. However, Yenarel had a smile on his face. "Don''t worry, Hariel. I would never lie to you. We both have a debt to pay to that bastard. But I won''t tell you anything unless you help me with Nahjor. But here is a little clue, you will find the answers you seek in Nahjor," Yenarel said as he stared at Hariel who was only a few inches away from him. "Good. Since you have no one under your command, you can do as you like. When it''s time, I''ll let you know," Yenarel said as he tapped Hariel''s shoulders. Before walking towards the direction of the maze-like rock formation. Meanwhile, Hariel continued to stare at him with bloodshot eyes. Just as Yenarel was about to leave the river area, his voice drifted into Hariel''s ears, "Next time you want to visit your brother let me know, and be careful of external invaders. See you soon, Hariel." 24 The Hands of Bligh Thousands of miles away from Fyhir, Savage beasts and wild vegetation predominated region. Unlike most sections of Mathras, a dense fog covered this area which caused most of the vegetation to have strange colors. In fact, they would only grow in places like this¨Cwhere the sunlight could not touch them. Unlike most plants who needed the sun for its growth, they abhorred its piercing light. Just like the floral, the beast also thrived within the artificial darkness caused by the fog, and a majority of the beast had a reputation for being the most venomous creatures in Mathras. If the constant howls of beasts or, the oddly shaped vegetation, and the ominous whistling caused by the howling wind did not scare Intruders away, then the number of beast corpses would do the job. Coupled with the fowl stench which pervaded the air. Originating from the corpses and excrement of the beasts. With several venomous creatures inhabiting this region of Mathras, poisonous gases covered a fair proportion of the region. Death, and a painful one at that, would be the only reward for those who wandered carelessly into this deathtrap. However, the silhouette of a man-like being weaved through the vegetation covered with fog. Taking a closer look, it was an Elf who had a black glow covering his body. Meanwhile, the fog and poisonous gases in the area, churned and parted, almost as if the black glow on the Elf''s body was their weakness. Without saying a word, the Elf who had only his eyes and ears exposed, continued on his journey through the forest. A few minutes later, he appeared before a massive rock formation. The fog in this area was denser than others regions of the forest, and the number of vegetation had decreased, too. Occasionally, the faint howls of beast reverberated, but none of them ever wandered to this area. With a distance of twenty meters separating the Elf and the entrance of the formation, a loud but serpentine voice echoed. "Who goes there?! Bring forth your sacrifice or lose your life," it said, and the hissing of several snakes followed. However, the Elf said nothing. Instead, he removed the cloth covering his face. Revealing his handsome face which Elhorn, Lumvug, and Arilya would instantly recognize. Because, the Elf was the famed Hariel. Although he removed the cloth covering his face, a blue scarf covered his forehead. Meanwhile, just as he removed the cloth, he made a strange gesture with his index and thump fingers while saying, "Malak¡­ it''s me." While his voice echoed, the sound of several snakes slithering together drifted into Hariel''s ears. However, he maintained is bland facial expression while staring at the entrance of the rock formation. A few seconds later, he could see the silhouette of an off creature through the fog. It made its way towards Hariel''s position, but still Hariel showed no reaction. "What''s the need for all these theatrics? Don''t waste my time Malak," Hariel said as he crossed his arms around his chest. Just as he finished speaking, a large serpentine creature appeared before him. Only a distance of three meters separated them. Taking a look at this creature, it had the lower half of a serpent while its upper half was that of a human man. Albeit a serpent-like human male. It had a black scale which complemented the ground of the forest while its naked upper half had no distinguishing feature. But, his face lacked a nose and ears. Instead, he had strange gill-like openings on his neck. Just like its lower half, the hair on his head which went down to his back had a black color. The same with his reptilian slit eyes. He had a sly smile on his face as he stared at Hariel with his forked tongue occasionally popping out from his mouth. "Hariel, what happened to you? We haven''t seen you in the last three weeks. The boss was about to send someone to search for you. By the way, stop calling me Malak. My name is Malikieth," Malikieth said while mimicking Hariel''s posture. Hariel, on the other hand, had a frown on his face as he heard Malikieth''s words. "What I was doing or where I went is none of your business. I had some stuff to handle, and I lost track of time. What does Yenarel want with me? Did you tell him I went out? If you did, I''ll¡­" before Hariel could finish his statement, Malikieth interrupted him. "I said nothing! Don''t blame me for your mistakes. The boss found out himself, and how many times do I''ve to tell you not to call him by his name? If you keep on threatening me, you''ll become an enemy to all Snakemen," Malikieth said while increasing the distance between him and Hariel. Although his words sounded like that of someone confident in himself, his facial expressions and reaction betrayed his words. "Snakemen? Haha¡­ you guys will join the long list of those who have me already. I''ve being traveling for a while now, I don''t want to spend another minute here. Open the gate for me and don''t tell Yenarel I''ve returned. Do you understand, Malak?" Hariel said with a meaningful expression on his face while curling his hands into a fist. Malikieth could not hide his terror as he saw Hariel''s reaction which made him to turn around and flee. But, just as he slithered a few meters, he suddenly paused as if he had remembered something. Which made Hariel wonder what the cowardly snake was up to. "Hariel, the others have being waiting for you. With your arrival, the Hands of Blight will assembled for the first time in ten years. Don''t say I didn''t give you a heads up!" Malikieth said as he slithered away like a frightened snake. Meanwhile, Hariel assumed a pensive demeanor after hearing Malikieth''s declaration and his facial expression had become sterner. ''If Yenarel has gathered everyone, it means something big is about to happen. Or, is he about to start the plan? Hmm¡­ I wonder if he knows about those human Intruders already,'' Hariel mused. While this thought occupied his mind, a loud explosion echoed into the air. Followed by Malikieth''s voice, "Hariel, it''s open. The boss already knows about your arrival. He said you should come to the river. The others are waiting for you!" "Damn it," Hariel muttered he walked towards the entrance of the rock formation. ¡­ A few hours later. Hariel weaved through the gigantic rock formation which resembled a massive multicursal maze. Since the rocks in the formation were several hundreds of feet high, the fog gathered at the surface. Leaving a clear, but cold and dark path below. However, several crystalline rocks embedded in the rocks acted like neon lights¨Cilluminating Hariel''s path. With his head slightly lowered, Hariel walked in lazy steps while the occasionally chirping and cracking of insects and frogs echoed around him. If one listened closely enough, they would hear crashing waves, almost like the sound of a waterfall. ¡­ After walking on the same path for several minutes, Hariel made a sharp turn to his left and then again to his right, and then to his left again. At that moment, he reached the center of the massive rock formation. The rocks at the center towered higher than the other paths, and the accumulated fog formed a continuous downpour of water which formed a waterfall and a river at the bottom. The river had a slight brownish blue color, and visible living creature swam in it. Hariel did not know the depths or width of the river or, where the water flowed towards. In fact, he did not care. Unlike most people who would have appreciated the wonders of nature; instead, Hariel focused his gaze of four people sitting close to the river. Since the crashing waves of the waterfall echoed in all directions, they did not know about Hariel''s arrival, and he did not plan on drawing their attention, too. But, he had a questioning look in his eyes as he scanned the area around the four individuals. Almost as if he was looking for someone. Just as he began his search, a calm but sharp voice drifted into his ears, "Are you looking for me?" Before Hariel could respond, someone placed a hand on his shoulder pulling him into a side hug. "Yenarel, why are you looking for me? Why did you gather all of us?" Hariel said as he brushed off the hand from his shoulder. He still maintained the same bland expression on his face. Meanwhile, the person he called Yenarel was a Forest-Elf like himself. He wore the same clothes like a human male and looked just as handsome as most Elves. But he had a deep scar on the left side of his cheeks and underneath his right eye. On both ears, he had two earrings placed on them, and his nose, too. Just like Hariel, he had a blue scarf covering his forehead. Unlike Hariel, he had the amicable aura around him; amplified by the smile he had on his face as he stared at Hariel. "Haha¡­ you haven''t changed one bit, Hariel. It has been a while, but it''s good to see you. Let''s not keep the others waiting, we have already waited ten years for this day," Yenarel said while tapping Hariel''s shoulders for the second time. Just like before, Hariel brushed off Yenarel''s hand again. Saying nothing in response, he walked in light steps towards the four individuals seated by the river. Meanwhile, Yenarel chuckled softly while shaking his head. Wasting no time, he also joined Hariel as they approached the others. With only a few meters separating Hariel and Yenarel from the others, one of them noticed the approaching duo which alerted the remaining three. "Hariel, where the hell did you go to? We searched all over Mornwood but we couldn''t find you!" a brutish-looking Snakeman bellowed. Unlike Malikieth, his upper half resembled that of a seasoned warrior who had survived countless battles. Although not flexed, his bulging muscles had several thick veins which resembled mini-snakes. His muscular physique coupled with the scars on his body, would send chills done the spines of those who saw him. As he stared at Hariel, he had a stern expression on his face. Meanwhile, the two female Ice-Elves by his right said nothing, the same with the Forest-Elf by his left. However, they had indifferent expressions on their faces as they stared at Hariel and Yenarel. Just like the duo, they also had a blue scarf covering their foreheads. Unlike Forest-Elves or High-Elves, the Ice-Elves have a frosty white complexion. They usually had silver hair and wore thick clothes. Like most Elves, they also had a proficient for archery and magic. But their magic related more to the ice element. Although their frosty white complexion made them look like frozen corpses, they looked just as beautiful as the other Elves. Hariel, on the other hand, did not bother to answer the muscular Snakeman. In fact, Hariel looked towards the direction of the waterfall. Pretending as if he did not hear the words of the Snakeman. Infuriated, the Snakeman was about to speak again, but Yenarel beat him to it, saying "Xix, calm down. This is the first time in a long time we have gathered together. Do you really want to spoil the mood?" Yenarel asked while frowning. Although he felt aggrieved, the Snakeman named Xix said nothing in response. With his arms folded across his chest, he stared at Hariel with a frown on his face. Hariel chuckled softly after Yenarel chided Xin. He stared at the brutish Snakeman while mouthing the word ''Pussy'' with a smile on his face. At that moment, all the muscles on Xix''s body bulged in anger but he did not react to the provocation which made Hariel giggle. "Now, now¡­ let''s settle down. I know we have a lot of catching up to do, but we have gathered for an important event," Yenarel said while gesturing for Xix to remain calm. "Boss, what important event? Are we finally enacting our plan?" the Forest-Elf asked. Apart from Hariel, the others stared at Yenarel expecting his answer. "Not really. This is the final step before we begin our plan. Listen carefully everyone. First, I want to take you all for the good work over the years. If not for your efforts, our brothers and sisters would still be suffering under the oppression of the High-Elves," Yenarel said while clapping his hands. Apart from Hariel, the other Elves had faint smiles on their faces while Xix had a broad smile on his face. "Haha¡­ your words are too kind, boss. Those bastards made it easy for us," Xix said while the tip of his black tail wiggled. "It doesn''t matter. You have done a great job for your brothers and sisters, and history will remember you kindly. But we must now focus on the next task. Have you heard of Nahjor?" Yenarel asked. "Boss, isn''t that one of the settlements housing a section of the infantry protecting the border," one of the female Ice-Elf asked. "Yes. Unlike the other settlements, its infantry numbers in the thousands. A bit above our numbers. If we can eliminate the High-Elves assigned to Nahjor, then it will convince our brothers and sisters who think the High-Elves are invincible. It won''t be easy, but I''ve a plan that will turn the battle in our favor. We have all shed blood to get to this point, some of us more than others," Yenarel paused at this point as he stared at the others, with his gaze lingering on Hariel. "It has taken us everything we have to get to this point, and I know we''ll not fail. We are the hope of our brethren. A blight to the evil of the High-Elves, and together, as the Hands of Blight, we shall begin a new history for our race," Yenarel added. The moment he finished speaking, Xin, and the others had looks of anticipation in their eyes. Only Hariel did not show much reaction to Yenarel''s words. "Prepare your men, we will strike in three months. You may leave now. Hariel, wait behind," Yenarel said. Saying nothing in response, Xix and the others left the area. Leaving Yenarel and Hariel alone. "Yenarel, I''m not interested in Nahjor. You guys can do whatever you want. I''ve other things to do," Hariel said while gazing at the flowing river. However, Yenarel chuckled softly as he said, "Are you sure you won''t join us?" Hariel said nothing in response. In fact, he was already walking towards another direction. But after he took five steps, Yenarel''s voice echoed again, "Well, too bad you won''t join us. You could have found answers to what happened that night." Yenarel sighed as he made his declaration, "it''s a real shame," he added. Meanwhile, Hariel was rooted on the spot while his body shuddered. But he had not turned his head yet. "Yenarel, don''t mess with me! Tell me what you know! Now!" Hariel roared as he walked towards Yenarel with bloodshot eyes. A black glow radiated through his blue scarf as he approached Yenarel. However, Yenarel had a smile on his face. "Don''t worry, Hariel. I would never lie to you. We both have a debt to pay to that bastard. But I won''t tell you anything unless you help me with Nahjor. But here is a little clue, you will find the answers you seek in Nahjor," Yenarel said as he stared at Hariel who was only a few inches away from him. "Good. Since you have no one under your command, you can do as you like. When it''s time, I''ll let you know," Yenarel said as he tapped Hariel''s shoulders. Before walking towards the direction of the maze-like rock formation. Meanwhile, Hariel continued to stare at him with bloodshot eyes. Just as Yenarel was about to leave the river area, his voice drifted into Hariel''s ears, "Next time you want to visit your brother let me know, and be careful of external invaders. See you soon, Hariel." 25 The Capitals Response The Capital''s Response Seven days had gone by since Arilya and Vadis had their discussion in the wooden cabin. After reaching a mutual understanding, they informed the capital about everything they knew without leaving out any information. They did not want a case where their error in judgement would cause potential disaster. Hence, they used the only swift-pigeon in the settlement to send their message. In Mathras, the swift-pigeon was the preferred means of sending urgent messages by all arms of the military. Although the bird looked just like a regular pigeon, its speed could not be underestimated. With its small frame and frightening speed, it could easily outmaneuver predators. Meanwhile, Deython and the others returned five days after their departure. Although he did not doubt Arilya''s words, Vadis became at ease when her words matched what is deputies saw in Lumvug''s settlement. With Vadis command, Feynron dispatched several Forest-Elves in the settlement to Elhorn and Lumvug''s settlement. However, Elhorn and Lumvug remained in Fyhir. Arilya did not, and could not set them free yet, because she didn''t know if the High-Elves from the Capital would like to question them. Unfortunately, the swift-pigeon had not returned. So, they could only wait in Fyhir. Being High-Elves, Vadis made sure Arilya and her deputies stayed in the best rooms in the settlement. He also dispatched several Forest-Elves to fulfill their need. Meanwhile, Elhorn and Lumvug shared a decent room, and they had to settle their needs by themselves. To prevent an unfortunate incident, Vadis assigned several Forest-Elves to watch over them. He did not want a scenario where they would runaway from the settlement. Vadis also instructed the guards of the settlement to prevent the duo from leaving, no matter the reason. ¡­ The next day. The sun had yet to raise in the early morning sky, but the Forest-Elves in Fyhir moved about in several small groups. As the sounds of birds chirping, and the faint whistle on the morning breeze echoed through the air, a group of Forest-Elves cleaned the fallen leaves around the settlement while another carried larger vases of water on their shoulders. Another group marched through the settlement while others hurried to their assigned posts. Those in charge of cooking woke up earlier than the others and was done cooking for the entire population of Fyhir. Those in charge of cooking we''re group in two categories; those who cooked for the High-Elves and those who cooked for the others. Naturally, the cooks for the High-Elves were the best in Fyhir, and they paid special attention to the food and water prepared for the High-Elves. Meanwhile, in the tallest building in Fyhir, Vadis paced around his spacious office with a faint frown on his face. His office looked ordinary and plain for someone of his status. Apart from a large table, two chairs and a bookshelf, nothing else decorated the room. Even the third floor which Addor and Feynron stayed, looked better than Vadis''s. "Did something happen to the swift-pigeon? This is the eight day, yet it has not returned. If it does not return today, we will have to make a trip to the nearest settlement¡­ That will be troublesome," Vadis muttered as he paced around the room. Just as he finished his statement, someone knocked on the mahogany door leading to his office. Before he could react, a familiar voice drifted into his ears, "Apologies, Captain, but I''ve urgent news. The Forest-Elves in the pen, mentioned the swift-pigeon has returned. It has started the other birds again, and it won''t respond to anyone but you," Addor said. Vadis''s countenance brightened after hearing Addor''s report, however, he said nothing in response. "Captain? Are you¡­" before Addor could finish his statement, Vadis interrupted him. "I''ll be there in a minute. Tell Captain Arilya and her deputies to meet me in the Dining Hall. You and Feynron should come, too," Vadis said. "Okay, Captain," Addor instantly responded. Wasting no time, he left to enact Vadis order. Meanwhile, Vadis used another exit to leave his office. ¡­ A few minutes later. Arilya and her deputies, and Addor and Feynron sat in a spacious dining area which had several beautiful flower pots placed at strategic positions. Within the well illuminated dinning room, the smell of the delicacies placed on the table pervaded the air. However, none of the High-Elves ate, or looked as if the food enticed them. Instead, they each glanced at the door leading into the dinning area with an expectant look on their face. Over the last couple of days, Arilya briefed her deputies on what she and Vadis discussed, and the implications of the response from the Capital. When Addor told them about the return of the swift-pigeon, it naturally made them anxious. The same could be said for Addor and Feynron, none of them knew what to expect, and Vadis''s delay only made them more anxious. "Why has Captain Vadis not returned yet? Does it take this long to subdue your swift-pigeon?" Arilya said as she stared at Addor. "I''m sorry, Captain. Our swift-pigeon is quite the deviant. It usually stays in Captain Vadis''s office, but once it gets free, it terrorizes the birds in the pen. Only Captain Vadis can subdue it when it misbehaves," Addor said with an apologetic expression on his face. Meanwhile, Deython could not stop himself from chucking when he heard Addor''s words. "What a funny little guy¡­ some birds die for food, but yours is more interested in having fun," Deython whispered to Feynron who sat next to him. At that moment, the duo laughed softly while staring at each other with a sly grin on their faces. Although Deython whispered, the other High-Elves also heard his words. Which caused Orevera and Valolora to laugh, too. Only Arilya and Addor did not react to Deython''s words; instead, they had a slight frown on their faces as they stared at their respective members. Just as Arilya was about to rebuke Deython, the doors of the dinning creaked open¨Cdrawing the attention of all the High-Elves. "I''m sorry for the delay, Captain Arilya," Vadis said with a slight frown on his face. A small white pigeon-like bird chirped on his left shoulder as he entered the room. Noticing the frown on Vadis''s face, Arilya exhaled deeply, while saying, "Captain Vadis, there is no need to apologize. What is the response from the Capital?" Without saying a word, Vadis took light steps as he approached the dinning table. The moment he reached the table, he placed the chirping swift-pigeon on it while sitting on the only vacant seat. Although he had not answered Arilya''s question yet, no one said anything. Seconds after taking his seat, Vadis retrieved a plain white scroll from his blue uniform and placed it on the dining table, while lifting the swift-pigeon with his other hand. Before dropping the bird on the unrolled scroll. At that moment, a fascinating scene occurred, as the swift-pigeon danced on the scroll with its little feet. Meanwhile, the High-Elves watched with different expressions on their faces, but none of them looked amazed by the dancing bird. A few seconds later, Vadis lifted the swift-pigeon for the second time. This time, he placed it back on his shoulder. However, the former plain scroll had words written on it like an encrypted code. "Captain Arilya, look and see for yourself," Vadis said as he passed the scroll to Arilya. The moment Arilya received the scroll, she hurriedly glanced through it while her deputies stared at her. A few seconds after she read the scroll, they had an odd expression on their faces as they saw Arilya''s countenance distort with a frown which got deeper the more she read. "Captain, what does it say?" Valolora asked in a soft voice. However, Arilya did not respond; instead, she stared at Vadis with a questioning gaze. "I''m just as confused as you are, I don''t know why the capital gave such orders. But, we must follow the rules," Vadis said while shrugging. Exhaling deeply, Arilya stared at her deputies, as she said, "The Capital has given us three orders. One, we are to arrest Elhorn. Two, we must confiscate the journals of Hariel''s parents. Three, our unit and Captain Vadis unit will escort the prisoner and the journals to Nahjor. Colonel Zylphine is heading to Nahjor, too." "What?! Nahjor? Captain, ittake us several months to get to Nahjor," Oravera said with her eyes bulging in disbelief. "Captain. If Colonel Zylphine is involved, doesn''t that mean¡­" Feynron couldn''t finish his statement as his lips trembled. Just like him, Addor had a panicked stricken expression on his face as he stared at Vadis. Arilya''s deputies, on the other hand, became puzzled by Feynron''s words and Addor''s reaction. Apparently, they had never heard of¨CColonel Zylphine. Meanwhile, Arilya and Vadis had stern expressions on their faces because they knew the implications of the Capital''s orders. With their respective Captains saying nothing, the deputies went silent. "Captain Arilya, from your reaction, I''m sure you have heard of Colonel Zylphine," Vadis said while staring at Arilya. However, Arilya said nothing. Only nodding her head in affirmation. "Good. We cannot afford to waste time, and must do as the Capital says. If not¡­ I don''t want to imagine what will happen in that scenario. I''ll leave you to brief you deputies. When you''re done, we must conclude on a date for the journey," Vadis said while standing on his feet. With a slight nod, Addor and Feynron followed him out of the dinning area. "Captain, who is Colonel Zylphine? Why are they so scared of him?" Deython asked immediately after Vadis and his deputies stepped out of the room. "The capital only dispatches him on two occasions. One, to squash heretical movements before they become a threat. Two, to judge High-Elves who have committed a heinous crime. Among the upper echelon, he is also known as the Heretical Cleaver," Arilya said. However, her deputies did not understand why Addor and Feynron reacted like they did. From what Arilya said, they did not see why Addor and Feynron should react like that. "It seems you don''t understand our current predicament. Without mincing words, Elhorn and his brother¨Ca suspected member of Blight, are in big trouble. But, so are we. Why? Because we witnessed not one, but two events we shouldn''t have. If my guess is right, Elhorn will not be the only prisoner when we reach Nahjor," Arilya said. 26 A Glorious Feas After the gruesome battle that took place in the massive room, a six man Caretaker committee led James and the other survivors through a well illuminated maze-like hallway. Apart from the sounds of the feet marching on the tiled floor, not a single word was spoken. Most of the survivors had somber expressions on their blood-stained faces, even though a warm breeze whistled through the hallway, most of them felt a chill run down their spines. The memories of what happened in the spacious room, continued to flash in their minds like a broken record. However, the countenance of a select few differed from the majority. Instead of somber reflection, their eyes carried the same indifference as their demeanor. Some even had radiant smiles on their faces as they giggled at their counterparts with crestfallen expressions. Like most of the youths, James looked dejected and listless. His blood-red hair was disheveled while coagulated blood dyed his robes. Although he had his head lowered, those around him could hear his subtle grunts of pain as he clenched his left arm which resembled a bloody mess. Apart from a select few, nobody mocked or laughed at him, because ninety percent of them nursed one form of injury. In fact, some of the survivors had injuries that would make the skins of most people crawl from terror and disgust. Unlike James, these people bawled in pain and misery. However, their misery was like a sweet symphony to others. "Where are you leading us to? We have been walking for the last thirty minutes, at least tell us our destination!" A limping Dark-Elf bitterly complained. Although he said these words, he took a battle ready stance. After what he had experienced thus far, he knew to expect the unexpected. Naturally, his shout drew the attention of everyone including the caretakers. Which caused the man familiar man leading them to stop in his tracks while turning around. With a gentle smile on his face, he glanced at the apprehensive Dark-Elf with his black beady eyes while stroking his goatee. "We are almost there. I know you''re tired, but trust me, you don''t want to rest now. But if you insist, be my guest. Just to be certain, are there others who would like to rest, too?" Bronwyn said as he glanced at the other youths with his beady eyes. Just like him, the Dark-Elf also stared at the others in anticipation. He knew they were just as tired as him, but he was the only one who had the balls to speak up. However, his expectation was soon cut short by the stoic demeanors of the others. He knew that their silence meant they had no interest in siding with him. The reaction of the group made Bronwyn chuckle softly while he fixed his gaze of the Dark-Elf, "Hmm¡­ It seems you''re alone. So what will it be? Will you rest up, or will you join us?" Bronwyn asked with an amiable smile on his face. "No¡­ No. I''ll continue. Since we are almost there, I can endure," the Dark-Elf hurriedly said as he could not hide the terror in his voice. "Fantastic. All right, let''s continue," Bronwyn retorted while giggling and clapping. Since none of the youths said nothing in response, he continued trekking towards their unknown location. Meanwhile, cold perspiration covered the forehead of the Dark-Elf while he struggled to maintain a steady breathing pattern. After everything he had experienced in the damned forsaken place, he knew what fate would have befallen him if he had chosen the other option. "What a fucking coward," a Demon snickered. His mocking words drew ire of all the surviving Dark-Elves, while the Demons could not stop themselves for laughing in delight. Even though they were all in a precarious situation, the Demons would never relinquish an opportunity to mock an Elf. Although a stared daggers at each other, none of them had the intention of attacking. Because they did not know how Bronwyn and the other caretakers would react. Using their earlier experience as a reference, they dared not attack. With such thought in mind, members of both faction could only stare at each other in silence. The limping Dark-Elf could hardly maintain his calm, although he could not fight, it did not mean he could not hurl insults at the Demons. Just as he was about to speak, a small but firm hand covered in blood tapped him from his back. Startled, he turned his head while staring at the human with his lilac eyes. Overcoming his initial surprise, anger swelled his heart with his face distorted by rage, and his soiled robe irked him the most. The perfect vessel to vent his anger had appeared, he thought. Just as he was about to speak, he heard the soft voice of the human, "Good job. You made the right decision friend," James said while tapping the shoulder of the livid Dark-Elf. "Don''t touch me! And who the hell is your friend? Look at what you have done to why robes¡­ are you fucking blind? You''re lucky we can''t fight here," the Dark-Elf said as he swatted James''s hand from his shoulder while using his other hand to shove James. With a wry smile on his face while clenching his teeth in pain, James took hurried steps away from the enraged Dark-Elf. James''s words and comical retreat only served as a temporary means of entertainment for the already amused Demons. "What a retard. Why do we have to be in the same place with such lower beings?" the same Demon said with a dejected sigh. Openly mocking all the other races naturally made the Demons the focal point of everyone''s anger. However, the Demons did not give a damn about the feelings of the orders. James who retreated earlier was being eyed other humans, and from the looks on their face, they did not like the fact he dragged them down with his moronic actions. "What an idiot. This is the fifth person he has randomly approached. Is this the place to make friends? How did someone like this survive?" a young girl muttered while shaking her head. Meanwhile, James still had his head lowered while softly grunting his pain. However, the sides of his lips curved into a faint smirk. "System, was that long enough?" James said within his mind. Congratulations! The user has placed the Skills¨CRot Inducement and Curse Inducement on the Target. ''Hahaha¡­ That old bastard did a good job sending me here. It might be a loony bin, but it''s a haven for me. Thank God those caretakers did not see through the Mana Manipulation. I don''t need everyone wandering how I survived the battle unscathed. Hopefully, I''ll find a way to sneak out of here,'' James mused with a brilliant smile on his face. However, the moment he raised his head, he noticed the crazy redhead had her pitch black eyes fixated on him. With her beautiful appearance and graceful demeanor, James might have thought she was cute. Unfortunately, he knew she was a cold-blooded psychotic maniac. Like a scared little kitten, he dodged her gaze while pretending to be scared. Noticing James''s reaction, the redhead Demon turned her attention to an Ogre with a mottled scar on his back. ''Has she figured it out yet? No¡­ no, that''s not possible. Even though she could see in the darkness, she should not have noticed I''m the Grim Reaper. My Grim Reaper form and physical form share no similarities and I don''t emit any scent while using it, so it''s impossible for this crazy bitch to know. In fact, everyone thinks I survived the massacre by share luck, and my actions of tactlessly trying to form friends should cement the thought I survived by luck,'' James thought as he continued to feign being scared. With no further altercations, the survivors and caretakers continued trekking in the hallway. ¡­ After making several turns and walking for a further twenty minutes, James and the others, arrived in front of a humongous mahogany door which had the depiction of a dragon intricately etched on its surface. Although it was only a carving, these youths could felt an overbearing aura as they stared at the door. Whether it was the elegant wings or the spear like claws of the carving, it stirred a myriad of emotions within the youths. Even James who stood at the rear of the group had an awed expression on his face as he stared at the magnificent carving of the beast. Although he did not know why, he felt as if the Mythical Beast¨CA Dragon, stood before his eyes. He could only take in deep breaths of fresh air while calming his frenzied heart. Lost in the carving''s splendor, they suddenly heard Bronwyn''s familiar voice, "Children, we''ll take our leave here. A feast awaits you beyond this door. Don''t worry, this time you''ll truly get to enjoy yourselves. Hopefully, we''ll meet again. Once again, I welcome you to Kynar." The moment he finished speaking, Bronwyn and the other five caretakers walked in light steps towards the same direction they trekked earlier. With a few meters separating Bronwyn and James, the former had a brilliant smile on his face as he stared James. With his beady eyes seeming to have an amiable gleam in them. James, on the other hand, smiled faintly as Bronwyn stared at him. "Hahaha¡­ Come look for me later, kid. I like people smart enough to know when they''re out of their depths. You must survive first though¡­" Bronwyn whispered as he walked ahead of James. Since he controlled his voice, only James heard the content of his words. Meanwhile, James eyebrows became furrowed after he heard Bronwyn''s words, while his lips distorted into a faint frown. However, he said nothing in response¨Conly staring at Bronwyn''s back and that of the other caretakers. ''It seems that bastard fell for antics, too. But what did he mean by I must survive?'' James mused. "System, can you can the room at the other end of the door?" James asked within his mind. Warning! Warning! Warning! I can execute the request, but there is a 100% certainty the user will be found out. Will the user like to continue with the request? ''What?! 100%? Shit¡­ I''ve to find a way to leave this place,'' James mused with his mouth slight opened while his eyes bulged in surprise. "Cancel the request. That bastard mentioned a feast earlier, who knows if another death match awaits us. System, assuming that slimy weasel is telling the truth, scanning all edibles and any potential danger once I enter the room. Disregard my command if I would be exposed," James said via his mind, and the system acknowledged his words with a notification in his mind. For the first time since Bronwyn left, James focused his attention on the other youths and the scene he saw made him to chuckle slightly. From the Demons down to the Slimes, most of them looked agitated and cautiously stared at each other. Apparently, Bronwyn''s words activated their already frantic survival instinct. Only a few of them maintained a calm demeanor, but that did not mean they were complacent of potential sneak attacks. Joining the majority, James took cautious steps backwards while his blue eyes darted from one figure to the other. He looked just as apprehensive as the others. Meanwhile, only the crazy redhead remained carefree. In fact, she laughed at how serious the others were behaving while twirling her body like a playful child. However, no one dared to take offence or make fun of her. None of them wanted to offend the little psycho. "Why are you guys so serious? Didn''t you what the Caretaker said, huh?" the crazy redhead said as she stared magnificent dragon carving. However, silence greeted her words. In fact, those who had already distanced themselves from her, increased the already established distance. Since none of the others answered her question, the crazy redhead shook her head gently while sighing like a dejected maiden. Before anyone could react, she suddenly twirled around and pointed towards a random direction. Confused and frightened, the Ogre in the direction she pointed hopped to his left, then his right, but the finger of the young Demon still pointed towards him. Scared out of his mind, the Ogre subconsciously pointed towards himself with his index finger, as if asking for confirmation. Without saying a word, the young Demon nodded her head while flashing a brilliant smile at him. Before the Ogre could say anything, he heard a soft voice, "Congratulations, I''ve chosen you to open the door. No need to thank me, it is your honor. Hurry now, a feast is waiting for us, and I''m hungry." --- Author''s thoughts. --- Hi guys, Mrdojo here. Thanks for reading and I''m sorry about the errors. I''m still using my phone to type and it is painful using it to edit. By the way, we have gotten to the half way point of the second book (70k words so far), I know that the book 2 has been slow, but things are about to go crazy from now. Yeah, I also wanted to let you guys know that I''ve decided to concentrating on writing NS-B2 until I finish it. Writing both novels at the same time is no longer feasible. Hopefully, I''ll be done with the book 2 of NS this month or first week of June, then I''ll focus on T7Rs. P.s. please leave a review of the second book. I love to read your response. Thanks for reading. 27 Foreign Mana Attribute "Me.. me? What I do to you? You think I fear you?" The Ogre said while subtly increasing the distance between him and the young Demon. His words would have been believable any other day, but his wobbling legs and his frightened demeanor showed how terrified he was. However, one one could blame him. James had a brilliant smile on his face as he watched the ridiculous scene. ''What an idiot. Everyone can see your afraid¡­ well, it''s not by business. Time to mingle with the others, I can''t let this crazy bitch notice me,'' James mused while subtly increasing the distance between him and the young demon. "Oh? You don''t want to go? Hahaha¡­" The crazy redhead said as she flashed a brilliant smile at the frightened Ogre. Just as she finished her statement, she took lazy steps as she approached the Ogre. "Demon can''t fight us alone. Together we defend against demon!" The Ogre roared in an attempt to rally the other survivors to fight against the young demon. However, the moment the Demon made her move, the other survivors in that area hurriedly fled for their lives. None of them cared about the Ogres valiant cry, none of them wanted to be a sacrificial lamb and die a useless death. Even members of his own race who had a deep sense of tribal bonds, did not look towards his direction. The small but mighty Demon also made them terrified. Abandoned, the ugly face of the frightened Ogre distorted in terror, making his face far uglier. In fact, those watching from the side could see tears gathered at the sides of his blood-red eyes. The moment Demon reduced the distance to less than six meters, the voice of the Ogre echoed, "Me do it. Me do it! I open door!" After his declaration, the crazy redhead halted in her tracks while clapping her fragile looking hands. "Hurry now. I told you I''m hungry¡­ if I don''t eat soon, I might just turn my attention to¡­" the crazy redhead stopped at his point as she glanced at the Ogre and the surrounding youths. Naturally, they all knew what she meant. The pitiful Ogre and several others could not stop their bodies from trembling while others swallowed hard. Saying nothing in response and with his legs wobbling, the Ogre approached the majestic door. Since it had no knobs or handles, he wondered how he would open it. However, he did not air his complaint. Because, he did not know if the Demon would give him a second chance. Watching from the side, James stared intently at the Ogre as he approached the door. Just like him, the others also watched the frightened Ogre while using the corners of their eyes to stare at the crazy redhead. None of them could afford to be complacent around such a psycho. "System, can you determine if something negative will happen while opening the door?" James said within his mind. Scanning¡­ Scanning Completed! There is a 50% probability the user will get a beneficial Mana from opening the door! However, there is a 50% probability the user will experience a severe form of Mana deviation! "System, what kind of benefit and will the Mana Deviation end my life or only reduce my current level? Quick, tell me!" James anxiously asked. I have detected unknown Mana attribute, but it shares similarities with an ancient beast! I cannot determine the severity of the potential Mana deviation! System Recommendation; the user should seize this opportunity! ''What kind of shitty recommendation is this? What if I end up dying? With my current streak, that''s a real possibility,'' James thought after reading the system''s response. With this thought in mind, he stared at the magnificent Dragon carving again. At that moment, the system''s message appeared in his mind again. ''Wait¡­ wait. No¡­ no, it''s not possible. Nah, there is no way. I''m surely overthinking this, or am I?'' James mused while tapping his forehead with his index finger. Unlike others, he assumed a contemplative mien as he gathered his thoughts. While James mused, the frightened Ogre was already in front of the humongous door. Earlier, he dawdled as he approached the door, hoping that someone or something will save him from his sacrificial lamb position. After what he had experienced, the thought of opening the door terrified him. But he could not go against the order of the small psycho. Exhaling deeply while placing his left hand on his thumbing chest, the Ogre took one last look at the person who sent him to his potential death. However, his eyes did not have the savage gleam known for members of his race or the vengeful glint of a dying man. Instead, he looked piteous. His expression showed he still harbored hope the Demon would have mercy on him. However, she dashed his expectations with a sentence and gesture, "Hurry. I won''t remind you again." she said while licking her lips. At that moment, the Ogre abandoned all hope and his heart sank into the abyss of despair. Left with no choice, he raised his muscular arms while sighing dejectedly. Just as his hands were about to touch the door, he heard a loud shout, "Wait! Let me do it. I''m tired of this place. I''ve lost everything, I might as well end it! Please don''t deny me this." Stunned, everyone turned their heads towards a young boy with a bloodied left arm which complemented his fiery red hair. As they stared at him from head to toe, they could not deny that his listless countenance matched his suicidal words. When they remembered his antecedents, it lessened their initial surprise. Because, this was the same idiot who was actively seeking for friends earlier. The Ogre who felt he had escaped the sweet and cold embrace of death could not help but sob quietly while staring at the young Demon. Although James had willingly volunteered, he did not dare to leave on his own free will. Meanwhile, the crazy redhead had her brows furrowed with her succulent lip curved into a frown, as she stared at James. However, she said nothing, as she observed James''s trembling body while he grunted in pain. "Small red human, come open door. I let you have honor," the Ogre anxiously said as he glanced at the silent Demon. Since she said nothing, he had to take his life into his own hands. Saying nothing in response, James limped timidly as he approached the door. As he saw James approach, the Ogre''s tears streaked down his face. Because, he felt grateful to the human bastard taking his place. Since the Demon had yet to say anything, he took it as a silent approval. However, just as the Ogre wanted to leave his position, he heard the familiar voice which he dreaded so much, "Hmmm¡­ Any other day, I would have disciplined you for such disrespect. But since I''m hungry, I''ll let it slide," the crazy redhead said as she stared at James. Turning her head to the Ogre, she continued her statement, "Why are your crying? Don''t worry, you''ll still have a chance. Look at his hand, I doubt he''ll be able to open such a huge door. If he fails, take over. Okay?" Neither James nor the Ogre responded, instead they both shared the same collective looks of misery. But unlike James who looked as if he wanted the sweet release death brought, the Ogre had a faint visage of hope that James would succeed. Stepping aside, the Ogre made way for James. This small human was his only hope to avoid a potential calamity, and this thought made his bloodshot eyes shine with a hopeful gleam. Like a dejected man at the end of his life, James sighed as he stared at the humongous door. Without saying a word, he used his right hand to caress the intricate Dragon carvings like groom stroking the body of his beautiful wife. "Hey¡­ red human, you waste time. Hurry or me next. Me don''t want to steal human honor," the Ogre anxiously said. His words expressed how agitated he was. With the Ogre''s reminder, James sighed one more time while contracting his right arm which made his tiny muscles bulged. If it was any other day, the Ogre would have laughed his ass off, but his life depended on such a pathetic bulge. Just like the Ogre, the others also expected James to fail, and a miserable failure at that. With all his strength mustered, James shouted in a low voice while violently pushing the door with a punch. However, apart from his heavy panting and his grunts of pain, nothing happened. "Hahaha¡­ You have had your chance, but I''m not in the mood for nonsense anymore. It''s now¡­" before the crazy redhead could finish her statement, a mysterious change suddenly happened to the Dragon carving on the door. Starting from its tail, a faint brilliant orange glow slowly covered the craving of the Dragon. While this change occurred, the youths had a stern expression on their faces as they slowly backed away. Because, they realized that James could not withdraw his hand from the door and the carving emanated a terrifying heat which was slowly rising. At that moment, they all hurriedly distanced themselves from the door whose radiance was blinding. All they could see was the faint silhouette of the idiotic human wriggling in agony, while his disturbing screams of pain echoed through the air. To most of these youths, it made their skins crawl while terror gripped their hearts. However, for a select few, Jame''s cries brought a delightful smile to their face. A few seconds later, the blinding light lessened in it its radiance and James''s screams also disappeared. However, the youths could no longer see the outline of James figure. In fact, most of them assumed the hellish heatwave had turned him to dust. While this thought lingered in their minds, they all heard a loud creaking sound which them started. Looking closely, they noticed the enormous door was opening, and they saw a piercing light through the cracks while a cacophony of noise echoed from the other side. "Opening just a fucking door required a sacrifice, what kind of place is this? How many of us do they want dead before it satisfies their bloodlust?!" A young girl said while clenching her teeth and tightening her fists. Although they all agreed with her, none of the youths responded. They all knew it was useless to complain. You could either give up like James did, or continue to survive, no in between existed in such a place. Deliberating over whether they should go in, they suddenly heard a similar sonorous voice, "Children, the others have been waiting for you. Your representative has already entered. C''mon, don''t make the others wait any longer, we need to start the feast. But you can decide not to join us. You have 30 seconds to make your decision, after which the doors will shut permanently." Even while Piri''s voice echoed, the youths frantically raced to the gap between the door. Who in their right mind would ignore the voice that made them mass murders? As they passed through the gap, they squinted their eyes because of the blinding light. But they did not drop their guards, in case someone or something would ambush them. They all had apprehensive thoughts on what awaited them, however, they soldier on. The moment they emerged on the other side, they all had a stunned expression on their faces while they opened their mouths in disbelief. Their gazes fell on a young boy with disheveled red hair, with a soot-like substance covering his skin and tattered robes. With mere inches separating them, they could sense the faint stomach-churning smell of burned flesh and charred clothes. "Red human survive?" an Ogre blurted out. With the same dejected look from earlier, James stared at the Ogre for a moment but said nothing in response. Before the youths could recover from their shock of seeing James alive, they noticed that he was not the only one staring at them. Maybe it was because their eyes were still adjusting to the bright light in the room, but did not notice they entered a massive room with hundreds of youths like themselves. Apart from these youths, they also saw caretakers who had eerie smiles on their faces and some masked people who wore black robes. However, what piqued their interest was the sheer size of the room which looked whitewashed, while tapestries, shields, and banners flaunting a coat of arm of majestic Dragon decorated the walls. And on the ceiling several chandeliers with dozens of candles served as the main source of illumination for the room. The other children all sat on wooden chairs in front of a long trestle table decorated with a colorful linen cloth. On top of these tables were dishes which looked as if someone prepared them for royalties of the Great Kingdoms. As the youths stared in disbelief, a spicy, savory aroma wafted in all directions which caused the stomachs of most of these youths to growl in anticipation. Those who lost themselves in the enticing setting, did not know when a slight trace of drool fell from the corner of their mouths. "Is this real, or this is another test?" A Lizardman asked as drool fell from the corner of his mouth. Before the others could respond, the same voice from earlier echoed again, "Children, welcome. You have done well. Please take a seat." No matter what they did, they could not resist the calming and persuasive effects of the voice. Raising their heads, they finally realized who own the melodic voice. Seating in the dais in the room, the youths laid eyes on a beautiful lady who looked like an eternal beauty. Although she was human, most of them could not take her eyes of her. Especially when she smiled. As if they were under a spell, most of the youths walked towards the vacant seats on the trestle-tables. At that same moment, they heard a creaking sound which woke them from their stupor. Before they could react, the beautiful lady magically appeared in front of them. "Children, please sit," she said with her bewitching voice. Saying nothing in response, the youths trudged toward the vacant seats. However, the beautiful lady blocked James''s path. "Did you receive anything when you opened the door? Don''t worry, you can tell me," she whispered while staring into James''s eyes with her jewel-like blue eyes. Like a love-struck idiot, James had a beautiful smile on his face as he said, "I don''t understand. I thought I would die while opening the door, and I felt my Mana leaving my body." After James finished his statement, a look of disappointment flashed across the face of the lady for a moment. "Another failure," she faintly whispered. "You have done well, Child. Go have a seat," she said as she poked James''s nose. Nodding his head like a shy boy, James hurried to an empty seat. The moment he took his seat, the beautiful lady magically appeared at the dais. With a small ceremonial cup in her hand, her voice echoed in the room, "Children, my name is Piri, and I am the Headmaster of Kynar. You have all suffered to get to this point, so I won''t bore you with a long speech. I''ll save that for later. Now, enjoy yourselves with the finest dishes Kynar offers. On behalf of everyone, I welcome you to Kynar. I officially declare the feast open." The moment she finished her declaration, a sonorous music echoed in the room. Like the high hymns of mountain Celtics and pulsating drums of an old war Norse ship. Accompanying this masterpiece were the lyrics, "The Frost Gaints of Kynomo, journeyed through the Hoog. Men and Beasts of river Naier swallowed by Mathras''s bow, then the light of Patele set bringing the dawn of gods. But Roan withheld it''s foe birthing the beasts of fire and despair. Out of the ashes they rose, four not one. After a thousand years, Kynar still stands on high. From Nether he comes, the chosen one of Aghoul!" Meanwhile, the hypnotized and famished youths greedily devoured the food. "System, how is it?" James said within his mind. Scanning completed! I have detected no harmful substance in the food and drink. Will the user like to restore the hearing function? Will the user like to deactivate the Skill-Mana Manipulation? Foreign Mana Absorption Process ongoing! Estimated time until completion: 5 months! Name:??? (The user''s level is too low to access this information) Rank:??? (The user''s level is too low to access this information) Path:??? (The user''s level is too low to access this information) Attribute:??? (The user''s level is too low to access this information) Absorption Status: 0.1% Warning! Warning! Warning! If the user deactivates the Skill-Mana Manipulation, several targets will detect the foreign Mana. If the user deactivates the Skill-Mana Manipulation, it will revert the user''s burn injuries, smell, and modifications to the user''s clothes. If the user deactivates the Skill-Mana Manipulation, it will undo the projection of the targets words to letters. 28 Spatial Bridges Like the other muddleheaded youths, James voraciously devoured the sumptuous dish in front of him while reading this system''s message. His screams of pain earlier and his soot covered body was a ruse to hide the fact he received the foreign Mana attribute. And since the system warned him about Piri, he disabled his sense of hearing while asking the system to convert spoken words to readable words through the Skill-Mana Manipulation. Although things worked out for him, James knew he made a risky gamble which could have left him handicapped for life. However, if given the choice again, he would still make the same decision. Why? Because, he could not quell the hunch he would live in regret if he missed the chance, and something the system said earlier piqued his interest. Especially when he observed the magnificent dragon carving, however, James did not know how his gamble would turn out. With no words shared, the children continued to make merry while a sonorous music played within the room. Piri and some caretakers on the dais stared at the hundreds of children with cheerful smiles on their faces while they drank a fruity red wine which had an uncanny red glow. Although, Piri said nothing, the caretakers actively discussed and laughed with each other in a soft voice. "What do you think of the latest batch? I don''t think they''re too bad." "Hmm¡­ They are not special. I''ve seen better selections. To be honest, 90% of them won''t survive the first three months. Hahaha¡­" "Hahaha¡­ True¡­ True. It doesn''t matter though. Although it is already the tenth month of the year, we can always restock when the supply is low." "That reminds me¡­ I wonder if any of them received a blessing." "Nah. I don''t think so. From my calculations, among those who opened the doors, 80 died while only ten survived. And judging from their appearance, they are all lucky to be alive. It''s unlikely they received anything. If they had, you know what would have happened." "Hahaha¡­ you can say that these little bastards still have a little luck on their side. Too bad it ends soon. I hope they enjoy themselves tonight, it going to¡­" before the smiling caretaker could finish his statement, Piri''s gaze fell on him as she wagged her index finger. With a gentle bow, the discussing caretakers spoke no further but continued to enjoy the festivities. Meanwhile, James who was seated at the other end of the room had his brows furrowed while several thoughts raced through his mind. With his Skill-Mana Manipulation, he heard the subtle discussion between the caretakers. ''What?! Tenth month already? When I left the Tiodon Kingdom, there was three weeks left until the start of the tenth month. Does that mean it took three weeks to travel from the Tiodon Kingdom to this godforsaken place? I''m tired of this crap. Give me a break already! Something pops up every damn time!'' Although he did not know the exact details, it only made him more apprehensive and further solidified his resolve to escape. Although he had the urge to use the system to scan a 1km radius around him, he could still remember its stern warnings that he would be exposed if he did so. With this thought in mind, James calmed his nerves while stuffing his face. ¡­ Three hours later, the sumptuous dishes on the trestle-tables had all disappeared. If not for its lingering aroma in the room, nobody would know such a feast decorated the tables. Stuffed and relaxed, the youths reclined on their seats while still under the control of Piri''s voice. Unlike before, they looked energetic and full of life. Because, the masked figures healed those who had nasty looking injuries on their bodies. However, their healing abilities did not regenerate the lost limbs of those disabled. Although he still wore his tattered robes, they healed all the injuries on James''s body while using a strange deep blue orb to clean the soot on his body. Since James did not lose his mind like the others, he could respond to their healing magic as he commanded the system to deactivate certain aspects of his Mana Manipulation. Meanwhile, Piri and the caretakers left the massive room two hours earlier, leaving the masked figures to their duties. A few minutes later, the last of the robed figures focused on healing a nasty sword wound on the back of a frail-looking Forest-Elf who sat opposite James''s table. James could not believe that the feeble female Elf could survive such an injury. In fact, he doubted if he would survive if their fates was reversed. Because, asides the continuous flow of fresh blood, he could see her bone through the opened wound. ''Elves are wonderful creatures. She probably survived because of her race innate healing abilities,'' James mused as he stared at the healing process. ''Hmmm¡­ I should add the bloodline of the Elves to Vault when it becomes accessible. Maybe I''ll mix it the bloodlines of some of the others here. I wonder what kind of unique bloodline I''ll get then. Hahaha¡­ Disaster and fortune come in pairs. I can''t wait,'' James mused as his lips subconsciously curved into a brilliant smile. With Blay De Tovar''s knowledge, he would not be out of his depths when the time came to form a new bloodline or assimilate a chosen bloodline. Since the injury on the back of the Forest-Elf was grave, the masked figure spent thirty minutes healing her. However, the moment he left, James could not believe that the mangled piece of flesh had returned to that of a beautiful young maiden. The healing was so perfect that James could not spot a scar, if not that he was pretending to be hypnotized he would have killed the masked figure and extract his soul. With the sole purpose of assimilating his knowledge and skills. With his duties completed, the masked figure took hurried steps as he exited the room via an underground pathway, covered by a circular latch on the dais. Just as he left, the sound of several wind chimes echoed in the room, and a chilling breeze whistled through the spacious room. At that moment, the bodies of the hypnotized youths jilted slight, removing the fog of uncertainty clouding their eyes. Awake, before they could react, a familiar angelic voice echoed in the room. However, this angelic voice only made the hearts of these sink in despair, because they knew it only brought pain and sufferings. "Children, now that you have enjoyed your meals, it is time to begin your journey in Kynar. There From all of us here in Kynar, we can''t wait to see your rebirth." After Piri''s declaration, the chiming of the wind chimes disappeared, and a loud rumbling sound replaced it. Startled, the youths could see the walls of the room distorting and morphing into a strange black hole. As it appeared, the temperature in the room further decreased causing the youths to see their condensed breaths as they backed away from the eerie-looking portal. A few seconds after the wall distorted, the other three walls also distorted and morphed into a black hole. At this point, the youths gathered themselves at the center of the massive room. They could feel four divergent weather from the four black holes. The first blew a chilling breeze while the second emitted a scorching heat. They could hear the violent sounds of thunder and lightning from the third, and drizzles of rainwater sprinkled on the marbled floor of the room. Meanwhile, a humid breeze blew from the fourth black hole, but the youths could hear the occasion howls and growls of what sounded like savage wild beasts. Petrified, most of them did not have the courage to approach or investigate these ominous manifestations. Instead, they cowered in fear while observing and hoping someone would sacrifice himself for the others. "System, what''s happening?" James asked with his brows furrowed. Like most of the youths he had never seen such a phenomenon. Scanning¡­ Scanning Completed! Four Spatial Bridge Detected! Characteristics of Potential Locations; The first Spatial Bridge leads to a snowy mountain close a frozen tundra. The second Spatial Bridge leads to a vast desert with a scorching heat. The third Spatial Bridge leads to Rocky Mountain range besieged by frequent lightning strikes and acidic rain. The last Spatial Bridge leads to an enormous forest dominated by gigantic trees and savage wild beasts. Calculating the level of danger of the four Spatial Bridges to the user¡­ Calculation completed! All bridges will not harm the user when entering! First Bridge¨C40% odds of survival. Second Bridge¨C45% odds of survival. Third Bridge¨C30% odds of survival. Forth Bridge¨C10% odds of survival. System''s Recommendation; the user should take the Forth Bridge! James swallowed a mouthful of saliva as he heard the system''s response. In fact, the corners of his eyes involuntary twitched while his lips trembled in surprise. "System, why did you recommend the Fourth Spatial Bridge? It has the lowest odds of survival, or are you finally revealing your true colors?" James retorted. Although he had no proof, James felt the system was not just a voice in his head. However, it was only a hunch made from his experience. Like he expected, silence greeted his question. Not prepared to give up, James was about to ask another question, but a system message appeared in his mind like a ringing alarm. Warning! Warning! Warning! Spatial Bridges will become unstable in the next 30 seconds! "Well, who the hell cares? Is that a good thing for all us," James said with scepticism. Once destroyed, the user and those remaining in the room will sink into a Void Barrier! Odds of the user surviving; 0.00% "What?!" James blurted out. His loud shout drew the attention of those around him, however, before they could react to his sudden words, they could hear loud cracking noises in the room. Which originated from the marbled floors splitting like match sticks while a faint but corporeal blackish wisp seeped through the cracks. Since the cracks started at the center of the room, it tripled the weight of the unsuspecting youths. Panic-stricken, the other quickly distanced themselves from the web-like cracks. However, others made beeline movements towards the Spatial Bridges which had reduced in size. A few seconds later, a stampede followed. Those unlucky to fall where buried under a sea of feet which ruthlessly stumped the life of them while the blackish wisp from the floor ensured they would never rise again. Meanwhile, James raced with the quickest speed he could muster as he approached the fourth Spatial Bridge. Although it was not his ideal choice since he did not completely trust the system, the timing of the cracks and his standing position kept him at a disadvantage from his preferred Spatial Bridge-The first one. Once again, he could only blame his rotten luck. Although James was the first person to approach the fourth Spatial Bridge, several others overtook him in the race for survival. Some he had never seen before, while a few he was familiar with. However, the person who piqued his interest was the crazy redhead. Because, the moment she overtook him, she turned her delicate head while having a beautiful smile on her face. Before James could react, she mouthed the words, "You have been pretending all along. You even reacted before me. Hahaha¡­ see you on the other side." If there was one person James did not want to notice him, it was the young psycho. However, it was already too later to change his destination. Less than 15 seconds remained before the room sinks into the Void Barrier. Although he did not know what it meant or its location, from his odds of survival there, James had no intentions of visiting. With the system counting down in his mind, James jumped into the Spatial Bridge with five seconds to spare. At that point, it had shrunk to the size of a normal door and continued to shrink rapidly. But, its size did not matter. Because, even when it shrank to the size of a pinhole, it sucked those who were fortunate enough to touch it. At the 30 second mark, those left behind watch in despair as the four Spatial Bridges collapsed. However, their despair lasted a short while because the blackish glow covered the entire fractured room. The youths did not even have time to scream or cry before it turned them to nothing. It did not leave behind dust or the ashes of its victims, nothingness had claimed it all. In the blink of an eye, the nothingness which covered the room reverted to the previous beautiful spacious room, completed with all its accessories. However, it lacked a single living being. Within the deafening silence, a purple damned soul hovered above the trestle-tables. But this damned soul looked scared out of his mind as it screamed in agony, "Have mercy! Have mercy! I''m a lowly being, I did not mean to intrude!" While its crazed shout echoed, it shattered into stardust which trickled on the marbled floor of the room. Once again, silence dominated the deserted hall. 29 Tobias Henriksen As the changes occurred in the once populated hall, James felt a stinging pain course through his body as passed through the Spatial Bridge. It felt as if several tiny insects had burrowed into his flesh while feasting on his muscles. Meanwhile, a rancid odor like the smell of rotten tomatoes and soured milk assaulted his nose while a violent gale blew past him. Since he could not open his eyes, James did not know what was happening. In fact, he realized he lost his sense of sight and ability to control his body. However, the system reminded him his symptoms were common to those passing through a Spatial Bridge for the first time. It told James that the pain he felt resulted from his body being torn apart at a microscopic level while being reassembled instantaneously. With this change in his body, it impaired his nervous system. The only reason James did not become worried, was because the system told him the changes would not result in a potential defect. Unlike when he teleported with the Milkyway Stone, James felt as if several days had gone by since he entered the Spatial Bridge. ¡­ In outskirts of a massive forest predominated by thousands of trees which towered into the sky, the faint but yet frightening howls of savage beasts and the cheerful croaks of frogs echoed into the air. The lonely crescent moon also hung in a cloudy but star studded night sky, raining its silver radiance on the pristine scenery. However, a strange occurrence suddenly followed on the grass-covered field. Which resulted in the formation of a large black hole on the grassy ground, and this singularity emitted an intense light akin to that of the noon sun. However, it only last for a moment. Since it caused no tremors or explosions, it did not disturb the tranquility of the nearby forest. In the spot where the eerie black hole appeared earlier, laid over a hundred figures who grunted and wheezed in pain while clenching different parts of their divergent bodies. These new arrivals were the youths who chose the fourth Spatial Bridge, and James laid on the ground like the other groaning in pain¨Ca familiar feeling he hated. While James pathetically groaned in pain, he tried his best to rise to a sitting position. Because, he wanted to determine where the Spatial Bridge sent them to, and he was cautious of what or who waited for them on their arrival. Although he did not trust the system, it had never given him a wrong information. With a 10% odds of survival, James could not afford to be negligent. Just like him, others also sat on the ground while clenching their bodies in pain. However, none of them could hide the surprise on their faces as they stared at their new location. To the north were trees taller than anything they had ever seen. It leaves were as large canoes while its branches and trunks were thicker than five cannons. With their hands linked, it would take at least forty of them to surround one of these trees, and the most frightening thing was that it was only an average-sized tree when compared to the other vegetation on the forest. As they stared at the dirty brown bark of the trees, covered in a dense mat of moss, they sensed a whiff of a minty, woody aroma. Flowers and grasses of varying colors and sizes also grew amidst the gigantic trees. As they observed in solitude, the faint but yet vicious roars of beast several meters away reverberated. Although no words were shared, the collective looks of apprehension of the faces of the youths showed the terror they felt in their hearts. "Where are we?" the raspy voice of a Halfling echoed, however, silence greeted his words. James who sat a few meters away from the Halfling, had a deep frown on his face. Unlike most of the others, he knew the forest was far deadlier than it looked. With the knowledge gained from Blay De Tovar''s memories and the information from the Dumin sorcerer''s vault, James could identify a few plants from his sitting position. However, according to the information in his head, those plants should not be able to grow in the same climate. And the most terrifying aspect was that most of the flowers secreted lethal poisons. ''If the periphery has such a high number of poison plants¡­ I don''t what to imagine what lies in its depths.'' While James was absorbed in his thoughts, he heard the voice of young human girl, "What''s that?" she said while pointing towards the opposite end of the forest. Since they arrived, the youths only focused on the majestic forest while ignoring what laid behind them. Turning their heads, the youths stared at a grassy field which stretched into the horizon. With the girls shout earlier, they expected to see something unordinary like the majestic forest, but their expectations was quickly dashed. Saying nothing in response, most of them averted their gazes while focusing on the forest. However, the faces of a select few had a stern expression on it, including James. ''What the hell is that? Is that Death Energy? No¡­ Maybe a barrier? No¡­ It looks nothing like the one at the bottom of the gorge. But why does it look like the blackish wisp from the previous room?'' James mused as he stared at the grassy field. Maybe it was because of the way the clouds refracted the silver moonlight, a majority of the youths could not see the faint tendrils of blackish energy rising from the ground. "System, what is that?" James asked via is mind. Scanning¡­ Scanning Completed! Name: Nether! Primary use:??? (The user''s level is too low to access this information) Secondary use: Energy can activate Item-Odon Alloy Ring. With the Item-Odon Alloy Ring, in the Inventory, It can''t be activated. System''s Recommendation; the user should not absorb this energy until the user has attained the rank of Journeyman. Will the user like to absorb this energy? Warning! Warning! Warning! Odds of the user surviving the absorption process: 1% ''Did they set this up so we won''t run away? I must study the ring later. Hopefully, some idiots will attempt to explore the grassy fields,'' James thought. Gone were the days, he bothered himself with the system''s ridiculing words about his level. Rather than focus on what he had no control over, James mused on what strategy he''ll use to convince the apprehensive youths that exploring the grassy field was better than the forest. However, the moment this thought popped into James''s mind, all the youths could hear the leaves on the top of one tree rustle. Scared out their minds, and before they could react, they heard a cheerful voice, "I''m sorry I was late. Please forgive me. Unlike the last batch, there are so many of you. Hahaha¡­ This is unexpected. You guys are unlucky to have arrived here." "Who is there?! Show yourself!" a Dark-Elf shouted while reaching for his dagger. The others also struggled to assume fighting postures, but they couldn''t, because they had not recovered from the effects of the traveling through the Spatial Bridge. Powerless in such an ominous location while an unknown variable appeared, the youths could not hide their trepidation. Since the unknown individual said nothing in response, it only made them more anxious. In fact, the rustling of the leaves intensified after the Dark-Elf''s shout, and they could hear faint footsteps amidst the rustling. "System, who is approaching? Do you sense any danger?" Scanning¡­ Scanning Completed! Name:??? Race: Human Occupation: Magical Knight. Level: 79-Warrior & 30-Journeyman sorcerer Odds of the user eliminating the target: 3% I cannot detect any malice from the approaching target! The frown on James''s face lessened slightly as he heard the system''s notification. Although he felt uneasy about the arrival of a powerful variable, he was happy the system detected no malice from the approaching human. If the Magical Knight had the intentions of eliminating all of them, James knew they stood no chance on what would be a brutal onslaught. Unlike James, the others still stared at the rustling leaves intently. They could all hear the distinct echo of footsteps on a wooden surface. With their anxiety increasing with each passing second, something jumped from one branch of a tree, landing just a few meters away from where the youths sat. With wide eyes, the youths scrutinized the figure of a tall and brawny human male. He wore a strange beast hide which covered his arms, back, and his waist down to his knees. He also wore boots made from the fur from an unknown creature, and a fairly thin, hemp rope tied it together. Apart from his usual clothes, the youths could see several hideous scars which pulsated as if they were alive. Although they did not know what this man had gone through, a chill inherently went down their spines as they observed the sickening claw and bite scars which extended from the neck of the man, down to his hairy and wide chest, and his rock-like abs. As the silver radiance of the night fell on his beefy body, it highlighted his well-tanned skin. Unlike his body, the tanned skin of the young man had no blemish. Apart from having a bald head and no eyebrows, he had a thick beard on his chin which he tied into a single braid. Below his round nose, his lips curved into a daunting smile while his brown, round deep set hooded eyes stared at the anxious youths. Their attention was focused mainly on the two pitch black battle axes hanging at the sides of his waist. "Hahaha¡­ Don''t be scarred. I won''t hurt any of you¡­ at least not yet," the young man said with a deep Scandinavian accent while fiddling with his beard, with his back reclined against a tree. His words only made the already agitated youths more nervous, with their faces distorting in terror. At that moment, the loud hearty laughter of the young man reverberated into the air. "What¡­ what''s so funny?" a flustered Lizardman asked in a low voice. However, the brawny youth continued to clench his stomach as he laughed. "If you expect us to beg¡­ You are wasting your time! I won''t beg a human filth for my life!" a male Demon shouted with a condescending gleam in his eyes. Being a Demon, he hated when other races acted superior to him. Just like him the other Demons also shared this trait, even in the face of death, they would never bow their heads. To others, it was an admirable trait, but James had a different opinion. To him, vague beliefs such as racial superiority or societal values and morals, meant nothing to him. In fact, the corners of his lips involuntarily curved into an amused smile, while he stared at the male Demon like he was looking at an idiot. Just like James, the laughing youth had the same look in his eyes as he stared at the Demons. In fact, the intensity of his laughter only increased after the Demon''s shout. Exasperated from being mocked, the Demons stared at daggers at the brawny youth. However, they said nothing further. In the silence of the night, the over hundred youths sat in silence while staring at a laughing young man. Just like their facial expressions, they had a myriad of thoughts flashing through their minds. Since they had yet to recover from their previous journey, they were at the mercy of the young man. "Maybe this was how I looked those days¡­" The laughing young man muttered after finishing his bout of laughter. Meanwhile, the Demons still stared at him with a chilling glint in their eyes. But the young man was not fazed. He causally picked his nose with his index finger while saying, "Hahaha¡­ You guys are interesting. It''s been a long time I talked and laughed with someone. You don''t have to glare at me like that, I''m here to help you." Wiping his snort covered finger on the bark of the tree, the young man continued his statement, "I''m sure you guys are scared and confused. One day you were eating with your mama and papa, playing with your friends and living your mundane lives. Hahaha¡­ But suddenly, you woke up in an unfamiliar room with unfamiliar faces from different races. It only made you more scared, right?" At this point, all the youths had their gazes focused on the young man. Because, he accurately described what happened to them. "However, it did not end there. People you have never met before, amicably welcomed you to an unknown place. Telling you it would aid your rebirth. They promised you will come to love it, that you will never wish to return to the world that abandoned you. They even promised you a feast to celebrate your arrival. However, in order to enter qualify for this feast, they made you do things you never thought you could. Hahaha¡­ they made you believe you had no choice, right? With the number of times they welcomed you to Kynar, I''m sure you suspected a cult had kidnapped you, right?" Although the youths said nothing in response, some of them subconsciously nodded their heads. Seeing their reaction, the young man could not stop himself from chuckling. "Don''t worry, Kynar is not a place like that. Oh, you can call me, Tobias Henriksen." Majority of the youths subconsciously felt at ease after Henriksen''s declaration. "Just like you, I came here five years ago. Trust me, it would have been better if this was a secret cult who brainwashed children. However, no one will force you to kill anymore. You''ll be too busy trying to stay alive. You can hear them, right?" Henriksen added while yawning. Most of the youths had their mouths opened in confusion after his declaration. From the sickening scars on his body and the faint occasional howls of beasts they heard, they knew he was not lying. "If this is not a secret cult, then what is it? And how can we know you''re not one of those Caretakers? You don''t expect us to believe what you said, right?" The moment Asan heard this familiar voice, he had a faint smile on his face. He did not expect to see once of his Exp farms in the same location, especially after he lost several in the last room. After asking his question, Rowan stared at Henriksen with a stern look on his face. "I''m not a Caretaker and I don''t care if you believe me. You will understand soon enough. Even after spending five years here, I don''t know what this place is. The Halfling who welcomed my set back then, said this place existed for the sole aim of nurturing Dragons. A Dragonsite," Henriksen said. However, all the youths had looks of Incredulity, which caused Henriksen to shrug in response. "Do I look like I believe that crap? It has been five years, I''ve not seen Dragon poop, not to talk of a real Dragon. But one thing is certain though, the beasts in this forest would make you shit your pants. Just like me, there are others who have been here for several years. Beasts aren''t the only threats waiting in the Odon Forest. Forget about what kingdom you came from or your moral compass, the path of Light or Darkness have no meaning here. Every nasty thing your mind can imagine happens here, it doesn''t matter whether you are male or female, human or Halfling. When they come calling, you can either submit or wished you did. Hahaha¡­ Don''t worry, if you beautiful or useful, you can survive. Everyone has a role. If you''re from the Blacks Lands, the Odon Forest is an amplified version. However, if you are from somewhere else, then welcome to hell," Henriksen said with his lips curved into an eerie grin. 30 You Can Leave if You Wan A deafening silence greeted Henriksen''s words, even Rowan who asked the previous question could not hide his unease. However, he asked no further questions. Since none of them spoke further, only the rustling leaves by the cold night''s breeze whistled through the air, and the occasional croaks and stridulations of frogs and crickets. However, this silence did not last for long. With a pensive demeanor, Rowan stared at Henriksen again while saying, "Are the Caretakers also staying here?" Without saying a word, Henriksen shook his head in response. "Then, why haven''t you left yet? Since they are not here, we can remain here or explore the grassy field. Surely no one will force us to enter the forest, right?" Rowan asked while pointing to the grassy field opposite the forest. Meanwhile, Henriksen had a look of enlightenment of his face as he stared Rowan with his mouth slightly opened. He also could not stop himself from clapping at Rowan''s brilliant train of thought. The others youths could not believe Henriksen looked like he had never ventured towards the grassy field. The moment this thought flashed through their minds, they heard Henriksen''s deep voice, "Wow! You must be a genius. Such foresight and at such a young age, too. wow!" Listening to his complimentary words, the youths had strange expressions on their faces. From their point of view, only an idiot would not have thought about venturing towards the grassy plain. From Henriksen''s astounded countenance from such a mediocre observation, most of the youths already concluded he was the all brawny and no brains type. However, a few reserved their judgement. Because, it looked as if Henriksen still had words to say. "I can''t believe that for the last five years I, Tobias Henriksen, did not think of such a brilliant idea. In fact, it is a shame that the others who came before, with me, and after me did not notice such a glaring path. But this handsome young man, only noticed it with minutes. Wow! unbelievable!" Henriksen added as he rubbed his bald head. Unlike the condescending look he had in his eyes when Henriksen complimented him earlier, Rowan had a stern expression on his face as his the corners of his eyes and lower lip twitched. With his teeth gritted and his eyes staring at daggers at Henriksen, he said, "How dare you mock a prince?" "Why would you assume such a thing?" Henriksen asked while scratching his bald head, "Who would make fun of an intelligent prince?" Henriksen''s words and casual demeanor alone made Rowan more livid. The stares and giggles from those around him was what infuriated him the most, as a prince there was no way he could stomach such humiliation. Although he was angry, it did not mean he lost his ability to reason. In he dared to attack or form open enmity with anyone of the survivors, who knew when they come for his head in a lawless place like the Odon Forest. "So why haven''t you left yet?" a Dark-Elf asked. He asked the same question brewing in the minds of the youths. Still maintaining his causal demeanor, Henriksen looked at them with indifference, "You can leave if that''s what you want. I told you earlier, you''re free to do whatever you like, and whenever you like." Henriksen paused at this point. With the corners of his lips curving into a faint smile. "However, since I''m here to give the introductions, I''ll tell you why we can''t follow the young prince''s genius idea," Henriksen said while glancing at the incensed Rowan. "Apart from committing suicide and running into a pyscho in the forest, remaining here and exploring the field are the two quickest ways to die. If you look closely, you''ll notice a blackish wisp being emitted from the earth. Hahaha¡­ I''m sure some of you have noticed it already. Let me warn you, if intentionally or accidentally touch that wisp, you won''t have a corpse to bury. Do you remember what happened when they gave some of you the choice to leave or stay? The same thing will happen if that wisp touches your body. And every few days, the wisp migrates like a swarm of bees. In a few days, the wisp will reach your current location. You can either embrace it with open hands or you can venture into the forest. Unlike us, the wisp does not affect the vegetation and beasts in this forest. Hahaha¡­ I didn''t lie earlier, no one will force you to kill anybody because you''ll be too busy trying to survive." Henriksen said. Although the weather was slightly chilly, cold perspiration already covered the foreheads and backs of the youths. Henriksen''s latest declaration further cemented the dread they felt towards the Odon Forest, and the thought of committing suicide looked appealing in the minds of some of them. ''This is definitely the effects of Odon Alloy Ring. But what''s its connection to Nether? And how can the people in Kynar control such an energy? I wonder the organization behind this Kynar¡­'' James mused with his head lowered. Unlike the others, he was the only one able to connect the dot between the Odon Alloy Rings and Nether. Although there were others who knew about the rings, unlike James who had the system, they did not know what made it special. "Why the long face? You guys are the survivors from your respective selections. From the first trial to the last trial, none of you survived by sheer luck. Even if you, it does not matter. You are among the lucky ones, you get to see another day and live towards a dream of rebirth¡­ Hahaha¡­ A glorious dream," Henriksen said. Although he laughed in the same cheerful manner as before, most of the youths could sense derision in his words. Whether he aimed at himself or them, they had no idea, and did not care. Because, the reality of their situation had finally dawned on them. With a somber mood encompassing the youths, they sat in silence as they pondered their next course of action. However, as they sat in silence, a strange pentagram appeared on the surface of the ground. Because they had yet to recover, none of them could flee. Only those who sat at the periphery of the pentagram which had a blood-red glow could roll to the side, and James was among them. Henriksen, on the other hand, watched the scene with a faint smile on his face. "Hahaha¡­ Don''t worry. It won''t hurt you, this is the final gift from the people who brought you here. Allow the light to bathe your body, you will receive something in return. You don''t have to follow my instructions though, I''m just a guy who has been here far longer than you. What would I know?" Henriksen said while stroking his beard. Although they heard his words, none of the youths who escaped the glow returned. In fact, they wiggled their bodies to increase their distance from the occultic light. Because, they could hear chains clinking, eerie whispering, the faint moaning and audible howls of pain within the light. Yet, they could not see or feel anything other than dismay. As James wiggled his body, the sound of the system''s notification echoed in his mind. Scanning Completed! Name: Summoning Ring Rank: Average Origin: Light summoned from the blood of the innocent. Affinity: Souls and Ghouls. Abilities: Teleportation of innate objects and smaller life forms, and projection of knowledge. Item-Damned Souls will gain immensely from summoning ring. If the user is lucky enough, Item-Damned soul, will gain inspiration of growth. Warning! The user will suffer severe pain once exposed to the light, however, the user can turn off the sense of pain. Limitations: the user will feel the residual effects of the light when I enable the pain receptors. System''s recommendation: The user should bathe in summoning ring! Will the user like to turn off the sense of pain? "Turn them off," James said as he instantly changed direction, wiggling towards the light like moth heading towards the flame. James''s comical reaction caught Henriksen off guard, but he could not stop himself from laughing. He wondered if James reconsidered, or saw the light as the perfect opportunity to end his suffering. Just like Henriksen, four among the twenty who reacted quickest pondered if James had gone insane. However, while this thought occupied their mind, another five join him in racing towards the light. Among them was a Demon blood-red hair, she giggled as she rolled towards the light, almost like a little child having the time of her life. "Hahaha¡­ It seems another mad Demon will enter the forest. The other redhead is strange, too. I refuse to believe he got this far with such a weak Mana capacity. He does not even look like a warrior, but he has a fantastic intuition. Hahaha¡­ maybe I should choose him," Henriksen muttered as he stared at the crazy redhead. "Hey! Hey! You" a Beastman growled as she glared at Henriksen. Meanwhile, Henriksen glanced at his right, and then his left, before pointing his index figure at himself, while saying, "Me?" "Who else would I be talking to? Forget it. You are to help us, right? Quick, tell us what''s happening," the Beastman anxiously growled. "Young Lady, what do you think I am? Don''t assume I came here on my volition. I told you earlier, you''ll get a gift from bathing in the light. What further help do you need? Or did I speak words too big for you to understand?" Henriksen asked with a faint smile. As they stared at the ominous red light and the cacophony of sickening noises being emitted from it center, they wondered if Henriksen was senile in the head, or what them to suffer for his amusement. None of them had the intention of mimicking James''s actions or that of the others. From their point of view, they were better off without the so-called final gift. Seeing their reluctance, Henriksen chuckled slightly as he said, "Don''t regret it later, okay?" Some of them only glanced at him but said nothing in response. The others did not even bother with him, because they believed he was someone who had secret connections to the people of Kynar. They felt if he was truly someone like them, then why did others not come to the periphery of the forest, too? Those who sat under the pentagram were experiencing a cruel pain coursing through their bodies. In fact, some of them passed out in their sitting positions but the pain woke them up also immediately. Their minds were on the verge of collapsing, but a strange black object congealed on the opened palms of these youths. At first, it looked like a shapeless fluid, but after a few minutes it solidified and took various shapes and sizes. Some were as long as spears while others as thin as needles. Although he experienced no form of pain, James laid on the ground bellowing while his body trembled as if he was convulsing. However, he focused his attention on the system notification projected in his mind. Congratulation! Item-Damned Soul, has stared the absorption of Blood Essence from the Summoning Ring. Odds of Item-Damned Soul mutating: 20% Foreign Ore detected! Name: Ospian Ore Purity: 80% Rank: Good. I have connected the user''s mind to a weapons vault. Unlike the other Targets, the user can mold the bore into the desired weapon with greater specificity. What weapon will the user like to mold? James almost wanted to laugh as he read through the system''s notification. Although he had never heard of the Ospian ore and did not know it value, the fact it had a Good rank from the System meant it had a significant value. "System, read my mind for the specification of the weapon, and send it to my inventory the moment it''s created. What is the estimate residual damage I would incur?" I have saved the user''s preference! Weapon Modification using the user''s template Initiated! Estimated time until completion: 40 minutes The user will lose 30% of HP from the residual damage. Congratulations! A new Skill has been projected to the user''s brain. Name: Light Barrier. Rank: Poor. Path: Light. Uses: Ability for the user to form barriers from light. Limitations: The user cannot form over two barriers at once. The density of the second barrier will be weaker than the first barrier. The user can only use this Skill three times in a day. The Necromancer System can convert the Skill to the path of Darkness. Estimated time until completion: 48 hours. Will the user like to convert this skill? James''s chuckled as he saw the system''s message. ''What a beautiful gift. It''s a good thing the system can covert the skill, if not, it would have been fairly useless. I wonder what skills the others are receiving?'' Jame mused. Just like him, the others had varying spells projected into their minds and they each received a lump of Ospian ore to do as they pleased. Since the blinding light of the pentagram covered them, Henriksen and the others could not see what was happening. However, unlike the clueless newbies, Henriksen understood what was going on. In fact, he subconsciously stroked his axe while waiting for pentagram to disappear. An hour later, the blinding light dimmed and the figures of the youths seated at the extreme became visible. "Hahaha¡­ It''s almost time to choose my prize. Hmmm¡­ I think I know who I''ll choose," Henriksen muttered as he stared at the dimming light. The moment he said these words, a strong wind blew past the grassy field. At that moment, the pentagram disappeared, revealing the weakened bodies of the youths who sat and laid on the ground. "They survived?" A Demon who fled earlier asked in astonishment. "Wait¡­ what are they holding? Are those weapons?" Instead of answering the question of the Demon, the female Beastman from earlier responded with a question of her own. With eyes opened wide in disbelief, they stared at the others who sat and laid on the ground while clutching various weapons in their hands. They could see glistening spears, majestic swords, beautiful bows, oddly shaped halberds and other intricately designed weapons. At that moment, they remembered the words Henriksen said. They could not help but stare at him with their bloodshot eyes, however, Henriksen giggled while daring them with his eyes. Since they were not idiots, they ignored his provocations. Because, they knew a brutal death awaited them if they attacked him. However, they could not disguise the greed in their eyes as they stared at the weapons. Because, all the weapons looked like magical artefacts. At that moment, those who did not bathe under the light of the pentagram regained control of their lower limbs. Just like them, the weary youths also regained access to their legs, but they were too tired to stand. Noticing this, and with the seed of greed planted in their minds, the others gradually stood to their feet while staring at weary youths like predator staring at weak prey. "You guys can only blame yourself. Don''t blame us, blame the people who sent you to this place," a young man said as he stared at a beautiful saber on the hand of a Beastman. "Hahaha¡­ For a human, you''re smart. We bide our time, and now it is time to reap the harvest," a Demon added while staring a rapier. Even in such a scenario he could not hide his derision for humans. Although the words of the Demon angered him, the young man showed no reaction. He would first steal the saber from the Beastman, before putting the Demon in his place. Just the duo who ogled the weapons they desired, the others had the same reaction as they shortened the distance between themselves and the weary youths. With a few meters separating the two groups, they heard familiar laughter and voice, "Are you guys this stupid? How did you even survive the selection? As much as I would like to watch the action, I''m afraid I must stop you here," Henriksen declared. "Don''t think you can stop us. There is only one of you, do you think you can take all of us?" a Demon snorted. "I''m seriously tempted to take your offer, but I must decline. Even if I do nothing, she would have killed you," Henriksen said as he pointed to the crazy redhead, "and him, and him. Him too, oh and him, too," he added while pointing to different people. "Why?! You should have let them come. Do you know how hard it''s pretending to be weak?" the crazy redhead grumbled while pouting her lips. She looked a shadow of the youth who looked fatigue a few seconds ago. Although the others who were pretending did not complain like her, they had a sinister gleam in their eyes as they stared at those who wanted to attack them earlier. Meanwhile, those genuinely fatigued, heaved a sigh of relief. They too pretended as if they were knowledgeable of the ploy from the beginning. Only James continued panting while clenching his chest, the reason he did this was because he saw Henriksen staring towards his direction earlier. He did not know what he wanted and did not care, but he did not want to stand out just yet. Unlike the others who held beautiful weapons, he was the only one with an old knife which had traces of blacken blood on it rusty surface. This was James''s trusty knife he used in dissecting corpses for the Army of the Fallen. Pretending to be ashamed of the knife, he used his tattered robes to hide it. Meanwhile, the youth who wanted to rob the others earlier had panic-stricken expressions on their faces as they retreated in hurried steps. However, they did not go too far, because they did not want to enter the forest. And they did not want to come within range of the smiling Henriksen. With the tensed atmosphere gradually rising, Henriksen suddenly clapped his hands while approaching the youths seated on the ground. Those who stood quickly made way for him, not daring to look him in the eyes. "There is really nothing much for me to tell you guys. Oh, that reminds me. The wisp invades the forest every three weeks and retreats the following three weeks. However, it does not have a defined pattern. If you survive the first three weeks, then you''ll learn a lot. However, it''s likely only 5% of you will survive, and trust me, I''m being generous. Well, it''s time to claim my prize," Henriksen said as he towered above James''s figure. After his declaration, the youths all had stern expressions on their faces. Especially when he said it was time to claim his prize. Meanwhile, James who laid on the ground was already manipulating the Mana in the surrounding forest through the Skill - Mana Manipulation. If Henriksen reached for him, a black smog would cover the area and he would change to his Grim Reaper form instantly. However, he was not interested in fight a losing battle. Instead, he would use the cover of the artificial darkness to flee to the nearby forest. "Hahaha¡­ I''ve had my eyes on you since I came here. I''ve been searching for you for a long time. Don''t blame me for choosing you, I''ve worked hard to earn this prize," Henriksen said as he reached towards James. Agitated, James was ready to enact his plan, however, the unexpected happened. With a gentle sweep of his legs, Henriksen brushed James''s body away while reaching for a beautiful Forest-Elf holding an intricate bow. She too had thought Henriksen came for James. Because of his sudden actions, she did not know how to react. At that moment, Henriksen''s excited laughter echoed, "A Forest-Elf¡­ Hahaha¡­ Wonderful. I''ve always imagined this day. What''s your name, lass?" "Lil¡­ Lilis," the Forest-Elf blurted out in shock. Just as she told her name, she realized the mistake she had made, and several disgusting thoughts flooded her mind. With no delay, she reached for her dagger. She would rather die than live to experience being violated. However, Henriksen reacted quicker than her. With a simple touch to the forehead, Lilis lost control of her body as she slumped to the floor with tears streaking down her cheeks. "Whoa! What are you trying to do? Why are you reaching for your dagger, and why are you crying?" Henriksen said with a bewildered expression on his face. Raising his head, he saw the apprehensive looks on the faces of the other females which had traces of disgust, too. At that moment, he realized what they were thinking. Shaking his head vigorously, he said, "No¡­ no, no! I''m not into that. Trust me, I really don''t want to do that. I used to be a monk you know. Sure she is beautiful, but she is not my type. If she was a human with fox ears and tail, then I might have considered, but¡­" Henriksen suddenly paused at this point because he realized his words were only making the situation worse. With a gentle sigh, he picked up the sobbing Lilis. Saying nothing, he placed her on her back and suddenly dashed into the forest. Those who were watching could not believe what they had just seen, however, it reminded them of the seriousness of their situation. While they pondered what had just occurred, they suddenly heard Henriksen''s voice from the distance, "I forgot to tell you guys, the three weeks retreating cycle will end by noon tomorrow. If you don''t want to die, better move! Oh, I''m seriously not that kind of person. Until we meet again!" While his voice still echoed, the youths broke into a dash as they ran into the thick forest. Who cared what Henriksen wanted to do with Lilis when their lives were their main priority. 31 Failed Experiments Panic-stricken, anxious and desperate, the youths ran towards directions in the forest. None of them had the intention of lingering around, since they did not know how fast the wisp would spread. Feigning to be anxious like the others, James broke into a dash too, but he controlled the pace at which he ran. His eyes scanned those around him, as him he was searching for someone or something. ''Hmm¡­She is not here. I can''t have that psycho following me,'' James mused when he realized he the crazy redhead did not follow his path. Since he was neither fast nor slow, the others easily overtook in their frantic dash for survival. However, James did not care. The moment the last of the youths dashed into the thick forest, he stopped in his tracks while scanning his surroundings. "System, can you detect if any of is lingering around the area?" Scanning¡­ Scanning Completed! The distance between the user and targets is gradually increasing! James nodded his head gently after reading the system''s notification. "Come out," James said via his mind. At that moment, a familiar aberration from the pit of hell hovered above his head. He had summoned a damned soul from his inventory. The earth a few meters away from him also trembled, and two frightening corpses emerged from the loose earth. "You two, walk towards the Nether field," James said while pointing at the two corpses. Raising his head, he stared at the subservient damned soul, "Do the same. But only hover above the earth. Go," James added. With a gentle nod of acknowledgement, the three aberrations walked and flew towards the nether field. Meanwhile, James stared at them with an expectant look on his stern face. Maybe because of James''s control, the two corpses from the Army of the Fallen were faster than the damned soul. The moment they reach the Nether, James''s heart thumped in anticipation. Because, if his Items could survive, then he would look for a way to use it for his advantage. "You wait. Let them walk further before you proceed," James instructed the damned soul via his mind. One step, two steps, three steps¡­ Two steps and yet nothing happened. James had a brilliant smile on his face as he watched the scene. In fact, he had to restrain his rising urge to laugh. Through the system, he also commanded the damned soul to do the same as the corpses. And just like them, nothing happened. ''It seems this Nether is not as terrifying as I thought it would be. It''s a good thing I''ve this guys to do the dirty work.'' "Come back. Let the¡­" before James could finish his order, a soul shaking system notification echoed in his mind. At that moment, James felt light-headed while a stabbing pain coursed through his body. Which caused fresh blood to leak from the sides of his mouth while his body shivered as he dropped to his knees. Warning! A Foreign Energy is trying to invade the user''s consciousness through the Items - Damned Soul and Army of the Fallen! Name: Nether! Effects: The user''s level is too low to access this information. Odds of the user surviving if the invasion is successful: 0.00% System Recommendation: the user should sever the link between the Items - Damned Soul and Army of the Fallen. Estimated time until it completes the invasion: 10 seconds. Will the user like to sever the connection? "Cut it, damn it!" James retorted while clenching his chest which felt as if it would explode at any moment. I have severed the connection between the user and the Items - Damned Soul and Army of the Fallen. The moment the system''s notification appeared in his mind, James felt mental connection to the damned soul and corpses disappear. The pain he felt also disappeared the moment he lost his connection to the Items. With bloodshot eyes filled with fury, James stared at the damned soul and corpses who remained motionless, but did not look as if they suffered from any form of pain. With his experiment failing and spectacularly at that, James had no reason to linger at the periphery of the forest. However, just as he was about to turn his attention away from his former Items, a sudden change occurred. With his blue eyes bulging in disbelief, James watched as a blackish wisp invade the bodies of the corpses and coat the corporeal form of the damned soul. At that moment, the trio howled like rapid dogs while they trembled as if it would destroy them. Warning! Nether Possession has being detected! Estimated time until completion: 30 minutes. The targets will attack the user upon completion! Odds of the user eliminating the targets: 40% Stupefied, James stared at the system''s message in disbelief. He only had a 40% chance of defeating a damned soul and two corpses, he found it ludicrous. However, he did not dillydally after the system''s notification. Taking one last look at the aberrations, James darted towards the forest with the fastest speed he could muster. ¡­ Meanwhile, a few meters away from James''s location, an Ogre cautiously walked through partially illuminated forest. Using a glistening sickle which had a bronze handle, he mowed the fairly tall grass in his path. With his bloodshot eyes, he observed his surroundings with great detail. With his experience so far and from what Henriksen explained, he could not afford to be negligent in such a place. "Me tired of this! I, Lirg, tired of Kynar people. Lirg want to go home," the Ogre bitterly complained as he swung his bulging hands. "Lirg, hungry too," the Ogre muttered as he cut the grasses blocking his path. Although it had not been four hours since they ate with the Caretakers and Headmaster Piri, the Ogre could not control his lust for food. A common trait shared by most Ogres. With a rumbling stomach and a mouth spewing curses at the Caretakers of Kynar, Lirg continued his journey through the Odon Forest. A few minutes later, as he leveled a grass which resembled elephant grass, a lovely sight cut his eyes. A few meters away from where he stood, he saw a field of wild berries growing amidst the tall grass, and a lilac flowerbed which grew on the sides of one of the massive trees in the forest. Making the area of the forest look exquisite and pure. From where Lirg stood, he could see faint water droplets on the petals of the flowers and the blades of the grass. With the silver moonlight falling on the berries, it gave them an ethereal glow that would arouse the interest of those who stared at it. At that moment, Lirg''s stomach groaned in anticipation. Salivating, Lirg subconsciously licked his lips while cautiously approaching the fruits. "Dream Berries¡­ Hahaha. I, Lirg, will enjoy self." Even though he was hungry, he would not let his guard down. With less than two meters separating Lirg and the Dream Berries which looked like blueberries, he heard the rustling of the bush towards his left. Stopping his tracks, with his bulging muscles stiffening, Lirg stared at the rustling bush with his bloodshot eyes. Without saying a word, he patiently waited for what or who would emerge from the bush. Whether or not it was a beast, he did not care. Anything that stood in his path will fall at his sickle, he believed. As the rustling intensified, so did Lirg''s grip on his sickle. Any minute now, the other party would reveal itself. With bated breath, Lirg watched as a seven feet tall Moonlight Wolf emerge from the bushes. With its multicolored eyes, it stared at Lirg while growling. A thick white saliva dripped from the corners of its opened mouth, making it resemble a rabid dog. Staring at each other like fated enemies bound to have their last duel, the duo cautiously stared at each other. With tension raised, the Moonlight wolf suddenly made a loud howl. Before Lirg could react, it dashed towards him like a mad dog. There was no sign of fear on Lirg''s face, instead, he had a faint smile as he saw the approaching wolf. Only the thought of eating the wolf occupied his mind at this point. He knew the beast''s howl was a signal to his pack, and he did not care. With a frightening speed, the Moonlight Wolf ran in a zigzag pattern towards Lirg. With a mere distance of ten meters between them, it lunged towards Lirg who still had not reacted. However, the moment the beast got within his reach, Lirg''s bulking fist landed on the head of the wolf. Sending it crashing to the ground while it vomited blood and squealed in pain. Approaching the beast with a bright grin on his face, Lirg ruthlessly stomped on its hind leg which caused the wolf to scream in pain. Lirg could not stop himself as he laughed in amusement. With a powerful swing, the sickle in his right hand decapitated the beast before it attracted other creatures. "Hahaha¡­ Easy. Wolfie too weak. Lirg, strong. Me like meat more than berry." After his declaration, Lirg shook the sickle slightly spilling the blood of the beast on the grass. Rubbing his rumbling stomach, Lirg drooled as he reached for the head of the Moonlight Wolf. However, before his hand could grab the severed head, he felt something wet and mucousy fall on his shoulder. Surprised, he quickly retreated while raising his head. However, alone the thick leaves of the massive trees greeted his eyes. Puzzled, he touched the liquid on his shoulder. And it felt like drool mixed with mucus with a pungent rotten fish smell. "What this?" Lirg said as he tried to wipe the remaining mucus from his shoulder. "Lirg have bad feeling. I leave corpse and take berries." With his thought in mind, Lirg did not bother with the corpse of the Moonlight Wolf. An ominous sensation was already brewing in his mind. After he took the berries, he pledged he would run with the fastest speed he could must. However, just as he turned his body, he found out he could not move a muscle and was gradually feeling sleepy. A dangerous sense of foreboding crept into his mind, but he had no way to over the sudden paralysis. With each passing second, his upper eyelids felt heavier, and his mind became more chaotic. At that moment, he could hear the intense rustling of the leaves above his head. Panic-stricken and with his heart thumping like war drums, Lirg remained standing in the same position. With thousands of thought flashing through his mind, he noticed something cast a large shadow on the ground while a rain of the foul smelling drool fell on his body. Petrified, he felt something warm wrap his body. Causing a cold sensation to course through his body as he felt his body go numb. With his legs no longer able to support him, Lirg fell backwards while eyes clouded in disbelief closed. The last thing he saw was the opened mouth of a massive creature with two large protruding fangs, with its long tongue coiled around his body. Even if he was not Paralysed, Lirg knew he stood no chance against such a monstrosity. Just like that, the tongue pulled Lirg into the mouth of the creature and it disappeared into the leaves. It did not bother with the corpse of the Moonlight Wolf a few inches away. ¡­ Meanwhile, James ran through a cleared trail in the forest. As he ran, members of the Army of the Fallen surrounded him while two Damned souls hovered in midair. He wanted to flee faraway as possible before the damned soul and corpses completed the Nether possession. Unknown to him, his trajectory will lead him to the spot where the Ogre met its end. 32 The Hun The Hunt ''Hmmm¡­ It seems someone else cleared this path. Well, they should be further ahead by now,'' James thought as he surveyed his surroundings. Ten minutes had already gone by since he fled from the periphery of the forest. He wanted nothing to do with his former Items once them completed their Nether possession. Since he fled in haste, he did not ask the system to chart a proper course for him. Instead, he summoned two damned souls and seven corpses from the Army of the Fallen. He was prepared to use them as undead barriers should anything sneak up on him, however, with the distance between him and aberrations increasing by the minute, he felt it was the right time to discuss with the system. "System, scan a 1km radius, and show me the easiest path to travel. Project it in the form of a mental map. Highlight the position of the monsters and the others. System, tag monsters above Level 2 with a red indicator and those below Level 2 with a black indicator. Do the same for the other targets whose odds of elimination is below 60%. Also show the position of all poisonous plants," James instructed with keen anticipation. I have saved the user''s preference! Scanning¡­ Warming! I have detected an anomaly and therefore aborted the scan! Warning! Because of the user''s previous connection to the Items - Damned Soul and Army of the Fallen, it has formed a mental marker of the user''s Mana. If the user chooses the option to complete the scan, they could determine the user''s location. If they exploit this flaw, other targets exposed to - Nether, will also determine the user''s location using the mental marker. However, once the user ranks up, the mental marker would become useless. Because, the user''s Mana would undergo significant changes. System Recommendation: The user should avoid completing the scan until the user has attained the next rank. Will the user like to complete the scan? Stupefied, James stopped in his tracks as he stared at system''s notification. His lips trembled as if he wanted to say something, yet the words did not come out. Never would he have thought his failed experiment would yield such complications. Since he did not seek the advice of the system back then, he could only blame himself for his current situation. Even with the radar like abilities of the system, a small but fatal mistake had made him severely handicapped in the forest. Based on his current strength, James knew he was at the bottom of the food chain in the forest. ''If I forcibly complete the scanning, I would be in a worse position than I already am. I can''t postpone the third condition anymore, I''ve to complete the crystallization process. My life literally depends on it.'' With the seriousness of his situation dawning on him, James had a determined expression on his face while clenching his fist. Without saying a word, he resumed running through the dimly lit forest. However, another seven damned souls joined the previous two. This damned souls were part of James''s Good ranked merged damned souls. Meanwhile, the number of corpses summoned from the Army of the Fallen remained the same. Because, James knew if he summoned more of them, they would attract the attention of sensitive beasts as they ran. In not for the fact he needed disposable meat shields, he would have not bothered summoning them. "Scout the terrain ahead. Report if you find any oddities. Go!" After receiving James''s mental command, six from the seven damned souls went ahead of the party. They knew their mission and also knew the consequences for failure. Unlike most parts of the forest which the silver moonlight illuminated to an extent, darkness covered anywhere James and his aberrations passed through. ¡­ Fifteen minutes later, James arrived at a beautiful scenery in the gloomy forest. A place dominated by wild berries and a beautiful lilac flowerbed. However, James had no interest in the berries or pure and delicate lilacs. Instead, his blue eyes stared at the corpse of a decapitated Moonlight Wolf. ''What happened here? From the color and smell of the blood, it died not too long ago.'' Tilting his head slightly, James stared at the mangled head of the moonlight wolf. ''Hmmm¡­ From the injuries to its head, something large landed on its skull. But it does not seem to be a weapon¡­'' As James scrutinized the corpse of the beast, he noticed a large sickle on the ground. Because the large body of beast blocked his view, he did not see it earlier. "Huh? A sickle?" James muttered as he walked towards the sickle. "Wait¡­this is new. Bronze and Ospian Ore¡­" As James scrutinized the sickle, the odd shape of the cut path he followed suddenly flashed into his mind. At that moment, he realized the owner of the sickle was probably someone who entered the forest a few minutes ago. Although the sickle had no blood on its surface, James''s knew it ended the life of the Moonlight Wolf. However, why the owner left it behind and why he could not find a continuation of the tracks made him confused. The moment this thought flashed into James''s mind, a merged damned soul sent an urgent report to his mind. "Master, three packs of Moonlight Wolves will arrive at your location in the next five minutes. I can spot two Level 2 Moonlight wolves in the pack. They are coming from the east." Before James could respond, another merged damned soul sent a report to his mind. "Master, five packs of Moonlight Wolves will arrive at your location in the next five minutes. I can spot two Level 3 Moonlight wolves in the pack. They coming from the southeast." In quick succession, another three reports echoed in James''s mind. Telling him about the impeding arrival of several packs of Moonlight wolves, led by Level 3 Alphas. With a mental calculation, the total number of Moonlight Wolves heading towards his direction ranged from seventy to one hundred. However, the most frightening aspect of their impending arrival was the six Level 3 Alphas and over eight Level 2 Alphas. With his current Level, James knew he stood no chance against the monsters, and he did not even harbor the thought of fighting them. ''Damn it! If I could use the system abilities, I would not be in this mess. The bastard who caused this mess better pray I don''t him,'' James caused bitterly in his mind. His current predicament, made him rue the outcome of his failed experiment. "Arise, Army of¡­" before James finished his statement, a warm drizzle of a sticky liquid fell on him and the surrounding corpses. Before James could even determine what it was, a pungent and thick rotten smell assaulted his nose. At that moment, the system''s notification echoed in his mind like an alarm. Scanning Completed! Warning! Warning! Warning! Name: Venom of A Spearhead Hydra. Effects: It can forcibly cause the body of the user to enter a rigor mortis like state. Estimated time until the user loses control of the body: 10 seconds! Origin: Spearhead Hydra. Rank: Evolving (50% Completed) Path: Darkness Level: 4. Limitations: Skill - Hellfire Manipulation can neutralize the effects of the venom, but the user must enter the Grim Reaper form. Odds of the user eliminating the target: 0.00% Odds of the user surviving the target: 40% Without wasting time, James''s body morphed into his Grim Reaper form. And the earth around a twenty meter radius rumbled as if an earthquake was imminent. Instead, several ghoulish corpses emerged from the depths for the earth while jumping on James''s Grim Reaper form. At that same moment, over fifty damned souls appeared within the churning darkness caused by the Skill Mana Manipulation. The moment the corpses covered James''s body, a gigantic monstrosity emerged from the top of a massive tree. Even though only a portion of its body emerged from the green it was already larger than most trees at the periphery of the forest. It had thick metallic brown scales coating his body which secreted a whitish foam. Its head looked like it was a crossbreed of a dragon and serpent. It had a large on its hand and one underneath his opened maw which revealed its sharp, saber-like fangs. With a faint hiss, its hoarse forked tongue wiggled in the air. While its emerald green, reptilian eyes stared at the mountain of corpses gradually increasing on the ground. With its maw opened, its foul smelling, poisonous saliva fell on the mountain of corpses like showers from the spring rain. Without making a sound, it descended with a terrifying speed with its mouth open wide. It intended to swallow James and his corpses in one fell swoop. With a speed faster than what the human eye could see, the Level 4 monster munched on the munched on the mountain of corpses. Swallowing 90% at a go, with its attention focused on the other 10%. It descended for a second time. However, before it could reach the remaining corpses, a loud and ghoulish shout echoed in the darkness. "Explode!" Immediately after the loud shout, a muffled but destructive explosion occurred in the monster''s throat, which caused it to let out an ear-piercing scream. Its colossal body trembled while slamming against surrounding trees. With leaves falling and twigs as large as boulders falling, the beautiful field below turned to grotesque scene filled with mangled corpses, beautiful flowers, twigs and fallen leaves. With leaves and branches covering the body of the monster destroyed, three other colossal heads which extended to various locations revealed itself. They look identical to the head which was vomiting corpses coated with a purplish flame. However, they seemed to be asleep and only woke up because of the screaming of the other head. The moment the other three heads woke up, an ear-piercing scream echoed in all directions as the monsters large dragon-like body descended from the top of the massive trees. With a gentle swing of its tail, it uprooted over ten trees. Sending them flying towards various locations. The Level 4 monster Spearhead Hydra, had finally revealed itself. As they stood over the once beautiful scene, their eyes scanned their surroundings in search of something or someone. While their ghastly emerald eyes scanned the surroundings, the Hydra head facing the west, suddenly saw the figure of a young boy running with all his might. They could also see several Moonlight Wolves behind the young human, what piqued its interest what the small log of wood the young human held as he ran. Burning to the high heavens was a purplish flame which resembled what covered the corpses being emitted by the fourth head. As if through mental communication, the other heads including the fourth head who had recovered, turned their attention to the fleeing human. With another ear-piercing scream which echoed for over one kilometer, these humongous creature chased after the fleeing human leaving destruction its wake. ¡­ The moment the screams of Spearhead Hydra echoed, it caught the other who had yet to fall by surprise. Although they did not know what monster it was, or why it sounded so enraged, they all knew death would be inevitable if they encountered such a monster. Some of them could not help but pity the person responsible for enraging such a beast. Without wasting time, they all fled towards different directions. Hoping and praying, the beast would not come towards their chosen path. Unknown to these youths, the Hydra''s howl was not only a howl of pain. Rather, it was a rallying call to all nearby monsters. Telling them that something had invaded their territory, and that all invaders should be hunted and eliminated! ¡­ In a deeper region of the forest, Henriksen who carried the unconscious Lilis on his shoulders could not help but laugh. "Which idiot manged to piss off a Spearhead Hydra so early¡­ Hahaha¡­ These newbies might not even make it past this week. What an unlucky bunch." Henriksen said while clicking his tongue. ''I better get out of here¡­ Who knows what kind of hunt will happen this time around. I don''t want to suffer a loss in this mission.'' With this thought in mind, Henriksen dashed into the distance with the still unconscious Lilis. ¡­ Meanwhile, at the grassy field opposite the forest. James''s former damned soul and corpses had completed the Nether possession process. Unlike before, the damned soul had a menacing pitch black body while the corpses had a dark glow in their empty eye sockets. The sense of clarity was one thing both aberrations shared in common. The moment they heard the scream of the Spearhead Hydra, they also screamed in a soundless voice while dashing towards the forest like enraged beasts. Just from their appearance alone, they looked at least ten times stronger than before. ¡­ Back the once beautiful, lilac flowerbed filled with wild berries, a slight rumbling sound echoed and a certain part of the earth bulged in response. A few seconds later, an armored skeletal fist emerged from the earth. Accompanied by what looked like the disfigured hands of corpses. The moment the hand emerged from the ground, five damned souls merged over that same spot. "Master, the Level 4 monster took the bait. We have enough time to get out of here." After the damned soul''s declaration, with a muffled explosion, the loosed soil shot into the air. Revealing James''s Grim Reaper form. With a devilish smile on his face, he stared at the cowering merged damned soul. "Lead the way. Let''s get out of here before they return," James ordered. 33 Nether Advancing Cycle Still maintaining his Grim Reaper form, James and several damned souls ran through the dark and cold forest. Since he did not want to draw the attention of the other beasts who had gone berserk on the command of the Level 4 monster, he could not afford to summon the corpses from the Army of the Fallen. Using his skill - Mana Manipulation, James ensured a pitch black darkness covered a 200m radius around him. Although some monsters had the ability in his artificially generated darkness, James knew they were in the minority. Most of them relied on their sense of smell and hearing in such a dark forest. Since his Grim Reaper form emitted no smell and made little noise as he ran, James had a 90% confidence he could evade most of the rampaging monsters. The only time he would face a problem was if he encountered any of the monsters who made up the 10% - those who had developed special organs to track their prey and nocturnal beasts. Since the Spearhead Hydra ran towards the west, James ran towards the east. He hoped the screams of the beast earlier would chase away the weaker monsters, which would give him a clear path to flee. However, James had not forgotten about what Henriksen said. Since it was easy to get lost in the forest and lose track of one''s direction, James did not want to be in an unfavorable position once the nether advancing cycle starts. ''I detonated seventy members of the Army of the Fallen with the purple soul purifying flame, yet it did not even injure the beast. It seems tricks will always be useless in the face of absolute power. I wonder what will happen if I tried the same trick with sorcerers or warriors on my level. It''s a good thing I''ve enough samples to try it out,'' James mused as he dashed through the thick forest. With the boost from his agility stat, he was several times faster than his normal human form. As he ran, he could hear occasional sounds of explosions and faint howls of beasts. Although subtle, he could also hear screams of pain and agony, from what he presumed to be the other youths. With the help of his damned souls, he could easily maneuver through the chaotic forest. Anytime they informed him of an inevitable clash with a superior monster, he burrowed into the ground while using a corpse from the Army of the Fallen as bait. Others might consider his actions shameless, but James did not give a damn about their thoughts. He would do every and anything to ensure his survival. ¡­ A few hours later, the faint outline of the sun illuminated the crimson morning skies, and a chilling wind carrying a thick woody fragrance pervaded the air. Because of the forest''s unique weather, a thick fog covered most parts of the forest. Unlike the previous night, the enraged howls of beasts and the echoes of explosions ceased. Instead, the Odon Forest had a peaceful and tranquil atmosphere. With occasional chirping of birds and the rustling of the vegetation by the chilling wind echoing in various directions. From the over hundred youths who arrived at the Odon Forest a few hours ago, only fifty of them remained. And over twenty of them were nursing one form of injury or the other. They were among the lucky few who survived the chaotic night. However, these youths had no reason to be excited yet. Because, in a few hours, the Nether advancing cycle would begin. And none of them looked forward to their deaths, especially after surviving the previous night. The only dilemma some of them faced, was whether the path they took faced the incoming wave of destruction. Meanwhile, in a region of the forest predominated by redwood trees which towered over 50ft above the ground, James''s figure ran through the somewhat rocky terrain. Over the last couple of hours, the unique topography and divergent vegetation he encountered left him awed. If not for the savage beasts, poisonous and man-eating plants, James believed it would have been a wonderful place to explore. "Master, no sign of danger from the east." "Master, no sign of danger from the south." "Master, no sign of danger from west." "Master, no sign of danger up ahead." With a slight smile on his face, James stopped in his tracks after listening to the reports of the damned souls. Since he had been running all night and had little time to rest, he was heavily fatigued. Unlike before, the merged damned souls searched the top of the trees and underneath the earth. James did not want to leave anything to chance he was lucky the last time. Who knows if he''ll have that same lucky next time. Leaning against a redwood tree, James took in deep breaths to calm his tensed mind, while using his hands to wipe his sweaty face. Wearing tattered robes, he looked different from the James in the Tiodon Kingdom and the country of Antyork. ''Since I''ve found a peaceful location in this dark forest, it''s time to test if I can complete the last ranking requirement.'' With this thought in mind, James suddenly spoke in a low voice, "Arise, Army of the Fallen." Instantly, over fifty damned souls emerged from the earth like fiends who had escaped the depths of hell. Through his mental connection to the corpses, they all prostrated themselves on the floor the moment the emerged. "System, what are the odds of extracting the soul in the corpses?" James asked. Calculating¡­ Calculation Completed! The user has a 90% odds of successfully extracting the Item - Damned soul, from the Item - Army of the Fallen. Warning! The user cannot use the same vessel after extraction, and if the extraction process ends in failure, the user will lose both Items. Item - Damned Soul, will revert to their unpurified form after extraction! "It''s much better than I expected. Since it''s only a 10% odds of failure, there should not be any problem," James muttered as he read the system''s notification. Without wasting time, he suddenly shifted to his Grim Reaper form, which made the already frightened corpses more agitated. In a swift and decisive motion, James grabbed one corpse by its head. While it shrieked, James ghoulish voice echoed, "Come out." At that moment, the body of the corpse trembled as if it was undergoing a severe seizure. Which made the pitiful creature scream in a soundless voice while scratching its body with its hands as if it wanted to shed its physical form. While this corpse screamed in soundless agony, those prostrating on the ground cowered in terror. Even the merged damned souls became terrified when they watched the chilling scene. Even though they were all considered as undead, they felt absolute terror from watching James extract the damned soul in the corpse. What frightened them the most was the smile on James''s face as he watched the creature scream. ''Hahaha¡­ I wonder what kind of pain its experiencing. Well, this is only the beginning.'' With keen interest and a pleasant smile on his face, James watched as the damned soul slowly, but painfully extract itself from the corpse. Since the extraction started from the feet of the corpse, only the head of the damned soul had yet to emerge. However, just as the head of the corpse was about to emerge, its ethereal body shook violently. At that moment, the smile on James''s face disappeared. ''Wait¡­ wait, it can''t be¡­ No, no¡­ no! I''m not that unlucky.'' While this thought occupied James''s mind, the system notification followed. Extraction Process has failed! Before James could even complain, the trembling damned soul and the corpse turned into ash and stardust. "Damn it¡­" James cursed. However, he did not think too much of it. "You, get over here," James said as he pointed as a trembling corpse. Even without looking at James, the corpse knew it was the one James commanded. With its wobbly legs, he hurried over to James''s position with its head lowered. Without saying a word, James grabbed the head of the corpse and started the extract process again. Even if his luck was that rotten, he had over four hundred damned souls in his inventory and several corpses too. With the extraction started, the corpse screamed just like the one before it. Meanwhile, James was not in the mood to enjoy it this time. In fact, his attention was already on another corpse, in case the current extraction ended as a failure, too. After a few seconds, the current corpse reached the same point the previous corpse met its demise. Watching with keen interest, James hoped the extraction would end in success. However, the damned soul''s purple body shook violently the moment its head emerged from the corpse. ''You''ve got to be kidding me. Wasn''t it supposed to be a 90% success rate?'' While this thought occupied James''s mind, the system notification followed. Congratulations! Extraction Process has succeeded! "What? A success? Then why is it shaking? Is¡­" Before James could finish his statement, great changes occurred to the body of the damned soul. Its purple body was slowly changing to blood red. What surprised James the most, was a purple flame gathering above the body of the damned soul. ''Soul purifying flame?'' A few seconds later, the damned soul had reverted to its previous form before being baptized by the soul purifying flame. Before James could even react, the purple flame shot towards his empty eye sockets. At that moment, James''s body trembled slightly, "I understand now. Why did I take so long to try this? Hahaha¡­ Well, it''s not too late to try it now," James muttered with a sickening smile on his face. He had a flash of inspiration on how to complete the last ranking requirement after absorbing the remnants of the soul purifying flame. With a chilling smile on his face, he summoned another two corpses. Meanwhile, James summoned the two best merged damned soul in his inventory to watch over the frightened, reverted damned soul. Now that he had a flash of inspiration, he did not want it to flee. ¡­ Unlike before, the sun had set in the beautiful skies over the Odon Forest. Bathing it with its warm and brilliant light. Five hours had gone by since James started his experiment, and there were over three hundred red damned souls prostrated in midair, as they cowered in terror. Apart from these damned souls, several merged damned souls and ordinary damned souls surrounded these frightened souls like guards. After the first failure, he had only failed another forty-nine more times. But he succeeded four hundred and fifty times from his five hundred attempts. Although James regretted sacrificing his disposable corpses, he had no choice. Because, he could not afford to remain as a mere Apprentice in such a treacherous place. If he did not complete the last ranking requirement soon, it was tantamount to signing his own death warrant. If other people were to stumble upon this scene, it would make most of frightened out of their mind. Although the chilling sight of a Grim Reaper standing amidst corpses was enough to induce fear in anyone''s heart, the more terrifying scene occurred in the spirit realm beyond the physical perspective. "System, send the items to my Inventory," James said while holding the head of a screaming corpse. The number of damned souls extracted satisfied him. Immediately after he gave the order, a blinding light covered all Items classified as Damned Souls by the system. Congratulations! The user has stored 450 damned souls in the inventory! Nodding his head, James stared at the newly emerged red damned soul with a brilliant smile on his face. Although nothing prevented it from fleeing, it did not have the courage to do. Especially when it looked into James''s empty eye sockets which harbored the soul purifying flame and the Hellfire flame. Without paying attention to the frightened damned soul, James reverted to his human form as he sat on the ground while resting his back on a redwood tree. With his eyes closed, James assumed a meditative demeanor while breathing in a rhythmic pattern. However, no changes occurred both in the physical and spirit realms. ''In order to begin the crystallization process, the user must be in perfect sync with physical realm and spirit realm while absorbing the souls of the damned.'' James muttered the system''s message on how to complete the crystallization process repeatedly in his mind. ''After absorbing the remnants of the soul purifying flames, it think I know what the system was talking about. Absorbing a damned soul in my Grim Reaper form is next to nothing. I can also the do the same in my human form through the help of the system. However, what will happen if I absorb a damned soul from the physical realm through the system while also absorbing it from the spirit realm through my Grim Reaper form?'' James mused while exhaling deeply. Meanwhile, the damned soul who had been cowering in fear earlier became puzzled when it saw James transform to a human. When James sat on the ground and ignored its presence, it became more confused. Since the soul purifying flame wiped the essence of the soul, the soul did not know it was once James''s lackey. And the only reason it felt tremendous fear towards James was because of the two flames he had in his Grim Reaper form. Since James had reverted to his human form, the damned soul saw no reason to be afraid of James, or why it should remain in its current location. Having come to this conclusion, the damned soul fled. The moment the distance between the damned soul and James was about 30m, James''s body trembled violently, and a series of eerie phenomenons followed. A strong wind suddenly whistled through the redwood dominated area, which caused the massive tress to rumble in response while its gray clover-shaped leaves fell on the ground. Meanwhile, the biggest changes occurred to James who continued to tremble like a convulsive patient. The strong wind originated from a whirlpool forming over his head, which released a horrifying aura. The damned soul who fled earlier, suddenly felt as if something marvelous called it back to where it fled from. It was just like a sailor lost at sea enticed by the call of a siren, the urge to satisfy their desires outweighed their trepidation. Like a moth chasing after the flame, the damned soul ran towards the whirlpool floating above Jame''s trembling body with a faster speed than it used when fleeing. With a few meters, separating the damned soul and James, It could see fresh blood dripping from James''s nose. At that same moment, James body seemed to flicker in and out of existence. Almost as if his human form and that of his Grim Reaper form were merging and separating at the same time. The shocking sight woke the entranced stupor, however, it was already too late. Because, the suction force of the whirlpool was greater than what the damned soul expected. Before it could even regret its actions, the whirlpool devoured it while it screamed in agony. At that same moment, the outline of a translucent white mask formed on James''s right hand. The whirlpool suddenly spat a whitish blue ethereal wisp of energy towards the white mask which it absorbed greedily. However, the energy was miniscule. Because, there were no changes to the mask after absorbing the energy. A few seconds later, the masked, and the whirlpool disappeared. The strange environmental changes that accompanied it also disappeared. James''s trembling body regained its calm, but fresh blood continued to fall from his nose and the sides of his mouth. The moment the mask and the whirlpool disappeared, a familiar sound echoed in James''s mind. Congratulations! The user has absorbed one soul of the damned! Crystallization process status: 30.09% (+0.09). James''s tightly shut eyes snapped open. Just like his nose and his mouth, he bled from his eyes, too. However, his eyes looked different. His left pupil had a deep purple color just like the soul purifying flame, while his right pupil had a scarlet red color like the hellfire flame. Warning! As per the user''s instruction, the Nether advancing cycle would begin in five minutes! 34 Dwindling Numbers In a swampy region of the forest predominated by large aspen and white oak trees, one could see a spiderweb of thick, green vines which seemed to strangle the trees. Like most trees within the Odon Forest, those within this region towered several feet into the air. Although the morning sun had already set in the sky, darkness covered most of the swampy region. Like most swamps, the foul smell of rotten eggs pervaded the air. In fact, the murky waters of the swamp bubbled slightly, producing a distinct sound overshadowed by the croaks of hundreds to thousands of frogs and toads. However, the faint sound of metal colliding also echoed into the air. Two of the youths from James''s set were having a deadly showdown in the eerie location. "Disgusting vermin, how dare you ambush me?!" A Beastman shouted while clenching a gory wound slightly above his right shoulder. Standing on the branch of aspen tree, his bloodshot eyes stared at the murky waters of the swamp. A cheerful laughter replied his enraged voice, followed by the words, "Vermin? I eat dogs like you for breakfast. Killing you is my duty as a proud member of the Lizardmen. Stop struggling and let me end you pitiful life!" At that moment, the head of Lizardman emerged from the greenish murky waters. With its cold-blooded slit pupils, it met the gaze of the enraged Beastman. "Why don''t you come out from there and stop running your foul mouth. Let''s see who will end up eating who," the Beastman retorted. Although his injury bled profusely, he no longer applied pressure on it. Instead, he assumed a provocative fighting stance. The faint sunlight which fell passed through the mesh of leaves, fell on his arms covered by a lustrous black gauntlet which had a curved blade at the wrist. Raising his head from the murky waters, the Lizardman had an amused smile on his face as he started at the provocative stance of the Beastman. He held a six feet long trident which had a golden prong and a silver staff. "Don''t think you can provoke me. Your death is certain! I could have ended your life with the first strike, but I wanted to enjoy the moment. Just like I enjoyed killing your kind back in the selection," the Lizardman said with an eerie smile on his face. However, the Beastman remained silent. Although enraged, he made sure he did not give the Lizardman that satisfaction. ''A Lizardman in a swamp is like a fish in water, and this injury is not helping my case. But I won''t flee, this bastard thinks he can toy with the Beastmen?'' While this thought flashed through the mind of the Beastman, the Lizardman pointed his trident towards his direction. At that moment, the pillar of spinning water raised into the air. And its destination was where the Beastman stood. Using his digitigrade legs, the Beastman jumped into the air while twisting his body to avoid the sudden attack. However, a trident suddenly appeared from nowhere, targeting his left leg. Like an agile monkey, he twisted again while sending a ruthless kick towards his rear. Surprised by the agility of the Beastman, the Lizardman hurriedly raised the staff of the trident. Since his reaction was quick and decisive, he used the staff to parry the kick of the Beastman. However, the Beastman was not done yet. The moment he landed on the surface of the branch, he launched himself like a torpedo towards the Lizardman who had yet to regain his composure from the previous attack. "I''ll have your head," the Beastman said with a few inches separating his blade from the neck of the Lizardman. However, another pillar of water suddenly blocked his attack. With his view blocked by the sudden attack, the trident of the Lizardman stabbed the left shoulder of the Beastman. With a violent twist, blood spurted into the air accompanied by the howl of the Beastman. In immeasurable pain, the Beastman hastily retreated. However, another pillar of water attacked if from the rear. Sending him spinning into the air, while blood dripped from the nasty wounds on his back and his shoulders. Crashing on the wooden surface like a ragged doll, the Beastman groaned in pain. "Is that all you''ve got? I''m disappointed. Well, I blame myself from expecting much from a Beastman," the Lizardman sneered while staring at the Beastman who squirmed in pain. In severe pain, the Beastman could not utter a word in retort. In fact, he could not stare at the approaching Lizardman who snorted. All he could hear apart from his own groans, was the gentle footsteps of the Lizardman. Once the footsteps ceased, he knew his life would end. However, he had no intention of dying at the hands of Lizardman. He would rather commit suicide than fall at the hands of his race sworn enemy. He also knew the bastard won''t give him a swift death, rather he would torture him until he died. With this thought in mind, he used all his strength to direct the blade in his right gauntlet to his neck. However, before he could slit his throat, the Leg of the Lizardman stamped on his shoulder. Which caused him to scream in agony, much to the delight of the Lizardman. "What do you think you''re doing? Who told you am I done with you," the Lizardman sneered while increasing the pressure on the shoulder of the Beastman. Contrary to the expectations of the Lizardman, the Beastman stared laughing in a cheerful voice. Puzzled, the Lizardman said, "Have you gone¡­" before he could finish his statement, the Beastman interrupted him. "See you on the other side." Sensing a dangerous sense of foreboding, the Lizardman attempted to flee. The moment his thought entered his mind, the enraged howl of the Beastman echoed, "Explode!" At that moment, his gauntlets exploded into thousands of pieces and the shrapnel from the explosion flew towards different directions. Obliterating everything in its path. The body of the Beastman laid on the surface of the branch like a punctured balloon. Both arms and the head of the corpse had turned to a mangled mess, with only a thick remnant of flesh, bone and blood left behind. Meanwhile, a pillar of water stood two feet away from the corpse of the Beastman. A few seconds later, it revealed the injured body of the Lizardman. Although it had several gory injuries on its body, the most frightening one was the one on its left leg. In fact, from its knee downwards was missing. Although he survived the blast, from this current demeanor, he did not look like he would last long. "Bastard¡­ I fell for his trap. I was too careless. Damn it! I should have expected it¡­" As he bitterly complained, he heard the sounds of footsteps echoing from the distance. Which made his face distort in terror. In his current situation, he doubted if he would even survive his injuries, not to talk of surviving another battle. However, the survival instincts of the Lizardman kicked in. ''If I hide in the water, I''ll be safe. If I''m lucky, I''ll be able to recover. Yes, I must recover. The kins of that bastard will suffer for this!'' Dragging his injured body on the wooden surface, he approached the edge of the branch. Rolling over the edge, he sighed in relief as his body fell upended. As he fell, he noticed that he could not hear the footsteps anymore. Normally, he should have been elated, but he suddenly felt terrified. With less than ten meters before he dived into the murky waters, his eyes dilated and his body shivered tensed in response. Because, he could see a seven feet tall abnormality which resembled an Ogre, but it had glistering metallic skin almost like steel. And its eyes had no white in them, only an endless black like the depths of the abyss. What terrified the Lizardman was not the hulking body of the beast, or its bloodthirsty look. Rather, it was the blackish aberration which phased in and out of the Ogre-like beast. The unknown beast demolished everything that stood in its path while making a beeline movement towards the Lizardman''s falling body. Although it moved at a speed which made the Lizardman terrified, he was certain he would have entered the water before the beast arrived. Although injured, he did not believe such a beast could catch him if he escaped underwater. With only inches separating the water surface and the body of the Lizardman, he became elated. However, his joy was short lived. Because, two figures suddenly emerged from the depths of the water. At that moment, they grabbed the falling Lizardman and sent him back into midair. This time around, he flew in an upright position. Before he could even identify what or who sent him into midair, his pupils dilated. Because, only a few inches separated his head from the massive fist of the armored Ogre. Before he could utter a word, the fist of the armored Ogre struck his head, and it exploded into a rain of flesh, bone and blood. The now headless corpse of the Lizardman slammed against an oak tree in the distance. At that moment, the armored Ogre screamed like an enraged beast who was not satisfied with slaughtering its prey. "Whe¡­ Where others?" The ghoulish voice of the monster suddenly echoed. At that moment, the two figures who foiled the escape of the Lizardman emerged behind the Ogre. If they James could see them, it would leave him slack jawed. Because, the two figures were the corpses possessed by Nether. Opening their mouth, a series of ear-piercing shrieks echoed. It resembled the sounds of agony of a damned soul. The sound only lasted for a few seconds, before they closed their mouths. Saying nothing in response, the armored Ogre and the two corpses ran towards the depths of the swamp. A few minutes after they left, a strange phenomenon occurred in the swampy region. The greenish murky waters of the swamp emitted a blackish wisp which spread at a rapid pace. The moment this wisp appeared, the corpses of the Lizardman and the Beastman exploded simultaneously. However, their blood congealed into worm-like creature. The moment it appeared, it flew towards the opposite direction of the black wisp. ¡­ In other parts of the forest, the same phenomenon was also taking place. The congealed blood of the youths who fell to the Nether advancing cycle flew towards the opposite direction of the plague-like wisp. Just like Henriksen explained, it did not affect the vegetation or the beasts in the forest. Only the youths met a miserable end at its hands. Only two hours had gone by since the Nether Advancing cycle started, however, it had claimed the lives of ten of the surviving fifty youths. And it had covered a distance of two thousand meters.