《The Lone Wanderer》 Chapter 1: A strange experience ¡®Ugh! It feels like all my nerves were ripped out of my body and then stomped on for good measure!¡¯ Thest thing Percy remembered was the thrill of finally reaching Orange after a decade of relentless effort. The jeers and sneers from his cousins and uncles had only pushed him onward. He¡¯d done it ¨C tripled his remaining lifespan and achieved a new level of power. He¡¯d made it! His first act had been to try tapping into his family''s bloodline once more. The Clone ability had always eluded him, but perhaps now, with his newly strengthened core, things would be different. He remembered the initial rush of mana and then... pain. A lot of pain. A world of pain. ¡®I¡¯m not exactly an expert, but I don¡¯t think excruciating agony is amon side effect of using a bloodline ability.¡¯ As he fought to open his eyes, he was greeted by a strange sight. A creature with humanoid features ¨C but certainly not human ¨C stood before him. Its skin was pale as milk, its eyes pitch ck, resembling obsidian orbs that glimmered with an emotion Percy couldn''t quite discern. Worry, perhaps? The creature''s strained smile and tightly clenched fists at the edge of the crib betrayed its concern. There was another standing opposite the first, this one bulkier. A male? It was hard to tell. Both were hairless and wore baggy robes concealing any distinguishing traits. Percy raised his hands with difficulty, noticing they were tiny and the same pale colour as the giants around him. His skin was smooth as porcin. ¡®What¡¯s happening? Who are these people?¡¯ He tried to speak, to ask a question, but no sound emerged. To his horror, he realized he couldn''t breathe. The female ¨C at least, he thought it was female ¨C panicked, moving a device to his mouth and casting an air spell. A breath was forced into his lungs and, though it hurt, it kept him conscious. Barely. Scanning his surroundings, he noticed the walls were sleek, made of some polished material. They definitely didn¡¯t have anything of the sort back on Remior. Strange decorations adorned the room ¨C there was a painting that seemed to have been drawn in three directions, somehow! Through the window, he glimpsed three suns ¨C green, yellow, and blue ¨C illuminating a turquoise sky.At any other time, Percy might have appreciated the novelty of the situation. Right now, however, it only brought him unease. Desperately, he turned to the only source of familiarity he could think of. His Status tab. He summoned it, hoping it still worked. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Guhat (Percival''s clone) ¡®What the hell?!?¡¯ His relief at being able to check his Status was quickly reced by shock. Guhat was probably the name given to this body, but what did it mean by ¡®Percival''s clone¡¯? Wasn''t he the real Percy? ¡®Wait. Clone? I seeded?!?¡¯ Under other circumstances, he would be ecstatic. His family had given him a ton of grief over his inability to use it. Everyone, Percy included, thought he simply hadn''t inherited it. But this wasn''t how it was supposed to work. Fuelled by their life affinity, the Avalon House''s bloodline allowed them to cultivate a biological copy of themselves to delegate dangerous or tedious tasks to. ¡®Did I inherit a mutated version? Or is it because I don''t have the life affinity?¡¯ Percy had never been sure of his affinity. The standard test at age five had shown nothing, but there was a slim chance he had a rare affinity it couldn''t detect. Of course, better tests existed, but his family hadn''t thought it worth the resources on a Red core like him. ¡®Let''s see what I''m dealing with here.¡¯ he thought, focusing on his Status once more. Guhat (Percival''s clone) Mana cores: ???: ¡®WHAT?!?¡¯ Losing his Orange core stung given how long it took to get there. But it made sense since he was in a new, infant body. Two cores, on the other hand?!? He¡¯d never heard of anyone possessing more than one. Well, that wasn¡¯t quite right. Percy had never heard of a human possessing multiple cores, but he did vaguely recall a rumour of an alien race famous for precisely that. ¡®What were they called? Moi-somethings?¡¯ He couldn''t remember the exact name, but they stood out even among the countless species the Divine Order protected his world from. ¡®And now, I get to be one of them?!?¡¯ His eyes almost sparkled with hope, but he quickly quashed the optimism. What was he thinking? He was just a botched clone who wouldn''t survive much longer. His new body barely functioned. He couldn''t even breathe without assistance. Everything hurt, and he felt himself beginning to copse. Even if he survived, both his cores were Red, leaving him at the bottom of the pecking order here as well. ¡®No! I can''t give up so easily! I want to live! I want a chance!¡¯ He wed desperately at his fading consciousness. The pain was excruciating, as if he were being ground to dust, but he refused to give up. He didn''t care he was just a clone. He didn''t care his cores were Red. He had to fight with what he had. To live with what he had. To make the most of what he had. But sometimes sheer will wasn''t enough. The air affinity spell was beginning to hurt more than it helped. His heart felt like it was about to burst, darkness seeping into his vision. At the same time, an inescapable force pulled him, slowly prying him out of the broken body. As Guhat¡¯s eyes closed, the blurry silhouettes of the couple he guessed were his parents faded, their distraught cries reced by silence. His final thought was a bitter one. ¡®I''m sorry for putting you guys through this...¡¯ Chapter 2: Alive Percy was pulled towards a certain direction. It was as if a tight rope was glued to his back, forcing him to travel, to plunge through a seemingly infinite darkness, unable to resist. He couldn¡¯t tell how long it took. Maybe a week? A year? A century? Either way, his mind was murky, his thoughts failing to fully form. Perhaps, this was purgatory, his punishment for casting that ability. It¡¯s not like he¡¯d known what it would bring, but he appeared destined to pay the price all the same. At least it wasn¡¯t so bad. He was at peace. The pain was gone. Until it wasn¡¯t. A throbbing headache was the first new sensation, followed by warmth. He instinctively took a breath and then another, and a third, ecstatic to have functioning lungs again. Next, he tried prying his eyes open, but his sight was blocked by something wet. A towel? He tried lifting his hands, but his limbs were weak. In the end, he shrugged. Or he would have if he could. Instead, he just remained in that position, enjoying the rhythmic sound of his own heartbeat. ¡®Did they manage to fix me?¡¯ He opened his Status again, but what greeted him wasn¡¯t at all what he expected. Percival Avalon Mana cores:Bloodline: ???: ¡®Holy shit!¡¯ The shock somehow gave him the energy to sit up, the wet towel falling from his face. ncing around, he found he was back in his room. His human room. His human body. ¡®No ¡°Guhat¡± or ¡°Percival¡¯s clone¡±? I guess the clone¡¯s memories return to me when it dies¡­¡¯ He exhaled in relief. Not only was he somehow still alive, but it appeared he wouldn¡¯t be condemning a version of him to a horrible fate every time he used his bloodline. More importantly¡­ ¡®There it is. My Orange core is back. Also¡­ the Clone bloodline¡­¡¯ This was Percy¡¯s first time seeing his bloodline listed in his Status. Not because he didn¡¯t have it before now. Both bloodlines and core affinities were fixed from birth. Naturally, he had had Clone his whole life. He just hadn¡¯t known. The Status page wasn¡¯t omniscient. The only things it could detect through the simple test most kids underwent at age five were the starting grade of one¡¯s mana core and themon elemental affinities. As for rarer affinities and bloodlines, those required a more specialized investigation, which was only reserved for kids lucky to be born at Orange or higher. The rest had to either earn enough money to pay for the test, or to slowly discover their affinities and bloodline ¨C if they even had any ¨C on their own. ¡®But what is this section with the question marks?¡¯ He frowned. He had never seen or heard of anything like that. Still, most of its contents weren¡¯t new. This section seemed to contain three separate items. One was ess to the Status itself, which everyone had. Another was the ess to his bloodline. It appeared to be like a hidden section. ¡®Did it be visible because I brought this other thing back?¡¯ This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Percy wasn¡¯t sure what to make of this. He seemed to have partially retained the unique trait of the alien body, but not theplete version. His second core was in a dormant state, at a grade below even Red. He wasn¡¯t sure if it could be salvaged. ¡®Either way, this is good.¡¯ His core had advanced to Orange. And it turned out he did have Clonedespite what everyone told him. Finally, he probably had a rare affinity too. At least, he couldn¡¯t imagine doing what he¡¯d done with pure mana. ¡®Even if I can¡¯t get the second core to work, I¡¯m still better off than before...¡¯ Not that he wouldn¡¯t try of course. He was about to make a mental checklist of things he needed to do, when the door opened. ¡°PERCY!!¡± a female voice yelled. His ears were sensitive, the shout giving him a buzz. Still, he barely raised his arms to shield himself from the iing aquamarine-haired missile. THUMP A silhouette leapt on top of him, the two bouncing on the mattress. She hugged him tightly, as if he was about to disappear. ¡°It¡¯s alright ine¡­ I¡¯m alright.¡± The girl hugging him, ine, was the only member of his family who didn¡¯t treat him like shit. In fact, the only reason he hadn¡¯t been kicked out entirely was probably because ine had been born at Yellow, which made her one of the more talented members of the House. Naturally, it gave her some sway with their grandpa. ¡°What do you mean you¡¯re alright?!?!¡± she yelled. ¡°I found you on the floor! You¡¯ve been out cold for a week! I had to use my water magic to feed you soup!¡± Percy raised an eyebrow. He hadn¡¯t quite realised he¡¯d been unconscious for so long. He felt a pang of guilt for worrying her, but also a fuzzy feeling in his chest. If it wasn¡¯t for ine, they¡¯d have probably left him alone to die. That¡¯s assuming they even realized he was missing. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I tried to use Clone upon advancing and it had a weird interaction with my affinity¡­¡± ine let go of him, covering her mouth in surprise. ¡°Advancing?!?¡± she asked as she closed her eyes, trying to sense his mana. ¡°Oh my god! You¡¯ve reached Orange!¡± Percy rolled his eyes at her reaction. He knew she was just happy for him, but it wasn¡¯t that strange he had advanced. Most people took about 10 years for their first promotion, so reaching Orange at 15 was pretty much expected of him. If anything, nobles typically had ess to resources doubling their purification speed. All his cousins had advanced at 10. Sadly, those resources weren¡¯t abundant enough to be wasted on lowly Reds. The world of Remior was a cruel one, where the talented were showered with resources, letting them grow even faster, while the rest were left in the dust. ine who was roughly the same age as him had already advanced to Green years ago. In any case, it was only a few secondster that she seemed to grasp the rest of what he¡¯d said. ¡°Wait, you said you have Clone?! And an affinity?! I told grandpa to test you properly before writing you off!¡± ¡°Yeah, right. As if baldy would waste a copper on his worst grandkid.¡± Percy chuckled. ine flicked his forehead, causing him to wince. ¡°Stop calling him that! I know he needs to start treating you better, but this isn¡¯t helping!¡± Percy wanted to protest that it was just a shorthand for the guy¡¯s name. Archibald. Baldy. Also, he didn¡¯t have a single hair on his head, so it fit. But they¡¯d had that conversation before, and he was too tired to get into it again. In the end, he shrugged. ¡°Well, this is all wonderful news. Have you figured out what your affinity is?¡± she spoke again. Percy shook his head. ¡°No, but I¡¯m 100% sure I do have one.¡± It wasn¡¯t just optimism speaking. Bloodlines were hereditary. asionally, somebody would fail to inherit one from their parents and on even rarer asions their bloodline would mutate into a new direction. Still, for the most part they were passed along intact. Affinities were less hereditary. Sometimes, one would inherit one from their parents. Other times they wouldn¡¯t. But there were exceptions. The Clone bloodline his family possessed was strongly corrted with the rare life affinity. Most members of the Avalon House tended to inherit both, while few got neither. It was a potentbination which made their family one of the stronger noble Houses, even though theycked a White core. Still, there had been instances over the centuries when individuals would be born with the Clone bloodline and a different affinity. And there had even been cases where people had the bloodline and no affinity. But no otherbination ever did anything noteworthy. The only exnation for Percy¡¯s misadventure was that he had an affinity never before seen in his family. ¡°Then we need to ask grandpa to get you a proper test!¡± ine said, grabbing him by the forearm. He nearly stumbled as he was pulled, his legs still a bit wobbly, but he managed to follow her without falling. Truth be told, Percy wasn¡¯t exactly thrilled at the prospect of asking his grandpa for a favour. The man had never deigned to give him anything, despite the rosier version of him in ine¡¯s head. Still, he needed to figure out what his affinity was before he could even begin to understand how to use it. If he had to pay for the test himself it would take him several more years as he had already used up his savings for his advancement. So, in the end, he swallowed his pride and hoped his cousin would help advocate his case for him. Besides, baldy had something else he needed. ¡®A potent source of life mana, huh? I bet that qualifies.¡¯ Chapter 3: A meeting with baldy ¡°Come in.¡± an authoritative voice said. ine opened the door, dragging Percy behind her. The two found a man sitting at his desk, the afternoon sun reflected off the top of his head. Despite his shaved scalp, he didn¡¯t look old, his appearance was that of a burly man still in histe twenties, even though he had lived for centuries. ¡°Grandpa!¡± the girl said, clearly eager to share the good news. Archibald lifted his eyes, his gaze briefly lingering on Percy, before it returned to the documents he was reading. Thetter rolled his eyes, realizing this was already a lost cause, but his cheerful cousin didn¡¯t seem ready to give up just yet. She bit her lower lip for a moment before speaking again. ¡°Grandpa, Percy is ok! He¨C¡± ¡°The answer is no.¡± the man cut her short. ¡°Just hear me out. He has managed to¨C¡± ¡°ine.¡± Archibald stopped her again. ¡°I can tell he¡¯s at Orange. It doesn¡¯t matter. It doesn¡¯t change anything. You know that already.¡± The girl deted, looking down at her feet.On Remior, the most important trait determining one¡¯s achievements in life was the grade of their mana core at birth. Sure, one could continue to advance throughout their lives, but each promotion was exponentially more difficult than the one before. The first typically required about a decade, the second a century, the third a millennium and so on. Having ess to more valuable resources could halve each of those milestones of course, but that didn¡¯t affect the way they scaled. At the same time, each subsequent grade typically tripled one¡¯s physical and magical ability as well as their remaining lifespan. Somebody who spent their whole life at Red would only live about 80 years at most, while somebody at Orange would get 240. Naturally, this meant that somebody like Percy would never get to Green in his life. Having reached Orange at 15, he could maybe hope to reach Yellow by 115 and then remain stuck at that level until he died of old age at 400. Even if his grandpa decided to treat him to the same resources his cousins had ess to and he reached Yellow by 65, he would only live to about 500, which wouldn¡¯t be enough for the next grade. Byparison, somebody born at Orange ¨C just one grade above Percy ¨C could potentially live for thousands of years and reach all the way to Blue ¨C two grades above him. As for those born at Yellow like ine and Archibald, they could even reach Violet and White, living up to 40000 years! Percy¡¯s grandpa was already at Violet, having lived for over 700 years, but he still had several millennia of lifespan left as well as the hope of reaching White. ine clenched her fists. ¡°He can still be of value to the family. His mana core and lifespan may be capped at Yellow, but he can still pass his bloodline and affinity on!¡± she said. For the first time since the two walked into the room, Archibald raised his eyebrows. He tossed another look at his grandson, this time not so quick to dismiss him. ¡°You¡¯ve used Clone?¡± he asked. Percy nodded. ¡°Actually used it? There have been others without the life affinity in the past, but water clones and pure clones just disperse.¡± Archibald asked again. ¡°It definitely did something interesting. As for what exactly, I don¡¯t fully understand it yet.¡± His grandpa furrowed his brow at the implications. Noticing that, ine was over the moon. ¡°See? Even if Percy can¡¯t be too powerful himself, his kids could start a new branch of the family! We should invest in him!¡± Archibald tapped his fingers on the mahogany desk for a few seconds, seemingly lost in thought. ¡°What you said makes some sense. We¡¯ve never had another useful affinity paired with Clone. If the new bundle is truly useful and easy to pass on, it could indeed be good for the family.¡± he said. ine pped her hands, excited to receive a positive response, but her grandpa spoke again. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°However, that doesn¡¯t mean we should spend cultivation resources on Percy. 400 years are more than enough for him to sire plenty of children. He doesn¡¯t need to be stronger to do that.¡± Percy gritted his teeth. As much as he would have liked those resources, he was more annoyed by the callousness of his grandpa, treating him more like an asset than family. Still, he had agreed to follow ine here for a reason, so he didn¡¯t let it get to him as he spoke again. ¡°I don¡¯t want your cultivation resources. I¡¯m only asking for a better affinity test. After all, that can help us both figure out how the bloodline works in my case.¡± The man looked him in the eyes for a while. ¡°Very well. Gawain will apany you for the trip. ine too. She can use some experience.¡± Archibald turned back to the scroll, not leaving much room for debate. Still, this worked for Percy and ine too, so they rushed out of the office before their grandpa changed his mind. As they walked back to his room, he reyed the conversation in his mind, his hands balled into fists, drained of all colour. Faced with his grandfather¡¯s coldness, Percy hade this close to spilling the beans on his second mana core. He so wanted to see baldy¡¯s face twist as he learned the grandson he treated like trash had achieved something no human ever had. Not the White cores. Not even the lofty existences in the Divine Order could boast of such a feat. He had stolen the most important secret of one of the strongest races in the universe! He had done that! With a worthless Orange core. But he¡¯d held himself back. First of all, it sounded quite unbelievable, and he couldn¡¯t exactly prove it. Speaking of the event might have made his grandpa think he was lying about the whole thing and robbed him of the affinity test. More importantly, he owed him nothing. If it wasn¡¯t for ine, he would have left this shitty family already. Whatever his second core meant for him, he would discover on his own and forge his own path. His biggest regret was that he needed to get close to his grandpa¡¯s treasured tree. It was his family¡¯s most prized possession, and he hoped it was precisely the potent source of life mana he needed to germinate the seed. ¡®Let¡¯s leave if for now. If baldy was so stingy with the affinity test and the cultivation resources, there¡¯s no chance he¡¯d let me anywhere near the tree in a million years.¡¯ But it didn¡¯t matter. He knew where it was. He could figure out a way to sneak thereter. Besides, he still needed to find a source of mind mana for this to work. Thinking of something, he grinned. As it so happened, the advanced affinity test would be held at precisely such a ce. The duo were about to enter Percy¡¯s room, but he stopped at the entrance. This caused ine to look at him in concern. ¡°Percy¡­ Don¡¯t let this get to you¡­ If your affinity is really useful, we can convince him to give you more resourcester.¡± He chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s not that. I¡¯ve just realized that I haven¡¯t even tried practicing with my core since it evolved. Between everything that happened with the bloodline, I never got the chance.¡± As he was about to head to the training grounds, she grabbed his arm again. ¡°Seriously?! You were in aa for a week, and we are about to head out in a couple of days. What you need right now is to get some rest.¡± Percy looked her in the eyes as his lips curled and parted. Smiling he said, ¡°thanks.¡± Seeing her forehead crease in confusion, he hurriedly added, ¡°for caring. You¡¯re the only one who does. But I still need to do this.¡± Then he walked away, leaving her behind. It was true he could use some sleep. His mind was still exhausted, his body weak. But he had to get stronger soon. He understood there weren¡¯t many people he could rely on. No handouts for him. Everything he needed, he had to fight for. Soon, he reached the training grounds. Just a section of the garden really. He briefly paused to appreciate the birds chirping on the trees, and the squirrels bolting up and down their trunks. Then, he walked to the middle of the grass, facing a wide, dead oak tree that people typically used for target practice. Nobody else was around right now. His cousins rarely trained. They were mostly contentzing around and gulping expensive elixirs that cleansed their cores and lengthened their lives. They didn¡¯t need to practice their magic to be stronger than the likes of him. Shaking the irritating thoughts away, he raised his palm towards the aged trunk and willed his mana to umte in his hand. He held it, until the pressure in both his core and mind became unbearable and then he released it. A faint distortion phased through the tree but didn¡¯t do much else. Percy wasn¡¯t exactly surprised. His unknown affinity had done nothing back at Red, besides giving people a slight chilling sensation. It was to the point that nobody was sure he even had an affinity back then. But he now knew he did, so he was determined to make it count. He gathered more mana, this time holding it a moment longer and trying to condense it even further before firing. It still didn¡¯t do anything, but he didn¡¯t care. ¡®Again.¡¯ He kept firing, bolt after bolt, minute after minute, hour after hour. Every so often, he would take a break to refill his core, before resuming his practice. By the time he fell to his knees, the sun had already set. He had practiced as long as he could. And then some. But it wasn¡¯t enough. Not nearly enough. ¡®Not yet.¡¯ They all looked down on him. He didn¡¯t care about most of them. He was used to it by now. But he cared that ine looked down on him. Unlike the others, she didn¡¯t do it on purpose. She didn¡¯t do it maliciously. But she did it all the same. She had been surprised he had reached Orange at 15. As if it was some great achievement. She had pushed him to beg for scraps from their grandpa. And it stung so fucking much. But he¡¯d never given up on himself. He was the only one who knew. His heart too thrummed with ambition. And one day he would show them. He would show them all. Chapter 4: Whistling Woods SIGH ¡°Let¡¯s just get this over with.¡± a man seemingly in his twenties said as he climbed on his horse. His hair was a light blue colour, like ine¡¯s. His face sported eight or nine points of simrity to hers too. He was Gawain, her father. Funnily enough, he had reached Green about the same time as his daughter, despite being around fifty years older. It was the inevitable consequence of being born at Orange and having a child more talented than he was. That, coupled with the fact his branch of the family hadn¡¯t inherited the bloodline, meant his status had only ever been slightly higher than the likes of Percy. At least until ine came along. ¡°Sure.¡± Percy nodded, getting on a second horse, with his cousin right behind them on a third. He didn¡¯t dislike this uncle of his like the others. They¡¯d never talked much, and it wasn¡¯t like Gawain had ever particrly shown any care for him, but at least he wasn¡¯t among the crowd mistreating him either. If he had to be escorted to the temple ¨C and he did have to, it was a long and dangerous trip ¨C then he wouldn¡¯t have picked anyone else. The horses galloped forward, Percy already feeling excited about their destination. He was still tired of course, having trained relentlessly over thest three days, but the thought of finally learning his affinity after being in the dark his whole life was invigorating. ¡®Not to mention the other thing waiting for me there.¡¯ he grinned. ¡°You seem to be in good spirits today.¡± ine chirped as her horse neared his. ¡°Well, your highness. Us lowborns don¡¯t get to leave the House very often.¡± he chuckled.This earned him a casual punch in the shoulder. He rubbed the ¡®injured¡¯ area in an exaggerated manner. He made it seem like a joke but truth be told, it did hurt some. ine had two grades on him, which tranted to a ninefold advantage in physical strength. Even a light tap from her felt heavier than she realized. ¡°Let¡¯s see if you¡¯re still as cheery after two weeks on horseback.¡± she replied with a smile of her own. The trio pressed onward for several more hours, with ine and Percy chatting at the back, while Gawain ignored them, riding a few paces ahead. Soon, they entered a forest. It smelled fresh, especially to Percy who hadn¡¯t ever breathed anything other than the stale air of the mansion. On each side of the path, he saw rows upon rows of tall and wide pine trees, their cones a strange oblong shape, their surface filled with small holes. Every now and then, a gentle breeze would blow, causing them to emit soft high-pitched sounds. It was precisely this unique variety of trees which made the ¡°Whistling Woods¡± famous in the region. Only when the sun began to set did Gawain stop, gesturing at them to help him set up camp. They¡¯d have to spend four nights in the forest, and another two along the grasnds on the other side, before reaching the foot of the mountain where the temple was located on the seventh. ¡°Uncle, how safe are these woods even?¡± Percy asked, as he gazed at the imposing trees which already looked much scarier than they had just minutes ago. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Gawain chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry kid. The most dangerous thing we can run into is a pack of wood goblins. A simple Crude spell from a Green core can easily kill a whole bunch of them.¡± Percy looked at his grinning cousin, his uncle¡¯s words reminding him that the innocent-looking girl was really a little monster in disguise. Shrugging, he finished preparing his tent, before sitting by the campfire with the others and eating some dried rations. The group dined in silence, as he and ine had already spent all day chatting. Next, his uncle went to sleep, leaving the two to take the first watch together. Percy was too weak to take a shift by himself. If they were ambushed, he might not be able to do much before waking the others. Consequently, Gawain and ine had to split the night between themselves, with Percy simply serving as a second pair of eyes for his cousin. In the end, their first night at the Whistling Woods passed uneventfully, as did the one after. It wasn¡¯t until the third day they stumbled upon a grizzly bear, but it actually fled from them on sight. Most animals on Remior ¨C even the ones which didn¡¯t possess magic of their own ¨C had evolved the ability to sense another¡¯s mana core, mostly to avoid danger. *** ¡®Geez, she fell asleep again.¡¯ Percy rolled his eyes. While ine had been a bit tense at the beginning, she had noticeably rxed over the past few nights. This was the second time she dozed off an hour before their shift ended. He felt bad waking her up, especially since nothing would happen most likely. Still, he knew he couldn¡¯t protect the group by himself on the off chance it did. ¡°ine.¡± he muttered, trying to get her to hear him, without waking his uncle who was sleeping just a dozen yards further. Yet, he didn¡¯t even hear his own voice. Come to think of it, even the whistling sound of the wind passing through the trees seemed to have gone silent. He frowned. ¡°ELAINE!!!¡± he yelled again, this time not caring about waking Gawain by ident. Nothing. He felt his vocal cords vibrate, but not a sound came out of his mouth. Paling, he darted towards her, hoping to shake his cousin awake. An arrownded soundlessly just in front of his foot, stopping him in his tracks. Another soon followed, this one whizzing by him, nicking him in the shoulder. Turning to look in the direction the projectiles had been fired from, he only spotted several pairs of bright yellow eyes glinting in the darkness. ¡®Shit.¡¯ he thought, right as a third arrow hit him in the thigh. Gritting his teeth, he resumed his dash to ine. She was only four meters away, though they now felt longer as he limped, barely dodging the fourth arrow by ident. He was about to reach her, when the fifth arrow hit his other calf, sending him tumbling on the dirt. Normally, the sound should have woken her up as he was only half a meter away, but something was still muting all noise in the area. Percy stretched his arm, trying to reach her foot as he noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. Turning his head, he saw a silhouette standing over him. It wasn¡¯t very tall, probably shorter than he was. Still, the savage look in its eyes, coupled with the glint of its weapon¡¯s edge ¨C some kind of hatchet most likely ¨C were enough to convince him of the danger it posed. As if by instinct, he turned his palm the way of the creature, repeating the same move he¡¯d been practicing over the days leading to the trip. He hurled the mana a second sooner than he would have liked. While he could have charged it some more, he had to stop his assant before it swung its weapon. Not even waiting to see if it had any effect, he reached for his cousin, this time seeding. The girl¡¯s eyes snapped open, as did her mouth. She tried to scream, but he couldn¡¯t hear her. Luckily, she regained her wits a momentter. Just in time too, as she was already surrounded by three more of the fiends. A quick sh of azureter, and the upper bodies of all four of the goblins ¨C including the one still standing motionless over Percy ¨C were cleanly separated from their legs. Another spell sent a bucketful of water sshing over her father, waking him up. PHEW Percy let out a breath he hadn¡¯t even noticed he was holding, as his rtives rounded up the remaining goblins. The creatures tried to run away of course, but their short legs couldn¡¯t possibly outrun a Green cored human¡¯s. Only now did he take the time to examine the arrows sticking out of his flesh. ¡®Riding a horse is going to suck so much tomorrow.¡¯ Chapter 5: Affinities A young man rode his horse, his short ck hair glistening with sweat. His forehead creased as he tried to keep his mind off the difort, focusing on the feeling in his palms. Every few seconds, he released the gathered mana, trying to gather a bit more of it with each attempt and topress it to an even tighter ball before letting go. Riding made concentrating a challenge, but it was the only way he¡¯d found to keep his thoughts upied. And he had managed to pull it off ¨C for the most part. At least until his horse stepped on something and the bump made him wince. ine hadn¡¯t said much over thest couple of days. Well, if he excluded her frequent apologies. She¡¯d already told him how sorry she was over falling asleep a million times. And here she was, approaching him for the million-and-first. SPLASH A beautiful azure ribbon snaked towards him, gently caressing the wounds on his legs. It felt cool and soft, soothing the sting briefly. Still, it couldn¡¯t heal him. Back at home, life users were a copper a dozen, and any one of them could patch him up rather easily. Hell, it would take baldy less than a second if he deigned to waste his mana on him. Sadly, both of his escorts for this trip had the water affinity instead. Such was the cruelty of gics. He¡¯d have to put up with this for another week. ¡°Percy¡­ I¡¯m so so, so sorry!¡± she said again, as he raised his hand to stop her. By now he felt a bit bad seeing her squirm. He was tempted to undersell his injuries to make her feel better. After all, the only reason she and her dad were apanying him in the first ce was because she had pleaded to their grandpa for his sake. But Percy wasn¡¯t the best actor. He couldn¡¯t downy the pain. Besides, learning from this mistake would serve her well in the future. Even prodigies couldn¡¯t be careless in the wilderness. ¡°Just be careful from now on.¡± is what he ended up saying. However, upon seeing her downtrodden expression, he couldn¡¯t help himself.¡°It was an ident anyway. Who would¡¯ve thought we¡¯d run into a goblin mage of all things.¡± he added. Most of the creatures were born at Red which was one of the reasons his cousins had often called him ¡°goblin¡± among other names. A goblin born at Orange was actually rarer than a human born at Yellow. Even then, they wouldn¡¯t necessarily figure out how to use their magic. ¡®Huh,e to think of it, that one was probably more talented than I am.¡¯ he chuckled. Still, the most surprising part about the attack was the affinity it had used. ording to Gawain, the silencing effect had most likely been the result of a Crude sound spell. Mana affinities typically came in four vours. The five elemental affinities were the mostmon. About eighty percent of humans on Remior were born with fire, water, air, earth or lightning cores. Next were those born without an affinity. About one in five fell into this category. It sucked to be in this category. Not that pure mana was entirely useless. Concentrated, it could still pack a punch. Still, a st of pure mana was typically about a full grade weaker than it was supposed to be. Less than 1% of the poption was born with anything else. This number was further split into two groups. One included the rare affinities such as space, time, life, mind and so on. Those were generally difficult to pass on. His family was an exception, as their Clone bloodline allowed nearly half of them to be born with a life core. It was one of the reasons the Avalon House was so respected. The final group were those born with aposite affinity. It was nothing more than thebination of two elemental ones. The sound affinity the goblin had used was a result of air and lightning mana mixing. This book''s true home is on another tform. Check it out there for the real experience. As for anything else? Well, nobody had ever heard of a triple elemental affinity or a double rare affinity. In any case, ine nodded, letting him return to his practice. Percy willed the mana to gather in his hand once more, as he recalled the moment he used it against the goblin. ¡®It definitely did something.¡¯ The st hadn¡¯t left any visible injuries on the creature¡¯s body, but it had stopped it in its tracks for an abnormal amount of time. It had just stood still, waiting for ine to bisect it several secondster. SIGH ¡®No sense in torturing myself thinking about it I suppose.¡¯ He¡¯d already waited fifteen years. He could wait another day. For now, he was better off just learning how to shape his magic. Bolt after bolt, he kept firing his mana randomly, working on both his cast time and potency. It wasn¡¯t until they rode up a hill that ine pulled him out of the trance again. ¡°Percy! Look!¡± Lifting his eyes, he saw it. A colossal shadow stretched across the horizon. It was faintly obscured by a strange rosy mist, but there was no mistaking it. ¡®The Oracle Mountain.¡¯ This was their destination. Or well, the temple located somewhere at its base was. The trio pressed on for another few hours, before setting camp at night. ine was visibly tense, hawking their surroundings as if her life depended on it. Percy chuckled at the sight. The grasnds could be more dangerous than the forest, as bandits typically roamed them, looking for easy targets. But not this close to the temple. ording to Gawain, even the dumbest lowlifes knew not to provoke the affiliates of the Divine Order. His cousin didn¡¯t seem to know that, however. Her dad hadn¡¯t told her, probably still punishing her. Percy wouldn¡¯t interfere in their family matters. Looking back towards the mountain, he tried to make out theyer of mist surrounding it. But he couldn¡¯t see it. He knew it was still there, but it was invisible against the dark nket of the night. He rubbed his hands in anticipation. Even though he¡¯d never had the opportunity to travel much, he¡¯d spent a lot of time in the House¡¯s library, reading all sorts of things about Remior and the upper echelons of the world. Those were the heights of magic he dreamt of reaching one day! The weirdly coloured fog was one of his targets for the trip. Supposedly, it was a gift from the titaness, Phoebe, the current leader of the Divine Order. Showering the mountain range, it trickled down the rocky slopes and umted at a basin, where it was used by the temple as fuel for the affinity test. Simr locations existed all around Remior. As far as he knew, the Order was interested in getting children evaluated early on, to fish out the talents among them, replenishing their ranks. But more importantly, Percy was interested in what the rosy mist was. Mind mana. And in just a few hours he would practically be bathing in it. Swimming inside a sea of it. Inhaling it with every breath. If this wasn¡¯t enough for his second core, he genuinely had no clue where to find a better source. He was almost tempted to jump on his horse and ride towards it right then and there. But he didn¡¯t feel like exining to his cousin and uncle why he was so eager. It wasn¡¯t like the priests performed appraisals during the night. Plus, horseback was rather painful for him. In the end, he shrugged, resuming his practice as he formed a colourless blob of mana in his hand, squeezing it down into a transparent ball, about the size of a tangerine. He wasn¡¯t sure if he had improved at all. One typically needed weeks if not months of work before they noticed a difference. Not days. At least, he could train a lot more since his advancement. He was able to store more mana than before and to recover it much faster. Still, despite all his efforts, his Status page had not bothered to register his magic. Apparently, he hadn¡¯t even crossed the threshold of a Crude spell yet. ¡®Tell that to the goblin, rotting somewhere in the Woods.¡¯ Of course, Percy knew that if his magic hadn¡¯t registered yet, it probably meant he was using it incorrectly. It certainly didn¡¯t seem to have any physical effect, so he¡¯d considered it might be mind mana. That would exin how the st had disoriented the creature. But that didn¡¯t sound right. His colourless mana didn¡¯t look anything like the rosy mist surrounding the mountain¡­ ¡®Ugh¡­ eight more hours, Percy. Just forget about it for eight more hours.¡¯ Chapter 6: Pilgrimage Waiting in a queue must have been a novel experience for ine. There weren¡¯t that many people in their House. Being one of the chosen ones, she was generally given priority for most things. Strictly speaking, the same was true here. Just like everywhere else on Remior. Yellow-borns always went first. Still, the sheer number of people waiting their turn was simply staggering. Even the lucky groups who had a Yellow-born among them easily numbered in the triple digits, which meant the trio would have to spend the better part of the morning in the line. Percy on the other hand was amazed he got to skip most of the wait for a change. He shed the Orange-borns behind him an apologetic expression, not toofortable cutting in line. It wasn¡¯t like he particrly minded waiting at the back either. For one, he was already used to such things by now. More importantly, this was perhaps the only time he wished he could stay here longer. Well, ok. He was naturally eager to find out his affinity, plus his legs were killing him. ine was propping him up right now which wasn¡¯t exactly ideal. Still, he had another reason for taking his sweet time. Soon after entering the valley, he quickly verified his guess had been correct. Once the density of mind mana around him increased to the point where each breath carried with it a sliver of the rosy mist, he felt a part of his body stir. It wasn¡¯t his sternum, where his original core ¨C everyone¡¯s core ¨C was located. Instead, this was happening in his abdomen. He hadn¡¯t been able to examine his temporary alien body for long enough, but it seemed that¡¯s where the second mana core took root. ¡®Doesn¡¯t matter where it¡¯s located.¡¯ In any case, he¡¯d be happy to get one on his forehead if it meant giving him an edge. The text in his Status read the same, as his abdomen continued to suck the mind mana like a gluttonous vortex. Percy even made a conscious effort to take deeper, more frequent breaths. He didn¡¯t know if it would help, but it couldn¡¯t hurt. Right? He had no idea how much mana the seed needed to ¡®germinate¡¯, although he hoped he would manage to collect enough by the time they had to leave. But he shook his head. This was too important to leave up to chance.¡®I¡¯m not going anywhere until it¡¯s done.¡¯ If necessary, he¡¯d make up some excuse to get Gawain to wait here for a couple more days. He knew his uncle wouldn¡¯t be thrilled, but if he told him his injuries were acting up, the man would listen. Maybe. ¡®Hopefully it doesn¡¯te to that.¡¯ Percy then looked around to pass the time. There were two types of people standing in the queue. Some wore finer clothes, much like them. They were nobles of various Houses. And he recognized many of their insignias, having stumbled upon them in his studies. All in all, there weren¡¯t too many prominent Houses on Remior, only about a thousand. Each required a Violet core at minimum to survive, and they didn¡¯t exactly grow on trees. Even Yellow-borns had to guzzle down expensive elixirs for several centuries and survive countless assassination attempts to get to that point. Only 1% of them did. Baldy was one of those. The second group were dressed in simpler clothes, ranging from worn linen outfits to dirty rags. Those were themoners. They rarely had a bloodline of their own, and even the few who had one didn¡¯t particrly stand out, as it was obviously not powerful enough to help them establish a House. Still, even the poorestmoner could give birth to a Yellow cored baby. And the Divine Order made sure that all the talented kids were given a chance to rise in the world. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡®How nice of them.¡¯ he sneered. Both the nobles and the peasants had a few things inmon. First, every group escorted at least one toddler, about five years old. Furthermore, all of those kids were Orange-born at a minimum. Percy¡¯s was the only group who escorted a Red-born teenager, earning him no small number of disdainful stares. ¡®Yeah, well. Fuck all of you.¡¯ As annoying as it was, it made sense really. Phoebe was powerful, but she couldn¡¯t fill the whole world with mind mana. Instead, she mostly focused it on ces such as this temple which administrated the more advanced test. Beyond that, she also mass-produced a lot of trinkets, which smaller temples used for a more basic version of the test. Kids were typically brought to one of the minor sites at 5, where their Status was awakened, and the grade of the core measured. From there, all the promising kids would be brought to temples like this by their parents, to be tested further. It was possible for a Red-born to pay for an advanced test of course, but most of them didn¡¯t bother. After all, few had a rare affinity or a bloodline they couldn¡¯t identify on their own. Even fewer had the disposable ie to waste on such a pointless endeavour. ¡®Well, unless you have rich parents who care enough to pay for you.¡¯ Sadly, Percy was out of luck in that department too. First of all, both his parents had been Red-born like him. Secondly, they had both been killed along with most of the other Red-borns of the family in a nasty attack from a rival House, only a couple years after his birth. He was only brought out of his thoughts when it was their turn to enter the temple. The structure looked even more grand from up close. It had a strange shape, its roof like a staircase of progressively smaller concentric rings, rising about a hundred meters to the sky. Each of those steps were lined with rows of marble statues, depicting various men and women, their features more beautiful than any mortal he had ever seen. The figures were polished and immacte, clearly enchanted to weather dust and rain alike. ¡®The gods of the Divine Order.¡¯ Each of the temples supposedly depicted statues of every single god that had ever risen in the history of Remior. Apparently, whenever a new one emerged, another statue was added. Not that it happened often. ¡°The test is only free for Orange-borns and above.¡± a male voice said. Percy looked at the guard who had just spoken. He was a tall blond guy appearing to be in histe twenties, possessing a Green core like his uncle. He wore a funny-looking toga and a pair of sandals, holding an intricate spear that looked more decorative than suited forbat, as did the other guard opposite him. The two had crossed their weapons, blocking the way to the tall golden gate of the temple. ¡°Naturally.¡± said Gawain, handing him a heavy pouch filled with coins. The guard opened it to check its contents, allowing Percy to partially glimpse at their golden lustre. GULP At that point, he realized the test was even more expensive than he¡¯d thought. If he hadn¡¯t convinced baldy to subsidize him, gods-knew how long he would have needed to pay his own way. A few steps into the temple, ine spoke. ¡°Dad, why do they charge so much for a simple test? Aren¡¯t they just making things difficult for Red-borns?¡± Gawain shook his head. ¡°Listen, ine. I know it seems unfair, but the Divine Order genuinely wants what¡¯s best for Remior.¡± ¡°But then why?! Isn¡¯t it best to help everyone figure out their affinity?!¡± ¡°In a perfect world, yes. But it takes a tremendous amount of mind mana to perform the test and Red-borns are 60% of the poption. There just isn¡¯t enough for everyone.¡± Percy who was only partially listening to their conversation felt cold sweat trickle down his back. ¡®Shit, I hope nobody realizes how much I¡¯ve taken already.¡¯ The density of the mist had already tripled by the time they reached the temple, but that wasn¡¯t even worth mentioningpared to the changes upon entering it. Inside, it was easily a dozen times thicker, to the point where they could barely watch where they stepped. And even worse, the seed in Percy¡¯s abdomen didn¡¯t seem to care about optics, only doubling its efforts to absorb it. By now, he could even see the mist spiral around his mouth if he paid close attention. He was forced to slow down his breaths, trying to hide what was happening. So focused was he on doing so, that he failed to notice when Gawain stopped walking, crashing into his uncle. ¡°Ouch!¡± he said, rubbing his forehead. It felt more like he¡¯d bumped into a wall than a person. Gawain tossed a re his way to shut him up, when Percy realized they weren¡¯t alone. Chapter 7: The most ancient art A beautiful woman stood in front of them, dressed in elegant red clothes, wearing a tiara adorned with rubies on her head. Percy¡¯s Mana Sense revealed her core thrumming with an intimidating Blue colour ¨C a grade higher than the two attendants by her side. The High Priestess didn¡¯t seem to mind his previousck of attentiveness, shing him a bright smile, before gesturing at another golden door. It was half as tall as the other one. ¡°Please enter the pool inside and extract some mana out of your core. The enchantments will take care of the rest.¡± Percy frowned. ¡°Alone? Don¡¯t you have to¡­ I don¡¯t know, supervise people?¡± Gawain shook his head as the High Priestess tilted hers. ¡°Why? Are you nning to damage the sacred pool?¡± she asked. GULP ¡°Er, no? I mean, definitely not! I just thought¡­ Isn¡¯t it too precious to leave unattended?¡± She chuckled.¡°I¡¯m just messing with you. The evaluation is a private affair. Nobody can force you to disclose the results against your will. As for the integrity of the pool, you don¡¯t need to worry about it. Even I can¡¯t put a scratch on the materials and nobody below Violet could possibly snatch any of the concentrated mana in there.¡± ¡®I guess we¡¯ll see about that.¡¯ Outwardly, he only nodded before limping towards the door. ¡°Do you need somebody to apany you?¡± the High Priestess asked again as she saw his injuries. But he shook his head, cupping his fists politely. He really didn¡¯t want anybody watching¡­ whatever was about to go down in there. He rushed forward, as quickly as he could manage, wincing with every step. Luckily, nobody seemed to notice anything was off. It was probably normal for those undertaking the test to be excited. It was a significant turning point in their lives after all. However, that wasn¡¯t what Percy was thinking. He was holding his breath, trying to mask the suspicious flow of mist. As soon as the golden doors closed behind him, he looked at the only thing in the room. It was a circr basin, with a diameter of about 20 feet, filled to the brim with a dense red liquid that looked a bit like glowing blood. DRIP The liquid rippled as something fell in the middle of the pool. Looking up, Percy saw the mist swirl and gather at the ceiling. A decorated stgmite-like structure appeared to collect and condense it. Its edge was shaped like the beak of arge bird, as a droplet erged, held in the tiny gap between its two points. Once it grewrge enough, it fell. DRIP ¡®Cool. I hope it still looks like this after I¡¯m done with it.¡¯ he thought as he undressed. Sadly, that was nothing but wishful thinking. Not even a moment after he dipped his toes into the pool, all hell broke loose. The seed in his abdomen didn¡¯t bother waiting for him to inhale the mist anymore. A violent suction force emerged from his belly, directly causing the liquid to flow up his skin, making its way to it. Percy panicked. Themotion could easily draw the attention of the High Priestess. He tried to step back, but his foot was stuck in the flowing liquid. He put more strength, trying to extricate his body, causing the red material to stretch like rubber, before snapping back, pulling him into the pool. SPLASH The sound was muted, as the fluid was already coiling around him. ¡®I can¡¯t breathe!¡¯ Not only was it travelling up and through his skin, but also down his throat. Percy used all his strength to stand up. It was hard and it took him several seconds to right himself. Even when he did, he couldn¡¯t bring his head out of the liquid, as he was covered from top to bottom like a crimson snowman. He tried to w the material out of his face, but it didn¡¯t help. More kept flowing to rece it. Dizzy, he fell to his knees, his consciousness slipping. Percy thought he was a goner, when the flow suddenly eased up. It quickly lost its viscosity, falling back into the pool, trickling down his skin. Uwfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. But he wasn¡¯t out of the woods just yet. His second core was clearly a sloppy eater, having failed to clean up after its mess. The liquid outside his body had stopped hugging him, but that didn¡¯t help with the part still in his lungs. Percy desperately hit his chest, trying to cough the substance out, with limited sess. ¡®No, I can¡¯t drown during the damn test.¡¯ That would be such a dumb way to die. Thinking of something, he climbed out of the pool, feeling an attractive force tugging at the liquid in his lungs. The High Priestess wasn¡¯t kidding when she said nobody could steal it from this ce. He opened his mouth, letting it flow out. But it was still slow, and he was running out of time. Suddenly, he had another bright idea. Reaching for the mana inside his first core, he followed the High Priestess¡¯s instructions, beginning the assessment in earnest. This was what he was actually here for after all. Soon, a few runes lit up on the walls and on the floor of the room, as the volume of the liquid still in his lungs began to decrease and the mana in his core to drain. PANT, PANT, PANT The taste of air was so sweet when he could finally breathe properly again. KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK ¡°What¡¯s taking so long?! Are you ok in there?!¡± a female voice asked. Percy didn¡¯t recognize it. He guessed she was one of the attendants. ¡°Yeah, everything is fine! Sorry! It took me a while to figure it out!¡± The voice remained silent for a couple of seconds. Percy wasn¡¯t sure if she had bought his lousy excuse or if she was still trying to process it. Well, it was thetter. ¡°What¡¯s there to figure out?!?! Please tell me you haven¡¯t pissed inside the sacred pool!!¡± she yelled again, this time a hint of anger seeping through. He scratched his head, unsure what to say. ¡°What?! Of course not! Who do you take me for?!¡± was what he ended up going with. Next, he took another look at the pool. Its surface was a couple feet deeper than before. Evidently, he¡¯d already drained about a third of the volume. ¡®I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll wish I¡¯d only pissed in it...¡¯ he chuckled awkwardly. Then he raised an eyebrow. ¡®I mean¡­ It WOULD raise the water level again¡­¡¯ But he shook his head. He had desecrated the holy goo enough for a day. Next, he picked up his clothes, pulling up his Status as he dressed. Maybe he should have waited until he was safely out of this ce before worrying about it, but he figured he might as well check it now in case they murdered him and he never got the chance. Percival Avalon Mana cores: Bloodline: ???: ¡®Sess!¡¯ The changes were small but important. Not only had he finally learned he possessed the soul affinity, but the trait granting him the second mana core had graduated from ¡°Fractured¡± to ¡°Iplete¡±. It now only needed life mana, which meant Percy was merely a step away! Now he just had to make it out of the temple in one piece. Exiting the room, he found all five people giving him strange looks. ¡°What?! I¡¯m injured, it took me ages to undress.¡± he shrugged. The attendants eyed him suspiciously, but luckily the person who had the final word ¨C the High Priestess ¨C didn¡¯t dwell on it. ¡°Alright. I trust everything went well then?¡± she asked. Percy nodded. ¡°Great! As I said before, you don¡¯t have to disclose your affinity if you don¡¯t want to. Still, if you are willing to share it, we can give you some basic guidance.¡± Hearing that, he raised an eyebrow. It was indeed a tempting offer. A soul affinity was even rarer than others and he doubted he could learn much from the library. He opened his mouth to speak, when one of the attendants beat him to it. ¡°Mother! He¡¯s already wasted more than enough time!¡± Percy recognized the voice as the one that had spoken to him earlier. ¡°Erythea.¡± the High Priestess said in a stern tone. ¡°Basic guidance is a part of the service.¡± The attendant gritted her teeth. ¡°But he¡¯s just a Red-born! There are hundreds of kids waiting outside!¡± she protested. The second attendant didn¡¯t say anything, but Percy guessed he agreed with his colleague based on his expression. Luckily for Percy, the High Priestess didn¡¯t. ¡°And that¡¯s why he had to pay a hefty sum to be tested. Now that he has, he deserves the same treatment as everyone else.¡± Her daughter, or subordinate, or whatever Erythea was, clearly didn¡¯t like the response, storming off to the room he¡¯d just exited. ¡®Fuck! I hope she can¡¯t tell the difference¡­¡¯ Though the High Priestess didn¡¯t seem to pay her any heed. She turned to him, evidently still waiting for his answer. Percy looked at his uncle, wondering if it would be ok to reveal this information. After all, depending on how things went, it could easily be a secret of House Avalon. ¡°Go on. The High Priestess can be trusted.¡± Gawain said. He nodded at his uncle before speaking. ¡°Eh, yes. Some guidance sounds peachy. I have a soul affinity.¡± Everyone seemed surprised to hear that. ¡°Interesting.¡± the High Priestess said, before turning to Gawain. ¡°And I take it Archibald wouldn¡¯t have sent him here if he hadn¡¯t inherited the bloodline too¡­ Is House Avalon about to develop a new branch?¡± ¡°That is very much our patriarch¡¯s hope.¡± Gawain said. Percy was surprised his uncle hadn¡¯t hesitated for even a moment before replying. He couldn¡¯t tell if he knew her personally, or if all the Order¡¯s clergy deserved such trust. She seemed ready to offer a few words of advice, when a shriek came out of the room. THUD The gates mmed open, Erythea storming out, her face red like a ripe tomato. ¡°WHAT DID YOU DO?!?¡± she grabbed Percy by the cor, shaking him like a doll. The High Priestess grabbed her wrist to calm her down, but didn¡¯t speak, only shing her a questioning gaze. ¡°Half the condensed mana is gone!!!¡± Erythea yelled, causing everyone¡¯s faces to fall. They all looked at Percy, demanding an exnation. GULP Knowing he didn¡¯t exactly have that many options, he fell back to the most ancient art invented by mankind. ¡°I found it like that.¡± Chapter 8: Soul Percy and his rtives barely managed to escape with their lives, leaping out of the wolves¡¯ den by the skin of their teeth. Ok, maybe that was a bit of an exaggeration. The High Priestess let them go. Rtively easily. Not that Percy¡¯s hastily constructed lie was particrly believable, but at the end of the day there wasn¡¯t any evidence incriminating him. After all, she had said it herself. Nobody below Violet could steal the dense mind mana, let alone an Orange cored teenager. While she had certainly seemed somewhat colder during their subsequent interactions, in the end she did give him some tips on how to train with his affinity like she had promised. That was why he was squinting really hard right now, trying to peer into ine¡¯s soul. ¡°Cut it out, will you?!¡± she grunted in annoyance. ¡°What did you even do in there?¡± ¡°I tested for my affinity.¡± he shrugged. His cousin rolled her eyes. ¡°Fine, keep your secrets. Just try not to get us all killed next time.¡± Percy was about toment on the irony of her statement, but in the end, he chose to let it slide. He was too busy to walk into another argument.The High Priestess had exined that the soul affinity could be used for offense. Even though it wasn¡¯t good at affecting physical objects, there were ways to shape it into a potent weapon against living things. What he had done to that goblin was proof enough it was possible, but it still didn¡¯t exin why Percy was so bad at it. After all, even a Red core could easily injure somebody with a fireball or a stone shard. Why had he needed to advance to Orange before he could stun a single goblin temporarily? Hearing his worries, she had advised him to start by developing something called a Soul Vision. Simply put, it was just a specialised version of the basic Mana Sense that everyone had upon awakening their core. Soul Vision made use of his affinity to observe another¡¯s soul directly. Once he managed to pull that off, he could more easily understand what he had been doing wrong with his magic. The trio finally made it to their horses, much to Percy¡¯s relief. As painful as riding was, it was several times better than walking. Only after they headed off did he resume training, willing the soul mana to build up in his eyes. This time, he focused on his uncle, to avoid his cousin¡¯sints. Getting some rudimentary version of Soul Vision to work wasn¡¯t too difficult. Even the slightest trickle of mana allowed him to see things he couldn¡¯t previously. The main challenge was fine-tuning the process, to make this new sense of his as effective as possible. If he used too little mana, Gawain¡¯s soul was barely visible, appearing as a few faint wisps of silver swirling around his chest. Using more than necessary on the other hand was like pulling wool in front of his eyes, as the excess soul mana itself obscured his sight. The trick was to get used to exactly the right amount, so that he could discern his uncle¡¯s soul without obstructing it. He knew it was just a matter of practice until he nailed it, but he did hope he could get it done by the time they returned to the Whistling Woods. He would need it for the next part of his training after all. ¡®Better make the next 3 days count then.¡¯ *** ¡®Just a little more.¡¯ Percy sent another clump of mana to his right eye. As that happened, Gawain¡¯s soul came into focus, letting his nephew spy on it more clearly. To Percy, human souls appeared like semi-amorphous mes contained inside one¡¯s body, spreading to roughly cover its entire volume. They did flicker a bit, so their shape constantly diverged from that of the person¡¯s flesh. Also, he had no idea what happened to somebody¡¯s soul after they died. Still, this was good progress in his book. And the best part was that he only needed a few seconds to fine-tune his Soul Vision by now. Not to say there wasn¡¯t any room for improvement though. PANT, PANT, PANT Percy breathed hard as the mana dispersed from his eyes, returning his sight to normal. Sadly, he couldn¡¯t keep his new trick up for too long before having to stop. It took quite a mental toll, plus it did cost a fair amount of mana to maintain. That said, he figured both would improve over time. Perhaps, one day he would even be able to keep Soul Vision up indefinitely, although that was more of a long-term project. ¡®It¡¯ll do for now.¡¯ The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the vition. He looked up, at the rows of pine trees appearing in the distance. He had trained relentlessly over thest three days, and luckily, it had paid off. He had managed to get his Soul Vision to an eptable level by the time they returned to the forest. It took some begging, but he had convinced Gawain to help him find some more goblins to practice on, now that he finally had the tool to figure out what was going on. His uncle had initially been resistant to the idea, but he¡¯d eventually relented. Percy wasn¡¯t sure if the man had warmed up to him, or if he was doing this because his daughter had asked him to. The young man appreciated it all the same. ¡°Just remember, we won¡¯t spend more than a week here.¡± Gawain reminded him. ¡°Have I mentioned you¡¯re my favourite uncle?¡± Percy asked. ¡°We both know that¡¯s a low bar.¡± Gawain rolled his eyes. ¡°And you¡¯ve passed it with flying colours!¡± Percy didn¡¯t let up. SIGH *** So, it turned out wood goblins were a lot tougher to find when one was actively looking for them. Well, either that or the trio had just been unluckyst week. In any case, it took them six full days to find one this time around. And that¡¯s only because they stumbled across an injured loner abandoned by its pack. Percy would have liked to put the poor thing out of its misery, but truth be told, the creature¡¯s misery was only about to begin. He did feel a little bad doing this, but he had to test his soul magic on something. Inanimate objects obviously wouldn¡¯t work, which left humans, innocent animals, or ugly goblins. And sadly, Percy¡¯s green pal was the most disposable of those targets. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. I¡¯ll start easy.¡± he told the creature tied to a tree. Activating Soul Vision, he spent a few moments calibrating it, as the goblin¡¯s soul came into focus. It looked disturbingly simr to his uncle¡¯s, only slightly shorter. Percy didn¡¯t know if goblin souls were fundamentally different to those of humans, or if they only looked smaller due to having less space to expand to. ¡®Judging from how I managed to possess an alien body, I suppose souls of different species are somewhat interchangeable.¡¯ Or maybe not. His clone had fallen apart rather quickly. But he shook the philosophical thoughts out of his head. He couldn¡¯t keep his Soul Vision up for too long, so he had to make it count. Pulling some more soul mana out of his core, this time he gathered it in his palm. Normally, it appeared colourless, to the point he could barely see it with the naked eye. Not now. Through Soul Vision, it appeared like a bright silver orb, about the size of a cherry. Soon, he fired the bolt towards the goblin, carefully paying attention to the changes. As the projectile mmed into the simrly coloured silhouette of the creature, he saw it bend backwards and distort, its shape clearly rattled. Dispersing the mana in his eyes, he watched the goblin¡¯s physical form, curious to see what would happen to it. Percy¡¯s prisoner looked disoriented for a while, but its eyes regained their focus after a few seconds. He nodded. He¡¯d held back with thest attack, partly to conserve his mana and partly to avoid dealing permanent damage to the creature too early. Thest st had only been at the level of what a Red core would be capable of. Next, he repeated the process, this time charging the orb as long as possible, letting it reach the size of a tangerine before shooting it at the creature. The impact was a lot more violent than before, causing the goblin¡¯s soul to stretch, almost leaving its body. Then, it snapped back, shaking intensely for a few seconds, like a boat trapped in a storm. Still, it settled down eventually, without any permanent damage visible on the surface. Percy switched to his regr vision and observed the changes to the goblin. This time it remained out of it for longer than an hour, before eventually regaining its senses. It still appeared somewhat dizzy afterwards, but it didn¡¯t look like something a few hours of sleep couldn¡¯t fix. ¡®As I thought. My attacks barely do anything. Any other affinity I know of would be deadly at Orange¡­¡¯ He frowned, trying to work a way around the issue. The problem was that the goblin¡¯s soul was surprisingly resilient. And judging from his experiences growing up, human souls were even more so. Anyone he¡¯d ever tossed his mana against had shrugged it off without feeling more than a simple chill. Thinking back to his attacks, it was a bit like trying to punch a sandbag. No matter how much strength he put behind the st, it would just deform to absorb it. ¡®Hmmm¡­ A sandbag, huh?¡¯ Percy willed his mana to gather in his hand again. This time, rather than shaping it into a ball, he focused it on his index and middle fingers, trying to make it as pointy as possible. This was his first attempt at something like that, so it took a while. The construct crumbled a few times, and he couldn¡¯t make it too sharp without it falling apart, but eventually he managed to get something about as pointy as a spoon¡¯s handle. He activated his Soul Vision once more as he walked up to the goblin. As much as he would have liked to throw the new projectile, he knew it wouldn¡¯t survive the flight. He pointed his augmented fingers towards the goblin¡¯s chest and stabbed forward. His actual fingers stopped on the creature¡¯s skin, but the surrounding mana dug an inch deeper. ¡°EEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHHHHHHH!!!¡± the goblin shrieked loudly, the sheer agony contained in its voice making Percy¡¯s hair stand on end. Covering his ears, he took a few steps back, but kept his Soul Vision active, trying to figure out what was going on. There was a small scar on the creature¡¯s soul. It was tiny, as if it had been nicked by a fingernail, but unlike the blunt damage from before, it wasn¡¯t recovering. Percy didn¡¯t know if it would, given enough time, but he could tell the goblin would be in a world of pain until then. The creature¡¯s cries instantly reminded him of his experience possessing the alien body. What the goblin was feeling right now appeared to be simr to what he¡¯d felt back when his clone fell apart. Maybe not quite as intense, but of a simr sort. BLURG He turned around just in time to catch ine heaving out her lunch, her father looking at her with concern. The two had been observing him during his experiments, also curious about his soul affinity. Percy walked back to the goblin. Even though the little buggers had shot him full of holes just days ago, watching the creature squirm churned up his own stomach. Besides, he''d learned more than enough to n out the next phase of his training. Pulling a knife out, he plunged it into the goblin¡¯s neck, putting an end to its suffering. ¡®A soul affinity, huh? Clearly not meant for the faint of heart.¡¯ Chapter 9: Family ine helped Percy walk as they passed through the corridor leading to baldy¡¯s office. She hadn¡¯t spoken to him much during thest stretch of their journey, still shaken after watching him torture the goblin. He didn¡¯t think she held it against him or anything. Hell, he¡¯d watched her butcher plenty of goblins herself just days ago. Still, she¡¯d kept her distance from him every time he practiced since then, clearly having some newfound appreciation for the danger his affinity posed. And he didn¡¯t exactly me her for it. ¡®Who would have thought such a small cut on one¡¯s soul would cause such suffering?¡¯ Truth be told, his mood hadn¡¯t been much better, but that didn¡¯t mean he could take a day off training. Those at the bottom of thedder didn¡¯t have the luxury to stop climbing. Whenever they did, the rising tide drowned them. Consequently, he¡¯d spent thest few hours of their trip honing his projectiles into knives. They already looked much better than what he had stabbed the goblin with, and he could even throw them a short distance before they crumbled. Though they weren¡¯t ready forbat. Not yet at least¡­ KNOCK, KNOCK ¡°Come in.¡± The two entered, finding their grandpa much like they had left him. ¡®Does he even sleep, or has he spent the past 2 weeks in that seat?¡¯¡°Thanks ine. You may go.¡± Percy wasn¡¯t sure why his grandpa wanted to speak with him alone. Even stranger was how ine did as she was told, leaving the room without any protest. ¡®What¡¯s up with her today? Surely she¡¯s not just scared of my affinity?¡¯ He shook his head. He would talk to herter, but for now he had to figure out how to snatch baldy¡¯s magic tree. ¡°Come closer.¡± his grandpa spoke. He frowned, but ultimately obliged, curious to see what the man wanted. Archibald ced a hand on Percy¡¯s shoulder, as thetter felt a suffocating pressure emerge from the former¡¯s sternum. Activating his Mana Sense, he saw a bright Violet star thrum with activity in his grandpa¡¯s chest, as a film of vibrant green covered the man¡¯s arm in his regr vision. Percy instinctively tried to step back as he saw the life mana flow towards him, still notpletely over the trauma from the temple, but Archibald¡¯s firm grip kept him in ce. As the mana trickled down his body, the seed of his second core awakened once more, trying to pull it, making Percy fear the worst. He didn¡¯t think his grandpa had enough mana to suffocate him, nor was it nearly dense enough to do so, but the man could still notice something was off. Luckily, that didn¡¯t happen. Unlike the red liquid that had been kept in the pool for Phoebe-knew how long, baldy¡¯s mana was filled with his intent, rendering Percy¡¯s second core powerless to affect it. Ignoring the weak pull, the green river continued past his abdomen, reaching his legs, as Percy felt his wounds itch. And just a momentter, it was over. Archibald let go of him, as Percy tried moving his feet, finding not only the pain but even the soreness from the trip gone. He almost thanked his grandpa. He wasn¡¯t used to receiving much from him, but this was the second time in a few days. First, the hefty sum baldy had spent for his affinity test. Now this. Not that it seemed to take much effort to heal him, but it would save Percy weeks of annoyance all the same. Still, he bit his tongue. Archibald had only begun to give him stuff upon learning there was value in him. It was all a transaction. ¡°It¡¯s a handy trick.¡± is what he said in the end. Baldy nodded, looking at him silently for a few seconds. ¡°My son told me you have the soul affinity. Is there anything more I can help you with?¡± Percy suppressed a chuckle. ¡®Sure. I¡¯ll take all the mana from your magic tree, killing it in the process. Then I want twice as many elixirs as you give any of the others, to feed both of my mana cores. I¡¯ll let you know if there¡¯s anything else.¡¯ Naturally, he kept those thoughts to himself. ¡°No.¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll practice with my soul mana on my own for a few days and then I¡¯ll test Clone again.¡± Maybe his grandpa could offer a few words of advice, but it wouldn¡¯t amount to much. Percy was pretty much in uncharted territory. He would have to figure out how his bloodline interacted with his affinity by himself. Hopefully his new Soul Vision would help with that. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Very well. Let me know once you learn more.¡± Percy nodded as well, walking out of the office. *** The young man looked at the tall oak tree, which honestly resembled a jade statue more than a nt. It exuded a thick green mist, reminding him of the mana around the temple. But it smelled nice. The mind mana had been odourless, while this gave each breath a fresh minty undertone. It had taken him about a week of nning to figure out how to make it here. Baldy clearly went above and beyond to keep it safe. It obviously hadn¡¯t been nted in the garden outside, as anybody could steal or damage it there. Instead, he had carved out a special location inside the mansion, for an inner garden. It was designed to only have a single entrance. Luckily, it had been several decades since thest time anybody tried anything funny, so some chinks had appeared in the tight security. From there, Percy only had to wait for his uncles Gareth and Balin to be paired on the same shift, which took a few days longer than he had hoped, but did happen eventually. The two idiots were among theziest in the family, so they often left their post a few minutes earlier than they were meant to. ¡®No time to waste then.¡¯ Percy approached the tree, already feeling the seed in his abdomen beginning to draw in the mana. Standing next to the trunk, he stretched his hand, but paused just an inch from it. Once he started, there was no going back. If this was anything like what had happened during the affinity test, he wouldn¡¯t be able to stop until his second core was satisfied. And Percy wasn¡¯t sure the tree even contained enough for that. It had a lot, but could itpare to the condensed mana of a titaness? One thing was certain though. Whether it was enough or not, the tree wouldn¡¯t survive. Based on what he¡¯d heard, this tree was actually a treasure gifted to his family by the Divine Order! It was a great help for life users honing their spells. Even his grandpa regrly used it. They were actually lucky none of the White cores leading the Great Houses had a life affinity, otherwise they would have long destroyed House Avalon to seize the tree by force. If Percy ruined it here, he¡¯d be dealing a severe blow to his own family. Even if he managed to escape their wrath, all his rtives might end up dying a few years from now, crushed by a rival House. All because of him. ¡®Why the hell should I care?¡¯ They certainly didn¡¯t care about him. Percy needed to awaken his second core if he was to ever be more than cannon fodder. It¡¯s not like he had a choice. Did he? He gritted his teeth. He had to do this. He HAD to! *** Percy entered his grandpa¡¯s office, not bothering to knock. His fists were clenched tightly, drained of all colour. He had been so closest night. Just a tap away frompleting his new core. But he couldn¡¯t bring himself to do it. Even now, he wasn¡¯t sure why. Archibald raised an eyebrow at his grandson¡¯s intrusion. Though he didn¡¯t say anything, waiting for him to speak first. ¡°I want the jade tree. It won¡¯t survive.¡± Percy said, fully expecting baldy tough him out of the room. At best. He didn¡¯t really think there was a chance baldy would agree. Still, he didn¡¯t dare to steal it, so asking for it was the only path left. Contrary to his expectations however, his grandpa wasn¡¯t outraged. He didn¡¯tugh at him either. Instead, his response shocked Percy even more. ¡°I figured out that much.¡± Taken aback, the young man stared at him in confusion, before baldy gestured at a chair across him. ¡°How?¡± Percy asked upon sitting. ¡°Gawain told me what happened at the temple. You think he didn¡¯t notice how the mind mana was swirling around you? My daughter did too. You¡¯re lucky her attendants didn¡¯t, otherwise she wouldn¡¯t have managed to cover your ass.¡± ¡°Your daughter? The High Priestess?!¡± Percy asked. Archibald nodded. ¡°She¡¯s your aunt, Guinevere. She¡¯s only a few years older than Gawain, but she¡¯s a Yellow-born.¡± ¡°I thought you needed as many Yellow-borns as possible, to increase the chances of getting more Violet cores for the family. Why would you send her away?¡± SIGH ¡°We do need every Yellow-born we can get. Even then, there¡¯s no guarantee one will be ready to seed me if I die. But having strong ties to the Divine Order is just as important.¡± Well¡­ this was all fascinating, but Percy had more pressing concerns at the moment. ¡°That still doesn¡¯t exin how you knew I needed life mana.¡± Baldy chuckled. ¡°Please. I¡¯m 50 times your age. You think I wouldn¡¯t notice you trying to snatch my own mana right in front of me?¡± Percy smiled awkwardly. He really was out of his depth here. ¡°I still have no clue what you needed all the mind mana for, but as soon as I healed you, I knew you weren¡¯t done. I paid closer attention to you since, and you didn¡¯t disappoint.¡± The young man fell back weakly, letting his neck sink into the silky headrest as he stared up at the ceiling. He had been so foolish to think he could outsmart the old fox. ¡°Why are we even having this conversation then? Just execute me, or banish me, or whatever.¡± Baldy fell back as well, his own expression morphing into something Percy didn¡¯t quite recognize. His grandpa almost looked sad, but he¡¯d never seen him like that, so he wasn¡¯t sure. ¡°Percy. Do you hate our family?¡± The young man frowned. Where was thising from all of a sudden? His first thought was to reply ¡°obviously¡±, but he figured he could take his time answering. Most of the people in his House were, frankly, assholes. Presentpany included. But then there was ine who he got along with. And his parents who he didn¡¯t really remember. Was it fair to hate his parents, just because of their surname, without even knowing them? Hell, he was part of the family too. Did he hate himself? Perhaps, it was its management he hated. His grandpa. But the man was pragmatic, and honestly, not a bad leader. His decisions were always calcted. ¡®Even though I always get the short end of the math.¡¯ Still, it wasn¡¯t like he never got anything from them. At least, he had food and a roof over his head. He even had his own room. But so what? Was he supposed to just forget everything else? To forgive them? To love them? ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± he said after a long time. Archibald nodded again. ¡°Here¡¯s an easier one then. Do you resent me?¡± Chapter 10: Archibald ¡°Who is asking? The head of the family? Or my grandpa?¡± ¡°Does it matter?¡± baldy asked. Percy shrugged. ¡°Percy¡­ I am the third head of the House. I¡¯ve been in charge for less than 200 years. Our family has existed for nearly ten times as long.¡± This wasn¡¯t exactly news to the young man. He had read about the family¡¯s history. So, he just waited to see what the man was getting at. ¡°I¡¯m sure you knew most of that already, but what you might have not read about in your books, was that the second head ¨C my great-grandpa ¨C died about 20 years before I advanced to Violet.¡± GULP Percy swallowed a mouthful of saliva. On Remior, a noble House without a Violet core at the helm was like a tasty meal lying on the ground. He could imagine all the alliances, conflicts and betrayals that must have happened during those two decades. They had probably been some of his family¡¯s darkest years. ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡±¡°I want you to appreciate how precarious our situation is. How it has always been. Out of the 1000 Violet cores on Remior, how many do you think will make it to White?¡± ¡°You tell me. 20? 50?¡± Percy threw a guess. Archibald chuckled bitterly. ¡°We¡¯ll be lucky if one or two do. The rest are mostly hoping they can get another Violet in their family before they die, otherwise they¡¯re screwed. Every time I make a choice, every time I allocate resources, it can make the difference between our House surviving or dying out.¡± This time Percy lost his patience. ¡°Look, I get it! You don¡¯t have to exin that at thiste stage. But why couldn¡¯t you just treat me like a grandson?!¡± Archibald¡¯s eyes wavered for a moment. Who would have thought that emotionless prick could even feel things? ¡°Because it¡¯s easier that way.¡± SIGH ¡°Have you any idea how many people I¡¯ve buried? Uncles, brothers, cousins, children, grandchildren¡­ The less attached I am, the more impartial I can be.¡± his voice was soft. It cracked many times, as the powerful Violet core struggled to form his words. Percy truly looked at his grandpa for the first time. What was he even supposed to say to that? ¡°Now, will you tell me what you need all that mana for?¡± Archibald asked. Percy smiled. It wasn¡¯t like their brief chat could magically erase a lifetime of bitterness, but he saw no point in hiding the truth either. ¡°Remember how I said my version of Clone did something interesting? I may have undersold how interesting it was.¡± he chuckled, before borating. ¡°I didn¡¯t understand it at the time, but I believe it allowed me to send a fragment of my soul to possess somebody outside Remior.¡± ¡°Somebody with two cores.¡± he added after a second. Archibald¡¯s eyebrows would have hit the ceiling if they weren¡¯t attached to his face. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°The Moirai!!!¡± he eximed. ¡®Ah, right. I knew it was moi-something!¡¯ ¡°In any case, my clone brought back whatever it is that gives them their second core, although it was broken, and it needed fixing.¡± Archibald remained silent for a few minutes. Percy didn¡¯t rush him either. ¡°And how close are you to fixing it?¡± he eventually asked. ¡°If the jade tree has enough mana¡­ 5 minutes.¡± the young man replied. Archibald nodded. ¡°Wait, what?! Are you actually giving me the tree?! Just like that?!¡± Percy couldn¡¯t conceal the shock in his voice. Baldy looked him in the eyes before replying. ¡°Absolutely not.¡± Percy would have strangled him if he could. Why was he ying with his feelings like that?! Yet Archibald wasn¡¯t done. ¡°Listen, Percy.¡± he said in a serious tone. ¡°A human having two cores is unheard of. And who knows what else you can get through your bloodline? Even though it might not be enough to bridge the gap between you and an Orange-born right now, I¡¯m willing to invest in your potential. From now on, you will have ess to the advanced elixirs.¡± The young man¡¯s heart skipped a beat. The advanced elixirs would let him reach Yellow in 50 years. That¡¯s half a century saved! If it was one month ago, he would be jumping up and down. However, there were other things he wanted more now. ¡°But I can¡¯t even use my second core without the tree.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t give up the tree on a gamble. Let alone you, even if it was ine having a second core, I couldn¡¯t do that. The tree might help me protect our family next year. Your second core might need centuries to pay off, if it ever does.¡± Percy deted as he listened to his grandpa. Still, he couldn¡¯t argue with his logic. ¡°But¡­ that doesn¡¯t mean we¡¯re giving up on it either.¡± baldy added, rekindling a spark of hope in his grandson¡¯s eyes. ¡°I will get you a different source of life mana.¡± *** KNOCK, KNOCK Percy reluctantly opened his eyes, not fully awake yet. He was tempted to tell his visitor to piss off, whoever it was. But he didn¡¯t. Few people ever wanted anything from him, so it could be important. YAWN Getting up, he slowly made his way to the door. On the way, he nced out the window. It was still dark. ¡®What¡¯s so urgent it couldn¡¯t wait a couple more hours?¡¯ Turning the handle, he pulled the door open, seeing nobody but his grandpa standing at the entrance. Percy blinked a couple of times. Then, he massaged his eyelids. Baldy was still there when he was done. The realization jolted thest traces of sleep out of the young man¡¯s system. ¡°You brought it?! The life source?!¡± Archibald wasn¡¯t holding anything. Percy looked behind him, trying to see if there was an attendant carrying something. Yet the corridor was empty, other than his grandpa who was dressed in his training robes. ¡°Are you done?¡± the man asked in irritation. ¡°May Ie in?¡± Percy shrugged, making way for him. He gestured towards his bed as he didn¡¯t have any other furniture to offer. Archibald sat there, patting the space next to him. The young man joined his grandfather, still curious to see what he wanted. ¡°We don¡¯t have any other potent life treasures in the family.¡± baldy said. Percy was about to voice a protest, but Archibald stopped him, patting his shoulder. ¡°Instead, I¡¯ll be your life source.¡± Then, he repeated his actions fromst week, sending the potent mana in his grandson¡¯s body. Only this time, he didn¡¯t target Percy¡¯s legs, but directly focused it on the young man¡¯s abdomen, relinquishing control over it as the seed absorbed it. Percy creased his forehead. Truth be told, his feelings were mixed. ¡®Stingy old man. If he didn¡¯t want to give me the tree, he should have just left it at that. What do I make of this?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t like he didn¡¯t appreciate the elixirs and this gesture. That was a lot more than he¡¯d ever expected from his grandpa. Still, how would it help him? Not that Archibald was weak. Not even close. A Violet core was 4 grades above Orange. This meant the man possessed about 81 times as much mana as him. The gap was insane. ¡®But far from enough.¡¯ Forget about the liquid in the sacred pool. That was the concentrated mana of a titaness. Even the tree contained within it countless times more than his grandpa¡¯s core. In fact, Archibald would be hard-pressed to produce as much mana as a single leaf. And sure enough, five minutester baldy waspletely tapped out, breathing heavily. Had this been before their meeting, Percy might have voiced a snarkyment, but right now he wasn¡¯t in the mood. ¡°Thanks¡­¡± he said. ¡°For trying, at least.¡± Archibald gave him a strange look as the corner of his lips twitched. ¡°Huh? How little do you think of me? You think I¡¯m trying to cheat you out of our deal?!¡± He chuckled. ¡°Of course I can¡¯t match Phoebe¡¯s pinkie toe in mana capacity, but that¡¯s only if wepete fairly.¡± he said. ¡°But what if I keep emptying and refilling my core? 10 times? 100 times? 1000 times?!¡± Baldy shed his grandson a resolute look. ¡°Percy¡­ I¡¯ll repair your second core no matter how long it takes.¡± Chapter 11: Cracks Percy sat on his bed, next to his grandpa. It had been two weeks since baldy started filling his second core. Sadly, they didn¡¯t have anything to show for it yet, not even a hint they were getting closer. Still, the young man was feeling some newfound appreciation for his grandpa. Not only because he was practically showering him with affection for the first time in his life, but also due to his sheer dedication and discipline. Frankly, the man was a monster. Every day, he showed up before sunrise, and didn¡¯t leave his room until hours past sunset. Well, besides a few mandatory breaks of course. ¡®I guess you don¡¯t reach Violet by ident.¡¯ Having delegated the family¡¯s management to his sons and daughters, baldy didn¡¯t ck at all. It took him nearly five minutes to empty his core and about twenty to refill it. He spent over 18 hours per day in Percy¡¯s room and the young man once counted a total of 42 refills. Percy had almost expected him to give up after the first week, but Archibald showed no intention of doing that. Pressing on, he seemed determined to follow his words through to the end. And watching him work hard, Percy was also motivated to keep his training up. For the first few days, he¡¯d continued honing the sharpness and integrity of his constructs. When he began experiencing diminishing returns, he switched to increasing their range. That said, his room wasn¡¯t thatrge, so he had to stop when they reached the walls. Naturally, his soul mana could phase through, but he didn¡¯t want to hit somebody on the other side by ident. However, the weirdest thing was how his grandpa had started talking to him since the second day. In hindsight, it shouldn¡¯t have surprised Percy. After all, the two would be stuck spending all their time together for who-knew how long. It would be stranger if they never talked. Still, he wasn¡¯t used to casual chats with baldy, the two having limited their past interactions to the bare minimum. As for what they talked about? Well, at first his grandpa offered him tips and guidance on how to better manipte and recover his mana. A few dayster, however, they graduated to more idle chatter, even gossiping about Percy¡¯s aunts and uncles, or teaching the young man about the other families on Remior. Stuff he couldn¡¯t find in books.Percy knew the man was ovepensating,rgely because of the harsh things he had spoken during their meeting, but he didn¡¯t say anything to stop it. It was embarrassing to admit, but this felt¡­ nice. *** He formed the daggers in his hand for the billionth time. They didn¡¯t look very elegant. Their shape was irregr, closer to sharpened stones than finely crafted knives. Percy wouldn¡¯t be winning any artpetition with them, that was for sure. Still, they were sturdy, and he was confident they would be useful in a fight. Having reached an eptable shape and range, he¡¯d even learned to produce two of them with each hand at once. Today, he was nning to try forming a third, when his grandpa suggested something different. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Maybe you should figure out how your bloodline works.¡± GULP Percy knew he was right. Creating that soul clone had been the greatest turning point in his life. If it hadn¡¯t been for that, he might have never found out his affinity or gained ess to better elixirs. He certainly wouldn¡¯t have a second core to work towards and he might have never gotten to know his grandpa better. And that was just the start. How many more mysteries lied out there in the cosmos? What else could he bring back to Remior? ¡®I suppose I should stop postponing it then.¡¯ The reason he¡¯d been so hesitant, was because he wasn¡¯t keen on experiencing the agony of splitting his soul again. Frankly, it was something he wouldn¡¯t wish on his worst enemy. Yet, it was the only way forward¡­ SIGH He activated Soul Vision, this time ncing down at his own soul. After all, that was the starting point for everything else. A sea of silver blinded him, causing him to shut his eyes. He reduced the concentration of mana before opening them again. Fine-tuning the ability to work at such a close distance took him about an hour. This was because he also wanted more detail than he usually got, to more closely examine his soul. As the me underneath his flesh came into focus, Percy¡¯s eyes widened. For the most part, it was simr to every other he had looked at. However, there was one important difference which sent shivers down his spine. The semi-amorphous silhouette flowing under his skin was covered in countless cracks! Each was far narrower than the one he had inflicted on the goblin, their thickness akin to a hair¡¯s. However, they were many times longer, one even stretching across his entire forearm. His soul was like a broken vase, held together by spit and wishes! ¡°Is everything alright?¡± Archibald asked in concern. Percy exined the situation. ¡°I see. You must have really messed your soul up. It¡¯s lucky you survived.¡± The young man nodded, his expression grim. ¡°What now? Do souls recover over time?¡± he asked. He didn¡¯t even know why it didn¡¯t hurt right now. Maybe it was because the cracks were too narrow, or perhaps it was all rtive. Experiencing his soul clone crumbling apart might have raised his tolerance to the point his current state didn¡¯t bother him. Either way, he wouldn¡¯t risk using his bloodline like this. ¡°Hmmm¡­ For the time being, I suggest you observe your soul for a few days to see if it can heal by itself. Also, check if you can speed up the process with your mana.¡± *** Another two weeks passed by in a sh. During this time, Archibald had continued pouring mana into his grandson¡¯s abdomen, with no end in sight. Calcting everything, he should have already passed 1000 refills a while ago, but the seed showed no signs of being satiated. Luckily, Percy had found more sess with regards to his cracked soul. Fortunately, it turned out it did recover by itself, albeit slowly. Adding the weeks before he began observing it, Percy estimated it would have needed a total of about three months to fully recover. Even better, focusing his soul mana on the wounds had proven exceptionally effective, elerating the process threefold. In a couple more days, it should be as good as new! ¡®It¡¯s a pity it hurts so fucking much.¡¯ Indeed, the only downside was that this approach seemed to agitate the injuries. It was a bit like rubbing salt in a wound, only a hundred times worse. Suffice to say, thest couple of weeks had been far from pleasant. Still, it was a small price to pay if it meant he could use his bloodline again that much sooner. ¡°Next time you shouldn¡¯t activate it randomly.¡± his grandpa said. Percy frowned. ¡°Well, how else am I supposed to do it?¡± Baldy appeared to think for a few minutes before replying. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you that. The bloodline works differently in your case. Nobody but you can answer that question. However, what I can do, is to give you some inspiration. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll take a break from pouring mana into your core.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Percy asked. ¡°I¡¯ll need it for something else. I¡¯m going to demonstrate our family¡¯s most fundamental technique. It has been passed down and refined for over 1700 years.¡± GULP ¡°You mean¡­¡± Archibald nodded. ¡°I¡¯m going to show you how to efficiently cultivate a life clone.¡± Chapter 12: Clone KNOCK, KNOCK Percy opened the door, finding his grandpa outside as usual. This time, however, baldy wasn¡¯t alone. He was apanied by somebody who looked almost identical to him. Like a twin brother. The only differences to the naked eye were that the second baldy wore different robes and had a vacant expression. Percy made way for the two to enter, but his grandpa shook his head. Instead, he gestured for the young man to follow him to the garden. As soon as they reached the training grounds, baldy and his clone stopped at the same time, which looked a bit creepy. ¡°What do you know about the Clone bloodline?¡± Archibald asked. ¡°The normal version, I mean.¡± Percy dug through his memories for all the information about the ability. Truth be told, his understanding of it was quiteprehensive. After all, it wasn¡¯t exactly a great secret that his family had it. Plus, his cousins never stopped boasting about it. ¡°They take a while to make, but that decreases with one¡¯s grade, so I suppose it should be much faster for you. The clones can¡¯t think for themselves, and they can¡¯t even use magic, but they can be given simplemands. Supposedly, they make greatbourers.¡± Baldy nodded. ¡°That¡¯s the gist of it, but there are a few more key points to consider. First, use your other senses to examine it.¡±Following his grandpa¡¯s instructions, Percy activated Mana Sense. While there was some life mana flowing through the clone¡¯s body, it didn¡¯t have a core whatsoever. There was nothing but a slightly denser concentration of mana in its sternum. This pretty much aligned with what he expected. Next, he switched to Soul Vision. He should have probably seen thising too, but the clone didn¡¯t have a normal soul either. There was only a small silvery wisp burning in its chest. It looked like a gentle breeze could blow it out at any moment. Percy had a lot of questions now. ¡°Are they even useful?¡± If it couldn¡¯t use magic, why invest so much time and mana to make one? Archibald smiled. The clone walked to the oak tree by the centre of the garden and threw out a punch. BOOOOOOM Percy¡¯s ears buzzed as he stared at the devastation in shock. Arge circr hole now pierced through the trunk, its diameter about half the width of the tree. The clone pointed its fist towards Percy, showing him that there wasn¡¯t even a scratch on it. ¡°As you can see, the clones inherit the physical capabilities of their creator. At Violet, each of my clones has over 240 times the speed, strength and durability of somebody at Red.¡± Archibald exined. ¡°Not just that, but the number of clones one can have also scales simrly. I can have 243 of them active at the same time. Although they drain my mana constantly to exist. Normally, I only keep about 60 of them, so that I still have enough for other things.¡± GULP Percy swallowed hard. ¡®243 monsters like that¡­ That¡¯s a freaking army!¡¯ His grandpa was even scarier than he realized. ¡°But we aren¡¯t here for me to brag. What we want is for you to watch me make one.¡± Then, Archibald stretched his palm towards the clone, visibly draining his mana back. As the green ribbons flowed out of its orifices, its visage shrivelled like a mummy. Soon, it copsed on the ground, its flesh desating at an rming rate. It wasn¡¯t long before it was nothing but a sack of skin and bones. And momentster, even that copsed into a pile of fine dust. This novel''s true home is a different tform. Support the author by finding it there. ¡®Geez. Thank Phoebe I haven¡¯t eaten anything.¡¯ Percy wasn¡¯t generally squeamish, but watching what looked like his grandpa wither into nothingness like that was more than a little disturbing. Archibald chuckled. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that? Do you think your version is going to end up much prettier?¡± Right. Percy had to figure out how to keep the worst of that from happening to his soul. ¡°Before we begin, do you have any other questions?¡± baldy asked. The young man looked back to where the clone had stood just moments ago. ¡°Please tell me you¡¯re going to burn those robes.¡± *** The two had returned to Archibald¡¯s office. Baldy would rather sit while doing this and Percy wanted none of this taking ce inside his room. Currently, the young man had Mana Sense active, carefully observing everything happening between his grandpa¡¯s hands. There, a green bubble was suspended, pulsing like a heart at regr intervals. A dark silhouette was faintly visible beneath its surface, its shape resembling that of a fetus. And it was growing fast. Really fast. It had only been about 10 minutes since baldy began his demonstration. At the start, the glowing sphere had only been about asrge as a pea, but it had already reached the size of a tangerine. ording to his grandpa, it would only take about an hour for it to grow to a baby, at which point the bubble wouldn¡¯t be necessary anymore. This was all bizarre. Percy had seen other clones in the past, but this was his first time watching the gestation process. As much as his cousins loved to parade them around, nobody had time to show him how they were made. A Red core had to spend nine months to grow a clone, not unlike a normal pregnancy. From there, each grade cut that time to about a third. This meant most of his rtives needed anywhere between a little over a week to a full month to do this! Luckily, his grandpa would be done by tomorrow, so he could resume the arduous task of filling his second core up. ¡°Percy. I suggest you focus on what I¡¯m doing, as I¡¯m not repeating this for you.¡± baldy snapped. ¡°Right.¡± the young man agreed, tapping into his Mana Sense again. This time, he didn¡¯t look at the bubble but focused on his grandpa¡¯s body instead. That¡¯s where all the interesting things were happening. Baldy¡¯s core thrummed, sending waves of mana rippling through every muscle, every bone, every vein. Once they reached the man¡¯s skin, they bounced back, but they did so at an angle. This seemed to create another stream of waves of a different shape, which flowed towards his hands. ¡®Yeah, ok. I still don¡¯t know how exactly I did what I did two months ago, but it wasn¡¯t nearly as¡­ organized as this.¡¯ Percy spent a couple more hours carefully observing his grandpa¡¯s handiwork, marvelling at the sheer elegance and refinement of the technique. Only after the clone had already reached the size of a toddler did he deactivate his Mana Sense. Not that he was bored. Far from it! He could have kept watching this for ages. Plus, he didn¡¯t want to waste his grandpa¡¯s efforts. The reason he had stopped was because at some point, an idea took root in his head. Gathering the mana in his eyes, Percy activated Soul Vision. He watched the clone carefully, searching for something specific. Even though the clonecked aplete soul, he remembered spotting a faint wisp in the one earlier. The young man knew life users didn¡¯t create them intentionally. After all, not even his grandpa had any way of manipting soul mana. ¡®No. It¡¯s likely just a side effect.¡¯ Watching the flow of life mana had certainly been informative, but if he could also observe how that silvery wisp came into being, it could give him some more insight into his own version. *** Percy was back in his room, resting on his bed. The sun was still out, as the duo had stayed up all night, his grandpa not finishing the demonstration untilte in the following morning. Apparently, it was possible to pause the process and resumeter, which other people had to do, as they couldn¡¯t keep it up for several months at a time. Archibald on the other hand, preferred to make each clone in a single session. He said it helped minimize the mana losses. Either way, his grandpa¡¯s habits weren¡¯t what was going through the young man¡¯s head right now. ¡®How does that even make sense?¡¯ Percy had devoted thest 15 or so hours of the demonstration trying to figure out how that tiny soul wisp had formed. And he did have an answer. He just struggled epting it. The formation of the clone¡¯s body had been straightforward. The life mana had first travelled through baldy, embedding all the necessary information before being passed to the clone. Once there, it had turned into the building blocks making up its flesh, guided by the apanying information. There was a clear link between Archibald and the clone¡¯s bodies! But that wasn¡¯t the case when it came to their souls. At no point had Percy seen any soul mana leaving his grandpa. Yet, the clone¡¯s tiny soul had kept growing regardless. It was as if the two were entirely independent entities. As if the clone had developed its own soul, as a natural consequence of being alive. ¡®This isn¡¯t what I want to be doing.¡¯ Percy didn¡¯t want his own clones to be dumb as bricks. His affinity clearly didn¡¯t want that either, which was why his version of the ability involved splitting up his own soul. ¡®I suppose I¡¯m gonna have to perform a lot of tests.¡¯ But that was tomorrow¡¯s problem. For now, what he needed was some sleep. Chapter 13: Cousins Percy marvelled at the intricate vial pinched between his thumb and index finger. For something so valuable, it wasn¡¯t thatrge, its height and thickness not exceeding that of his pinkie. At least, he didn¡¯t have to worry about breaking it if he dropped it by ident. Its hardness wasn¡¯t a joke. It was made of a hollowed-out sapphire shard. A bit overkill in his opinion, using such a precious material for a simple container, but at the end of the day it didn¡¯t really matter. After all, the vial¡¯s contents were easily fifty times more expensive than the gemstone. Probably more. ¡®Plus, it can be reused.¡¯ He shrugged, downing the elixir. The liquid was cool and soft as it trickled over his tongue and through his throat, giving him a refreshing feeling. It was bitter, though a hint of apple had clearly been added, to make it easier to swallow for the stereotypical noble able to afford it. Percy chuckled. ¡®I¡¯d drink this even if it tasted like shit.¡¯ Next, he pulled some mana from his sternum, gathering it in his stomach. Only after allowing it to simmer there for a few minutes did he move it back to his core. It stung every time he reabsorbed it, but he gritted his teeth and kept going, repeating the process over a dozen times before stopping. The whole cleansing took about half an hour, and his core burned when he was done, as if he had dipped it into a vat of acid. ¡®It¡¯s worth it.¡¯Percy was still getting used to the new elixirs, despite having used them for the past month. They hurt more than the heavily diluted version he¡¯d drunk growing up, but they were more potent too. The good news was, they couldn¡¯t be used more than once a day, to avoid injuring oneself, which was great for his sanity. And his pocket. Supposedly, it was possible to advance one¡¯s grade via other means, but nobody did that, as it took way too long for it to be worth it. Plus, the cheap elixirs were essentially the same substance as the expensive ones but mixed with water in a ratio of 1:100, which just about made them affordable even formoners. Well, assuming they didn¡¯t horribly mismanage their finances. Either way, thanks to his grandpa¡¯s generosity, Percy could now hopefully cut down the time needed before his next advancement in half, although fifty years were still nothing to scoff at. Perhaps, his second core would benefit from this treatment sooner. ¡®If it ever forms.¡¯ The young man stood up, stretching his limbs. Baldy wasn¡¯t going to visit him today. Even though the n had been to resume their sessions after the demonstration, it turned out he had shirked his responsibilities for a bit too long. Thus, he had told Percy he¡¯d be extending their break by another day or two, to get everything back in order. If this was a month ago, he might have thought his grandpa was only making excuses to bail on him, but right now he wasn¡¯t concerned about that, seeing Archibald in a new light. ¡®Let¡¯s just enjoy the day off.¡¯ Walking out of his room, he headed towards the main hall. That was where his family members picked and turned in missions. The same was true for Red cores, although they could only select low-level missions that involved cleaning or doing other chores inside the House, as they weren¡¯t strong enough to survive outside. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. If it was up to Archibald, he wouldn¡¯t have let the Yellow-borns out either, as they were too important to risk something happening to them. Still, he understood they wouldn¡¯t grow without adversity. In any case, Percy wasn¡¯t going there to pick a mission. He wouldn¡¯t have enough time to finish it before his training resumed anyway. No, the young man just wanted to meet people. Anybody would do. Not that he was particrly fond of his cousins, but after staring at baldy for every waking moment over the past month, he itched to look at a different face. ¡®Preferably one with hair.¡¯ Perhaps, he should have been more careful of what he wished for, however. Soon after entering the hall, his attention was drawn to two loud voices joking andughing by the counter. And he recognized them. ¡®Ugh¡­ Not them, of all people¡­¡¯ Hector and Tristan were only a couple years older than him, but they were both Orange-borns, having advanced to Yellow a long time ago. At least, he had slightly closed the gap ¨C for now ¨C but he didn¡¯t think that would stop them from giving him crap. Each of his cousins was apanied by two identical copies of themselves, dressed in simpler, more practical clothes. Last time he¡¯d seen them, they¡¯d only had one. ¡®I guess even they have to put some effort in every now and then.¡¯ Part of him wanted to bolt back to his room. Percy wasn¡¯t afraid of them, but he wasn¡¯t in the mood to deal with this right now. Still, it would look pathetic if he did that. Plus, he did want to get some fresh air for a change. In the end, he shrunk to a corner of the room, trying not to draw much attention. His cousins were chatting with their older sister, Laudin, who worked behind the counter. Percy didn¡¯t know if they were there to pick or turn in a mission, but they sure took their sweet time either way. There were others in the hall, but not too many. It waste in the morning so the ones heading out had already left, while the onesing back wouldn¡¯t be here untilter. He was about to pick one of the least annoying rtives to approach, when his luck ran out. ¡°Well, well¡­ If it isn¡¯t the little goblin!¡± Hector said, keeping his voice loud enough to make sure everyone heard it. Percy rolled his eyes, pretending he didn¡¯t hear him. ¡°What?! He¡¯s still alive?!¡± Tristan yed along. ¡°I heard he passed out during his promotion! I haven¡¯t seen him for a couple of months, so I thought he died in his sleep!¡± Turning to face them, Percy activated Soul Vision and imagined himself testing his new spell on his idiot cousins. Yellow or not, the buffoons wouldn¡¯t even see the knivesing before they pierced some nasty holes through their souls. Of course, he wasn¡¯t petty enough to torture somebody over some teasing. Not even them. Still, he wasn¡¯t above entertaining himself with the thought. ¡°Seriously?! Who even faints when advancing to Orange?!¡± Hector emphasized his grade on purpose. Percy heard a few chuckles from the others in the room, but he didn¡¯t look. He wouldn¡¯t give them that. ¡°Morning assholes.¡± he said as he approached the duo. ¡°I see you haven¡¯t been cking off yourselves.¡± he added, pointing at the clones with his chin. ¡°Of course. This is our family¡¯s prized bloodline, after all. The pride of our House.¡± Had thise from somebody else, Percy might have thought it was a joke, but seeing Tristan inte like a pufferfish, he knew the guy meant his words. He shook his head, suppressing a chuckle. Passing by them, he walked to the board, wanting to browse through the missions, partly to extricate himself from the situation and partly out of genuine curiosity. But his cousins weren¡¯t done with him yet, it seemed. Four silhouettes approached him from behind, nearing him ufortably. Turning to face them, he noted the clones¡¯ soulless gazes were even more creepy from up close. ¡°Percy! We have the perfect mission for you. One suitable for your talents.¡± Hector sneered. ¡°Right. Help us test out our new clones in the garden. We tried to hunt some goblins in ourst mission, but they were too weak. Maybe you can do slightly better.¡± Tristan added. The corner of Percy¡¯s eye twitched. He¡¯d been trying to not let them bother him too much, but they were starting to grate on his nerves. He wasn¡¯t going to seriously harm them over something this trivial, but perhaps they did deserve to be taught a lesson. The dysfunctional soul wisps burning in the clones¡¯ chests should be easy to snuff out, setting his cousins back by a couple of months. Maybe they would think twice before annoying him in the future. However, the soul mana had only begun to coalesce in his fists when he caught a bright sh of azure from the corner of his eyes. SPLASH Chapter 14: Elaine The four clones fell like marites with their strings cut, awkwardly hitting the floor. THUMP, THUMP, THUMP, THUMP If these were normal people, they might have ended up with some nasty bruises, but their bodies were at Yellow. Plus, healing them wasn¡¯t that hard. ¡°Why do you keep messing with others?!¡± ine yelled. She let the glowing whip fizzle out into a harmless spray of water, soon forming a faint puddle on the marble tiles. Then, she red at her cousins, scoffing when they took a step back. The cowards only dared to bully those weaker than them. Turning to Percy, she dragged him out of the hall as he looked at her in amusement. He wasn¡¯t as defenceless as he used to be. She knew that. Still, seeing those morons treating him as their lesser irked her to no end. ¡®He deserved to be born at a higher grade than them. No. He deserved to be born at a higher grade than me.¡¯ So absorbed was she in her thoughts that she was taken by surprise when Percy stopped abruptly. ¡°Where have you been over thest month?¡± he asked, scanning her.She looked down at her body too. Her arms were covered in bandages, a few scrapes and bruises visible on her skin. ¡°I was out doing missions.¡± ¡°For a whole month?!¡± he frowned. Then, he winced. That¡¯s when ine remembered she was still holding him. Letting go, she quickly noticed the skin on his wrist was pink. ¡®Shit! I must have put more strength than I realized.¡¯ ¡°I took a bunch of them at once to save time.¡± she answered. He nodded. ¡°I see. Must be convenient, serving as target practice for archers right after trekking through a jungle. I¡¯ll try it sometime too. Why waste time healing in between?¡± She chuckled. ¡°It wasn¡¯t that bad. Grandpa will fix me up in no time.¡± Percy turned around, gesturing at her to follow. Only after they¡¯d made a quick stop by Archibald¡¯s office to get her patched up did they head back towards the garden. ¡°Grandpa seemed really swamped today. Has anything happened while I was gone?¡± she asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe he needs to manage his time better.¡± Percy scratched his head, looking at her rather awkwardly. ine narrowed her eyes but didn¡¯t say anything else. After exiting the mansion, they found a nice spot on the grass to sit. It was calming, listening to the crickets chirping, as faint shadows of clouds brushed over their heads. The garden was admittedly less exotic than the vibrant forests and swamps she''d recently travelled through, but she didn¡¯t have to worry about an ogre or a basilisk sneaking up on her here. ¡°Care to tell me what happened?¡± he asked. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I know testing my magic on that goblin wasn¡¯t the prettiest sight, but you could have talked to me instead of avoiding me.¡± You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. She frowned. ¡®Is that what he thought?¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m not avoiding you¡­¡± she muttered weakly. ¡°Really?¡± he raised an eyebrow. ¡°Because you barely said anything on the way back. Then you vanished for a month, putting yourself through a mission gauntlet.¡± SIGH That wasn¡¯t it. Not at all. But she couldn¡¯t tell him. What was she supposed to say? That she felt guilty watching him struggle? Did that even make sense? Back when she found him on the floor, she took care of him for a week. She¡¯d known he¡¯d done something dangerous with his ability, but she didn¡¯t realize just how dangerous until the test. ¡®A soul clone!¡¯ Percy had ripped his very soul apart! The mere thought made her skin crawl. Still, it wasn¡¯t until she heard the goblin¡¯s shriek that she truly came to terms with the severity of the situation. Watching the creature squirm over the tiniest scratch, she couldn¡¯t fathom what Percy had experienced after tearing the whole thing up. Yet, after waking up, he spent the next few days training! Even while travelling, he kept practicing on horseback! Even after his injuries! ¡®The ones he got because I couldn¡¯t stay awake half an hour longer.¡¯ Despite all the odds stacked against him, he never stopped pushing forward, doing everything he could to get stronger. Meanwhile, here she was, with her Green core, everything handed to her on a silver tter, getting treated like royalty by her whole family just because she¡¯d been born lucky. The irony made her sick to her stomach. ¡°ine?¡± Percy looked at her with concern. She might have stayed silent for too long. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just figured I should train a bit harder. To live up to grandpa¡¯s expectations.¡± He nodded. ¡°You were right, you know.¡± Percy said. She tilted her head. ¡°About baldy. He¡¯s not that bad once you get to know him.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been spending time together!¡± she raised an eyebrow. ¡°Some.¡± he grinned. ¡°That¡¯s great! What do you talk about?¡± He fell back, resting his head on the grass before replying. ¡°All sorts of things really. Like how many times he caught uncle Gareth skipping on his shift. Or more recently, he¡¯s helping me figure out how to use my bloodline.¡± ine felt her jaw tighten upon hearing that, clenching some dirt in her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡± she muttered. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Please, don¡¯t use your ability again.¡± she struggled to get the words out, her voice cracking. Percy gave her an odd look. ¡°ine¡­ My ability is all I have. I can¡¯t give it up.¡± ¡°What¡¯s even the point?!¡± she snapped. ¡°I don¡¯t want to sound harsh! I really, really don¡¯t! I don¡¯t want to sound like them!¡± She felt hot streams trickle down her cheeks. ¡°But why do all this to yourself?! Even if you be the strongest Yellow core on Remior, it won¡¯t mean a damn thing!!!¡± The moment thest word left her mouth, she felt her gut churn. She¡¯d always hated herself just for thinking those things. ¡®And now I told him to his face.¡¯ ine kept her gaze fixed on the ground, absentmindedly tracking adybug as it walked up a de of grass. She didn¡¯t look at him. She couldn¡¯t. She knew what she¡¯d just said was in cruel. Maybe Percy would never speak to her again. The thought hurt, but it was ok. ¡®As long as he listens.¡¯ The silence stretched on for a couple of minutes, even the crickets¡¯ chirps now sounding muted, as if they understood they should pipe down a notch. ¡°If that¡¯s all I ever amount to be¡­ then so be it.¡± Percy said, his voice calm. ine lifted her eyes. He was looking up at the sky. No. His gaze seemed to pierce through it, searching for something beyond. He wasn¡¯t upset or angry. Then his eyes met hers. He smiled. ¡°Either way, I won¡¯t be satisfied until I¡¯ve done everything I can.¡± *** ine was in her room, her eyes closed. Resting on a proper bed after a month in the wilderness was nice, but her thoughts were locked in her earlier conversation with Percy. By now she¡¯d be a fool to believe she stood a chance of changing his mind. Still, it wasforting to know their rtionship hadn¡¯t soured. In any case, there wasn¡¯t much point in ruminating over things she couldn¡¯t change. Instead, she should focus on those she could. ¡®Then, I won¡¯t be satisfied either...¡¯ She opened her eyes, staring up at the ceiling with resolve. ine was a Yellow-born. She would reach Violet, no matter the cost, to support her grandpa and her family. But she shook her head. ¡®No.¡¯ Not nearly good enough. If it was Percy in her shoes, he wouldn¡¯t be satisfied with that little. ¡®I won¡¯t stop until White, elevating the Avalon House to one of the Great Houses.¡¯ Percy wouldn¡¯t live long enough to see her reach Violet, let alone White. The thought made a lump form in her throat. But it was ok. She could at least take care of others like him. Having made up her mind, she closed her eyes again. She would give herself this one night¡¯s sleep. She also had to restock her supply of elixirs before heading out. Training and missions couldn¡¯t speed up her advancement, but she could still hone her spells. It had been a long time since her Status registered her Crude magic. ¡®It¡¯s about time I take the next step.¡¯ Chapter 15: Soul clone ¡®What¡¯s gotten into her?¡¯ Percy had no idea what had brought on that outburst from ine yesterday. At least she¡¯d seemed more concerned than hostile, which was good news. Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t heed her plea to stop using his bloodline. Especially now that he¡¯d finished mending the cracks and could finally begin cultivating his first proper clone in earnest. Using Soul Vision, he scanned his soul carefully, willing his ability to activate. Unlike the previous time, he held back significantly, only allowing the tiniest strand of mana to seep out of his core. ¡°Careful.¡± said baldy, sitting next to him. Starting today, the two had resumed their training sessions, though his grandpa was currently focused on Percy¡¯s experiment, ready to intervene if necessary. Under the influence of his bloodline, the mana leapt out of his core more violently than usual, like a w grasping everything in its path, pushing itself out of Percy¡¯s chest. The sudden pain made him wince, causing him to grab the mattress tightly, nearly ripping a hole in his bedsheets. Despite his preparations, he wasn¡¯t quite ready for this. He hurriedly deactivated his ability before it did any further damage. PANT, PANT, PANT¡°Are you ok?¡± baldy asked. It was only a few minutester that the young man steadied his breath, calming down enough to answer. ¡°No wonder I passed outst time. Back then, I pushed all my mana into it like an idiot.¡± He shook his head, reactivating Soul Vision to assess the situation. His soul was in much better shape than his previous attempt, but it hadn¡¯t exactly made it out scot-free either. A few new cracks had appeared near his chest, where the ghostly w had tried piercing out of his body. They would only take a couple more days to heal, but it meant he had to slow things down again. At least, that gave him the chance toe up with a better n. *** Three dayster, Percy pushed mana out of his core, letting it ripple through his soul. He¡¯d already mended the new batch of cracks, but he wasn¡¯t ready to tap into his ability just yet. Instead, he was trying to replicate his family¡¯s technique, to see what effect it might have in his case. His grandpa had made it look easy during his demonstration, but Percy quickly discovered that getting the waves of mana to flow properly was rather tricky. Where almost all of baldy¡¯s mana had reflected uniformly off his skin and towards his hands, Percy¡¯s instead bounced randomly from one corner of his soul to the other. He struggled to get even a tenth of it to head in the correct direction. Whenever he adjusted the intensity or the angle of the flow to make one side of his soul work, the rest fell out of phase. Though Percy wasn¡¯t deterred, knowing a lot of it came down to practice. After all, Archibald had been using this technique for centuries. Still, there was another issue. Life mana was meant to flow through one¡¯s physical body, which was rtively rigid. This wasn¡¯t the case for Percy, who was channelling it through his soul, flickering around like an amorphous me. That said, it wasn¡¯t all gloom and doom. ¡®Let¡¯s hope this works better.¡¯ He and Archibald had modified the technique slightly, hoping to make it more suitable for him. Rather than gathering the mana in his hands, forming the clone between his palms, they figured it would be easier to concentrate it near his chest, just an inch from his sternum. After all, that was clearly where his ability wanted it to go. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Percy pulled mana from his core, sending it randomly in all directions. Some was reflected towards his sternum right away, while the rest bounced around a few times. Overall, about a quarter eventually made it to his chest where he wanted it, albeit at different intervals. Most of it, however, either leaked from his pores, or got reabsorbed into his core. ¡°Hmmm¡­ We might be on to something. Try ying with the timing until the waves converge.¡± his grandpa advised after being brought up to speed. Percy nodded. *** The young man stared intently at the small silvery bump right in front of his core. He¡¯d spent a long time observing how the mana got reflected, ying with it as he fired it in various directions, eventually managing to gather about 40% of it at once. It had taken him another week to get here, and he didn¡¯t think he¡¯d be able to improve much more in the short term. Thus, he and Archibald had agreed to try and make do with this current version of the technique. Percy repeated his actions, observing the changes. As soon as the waves gathered, they caused his soul to swell in that spot for an instant. ¡®I almost look like a pregnantdy.¡¯ Except he wasn¡¯t ady. Plus, the bump was in his chest, not his belly. And in his soul, not his flesh. It also didn¡¯tst long before deting. Ah, and he wasn¡¯t trying to carry a baby, but a ghostly clone he could send out to uncover the secrets of the universe. Still, close enough. ¡°The biggest problem is that it reverts right away, so I don¡¯t have enough time to make progress. If only I could hold it there for a moment¡­¡± Baldy scratched his chin. ¡°Well, why can¡¯t you?¡± The young man pondered over his grandpa¡¯s question. It wasn¡¯t like he hadn¡¯t considered it, but there were a few issues with that. The first was that his soul flowed about an inch under his skin, so it was harder to grab a hold of. ¡®I suppose if I time it right, I can catch it when it bumps.¡¯ The other problem wasn¡¯t as easy to solve, however. He¡¯d need to use his mana to interact with his soul, which was dangerous. If he wasn¡¯t careful, he might injure himself. SIGH ¡°No pain, no gain¡­¡± *** Once more, Percy fired the mana from his core, letting it bounce all over. At the same time, his eyes remained glued to the area right in front of his sternum. The moment his soul bulged, he closed his fingers around it, grabbing the protrusion as softly as he could. Over the past five days, the young man had learned to coat his hand in ayer of soul mana. At first, it had looked like a glove, though it hadn¡¯t taken him long to realize he didn¡¯t need to cover his whole palm. Only his fingertips ever came in contact with his soul. Right now, his right hand looked like he had stabbed five silver cherries with his fingers. It was a bit silly, but he didn¡¯t care about optics. ¡®Just a little more.¡¯ Percy pulled his soul gently, letting it stretch like an stic fabric. Everything was going well, at least while the silver me remained within the confines of his flesh. The moment part of it exited his skin, however, all hell broke loose. ¡°AAAAARRGGGHHH!!!¡± His soul squirmed, frantically struggling to return inside his body where it belonged, plunging Percy into a world of agony in the process. Soldiering through it, he held on to the bump, as tears formed not only where he touched it, but in other parts of his soul. At least it wasn¡¯t his first time going through something like this. Though souls were surprisingly resistant to blunt damage, that only seemed to be the case while they remained within the safety of their body. Once removed, they apparently turned a lot more fragile. Still, Percy had never expected to use his bloodline painlessly. His only goal had been to optimize the process as much as possible, to minimize the risks involved. ¡®Can¡¯t make a soul clone without a few cracks.¡¯ A few secondster, the young man¡¯s lips curled up as the situation stabilized somewhat, the pain bing more bearable. A few tears continued to form, but not as quickly as before. Next, he used his family¡¯s technique again, sending more waves of mana around his soul. This time, he allowed the new cracks to absorb whatever mana they could, to offset some of the damage. Percy remained in that position for several hours, slowly feeding the nascent clone while struggling to keep his soul from falling apart. The trickiest part was that he ran out of mana every so often, forcing him to hold everything still until he recovered enough to continue. ¡®It¡¯s going well, all things considered¡­¡¯ The bump in his hand had already quadrupled in size, though he wasn¡¯t sure how much he needed for a functioning clone. Shrugging, he let go of his soul, watching it snap back into his body. It sucked to give up on thest five hours of work, but he wouldn¡¯t be able toplete his clone during this session. Sadly, he couldn¡¯t pause and resume his progress like the others, which meant he¡¯d have to do the whole thing in one go. ¡®I seem to be on the right track. I¡¯ll go for it after a good night¡¯s sleep.¡¯ Next, he wiped the sweat off his brow before turning to baldy. He was about to exin his thought process, when he found his grandpa staring at him with a shit-eating grin stered all over his face. ¡°What¡¯s up with the creepy look?¡± ¡°Percy. I didn¡¯t want to interrupt you earlier, but your second core stopped epting mana two hours ago.¡± Chapter 16: Second core It took him a few moments to truly register baldy¡¯s words. Then, it was as if the floodgates opened, a wave of vigour washing away his fatigue. His heartbeat sped up, as he willed his Status to appear. Percival Avalon Mana cores: Bloodline: ???: ¡®Finally!¡¯ It had taken months ¨C although they¡¯d felt closer to centuries ¨C but it was finally over! Of course, Percy would be lying if he said he wasn¡¯t slightly disappointed. He had secretly harboured hope of the new core awakening at a higher grade. If only it could have started off at Yellow, it would have changed everything. But s, there was no point letting his greed spoil an otherwise good thing.¡°Well?¡± baldy asked. Percy looked at his grandpa. His expression was also bright, painted with curiosity and excitement. ¡®This is all because of him.¡¯ He wouldn¡¯t forget the countless hours Archibald had spent filling his core up, one drop at a time. How could he? The man hadpeted with a titaness! And won! Well, ok... It was more of a tie. And he cheated. Still. Few could boast of the same! ¡°Thanks.¡± Percy said. ¡°For everything.¡± Some moisture gathered in the corner of his grandpa¡¯s eyes. But then he blinked, and it was gone. Next, he raised his hand towards Percy¡¯s forehead and¡­ flicked him. ¡°Ouch!¡± the young man eximed. ¡°What was that for?!¡± ¡°If you want to thank me, stop torturing me and tell me what your Status says.¡± ¡®Still a prick though.¡¯ Percy rolled his eyes. ¡°What is there to say? It¡¯s at Red which sucks. The affinity has question marks.¡± Baldy nodded. Then, he took something out of his robe. It was a long bandage, covered in all sorts of strange glyphs. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Percy frowned. ¡°It¡¯s warded to conceal mana. From now on, make sure to always have it around your waist. It will hide your second core from Mana Sense, although only while it¡¯s idle. Don¡¯t use it in front of others.¡± Percy epted it, before wrapping it as per his grandpa¡¯s instructions. ¡°Well then¡­ Can you feel it inside your body?¡± baldy asked. ¡°Try using it.¡± The young man didn¡¯t need to be told twice, also eager to put his new toy in action. Closing his eyes, he recalled his experience sensing his original core for the first time, right after his awakening. Turning his senses inward, he scanned the area around his abdomen, searching for the new organ. Perhaps, he could have used Mana Sense to speed up the process, but he didn¡¯t mind taking a bit longer. Frankly, this all felt nostalgic, and he wanted to savour it. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Pinpointing the core¡¯s location with any certainty took a few minutes. The new vessel was empty, without a hint of mana flowing in or out, making it hard to spot. ¡®I guess that makes sense.¡¯ Percy¡¯s first course of action would be to fill it. With some mental prodding, he managed to stir it up. Repeating the exercises he had been taught as a child, he tried to pull the first strand of ambient mana into it. It was difficult. Like pushing honey through a blocked pipe. Of course, the young man wasn¡¯t a novice in mana maniption, having done this daily for thest decade. Still, he normally used the core in his sternum for that, and an entirely different set of mana channels. Learning everything again would take some time. ¡°I¡¯ll need a couple of days to get it to a useable state.¡± *** A week passed, which was a bit longer than his estimates. Having gone through all of this before certainly helped, but it wasn¡¯t exactly smooth sailing either. It was like learning to write with his left hand. ¡®Well, if I only found out I even had a left hand five minutes ago...¡¯ That said, he eventually got there. He could now reliably draw mana into his new core ¨C albeit clumsily. Catching up to the other one would take longer though. In any case, he had finally filled it up. Its capacity was a bitcking due to its grade, but that didn¡¯t mean he was without gains. As soon as Percy drew the first sliver of mana, he noticed an immediate change in his body. His muscles surged with strength, his senses sharpening as he felt more¡­ alive. He¡¯d expected this, having experienced something simr during his recent promotion. The changes were more subtle this time around, but it did confirm his second core would also influence his body and ¨C with some luck ¨C his lifespan. While he didn¡¯t know how it would all scale, he guessed raising both to Yellow might even let him live long enough to reach Green. ¡®That¡¯s in the distant future though. For now, let¡¯s see what I can do with it.¡¯ During the past week, Percy hadn¡¯t pulled any mana out of his second core. He had only focused on clearing the first few channels and filling it up. It was finally time for the main event. ¡°Hopefully we can figure out its type without another assessment.¡± baldy said. Hearing his grandpa, Percy¡¯s feelings on the topic wereplicated. Having another rare affinity would be amazing, but it would indeed raise someplications. He couldn¡¯t exactly go back to the temple, could he? How would he exin it? ¡°Fingers crossed for a life affinity.¡± It was one of the few rare affinities they wouldn¡¯t have trouble identifying on their own. Also, it would let him use the regr form of his bloodline too. The duo activated Mana Sense, as Percy pulled some mana towards his hand. The flow was partially obstructed ¨C another channel he would have to clearter ¨C but not right now. A blob of cyan soon coalesced inside his palm. It felt nothing like soul mana. First, it was visible to the naked eye, its colour close to ine¡¯s. But it wasn¡¯t a water affinity, this was a couple shades paler. Another difference was that it had substance. Unlike the ethereal wisps of soul mana which he now knew he could only hold with his soul, he could feel this new energy pressing against his skin as he squished it in his fist. His expression stiffened, a bad premonition bubbling up. He turned to baldy, only to see his smile had also soured. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Percy.¡± The young man¡¯s heart sank as he opened his Status once more, reading the new word that had appeared next to his second core¡¯s grade. The Status was a strange thing. While the affinity tests were a guaranteed way to fill in many of the nks, a lot of the information could also be revealed based on one¡¯sprehension. It was whymon affinities were so easy to identify, as everyone was familiar with them. Had Percy known more about soul mana, he could have even recognized it on his own, saving him the trip. For the same reason, it wasn¡¯t very difficult to identify his newest mana type. Not that he was particrly happy about that¡­ ¡®What sort of bullshit is this?!?¡¯ Somehow, his second core had ended up at an even lower starting point than his first! Not only at Red, but alsocking an affinity! Percy doubted he¡¯d get much use out of it. Even when he raised it to Orange ¨C five years from now ¨C it would at most let him produce some weak attacks at the level of a Red core. Baldy ced his hand on his shoulder, squeezing it gently. ¡°Don¡¯t let this get to you. It¡¯s still a good thing.¡± The young man remained silent for a minute. ¡°Grandpa, have you ever heard of a way to change one¡¯s affinity? Or to raise one¡¯s grade faster?¡± SIGH ¡°Neither of those things exist on Remior¡­ But I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if they do on some distant world. The universe is vast.¡± Percy¡¯s eyes regained some lustre, though baldy¡¯s subsequent words quashed the rising hope. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t count on that.¡± Archibald shook his head. ¡°Even bringing back a second core from the Moirai was an exceptional stroke of luck. You may never stumble on another treasure on that level.¡± The young man clenched his fists as he read his Status once more. At least the physical enhancements from his second core would help. Also, his soul projectiles should be close to registering as a proper Crude spell. But he was still a long way from bridging the gap with his peers. There was only one way forward, albeit riddled with uncertainties. ¡°I¡¯ll send out my next clone tomorrow¡­ I¡¯llb the ends of the universe if I have to, until I find another way to get stronger¡­¡± Chapter 17: A painful endeavour Today was the day. Percy had finished mending the new cracks, restoring his soul to a pristine condition. He¡¯d also refilled both cores and got a good night¡¯s sleep. Adding to that, baldy had arranged for his children to manage the family, freeing himself to oversee his grandson¡¯s venture. Admittedly, Percy felt a little guilty over it. Somehow, their strained rtionship had evolved to the point of him monopolizing his grandpa¡¯s time, which he knew was precious. The man was a Violet with an entire House to run and hundreds of people to look after, yet here he was, focusing his efforts on a Red-born teenager. ¡®I¡¯ll make it up to him.¡¯ Even if he couldn¡¯t find a way to get stronger, he had to bring something back for his family. Going over all the steps in his mind once more, Percy cleared his thoughts, beginning the process. First, he activated Soul Vision, tuning it to look at his own soul. Gathering mana on his fingertips, he ced his hand right in front of his sternum. Next, he sent a pulse of mana through his soul, letting it reflect off its edges. The moment it all returned to his chest, he seized the opportunity to grab the newly formed bump. He slowly pulled it outwards, ignoring the painful tears that started to form as the silver me left the boundary of his flesh. Only after it stabilized did he send another pulse of mana from his core, trying to reinforce the damaged regions as he forced the protrusion to erge.¡®So far, so good.¡¯ *** Wave after wave, refill after refill, hour after hour, Percy continued to cultivate the ethereal substance in his hand. It was the very fabric he would craft his clone from. Soon after starting, he¡¯d been ted to discover his soul was more durable thanst time! He guessed the awakening of his second core had influenced it. Neither Percy nor Archibald had ever heard that one¡¯s grade affected their soul, but then again, they hardly knew much about soul affinities to begin with. In hindsight, it wasn¡¯t that odd either. The fact that promotions strengthened one¡¯s body wasmon knowledge. It would be stranger if they didn¡¯t have a simr impact on other aspects of one¡¯s existence. If this hadn¡¯t been the case, a Red core with a soul affinity would be able to kill a White with a sneaky spell, which was absurd to imagine. Either way, the young man dly weed all the help he could get. And it did help, as his soul was noticeably more resilient, the tears forming just a touch more slowly. Waiting for his core to refill for the umpteenth time, he tossed a quick nce out the window. ¡®The sun is about to set¡­¡¯ Apparently, he¡¯d been at it for over twelve hours. The orb in his hand was alreadyrger than an apple. He was getting tired too, the concentration and pain taking a toll on his mind. His original n had been to pull an all-nighter, gathering as much of his soul as possible before cutting out the clone. But that didn¡¯t seem very realistic now. While he could push himself to go on, it appeared there was a limit to how much of his soul he could pull out at once. The more he umted, the greater the pressure was, causing the cracks to appear faster. Right now, the damage was piling up more quickly than his newly strengthened soul and his manual reinforcement could handle. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡®Ok then. Let¡¯s move to the next phase ahead of time.¡¯ As soon as his core was refilled, he pulled the soul mana again. Unlike before, he didn¡¯t send another pulse, instead gathering it manually inside the blob. For the next two hours, Percy filled the orb with as much mana as he could manage, causing it to glow more brightly, until even baldy could faintly see it. Moving the mana directly into it resulted in fewer losses, but the bump didn¡¯t grow in size. Unless the mana travelled through his soul first, it didn¡¯t have that effect. That was clearly an aspect of his bloodline he¡¯d inherited from his family. The reason he was adding more mana to the orb was to give his clone some means of protecting himselfter. He didn¡¯t know what circumstances he¡¯d find himself in, but he figured having a stockpile of mana to fall back to might be handy. ¡®Or maybe not.¡¯ he shrugged. ¡®But it¡¯s worth a shot.¡¯ Finally, he refilled his core onest time and ¨C after giving his grandpa a resolute look ¨C he fully activated his ability. The ghostly w violently bolted out of his sternum, heading straight towards the thrumming blob. Wherever it passed, it carved nasty gouges in the silver me, causing Percy to experience a world of agony. Not just that, but the tears that already existed widened, making the situation worse. Only after the w entered the blob did something change, as it began to sizzle, the orb swelling and contracting around it a couple of times. Then¡­ SNAP A loud shockwave rippled through Percy. Thest thing he saw before his eyelids fell shut was a silveret sting out of his bedroom¡¯s wall. ¡®Go¡­ Soar through the cosmos little me¡­¡¯ *** ¡°Fuck.¡± was the first word that came out of his mouth. The original Percy¡¯s that was ¨C not the clone¡¯s. His head ached as if it had been split in half. And if not, perhaps he should consider it. It might be an improvement. He was lying on his bed, in a pool of sweat, the sheets sticking to his back. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± baldy asked, sitting on a chair next to him. The man¡¯s hand was raised, a gentle green glow radiating from it. Not that it did much, as the source of Percy¡¯s pain wasn¡¯t something life mana could help with. Still, he did appreciate the gesture. ¡°Like I¡¯ve torn out a part of my soul.¡± the young man grinned. ¡°How long was I out this time?¡± ¡°Just the night.¡± Percy exhaled in relief. This was good. Not only had he recovered much sooner, but he¡¯d done so before his clone returned ¨C which was progress. Evidently, his efforts over the past few weeks hadn¡¯t been for naught. But thinking of a possibility, he paled. ¡®Unless the clone crumbled earlier than thest one?!¡¯ Panicking, he tried pulling some mana to his eyes, to check his soul¡¯s condition. He frowned. His core was surprisingly empty. It should have recovered on its own by now, since he¡¯d slept for a long time¡­ Over the next few minutes, he meditated to speed up his regeneration, managing to manually gather some mana, eventually. Turning Soul Vision on, he examined himself, his features soon twisting at the sight. His soul was in even worse shape than the first time he¡¯d everid eyes on it. Technically, it wasn¡¯t too surprising. Back then, it had already had weeks to heal on its own before he learned about his affinity. Still, the sight was unsettling to behold. The tears were too wide and too deep to be described as ¡®cracks¡¯ anymore. Some regions looked like they were held together by a few scant strands, about to break off any moment now. But the worst part was the hole in his chest. It was as if a giant had scooped out a huge chunk of his soul with an oversized spoon, as the edges in the crater squirmed, leaking mana. ¡®That exins why my core is empty.¡¯ Apparently, his soul was frantically sucking the mana out of his sternum, trying to hold itself together. Yet, it wasn¡¯t all bad news. Stretching out of the hole in his chest, Percy felt something extending into the distance. It was invisible even to Soul Vision, somehow even less corporeal than soul mana. If he had to describe it, it was as if somebody had grabbed an idea and rolled it up into a rope. Like an umbilical cord, letting him sense that his soul clone was still out there, somewhere. PHEW Only then did he let out the turbid breath he¡¯d been holding. ¡®At least, it wasn¡¯t all for nothing.¡¯ He sure hoped his clone would survive longer than the other one. And if he was lucky, even bring back something useful when it was done. For now, he could findfort in the fact he was awake and could do other things while waiting. It didn¡¯t seem he could practice his soul magic, as his mana was still busy trying to keep his soul together, but perhaps he could feed his second core elixirs and get a bit more used to it over the next few days. ¡®Back to the grind, I suppose.¡¯ Chapter 18: Wanderer His thoughts were groggy, taking ages to form. Or maybe seconds? He couldn¡¯t tell. Actually, Percy couldn¡¯t tell much of anything at the moment. He was blind and deaf. His sense of touch was gone too. Thest thing he remembered was activating his bloodline, watching it tear his soul up. ¡®Either I botched it and killed myself, or I¡¯m the clone.¡¯ Both conclusions sounded possible, though he felt it was more productive to assume thetter. At least, it was good he retained some sense of self this time. On his previous attempt, this had only happened on the way back. It was certainly nice to have some control over the process. Well, assuming he could figure out what was going on¡­ ¡®Let¡¯s focus on what I can tell.¡¯ The most prominent feeling was something attached to him, pulling him towards a certain direction. The force it exerted was currently weak, but it was strengthening very, very slowly. For now, it didn¡¯t affect him much, but he knew it would be irresistible eventually. Perhaps it had to do with how much strength the clone ¨C him ¨C had left? Or maybe with how badly his main body wanted him back? Or something else entirely? Either way, he should try finding a vessel before that happened. ¡®If only I could see...¡¯ His normal senses didn¡¯t work, but there had to be something he could do. Concentrating outwards, he filtered out the attraction of his body, trying to grasp at anything else. For a long time, there was nothing.Then, something appeared at the edge of his consciousness. Curious, he focused on it, causing it to expand and expand until¡­ BUMP Percy felt an impact, shaking his very existence. ¡®What the hell?!¡¯ Whatever it was, it was now getting more distant. Making a mental note to approach things more slowly in the future, he wondered why he¡¯d been rejected. Was there a reason he couldn¡¯t possess that person? ¡®Actually, was that even a person?¡¯ Unable to tell, he resumed the experimentation. He repeated the same steps for some time, until another object appeared. Proceeding with more caution, he limited himself to fleeting glimpses. Each time he looked, it grewrger. Stopping when he was close enough, he went over what he understood about it, making sure not to focus too hard, to avoid crashing into it again. It felt like a soul, although it was his first time encountering one in his present state. He¡¯d seen plenty of them before via Soul Vision, but that was nothing like his current perspective. That said, this object gave him a conflicting mix of familiarity and strangeness. On one hand, it resembled his original self, still tugging at him through the connection. On the other, this was clearly somebody else. Also, there was a sense of rejection. Whenever he stopped ¡®looking¡¯, he felt himself drift further and further¡­ ¡®I suppose I wouldn¡¯t want to be possessed either.¡¯ Nor did he want to do that to somebody else, actually. He still felt guilty over possessing that baby. He¡¯d rather approach things differently this time if he could help it. Once more, he scanned his surroundings, struggling a little as the soul obstructed his senses. Instinctively, he wished to move away from it, which seemed to work, the object shrinking in his ¡®vision¡¯. Percy continued until he was satisfied with the distance. It only took a second. Or did it? Come to think of it, he hadn¡¯t a clue how long it had been, nor how far he¡¯d travelled. But he guessed it should be measured at a cosmic scale. After all, he¡¯d essentially sleepwalked out of Remiorst time. ¡®Focus Percy.¡¯ The young man ¨C or perhaps the even younger soul fragment ¨C felt the pull of his main body growing stronger. He still had time ¨C rtively speaking ¨C but he needed to make some progress. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any urrences. He reached outwards once more. A third soul appeared, but he didn¡¯t approach it just yet. He kept concentrating until a fourth and a fifth joined it. Before long ¨C or maybe after long ¨C a sea of souls surrounded him from every direction. It was nice to have some choice, assuming he could pick from those of course. Still, it was annoying he couldn¡¯t examine them too closely, lest he approached one by ident. Instead, he had to tiptoe around the swarm, trying to learn about them without looking directly. As he allowed his senses to softly brush over the myriad lights, a strange thought crossed his mind. ¡®This is beautiful!¡¯ He didn¡¯t fully understand whatid in front of him, but he suddenly realized he didn¡¯t want to rush things. Perhaps no human had ever experienced anything like this. Percy felt a bubbling urge to take his time, appreciating the exotic scenery. To truly understand it. Even if he failed to find a body today, he would learn a lot for his next attempt. Thus, he rxed, letting go of his previous urgency. The ¡®lights¡¯ came in all shapes and sizes. Lacking anything to measure them with, he could onlypare them to one another. Some were tiny. There were countless of them clustered together, and he felt they were so weak he could snuff them out even in his current state. ¡®Bugs maybe.¡¯ The brightest of them outshone the sun, the mere thought of approaching sending a wave of terror through his splintered consciousness. ¡®Those must be gods.¡¯ Still numerous ¨C given the scale of the universe ¨C but far scarcer than the other types.Percy had never seen a god in person. Not even back on Remior. Though he¡¯d seen plenty of statues and illustrations. And stolen a titaness¡¯s mana. That said, he didn¡¯t want anything to do with these alien deities. Most of them were probably hostile to his species. Instinctively, he wished to move away, but he didn¡¯t know which way to go. There was one no matter where he looked. ¡®Calm down Percy. They can¡¯t find you here.¡¯ Pressing down his fear, he considered categorizing the souls using something other than their ¡®brightness¡¯. Once more, he scanned them, looking for a different way to tell them apart. That¡¯s when he sensed a rather peculiar soul. Curious, he approached. In terms of potency, it was far more powerful than the insects, and infinitely weaker than the gods. ¡®Well, duh.¡¯ Sadly, that was about the extent of what he could discern. Beyond that, Reds and Whites didn¡¯t look too different. Hopefully that would change with more practice. In any case, this wasn¡¯t the aspect he was interested in. Unlike the others, this soul felt wrong, somehow. It was fluttering erratically and dimming quickly. Then, Percy made a mistake. In his attempt to learn more about it, he focused on it a little more than he¡¯d meant to, causing him to approach it rapidly. Growing nearer, he averted his ¡®gaze¡¯, trying to stop. It was difficult! For some reason, this one wasn¡¯t rejecting him! It was pulling him in! Intensifying his efforts, Percy actively steered away, eventually managing to slow down. Just in time too, as he hade this close to getting sucked right in. A momentter, the light fizzled out of existence, disappearing forever¡­ ¡®Wow. I think the poor guy just died.¡¯ At least that solved the mystery of how to possess somebody. Evidently, only those on the verge of death seemed to lower their defences, allowing others to approach. Perhaps it was some desperate,st-ditch effort to survive. It was a little morbid, but it wasforting to know he hadn¡¯t taken over and killed a healthy baby. The alien he¡¯d possessed had probably been a stillborn or something. Suddenly, Percy was dragged out of his thoughts, as he found himself on the move again. Another soul was pulling him! However, this one wasn¡¯t some dying stranger. It was his main body! Apparently, his time here had ran out. The force wasn¡¯t very strong just yet. He could still resist if he wanted, but he knew that wouldn¡¯t be the case for long. Truth be told, he wasn¡¯t too bummed out. Even though his original mission had failed, he¡¯d learned a lot about this ce, which would greatly help him in his future ventures. ¡®Still, the main body will be so disappointed¡­¡¯ Focusing outwards once more, he decided to check onest time, to see if he could find a good target. The pull was somewhat distracting, but he eventually managed to peer into the sea of souls again. Having a clearer idea of what to look for, he scanned through them much faster than before. He ignored those too powerful or too weak, and he didn¡¯t spare the healthy ones a second nce either. Eventually, his attentionnded on another dimming light. But he didn¡¯t approach it. It was dying even faster than the one before. Whatever had killed it had done a thorough job. It would suck to possess a body only to find out it had been beheaded. ¡®I need something a bit more on the fence so that I might survive. And I need to do it fast.¡¯ The pull from the main body grew stronger, this time forcing him to actively exert effort to resist it. Percy found a few more damaged souls, but they didn¡¯t fit. One was too powerful, three were dying too quickly, one was too tiny. It didn¡¯t seem like it was meant to be. But it was ok. At least he¡¯d tried. Percy was close to epting his failure, when he suddenly spotted another dying light. It was a bit stronger than he would have liked. He didn¡¯t know if that would be a problem. Also, it was fading a touch too fast. Even if he possessed it, he¡¯d probably die again soon. An unpleasant thing to experience for nothing. Still, he didn¡¯t have much to lose. Well, hopefully not. ¡®Ok, let¡¯s do it.¡¯ Mobilizing every iota of his will, he resisted his body¡¯s pull for the briefest of instants, reaching for the dying light. The next moment, he felt it erge. Then, he was gone. Chapter 19: Possessed Percy found himself in an odd state. He was still unable to see or hear anything, but he had finally stopped moving. His body¡¯s pull was much fainter too. It was there, yet it couldn¡¯t pry him out of¡­ wherever he was. His attempt to possess the dying light had clearly done something, though he wasn¡¯t sure what. ¡®It¡¯s like my limbs are twisted and stuffed inside a messy crate.¡¯ Well, assuming he even had limbs. Logically this body should have something of the sort, but he couldn¡¯t move a muscle just yet. Percy tried shifting around. He appeared to still be in a soul-form. His very existence slipped through the nooks and crannies of a cramped container. Suddenly¡­ CRACK One of the objects he was in contact with gave way under the pressure, shattering into nothing. ¡®The other soul! It¡¯s notpletely gone!¡¯ Percy tried to untangle himself from his host¡¯s spirit, feeling more pieces crumble. At the same time, the pull strengthened slightly. Apparently, he couldn¡¯t afford to damage it too much or there would be nothing left to anchor him to this ce. ¡®Can you fucking stop that?!?!¡¯ that wasn¡¯t his thought.The words echoing through his mind were foreign, spoken in somenguage he¡¯d never heard of. Still, he could understand them, as they seemed to be conveyed alongside their underlying meaning. Percy would have frowned if he still had lips. ¡®Who are you?¡¯ he asked. A wave of amusement intruded into his mind. ¡®Who do you think?! Or did you walk into my body by ident?¡¯ Ok, that was a dumb question. In Percy¡¯s defence, he hadn¡¯t expected he¡¯d be sharing. Nothing of the sort had happened that one other time. ¡®Then again, thest body WAS an infant.¡¯ ¡®YOU MONSTER!! YOU POSSESSED A BABY?!?¡¯ the soul yelled in outrage. Percy found himself at a loss for words. He hadn¡¯t meant to share that. ¡®For what it¡¯s worth, it was an ident. Also, it was dying already¡­ I think.¡¯ ¡®GET OUT YOU FIEND!!!¡¯ This time, the other soul was the one to shift around, trying to push him out. The only thing it managed, however, was to damage itself even more. A wave of pain assaulted Percy, but it wasn¡¯t his own. ¡®Cut it out! Are you trying to destroy yourself?¡¯ ¡®SILENCE, DEMON!!!¡¯ the soul yelled. ¡®I WOULD RATHER DIE THAN LET YOU DEFILE MY BODY!!!¡¯ Percy was about to swear but paused. Perhaps this was the normal reaction to getting possessed. If there was even such a thing as ¡®normal¡¯ in this situation. Still, it would be a waste to die within three minutes of getting here. ¡®Can we talk about this first?¡¯ he asked. ¡®I promise I¡¯ll leave on my own if we can¡¯te to an agreement.¡¯ This narrative has been uwfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡®What is there to discuss?!? I¡¯ve lived my whole life as a proud warrior of Huehue! I won¡¯t let my death change that!!¡¯ Percy focused on the most interesting piece of information his soulmate had shared. ¡®Huehue? Is that the name of this world?¡¯ This time, a wave of shock hit him, giving him a bad premonition. Somehow, he¡¯d made the already precarious situation even worse. ¡®YOU DON¡¯T EVEN KNOW THAT?!?! OUTSIDER?!?!¡¯ The soul doubled its efforts to evict him. At this rate, it would only be a few moments until it fell apart. Even the second-hand pain reaching Percy through the connection was difficult to endure. Whatever his host was going through must¡¯ve been a dozen times worse, but it didn¡¯t seem to care. ¡®What do you have against outsiders? I didn¡¯t even know about this ce before now!¡¯ he said. ¡®LIAR!!! IT¡¯S PEOPLE LIKE YOU WHO RUINED EVERYTHING!!! I¡¯D SOONER LET MY BODY BE POSSESSED BY A KROKA¡¯ROCH THAN SCUM LIKE YOU!!!¡¯ Percy was about to give up. The pull was starting to pry him off the body and it didn¡¯t seem like its owner could be reasoned with. Still, he tried onest time. ¡®Look, I have no clue who these outsiders you hate are, but why would they take over your body? Do you have anything they want?¡¯ Against all odds, that did seem to slow the soul¡¯s efforts slightly, as it appeared to ponder over Percy¡¯s question. Though it didn¡¯t drop its resistance entirely. ¡®Who knows? You people have already taken everything! Our world, our heritage, our freedom! Perhaps you decided it wasn¡¯t enough anymore and you want our dignity too!¡¯ The soul¡¯s words were scathing, but Percy felt something more than fury behind them. An indescribable sorrow. ¡®I¡¯m sorry those things happened to you.¡¯ he replied. ¡®I have no interest in possessing somebody by force. If you would like to live a little longer, I can try holding whatever¡¯s left of you together for a while. I won¡¯t do anything else without permission.¡¯ This time, the spirit stopped fighting. However, many of the fragments had already shattered. Percy found it difficult to hold on. Especially as he treaded a narrow line between anchoring himself and not squeezing the pieces too tightly. ¡®How do I know you¡¯re telling the truth?¡¯ it asked after a while. Percy sent what he hoped woulde across as a mental shrug. ¡®You can always kick me outter if I try anything funny.¡¯ The soul remained silent for a while. He was about to remind it they were running out of time, when it spoke. ¡®Can you even do as you im?¡¯ ¡®Beats me. Your earlier tantrum certainly made things harder. Still, unless you have a better idea, I can do my best.¡¯ The spirit didn¡¯t say anything, which Percy assumed was a ¡®yes¡¯. Of course, what he had promised was easier said than done. His host had already been dying when he found it, suggesting its body and soul hadn¡¯t been in great shape to begin with. Now, it was even worse. Not to mention that he could hardly even touch the fragments without destroying them¡­ ¡®Although, it¡¯s been a while since thest one shattered¡­¡¯ he realised. Perhaps, the fact his host had tentatively agreed to work with him had somehow raised theirpatibility? In any case, he had to work fast. Shifting his own soul around, he wrapped the shards as gently as possible. Unlike before, each time he touched one, memories shed through his mind. The darkness of a damp cell, the taste of rotten meat, the sting of nasty wounds, the thrill of victory, the bitterness of defeat, the pride of a broken people, the pain of betrayal¡­ It was too much, but Percy pushed it all aside. He could ask questionster ¨C if they survived. For now, he kept stretching all of himself, trying to use what he was, to fill in the gaps of what the spirit was missing. At some point, he¡¯d shrouded many of the shards, hugging them gently but firmly. They anchored him here, and he hoped he¡¯d act as a bridge between them. The result was a mixed bag. At least, the damage had stopped mounting, but his host wasn¡¯t exactly functional. Furthermore, Percy couldn¡¯t tap into the body¡¯s senses either. ¡®Why was it so much easier with the baby?!¡¯ Maybe it was because thetter hadcked a will, making it more malleable, easier to meld with. Out of options, the young man thought back to the bundle of soul mana his main body had generously bestowed him. He hadn¡¯t used it yet. Of course, he wasn¡¯t sure it would do anything, but it wasn¡¯t like he¡¯d need it if he failed anyway. Allowing it to unravel, he felt the mana flow outwards. The substance eagerly rushed to the edges of his fragmented soul, beginning to do what it did best ¨C repairing it. And as luck would have it, it ran into another soul in dire need of mending at those exact spots! Like glue, it lodged itself between the cracks, bringing the souls closer together as the spirit¡¯s memories flooded him with greater intensity. There was way too much to sift through, though Percy focused on one thing specifically as they reached equilibrium. His new pal¡¯s name. ¡®Mtecuhtli.¡¯ Chapter 20: Micky ¡®I¡¯m not calling you that. How about Micky?¡¯ ¡®Suit yourself. I doubt we¡¯ll survive in this state for very long anyway.¡¯ Various senses assaulted Percy, from the external ones such as the thick odours of moss and excrement, to the internal ones like his chest heaving up and down, or the cold numbness of narrowly-missed death crawling along his limbs. His body felt unfamiliar, plus he wasn¡¯t in control. He could try taking over ¨C if he really wanted ¨C but he¡¯d promised not to. Besides, their soul wouldn¡¯t take another round of infighting. DRIP Micky blinked as a dropnded in his eye. When he next opened it, Percy paid more attention to their surroundings. It was dark, the only source of light being the fluttering me of a mounted torch somewhere in the distance. They were in a closed space that looked a bit like a cave, only one side covered in thick metallic bars. He recognized this ce! It was the cell from Micky¡¯s memories! ¡®Is this where you live?¡¯ ¡®It is. For thetter half of my life at least. And the first part of my afterlife too, it seems.¡¯ Percy felt a pang of amusement seep through their connection. Then, his host stood up, the pain making both of them wince. That was when the young man remembered their body was a mess. ¡®Fuck. Dying isn¡¯t a joke.¡¯¡®Tell me about it.¡¯ Many ces hurt, but none as much as a region right above their stomach. There appeared to be a gaping hole, perhaps the very wound that had imed Micky¡¯s life. Even the slightest shift rattled their innards, making Percy sick. It was lucky he wasn¡¯t in charge, or they might have thrown up by now. The most annoying part was that his host clearly didn¡¯t give a shit, stretching his legs as if everything was fine. ¡®Are you sure you should be moving around so much? I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve noticed, but you¡¯re not in the best shape.¡¯ Micky made a weird guttural sound that trailed off a bit like a cackle. ¡®I¡¯m well aware of my injuries. I was there when they happened.¡¯ Next, he flexed his arms, shocking Percy, who just now registered they had a couple too many. ¡®Must be convenient having four hands.¡¯ ¡®Why? How many do you have?¡¯ ¡®Just two.¡¯ ¡®Huh, you wouldn¡¯t be able to y the kik¡¯lit.¡¯ The image of a long flute-like instrument with dozens of holes appeared in his mind. It was wide like a trumpet on one end, though two shafts lead to it. He still couldn¡¯t understand Micky¡¯snguage, but their link mademunication convenient at least. If a bit intrusive. ¡®Now what?¡¯ Percy asked. ¡®What do you mean?¡¯ ¡®What do you mean ¡°what do I mean¡±? Isn¡¯t there anything you want to do with your extra time? Somebody you¡¯d like to speak to?¡¯ His host remained quiet for a couple moments before replying. ¡®You really don¡¯t know anything about Huehue, do you? I¡¯m sorry if you were expecting to be a passenger on some exotic vacation. The only thing your little stunt has bought us are a couple more fights before we die again.¡¯ ¡®Fights?¡¯ Micky shook his head ¨C a universal gesture it seemed. He didn¡¯t bother exining. Returning to the spot where they¡¯d woken up, he looked at a small puddle on the ground. The water dripping from the ceiling was mixed with blood, but Micky wasn¡¯t deterred, scooping some with his lower-left hand before bringing it to his face. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Under other circumstances, Percy might have berated his host over hisck of hygiene. Right now, however, he was too busy gawking at the guy¡¯s reflection, faintly visible on the surface of the murky water. For the most part, he resembled a human, even his skin colour not too dissimr to his own ¨C if a couple shades tanner. Though it was covered in all sorts of tribal tattoos, some depicting various celestial objects, while others showed Micky¡¯s people in various poses. ¡®Is it some kind of traditional dance?¡¯ Not all the symbols were easy to make out, partly due to the poor lighting, and partly due to the crisscrossing scars of all shapes and sizes marring Micky¡¯s body. His build was bulky too, his muscles toned, but Percy chalked those up to the harsh life he¡¯d clearly lived. There were other more ring differences too, of course. Besides the obvious mismatch in the number of limbs, Micky¡¯s nose and mouth were fused together into a long, pointy beak. While his eyes and scalp weren¡¯t very different to Percy¡¯s, his ebony hair looked a little odd, reminding the young man of the fluff he often saw in newborn birds. His host moved again, shaking Percy out of his thoughts, as he walked to a wall before plopping down, resting his back on the coarse stone. It was cold and hard, except for a spot that felt a little grimy ¨C a patch of moss most likely. Not the cosiest seat, though it still felt unbelievably sweet right now, considering how unpleasant standing had been. Equally unpleasant was the terrible stench that assaulted their nostrils, which only intensified as Micky grabbed its source, bringing it to his mouth! ¡®Please¡­ for the love of all that is holy¡­ tell me you aren¡¯t going to eat this¡­¡¯ Percy begged. His host frowned, ncing at the ¡®meal¡¯ in confusion. ¡®Why not?¡¯ It was the half-eaten corpse of some kind of rodent, twice asrge as a rat. Though it also had six limbs and its face was more t. ¡®For starters, you have a hole in your stomach. Can you even eat?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s not IN my stomach.¡¯ Micky rolled his eyes. ¡®Besides, I¡¯d very much like to have one more meal, even if it kills me.¡¯ ¡®What¡¯s there to LIKE?!? It¡¯s rotten!!!¡¯ Micky made the cackly sound again. Percy wanted to strangle him so damn much. ¡®What are you, some kind of princess? Don¡¯t tell me you only eat fresh kills where you¡¯re from?¡¯ The bastard didn¡¯t even wait for a reply before pecking a chunk off the corpse. Percy hurriedly summoned his Status. He¡¯d been itching to do that since getting here and he desperately needed a distraction from the¨C Yeah. He needed a distraction. Mtecuhtli (Percival''s clone) ¡®What¡¯s that?¡¯ Micky asked, a bone snapping inside his beak. Percy wanted to swear. ¡®I¡¯ll tell you if you stop eating.¡¯ His annoying host shrugged, tossing the rest of his meal inside his mouth, chewing it a couple of times before guzzling it down. ¡®There, all done.¡¯ It took Percy over a minute to recover. His main body would have nightmares of the spoiled rat meat for years. ¡®It¡¯s my Status. Do you not have it here?¡¯ Micky shook his head. Percy hadn¡¯t known it was something exclusive to Remior. Either way, he read the rest, eager to find out if there was anything of value in this ce. Mana cores: ???: ¡®The fuck?¡¯ ¡®What?!¡¯ Both eximed at the same time. ¡®Why do I have a second mana core?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯d very much like to know that myself!¡¯ Percy said. ¡®It¡¯s something I picked up from that baby I mentioned. It followed me home, but I didn¡¯t realize all my clones would have it too.¡¯ ¡®But why is it ¡°Iplete¡±?¡¯ Micky asked again. Indeed, why was it? Percy would have understood had it been ¡®Fractured¡¯ instead, requiring both mind and life mana like the first time. Apparently, the former part had stuck with him for whatever reason¡­ ¡®Does it matter?¡¯ is what he ended up saying. ¡®More importantly, can you think of a source of life mana we can tap into?¡¯ A spark of annoyance passed through their bond. ¡®Do I look like I can get life mana?¡¯ Micky gestured at his wound. ¡®Good point.¡¯ At the end of the day, they didn¡¯t really need to awaken their second core. They wouldn¡¯t live long enough to use it anyway. Percy was more disappointed by theck of another of those mysterious perks he could bring back to Remior. This trip was swiftly turning into a dud. ¡®At least tell me you know your mana type.¡¯ ¡®Of course I do! All the natives of Huehue have a pure affinity!¡¯ Micky replied proudly. But the young man wasn¡¯t impressed. ¡®No wonder they were enved¡­¡¯ he thought, before realizing his gaff. ¡®Fuck. I¡¯m sorry. That was such a shitty thing to think.¡¯ However, his host hadn¡¯t taken offense. ¡®You¡¯d think that, yet it wasn¡¯t weakness that turned us into targets. It was something else.¡¯ Percy wanted to ask, but he didn¡¯t want to be insensitive. ¡®It¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t mind talking about it.¡¯ Micky seemed about to borate, when they heard footsteps. Percy felt a wave of disgust oozing from his host as soon as the figure stepped into their sight. He appeared to be of the same species as Micky, though hecked the tattoos and scars, dressed in clean, expensive clothes. The guard stopped by the entrance, searching through the keys strapped to his belt. ¡®Actually, scratch that. It¡¯ll be easier to show you why my people got enved.¡¯ Micky said, before adding, ¡®My next fight is about to begin.¡¯ Chapter 21: Dance As Micky followed the guard through a long corridor, Percy was reevaluating his life choices. How had he found himself hitching a ride on a walking corpse, escorted to a fight through a dungeon? Not to mention, this ce had somehow turned out even crueller than Remior. Micky might be their prisoner, but these people didn¡¯t seem to know nor care he¡¯d just died. ¡®Surely, they could give him a day off!¡¯ Oblivious to his thoughts, the guard soon brought them to arge barred gate, an ominous red light seeping through the gaps. Stopping, the man made some kind of whistling sound. And a few momentster, Percy heard a loud metallic noise. It was grating, like a rusty chain grinding against something hard. At the same time, the gate was slowly lifted by the mechanism. Micky stepped through as the guard stayed behind. He walked into an open space, to the cacophony of jeers and boos, which only intensified upon their arrival. Percy¡¯s host scanned their surroundings slowly, which he figured was done for his sake. The stands surrounded them in all directions, stretching up for over a hundred meters. And they were filled to the brim with eager spectators, clearly itching to enjoy the barbaric event. Most of the crowd was too far to make out, but many of those closest appeared to be the same species as Micky, albeitcking the tattoos again, like the guard. ¡®Why do this to one of your own?¡¯ His host had a visceral reaction to that thought. Percy felt phlegm umte in their throat, before Micky spat out the half-chewed head of the rodent, covered in thick bile. ¡®Please¡­ never do this again¡­¡¯ ¡®Your fault! For calling this trash ¡°my own¡±!¡¯ Micky snapped back.Then he looked up at a sky painted red, reminiscent of a sunset back on Remior. Yet here, it was the middle of the day. The local sun was at its apex, bathing Huehue in a dim crimson light. The sand nketing the arena was red too, but a different, brownish shade. Mixed with the blood of countlessbatants, it was coarse and sticky, with the asional bony shard jutting out. Micky ignored those, as they failed to pierce his calloused feet, making his way to the centre of the arena. ¡®Can you even fight like this?¡¯ His host shrugged. Then, Percy felt the muscles in their abdomen tense, forcefully closing the injury. It hurt like a bitch, causing them to wince, though it was practical. Next, the core in their sternum stirred, flooding their body with potent mana. Having recently acquired a pure affinity himself, the substance felt somewhat familiar to Percy. Still, it was weirding out of his chest rather than his abdomen and at a higher grade than he was used to. Soon, it gathered on the wound, further sealing it in a film of pale cyan. It wasn¡¯t perfect, but it would do. ROAR A thunderous bellow came from the other end of the arena, as faint tremors reached their feet. And they grew more fierce over the next few seconds as another gate opened, revealing their opponent. It was arge bear-like creature, taller than Micky even on all six. Its green fur was long and curly, which might have made the creature look cute, if it hadn¡¯t been for its curved ws and twisting horns. Its snout was wide, with sharp fangs protruding out of its mouth, making it resemble a crocodile¡¯s maw. Micky activated Mana Sense, letting the two examine its grade. ¡®Yellow.¡¯ Percy wasn¡¯t happy. Beasts were generally dumber than sentient beings, but they possessed a special affinity that made up for it. Greatly strengthening their bodies with each promotion, it turned them into fierce opponents even for somebody at their grade. And that was assuming that person had a proper affinity themselves. Micky pulled mana from his core again, this time to his hands, forging it into four short staves. CLINK, CLINK He hit them together a couple of times, nodding in satisfaction as he verified their hardness. Still, that did little to assuage Percy¡¯s worry. It wasn¡¯t like pure mana was useless. It could still form proper spells and there were people who ascended all the way to godhood with it. But it hadn¡¯t earned its reputation as the weakest affinity by ident either. It was far less flexible than water or air, and not nearly as sturdy as earth, or as lethal as fire and lightning. Even calling it a jack-of-all-trades was an overstatement. Perhaps a jack-of-no-trades was more apt. Adding Micky¡¯s suboptimal condition and Percy wasn¡¯t optimistic about their odds. Not wanting to negatively affect his host, he tried to steer away from those thoughts, but they must¡¯ve seeped through. This book is hosted on another tform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Micky chuckled. ¡®I know what you¡¯re thinking. And you¡¯re not exactly wrong. Lacking any affinities, Huehue used to be one of the weakest worlds, constantly losing ground to others.¡¯ Then, their calves tensed like steel coils, as Micky jolted towards the monster with shocking speed. He was quicker than a Yellow had any right to be, clearly having honed his body to its very limits. His technique was nothing to scoff at either, perfectly timing the swings of his upper arms to close into the beast¡¯s head from both sides. However, the croco-bear was no slouch either, raising a paw faster than its bulk should have allowed, shing down violently. BOOOOM Percy felt their bones creak, as the shockwave sent ripples through their skin. Bent under the tremendous weight of the ws, one of the rods was already cracked. They¡¯d all shatter the next instant! But Micky never gave them the chance. Having expected the parry, he stabbed forward with his lower arms, hitting the creature¡¯s chin. The impact sent its head up by a few inches, a few bloody fangs spluttering out. Yet, it was far from enough. GROWL Enraged, the beast swiped with a second paw, this time shing directly at Micky¡¯s chest. Percy felt all four elbows bend, the mana flowing to reinforce the damaged weapon, as the rods moved to block the iing blow. BOOOOM It was even heavier than the one before, but Micky loosened his footing at thest second, letting himself slide back a dozen metres to lessen the impact. Two of the staves had still snapped in half. As the young man had thought, his host was at a severe disadvantage. He just couldn¡¯t see a way out of this. Micky pulled some more mana to repair the weapons but didn¡¯t stop there. He pushed it into his channels, keeping it in his body. Then, he took a deep breath as Percy felt the strands of ambient mana enter their lungs, swirling like water down a drain. Their core had previously been at half its capacity, Micky having already exhausted much of his reserves, though it began refilling rapidly as he continued to pump mana into his pathways. At this rate, it would take less than a minute to max out! ¡®My ancestorsboured over countless generations to develop a technique that made us famous in the cosmos.¡¯ Percy¡¯s eyes would¡¯ve widened had he been the one in control. The beast was already charging at them, but Micky didn¡¯t appear concerned. He continued to absorb mana as his channels swelled. Countless thin threads like veins began glowing under his skin. As soon as the monster was upon them, Micky pivoted on his heel, narrowly avoiding being impaled by its horns. Then, he stomped hard with his other foot, all the muscles in his body bulging ¨C somehow even more than before. The mana burned its way through their lower arms, making the weapons glow brighter as they lunged upwards. CRACK Percy felt the beast¡¯s ribs give way under the fierce strike, the force even lifting its giant visage an inch off the ground. GRRRRRR Its maw snapped shut, droplets of boiling spittle falling in all directions as the creature seethed. This time it swiped sideways with two of its paws. Or tried to, at least. Micky¡¯s movements were too fast for Percy to fully track, though he seemed to have struck one of its knees with a staff, stopping it before it picked up momentum. As for the second paw, he¡¯d failed to see how his host had dodged it, as Micky tiptoed around the monster, his footwork elegant like a dance. Then, he leapt backwards, putting some distance from the disoriented beast. ¡®At its highest level, the technique allows one to fight a full grade above their own.¡¯ Only then did Percy realize their core was about to reach full capacity. With onest breath, it hit its limits. But still, Micky didn¡¯t stop inhaling mana. The pressure was intense, making Percy fear both the core and the channels were about to burst, when the glowing lines on their skin shone even more brightly. Percy had only managed a fleeting nce, but the mana seemed to flow in certain patterns, tracing along the tribal tattoos, hinting at the order in which they were meant to be read. A few scarce motes of cyan leaked out of their body, as the rods felt hotter to the touch. ¡®It made up for our shorings, finally letting our gods stand tall against others, giving the technique its name.¡¯ The beast regained its bearing, ring at them with unconcealed fury. Though it wasn¡¯t as quick to attack this time. Instead, it was Micky who dashed forward. Before he even reached the creature, he took a few strange steps, twisting his path. The monster¡¯s attack hit empty air as Micky delivered three swift strikes from various angles. CRACK, CRACK, CRACK Every time a rodnded, a bone shattered. Saying that Percy had a front row seat to the spectacle would be an understatement. Inside Micky¡¯s body, he could feel every muscle flexing, every wisp of mana moving, every pivot of their feet, every sharp swing of the weapons. But even then, he could barely track a tenth of Micky¡¯s actions. His host wasn¡¯t only manipting the staves with his hands. They bounced off his elbows and even his knees, as they swished through the air erratically, stabbing and crushing and shing at the creature from seemingly random angles. At one point, Micky even kicked the bottom of a rod with his heel, mming the other end right onto the monster¡¯s horn, smashing it into splinters. Five minutester, the beast was lying on the ground, its pained cries having softened, its breaths slowing down. It was battered, its limbs bent in all the wrong directions, countless craters tearing into its flesh. Percy stared at the monster in horror. A short while earlier he¡¯d been wondering how they could possibly escape its clutches, only to watch it ughtered in such a brutal manner. Then, Micky spoke again. ¡®It¡¯s called the Dance of the Savage Gods.¡¯ Chapter 22: Kik鈥檒it The two were back in the cell, the foul smell of blood now dominating the earthy scents of the cave. Micky didn¡¯t seem bothered, however, as he pecked chunks off the croco-bear¡¯s severed leg. Being allowed to eat their kills was apparently one of the few joys afforded to the prisoners of the colosseum. Not that Percy particrly enjoyed the taste of the still-bleeding meal ¨C he preferred his food cooked. At least this one was fresh. Surprisingly tender too. A Yellow beast¡¯s flesh was supposed to be tougher, but his host had softened it quite a bit after that massacre of a bout. ¡®So, I take it your people were attacked out of greed?¡¯ Micky nodded. ¡®Originally, our enemies only wanted our resources. Upon perfecting the Dance, my ancestors managed to turn the situation around for a few millennia, regaining some of the lost territories. But the only thing we achieved was to give our foes an even greater reason for coveting our world. Eventually, they joined forces with a few other races to conquer Huehue.¡¯ ¡®But why? Does it even work with other affinities?¡¯ Fighting above one¡¯s grade was certainly valuable, but if it only worked with pure mana then the advantage would be offset by its weakness. In that case, it would be priceless for the people of Huehue, yet not quite as much for others. ¡®Sadly, yes.¡¯ Hearing that, Percy¡¯s feelings were mixed. Part of him did want it to work solely with his second core, to finally make it worth it. Stumbling upon a powerful technique that only worked because of his affinity sure sounded better than one that did so despite it. But he shook those thoughts away, knowing they were silly.¡®It¡¯s better this way. I can use it with both cores.¡¯ The only question now was whether Micky would be willing to pass his people¡¯s heritage to an outsider... ¡®Might as well.¡¯ Percy thought he¡¯d heard wrong. ¡®Just an hour ago you were willing to destroy your own soul to keep me out of your body.¡¯ Micky shrugged. ¡®Well, by now it¡¯s obvious you aren¡¯t rted to our enemies. I don¡¯t mind helping you out. It¡¯s not like I have anything better to do either.¡¯ ¡®But what¡¯s in it for you?¡¯ ¡®You¡¯ve already given me everything I could ask for. Which isn¡¯t much really. It¡¯s not like I have some grand ambition. I figured it would be nice to have a couple more fights. And if I¡¯m lucky, maybe another shot at the bastard who killed me.¡¯ This story has been uwfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. The young man was at a loss for words. ¡®You¡¯re already getting those things for free. Why put in the effort?¡¯ Micky chuckled. ¡®This is the part where you thank me and quit while you¡¯re ahead. Are you trying to get me NOT to teach you?¡¯ ¡®Well, no. Of course I¡¯m happy to take the freebie. I just thought it¡¯s a little too easy.¡¯ SIGH ¡®Percival¡­ Had you visited Huehue 10000 years ago asking for our technique, I¡¯m sure my ancestors would have skinned you alive¡­ But right now, all the people I hate the most already have it. As I see it, passing it to somebody else before I die is my best chance at preserving my legacy and spiting my enemies.¡¯ COUGH, COUGH Percy felt the taste of iron in their mouth, as Micky wiped something sticky off the bottom of his beak. This blood wasn¡¯t from the food. ¡®How long do you think we even have?¡¯ ¡®Beats me.¡¯ Micky shifted in his seat, the movement sending another jolt of pain through their body. Unlike before, he had to use one of his lower hands to keep the wound closed. Despite the measures he¡¯d taken during the fight to protect it, it had still widened by about an inch. While powerful, the Dance of the Savage Gods clearly took a toll on its user. Carelessly tossing the naked bone away, Micky pushed himself up, walking to a different corner of the cell. The dim light of the torch didn¡¯t reach that spot, so Percy hadn¡¯t noticed there was something here earlier. Reaching down, his host picked up a strange piece of bone, crafted into some sort of intricate tool. No, not a tool. An instrument. It looked a little like an ivory flute, but it had two shafts, way too many holes and was wide like a trumpet on one end¡­ ¡®That¡¯s the thing you mentioned earlier! A kriki-tick!¡¯ ¡®A kik¡¯lit, but yes.¡¯ Micky rolled his eyes. ¡®My mother yed one for me as a child. A few years ago, I convinced the wardens to let me craft one after winning a lot of matches in a row.¡¯ Next, he sat down again, moving the object to his face. That¡¯s when Percy understood that, unlike a trumpet, one was supposed to blow at the kik¡¯lit from the wide end ¨C the beak going inside the hole. Which frankly made sense, given the locals¡¯ physiology. The young man figured his host would have a tough time ying with one hand upied, yet Micky seemed to manage just fine. If anything, he appeared quite skilled with it too, his fingers moving swiftly but gently, tapping some of the holes while brushing over others. Then, he blew a strained breath into the kik¡¯lit, causing it to emit a soft tune. The melody was crisp and strangely uplifting, like something a mother would y for her child to cheer them up. For a second, Percy almost forgot he was still inside a corpse, trapped in a cell atop a broken world. Yet, a second tune subtly underscored the first. A kid would have missed this one, and perhaps Percy might have too, if not for Micky¡¯s emotions seeping through their connection. This hiddenyer spoke of struggles against adversity, and of the fight for one¡¯s ce in the world. Like a people cursed without an affinity, trying to protect their home. Or a boy born with a Red core, looked down upon by all¡­ Micky yed for hours, the mellow notes bouncing off the cold walls. Every few minutes a cough interrupted the music, each time sounding worse. Still, it always resumed soon after, as if it would be a crime to rob Huehue of even this minor constion. So absorbed was Percy in the melody, he nearly failed to register the warm trickle down his cheek. It slowly flowed down his face, before dripping off his chin. PIT, PIT The tears sputtered on his chest, curving around the wound, almost caressing it. But Micky wasn¡¯t the one crying. Without meaning to, and for the first time since their meeting, Percy had broken his promise¡­ Chapter 23: Circulation A zigzagging trail of shallow prints formed on the sticky sand. They were erratic and barely visible. Nearly soundless too. Had Percy relied on his eyes, he would have failed to track the creature. Still, the Orange orbs shimmering inside his Mana Sense made this easy. With a horizontal movement of his upper-right arm, he mmed the rod into the critter¡¯s side, feeling little resistance as he catapulted its body a dozen meters away. THUD A small crater formed on the ground, as the skin of the fox-like animal regained its colour. ¡®Careful, there¡¯s another behind you.¡¯ Micky warned. The young man had already noticed, swinging his left to intercept it. But his movements were clumsy. The only thing he managed to hit was his own back, fumbling with the weapon as the Orange blur streaked toward his throat. His bottom-left elbow jerked upwards at thest second, the staff¡¯s lunge sending the beast flying. THUD It didn¡¯tnd until a couple secondster, the impact sending a ssh of bloody sand in every direction. GRRRRR, GRRRRRThe rest of the pack growled at him, but didn¡¯t rush to attack, learning from theirpanions¡¯ mistakes as they circled him cautiously. ¡®It¡¯s harder than you made it look.¡¯ Percy said. ¡®You¡¯ll get there.¡¯ Micky replied before chuckling. ¡®Just don¡¯t start crying again.¡¯ Percy felt his cheeks heat up. ¡®Shut up about it already! For all we know it was you!¡¯ Then, he resumed his stance, his focus returning to his opponents. A sliver of cyan leaked out of his sternum, tracing along an arm to repair one of the rods. Micky was in charge of their core, as Percy wasn¡¯t proficient enough with pure mana to form stable constructs. The second pair of arms too, as the young man didn¡¯t need to learn how to use those. ¡®Your technique is downright atrocious, but I suppose it would be unreasonable to expect otherwise. If you¡¯re used to my body, we can turn things up a notch.¡¯ Percy nodded. The Dance of the Savage Gods was aplex technique with many moving parts. Mastering each would be a time-consuming process, but a lot of them he could work on by himself. For example, training his body to withstand it was rtively straightforward. Forming the weapons too. That said, there were some aspects he couldn¡¯t learn without guidance. Micky pushed more mana out of their core, flooding their channels. Unlike thest time, he deliberately slowed down the process, making it easier for Percy to follow. The young man paid close attention to the specific pathways the mana was flowing in. Normally, over 95% of a mage¡¯s mana was contained in their core. Their channels weren¡¯t meant for storage, but for efficiently transmitting it outside as quickly as possible. Consequently, most people only bothered to clear out the channels that began at their sternum and spread out to their extremities. Micky¡¯s technique was very different. It used every channel in one¡¯s body ¨C even the seemingly useless ones looping around pointlessly. Percy would have to clear a lot of new pathwayster. Not just that, but he¡¯d have to temper all of them, including the ones he normally used, until they could stretch more than normal. This would let him contain twice as much mana as before. The flow was also necessary, to keep the mana evenly spread out, so that he could draw on it quickly where it was required. The deep breaths too, which would constantly refill his pool, maintaining his strength. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡®Sadly, I can only teach you the first half of the art, as I never learned the rest.¡¯ ¡®What?! This is only half?!?!¡¯ This was news to Percy. Once more, he felt his muscles brimming with strength, as glowing cyan lines became visible on his skin. This much had already allowed Micky to utterly dominate a previously insurmountable opponent. Just how powerful was the full technique?! ¡®From what I understand, thest step involves some direct maniption of ambient mana outside your body. Unfortunately, you¡¯ll have to figure it out by yourself. Still, once you master Cirction, your strength should shoot up by half a grade.¡¯ *** COUGH, COUGH Percy didn¡¯t even bother wiping the blood off their beak. There was no point ¨C they were covered all over already. ¡®That¡¯s enough. I think I¡¯ve got the basics down.¡¯ Micky nodded. With a sudden spin, he delivered a powerful blow on one of the remaining critters, crushing its skull. Then, gathering strength in his calves, he sprung forth like an arrow, swiftly dispatching thest one too. Only after they were alone in the arena did he finally let go of the excess mana, falling with his back on the sand, his chest heaving up and down as the cyan lines faded from his skin. He was using both of his lower hands to keep the wound from opening more than it had to. By now, it had doubled in size and his body was much paler, having lost a ton of blood. ¡®How are you holding up?¡¯ Percy asked. He could feel the agonizing pain of course, but he figured his host had a better understanding of his own body. ¡®I think the next fight will be ourst.¡¯ Perhaps they could have made it a couple days longer if they took things slower, but they¡¯d overexerted themselves against the invisible foxes. Normally, Micky wouldn¡¯t have needed more than a minute to ughter them all. The only reason he¡¯d persisted for over an hour had been to show Percy the ropes. It wasn¡¯t nearly enough time for him to learn the technique, but he¡¯d at least begun to grasp the underlying concepts. As their breath evened out, the young man noticed the crimson sun was still at its apex, having never moved from that very spot. ¡®Are days really long on Huehue?¡¯ Micky raised an eyebrow. ¡®What¡¯s a ¡°day¡±?¡¯ Percy thought he was being pranked. Still, he showed his host images of the sun setting and rising on Remior. ¡®Fascinating¡­¡¯ Micky said after a while. ¡®Huehue always faces Tonatiuh with the same side. The warmth is barely enough for us to survive, but the back of our world is stuck in eternal darkness.¡¯ Then he chuckled bitterly. ¡®Though I suppose this side isn¡¯t much better now.¡¯ A few momentster, they pushed against the sand, struggling to stand up. Only then did Percy register the crowd¡¯s boos, startled by their intensity. Evidently, their bloodthirsty audience wasn¡¯t pleased he and Micky had dragged the fight out for so long. ¡®Not entertaining enough for you, you pigs?!¡¯ he red. Micky shook his head. ¡®You learn to filter it out after a while in here.¡¯ The rusty gate made a groaning sound somewhere behind them. They looked back, seeing the guards gesturing impatiently. SIGH ¡®Percival¡­ Do you mind if I do something dumb?¡¯ For some reason, the young man felt his heart clench, but didn¡¯t say anything. This was Micky¡¯s life. The tiny sliver he had left. And he¡¯d already used up much of it for his sake. Whatever he wanted to do, Percy wouldn¡¯t stop him. Receiving a tacit agreement, Micky ignored the guards¡¯ shouts, slowly trudging to the other side of the arena. The boos only grew louder as the injured diator stumbled his way to one of the walls. Next, he looked up. Percy examined the crowd as his host¡¯s eyes brushed over them. There were people of all ages ¨C men, women and children ¨C dressed in all kinds of clothes he¡¯d never seen before. From sleeveless shirts with silken ties, to colourful dresses that left little to the imagination, to mboyant hats and intricate essories¡­ Under other circumstances, he might have appreciated the exotic fashion of Huehue¡¯s locals. Right now, however, it wasn¡¯t nearly enough to suppress the sheer disgust he felt towards them. Eventually, Micky¡¯s gaze lingered on a man somewhere in the first row. Hecked the tribal tattoos and scars ¨C much like everyone else ¨C but, unlike the rest, his build was muscr. ¡®A fighter.¡¯ Percy realized. He was surrounded by a few more men like him, but Micky didn¡¯t pay them any heed. Raising his hand, he manifested a new cyan rod before pointing it at that person. Only after getting a nod back did he let the construct crumble, his arm falling weakly by his side. Finally, he turned back towards the gate, ignoring the even louder boos buzzing in his ears. *** CLUNK The cell¡¯s door mmed shut as the guard left with what Percy thought was the equivalent of a sneer. ¡®Mind telling me what that was all about?¡¯ Cusping a handful of water from the puddle, Micky gulped it sloppily before plopping down on the cold stone. ¡®That guy in the stands¡­ He¡¯s Mixcoatl. The one who killed me.¡¯ Percy¡¯s eyes widened, but Micky wasn¡¯t done. ¡®And I¡¯ve just challenged him to a rematch.¡¯ Chapter 24: Mixcoatl ¡®What¡¯s up with those people anyway? Aren¡¯t they also natives? Why aren¡¯t THEY locked up in a cage?¡¯ Percy felt his features twist into a grimace. ¡®They are¡­ They¡¯re just too dumb to see it¡­¡¯ Once more, Micky reached for the kik¡¯lit. With a trembling grip, he moved it to his beak, exhaling a soft breath into the instrument. The sound was off tune. He tried again but his fingers shook, unable to close the holes properly. His lungs hurt with every attempt too. After a few more failures, he let his arm fall, the intricate piece of bone rolling half a circle away. ¡®When it became obvious we were going to lose the war, some of our ancestors switched sides. They volunteered the technique and our resources to the enemies, helping them elerate their conquest.¡¯ ¡®So, the spectators¡­ the guards¡­ the wardens¡­?¡¯ Percy could already guess the answer. ¡®Their descendants.¡¯ Micky nodded. The young man pondered over the implications. This certainly exined the bad blood between the two sides. Still¡­ ¡®Why would that guy agree to a fight? Can you challenge the wardens whenever you want?¡¯ SIGH ¡®There¡¯s no official rule allowing or prohibiting it¡­ but why wouldn¡¯t he ept? The very reason our enemies even built these colosseums is to humiliate us¡­ and to rub the bitter truth in our faces.¡¯ ¡®What truth?¡¯ ¡®That their ancestors chose right, and mine wrong.¡¯ The two remained silent for a while. Eventually, Percy spoke again. ¡®Can you beat him?¡¯ Back in the arena, he¡¯d caught a glimpse of Mixi-coco-whatever¡¯s core. The guy was at Yellow ¨C the same grade as them. Sure, Micky was injured badly¡­ but maybe if he was more skilled¡­ ¡®Not a chance.¡¯ Micky said. ¡®He has the full technique. Even when I was healthy, he won easily. Let alone now.¡¯ Percy was shocked. ¡®Then why challenge him?! Not now, I mean. I get now. But why did you do it the first time?¡¯ ¡®Same reason, really.¡¯ Micky replied. ¡®I was running out of time.¡¯ ¡®What do you mean?¡¯ Micky closed his eyes, softly tapping the back of his head against the wall. ¡®I was born at Yellow. Some over 80 years ago.¡¯ Percy raised one of their eyebrows. He didn¡¯t know how long a year was on Huehue, but he figured that should be plenty of time for Micky to have advanced at least once, yet he hadn¡¯t. Of course not. Who would waste precious resources on prisoners? The wardens on the other hand¡­ ¡®Mixcoatl is an Orange-born, but he¡¯d already reached Yellow by the time he rounded us up, butchering my mother and sister right in front of me, dragging me into this shithole.¡¯ ¡®¡­¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m so sorry Micky.¡¯ Micky chuckled, but it sounded hollow. ¡®I¡¯m not an idiot. I knew I wasn¡¯t his match. But I¡¯ve heard he is close to Green now. Unless I went for it when I did, the gap would widen even further, and I¡¯d lose my chance forever. Say what you will, but even throwing my life in the gutter was worth it if I could justnd ONE good hit on that fucker¡¯s face¡­¡¯ ¡®Did you?¡¯ Micky raised an eyebrow. ¡®Land a hit I mean. Did you?¡¯ ¡®Huh. Nope.¡¯ Micky said, clenching his free fists. ¡®He toyed with me¡­ gave me a nasty stab and then¡­ he had me sent here to bleed out¡­ And you know the rest¡­¡¯ If youe across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Percy was at a loss for words. ¡®But hey, it¡¯s not all bad!¡¯ Micky said, the skin by the base of his beak curling a touch upwards. ¡®Thanks to you, I get to try again!¡¯ *** They stood in the arena¡­ for the final time. Whatever the oue of the match, Percy knew his adventure on Huehue was about to end. The horrific wound now extended all the way to Micky¡¯s chest, his flesh barely held together by the lower pair of arms and as much mana as he could spare. His legs wobbled. Even making it out of the long corridor had been a challenge. Percy thought the gate in front of them might have opened, but it was hard to say for sure through their blurry vision. It wasn¡¯t until Micky¡¯s opponent stood just a few yards away that they could make out his mocking expression. Their only constion was that the ringing in their skull made it impossible to hear the crowd¡¯s jeers. ¡®Percival¡­ Whatever happens, I want you to know it was nice having somebody to talk to.¡¯ ¡®Not ¡°whatever happens¡±! You have tond a hit, remember?¡¯ Micky nodded. Bothbatants took a deep breath, standing still for a couple moments. Percy felt power flood through their mana channels, though it hurt this time. Wherever it passed, muscles tore and bones creaked, as blood gushed out of their chest like a river. Bright cyan lines lit up on their opponent¡¯s skin as well, as the two sides summoned their weapons. Micky clenched the ill-shapen rods tightly in his free hands, one threatening to crumble already. Mixcoatl had an easier time, leisurely assuming a loose battle stance, only bothering to lift one of his four javelins to point at their throat. Micky dashed forward. Not that he could afford to move much, but waiting would only make things worse. The twin rods closed into Mixcoatl¡¯s face from either side like a pincer. But the attack was too slow. Too telegraphed. Too weak. With a swirl of his javelin, the warden sliced both staves in half, kicking Micky squarely in the chest. CRACK Multiple bones broke as his ribcage caved in. Percy felt a wet cough escape their beak as they were sent flying back, skidding and rolling, before sliding on the dirty sand over a long distance. Luckily, their core hadn¡¯t shattered under Mixcoatl¡¯s foot, but mana still leaked out of their pores as Micky struggled to keep the technique going. Seeing this, the warden also allowed the glowing lines to fade away. Apparently, he deemed it unnecessary to exert the effort. Just like that, Micky had been defeated again, this time without Mixcoatl even having to resort to the full Dance! Percy felt his soul untangle from his host¡¯s. The makeshift patches he¡¯d hastily fashioned out of soul mana were rapidlying undone as his connection to Micky grew more distant. Over thest couple of days, he¡¯d almost forgotten how precarious the condition of their soul was. Like two broken vases, joined together with spit and wishes, it was even more fragile than their physical form. The tether to his main body was already pulling him, trying to pry him out of Huehue. ¡®No. Not like this.¡¯ Micky had lived a shitty life¡­ and he¡¯d died an even shittier death¡­ Percy would be damned if he let him die another! He prodded his mana again, tightening the patches, trying to restore his connection to Micky ¨C their connection to the battered body. It seemed to work. His buddy¡¯s bitter thoughts seeped through him once more, as he barely managed to open their eyes in time to see Mixcoatl looming over them. The warden¡¯s beak moved, but Percy couldn¡¯t register the words. Then the man lifted his foot and stomped their knee. Hard. Just like that, one of the patches Percy had fixed with so much effort instantly fizzled out, a part of Micky¡¯s soul shattering with it. It was pointless. Even if he clutched onto their fading life for a moment longer, the end would be the same. There was no way Micky could fight back. So, Percy stopped trying to hold on to their life. Instead, he did something crazier. He didn¡¯t have his soul core with him, but this was still his mana. His main body had bestowed it to him to use it as he pleased. It was filled with his will. The young man allowed many of the patches to disperse, ordering the mana to fall in line. There wasn¡¯t much of it left. His main body had charged him up with a few refills before sending him off, but most was already gone. Some had been absorbed, trying to mend their broken souls. A lot had just leaked out or drifted away. ¡®It¡¯ll have to do.¡¯ Mixcoatl was a full grade higher than him, but he wouldn¡¯t see thising. The fool had even disabled the Dance. Commanding the mana with all his might, Percy gathered it into one of his lower hands, one of the two still keeping their organs from spilling out of the wound. The young man had spent countless hours practicing this spell, but he wasn¡¯t happy with it. It had to be sharper. Much sharper. Tougher too. He¡¯d only get one shot, and he REFUSED to waste it! The warden lifted his foot again, crushing the other knee. It didn¡¯t matter ¨C it was already limp. Percy had already drained all the mana from their lower body, allowing half of Micky¡¯s remaining soul to crumble away. Then, Mixcoatl switched to the arms. Luckily, he only bothered with the upper ones ¨C the ones sprawled out on the sand by his sides ¨C not the one Percy needed. Two secondster, they were also shattered. With a savage glint in his eyes, the warden raised his javelin, finally done torturing his prey. He pointed the tip at their neck, ready to end this. It was now or never. Percy summoned as much strength as he could and flicked his hand towards the warden¡¯s chest. His movement was slow¡­ so slow¡­ Mixcoatl had reacted before the young man even let go of the mana. The warden stabbed Micky¡¯s throat with a javelin, the other three crossed in the projectile¡¯s path. Percy wasn¡¯t sure if the warden could see it. He should be able to ¨C if he was using Mana Sense. Either way, his hand¡¯s motion had betrayed the dagger¡¯s trajectory. But it didn¡¯t matter. The bastard should have dodged instead! Thest thing Percy saw as his vision faded to ck were Mixcoatl¡¯s eyes zed over, as he plopped down, deader than dead. [Congrattions! You have mastered a new spell: Parting Gift ¨C Crude!] Chapter 25: Spells The Status was a strange thing. It didn¡¯t notify one when they identified their affinity or a bloodline. In fact, it didn¡¯t even say a word when their grade advanced. However, there was one thing it did actively inform its user of. Mastering a new spell. The people of Remior weren¡¯t sure why it worked like that. For the most part, the Status was just a tool of convenience, to help its users keep track of their progress. Still, that didn¡¯t exin why spells got special treatment. A widely epted hypothesis was that it was meant to guide mages into honing their magic. Letting them know when they reached a significant milestone might be a way of doing that. ssifying spells into various ranks could be another. Either way, Percy had waited his whole life for his first Crude spell to be announced. He should have been ecstatic to see it finally happen. But he wasn¡¯t. In fact, he couldn¡¯t care less about that right now. His mind was preupied with something more important. ¡®Micky!!! Can you hear me?! We did it!! That asshole is dead!! Micky!!!¡¯ The young man¡¯s time on Huehue had been short, but unforgettable. Despite what he¡¯d thought at first, he¡¯d even gained a lot. Mastering his first spell, understanding how his soul clones interacted with dying bodies, learning the fundamentals of the Dance¡­ However, Percy would dly give all that up to talk to his friend onest time. To tell him they¡¯d killed the man who ruined his life. To bid him farewell. But s¡­ Their connection had been severed, his main body already ripping him out of the battered corpse. ¡®No. There must be something more I can do.¡¯The young man felt for the fallen diator¡¯s soul. There wasn¡¯t much of it left. Just some random pieces here and there. Percy gently wrapped himself around them, enveloping and gathering them like a satchel. He couldn¡¯t establish a link with them right now, and thest drop of soul mana had been used up in that attack. His only option was to try and take the shards back to Remior with him. The rope on his ¡°back¡± tightened, Percy¡¯s soul stretching like a rubber band. Still, Micky¡¯s fragments refused to budge. They were pinned in ce, anchoring them both to Huehue still. Just like Percy¡¯s soul belonged on Remior, Micky¡¯s belonged here. As broken as it was, its world refused to let it go. SNAP Percy felt something tearing, followed by a wave of pure agony. Pulled between two worlds, his own soul wouldn¡¯tst long. ¡®Shit! At this rate we¡¯ll both die!¡¯ Of course, his main body was probably going to be fine, safe as it was, back in the Avalon House¡¯s mansion. That said, permanently losing the clone couldn¡¯t be a good thing. Not seeing any way of carrying all the pieces back, Percy loosened his hold on them, letting a couple of the smaller shards slip through the gaps. The dying wisps instantly shattered upon leaving his embrace. His hope was beginning to evaporate when he felt the rest of the pile fidget slightly. It was working! But it wasn¡¯t enough. ¡®Fuck, I¡¯m sorry Micky!¡¯ Percy left a few more fragments behind, until only a couple remained ¨C his friend¡¯s soul now being even tinier than his own! At least, the gamble seemed to pay off, as the young man¡¯s desperate move tipped the scales in Remior¡¯s favour. The persistent pull finally dislodged them both out of the four-armed corpse, plunging them into an infinite sea of darkness. The pressure on Percy¡¯s wisp was immense, his friend¡¯s soul feeling heavy in his grasp. Huehue might have lost the tug-of-war, but it appeared it wasn¡¯t quite ready to give up pulling! ¡®Is it even worth it?¡¯ The young man was tempted to let go. What was the point? So little of Micky remained, he doubted it could be salvaged. But he held on. Even if the odds were abysmal, he had to try. He owed him that much¡­ *** Percy swung the cyan dagger against the trunk. CH, CRCK He only managed to carve about an inch into the aged wood before the mana construct broke apart. Plopping down on the grass, he rested his back against the tree, breathing heavily. He considered refilling his core to try again, but it was dark already and he¡¯d been at it all day. Perhaps he should resume tomorrow. ¡®Man, I miss training with my soul mana.¡¯ Using his second core wasn¡¯t as fun. Its lower grade meant he couldn¡¯t practice for nearly as long before running out. Furthermore, itscking affinity made for flimsy constructs that shattered easily. Sadly, his soul mana was still being funnelled into his injuries to keep him stable. At least, many of the smaller cracks had already closed, while the rest had shrunk significantly. It was only the massive crater in his chest that looked about the same. Or well, at least he thought it did. Had there been any improvement, it was too small to notice. At this rate, it would take years to fully heal. ¡®How long until that clone is done?¡¯ Around three weeks had passed since he activated his ability. On one hand, this wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing. It meant the clone was being productive somewhere out there. Still, it did leave him a bit crippled until he returned. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. He shook his head. ¡®I guess I shouldn¡¯t be impatient. Besides, practicing with my second core is something that needs to be done.¡¯ While it wasn¡¯t very useful right now, it would be such a waste to write it off so quickly. Especially after all the trouble he¡¯d undergone to repair it. Standing up, he was about to head to his room, when he felt a tug at his chest. He looked down, but there was nothing. Percy frowned, not connecting the dots until a couple momentster. Actively gathering enough mana for Soul Vision took a while longer, but he got there. Normally, the thread linking him to his clone was invisible even in his augmented sight. However, he could clearly see his soul trembling in unrest as the ethereal cord vibrated. The pull itself wasn¡¯t much stronger than it had been just an hour ago. The attraction had been steadily rising over the past three weeks. Still, this was the first time he sensed the connection shaking, as if it was attached to a boat sailing in a storm. ¡®It¡¯s happening! It¡¯sing back!¡¯ Percy was over the moon. Closing his eyes, he took a few deep breaths, manually gathering some soul mana. It was hard, as his injuries fought to drain it, but he persisted, hoping to fill his core up by the time the clone returned. Naturally, he hadn¡¯t a clue how long it would take, or even what state the clone would be in. That said, he guessed it might be handy to have some soul mana avable, just in case. *** A good idea, it turned out to be. The clone hadn¡¯t returned right away. Percy had to wait a few hours, even after refilling the core. Annoyingly, he had to keep meditating to keep the mana in. ¡®Should I just call it a night?¡¯ It was tempting. For all he knew, the clone might not arrive until tomorrow. Right when he was seriously considering heading to his room, he felt a powerful impact m onto his soul, a potent wave of vertigo nearly knocking him off his feet. At the same time, a flood of memories invaded his mind, one after another. A dark expanse, a sea of souls, a fight over a body, a damp cell, a blood-stained arena, an ancient dance, a heart-felt melody, a bitter story, an unlikely victory, a painful death¡­ There was plenty to sift through, but Percy brushed all of it aside, focusing on what mattered. ¡®Micky!¡¯ Activating Soul Vision, he fought against the nausea to check his friend¡¯s condition. Upon tapping into his core, a lot more soul mana gushed out than he¡¯d intended. Only a trickle flowed to his eyes, the rest pouring into his chest by itself, trying to attach the new chunk back to the rest of his soul. But Percy pressed it back into his core, suppressing his body¡¯s instincts. He might need everyst drop to save his friend! Examining his chest, he found three separate entities at y. One was the main part of his soul, still with arge crater right around his sternum. However, this hole was no longer empty. Inside, there was another piece, about the size of a grapefruit, already stuck to therger section in a few spots. Finally, inside the ball representing his clone, there was a third soul ¨C a foreign one. There wasn¡¯t much left, and the pieces were swiftly being assimted. ¡®Crap! I¡¯m going to kill him if this goes on!¡¯ Back on Huehue, the two had been at an equilibrium. Both souls had been fragmented, though Percy¡¯s had his ability to back him up, while Micky¡¯s had quantity and the home advantage. Right now, however, they were in Percy¡¯s body, his soul being much healthier and ¨C for the most part ¨C intact. Sporting an overwhelming advantage, the young man watched his own soul gnaw at thest shards of Micky¡¯s, causing it to shrink at an rming rate. ¡®I need to move him elsewhere.¡¯ It was easier said than done. Percy had already learned that healthy souls tended to reject others. What he needed was a dying body. He looked around with his Soul Vision still on, though he was alone in the garden. ¡®Please! I must find somebody! Fast!¡¯ Grasping for any idea he could think of, he forced more soul mana into his eyes. He¡¯d never tried this before, but it should work. His soul constructs could phase through walls, so perhaps he could see through them too, right? His guess seemed to be on point, as a few wisps of silver became visible from somewhere inside the mansion. Then, he pped his forehead. That was such a dumb idea. He could scan his house all he wanted, but what were the odds he¡¯d find somebody dying right now? Nobody was on their deathbed as far as he knew! Of course, he wasn¡¯t very close to any of them, but he¡¯d have heard something like that. Plus, even on the off chance he found one, what was he going to tell the others? ¡®I¡¯m sorry everyone. I know uncle Balin is dying and everyone is knee-deep in tears, but can I borrow his body real quick to shove an ALIEN inside? It¡¯ll only take a moment!¡¯ Finding a human body for Micky was obviously out of the question. Examining his surroundings again, he inspected the critters scurrying about on the grass. Shoving his friend¡¯s soul inside a caterpir would be such a crappy move, but it was all he could think of. ¡®Better than a nt at least.¡¯ And he did find a few candidates. The training grounds were teeming with ants, worms,dybugs, butterflies, snails and all sorts of other not-so-great options. Not many of them were on the verge of death, but that could easily be arranged. The question was whether he could do better. Five minutester, Percy noted he was running out of time. Micky¡¯s soul was dissolving into his own, like an ice cube dropped in a cup of tea. Thergest body he¡¯d found was a praying mantis. It was healthy, so injuring it just enough would be a little tricky, yet it sounded like his best option at this point. He was about to go for it, when a stroke of inspiration led him to toss onest nce at the tree. There! A faint wisp of silver flickered somewhere atop its naked crown. It was weak, but the young man had a hunch it was worth looking into. Climbing up was a challenge considering his splitting headache and theck of purchase on the trunk, but he made it there eventually ¨C after an embarrassing fall or two. Reaching the top, he spotted an old bird¡¯s nest. It was abandoned. Its owner had either died or forgotten about it. Still, it wasn¡¯t empty. Percy counted six eggs, five of them already dead. In fact, three of those were already cracked and hollow. But thest one wasn¡¯t fully gone yet! ¡®Good enough.¡¯ Percy didn¡¯t exactly know what he was doing. It had taken him ages to figure out how to craft that clone in the first ce. Bringing Micky¡¯s soul back to Remior had also been a fluke. Still, he had to try. Stirring his bloodline again, he skipped the whole procedure. He didn¡¯t have the time to slowly grow and carve out a proper clone. Luckily, he didn¡¯t need to. Thest one had just returned, so the grapefruit-sized ball was only loosely attached to its surroundings. The ghostly w hungrily pounced upon it, snapping it violently from the rest, twisting his and, most importantly, Micky¡¯s souls into one before shooting out of his chest again. This time, Percy was ready for it, having angled his sternum just above the egg. With thest trace of lucidity, he fell backwards, unwilling to crush the nest under his body as he passed out. He didn¡¯t know if he had seeded, or what the repercussions of his reckless move would be, but he¡¯d done his best... [Congrattions! You have mastered a new spell: Secret Art: Familiar ¨C Crude!] Chapter 26: Secret Arts Percy opened his eyes, a sh blinding him. It soon died down into a mix of colours, but still too blurry to make out much. The off-white of his bedroom wall was predominant, although there was something else by his side. It looked like the silhouette of a person. Or maybe just a piece of furniture. ¡°¡­¡± He thought he heard them say something. It was muffled, as if they were underwater. ¡°¡­¡± The furniture-person tried a few more times ¨C with some minor permutations ¨C but Percy still couldn¡¯t understand them. Soon, they gave up, disappearing from his sight. His eyes fell shut again¡­ *** Once more, he faced what he thought was his wall, this time with two silhouettes surrounding him. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡±They made more sounds, the first one chirping at a higher pitch than the second. Percy tried to shift but found himself unable to even twitch his fingers. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The silhouettes kept speaking to him ¨C at least, that¡¯s what he assumed was happening. However, he just couldn¡¯t filter them out of the buzz. Tired as he was, he wanted to doze off again, though he forced himself to stay awake. One of the blurs moved, erging in his vision. They tugged his chin, the touch prickling him as if he¡¯d been stabbed by needles, before pulling his mouth open. Then, something nd and lukewarm flowed down his throat. It left an aftertaste akin to chicken soup, but it was muted like the rest of his senses. It stopped after a while as they let go of him. The two remained with him, chatting every now and then. It took a while, yet he noticed the figures had grown a bit more defined at some point. One of them ¨C the one with the chirpy voice ¨C was aquamarine near the top. He recognized it. Her. ¡®¡­ine¡­¡¯ Percy tried muttering her name, but he couldn¡¯t even open his mouth without assistance. As for the other blur? Well, the only candidates would be Gawain or Archibald, though he wasn¡¯t sure who. ¡®What happened?¡¯ Digging through his memories, he tried to recall how he ended up in this state. He remembered training. Lots of training. Practicing with his pure mana hadn¡¯t been very pleasant, but it was all he¡¯d been able to do while waiting for something¡­ ¡®Right, the clone.¡¯ He was in the garden when it returned and then¡­ Pain. Nausea. Panic. Frustration. Desperation. The clone brought something with it. Something important. ¡®No, not something. Someone.¡¯ He tried to help them. Percy remembered looking around for something. A vessel to ce them in. To ce Micky in. Right. ¡®Micky.¡¯ A diator. A teacher. His teacher. His friend. He couldn¡¯t find a suitable body¡­ until he did. Percy climbed a tree, and then¡­ ¡®The egg!¡¯ If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The memories sobered him up. His vision was still blurry, but he understood now. He remembered. Once more, he tried to speak, but his mouth refused to budge. He willed his body to move. Any part of it. He needed to get ine¡¯s attention. To ask her what happened to Micky. His finger twitched. Soon, the silhouettes shifted too. They must have noticed. ¡°¡­Percy¡­ ok?¡± This time, he caught a couple words. It wasn¡¯t much but it was a start. Then, he felt his strength leaving him again. ¡®No. I have to tell them first.¡¯ Talking seemed impossible. His mouth wouldn¡¯t open ¨C Percy took his time bludgeoning it into shape. Pushing the air out of his lungs wasn¡¯t much easier. He wouldn¡¯t get many words out, so he had to choose them carefully. Just two of them. They¡¯d have to do. ¡°¡­care¡­ egg¡­¡± Only after he was certain he saw ine nod did he allow himself to pass out again. *** It took a few more sessions like that until he could properlymunicate with his cousin and grandpa. They appeared relieved he¡¯d woken up, but also quite pissed off at him. Percy didn¡¯t me them. He¡¯d gone to great lengths to learn how to use his bloodline safely, yet he¡¯d tossed all that out of the window by activating it for the second time, not even letting his soul recover first. Right now, he couldn¡¯t even examine it, as he was unable to gather a sliver of soul mana. But that was probably for the best. He¡¯d been unconscious for a whopping three weeks this time, and was still bedridden now, after waking up. Still, he told his rtives of his time on Huehue ¨C of the circumstances that had led him to do something so reckless. In fact, he and baldy even brought ine up to speed on his second core, not seeing much reason to keep it from her. ¡°Is the egg alright?¡± he asked. Baldy gestured to his granddaughter to bring something, before speaking. ¡°Percy¡­ I found you unconscious in front of a bird nest. Naturally, I assumed those eggs were important to you, even before you told us.¡± His cousin walked to a corner of the room, picking a small object up before returning. Resting atop her hands was a nest made of dried branches, filled with broken eggs and discarded shells¡­ and¡­ something else. There was a tiny creature, sleeping soundly in the middle of the nest. A ck chick small enough to fit in his palm. ¡°This little guy hatched just a couple of days after you passed out. We took care of him ever since. The rest we kept just in case.¡± she exined. Percy nodded, gently picking the bird up. ¡®Was this a mistake?¡¯ He didn¡¯t know if there was anything left of his friend in the creature. Even if Micky was in there, would he appreciate being shoved inside a newborn critter on a distant world? ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter.¡¯ Percy shook his head. This wasn¡¯t the time for regrets. What was done was done. His priority right now was to make sure it survived. The rest, he could figure outter. ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯s in great shape.¡± he said. Even after being picked up, it remained asleep. Its breaths were soft andboured. ¡°It was better when it hatched, but it¡¯s been getting worse. We¡¯ve been feeding it insects. It improves for a while every time it eats, but it neversts long.¡± baldy exined. ¡°Waking it up is getting harder. Thest time I managed was two days ago.¡± his cousin added. Percy furrowed his brow. He wasn¡¯t sure where the problem lied. It might be due to its body, as the egg had been abandoned for who-knew how long. It should¡¯ve been on the verge of death too, otherwise it wouldn¡¯t have epted the soul. Then again, its soul was probably in a sorry state as well. Perhaps even worse than his own. After all, it was a patchwork of three different existences. The bird¡¯s, Micky¡¯s and his. And each had been through hell and back by the time they mixed inside the egg. ¡®I wish I could use Soul Vision.¡¯ It was still impossible to umte more than a wisp of mana in his sternum before it got drained. Percy had no idea how long this wouldst. Perhaps, he¡¯d crippled himself for life¡­ The only thing that might shed some light in this situation was his Status. Percival Avalon Mana cores: Bloodline: Spells: ???: The only thing that had changed was the new section listing his spells. Percy had nearly forgotten about it. All his efforts in honing his soul constructs coupled with his desperation had culminated in the deadly strike he¡¯d killed Mixcoatl with. Though he¡¯d been too busy at the time to celebrate. It was the presence of a second spell that surprised him, however. This one, he didn¡¯t remember being notified about. Still, it should have happened when he pushed Micky¡¯s soul into the egg. Nothing else made sense. ¡°Grandpa, what¡¯s a ¡®Secret Art¡¯?¡± Baldy raised an eyebrow. ¡°Have you created one?¡± Percy nodded, telling them of the new additions to his Status. ine listened too, clearly interested as well. ¡°I see. Well¡­ simply put, a Secret Art is like a regr spell. The only difference is that it also involves your bloodline.¡± The young man had suspected it was something along those lines. Strictly speaking, what he¡¯d done with the egg wasn¡¯t very different from creating a regr clone. ¡®Come to think of it, I do feel a connection to Micky!¡¯ It was the same kind of sensation his clones and main body experienced, linking them to one another. Though he couldn¡¯t observe his soul right now, he didn¡¯t need to. Allowing his thoughts to sink into the cord, Percy¡¯s eyes widened as a new Status page manifested in his vision. Mtecuhtli (Percival''s familiar) Chapter 27: Beast affinity Mtecuhtli (Percival''s familiar) Mana cores: ???: There was a lot to unpack there. Seeing the familiar had inherited his friend¡¯s name gave him some relief. With any luck, it meant Micky was indeed buried somewhere inside the bird. Well, it was also possible it meant nothing. Perhaps the Status had simply picked that name out of convenience, as that was how Percy thought of the creature. ¡®Hopefully it¡¯s the former.¡¯ Another thing that caught his eye was how his prolific second core had spread out once more. Though it was back to Fractured again ¨C for some reason. By now, he was pretty sure this thing was glued to his soul. After all, his soul was the only thing he¡¯d brought back from the Moirai. However, it seemed to have moreponents to it as well. Perhaps one rooted in his body and one in his mind, exining the two other types of mana needed to repair it. Once he had, his mind followed his soul to Huehue, which was why his clone had onlycked the life part. But now, his mind didn¡¯t seem to be present in the familiar, downgrading it by another step. ¡®In any case, this is a project for the future.¡¯The next thing he noted was that the mysterious section with the question marks was missing two of the usual culprits. It wasn¡¯t that strange the small critter didn¡¯t have a bloodline, but Percy was surprised it didn¡¯t have a Status either. ¡®Then how am I reading it right now?¡¯ The only answer he coulde up with was that Micky¡¯s Status was currently just an extension of his own, which he could view through their connection. ¡°Well? Any idea what¡¯s wrong with it?¡± baldy asked, snapping him out of his thoughts. Percy shook his head. There wasn¡¯t enough information to identify the problem. That said, he did have an idea on how to solve it. ¡°Have you tried feeding it anything bigger than insects?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a newborn chick! What else could it eat?¡± ine asked back. ¡°He doesn¡¯t mean the meat. Just the cores.¡± baldy exined to his granddaughter before turning to Percy. ¡°It has the beast affinity I imagine?¡± The young man nodded. They wouldn¡¯t be needing any tests to confirm that. Every non-sentient animal in the universe had the beast affinity by default. Beast mana was unique in that it couldn¡¯t normally leave one¡¯s body, rendering its owners incapable of casting spells. However, that didn¡¯t make it weak. In fact, it was the opposite. It had the unique property of strengthening its users to such an extent they couldpete against mages of the same grade with nothing but brute force. And this was just the start. This affinity gave animals another colossal advantage that made sentient races envy them greatly. They could advance naturally, without having to resort to things like expensive elixirs. Beast mana was great at consuming and assimting other mana types, which meant its users could evolve extremely quickly simply by hunting and devouring others. Had it not been for their generalck of intelligence, beasts might have be the dominant force in the cosmos. Well, there was also the fact that each promotion required a ton of food, which wasn¡¯t exactly sustainable. For example, merely to advance from Red to Orange required the consumption of hundreds of Red cores. This made Blue and Violet beasts extremely rare. As for White? Percy doubted there were any on Remior. Still, the young man didn¡¯t care about Micky¡¯s bright future prospects right now. Hearing the bird improved whenever it ate made him think better quality food might be the answer. After all, insects had Brown cores ¨C a special grade below even Red. It was exclusive to them, asrger creatures couldn¡¯t survive with something that weak. Perhaps what Micky needed were a few Red cores¡­ Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°It¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t considered it. Though I don¡¯t think the issue is ack of mana.¡± baldy said. ¡°But we can give it a shot if you want.¡± Percy insisted. He didn¡¯t necessarily disagree with his grandpa¡¯s assessment, yet it wasn¡¯t like they had a better option. *** ine opened the door, entering Percy¡¯s room. Suspended above her hand was a bubble of water, with something squirming inside. It was a mouse, wing desperately to escape its liquid prison. Unfortunately for it, its efforts weren¡¯t going to bear fruit today. Still, ine had made sure its head was above the surface, to avoid drowning the animal a minute too soon. It had taken her a couple of hours to procure Micky¡¯s meal. The Avalon House had no shortage of meat, but mana cores tended to crumble away and dissipate shortly after one¡¯s death. They needed a fresh kill for the bird. ¡°I¡¯m sorry it took a while. I had to search the fields for ages to find one.¡± A powerful Green cored mage could naturally capture vermin rather easily, but that was precisely why there weren¡¯t any inside the mansion. ¡°Come on buddy. You need to eat.¡± the young man said. Percy had been told it was getting harder to wake the bird up, but he hoped to get through to it via their connection. Focusing on the ethereal cord as he gently spoke to his friend seemed to work after a few attempts. The chick moved its head groggily. It needed help standing up. ine lowered the glowing bubble into Percy¡¯s other palm as the young man brought his hands together. The girl tightened the sphere, snuffing the life out of the mouse, closing her eyes in the process. Percy knew she didn¡¯t like doing it, which only made him appreciate her help more. Then, she pulled the mana away from the rodent, tossing the ssh of water aside as the tiny corpsended in front of Micky. Percy rolled the body over with his thumb, pointing at the animal¡¯s sternum. After some more prodding, the bird finally pecked at it, causing ine to look away again. Even Percy wrinkled his nose in disgust, though he didn¡¯t avert his gaze. Instead, he activated Mana Sense, unwilling to miss anything important. With his sixth sense, he followed the orb of Red as it rolled down the bird¡¯s throat, swiftly dissolving in its stomach. A gush of mana soon flowed through Micky¡¯s body, causing him to perk up before resuming his meal with more vigour. ¡°It does seem to do something.¡± baldy said. Percy nodded, still observing his friend, relieved to see his condition improve however briefly. He and Archibald kept watching the bird, both raising their eyebrows as it continued getting better with each peck. Micky couldn¡¯t possibly eat more than a third of the carcass in one sitting and, even then, it would take him a while to finish. Naturally, each bite was norger than a grain of rice, yet ¨C for some reason ¨C the mana never stopped spreading out of the familiar¡¯s stomach. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Percy asked. ¡°Most of the mana should¡¯ve been inside the mouse¡¯s core. Where¡¯s the resting from?¡± His grandpa appeared just as perplexed as he was. Each bite gave Micky less mana than that first one, but still not nearly as little as they would have expected. Meanwhile, the bird¡¯s mood greatly improved, as the familiar pecked more and more frequently, like his life depended on it. ¡®Don¡¯t tell me?!¡¯ Percy¡¯s eyes widened as he harboured a guess. It was only a couple minutester that Micky¡¯s condition stopped improving. The bird was still eating gluttonously, but the meat had stopped releasing mana at some point. ¡°We¡¯re going to need more mice.¡± Percy said, shing his cousin a sheepish grin. *** ¡°Please tell me this is thest time I¡¯m doing this.¡± ine spoke with a grimace. Percy scarcely registered his cousin¡¯s words, his attention focused on the floor. There, Micky was skidding around happily, having already finished eating another two mice, currently heading towards the third. Well, ¡®finished¡¯ might not be the best word, as the bird seemed to grow disinterested in each carcass after a minute or two, consuming less than a tenth of the meat. Only after his third victim stopped providing him any mana did Micky pause. This time, he wasn¡¯t in a rush to reach the next one either. ¡°I think he¡¯s full.¡± baldy said. ¡°Micky, I know you¡¯re stuffed, but can you keep going? Just one more.¡± the young man pleaded through their connection. The bird tilted its head in confusion. Percy wasn¡¯t sure if it had understood his instructions. Maybe it just didn¡¯t get why it had to continue eating when it wasn¡¯t hungry. Still, it listened after a moment, walking to the fourth mouse. Though its steps were clearly a touch less eager than earlier. Like before, some mana was soon released inside Micky¡¯s stomach, flowing through his channels, filling his body. Unlike before, however, the bird¡¯s frame was already saturated, rendering it unable to absorb any more. The familiar looked unwell, as if he was about to be sick, having no outlet for the excess. The Red glow rose up his throat and towards his beak, about to spill out, when Micky stubbornly held it in, unwilling to throw up his food. Yet more mana manifested in his stomach, mounting up the pressure, making Percy stare at his friend in rm. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Just let it g¨C¡± The young man was about to stop him, when something strange made him swallow his words. For seemingly no reason, a chunk of the excess mana instantly vanished from Micky¡¯s body, as a subtle flow trickled through their connection. It wasn¡¯t much, but Percy recognized it, his eyes widening. ¡®Soul mana!¡¯ Chapter 28: A peculiar diet There was no mistaking it. The excess mana spilling out of Micky was soul mana! They hadn¡¯t been able to identify it earlier because Mana Sense couldn¡¯t differentiate between various affinities. The only thing that determined its appearance in that case was purity and density ¨C in other words, its grade. That was why everything had appeared Red previously. Only with Soul Vision could Percy have noticed the difference¡­ ¡®Right, Soul Vision!¡¯ The young man tried to tap into the trickle sent over by his familiar, to direct it to his eyes, but his broken soul quickly snatched it too. ¡°Keep going, Micky! Eat!!¡± He did catch the strange looks ine and baldy gave him, but he didn¡¯t say anything. He could exinter. Heeding his request, the bird dove back into the mouse¡¯s flesh, as Percy took a deep breath. And then another, trying to refill his first core. The mana regenerated slowly at first, but soon another stream flowed through the cord, Micky having discovered how to relieve himself of the excess pressure already. It took all of Percy¡¯s willpower to gather enough in his eyes, but he managed to augment his sight atst. As soon as Soul Vision activated, he tossed a quick nce down his own soul. Saying it was a mess wouldn¡¯t do it justice. The crater in his chest had greatly expanded. As for the rest, it almost resembled minced meat, held together by numerous thin threads. ¡®No wonder I can barely even stand.¡¯ He shook his head. The priority right now was to figure out what Micky was doing. Turning to his familiar, he saw his soul wasn¡¯t much better. It was made of three distinct pieces that had been hastily twisted together like a yarn ball. At least, his body was filled to the brim with soul mana, which constantlytched onto the damaged soul to mend it. Of course, it would take ages for it to be fully repaired at this pace, but this was promising.Next, his attention shifted to Micky¡¯s beak. His soul was gathered there, sharpening the edges, making them glint in Percy¡¯s Soul Vision. It reminded the young man of the daggers he constructed with his soul mana. Every time the bird pecked at the dying embers of the mouse¡¯s soul, a chunk of glowing silver slid down its throat along with the flesh, dissolving into soul mana in its stomach. The sight of the hatchling gleefully devouring another¡¯s soul as if it was little more than kibble sent a chill down Percy¡¯s spine. ¡®Wow. How is he even doing this?¡¯ His best guess was that Micky¡¯s nature as a familiar had bled into his instincts as a beast, giving rise to this frightening ability. Either way, Percy knew at this moment that this would be the key to repairing both of their souls. *** ¡°I¡¯m going to throw him!¡± Percy yelled. He was sitting on a branch, holding a bird with both hands. The bird was naturally Micky, who had grown twice asrge as before, his feathers a slick ck, absorbing the sunlight like uncut onyx. ¡°Go for it! I¡¯ve got him!¡± ine replied. She stood below him, an azure fluttering in the air in front of her. Rather than rope, it seemed to be made of numerous interlocking streams of glowing water. Upon receiving a positive reply, the young man tossed the bird up. It fell rapidly, sending waves of panic through their connection. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. CAW! ¡®You¡¯ve got this!¡¯ Percy sent back. Betrayed by its only family, the bird had no option but to frantically p its wings in a desperate attempt to right itself. At first, its movements were clumsy. Still, just a couple of feet before hitting the, its speed seemed to slow, as its direction shifted slightly, letting it glide over the,nding softly on the ground a few metres away. CAW! CAW! Percy smiled as he saw hispanion turn back his direction, giving him what was probably intended as a furious re. Still, he could tell through their link the cute look contained more pride than anger. ¡®Show off.¡¯ It had been a month since they discovered Micky¡¯s ability. For the first week, Percy had relied on his cousin to bring food for the bird, as he had personally been too weak to walk. A dozen mealster, however, both their conditions had improved significantly. By then, Percy was able to move around on his own, allowing him to take care of his friend by himself. Every morning since then, Percy went on a stroll a couple miles away from the mansion, with Micky perched on his shoulder. The young man used those opportunities to stretch his legs, while simultaneously setting all sorts of mouse traps and rabbit snares in the surrounding fields, collecting the previous day¡¯s haul in the process. Then, he fed his familiar for an hour or two, as they both used the influx of soul mana to hasten their recovery. ¡°We should head back. Grandpa is waiting for us.¡± ine said. Percy nodded. Today was the day he¡¯d been looking forward to for a while now. He¡¯d finally recovered enough to add another important item to his daily routine. The two returned to Archibald¡¯s office where they found their grandpa dressed in training robes. He gestured them to follow him, as he led the teenagers to a spacious room somewhere inside the mansion. They had chosen this location over the outdoors training grounds as privacy was paramount for what they nned to do. Next, both baldy and ine looked at Percy expectantly. After all, he was going to be their teacher during these sessions. The young man cleared his throat, assuming the role of a sagely schr as his rtives rolled their eyes. ¡°So, the first thing we need to do is straightforward strength training to push our bodies to their limits.¡± Without waiting for them, he dropped to the floor, beginning a set of push ups. Baldy and ine didn¡¯t say anything, joining him just a momentter. Of course, a simple workout wasn¡¯t nearly demanding enough for the powerful mages. To truly challenge themselves and benefit from the training, each of them had strapped weights all over their bodies, raising the intensity of the exercises sharply. Obviously, baldy¡¯s were by far the heaviest, as he lifted a couple tons with each repetition. Even ine¡¯s were no joke at a couple hundred kilos. Meanwhile, Percy¡¯s were much more modest byparison. Either way, if it hadn¡¯t been for the numerous runes glowing on the floor, he was sure the wooden nks would have copsed under the pressure, themotion drawing the attention of the rest of his family. A lot of silencing wards covered the walls too. PANT, PANT, PANT About an hourter, all three were lying on their backs, breathing heavily, their bodies drenched with sweat. Naturally, the trio were here to practice the Dance of the Savage Gods ¨C or at least the parts that Micky had been able to show him back on Huehue. Percy could have kept the powerful art to himself of course, but there were many reasons why he¡¯d chosen to share it. Firstly, both ine and Archibald had done a lot for him, so he¡¯d decided to bring something back for them even before sending out that clone. Secondly, as much as Percy wished he were strong enough to survive on Remior on his own, he understood he currently had no choice but to hide under his House¡¯s insignia. For the time being, his safety hinged entirely on baldy¡¯s ability to defend their family from their enemies. Consequently, helping his grandpa grow stronger would benefit them all. Finally, Percy actually needed his grandpa¡¯s help once again, to practice the technique more efficiently. ¡°Ready to resume?¡± the young man asked. Physical training essentially involved breaking down and repairing one¡¯s muscles. Humans could only exercise for a few hours per day, lest they injured themselves, doing more harm than good. At least, that was the case if one didn¡¯t have a grandpa with a life affinity and a Violet core healing them. ¡°Alright.¡± baldy said. The young man felt an intense pressure radiating out of his grandpa¡¯s core, as a wave of vibrant green shed through the room. A few secondster, his muscles stopped burning, his stamina having fully recovered. He didn¡¯t even hesitate before restarting his workout anew. It was tough, of course, but the memory of the wounded diator¡¯s savage dance kept him going¡­ Chapter 29: Mana channels ¡°Please tell me we¡¯re done for today.¡± ine groaned. The trio were sitting on the floor, baldy having already healed them for the dozenth time that day. ¡°We might as well stop here. I can help us recover again but we still need to eat properly to build muscle.¡± Archibald said. PHEW ine didn¡¯t even wait for the second part before waving her hand, manifesting three bubbles of water in the air. Each was about twice the size of a watermelon. They flew over their heads as she let go. SPLASH Sniffing a couple of times, she scrunched up her nose. ¡°Remind me to bring soap tomorrow.¡± she said, already pushing herself up. ¡°Is there anything else we need to be doing?¡± baldy asked.¡°Yes.¡± Percy nodded. ¡°Try to spend a couple hours every night clearing your mana channels.¡± ¡°Any specific ones?¡± ¡°Nope. We need all of them. Only after our bodies have stopped improving and all our channels are cleared and tempered to their limit can we move to the next step.¡± The others nodded in agreement. Percy had already exined the details of the technique before, so nobody felt likeining. They all understood what a bargain they had struck. As Percy was about to leave the room, he crouched to pick Micky up from the floor. The bird gave them strange looks after spending all day watching them train. The young man had brought the familiar along as he wasn¡¯tfortable leaving him alone just yet. ¡°You¡¯re the one who taught me this stuff, buddy. I promise I¡¯ll do everything I can to help you remember it one day.¡± *** Percy was resting on his bed, looking up at the ceiling. It felt nice his training was finally back on track. His reckless move with Micky had cost him a lot of time, though he didn¡¯t regret it. ¡®I¡¯d do it all again.¡¯ he thought as he looked at the bird sleeping soundly on a cushion, in a corner of the room. Even if Percy put his friend¡¯s wellbeing aside and looked at everything from a pragmatic perspective, his gamble would probably pay off in the long term. Micky¡¯s potential was difficult to quantify. Right now, he was young and his core only at Red but, with a beast affinity, he would outgrow Percy in no time. The young man wouldn¡¯t be surprised if his familiar became his secret weapon at some point. Sure, his stunt had set him back by a few months, as he¡¯d been unable to begin practicing the Dance before now. Not just that, but his soul core was still out of order. He couldn¡¯t use it, or even feed it elixirs and it would be a while until he could send out another clone. But, all things considered, the benefits probably outweighed the costs. ¡®I guess teaching him how to hunt by himself should be one of my priorities.¡¯ Right now, Percy had to spend a few hours each morning helping the bird out. It was terribly inefficient as they only moved as fast as he could walk, and his traps only caught a handful of meals each day. If Micky could fly around looking for food by himself, he would probably do much better. It would not only elerate their souls¡¯ recovery but also the familiar¡¯s advancement to Orange. Plus, it would free up more of Percy¡¯s time to spend on his own magic. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred tform. Support original creators! ¡®That¡¯s tomorrow¡¯s problem though. For now, let¡¯s focus on clearing some channels.¡¯ He sat cross-legged, closing his eyes. Stirring the core in his abdomen, he pulled some mana to his arm. It flowed around his abs and then below his pectoral muscle before turning downwards at his shoulder. It was easy to think of mana channels as magical veins, as the former facilitated the cirction of mana much like thetter did with blood. Still, the analogy wasn¡¯t quite correct, as mana channels weren¡¯t physical tubes. It might be more urate to describe them as the path of least resistance for the mana. Clearing a pathway involved using it repeatedly, wearing down all the obstructions over time to make the flow smoother. This meant one¡¯s mana channels differed depending on their affinity. After all, each type had different properties, subtly affecting how it flowed through the body. Consequently, the path of least resistance for, say, fire mana wasn¡¯t necessarily the same as that for air mana and so on. For most people, it didn¡¯t really matter. So, what if their mana channels looked slightly different to one another¡¯s? They could still clear them and use their magic all the same, right? ¡®But it does affect me.¡¯ Percy had two cores with different affinities. This meant he also had two entirely separate sets of mana channels. Even if he cleared all his pure pathways, he would have to do it againter for his soul ones. Not just that, but his soul affinity introduced another challenge the others wouldn¡¯t have to deal with. Most affinities interacted with one¡¯s body, meaning the corresponding mana flowed through it. Percy¡¯s soul mana however, flowed through his soul instead. ¡®Can I even use the Dance with it? How would I strengthen my soul enough to do that?¡¯ He shook his head. This was a problem for after he was done repairing it. Right now, he could focus on mastering it for his second core. Returning his attention to the flow on his arm, he cut it off at the shoulder, instead diverting it towards his other shoulder. It now had to pass parallel to his corbone, curving through the space between his spine and lungs. The mana resisted at first, as it wasn¡¯t used to travelling along this route. Normally, when Percy wanted to shift mana from one arm to the other, he¡¯d send it through his core first. ¡®This is more efficient.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t just about increasing his capacity. This was simply a faster way to move it through his body. Most people didn¡¯t bother, as the channels they normally used were only a fraction of the total. They didn¡¯t consider this minor speed-up significant enough to waste months opening the additional pathways. Though clearly, this mindset was wrong. It had blinded everyone to the possibilities Micky¡¯s people had stumbled upon. *** Percy was broken out of his concentration by the gentle rays of the morning sun seeping through the window, brushing softly along his face. ¡®Shit. Don¡¯t tell me I was up all night.¡¯ So focused had he been on clearing his channels, that he¡¯d lost track of time. At least, he¡¯d discovered and opened over a dozen new ones. Still, plenty remained in his body. ¡®Maybe it¡¯s not toote for a short nap.¡¯ CAW! CAW! Guessing his thoughts, Micky ¨C who¡¯d woken up already ¨C pped his wings angrily as he leapt on the bed. ¡°Fine! We¡¯ll go get your breakfast! Just let me drink my elixir first.¡± Percy uncorked the elegant vial, gulping its contents in one go. He began the daily ritual of cycling his pure mana between his stomach and core as he fought to keep his eyes open. He sure wasn¡¯t looking forward to another twelve hours of physical training with baldy after an all-nighter. CAW! ¡°Right! Right! I¡¯m awake!¡± the young man said, having totally fallen asleep at some point. Getting up, he opened the door, dragging his feet outside the mansion. The morning breeze gave him goosebumps. It wasn¡¯t pleasant, but at least the chill and the fresh air helped flush thest traces of sleep out of his system, leaving only the exhaustion behind. Micky jumped onto his shoulder, content with enjoying his free ride as Percy prepared his food for him. That¡¯s when the young man paused, shing the bird a mischievous grin. ¡°Starting from today, you¡¯ll be flying alongside me, looking for more mice.¡± His familiar tilted its head, ying dumb, but Percy knew Micky understood him. CAW! CAW! The bird continued to protest, but Percy refused to take another step until it began pulling its own weight. It took another ten minutes of arguing, but Micky eventually took off, resigned to his fate. He hadn¡¯t stopped mouthing off what Percy could only assume were curses though. Only then did the young man resume his stroll, gathering some pure mana in his hand, trying to form it into a solid shape. This was pretty much the only time he had during the day to practice his magic, so he wouldn¡¯t waste it. He might have been born at Red, but now he¡¯d finally umted a few advantages of his own. Unlike his peers who only had a single core to worry about, he essentially had four between himself and his familiar. He couldn¡¯t afford to ck. SIGH ¡®I suppose I¡¯ll just have to work four times as hard then.¡¯ Chapter 30: One year Micky sent an image of a shadow sneaking through the bushes. He was perched atop a branch, gazing at their surroundings from the high vantage point, scouting the area. The crow was already fully grown by now. Percy felt it practically salivating through their bond as it eyed their misguided ambushers. ¡®Thanks. I see them now.¡¯ Percy pulled most of his mana to his channels, nearly emptying his core before taking a deep breath to refill it. The motes spiralled into his lungs like a vortex, as an even denser river gushed through his body. But he wasn¡¯t done yet. He pumped even more mana through his pathways, feeling them swell and burn, his muscles brimming with strength, his frame threatening to pop like a pufferfish. SWOOSH An arrow shot out from behind him. The young man only tilted his head slightly, dodging the projectile as the wind brushed harmlessly by his ear. Another mouthful of manater, he saw faint cyan lines glow under his skin. The pattern wasn¡¯t exactly the same as Micky¡¯s. Even though they shared their affinity, their cores were located at different points, forcing Percy to modify the technique slightly. They shone less brightly too. There was definitely some room for improvement, but the Status had still been kind enough to register the technique a couple months back. ¡®You chose the wrong guy to attack.¡¯ Percy smirked. Then, he stomped hard, his foot making a loud sound as it cracked the dried dirt, catapulting him towards the goblins. SWOOSH, SWOOSHMore arrows flew his way, but he easily weaved out of their path, causing the goblins¡¯ eyes to widen. They switched to their melee weapons in a hurry. Their knives and hatchets had all been crafted out of bone. Rather poorly too. Percy¡¯s core had nearly refilled already, but he drained it again, this time gathering the mana into his right hand, squishing the blob of cyan into something solid. By the time he reached his opponents, his weapon had fully formed. It was a staff, about as tall as he was, its thickness the same as his thumb¡¯s. He spun it through the air as his momentum carried him between two of the creatures, where he hit each with a different end of the staff, mming one to the ground while sending the other flying. Of the remaining five goblins, only three were brave enough to gang up on him, as the other two fled in terror. Still, their lunges felt slow in his Mana Sense. He easily tiptoed around their attacks with some well-ced footwork. He swung his weapon again. It had cracked after the previous attack ¨C his Red core not doing him any favours ¨C but he¡¯d already finished repairing it as the mana continued to umte inside his body. Two swingster, three more goblins were rolling on the ground, as Percy finally allowed the staff to crumble. Another image shed through the connection. Micky had already intercepted one of the escapees, having torn out its throat with his talons. The bird was currently feasting on the goblin¡¯s soul, as Percy felt the mana flowing through the link. Activating Soul Vision, he spotted thest of the creatures. It had stopped moving, crouching quietly behind a tree some thirty yards away. Perhaps it thought it was safer to hide than run. ¡®Big mistake.¡¯ Percy took another breath, this time focusing on his first core instead. The two sources of soul mana soon gave him just enough for the spell as a silver dagger formed in his hand. With a flick of his wrist, the Parting Gift pierced soundlessly through the air, doing so even more rapidly than the arrows had, before phasing through the tree¡¯s trunk. THUD A momentter, the goblin¡¯s stiff bodynded on the ground. *** ¡°Start with the dead one before its soul dissipates.¡± Percy tossed the corpse in front of his familiar, who¡¯d just finished consuming the previous goblin. The other five were merely knocked out, as the young man had taken extra care to keep them alive. Feeling the mana in his eyes dissipating, he hurriedly tossed onest nce down at his soul before Soul Vision deactivated. Micky had supplied him more than enough to keep it active for longer if he wanted, but he¡¯d rather invest the limited resource towards their recovery. His soul didn¡¯t look that great, still resembling a pile of minced meat held together by thin threads. That said, the chunks were fewer andrger than before, and they were attached to one another more firmly too. The crater in his chest had also shrunk a lot sincest year. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any urrences. That¡¯s right. A little over a year had passed since Micky¡¯s first flight. Percy had even had two birthdays in that time. He was seventeen now. He still couldn¡¯t gather much soul mana without the bird¡¯s assistance, but he healed faster and faster as Micky grew up and their hunts became more rewarding. As early as a few months ago, the two had graduated from rats and rabbits, turning their sights towards the goblins in the nearby Whistling Woods. It wasn¡¯t ideal, as the forest was a few miles away from his House¡¯s mansion. It meant they had to spend several hours per day just travelling back and forth. But it couldn¡¯t be helped, as it was too dangerous to camp the night there by themselves, and they harboured a few too many secrets to be working with strangers. Neither baldy nor ine had the time to babysit them for weeks on end. That said, it wasn¡¯t all bad. Percy¡¯s free time had increased sharply ever since his training sessions with his rtives stopped, so he could afford to do this. Plus, hunting was good for honing both his magic and his teamwork with Micky. Finally, even though the goblins were notoriously difficult to find, theirrger cores and much more developed souls made the endeavour worthwhile. ¡®At least Micky is doing better.¡¯ While Percy¡¯s soul was still some distance from a full recovery, preventing him from cleansing his first core or sending another clone, his familiar¡¯s had grown a lot more stable. The bird could even go a few days without a meal before it began to get affected. Shrugging, the young man¡¯s attention turned to his Status, as he had no interest in watching his friend stuff his face with goblins. ___ Percival Avalon Mana cores: Bloodline: Spells: ???: ___ Not much had changed, besides the two new spells he¡¯d registered. The first ¨C Quarterstaff ¨C was perhaps the most unassuming entry in his entire Status. Being nothing more than a Crude spell cast from a Red core with a pure affinity, it wasn¡¯t nearly as eye-catching as all the other stuff in there. Still, Percy was proud of it, as it had taken him a lot of hard work to hone it to its current state. Plus, it was his very first registered spell with his second core, so that had to count for something. At first the young man had tried to go for a couple of shorter rods, one in each hand, to more closely mirror Micky¡¯s style. Eventually, he realized dual wielding felt a bit unnatural to him. He appeared to have a personal proclivity towards a single, longer weapon. The construct wasn¡¯t very sturdy, but it was good enough for the goblins. The other new entry was a lot more impressive, however. Although still a step short of the full Dance, Cirction was Percy¡¯s first Refined spell. As a mage¡¯s grade increased, so did their mana capacity and regeneration, as well as their control and reflexes, allowing them to master more intricate spells. Generally, people between Red and Yellow mostly focused on Crude spells, whereas Refined spells were seen as the hallmark of Greens and Blues. There were exceptions of course. Sometimes, a talented Yellow would master a Refined spell ahead of time, or azy Green would fail to do so before advancing. Still, Percy was only at Orange. Not just that, but he was technically using Cirction with his Red core. Suffice to say, his circumstances were essentially unprecedented. News of his achievement would probably cause some waves if they leaked. He wasn¡¯t exactly surprised Cirction was ranked that highly either, as it involved many difficult and demanding steps to master. Frankly, he knew he couldn¡¯t have done this without cheating. Extensively. His grandpa¡¯s help had allowed him to get the equivalent of half a decade of physical training in only half a year. That, coupled with his dedication in clearing his channels meant he had started tempering his pathways faster than the others. In addition, the final step ¨C circting the mana and overcharging both his core and his channels ¨C was by far the most difficult. However, he¡¯d already experienced the art under Micky¡¯s guidance, severely lowering the barrier of entry for him. Even baldy hadn¡¯t mastered the spell until a month after Percy. As for ine, she was still struggling with thest part. ¡®Let¡¯s not getcent though. They can still wipe the floor with me with their hands tied behind their back...¡¯ SIGH At least, Percy had grown strong enough to survive by himself at a semi-dangerous ce like the Whistling Woods. That said, the road ahead was long and uphill¡­ Suddenly, some unexpected thoughts seeped through the link, drawing his attention. The young man lifted his eyes, looking at his familiar with concern. For some reason, the bird had stopped eating after the third goblin. It was sitting on the ground, asionally twitching, as if in pain. ¡®Micky! What¡¯s wrong?!¡¯ No reply. Percy activated Mana Sense, anxious to figure out what was happening to his bond. The bird¡¯s frame was glowing more brightly than ever before, its entire silhouette shimmering in a vibrant Red colour. More and more mana was released from its stomach, as its flesh shook and squirmed. The core in Micky¡¯s sternum thrummed more frequently and violently than he¡¯d ever seen it do before, glowing a shade brighter than the rest of his body. Logically, his friend should have already started sending him the excess mana to relieve himself. However, he was instead holding everything in for some reason, letting it umte to a dangerous level. The young man panicked, unsure how to help his familiar. He was about to call to him again, to ask him to let go of the mana, when he caught something odd through his sixth sense, giving him pause. As the core pulsed more and more intensely, its colour shifted. It was subtle at first, but Percy became more and more sure of what was going on as he kept watching. His previous fear was now reced by excitement and even anticipation. Micky was advancing to Orange. Chapter 31: Leaving the nest KRA! KRA! Mickyined loudly, much to Percy¡¯s dismay. The bird¡¯s screeches were far more piercing than ever before, echoing through the dark forest. ¡°I¡¯m sorry buddy. You¡¯re too big to sit on my shoulder now.¡± The actual advancement had taken less than an hour, but that was just the start. Saying the crow was starving afterwards would be the understatement of the century. Mere minutes after the promotion, Micky had devoured all seven goblins, not leaving a single bone behind. In fact, he ate their weapons too! Gone were the days when he only selectively sampled his victims¡¯ souls and cores, leaving most of their flesh untouched. Evidently, the bird¡¯s advancement had ced its body in a state of rapid mutation, requiring a ton of nutrients in a short period of time. Percy had watched his friend grow visibly with each bite as they scoured the forest, looking for anything even remotely edible. The two had remained in the Whistling Woods all night, desperately fuelling Micky¡¯s insatiable appetite. It wasn¡¯t until the first rays of sunlight pierced through the dense thicket that the bird seemed to be done eating, its frame now twice asrge as before. ¡®Oh well¡­ I bet he¡¯s a lot stronger.¡¯ Other than his size, Micky¡¯s appearance hadn¡¯t changed much. The only other notable differences were his beak and talons being even sharper than before. Their edges now glinted in a pale silver light, even outside Soul Vision. Percy sure pitied whoever ended up on the receiving end. Overall, the most wee surprise was the improvement to his familiar¡¯s soul, however. It had stabilized a lot even before the promotion, but this new step took everything to a whole new level. Micky¡¯s soul was still an assortment of multiple parts, but they¡¯d grown closer together. The delineation separating the three souls was much fainter, resembling old scars more than fresh wounds. ¡®Maybe they¡¯ll fusepletely after another evolution or two.¡¯Either way, the bird would not only harvest more soul mana from its victims, but it would also need a lot less for itself, sending the lion¡¯s share to Percy. Like this, he was optimistic he¡¯d fully recover in a couple months. Then he smiled wryly. Not everything was good news. He¡¯d already felt the two had outgrown the Whistling Woods for a while now. To fully take advantage of Micky¡¯s improvements, they¡¯d need to leave the safety of the mansion and venture to more dangerous regions. And there was another, more immediate problem. ¡®How do we exin you?¡¯ he frowned, looking at his pal flying circles above him as he stepped out of the dense undergrowth. Before, they¡¯d used the excuse he¡¯d found Micky abandoned and raised him as a pet. It wasn¡¯t that strange as Red beasts were essentially regr animals. Reaching Orange, however, not only made them stronger, but far more aggressive. The thrill of advancement whetted their appetite, making them all but impossible to tame. Suffice to say, his rtives would be asking a lot of questions if they returned home like this. *** ¡°Ok. Remember to stay away until I say otherwise.¡± Percy imparted the same instructions for the fifth time as they neared his family¡¯s estate. KRA! KRA! Micky protested but didn¡¯t disobey, taking off to look for a snack or something. The young man made his way to the mansion, heading straight to baldy¡¯s office. KNOCK, KNOCK ¡°Come in.¡± Percy stepped inside, ready to deliver the news, when he noticed somebody else in there. He was a ck-haired man who looked to be in his early twenties, dressed in an elegant buttoned-up shirt and silken trousers. His core was Blue. He was Ghad, Archibald¡¯s oldest living child currently in the family. A Yellow-born over 400 years old ¨C House Avalon¡¯s second inmand, only below baldy himself. In fact, he was the one who had the highest chance of reaching Violet, on track to do so in about a century. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯ve been wasting too much of father¡¯s time, boy?¡± Ghad asked, his nose wrinkling in disgust. Percy grimaced but didn¡¯t reply. Instead, he turned to his grandpa. ¡°I was hoping to speak to you alone. It¡¯s urgent.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ignore me, you brat!¡± his uncle snapped. ¡°You should be grateful we¡¯ve wasted so many elixirs on you already! I still don¡¯t get what your grade has to do with passing your affinity!¡± Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the vition. He looked about to keep going, but baldy raised his hand. ¡°That¡¯s enough, Ghad. I don¡¯t need you to manage my schedule for me, or to tell me which of my grandkids to spend time with.¡± Archibald¡¯s tone was calm but firm. Ghad raised an eyebrow. He probably hadn¡¯t expected his father would reprimand him in front of the likes of Percy. He only spared the young man a cold nce as he walked out of the office, though Percy didn¡¯t miss his uncle¡¯s clenched fists, drained of colour. ¡®I¡¯d almost forgotten what an asshole he was.¡¯ Between his injuries, his training and his ventures into the forest, Percy hadn¡¯t run into his rtives as much over the past year. His amiable rtionship with ine and Archibald had shifted his overall perspective on his family, but the truth was most of them still looked down on Red-borns like him. That much hadn¡¯t changed. ¡°What is it?¡± baldy asked, snapping him out of his thoughts. ¡°Right!¡± Percy eximed before approaching the desk. He covered his mouth before whispering, ¡°Micky has advanced.¡± Archibald¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Already? This is even faster than I expected¡­¡± ¡°What do we do? I can¡¯t exactly bring him here.¡± His grandpa sank back into his chair, remaining silent for a few minutes. Eventually, he spoke. ¡°We¡¯re heading back to the forest. It¡¯s a temporary solution but I¡¯ll stay there with you for a week until wee up with something more permanent.¡± *** A grimace marred Percy¡¯s face. By the time he met baldy he¡¯d already been up for nearly thirty hours, having spent all night hunting with Micky. Staying awake as his grandpa arranged for his impromptu absence had been pure torture, and the young man wasn¡¯t happy travelling to the woods again. Still, this had to be done if he was to keep his secrets. He doubted anybody in his family was a spy or traitor, but there were hundreds of people in the Avalon House. If a few more learned of his second core or Micky, it wouldn¡¯t be long before that number doubled, and then quadrupled, until the entire mansion knew. And then, it would only take a mistake for the rest of Remior to find out too. In fact, those two secrets were still rtively benign. Anything pertaining to the Dance, on the other hand, was far more dangerous. Even in its iplete state, it could instantly raise the strength of an entire House by half a step, cing them right behind the Great Houses. As much as it would benefit his family if they all learned it, a single mishap could easily invite disaster. ¡®Just like what happened to Micky¡¯s people¡­¡¯ Consequently, baldy had strongly emphasized to him and ine the importance of keeping everything under wraps. As much as it sucked to be looked down on by people like Ghad, knowing he could change everyone¡¯s view of him with a few words, Percy understood what a thin line he was treading. ¡°Percy¡­ I¡¯m sorry you have to take all this shit from everyone.¡± baldy said as he walked alongside him, a dozen of his clones marching silently right behind them. ¡°Truth be told, you¡¯ve already done more for our family than almost anyone else¡­¡± The young man waved the apology away. ¡°We knew it would be like this since the beginning.¡± Archibald nodded. ¡°So, what do you n to do now?¡± Percy pondered over his grandpa¡¯s words carefully before replying. ¡°I¡¯ll head out. I need to find a good ce for Micky to hunt, to avoid stunting his growth. I also need to get my soul repaired as soon as possible to resume sending clones. Though, I suppose those go hand in hand.¡± Baldy didn¡¯t seem surprised, having probably expected that answer. ¡°Any idea where specifically?¡± The young man didn¡¯t reply for a while. This was the part he hadn¡¯t figured out yet. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Maybe I should take lots of missions like ine and onlye back once every few weeks to restock on elixirs.¡± Baldy¡¯s face fell. ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to talk to you about the elixirs, actually. As you know, our family is fully transparent with who gets them and who doesn¡¯t. This policy has served us well for centuries, as it bolsters trust.¡± Percy nodded, but he didn¡¯t like where baldy was going with this. ¡°Normally, it doesn¡¯t really matter, as the rules are fairly simple: Orange-borns and Yellow-borns get them. Red-borns don¡¯t.¡± Archibald continued. ¡°Until me.¡± Percy realized. ¡°Yes. So far, I¡¯ve used the excuse of your soul clones being a promising thing for the family to justify giving you elixirs, but nobody knows the details. They have no idea how useful your clones are. Neither do they have a clue why I¡¯ve been spending so much time with you. Ghad¡¯s outburst from earlier is actually amon sentiment among the family¡¯s management.¡± The young man frowned. Indeed, between the weeks baldy had spent filling his second core up, the several months of training together for the Cirction spell, and all their other interactions, they had really spent a lot of time together. Even now, his grandpa was going to be with him the whole week. This should all seem suspicious to the rest of their family. ¡°Surely, they understand there must be a reason for it, right? Even if they don¡¯t know what.¡± Baldy shook his head. ¡°What reason could there be? Nobody could possibly imagine what your ability does. Sending your soul to other worlds?! Most of them believe I¡¯ve grown too attached to you for purely sentimental reasons. They think I¡¯m just finding excuses to spoil you rotten.¡± Percy¡¯s jaw ckened upon listening to his grandpa. He was d his rtionship with baldy had improved, but he didn¡¯t know their actions had given rise to such a wave of discontent among his rtives. ¡°So, what does this mean?¡± SIGH ¡°I can continue supplying you with a single set of elixirs. They won¡¯t like it, but it¡¯s within the limits of what I can justify based on your bloodline¡¯s importance. However, a second one is currently out of the question.¡± ¡°What?! But I¡¯ll need it when my soul is repaired!¡± He hadn¡¯t started cleansing both cores yet, as he¡¯d created that clone soon after repairing his second core. Since then, his injuries had prevented him from maintaining the necessary mana, despite Micky¡¯s help. But he was very much looking forward to changing this soon. ¡°Is there no other way?¡± Baldy¡¯s next words gave him hope, however. ¡°I can only think of two possible solutions.¡± Chapter 32: Two solutions The young man looked at his grandpa expectantly, prompting him to speak. ¡°The first option is to spill the beans on some of your secrets. Naturally, not Cirction. That one could destroy our House if it leaks. But if we let the others know about your second core and Micky, they will understand.¡± ¡°Do you think it¡¯s a good idea?¡± Percy asked. ¡°Not really, no.¡± baldy said before borating. ¡°I advise you not to do this. Even though others can¡¯t immediately benefit from your second core, it will still make our family a target. However, these are ultimately your secrets. If you want to go through with it, I won¡¯t stop you. It wouldn¡¯t be fair to hinder your growth like that.¡± Percy nodded. He didn¡¯t much like the idea of bringing trouble to his House either, but he¡¯d consider it if it was the only way. ¡°What about the second option?¡± ¡°This one actually circles back to our earlier discussion.¡± The young man perked up. ¡°I can think of a ce where you¡¯ll find plenty of beasts for Micky to eat. At the same time, you can earn as many elixirs as you need. But I must warn you that it¡¯s neither guaranteed, nor easy.¡±¡°Where?¡± ¡°The Alchemists¡¯ Guild.¡± Percy frowned. ¡°Isn¡¯t that where they make the elixirs? You want me to be an alchemist?¡± ¡°Yes. That ce works with a system based on contribution points. You earn them by performing various tasks and you can spend them on elixirs, ingredients or alchemy lessons.¡± The young man creased his brow, considering his grandpa¡¯s words. Bing an alchemist wasn¡¯t something he¡¯d ever imagined doing, but if baldy thought it was a good idea, he wasn¡¯t necessarily against it. ¡°Do they let anyone join?¡± ¡°Not anyone. The Alchemists¡¯ Guild is one of the most important ces on all of Remior. Everyone needs the elixirs ¨C even the Divine Order. Consequently, the Guild ispletely neutral, and nobody is allowed to stir trouble there. They only ept people rmended by a noble House.¡± Ok, perhaps this was an even bigger deal than Percy thought. ¡°Won¡¯t the others be against it? They¡¯re already unhappy I get elixirs. Now I¡¯m going to be brewing them?¡± Baldy shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s not the same thing. It won¡¯t really affect our family either way. We still have to buy the elixirs at full price. It¡¯s not like there¡¯s any discount for having a rtive there. As for anything you earn on your own, that¡¯s between you and the Guild.¡± ¡°So, is itmon to send Red-borns?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not. Not that there¡¯s any rule against Red-borns, but your lower grade will make it difficult to get points. Also, your shorter lifespan means people will generally view it as a waste of time for you to learn the art.¡± Percy would be lying if he said he wasn¡¯t bothered. It seemed there wasn¡¯t anywhere on Remior he could go where he wouldn¡¯t be looked down upon. ¡°What about my affinities? Are they suitable for alchemy?¡± ¡°They don¡¯t really matter. Water and fire help with some parts of the brewing process, though that¡¯s only a minor convenience. Life mana is good for growing herbs faster, but you can just buy those.¡± Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. ¡°That only leaves Micky then. How will I exin him?¡± This was by far the most important thing. He wouldn¡¯t leave him behind. After all, his friend was one of the main reasons why he¡¯d even bother going in the first ce. ¡°You won¡¯t. The Guild is right next to where you¡¯ll be hunting the beasts. It¡¯s where the main ingredient for the elixirses from. Micky will live there by himself and you¡¯ll join him whenever you can to hunt together. That way, you¡¯ll help him get his meals and he¡¯ll help you earn contribution points.¡± ¡°But is it going to be safe? What if someone attacks him?¡± Baldy shook his head. ¡°The hunting grounds are separated into various levels. Most of the people there are at a higher grade than you. Nobody ever goes to the bottom level as the beasts there are weaker than Micky, and not worth killing. Even if somebody meets him by ident, they won¡¯t have any reason to bother him.¡± Percy didn¡¯t immediately reply. He was still tired, and this was a big decision. He¡¯d rather sleep on it and give his grandpa his answerter. The two met up with Micky, before continuing to the forest. However, they didn¡¯t stop upon reaching the Whistling Woods. Instead, they kept walking for another hour. ¡°Ok, I think this is far enough.¡± baldy said. Percy began setting camp, as Micky flew down,nding in front of Archibald. Baldy took a deep breath. Soon, the young man felt a terrifying amount of ambient mana flow towards his grandpa. It wasn¡¯t until a few secondster that numerous green lines lit up under the man¡¯s skin. Their pattern looked very different from Percy¡¯s. Rather than simple curved lines, the ones on baldy¡¯s skin swirled and branched out, making them resemble vines. Then, Archibald ced his hand on Micky¡¯s head, before a suffocating torrent of green gushed out of his body, flowing down to the familiar¡¯s abdomen. This was the main reason why baldy had arranged to spend a week with them in the forest. Ever since he mastered Cirction, Percy¡¯s grandpa volunteered to help the bird repair its second core. He wanted to thank Micky for giving them the technique. Plus, the increased capacity and regeneration made the process much faster than it had been the first time around. Of course, they still had no idea where to get the mind mana. Percy couldn¡¯t exactly bring Micky to the temple. The mist outside was much thinner too, so they¡¯d have to lurk there for months ¨C assuming the Order even let them. Finally, finding a friendly Violet core with a mind affinity willing to dedicate several weeks to help wasn¡¯t realistic either. Consequently, they hadn¡¯t rushed, only spending a couple of hours each day whenever Percy and Micky returned home. Assuming the bird¡¯s core needed the same amount of mana as Percy¡¯s, they estimated they were already about two thirds done. And Archibald nned toplete the project by the end of the week. *** Percy watched his grandpa fill up Micky¡¯s core. They¡¯d already been in the forest for six days, yet the process wasn¡¯t done. He sure hoped they hadn¡¯t miscalcted as he¡¯d rather not have to look for a different source of life mana as well, for the final stretch. In any case, he¡¯d worry about thatter. Right now, baldy¡¯s words still echoed in his mind. Going to the Alchemists¡¯ Guild would be a hugemitment. He didn¡¯t know anything about alchemy! Maybe he¡¯d hate it! Or he¡¯d suck at it! Even if he enjoyed it, who knew if he¡¯d ever amass enough contribution points to cover his needs. His grandpa had emphasized he¡¯d be at a massive disadvantage. Perhaps, he wouldn¡¯t even have enough elixirs for one of his cores, putting him at a worse position than before. Then, there was the issue with Micky. Despite baldy¡¯s reassurances, Percy knew it would still be risky. This was Remior after all. There were plenty of unreasonable people out there, who would harm a beast for sport. Hell, it would be hypocritical of him to even criticize them. He¡¯d killed plenty of goblins himself just to get stronger. He knew he wouldn¡¯t care much about a random bird either if it wasn¡¯t his reincarnated friend. At the end of the day, everything boiled down to one simple fact. Despite the discrimination he¡¯d faced growing up, Percy had spent his whole life under his grandpa¡¯s protection. The closest he¡¯d evere to losing his life had been due to his own recklessness when creating his familiar. But this would be different. There would be no certainties. Everything would depend entirely on his own ability. And his luck. Then, he looked at baldy. Perhaps his grandpa had been lucky enough to be born at Yellow, but he¡¯d still made himself into the man he was today. He wasn¡¯t dependent on others. Others depended on him. ¡®I want that¡­ To be my own person.¡¯ The young man nodded. He finally had his answer. He was about to tell baldy, when he saw him stop pouring mana into the bird. It was done. Smiling, he opened Micky¡¯s Status to check it onest time, before heading to the Alchemists¡¯ Guild. Mtecuhtli (Percival''s familiar) Mana cores: ???: Chapter 33: Trouble It was a two-week journey on horseback to the Alchemists¡¯ Guild. At least, the dirt road only passed through grasnds and barren fields, saving Percy the trouble of trekking through more forests or mountains. Not that the trip was without dangers. Baldy had given him a month¡¯s worth of elixirs, so that he wouldn¡¯t fall behind on his second core¡¯s purification. Unfortunately, the excessive amount of wealth was a double-edged sword, turning him into a juicy target for any aspiring robbers. The young man knew bandits frequented ces like this, so he found it difficult to sleep at night. His family didn¡¯t have any justification to send escorts this time, making him easy prey for the criminals. Sure, he was the owner of a promising bloodline but, as far as his rtives were concerned, he should have stayed locked up at home like a good little Red-born ¨C not risk his life on needless adventures. His only constion was that he wasn¡¯tpletely alone. Micky flew nearby, a couple miles away, ready to help if something happened. Of course, that came with its own set of challenges as Percy didn¡¯t want to be seen too close to the bird, to avoid drawing suspicions. ¡®Just five more days of this. Nothing bad will happen.¡¯ The good news was that they had already travelled nearly two thirds of the trip without getting into trouble. Perhaps he shouldn¡¯t have been so quick to jinx it though¡­ *** ¡®Shit, I think they¡¯re following me.¡¯ Four men rode just a couple hundred meters behind him. Normally, it wouldn¡¯t have necessarily meant much, as this was a popr road. Maybe they were regr travellers or merchants heading the same route. However, their movements were rather suspicious.Thanks to Micky, Percy had noticed them before they saw him. At the time they had been riding much faster, but they slowed down as soon as he came into view, staying a fixed distance behind him ever since. They were still too far for him to examine their grades via Mana Sense, but it was easier for his familiar to pass over them and sneak a couple of nces before flying away. ¡®Three Orange cores, one Yellow.¡¯ Percy frowned. The only thing in his arsenal capable of harming a Yellow was his Parting Gift. Even though his first core was at Orange, his soul affinity was disproportionately geared towards offense. It was invisible, making it difficult to spot without Mana Sense. Fast too, making it hard to dodge if it caught them by surprise. It also phased through objects, making it nearly impossible to block. And lethal. Very lethal. If the stars aligned, he could definitely kill a Yellow with it, as Mixcoatl had learned the hard way. ¡®But that¡¯s a big if¡­¡¯ His soul magic downright sucked defensively, as he couldn¡¯t block iing attacks either. It would be just as easy for his opponents to injure him, if not even more so. Plus, he couldn¡¯t gather soul mana right now, unless Micky ate something first. Then, there was the rest of his magic. Cirction barely made up for his pure affinity, but his second core was still Red. If it wasn¡¯t for his higher physical strength, he wouldn¡¯t be confident holding his own even against an Orange core. As for Micky¡­ he might be able to keep one of them busy¡­ at most. He shook his head. ¡®We can¡¯t confront them directly.¡¯ His only option was to run, and hope his horse was both faster and less tired than theirs. He looked at the pouch strapped to his waist, hearing the gem bottles clinking with each bump. Archibald wasn¡¯t na?ve. He obviously understood the perils of the trip. Right before Percy set off, he told him to ditch the elixirs and bolt if he got into a situation like this. The bandits only wanted his money. They didn¡¯t give a damn about his life. Losing the bottles would sting, but they weren¡¯t worth dying over. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Percy smiled bitterly. Leaving the pouch behind was the most logical course of action. He could always earn more elixirster. But he was unwilling. This whole trip was a gamble. They didn¡¯t even know if he could make it in the Guild. It was all a desperate attempt to earn enough elixirs for both of his cores. Was he really supposed to give up twenty doses before he even got there? ¡®Screw that. I¡¯m not going to run from a bunch of lowlifes.¡¯ Having made up his mind, he slowed down his horse. ¡®Micky. Whatever happens, stay away unless I say otherwise.¡¯ he spoke through the connection. When the bandits reached him, they seemed quite surprised. They quickly hid their confusion though, recing it with amiable-looking smiles as their leader approached him. He was probably going to pretend he was just a harmless traveller or something, but Percy wasn¡¯t interested in the charade. Before the criminal even spoke, the young man tossed over the pouch, eliciting a strange look from the former. Still, the bandit opened it, his eyes widening as his expression morphed into one of greed. ¡°I¡¯ve got something even more valuable than those, if you leave me alive.¡± Percy said. ¡°Hahaha!¡± the banditughed. ¡°Kid, you seem to really understand what¡¯s good for you. Most people waste our time running away just to get killed a couple hourster.¡± Percy shrugged. ¡°So, are you interested in hearing me out?¡± The leader only chuckled, gesturing at him to speak. Receiving the affirmation, Percy slowly lifted his shirt, revealing a strange bandage wrapped tightly around his stomach. Multiple runes were engraved on the fabric. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°My family has developed a technique that lets us grow a second core. I keep it hidden for obvious reasons.¡± The bandit gave him an odd look, probably thinking he was a lunatic, but didn¡¯t stop him, watching him unwrap the bandage. ¡°Just use your Mana Sense, and you¡¯ll know I¡¯m telling the truth.¡± A few secondster, the criminal stared at him with his mouth agape. The others had also approached at some point, now shing each other incredulous looks. ¡°And anybody can learn this?¡± Percy nodded. ¡°There are a few steps, but as long as you have somebody guiding you, you¡¯ll all have a second core in a couple of months.¡± Internally, he smirked. The first part of the n had gone smoothly. He could already see the bandits salivating with greed. He wouldn¡¯t have to worry about them killing him anytime soon. Now, he just had to make sure none of them lived long enough to speak of his secrets¡­ *** Three more days passed as Percy travelled with the group. At first, they¡¯d been suspicious of him, thinking he was up to something. He didn¡¯t exactly me them either ¨C because it was true. He seriously doubted they¡¯d ever run into another target half as cooperative as he was. The leader had repeatedly questioned the validity of his words, warning him not-so-subtly things wouldn¡¯t end well for him if he tried anything funny. But they did appear to rx around him over time. He was sure part of it was because he made no attempt to escape. Not even when they pretended to give him an opening. Another part was due to his demonstration of Cirction. The bizarre technique was impressive enough on its own, as Percy showed them how it increased his strength sharply. Then he went into detail, exining how it worked and how they could learn it, even guiding them into clearing their mana channels. In fact, he¡¯d been truthful too, instructing them in earnest. ¡®Well¡­ for the most part¡­¡¯ The only lie he¡¯d added was that Cirction would grant them a second core once mastered. Revealing two of his secrets like that had been a risk, but a necessary one. His second core was the bait he¡¯d needed to entice them on the first day so they wouldn¡¯t kill him on the spot. As for Cirction, it was to convince them to keep him alive, as it was tooplicated to learn without guidance. But there were a couple more hidden objectives he¡¯d achieved. By exining how he used the bandage to hide his second core, he¡¯d diverted their attention from anything else he might do with it. Furthermore, by showing them his pure affinity coupled with Cirction, he¡¯d impressed them with its potential, while also making himself appear weaker than he was. Right now, they probably believed his first corecked an affinity too. And the time to act was swiftly approaching, as one of the bandits left the group to pee behind a hill. Knowing this was probably the best chance he was going to get, Percy subtly wrapped the bandage around his right hand a couple of times. This was it! He took a deep breath, before speaking through the connection. ¡®Now, Micky!¡¯ Chapter 34: Unexpected boon The crow glided soundlessly just a meter above the grass as it approached its prey. Micky¡¯s ck feathers turned him nigh invisible against the dark nket of the night. Soon, a man erged in their shared vision. He was looking the other way, performing his business without a care in the world. They could already hear the soft stream pitter-pattering against the stone. Percy held his breath. If the ambush failed, his life would be forfeit! With one powerful p of his wings, Micky shot through thest 15 or so feet,nding on the man¡¯s head. The poor bandit barely managed to turn around, before a talon mped his mouth shut, as the other wed his throat out. PHEW The young man exhaled the turbid air in his lungs as subtly as he could manage, trying not to alert the others. ¡®So far, so good.¡¯ Then, Percy inhaled deeply again, directing the pure mana towards his abdomen, before pumping it through his channels. As for the soul mana, he gathered it in his sternum, fighting against his soul¡¯s pull. He walked towards the leader ¨C Rick, if his memory served him. Assassinating the Yellow core was just as important as the previous ambush, if not doubly so. umting soul mana was difficult at first, but a new stream gushed through the ethereal cord, helping him amass it more easily.¡®This is a lot more than expected¡­¡¯ Thergest things Micky had eaten in the past were the wood goblins. Being semi-sentient creatures, their souls were a lot more developed than the rats and snakes they had hunted before. Still, they couldn¡¯t possiblypare with a human at Orange. Percy didn¡¯t keep the mana in his core for very long though, swiftly drawing it into his fist instead. There, he willed it to condense under the cover of the bandage. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Rick asked. Percy stopped a few meters away. ¡°I was thinking¡­ Are you guys going to let me go once I¡¯ve taught you everything? Surely, you won¡¯t need anything else from me at that point, right?¡± Hearing him, the bandit gave him the most amiable smile in the world, almost like an older brother reassuring his sibling that everything would be ok. ¡°Of course! You¡¯ve been a huge help, kid! Just keep cooperating and we might even let you join our gang!¡± Rick¡¯s casual acting sent a chill down Percy¡¯s spine. He was fairly certain they wouldn¡¯t let him go. It would be much safer to kill him than leave behind a trail for his family totch on. Then, the young man grinned back. ¡®But I suppose I have no intention of letting you scumbags go either¡­ So, I guess we¡¯re even.¡¯ Percy had already gathered enough soul mana, though Rick couldn¡¯t see it. Even if he activated Mana Sense, the bandage would take care of it. Next, the young man willed it to harden and take the shape of his insidious weapon, before sending another message to his familiar. ¡®Draw their attention!¡¯ A shadow shot up from behind the hill, the heads of the remaining bandits all snapping in that direction. Percy didn¡¯t care about that, however, as he bolted towards Rick, flicking his hand towards the man¡¯s torso. Noticing him at thest moment, the bandit leader pulled up a thick sheet of stone with a wave of his finger. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the vition. But it wouldn¡¯t help him. Diverting a trickle of soul mana to his eyes, the young man watched the silver dagger phase through the rocky barrier unobstructed, piercing a hole through the man¡¯s soul as if it was a sheet of paper. The wound continued to widen even after the projectile popped out the other side. By the time Rick fell to his knees, his soul already sported a hole wider than a fist, his head making a sickening thud as he copsed forward onto his own wall. The remaining two bandits took a few moments to catch on to what was happening. By then, the cyan lines had already lit up underneath Percy¡¯s skin, as the young man held the Quarterstaff in one hand, a smaller version of the Parting Gift already forming in the other. He rushed towards one of the bandits. The other was about to help his buddy when Micky dove down, trying to gouge out his eyeballs. While he failed to do so ¨C the bandit having managed to roll to one side at thest moment ¨C the familiar had sessfully prevented him from reinforcing Percy¡¯s opponent. The young man on the other hand was having some trouble at first. His footwork did allow him to dodge most of the fireballs, but the few he was forced to parry made his weapon bend and crack, as the dispersed heat scorched his skin, making him wince. At least, this was the case for a few moments, until his second weapon took shape. Ignoring the sweat and the blisters, he dashed towards the bandit, weaving between the iing spells, closing the distance. A well-timed throwter, the third man was on the ground, his eyes zed over like the two before him. Micky wasn¡¯t having an easy time pinning down thest one. The criminal¡¯s air affinity was a bad match for the bird, preventing it from reaching him. Still, the tables swiftly turned once Percy joined the fight, the duo eliminating the final opponent not long after. The young man plopped down on the bloodied dirt, breathing heavily. This had been his toughest fight yet. The first real one too. But he¡¯d done it! He¡¯d defeated a Yellow core by himself and even took his henchmen out with him! ¡®And all of that without dying in the process¡­¡¯ KRA! KRA! Percy winced as his familiar pecked his shoulder in protest. ¡°Ok, ok. We did it together.¡± he smiled. ¡°Now go eat Rick¡¯s soul and core before they dissipate.¡± CAW! Micky wasn¡¯t entirely cated, but heeded the instruction, clearly thrilled at the prospect of such a gourmet meal. The young man rested on his back, a flood of mana soon filling his body. Shocked as the pressure intensified, he activated Mana Sense, only to be blinded by the bright Yellow colour filling his frame. Unable to discern anything, he switched to Soul Vision, but the intense silver glow wasn¡¯t much easier to peer through. ¡®I guess this must be how Micky felt before learning to get rid of the excess mana.¡¯ It was a lot to absorb at once, but Percy didn¡¯t ask his friend to stop eating. He knew such an opportunity was hard toe by. Rick¡¯s digested soul was by far the richest, most abundant source of soul mana they woulde across anytime soon. It was a potent tonic, greatly elerating his soul¡¯s recovery. Squinting, he just about managed to see his gruesome injuries closing in real time. The sight almost reminded him of the time his grandpa healed his physical wounds in mere moments. Micky stopped producing soul mana about ten minutester, but fully processing it took them a couple hours longer. By then, only the crater in Percy¡¯s chest remained, and even that had shrunk to the size of an apple. ¡®Wow, maybe I should thank Rick for targeting me.¡¯ Percy estimated he¡¯d only need one more fight like this to fully recover. Of course, he had no intention of chasing more bandits or provoking other Yellow cores, but even the Orange beasts they would be hunting at their destination should do the trick in a few more weeks. In fact, he figured he could probably refill his core without Micky¡¯s help right now. CAW! ¡®You¡¯re right. Better keep moving.¡¯ The young man was spent, so resting for a few hours before resuming his journey didn¡¯t sound too bad. Sadly, the longer he remained here, the greater his odds of running into more trouble were. Getting to the Guild as soon as possible was probably the wisest choice. Luckily, the bandits had travelled in the same direction, so he hadn¡¯t lost much time. Calcting the distance, Percy estimated he should be within a day of his destination. Standing up, he quickly scanned the corpses for anything valuable. ¡®Nothing¡­¡¯ The poor bastards were broke. Retrieving his elixirs, he climbed onto his horse. Only one dose was missing from the pouch. Naturally, it would have been too wasteful for them to use the elixirs in their concentrated state. Percy¡¯s entire stash would have barelysted them a week. Their next promotion had probably been decades away, so the elixirs wouldn¡¯t have made a dent like that. Instead, they had nned to dilute them all, making each dosest the group for nearly a month, the entire stash well over a year. ¡®And just for that one tiny bottle, they paid with their lives¡­¡¯ SIGH This was the true Remior, away from his House¡¯s walls. A jungle, where the lowborns like him had to ce their lives on the line every single day for a small chance to survive. ¡®But I will¡­ No matter what.¡¯ Chapter 35: Scorpions SHING The azure sh sliced through the thick carapace as if it was butter. It might as well have been, against the spell of a Green. ine swung her arms a few more times, three whipsshing out with each move, dicing the rest of the creatures into pieces. ¡°Careful not to damage their stingers or their venom nds. It¡¯s what we¡¯re here for.¡± Enid said. The blonde girl was having a bit more trouble at Yellow, but her earth magic kept the enemies at bay at least. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about her, Enid. Princess knows what she¡¯s doing.¡± Aleyn said. Having inherited the bloodline, the boy¡¯s life affinity didn¡¯t help him much in a direct confrontation. Still, he reduced the pressure on his cousins by distracting the beasts with his clones. ¡°All I¡¯m saying is, each scorpion is worth four silver. It would be a waste to lose some.¡± ¡°Alright, stop bickering. I think we managed to preserve most of them.¡± ine said. She wiped the sweat off her brow as thest of the creatures fell limp on the sand. Next, she walked to one of the more intact carcasses and sat against it. Drawing thest drops of mana from her core, she manifested a mouthful of water to quench her thirst. The worst thing about the desert was the suffocating heat. To add insult to injury, it wasn¡¯t particrly suited to her affinity either. Refilling her reserves took twice as long here.Still, she took deep breaths to recover as much as she could while resting. Enid soon joined her, also in need of a break. It wasn¡¯t like they hadn¡¯t considered helping Aleyn harvest the loot, but the boy had volunteered to delegate the menial task to his clones. Instead, she summoned her Status. ine Avalon Mana core: Spells: SIGH It irked her every time she looked at it. Her first and only Crude spell had registered several years ago, yet the upgrade still eluded her. ¡®Reaching White my ass.¡¯ she smiled bitterly. She¡¯d resolved to obtain a Refined spell even before Percy¡¯s return from Huehue, yet here she was, with nothing more than a single Crude one over a yearter. Not just that, but her cousin had achieved what she failed to, while still being at Orange! And he had three other spells too! Yet, despite being two full grades above him, ine couldn¡¯t even manage it with Percy holding her hand, walking her through the process! Strengthening her body and tempering her mana channels had been fine, but she just couldn¡¯t figure out the correct pattern for her affinity. ¡®Such an embarrassment.¡¯ The only thing she could do was to resume taking mission after mission, focusing on her Whip instead. At least, she could now summon a whopping six constructs at once. Sadly, sheer quantity didn¡¯t a Refined spell make... SIGH ¡°Alright, that¡¯s all of them.¡± Aleyn said, breaking her out of her thoughts. Four men stood behind him, each with a face identical to his own, save for their soulless gazes. They didn¡¯t utter a word ofint, despite the heavy-looking sacks they were holding over their shoulders, filled to the brim with grimy scorpion parts. One even had a stinger sticking out of the bag, passing just inches from the clone¡¯s cheek, but he didn¡¯t seem bothered in the slightest. ¡°Finally!¡± Enid jumped to her feet excitedly. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to take a bath and sleep on a proper bed!¡± She looked at ine expectantly, silently urging her to get a move on. Faced with her cousin¡¯s eagerness, thetter acquiesced, pushing herself up as the corner of her lips curved upwards. Aleyn and Enid were both Orange-borns, but they didn¡¯t waste their time wallowing in self-pity. What right did she have to be unhappy? The trio was about to head out, when a sudden burst of sand blinded them. ine opened her eyes just a secondter, only to be greeted by a gruesome sight. Three figures were lying on the ground, pinned down by long stingers. Each was twice as thick and thrice as long as those of the regr scorpions, making them resemblences more than monster parts. They were a deep purple colour, dripping with droplets a shade paler. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. SSSSSS Every time the liquidnded on the victims¡¯ skin, it sizzled, releasing smoke that carried a putrid smell with it. The appalling scene made ine tremble in abject terror for a moment. Luckily, she soon regained her wit. Those three weren¡¯t her real cousins. Just clones. Aleyn and Enid were both ok, lying a few meters away, fortunate enough the abomination hadn¡¯t targeted them. ¡°Get up! Fast!¡± she yelled, already stirring the mana in her sternum. She¡¯d only managed to recover about a third, but it would have to do. Her cousins heard her, scrambling to stand. Sadly, they weren¡¯t fast enough. SNIP A second mound of sand exploded just under where Aleyn was, a deafening sound ringing in their ears. As soon as the cloud settled somewhat, ine saw a colossal pincer pointing towards the sky, chunks of wet gore hanging off its serrated edges. Its base was drenched in a crimson pool which kept deepening as the blood gushed out of the two halves of her cousin¡¯s lifeless body. ¡°AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!¡± Enid¡¯s scream was the only thing that stopped ine from throwing up on the spot. Prying her eyes off Aleyn¡¯s corpse, she turned towards herst surviving teammate. A second pincer had pierced through the sand at some point, but luckily it had missed. Although shaken, Enid was still in one piece. ine dashed, ignoring the protests of her tired legs, picking her cousin off the ground as she kept running, trying to put distance from the monster. She felt the sand shake as a tremor coursed through her surroundings. Resisting the urge to look back, she activated her Mana Sense instead. A bright Green star thrummed in the beast¡¯s frame, as multiple streams of the same colour flowed through its visage. It was using its pincers to pull itself up, its body already halfway above the surface. This scorpion was the size of an elephant, with three long tails iling above it. Being the same grade as the creature, ine knew she should be able to defeat it normally. But not with so little mana and not while keeping Enid safe. Right now, her best course of action was to flee. Unfortunately, the beast wasn¡¯t quite ready to let them go, however. As soon as it was done unlodging itself from the makeshift tunnel, its three pairs of legs began stabbing and pushing against the sand, the scorpion¡¯s heavy frame elerating towards them. Like a battering ram, the abomination crashed through the dunes, barely slowing down. ¡®It¡¯s catching up.¡¯ ine grimaced. There was no way she could outrun the monster in its own element. Certainly not while carrying somebody. She summoned all her strength to toss her cousin as far ahead as she could manage. Perhaps the fall might have injured a regr human, but the girl was at Yellow, so she just rolled harmlessly on the soft sand. Not that she would survive long if ine failed to kill the beast. Hopefully, this would keep her out of the fight though. Turning around, ine took another deep breath, briefly entertaining the thought of breaking through thest barrier and mastering Cirction right then and there. Then, she chuckled bitterly. ¡®Not a chance.¡¯ Even if she could miraculouslye up with the burst of inspiration she needed, the arid desert air made this the worst possible ce to circte water mana. No. She¡¯d have to make do with the only spell she had. Her measly reserves wouldn¡¯tst for a prolonged fight either. ¡®I guess I¡¯ll have to kill it in one shot.¡¯ The scorpion approached rapidly. Its massive body was only a dozen meters away when a wave of calm took over her, a strange thought passing through her mind. ¡®Is this what Percy feels like every time he gets in a fight?¡¯ ine hadpleted countless missions, but she couldn¡¯t remembering this close to dying before. Most of the time, her Green core was enough to make quick work of the Orange and Yellow beasts she hunted. Even the few Green ones she¡¯d faced had been under better circumstances. Was this how it felt to put her life on the line? She shook her head. This wasn¡¯t the time for silly thoughts. Drawing all the mana from her core and summoning all the strength in her muscles, she spun her body towards the beast to build up as much momentum as she could manage. She figured every little bit might make the difference. Three whips formed in each hand, but she didn¡¯t stop there. She willed them to turn even firmer, even sharper than before, as a fourth one began to manifest. By the time the shadow of the scorpion loomed over her, she could hardly even see it. It was all a blur, the spinning des of azure dominating her sight, as they whistled shrilly, slicing through the air. The impact she did feel, however. The whips bent, a couple of them even snapping as a mountain collided with them. Having absorbed most of the weight, her constructs saved her from being squashed into paste, but the wind was still knocked out of her lungs, waves of pain rippling through her body. Her joints buckled, her bones creaked, and she could feel her soles burn as she and the monster both slid through the scorching sand. But she didn¡¯t stop spinning. She kept focusing on her whips ¨C her only way out ¨C as shemanded them to reform, to sharpen even more, to carve out anything in their path. SHRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII¡­ The grating sound intensified as she picked up speed. The mana was dwindling at a frightening rate, the whips thinning into mere threads¡­ but they still felt stronger than before, somehow. ine didn¡¯t stop. She couldn¡¯t stop. A moment¡¯s hesitation would mean her death. Enid¡¯s too. She kept spinning in ce, her world consumed into a whirlwind of azure, as all other senses vanished. [Congrattions! Your spell has evolved: Whip ¨C Crude -> Kraken¡¯s Gambit ¨C Refined!] It wasn¡¯t until a long timeter she realized she was no longer sliding through the sand. The grating screech had stopped too. There was nothing pushing against her. But she didn¡¯t let go of the mana right away. She didn¡¯t want to risk it. ¡°¡­ine!¡± At some point, she scarcely registered a voice. Enid¡¯s. ¡°It¡¯s over! It¡¯s dead!¡± her cousin added after a moment. Only then did she allow the spell to fizzle out, plopping down weakly. SPLASH Yet, it wasn¡¯t the dry mound of sand she was expecting. Her everything still spun, though she scarcely registered a greenish chunk of wet chitin in front of her eyes. She tried shifting around. All her muscles hurt. She felt more of the goo around her with every movement. She was practically swimming in the stuff. ¡°I¡¯ll need some help getting home¡­¡± Chapter 36: Fungal Spire Technically, baldy HAD exined what they would find at their destination. Perhaps, Percy shouldn¡¯t have been so taken aback by the sight before him. Yet here he was, blinking repeatedly, struggling to believe his eyes. Maybe they were ying tricks on him, tired as they were from the long journey. ¡®CAW! CAW!¡¯ ¡®Yeah, I didn¡¯t realize it was going to be this big either.¡¯ The Alchemists¡¯ Guild was situated next to an extraordinary structure resembling a conical tree. An impossibly tall one too, its tip lost above the clouds. It was adorned from top to bottom with bright lights of all colours, making it appear man-made, seemingly erected for some grand festival. Yet, this assessment couldn¡¯t be further from the truth. To start with, this was no nt at all. Strictly speaking, it was a mountain. Its ¡®trunk¡¯ was really a narrow column of rock, several miles long, thrusting towards the sky like a giant¡¯s spear. There was nothing artificial about it either. Countless huge mushrooms grew all over the steep slope, their stems bending upwards. As a result, their caps faced the stars, forming tforms hundreds of meters wide. These titanic protrusions constantly released mana of all types, giving the ce its varied glow. ¡®So, this is the Fungal Spire...¡¯ ording to his grandpa, it was among the greatest natural treasures on Remior. Also, one of the main reasons other races targeted them. Multiple underground rivers of mana converged beneath it, allowing the monstrous fungi to flourish. This, in turn, had given rise to a truly bizarre ecosystem where the main ingredient for the elixirs could be found. The Guild, where Percy would be living, was built at its base, while the hunting grounds, where he and Micky would spend most of their time, were the giant mushrooms themselves. ¡®CAW!¡¯ Reminded by his familiar¡¯s cry, the young man gently tapped the horse¡¯s side with his heel, urging it to gallop faster. There would be plenty of time for sightseeingter. He shouldn¡¯t dy and risk getting attacked again.*** His relief was palpable as the Guild¡¯s entrance came into view. Atst, he was safe! ¡®Theck of a queue is a wee bonus too.¡¯ Not that this wasn¡¯t a popr destination. Quite the opposite, in fact. Aspiring alchemists and merchants travelled to the Guild all year round. Still, it couldn¡¯tpare with the traffic to the Order¡¯s temples, where a third of Remior¡¯s children were brought to take the test. Certainly not thiste at night. ¡®Everything ok on your end?¡¯ Percy had bid his familiar farewell a few minutes ago. The bird couldn¡¯t follow him into the Guild proper, so the n was for Micky to circle around and find a ce to stay on the other side of the trunk. Apparently, the base of the Spire was designated as the bottom level of the hunting grounds, mostly popted by Red beasts. There, the bird could fly around unobstructed, with nothing daring to approach. Of course, the Guild had numerous squads patrolling the perimeter of the structure, to prevent intruders from entering without authorization. That said, they wouldn¡¯t care much about a lone beast passing through the bottom level. ¡®CAW!¡¯ After receiving confirmation from his friend that he was alright, Percy walked up to the guards. The two men wore green robes ¨C the same colour as their cores. The clothes were neat, but not nearly as over-the-top as the funny-looking togas and sandals of the guards at the temple. They were half-asleep ¨C one even startled by his appearance ¨C probably not expecting any visitors past midnight. Still, they were professionals. Withoutint, they requested his official documents backing his purpose at the Guild. Percy took out his grandpa¡¯s letter, which one of the guards skimmed through rather quickly, before handing him a wooden badge. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°This is only for guests. You¡¯ll have to register properly inside the third building to your left. But it¡¯s not open at this time. For now, keep going until you reach the building with the blue door and then head right until you get to the inn. You can stay the night there for free. The stables are next door.¡± Percy nodded, walking inside, his horse in tow. As soon as he entered the settlement, his eyes widened. Motes of light danced in the wind, like colourful snowkes painting everything in joy and wonder. He¡¯d seen some outside too, but they were much denser here. Probably thanks to somerge-scale enchantment keeping them within the Guild¡¯s perimeter. The tiny orbs faded into nothingness every time they touched an object ¨C a red one startling him as itnded on his nose. ¡®They must all being from the mushrooms.¡¯ Instinctively, he tilted his head up, gawking at the blinding sea of colours slowly descending from the sky. Even more numerous than stars, they shifted and mixed, forming ever-changing patterns of raw magic. A question suddenly popped up in his head. ¡®Can I absorb them?¡¯ He took a deep breath, letting the motes spiral into his lungs as he directed the mana to his two cores. His regeneration was slightly faster than outside ¨C maybe by 20% or so ¨C but that was about it. It would make fighting atop the giant fungi slightly more convenient. That said, the difference wouldn¡¯t be great. Micky might be able to get some mind mana for his second core too, although it would be negligible. It couldn¡¯t evenpare with the red mist outside the Order¡¯s temple, so it would take the familiar years to amass enough at this rate. Percy would still have to find a different source, which was one of his goals for the near future. Then, he shook his head. ¡®That¡¯s tomorrow¡¯s problem. Let¡¯s get some sleep now.¡¯ Following the guard¡¯s instructions, he slowly made his way towards the inn, all-the-while appreciating the sights around him. The architecture was very different to what he was used to. Unlike his family¡¯s mansion which was mostly made of wood, all the buildings here were made of stone. Not just that, but they all appeared to be in pristine condition, as if they had only been built days ago. Of course, this wasn¡¯t the case. The Alchemists¡¯ Guild was even older than the Avalon House. Many times so, in fact. Percy wouldn¡¯t be surprised if these houses and shops had been here for tens of millennia already. ¡®They must be enchanted with preservation runes.¡¯ The young man didn¡¯t miss the numerous glyphs dimly shimmering along the polished surfaces. The symbols shone a touch more brightly every time one of the colourful motesnded on them, before fading a momentter. Soon, he found the inn. He skipped it for now, entering the stables instead. Luckily, they were open, manned by a clerk in a uniform like that of the guards, although his was yellow. There weren¡¯t many horses inside. Not many people used them on Remior, as travelling on foot was easier once you reached Yellow. With nine times the speed and endurance of a regr human, the only reason for a Yellow or higher to ride a horse would be if they were escorting somebody at a lower grade. Even then, they technically had the option of carrying that person themselves, although it would look awkward and downright silly. Percy chuckled, imagining Gawain giving him a piggyback ride. Or Rick stacking his threeckies on his back like sacks of rice. ¡°How long do you want us to keep it for you?¡± the clerk asked, breaking him out of his thoughts. Percy felt some heat gather in his cheeks upon realizing he¡¯d looked like a maniac,ughing to himself. Then, he shrugged. ¡°Can I sell it instead? I¡¯m not going to be leaving anytime soon.¡± It would be cheaper to buy another horse when it was time to go ¨C if he even needed one by then. Strictly speaking, Percy had no idea how long he was going to stay. It would depend on many factors he couldn¡¯t ount for at the moment, such as his sess or failure in the Guild, or whatever treasures his future clones managed to bring back to Remior. Still, he estimated he¡¯d be here for at least a year or two. The man nodded, mming a red coin on the counter, prompting Percy to raise an eyebrow. ¡°Ha, I guess you¡¯re new here. This coin is worth 1 contribution point. The colours follow the same pattern as grades, with orange coins worth 10, yellow 100 and so on. You¡¯ll need them for everything you buy or sell in the Guild.¡± The young man picked the coin up, examining it for a couple of moments in intrigue before tossing it in his pocket. He was about to flood the clerk with a ton of questions, but the guy beat him to it, raising a hand. ¡°Look, kid, I know you want to ask me more stuff, but they¡¯ll exin everything at the orientation when you register tomorrow. For now, go get some sleep. You look like crap. No offense.¡± Percy wasn¡¯t bothered, realising the clerk was most likely right. He thanked him before leaving. Entering the inn, he showed his wooden badge to the guy there, before being led to his room for the night. It wasn¡¯t the most luxurious ce, but it was clean at least, probably enchanted for that. It sure beat Micky¡¯s cell on Huehue. His own room back at home too ¨C though not by a huge margin. ¡®I guess this is my home now.¡¯ Percy would be lying if he said he wasn¡¯t worried. He knew he¡¯d be safe inside the Guild, and he¡¯d already checked up on his familiar six times since entering the settlement. Still, he had no idea what tomorrow would bring. Would he thrive in this ce, or sink to the bottom and be forgotten? ¡®Only one way to find out, I suppose.¡¯ Chapter 37: Registration As soon as the first rays of sunlight entered his room, Percy¡¯s eyes bolted open. The young man practically leapt to his feet, eager to register as an alchemist and begin hunting right away. He was still tired, having only barely managed to catch a couple hours of sleep. Not that he hadn¡¯t tried to rest some more, but his anxiety and anticipation had narrowly won over his exhaustion. That said, he was at least functional right now and he didn¡¯t want to leave his familiar alone out there a moment longer than necessary. ¡®Micky, how are you doing?¡¯ The response came dyed and strained. ¡®CAW¡­¡¯ With it, Percy received a close-up image of a tree¡¯s branches ¨C presumably where the bird had nested for the night. The young man hadn¡¯t missed the hint of annoyance contained in his friend¡¯s reply either. Micky should have just woken up. Percy chuckled. ¡®I¡¯m sorry buddy. Had to make sure you were ok.¡¯ Exiting the inn, he briefly paused to appreciate the scenery. The colourful motes looked different than before, glinting as they fluttered in the soft light, but they were just as beautiful asst night, if not more so. There was some movement in the streets too, although not as much as he expected.¡®I guess most people don¡¯t wake up this early.¡¯ The few he did see all wore the Guild¡¯s uniform, with varying colours matching their grade. Most were Yellow but he did spot a couple Greens and even a Blue at some point. As for anything lower, he had yet to see one. ¡®Hopefully it¡¯s notpulsory to wear it. I¡¯m gonna stick out like a sore thumb if I¡¯m the only one in orange robes¡­¡¯ he grimaced at the thought. Retracing his steps from the night before, he recalled the guard¡¯s instructions, trying to find the registration office. He did make it there eventually, albeit after having taken a couple wrong turns and being forced to ask a passerby. ¡®I me the fatigue.¡¯ Luckily, the building was already open, sparing him the torture of waiting outside. A clerk greeted him with a smile. ¡°Good morning! We¡¯ll need your guest badge, your rmendation letter and some details about yourself.¡± he said, passing him a piece of paper and a quill. Percy handed him the wooden badge and his grandpa¡¯s letter before examining the document. It was a form, meant to be filled with all sorts of personal information. ¡®My name, age, family, grade at birth, current grade, affinity, bloodline, reasons for joining the Guild, prior experience with alchemy¡­¡¯ It all looked standard, although he wasn¡¯tfortable with all the fields. Naturally, he wouldn¡¯t reveal anything about his second core, but he had to be truthful about his first one. ¡°Is anything wrong?¡± the clerk asked after a minute. ¡°Well, I was just wondering¡­ What do you need all this information for?¡± Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the vition. The man chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t be so stressed. I know it¡¯s a jungle out there, but you don¡¯t have anything to worry about as long as you¡¯re within the jurisdiction of the Guild. We need to know some basic things about the people who work here to make sure everything is in order. However, nobody will leak details of your bloodline or use any of the information you provide to harm you.¡± Percy nodded, albeit reluctantly. This was in line with what baldy had exined, but it still felt weird being so open about his soul affinity and his ability. Logically, he understood nobody would piece together its function. And even if somebody wanted to hurt him, it wasn¡¯t like they needed this information to do so. Still, he felt his stomach churn after he was done, as if he had been stripped naked in front of a stranger. ¡°Great! It will take about an hour to process your registration and prepare your new badge and clothes. In the meantime, please follow me.¡± The clerk was already walking down a corridor by the time he finished speaking. Percy hurriedly caught up. ¡°About the robes¡­ Is wearing them mandatory?¡± he asked with some hope in his eyes. The man tossed him an apologetic look, probably realizing the source of his concern. ¡°Afraid so. Still, I assure you that your lower grade won¡¯t affect your ability to ess any of the Guild¡¯s facilities. If you suspect anyone has refused to amodate you just because of that, make sure to report them to the Guild¡¯s management.¡± Percy¡¯s expression fell at the beginning of the clerk¡¯s response, although he had to admit he did feel better by the end. Soon, they reached an open door. It led to a small room with a few sets of desks and chairs facing a ckboard. There were two people already sitting in there, none of them wearing the Guild¡¯s robes. ¡°To save time, we exin everything to you in batches.¡± the clerk said. ¡°Please wait in this room for now. Your orientation will begin once a few more people gather.¡± After he left, Percy looked at the other neers. Both appeared around his age, although it would be misleading to make any assumptions based on that alone. Having reached adulthood, it would take them decades for any physical changes to show given their Yellow cores. They also checked him out at first, but quickly frowned and grew disinterested upon noticing his grade. Despite what the clerk had said, people wouldn¡¯t stop looking down on him just like that. At most, the Guild¡¯s rules forced people to not decline him any important services, but their thoughts were still their own. ¡®Ok, fine. No talking then. Let¡¯s all wait in silence.¡¯ And wait they did, for several more hours. Three more people were brought in by the clerk at various points, but he didn¡¯t seem keen on beginning the orientation just yet. Percy entertained himself by peering through his familiar¡¯s eyes, watching the bird hunt some ck wasp-like creatures, stuffing its face full of Red cores. The others in the room didn¡¯t have that option, however. ¡°How much longer until we start?! I¡¯ve been here for six hours!!¡± one of them yelled at the clerk the next time he showed up. ¡°I apologize for the dy. Usually, we do this in groups of seven. Unfortunately, it¡¯s been a slow day today. If nobody shows up in the next hour, we¡¯ll start anyway.¡± The reactions were mixed. Some were visibly annoyed hearing they had to wait longer, while others appeared relieved to finally have a concrete timeframe. As for Percy, he was a bit more neutral on all this. He still itched to head out and begin hunting of course, but he was no longer worried about Micky. It was hard to be, after watching the bird y around all morning. Either way, the clerk returned just a few minutester to put them out of their misery, with the seventh person in tow. She was a girl in herte teens, her tousled dark hair barely reaching her shoulders. It matched the colour of her eyes, half-hidden behind sses. Her frame was petite, dressed in casual clothes. Not exactly what one would expect from a nobledy. In fact, unlike the others in the room, Percy failed to recognize her House¡¯s insignia. ¡®Must be a new family.¡¯ Either way, she was at Yellow, like everyone else besides him. He figured they were all Orange-borns too. It fit with their appearances. They didn¡¯t look old enough to be Red-borns or young enough to be Yellow-borns. At least, the new girl didn¡¯t look at him with ridicule like the rest. Well, technically she didn¡¯t even spare him a nce at all ¨C or anyone else for that matter. Ignoring all the annoyed res aimed her way, she sat at the nearest chair, before resting her face down on the desk. Evidently, she was only going through the motions, still half-asleep. ¡®It¡¯s past noon already! She¡¯s even worse than Micky!¡¯ AHEM The clerk cleared his throat, drawing everyone¡¯s attention. His gaze lingered on the drowsy girl for a moment, but he didn¡¯t dwell on her. ¡°I apologize again this took so long, but we can finally begin.¡± Chapter 38: Orientation The first part of the clerk¡¯s exnation wasn¡¯t anything too eye opening. He went over some mundane things like how they were expected to conduct themselves within the Guild. The summary was that they were pretty much allowed to do whatever they wanted, as long as they wore the uniforms, treated others politely and didn¡¯t kill, steal or cheat. Each of them was going to be handed 5 contribution points to start with. It wasn¡¯t a huge sum, but it was more than sufficient to cover their food and amodation for their first month. Beyond that, they would have to pay for their expenses out of their own pocket. That said, the bare necessities weren¡¯t difficult to earn enough for. The clerk even gave them a quick overview of the settlement, showing them where to find shops, inns, restaurants and other important facilities on a map. ¡®So far, so good.¡¯ Percy thought, suppressing a yawn. It was the next part of the orientation that caused his eyes to widen. This was what he was interested in. ¡°The reason most of you are here are naturally the elixirs we all need to advance. Our Guild is where they are produced. You can learn to brew them yourselves, but you can also buy them with contribution points.¡± ¡°How much does a dose cost?¡± somebody asked. The clerk smiled bitterly. ¡°400 points.¡± His response elicited sharp breaths from the audience.¡°Per day?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough to buy food and amodation for 7 years!¡± After waiting for the chatter to die out, the clerk spoke again. ¡°It¡¯s indeed expensive, but you knew that already. It¡¯s not any cheaper to buy it from the Guild than elsewhere. However, you can find all sorts of opportunities to earn contribution points here.¡± The room remained quiet, prompting him to continue. ¡°There are many ways to get them. The simpler ones are jobs like what I¡¯m doing right now.¡± he smiled. ¡°Although these posts don¡¯t pay that well. We typically treat them as a vacation, for when we want to take things easy for a couple of weeks.¡± ¡°Then, what¡¯s the most profitable method?¡± an initiate asked. ¡°Alchemy obviously! After all, it¡¯s the Guild¡¯s specialty! There is no better way to earn points than to brew your own elixirs and make a killing selling the excess to others¡­ But I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s a catch.¡± Nobody looked surprised by his words. If it was that easy, nobody would bother with anything else. ¡°Learning the art is a time-consuming process and a colossal money sink. You¡¯ll have to spend months if not years to get any good at it. You¡¯ll need to throw a warehouse of ingredients down the gutter too. Until then, you¡¯ll be losing more points than you earn.¡± Everyone¡¯s faces fell, but he continued. ¡°Consequently, I advise you to forget about alchemy for the time being. If you have lofty aspirations to live a life of luxury and wealth, it might be something for you to work towards in the long-term. For now, your best bet is to venture out into the Fungal Spire and hunt the Starry Wasps.¡± ¡°What does that involve?¡± a young man asked. Percy recognised him as one of the two people who¡¯d arrived earlier than him. The clerk proceeded to exin how the hunting grounds worked. Essentially, the Fungal Spire was segregated into five levels, based on the grade of the beasts living there. The higher one ascended, the stronger the wasps got. At the ground level, where Micky was currently staying, you could only find Starry Drones, which had Red cores and were about asrge as a man¡¯s fist. Further up, one could find Starry Workers, Soldiers, Knights and Commanders, which progressively increased in both size and grade, all the way to Blue. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been uwfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. There was even rumoured to be a Starry Queen with a Violet core hiding somewhere in the depths of the Fungal Spire. However, nobody could verify if this was true, as entering the structure was strictly prohibited. The number of insects living inside the Spire vastly eclipsed the few that wandered outside. Still, the Guild¡¯s foremost priority was to preserve the local ecosystem, so people were only allowed to freely roam and hunt on the giant mushrooms. ¡°What you want to harvest is the special nd that all types of wasps share just a few inches below their core.¡± ording to the clerk, this unique organ contained a few drops of nectar ¨C the primary ingredient for the elixirs. The amount of nectar contained in each nd depended on the grade of the creature. Apparently, the Starry Drones at the bottom level usually carried 5 drops, with each higher grade having three times as much as the one below. Each drop of nectar was valued at precisely 1 contribution point ¨C or perhaps it might be more urate to say it was the other way around. Clearly, the entire economy of the Alchemists¡¯ Guild had been built around the exotic substance. ¡°At the end of the day, it alles down to yourbat ability. If you¡¯re good, you can kill a lot of wasps per day and make a ton of points. Sadly, it means that some of you may be at a bit of a disadvantage.¡± Percy didn¡¯t appreciate how everyone turned towards him after that statement. ¡®They aren¡¯t wrong though.¡¯ Most of these people would be hunting the Starry Soldiers on the third level, while he and Micky would have to make do with the workers on the second one. Still, this wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing. He actually liked the idea of having an entire level to himself. After all, he had many secrets. Hunting in a crowded area would be inconvenient. ¡°Any questions?¡± the clerk asked after finishing. Only one person raised her hand. It was the girl with the sses who had arrivedst. She¡¯d spent the entire orientation face down on the desk, so Percy assumed she¡¯d slept through the whole thing. The clerk didn¡¯t look very pleased either, creasing his brow. He probably thought she was going to ask about something he¡¯d already exined. Still, he didn¡¯t stop her. ¡°Are we obligated to hunt or brew?¡± The man raised an eyebrow, not expecting that question. ¡°Well, no. Nobody can tell you what to do. If you want to stick to other jobs and only pay for your expenses, you¡¯re technically allowed to do that. But, you won¡¯t be able to afford the elixirs that way. Why evene to the Guild if you aren¡¯t willing to do those things?¡± Drowsy girl nodded absentmindedly, seemingly satisfied with the answer. She didn¡¯t say much else, instead falling back to her desk, resuming her nap. The clerk spent another 5 minutes giving them a few more tips and instructions. Next, he politely asked them to leave the room to make space for the next batch after handing them their badges and robes. Finding a ce to stay wasn¡¯t difficult. The Guild was full of empty houses, all made of the same enchanted stone, waiting for new members to im them. Percy picked a spot near the back gate of the settlement, for easier ess to the Spire. He only needed to press his badge against a rune on the door to register himself as the new owner, allowing him to enter and lock as he pleased. At the end of each month, he¡¯d have to pay rent at a designated spot to get the badge recharged. After a quick look inside, he took a shower before changing into the orange robes. It was still annoying he had to wear them everywhere, but at least they feltfortable enough to hunt in. Having not had a chance earlier, he gulped down his daily dose of the elixir, leaving thest few vials in his possession back home, before heading out for some shopping. Despite being quite hungry, he didn¡¯t buy much, settling for a loaf of bread. He munched on it on the way back, figuring he could return for more stuffter. Right now, he¡¯d rather avoid wasting more time. It was alreadyte in the afternoon. He¡¯d epted he wouldn¡¯t get much hunting done today, but he wanted to at least meet up with Micky and explore the first level to familiarize himself with the area. Leaving through the back gate, he ignored the suspension bridge leading up the first mushroom. That was the way to the second level, which he¡¯d worry about tomorrow. Remaining on the ground, he began circling around the mountain. The entire trip would have taken him several hours, but he¡¯d already asked his familiar to meet him halfway. The bird flew much faster than he walked too. Although Micky had kept him updated throughout the day, the young man couldn¡¯t help but exhale in relief after seeing him in person. This was the longest they had ever spent apart. CAW! CAW! Evidently, the familiar felt the same way. ¡°So, care to show me around your new home? I want to see what these Starry Wasps are all about.¡± Chapter 39: Starry Drones It wasn¡¯t like he hadn¡¯t searched for the bugs on the way, but he hadn¡¯t found any. The colourful motes impaired visibility and even interfered with Mana Sense. CAW! The bird threw a quick nce around, before flying a certain direction. A few momentster, it returned with something squirming in its beak. Its shape wasn¡¯t much different from a regr wasp¡¯s, but it was muchrger. For the most part, its carapace was ck. However, Percy didn¡¯t miss the numerous tiny dots glittering along the slick chitin, resembling the motes in their surroundings. ¡®Ok, so they blend in the environment. How did you find it so easily?¡¯ Micky hadn¡¯t struggled much to locate the oversized bug, seemingly unaffected by its camouge. The familiar pointed to its eyes with a wing. CAW! CAW! Percy smiled wryly. ¡®Not very helpful. I wouldn¡¯t be able to spot one further than 20 feet away¡­ Unless¡­¡¯ Gathering some soul mana into his eyes, three silver mes of various shapes and sizes came into view. His own was thergest, followed by Micky¡¯s. The wasp¡¯s wasn¡¯t nearly as bright, merely a wisp on the verge of being snuffed out, but it was there nheless.This was good news. Due to his nature as a familiar, Micky had manifested some unique abilities allowing him to interact with the souls of others. At the beginning, it had only affected his beak, letting him consume the souls of his prey. Following his advancement to Orange, however, it had extended to his talons and eyes. Evidently, while the colourful motes affected both Mana Sense and regr sight, they weren¡¯t alive and thus could be filtered out through Soul Vision. ¡®It¡¯s nice to know we have at least one advantage over others.¡¯ Still, Percy failed to spot any other wasps nearby. Apparently, they were somewhat scarce. Despite having the ability to see them, he and Micky would have to move around a lot. ¡®Eat its core but be careful not to damage anything else.¡¯ The bird heeded his instructions, swiftly putting the wasp out of its misery, cawing in satisfaction after swallowing the tasty snack. Pulling a knife out, Percy carefully sliced open the bug¡¯s thorax vertically, before cing his fingers inside, searching for something. A few momentster, he pulled out a soft, squishy ball about half the size of a cherry. Taking a small vial out of his pocket, he uncorked it with his mouth before cutting a small hole into the nd and squeezing it above the bottle¡¯s opening. A drop of a viscous liquid fell inside. It glowed in a rich amber colour ¨C looking a bit like magic honey. ¡®On second thought¡­ isn¡¯t that precisely what this is?¡¯ The young manpressed the nd more firmly, until he counted five drops. This was already worth as much as what the Guild had given him. Clearly, the clerk wasn¡¯t kidding when he said it would be easy to make a living. ¡®Still, I need 800 drops per day for both of my cores¡­¡¯ It was a huge sum. Percy wasn¡¯t sure if it was even possible to get that much. Micky and Soul Vision would certainly help, but they¡¯d need to hunt 160 Starry Drones on average. ¡®Micky. Let¡¯s y a game. Whoever finds the most wasps in the next 2 hours wins.¡¯ *** CAW! The familiar was over the moon, having barely eked out a victory in their littlepetition. Percy wasn¡¯t nearly as excited on the other hand. Although, his loss wasn¡¯t what soured his mood. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡®As expected, hunting on the first floor isn¡¯t very efficient.¡¯ The two had only found another five wasps by the end. Extrapting, he estimated that even if they spent all day doing this from now on, they¡¯d only get about 200 contribution points ¨C barely half a dose. A quarter of what he needed. It was not all bad, however. Killing the drones was easy as they didn¡¯t put up much of a fight, making the ground floor quite safe. He was also certain nobody in their right mind would ever bother with it either, meaning he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about his secrets leaking. Finally, he was confident he and Micky would improve with some more experience, increasing their harvest after a few more weeks. ¡®Still, it won¡¯t be enough.¡¯ he shook his head. But that was fine. He hadn¡¯t expected this to work. His goal had always been the second level, the Starry Workers there being more suitable for their grades. Even if he ignored the fact they possessed three times as much nectar as the drones, their Orange cores would elerate Micky¡¯s advancement and their souls would do the same for his own recovery. Squeezing the rest of his loot into the vial, he shook it a few times, marvelling at the expensive liquid swirling at the bottom. It wasn¡¯t nearly as much as he needed, but it was a start. His goal for tomorrow would be to do better. Percy bid his familiar farewell, before heading back towards the settlement. The sun had already set a while ago, but ording to the clerk the shops shouldn¡¯t have closed yet. The young man hoped to get some supplies for his new abode. He would be staying there for some time, after all. He might as well make itfortable. *** Percy was carrying four paper bags full of groceries. While he hade across a lot of exotic spices and ingredients they didn¡¯t have back at the mansion, he had kept his shopping fairly barebones. He¡¯d only gone for things like bread, milk, eggs and some fruit. After all, he¡¯d never learned to cook, and he doubted he¡¯d have the time for a new hobby anytime soon. ¡®Maybe one day.¡¯ He was only a couple blocks away from his new house when an interesting smell caught his attention. It came from his left, where a small stall stood. It was operated by a plump guy lighting a stove with fire magic. This was the first person Percy had seen wearing an orange robe. He looked a bit older than the others too, seemingly in his mid-thirties. ¡®A Red-born.¡¯ The guy noticed him as well, waving at him to approach. ¡°First day here?¡± ¡°What gave me away?¡± ¡°Nothing really. I just haven¡¯t seen you before.¡± He handed Percy something warm, wrapped in a piece of parchment. The young man sniffed a couple of times, trying to discern what it was. It looked a bit like a pancake, dripping with honey. However, it had been rolled up and it was crispy too. Percy struggled to keep himself from drooling. ¡°What is it? It looks delicious.¡± ¡°It tastes even better!¡± the guy grinned. ¡°I call them Honey Rolls.¡± ¡°How much?¡± Percy asked, reaching into his pocket. The guy shook his head. ¡°First one¡¯s on the house. Think of it like a wee gift. Or Red-born solidarity if you prefer.¡± ¡°Thanks!¡± If the guy was offering, Percy wouldn¡¯t stand on ceremony. He bit a chunk out of the Honey Roll. The dude wasn¡¯t kidding. This was heaven. The thin crust gave way, crunching under his teeth, as the vour of the honey blended with the warm dough. Maybe he was a little biased, having lived off dried rations for two weeks followed by some nd bread. That said, he¡¯d bet money this would still taste good tomorrow. Suddenly, a strange thought crossed his mind. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re using nectar?¡± ¡°Ha! As if! What moron would waste an elixir¡¯s worth of nectar on a snack?!¡± the plump dude chuckled. ¡°Besides, I doubt it would even taste that good. This is just regr honey.¡± he added after a moment. Percy nodded. That made sense. ¡°Name¡¯s Freddy.¡± the plump guy said, extending his hand. The young man hurriedly wiped his on the parchment a couple of times, before reciprocating. ¡°Percy. Are you also doing this as a ¡®vacation¡¯? The clerk from the orientation said you can¡¯t afford the elixirs without hunting wasps or learning to brew.¡± Freddy¡¯s face fell at his question, making Percy realize he might have asked something inappropriate. He was about to apologize but the guy spoke first. ¡°He was right. My Honey Rolls are rather popr if I may say so myself. Still, nowhere near enough.¡± He remained silent for a few seconds, before continuing. ¡°But I¡¯ve given up on hunting. Even after busting my ass, I could barely make 300 points on a good day. It would still be enough to get the expensive elixir every other day or something, but I figured it wasn¡¯t worth the trouble. Right now, I¡¯ve settled on the diluted ones.¡± Percy felt the urge to protest ¨C to tell Freddy not to give up. But he suppressed it. ¡®What do I even know? I just got here.¡¯ The two chatted for a few minutes, switching to some more light-hearted topics, before Percy left. His expression was downtrodden by the time he got home. Freddy was a nice guy. A Red-born like him, who had probablye to the Alchemists¡¯ Guild harbouring the same dream. And the cruel reality had chipped away at it for years, until nothing remained. Percy¡¯s final thought before he dozed off was a resolute one. ¡®I won¡¯t let this happen to me.¡¯ Chapter 40: Starry Workers Percy had experienced a few peculiar things in his rtively short life. More than the average person on Remior, at least. After all, how many could boast of traversing the space between worlds with their soul, or fighting in an alien arena? Still, walking atop a giant mushroom just HAD to make the list. And it wasn¡¯t the first one today either. Each level of the Fungal Spire contained hundreds of them, the smallest being wide enough to fit a minor vige. As for thergest ¨C it was bigger than the Alchemists¡¯ Guild! ¡®It makes me feel like an ant.¡¯ Well, the fact he was here to hunt giant bugs didn¡¯t help much either. In any case, despite the novelty of this all, moving up and down the colossal structure was straightforward. Numerous suspension bridges had been built, linking the giant fungi together for everyone¡¯s convenience. What was more annoying was that he still had to circle a couple miles away from the entrance to the second level, as he didn¡¯t want Micky anywhere near the crowded ces. Only after he estimated to have travelled far enough did he call to the bird. ¡®Over here.¡¯ Luckily, his friend didn¡¯t need bridges to navigate the Spire. It only took him around fifteen minutes to reach him. As soon as they had regrouped, Percy activated Soul Vision, looking for the wasps. Sadly, there didn¡¯t seem to be any around.¡®Can you scout ahead?¡¯ CAW! Micky didn¡¯t need to be told twice, shooting out like an arrow. And hardly another ten minutes passed before Percy received news of two nearby targets on the same mushroom, only a couple bridges away. ¡®Wait for me. Don¡¯t attack them.¡¯ Percy knew Micky could probably handle one of the Starry Workers by himself. He was an Orange beast too, plus he was smarter and had some unique abilities giving him an edge. In fact, he figured they would have to split up in the future, to hunt the creatures more efficiently. That said, today was their first day, so it was probably unwise to undertake any unnecessary risks before learning more about the bugs. They¡¯d still try fighting individually, but they¡¯d remain close to one another, to intervene if necessary. ¡®CAW! CAW!¡¯ Micky didn¡¯t sound very happy about it. He¡¯d waited two days to get his talons on some tasty snacks fitting for his grade. Still, he listened to the young man, albeit begrudgingly. Once Percy arrived, he reactivated his Soul Vision, locating their target. The Starry Worker was muchrger than the drones. At about the size of a fox, it was still on the smaller side as far as Orange beasts were concerned. Still massive for a bug though. What gave Percy pause was a rather nasty stinger sticking out of the wasp¡¯s abdomen. It was longer than his index finger. ¡®Let¡¯s not get stabbed by that.¡¯ CAW! From what he¡¯d heard, the creatures were venomous. At least, their acid wasn¡¯t very potent, so it wouldn¡¯t be lethal unless they got hit in a vital area. It¡¯d still be rather unpleasant though. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the vition. Redoubling their caution, they spread out by a few paces, as he took a few deep breaths, drawing the mana to his second core while guiding even more into his channels. Less than a minuteter, his muscles were brimming with strength, and his body spilling out mana, as he could practically feel the cyan lines thrumming underneath his skin. ¡®At least the robes are long-sleeved.¡¯ It was one of the few saving graces of the Guild¡¯s uniform. It only left his face and hands exposed and thetter he had fixed by putting on a pair of gloves. Of course, he still very much hoped that nobody would pass through this remote region, but they¡¯d be hunting around here for months. It was best to minimize the risk. ¡®Let me handle the first one by myself.¡¯ With everything in order, Percy gathered some soul mana in his hand, before tossing the Parting Gift towards the wasp. It missed. Although annoyed, the young man wasn¡¯t surprised. Unfortunately, the insect wasn¡¯t sitting still. It was whizzing around, feeding on the colourful motes falling from the mushrooms above. Naturally, hitting it mid-air had been a long shot. It also hadn¡¯t been subtle. Beasts had keen senses, making it somewhat harder to catch them by surprise. It must have had its Mana Sense active, noticing the translucent dagger flying past it. BZZZZZZZZZZ Before Percy knew it, the creature was upon him, and it appeared enraged. It tried to finish him directly by lunging straight towards his throat. It almost seeded too, as it was faster than expected, making it difficult to sidestep even with Cirction active. However, it wasn¡¯t as hard to divert the stinger with a flick of his Quarterstaff. SHING Still, the construct bent and cracked, barely shifting the trajectory of the stab by a couple inches ¨C a bit too close forfort. Rotating his right wrist anti-clockwise, Percy tried to use the rebound force from the parry to m the other end of his weapon on the wasp, but he hit nothing but empty air. The creature flew around him erratically, looking for another opening to attack. ¡®It¡¯s really annoying.¡¯ Percy¡¯s kit was not very suitable against this kind of opponent. Hisck of defensive magic didn¡¯t afford him the luxury of blocking hits. He¡¯d lose if he got stabbed even once. Of course, thebination of Cirction and his second core put his reflexes solidly above a regr Orange, meaning he could prevent that if he remained alert. Still, he didn¡¯t exactly have a good means of killing the slippery creature either. His staff was too weak, unless hended a good blow on the wasp¡¯s wings. As for his Parting Gift, it was certainly powerful enough to finish the insect, but it wasn¡¯t easy hitting the bug with it. It cost a lot of mana and time for each shot so he couldn¡¯tunch it very often either. ¡®Just stop moving, will you?!¡¯ Twenty minutes and twice as many Parting Giftster, the wasp was finally dead. The young man was lying on his back, drenched in sweat, his chest heaving up and down. CAW! CAW! Percy grimaced, hearing the crow¡¯s ridicule. ¡®What?! Think you can do better?! Why don¡¯t you try taking on the other one by yourself then?!¡¯ Another twenty minutester, it was Micky¡¯s turn to lie with his back on the giant mushroom, as Percy stood over him with a grin. Flying in a straight line, the crow was much faster than the wasp, but that didn¡¯t ount for the difference in agility. The bug could fly horizontally or vertically too, making it difficult for the familiar to pin it down. It was also rather dangerous, as the insect¡¯s manoeuvrability along with the stinger¡¯s greater reach had almost cost Micky dearly a few times. Eventually, Percy had been forced to intervene, taking advantage of the situation to finish the creature. CAW¡­ ¡®Yeah, we both suck.¡¯ Percy agreed. Their first two kills on the second level hadn¡¯t been easy. It would be a while until they got any good at it. ¡®Let¡¯s try to hunt as many as possible for today.¡¯ Depending on how bad it was, it might be better to stick to the bottom level. The young man sure hoped it wouldn¡¯t be necessary, but it would alle down to how much nectar they could harvest here and how much room for improvement there was. After emptying their spoils into a vial, they took off. Like before, Micky headed out first, scouting for their next target. However, they wouldn¡¯t try fighting separately anymore. It might be something worth considering in the future, but Percy understood their best bet for today would be to team up against the bugs. ¡®The next 15 hours are going to be soooo much fun¡­¡¯ Spoiler alert: They weren¡¯t. Chapter 41: A poor showing The young man wiped the sweat off his forehead with his sleeve for the billionth time. Luckily, it trickled down the enchanted fabric without being absorbed, else he would be soaking by now. ¡®At least the robes came with self-cleaning runes.¡¯ Percy was trudging down the final bridge linking the first and second levels, his eyes half-closed and his breath rugged. The wind caused the flimsy structure to sway every so often, but he¡¯d grown used to it by now, having walked several miles on the bridges already. That said, the exhaustion made keeping his bnce more challenging. He briefly considered using his Quarterstaff as a walking cane, but that would only take more effort. ¡®Let¡¯s just treat it as another obstacle to ovee.¡¯ he shrugged. Today''s hunt had been gruelling, and the results abysmal. He and Micky had only managed to kill fourteen wasps in total, averaging less than one per hour. Evidently, the Starry Workers were on a whole different level than the drones ¨C both literally and metaphorically. Finding them wasn¡¯t that hard. If anything, theirrger size made them spottable from further away, but they were slightly less abundant than their weaker rtives, so it worked out about the same. Killing them was a different story, however. The best strategy they hade up with involved Micky distracting the wasps while Percy fired Parting Gifts, praying theynded. Despite reducing the size and increasing the quantity of the projectiles ¨Cunching three smaller daggers with each shot ¨C hitting the beasts came down to sheer luck. He also had to take extra care not to hit his own familiar with the deadly spell,plicating things further. Another issue was that he couldn¡¯t keep Cirction active all day. Everything had progressed rtively smoothly during the morning, but it all went downhill once he grew too tired to use the technique in the afternoon. The final nail in the coffin was that he had only harvested 12 of the 14 nds, as they had identally ruined a couple while fighting the creatures.¡®We made even less nectar than on the ground floor.¡¯ Percy frowned. Although he had only tested it for a couple of hours, he had estimated they could reliably hunt around 40 drones per day, which would get them about 200 drops of nectar. Today, they had only earned about 180 from the workers! ¡®But there¡¯s more room for improvement here.¡¯ The difficulty in killing the Red variants was non-existent, so the only issue was finding them. Perhaps, they could get better at that after learning the ropes, but they would still be capped by how fast they could travel. Meanwhile, there was more at y on the second level. There, they could also work on theirbat ability and teamwork to increase their gains. ¡®Let¡¯s give it a couple of weeks. If we don¡¯t improve much, we can consider downgrading.¡¯ Soon, he reached the gate, waving at the guards who returned the gesture. Entering the settlement, he headed straight towards Freddy¡¯s spot, craving another Honey Roll. However, he paused upon seeing another new stand that had popped up at some point. ¡®This wasn¡¯t herest night.¡¯ Of course, the roads inside the Guild¡¯s camp were filled with all sorts of stalls with people bartering and trading. Not all were open thiste, but plenty still were. That said, there was a reason why this one caught his eye. Percy recognized the owner! A strange phenomenon considering how few people he had met. It was a petite girl dressed in a brand-new yellow robe. Her tousled hair was ck and only barely reached her shoulders. She wore a pair of sses too. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡®The drowsy girl from the orientation¡­ but what is she doing?¡¯ True to the nickname he had given her, she was resting face-down on the counter once more. Right next to her, there was a translucent jar with five red coins ¨C she clearly hadn¡¯t spent any of her allowance yet, nor had she made any effort to earn more. ¡®She seems to be serious about not hunting or brewing.¡¯ Percy shook his head. Next, he nced down at a hastily made sign she had nailed on the stand. ¡®BUYING INFORMATION ON THE THIRD LEVEL¡¯ The handwriting was sloppy too. Percy¡¯s jaw dropped at the sight. She wanted to buy information with her measly five points? What for? If she had no intention of venturing out, then how would it help her? Also, what if people lied to her? She¡¯d just be wasting her money! ¡®It¡¯s none of my business anyway. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll wise up in a couple of days. Besides, losing a handful of points isn¡¯t a big deal.¡¯ Ignoring her, he continued to Freddy¡¯s stall. ¡°Hey Percy! Any luck out there?¡± the plump guy asked with a smile. ¡°Not really. I only managed to kill seven workers today.¡± he replied, halving the number to hide Micky¡¯s involvement. ¡°That¡¯s quite good for your first proper hunt. A bit better than average too.¡± Freddy nodded. ¡°Really? I thought it was on the lower side.¡± Percy raised an eyebrow. ¡°Most people find the best level to hunt at is the one matching their grade. Locating and killing the wasps can be tricky, so neers usually average about five nds per day. If you have a suitable affinity and with some experience, you can get to twenty.¡± Percy frowned. This arrangement would work well for people at Yellow. After all, twenty kills on the third level would get them 900 contribution points which was more than double what they needed. However, this wouldn¡¯t cut it for him. Even if he and Micky improved enough to hunt twenty workers each, they¡¯d only get 600 points, still short of his second dose. ¡®Let¡¯s not get ahead of myself. For now, I should focus on earning the first dose before I run out of elixirs. After that, I can look into alchemy to make the difference.¡¯ He thanked Freddy for the information and the food before leaving. Just two blocks from his house, however, he was rudely shoved aside by a passerby. ¡°The hell?!¡± The guy didn¡¯t bother apologizing or even ncing back. He kept walking next to another person, the two seemingly locked in a heated conversation. ¡°Nobody mentioned these fucking things would be so hard to find!¡± the first guy yelled. ¡°At least your fire magic is among the best for the job!¡± the other replied. ¡°Do you have any idea how annoying it is to toss stones at them until they hit?!¡± Both wore yellow robes and Percy recognized the second guy ¨C the one who hadn¡¯t pushed him. He¡¯d also been in his orientation. ¡®I guess I¡¯m not the only one having trouble with this.¡¯ Percy smiled wryly. Of course, these people were much closer to their own targets. They were earning more and needed less. Still, knowing he wasn¡¯t alone struggling was a little reassuring. Reaching his house, he took a shower before sitting on his bed. Next, he drank another dose of the elixir, noting he only had sixteen vials left. Adding in the ones he could buy with his current ie, he calcted they¡¯dst him a month. ¡®We need to kill 27 workers per day so that I can sustain one core. That should be my current goal. I have to get there in a month.¡¯ Having made his mind up, he activated Soul Vision, examining the state of his soul. ¡®It¡¯s not all bad.¡¯ the corner of his lips curled up. Despite their subpar performance, the soul mana Micky had gathered from the wasps had done wonders for Percy¡¯s recovery. The crater in his chest had visibly shrunk some more. There was still some distance to cover, but his healing speed would increase too as they raised their hunting efficiency. ¡®I can probably generate enough mana to feed my first core diluted elixirs already. At this rate, I¡¯ll be able to resume sending clones soon!¡¯ Not only that, but honing hisbat skills was a noteworthy benefit in and of itself. Percy would have sought out an environment like the Fungal Spire to train in, even if his advancement wasn¡¯t dependent on it. At the end of the day, adapting his fighting style to his nimble opponents was a wee challenge. ¡®Let¡¯s see if I cane up with a couple new spells for this.¡¯ Chapter 42: Adjusting tactics ¡®I¡¯m jumping in!¡¯ Hearing the warning, the crow changed direction at thest second, briefly confusing the wasp. Percy dashed towards it, swinging down his staff. Still, the agile bug caught on quickly enough, dodging the telegraphed blow, before lunging forward to deliver a hit of its own. The young man flicked his hand, parrying the stinger. SHING Bending dangerously, the cyan weapon appeared about to snap. Percy understood by now that a quarterstaff wasn¡¯t great against the creatures. Coming up with a better use for his pure mana was definitely something on his to-do list. That said, this wasn¡¯t his focus right now. He stabbed forward with his other hand, the silver point just barely missing the wasp. ¡°Fuck! I almost got it!¡± he groaned. The insect was about to counterattack, but Micky dove towards it, nearly clipping its membranous wings with his talons, engaging it into a new round. SIGH Activating Soul Vision, the young man looked at his new weapon again. Its shape hadn¡¯t changed much, but it was twice as long as before. Perhaps it resembled a rapier more than it did a dagger by now.Over thest couple of days, Percy had thought about the greatest shorings in his offensive capabilities. While the Parting Gift packed quite a punch, it was frankly overkill in most situations. The difficulty innding it coupled with the long preparation time meant he left himself defenceless for much of the fight. If he didn¡¯t have a second core to rely on, he would have probably died already. Even if he had found another way to escape from Rick¡¯s group, the Starry Workers would have stabbed him full of holes by now. Consequently, he hade up with two possible solutions. The first was to continue increasing the number of projectiles he could shoot at once. If he gave his spell a wider spread, he¡¯d be able to hit the wasps more frequently. However, it would still leave him powerless between shots. That¡¯s why he¡¯d gone with the second solution instead. His current n was to devise a closebat variant of the Parting Gift. It wouldn¡¯t dissipate after each strike, so his opponents would think twice before approaching ¨C or pay the price. ¡®Although, it¡¯s not perfect either.¡¯ he frowned. While it would keep the bugs at bay ¨C making him safer ¨C it wouldn¡¯t help himnd the hits. If anything, it would make it even harder. That said, he reasoned he could amend that with more practice. The soul constructs were weightless, so he could swing them faster than any corporeal weapon. As long as he worked on his timing, he¡¯d be able to y the Starry Workers with some well-executed counterattacks. ¡®Perhaps a rapier isn¡¯t the best shape though.¡¯ Due to the extreme lethality of his soul mana, he only needed to nick a corner of the bugs¡¯ souls to defeat them. Even if the first strike didn¡¯t kill them, it would stop them in their tracks long enough for him to finish the job. Consequently, a shing weapon might be more useful than a stabbing one. It wasn¡¯t piercing power hecked. ¡®Should I go for a hatchet or cuss?¡¯ He didn¡¯t like the idea of the former as he¡¯d have to waste a lot of mana on the handle. Thetter sounded better, but he¡¯d still prefer something with a wider de. Something the wasps couldn¡¯t evade so easily. ¡®Hmmm¡­ what if I bend the edge a little too¡­¡¯ If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡®CAW!¡¯ Mickyined, snapping him out of his thoughts. ¡®Right. I¡¯m going back in.¡¯ He quickly summoned his weapons, but one looked different. As before, the scuffle ended without sess, the wasp dodging the modified spell effortlessly. However, he didn¡¯t let it get to him, as he knew realizing his new idea would take a couple more days. Percy grinned, beginning to reform the de once more, adjusting the shape again. ¡®You bastards are in for a nasty surprise.¡¯ *** He took a deep breath, as the cyan lines shone underneath his skin. Over the past week, Percy had focused on adapting his Parting Gift rather than killing as many wasps as possible. Logically, this should have caused their daily gains to drop even more, yet it hadn¡¯t. Without realizing, the young man had grown better at maintaining Cirction. This had allowed him to fight in his top form for a couple hours longer per day. ¡®Today our kill count is going up too.¡¯ Soul mana gathered in his hand once more, coalescing into a solid. The de extended and curved and¡­ kept extending and curving still. By the time it finished taking shape, Percy had exhausted everyst drop of mana in his sternum, his weapon spanning an arc three times the radius of his fist. The new version of the Parting Gift required the full capacity of his core to cast, taking the form of a sickle! ¡®Stay out of this one, buddy.¡¯ CAW! Stomping hard, he bolted towards the wasp. The worker noticed him before he reached it, diving for the counter. Percy sidestepped the stab, feinting with his staff. Not the sharpest tool in the shed, the wasp bought the fake out, flying to one side, as Percy swung the rod for real this time, nearly ncing the bug too. BZZZZZZZZZZZZ That seemed to have pissed it off, as itunched a barrage of lunges towards him, trying to turn him into a pin cushion. It wasn¡¯t hard to evade most of them with his footwork, parrying the rest with the Quarterstaff. The construct protested, but it held ¨C for now. Another narrow dodgeter, the bug seemed to have run out of steam, as it tried to put some distance. Percy didn¡¯t let it, instead stepping forward, putting some pressure on the creature with his rod. Realizing it couldn¡¯t keep this up, the bug went for another desperate counterattack, forcing Percy to sacrifice the Quarterstaff for onest parry. SHING This was it! The attack left the bug staggered! Having anticipated it, Percy¡¯s left hand was already on its way to the wasp¡¯s side. It tried to pull back diagonally, but he only had to let the weapon travel a few inches horizontally before releasing his grip, letting the sickle spin as it flew towards the creature. The sh didn¡¯t make a sound, but the young man didn¡¯t miss the bug¡¯s silvery soul being cleanly bisected through his Soul Vision. Percy allowed what remained of his staff to crumble away, but he didn¡¯t move. THUD The lifeless carcass of the Starry Worker crashed on the cap of the giant mushroom, one of its wings nearly snapping as it bent in a weird angle. ¡®It¡¯s done.¡¯ he stared at it in disbelief. He wasn¡¯t even out of breath yet! The fight had onlysted a few minutes! Of course, he¡¯d already spent a week working towards this, but pinning down the slippery creature by himself ¨C without relying on luck or distractions ¨C had seemed like such a distant goal. But he¡¯d done it! He¡¯d held his own, anticipating the bug¡¯s moves, dodging its blows and seizing the right opportunity to strike back! CAW! CAW! Micky flew over him, sharing in his excitement. ¡°Hahahaha!¡± the young man burst intoughter. ¡°Help yourself buddy!¡± he gestured to the corpse. There was still plenty he could do to make their trips more efficient, but this was the first massive step forward. He smiled. ¡®Let¡¯s see how many we can get today.¡¯ *** ¡®19!¡¯ he counted, a shit-eating grin stered on his face. Percy had just finished squeezing thest of today¡¯s nds into a vial. This was their best record so far! This time, he had filled nearly three tubes with the precious nectar, indicating he was getting closer and closer to his goal. Naturally, he was still 8 kills short, but that didn¡¯t seem so unattainable after what he had achieved over a single week. The new form of the Parting Gift was extremely effective against the creatures. He had already killed a few with it in both melee range and from a distance, proving it was about as versatile as he¡¯d intended. It was still a pain whenever he threw it and missed, as it left his first corepletely empty for a time. Luckily, Micky could always jump in and keep the bugs upied until he recovered. ¡®It sucks the Status hasn¡¯t bothered to recognize it though.¡¯ That said, he had expected that. The new variant wasn¡¯t sufficiently different from the original to be listed as a new spell, and neither was it profound enough to be elevated to a Refined ssification. ¡®Although, I suppose it doesn¡¯t matter what it¡¯s called.¡¯ Percy shrugged. ¡®Tomorrow I¡¯ll work on a recement for the Quarterstaff.¡¯ Chapter 43: Aleyn The atmosphere was sombre as the crowd of hundreds stood outside, d in ck robes. A deep silence might have been more appropriate for the asion, but nobody had let the crickets know to stop chirping, or the birds to avoid carelessly flying over the garden. Perhaps, the sky should have looked gloomier too, but Remior¡¯s sun still shone brightly, oblivious to the bitter sobs of the grieving mother, and the asional crackles of firewood snapping in the pyre. SIGH Archibald let out a turbid breath, held inside for a touch too long, as he watched Seryna ¨C his daughter-inw ¨C scatter her son¡¯s ashes in the wind. Fortunately, Abach was not here to mourn the boy, having died in the tragedy years ago, along with the other Red-borns. Truth be told, Archibald had a personal preference for burials over cremations. The idea of having a grave to visit ¨C a way to keep the deceased always close ¨C just sounded better. In fact, many of the younger families still performed them to this day. Sadly, this wasn¡¯t an option for the older ones, like the Avalon House, who had bid farewell to thousands of members over their millennia-long history. If they buried everyone, their mansion would be little more than an ind amidst a sea of graves by now. No, the Avalons wouldn¡¯t get a grave¡­ They¡¯d all have to settle for a few words in a book, listing their rtionships and achievements. The Yellow-borns who lived the longest would get a full page. Some ¨C like Archibald himself ¨C might even get a couple. As for the Red-borns and Orange-borns who died young¡­ they¡¯d have to make do with a paragraph. ¡®Was I wrong?¡¯ It was precisely because things like this kept happening that he had maintained his distance from the family. He had to be a leader! Could he afford to break down every time he lost somebody?Putting his own emotions aside was what was best for everyone. If anything, it helped reduce losses such as today¡¯s. ¡®Little good it did Aleyn though.¡¯ Archibald¡¯s interactions with Percy had made him reconsider his stance. Perhaps, his role as the cold patriarch of the family served their House well ¨C for the majority of people ¨C but what about those few who received the short end of the stick? If Aleyn had been destined to die young, hadn¡¯t he deserved a grandpa in his short life? ¡®Heck, didn¡¯t I deserve to know my grandson before he was gone?¡¯ ine walked over, breaking him out of his thoughts. Her expression was downtrodden ¨C she hadn¡¯t spoken a word since Enid helped her back a few days ago, carrying a sack with Aleyn¡¯s remains in the other hand. ¡®She must be ming herself.¡¯ He ced his hand on her shoulder, squeezing it gently. By all ounts, this could still be considered a positive oue for the family. ine ¨C the only Yellow-born in the team ¨C had not only survived, but returned home with a new Refined spell. In fact, the pragmatic leader in him should have been overjoyed. Perhaps, they should even be celebrating rather than mourning. Yet, the mere thought made his stomach churn. ¡°Grandpa¡­ Where is Percy? I haven¡¯t seen him since I got back.¡± A lump got stuck in Archibald¡¯s throat. Breaking more bad news to the girl was thest thing he wanted. ¡°He left a few weeks ago. He should be in the Alchemists¡¯ Guild by now.¡± Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°What?! Why?! He didn¡¯t even say goodbye!¡± she eximed, only catching herself a momentter after seeing the others giving her weird looks. ¡°What happened?¡± she whispered a momentter. ¡°The boy probably grew a conscience.¡± another voice interjected. A gant man approached them, the air around him crackling with power as he stopped just a meter away. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?!¡± ine scowled at him. ¡°It means you and father have already spoiled that Red-born for long enough. It¡¯s best he tries to pay his own way in the world. He¡¯ll fail of course, but that ought to teach him that precious resources aren¡¯t meant for his ilk.¡± Ghad replied in a casual tone, his words sharp like knives. But he wasn¡¯t done. ¡°My only worry is that he¡¯ll embarrass our House in the eyes of others, but I suppose that¡¯s a small price to pay to stop pouring elixirs down the drain.¡± The girl looked ready to snap at her uncle, but Archibald squeezed her shoulder a bit more firmly to stop her. ¡°That¡¯s enough son. This is not the time or the ce to be badmouthing anyone, let alone your nephew. Besides, I think you might be surprised the next time you meet Percy.¡± He didn¡¯t like Ghad¡¯s callousness, but it would be hypocritical of him to get angry. After all, he was the one who had moulded his son into this, preparing him into a future leader of the House. Strictly speaking, Ghad simply embodied the principles he had taught, nothing more, nothing less. In fact, one might even argue the man adhered to them even more closely than Archibald himself, not allowing emotions to seep into his thought process. Soon, Ghad left. It wasn¡¯t until an hourter that the rest of their rtives had too. ¡°Is he going to be alright?¡± she asked once they were alone in the garden. He nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him. Micky advanced to Orange and they needed a good ce to hunt and earn elixirs. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll thrive there.¡± His words seemed to ease the tension in her eyes. Although, it wasn¡¯t gone entirely. ¡°ine. It wasn¡¯t your fault. Scorpion Kings are rare, and you couldn¡¯t have prevented the ambush.¡± he said after a moment. ¡°But it was my fault¡­ If only I¡¯d learned Cirction like you and Percy¡­ Maybe¡­¡± she stammered, the corners of her eyes glistening with tears. Archibald shook his head. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have even managed to activate it in time to save Aleyn. Dwelling on it doesn¡¯t help anyone.¡± ine didn¡¯t say anything, looking down at her feet. The two remained there for another few minutes, before he spoke again. ¡°What are you nning to do now? Will you keep going on missions?¡± The girl tilted her head up, giving him a firm look. ¡°No. Perhaps you are right. Even if I had mastered Cirction, maybe it wouldn¡¯t have made a difference. But it might the next time. Or the one after.¡± She clenched her fists before continuing. ¡°I won¡¯t leave the mansion until I master it too.¡± *** Archibald was sitting cross-legged in the inner garden, basking under the gentle radiance of the jade tree. Tossing the prized treasure a nce, he remembered what he had told Percy over a year ago. ¡®I can¡¯t give up the tree on a gamble. Let alone you, even if it was ine having a second core, I couldn¡¯t do that. The tree might help me protect our family next year. Your second core might need centuries to pay off, if it ever does.¡¯ The words already rang hollow as they echoed in his head, making him chuckle. Mere months after he¡¯d said that, Percy had brought Cirction back from Huehue, helping him grow far stronger than he ever would through the tree. ¡®Let¡¯s not waste it then.¡¯ Taking a deep breath, he spent a moment appreciating the refreshing fragrance with its minty aftertaste, before guiding the dense mana to his channels. Not long after, green lines glowed under his skin, swirling and branching out like vines. Next, he ced his palms against each other, as he sent a wave of mana rippling through his body, before bouncing off his skin and towards his hands. Soon, a small verdant bubble the size of a pea formed, softly pulsing like a tiny heart. Archibald normally only maintained 60 clones ¨C a mere quarter of what he was capable of ¨C to ensure he still had ess to 75% of his mana reserves at any given time. However, now that he had the option of falling back to Cirction in a pinch, he had decided to double the number of clones he had on standby. The fact he could create them faster using the technique was a nice bonus too. As for the tree ¨C its main purpose was providing inspiration to life users when developing their spells. Archibald already possessed a top-tier Secret Artbining his magic and his bloodline, but with Cirction and twice as many clones, he was aiming to improve upon it. ¡®You kids won¡¯t be the only ones getting stronger¡­¡¯ Whatever happened, he was the patriarch of the family. He¡¯d keep them all safe at any cost. As for the next poor fool who decided to mess with them¡­ He was in for a nasty surprise. Chapter 44: Opportunity The thing about quarterstaffs was they were two-handed weapons. Suffice to say, dual wielding one with a sickle was more than a little awkward. Detrimental even ¨C as it got in Percy¡¯s way more often than not, preventing him fromnding sure blows with his deadlier tool. Of course, he couldn¡¯t help it either. He had considered simply not using it, but the Parting Gift couldn¡¯t block iing attacks, so the flimsy rod was essentially his only defence against the venomous stingers of the Starry Workers. Although he was currently working on changing that. ¡®I¡¯m not going to bother with a different weapon.¡¯ The reason he¡¯d even created it to begin with, was Micky¡¯s influence still fresh on his mind after Huehue, coupled with his first core being unavable for a long time. The staff had been his only means of attack back then, and it had served him well against the wood goblins. However, his fighting style was still rough around the edges, pieced together out of whatever scraps he could recall from his friend¡¯s demonstration. Hiscking pair of limbs didn¡¯t help much either. Not to mention his grade being much lower than Micky¡¯s too, so the poor excuse of a weapon just wouldn¡¯t cut it against the wasps. He reasoned it might be worth revisiting the Quarterstaff in the future, after his second core advanced to Orange, but for now he¡¯d rather retire it. ¡®This time, let¡¯s go with something purely defensive.¡¯ Strictly speaking, his requirements for the recement were rather modest. He only needed something to block a blow or two, to give him a chance to counterattack. Something that wouldn¡¯t get in the way as much. The thought of forming some kind of armour with his pure mana was appealing, though he understood hecked the capacity to cover his whole body. Instead, he settled for something smaller. ¡®Will this even hold?¡¯ he frowned, looking at his right fist coated in a film of cyan. The construct was poorly made. It was more akin to a cast than a glove right now as he couldn¡¯t twitch a single finger in it, but he¡¯d rather confirm it worked as protection before trying to improve its design. He lifted his eyes, gazing at the bug locked in an aerial confrontation with his familiar, before shrugging.¡®Only one way to find out, I suppose.¡¯ Activating Cirction, he dashed in, telling the crow to disengage. The wasp didn¡¯t seem to mind either, more than happy to switch targets. Percy could have dodged the iing lunge but didn¡¯t. Instead, he swung his hand to brush the stinger aside, bracing himself for the worst. Had this been his first day on the second level, he would have missed, as it was much harder to time the parry with such a small surface area than it was with the rod. However, he¡¯d grown used to the bugs¡¯ movements by now, so the blows connected without issue. CRACK He felt the material crumble under the pressure, but it held better than the staff. That was promising, considering his new construct still had plenty of room for improvement. Pushing the wasp away, he tossed a fleeting nce at his hand. The impact had left a deep and wide groove into the construct. Percy directed more mana to repair the cast before taunting the bug to attack again. The two exchanged blows for about ten minutes, as the young man tested the limits of his new spell, before his stamina began to decline. Only then did he finally seize the next opening, finishing the bug with his sickle. He gestured Micky to enjoy his meal, before plopping down on the mushroom¡¯s cap, analysing what he¡¯d learned. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ¡®I don¡¯t think it¡¯s safe to block a direct stab with it, but brushing the stingers from the side is more than doable.¡¯ The caststed a couple of blows before it came close to shattering. It was only when Percy had pushed for a third in a row without fixing it that he¡¯d risked getting injured. It cost less mana to form and repair, plus it let him use the sickle better too. ¡®It¡¯s definitely worth working on it, but it¡¯s going to take a while to perfect.¡¯ He¡¯d never made anything this intricate with mana before. The finalized glove would involve lots of interconnected pieces, to protect all the joints in his hand without impairing their movement. ¡®Still, if I can use both constructs with the same hand it¡¯s going to make everything a lot easier.¡¯ *** By nightfall, the duo had taken 20 wasps down, surpassing their previous limit once more. Just over a week after joining the Guild, Percy had already reached the higher end of what was viewed as possible for an Orange core. He was still far from his goal, but at least his new constructs were much better suited for hunting the bugs. Moreover, he was getting more ustomed to both their fighting style and to keeping Cirction active for longer. And his personal kit wasn¡¯t the only thing he was working on. Micky had yet to kill a single wasp by himself, but he was getting closer. His agile opponents were a terrible match for the crow, which was why Percy was still reluctant to let him fight unsupervised. That said, the familiar had not gotten himself in trouble over thest couple of days, having grown better at dodging thest-minute lunges of the bugs. In fact, he¡¯d almost managed to clip their wings a few times. Percy estimated the crow would achieve his first solo kill before long, at which point they could split up and adjust their strategy. Entering the settlement, his attention was drawn to a crowd that had gathered around somebody. He counted a couple dozen people, most of them in yellow robes ¨C not very surprising as they made up the majority of the Guild members. Still, he spotted a handful of Green and Orange cores too. ¡®What¡¯s this about?¡¯ Percy raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued. Approaching them, he noticed everyone held a leaflet, chatting loudly. ¡®Must be a good thing to get them so excited.¡¯ In fact, they seemed to be in such a good mood they didn¡¯t even frown upon seeing him, instead letting him pass unobstructed. ¡®Ok, now it¡¯s getting weird.¡¯ The person at the centre of the crowd ¨C a Blue core holding the stack of leaflets ¨C handed him one with a smile. ¡°Free introductory lesson to alchemy?¡± Percy¡¯s eyes widened as he read the heading aloud. ¡°Seriously?¡± The guy nodded. ¡°Normally, each lesson costs about 1000 contribution points, but the Guild likes to sponsor them every now and then to encourage people to get into it. After all, alchemists are precious, and we need as many as we can get.¡± Percy smirked. ¡°Then why even charge people in the first ce?¡± ¡°Because this isn¡¯t a charity. Those giving the lessons are just regr members of the Guild and they expect properpensation for their time.¡± SIGH ¡°That said, I do think my fellow alchemists should strive to be a little more selfless for everyone¡¯s sake. Teaching is even more lucrative than brewing. You can make tens of thousands per day doing it, but you need to be an experienced alchemist already to qualify. I guess some of them are either a tad too greedy or they just don¡¯t want to build up thepetition.¡± The young man nodded, albeit reluctantly. It¡¯s not like he didn¡¯t understand the concept, but it really made it difficult for people like him to get into the field. ¡°Aren¡¯t there any books on the topic?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes, there are plenty in the library, free to read. They cover the basics but, without guidance, it¡¯ll take you ten times longer to learn. Plus, the priciest part of alchemy is the ingredients, not the lessons.¡± That made sense. All these Yellows wouldn¡¯t have trouble saving up a thousand points, but if they had to waste months¡¯ worth of nectar before they got any good at it, it would indeed be a huge barrier of entry. ¡°Anyway, are you interested in signing up?¡± the Blue core asked, breaking him out of his thoughts. ¡°Yes, when is it?¡± Percy didn¡¯t hesitate. Perhaps he couldn¡¯t afford to be a proper alchemist just yet, but it wouldn¡¯t hurt to learn more now that the opportunity presented itself. The knowledge might influence his future ns, after all. ¡°Tomorrow morning. Just show up at this building at ten.¡± the guy indicated a certain spot on the leaflet, on a hand-drawn map of the Guild. Percy thanked him, before leaving. ¡®Besides, I could use a break from hunting.¡¯ Chapter 45: Introduction to alchemy Percy struggled to find a seat. The lecture theatre was packed to the brim with people. Naturally, the Orange cores like him were meant to sit at the very back, but even those rows were full. Shrugging, he picked the least crowded corner to stand. It wasn¡¯t the mostfortable solution, but he wouldn¡¯t have trouble hearing the lecturer. Soon, a man in blue robes walked in. He was actually the same guy who¡¯d given him the leaflet. It was weird for one at that level to waste time advertising his own lecture. Couldn¡¯t he have paid somebody to do it? ¡®Then again, he did seem passionate about teaching.¡¯ ¡°Good morning everyone!¡± the guy said. Percy paid more attention to his lecturer¡¯s appearance today. He looked middle-aged which meant he was probably an Orange-born who¡¯d lived for several centuries already. ¡®I should have been more respectfulst night.¡¯ he realized. ¡°Judging by your presence here, it¡¯s safe to assume you¡¯re all beginners, so I¡¯ll start with the basics. First of all, the field of alchemy contains more than just the elixirs we know and love. It essentially spans any potions, poisons or medicine brewed with natural ingredients.¡± Percy nodded, having heard that before. ¡°However, most of those things are secondary products of alchemy. Even the best healing potions can¡¯t hold a handle to a Yellow core¡¯s life mana. Simrly, the most potent venoms and poisons we can concoct won¡¯t do much to one of the strongest mages. If you want to assassinate a Blue, you¡¯re better off just using a Starry Commander¡¯s venom.¡± he chuckled before continuing. ¡°And if you¡¯re above Orange you¡¯re unlikely to get sick, meaning even medicine isn¡¯t particrly useful.¡±The room broke into some chatter. ¡°I know what you¡¯re all thinking ¨C if these things are so ineffective, then why would anybody bother? And you¡¯re not wrong. While there is a ce for these products in any noble family¡¯s warehouse, they are but secondary pursuits for bored alchemists with too much money and time in their hands. I would advise you to not bother with them for now. Consequently, we aren¡¯t interested in anything but elixirs during this lecture.¡± The young man shrugged. Hearing that alchemy was so underdeveloped on Remior was a little sad, but this arrangement suited him just fine. After all, the Avalon House was full of people with the life affinity, so they had even less need for these auxiliary resources than others. ¡®Although, I suppose they¡¯d still be somewhat useful for me due to my lower grade¡­¡¯ ¡°In any case, the first thing you need to understand about elixirs, is how they work. Does anyone know?¡± A brave girl in a yellow robe raised her hand. ¡°They break down the impurities in our cores over time, allowing them to reform at a higher grade.¡± The lecturer smiled. This was indeedmon knowledge. ¡°Yes. The elixirs owe this miraculous property to their main ingredient ¨C the nectar you¡¯ve all probablye across by now. But can somebody tell me what that is?¡± This time, nobody answered. Everyone in the room had likely hunted the wasps before, yet nobody seemed to understand what exactly made them so special. ¡®Wait¡­ the wasps¡­ don¡¯t tell me¡­¡¯ ¡°Simply put, the nectar is the only known example of beast mana capable of existing for an extended period of time outside a beast¡¯s body. People have tried to make elixirs out of beast cores, but nobody has ever seeded. At least, not on Remior.¡± Sharp breaths were drawn across the room. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. It was well understood that beasts refined their cores naturally by eating, without needing any external resources. Evidently, this was because they already possessed the main ingredient of the elixirs within their very cores. As it turned out, alchemists did nothing more than imitate them, harnessing their ability for humanity¡¯s sake. ¡°Sir, if that¡¯s true then how do other races advance their grades? Are there Starry Wasps on every world?¡± somebody asked. ¡°That¡¯s an excellent question. I¡¯m not a member of the Divine Order, so what I can say with certainty on the topic is rather limited. Still, as far as I know, Starry Wasps are native to Remior.¡± the lecturer replied. ¡°Then how?¡± another person asked. ¡°Well, every world has different resources and natural treasures. Some are unlucky enough theyck the means of advancing, while others have their own methods. I¡¯d wager most of those methods involve an alternative source of beast mana, however.¡± This exnation made another thing click in Percy¡¯s mind. ¡®So that¡¯s why the Fungal Spire is considered so important. It¡¯s our only practical means of advancement and there are races who don¡¯t even have something simr!¡¯ The young man developed some newfound appreciation for the colossal mushrooms above their heads. ¡°Ok, so now that we¡¯ve established that, the question is how do we process the nectar into elixir?¡± the lecturer asked. ¡°I¡¯ve heard there are multiple recipes.¡± somebody said. The alchemist nodded. ¡°Indeed, while the nectar is irreceable, all the other ingredients have several alternatives ¨C with simr functions. It alles down to transforming the nectar from raw beast mana ¨C which would only run berserk inside your cores and injure you ¨C into something stable, which will harmlessly cleanse away the impurities alone. Strictly speaking, you only really need to focus on a single recipe and strive to get good at it, although it can be useful toe in contact with a couple more, for when you have limited ess to the ingredients you need. Still, most approaches are rather simr, so it¡¯s not that hard to switch to a different recipe once you understand the process.¡± Percy felt the urge tough. All this time, alchemy had sounded like a mystical and profound profession¡­ but... ording to everything they had been taught today, didn¡¯t it all seem rather inane? The potions, poisons and medicines were borderline useless, and even the elixirs merely involved harvesting a single raw ingredient they were lucky enough to find on Remior, transforming it into a slightly different form. If the Fungal Spire was destroyed, wouldn¡¯t that leave all the alchemists without a job overnight? But he shook his head. ¡®Obviously, the actual brewing process must beplicated, or it wouldn¡¯t be so hard to do it.¡¯ The lecturer¡¯s next words confirmed that. ¡°There is one reliable metric that can be used to define an alchemist¡¯s skill: Their brewing yield. Simply put, this is just a percentage indicating how many drops of elixir they can produce out of a hundred drops of nectar.¡± Percy ran the calction in his head. As far as he could tell, the finished product was four times as expensive. ¡°Some of you seem to have mathed it out already. Indeed, the turning point that qualifies somebody into a full-fledged alchemist is a 25% yield. That¡¯s the cutoff where you stop losing money as you brew. The most talented and experienced alchemists in the Guild can boast of yields as high as 56%. For anyone wondering, my personal best is only at 44%.¡± The young man had to swallow his saliva, to avoid drooling. Didn¡¯t that mean their lecturer nearly doubled his money every time he brewed a batch? ¡°It¡¯s still a time-consuming process, so there¡¯s a limit to how much elixir we can brew per day. Our output is still lower than the input and also lower than Remior¡¯s needs, which is why we need more alchemists in the Guild. If we could convert all the avable nectar with a 45% yield, we might have enough for everyone on Remior ¨C including the Red-borns.¡± Now, this bit of information was even more shocking to Percy. His whole life, he¡¯d suffered from his low grade, preventing him from advancing as fast as others. If it hadn¡¯t been for this shortage, he would have reached Orange five years sooner! And the lecturer imed it could all be solved if they¡¯d just bothered to train a few more alchemists? ¡®Then, why the fuck don¡¯t you?!¡¯ the young man struggled to keep his thoughts to himself. SIGH ¡°Despite what my idealistic words might suggest, this is easier said than done. It will take you a few months and a lot of wasted nectar before your first sessful batch of elixir. Even then, you¡¯re unlikely to start with a yield higher than 15%. It won¡¯t be until the end of the year you get to 25% and it only keeps getting harder. You¡¯ll get to about 30% if you keep at it for another year or two. Reaching 40% is usually a matter of decades and 50% centuries. Perhaps, the White cores leading the Great Houses, or the gods of the Divine Order could surpass that, having lived for tens of millennia, but their time is much more valuable spent elsewhere than brewing elixirs.¡± The new influx of information did calm Percy down. Evidently, they¡¯d need to train an army of Blue cored alchemists for centuries to provide for everyone. And for what? Just so that Red-borns like him would get elixirs? They still wouldn¡¯t live past Yellow! It wasn¡¯t worth the time. But he¡¯d heard another thing of interest. A 30% yield was a realistic goal after a couple of years. That was already enough to make a profit. ¡®As soon as I can sustain one core, I¡¯ll start siphoning the excess time and points into alchemy.¡¯ Chapter 46: An idea It was early afternoon by the time the alchemist¡¯s lecture ended. Advertised as a mere introduction, it didn¡¯t really delve into the topic too deeply. After exining the basic concepts, the guy talked about a few of the most popr recipes, giving them an overview of how the secondary ingredients worked and what tools they needed to use. Percy did feel some anticipation. Not only due to the stacks of contribution points waiting at the other end of his alchemical journey, but also because the whole thing seemed fun. The idea of ying around with magic juices and challenging himself to increase his yield sounded like something he would enjoy. Still, he had to reign in his excitement until he raised the funds to actually dip his toes into the field. ¡®Better get back to hunting then.¡¯ Half the day was gone, but that was no excuse to ck for the rest of it. ¡®CAW!¡¯ Apparently, Micky agreed, as he¡¯d been urging him for some time. ¡®I know, I know¡­ I¡¯m on the way already!¡¯ Nearing the gate, he saw the drowsy girl¡¯s stand was still there, over a week after he first spotted it. The owner was too, sleeping on the counter as usual.¡®Has she not given up yet? I can¡¯t tell if she¡¯s theziest or the most persistent person I know. Probably both.¡¯ For many days, nobody had paid her any attention, although Percy did notice her coins were gonest night. And since then, she¡¯d nailed a new smaller sign, adding more words to the advertisement. ¡®BUYING [AND SELLING] INFORMATION ON THE THIRD LEVEL¡¯ So that was her brilliant n? Purchasing information from experienced hunters to sell to neers? Something like where the best spots for hunting were? Or how to find and kill the Starry Soldiers more efficiently? Percy didn¡¯t know if anyone would take her up on that. It sounded a bit iffy to spend money on. ¡®She should have at least bothered to make a new sign instead of patching it.¡¯ he shook his head. Half an hourter, he met up with Micky somewhere on the second level. Not the same ce as yesterday. They liked to switch things up every day to let the bugs repopte. Percy wasn¡¯t sure it mattered, as the interior of the Spire was supposedly filled with them. More were constantly deployed outside to harvest the dense mana from the mushrooms and to bring back nectar to the nest. Suffice to say, he doubted they would run out anytime soon. Still, he could use any advantage he could get. However, they didn¡¯t begin hunting just yet, as Percy wanted to test an idea he came up with during the lecture. ¡®Micky, can you try passing me some of your mana through our link?¡¯ The crow tilted its head in confusion. CAW? Micky hadn¡¯t eaten anything all morning, so hecked the soul mana to send. ¡®Not the one you get when you eat. The one from your core.¡¯ Percy exined. While beast mana couldn¡¯t normally leave one¡¯s body or form regr spells, it could still freely circte through its owner¡¯s channels, passively nourishing their flesh. This was the source of the beasts¡¯ strength after all. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. After learning that nectar was essentially just beast mana that could be transferred outside, Percy had considered the possibility of taking advantage of the ethereal cord to achieve something simr. Of course, even if it worked, he wasn¡¯t sure how to benefit from it. The alchemist had already told them they couldn¡¯t purify their cores with raw beast mana. He¡¯d have to find a way to process it into an elixir inside his body. Still, he was curious enough to give it a shot. It took some guidance from him, but Micky eventually understood the task. Through Mana Sense, the young man observed the Orange glow leave the crow¡¯s sternum, moving towards the connection. However, nothing happened. It just umted there with nowhere to go. Unsure whether Micky had done something wrong or if this was just a peculiarity of the beast mana, Percy next tested whether he could send his own mana to the familiar. Transferring a trickle of soul mana worked, confirming the ethereal cord was a two-way connection, but it didn¡¯t ept any of his pure mana either. ¡®I suppose it makes sense. It¡¯s linking our souls together, so why would it allow any other type to pass?¡¯ He shrugged, not too disheartened. CAW! CAW! Micky was getting more impatient, sending him an image of a Starry Worker he¡¯d just spotted. SIGH Percy activated Cirction, before gathering the cyan mana into his right hand, resuming work on his new project. Today, he¡¯d focus on forming the glove with an open hand, increasing its surface area. As soon as everything was in order, he engaged the worker, testing his spell¡¯s durability as he looked for an opening to finish the creature. A few minutester, it was lying motionless on the surface of the mushroom, both its core and nectar nd already harvested. Micky had flown ahead to scout for their next target, as Percy sat next to the carcass, eyeing it in contemtion. ¡®You¡¯re some really special things, aren¡¯t you?¡¯ His world¡¯s survival hinged entirely on these bugs. If they went extinct, everyone on Remior would be stuck at the grade they were born with. Perhaps, they could try other means of cleansing their cores, but they¡¯d be lucky if they even advanced once in their lives that way. But more than his world¡¯s situation, Percy couldn¡¯t help but consider what this meant for him. Would he have to stay in the Alchemists¡¯ Guild his whole life? Even if he managed to provide for his two cores eventually, what would happen when he left? He couldn¡¯t exactly take the wasps with him¡­ Then, he creased his brow. ¡®Or can I?¡¯ His thoughts lingered on the ethereal cord linking him to Micky for a moment. He hadn¡¯t created the familiar with the intention of raising his own strength. It had all been an ident, brought upon by his desperate attempt to save his friend. However, the advantages the crow brought him were undeniable. Percy would be lying if he said he hadn¡¯t considered creating more of them in the past year. After all, how powerful would he be if he could cultivate an army of Green or even Blue beasts, all loyal to him? It would take even less time than reaching those grades himself! The only reason he hadn¡¯t tried it yet was that his soul hadn¡¯t been in a good enough state before now. But that was swiftly changing with every soul Micky devoured. ¡®And, what if my next familiar is a Starry Wasp?¡¯ Not only would he have anotherpanion to fight alongside him, but he¡¯d also have his personal nectar factory! Its production wouldn¡¯t be much at Red or Orange, but what about Green or Blue? Maybe he could sustain his cores indefinitely one day! The more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea. That said, there were many details he needed to figure out to make this work, as his first sess had been a bit of a fluke. For example, could he injure a wasp and shove a part of his soul inside it to create a familiar? It didn¡¯t seem to be that simple, because that tended to produce regr clones in his experience. From what he¡¯d learned, newborn souls were more malleable than developed ones, making them easier to meld with. That¡¯s why the Moirai baby had not given him as much trouble as Micky had, and why the crow chick had proven a suitable host for his familiar. That only raised more questions, however. Where would he even get a Starry Wasp egg? Would he need to venture into the depths of the Fungal Spire? That was a ce filled with beasts at Blue or even higher! Not just that, but entering it was a serious crime! And even then, it wasn¡¯t guaranteed to work. The crow egg had produced a familiar, but the Moirai baby had simply died as a short-lived clone. Was it because thetter had been in a worse condition to begin with? Or was it because he brought another passenger along ¨C Micky ¨C in the case of the bird? He¡¯d need toe up with answers to all those questions if he was to seed¡­ which led to another problem. ¡®Baldy and ine aren¡¯t here to take care of me if I mess up. I should probably stick to regr clones for a while until I¡¯m sure I know what I¡¯m doing.¡¯ Having already lost a ton of time due to his reckless experiments with his soul, Percy was going to take this slow. ¡®Besides, I won¡¯t need the new familiar until it¡¯s time to leave the Guild.¡¯ Chapter 47: Healed A month went by in a sh. Percy and Micky had grown a lot better at hunting the wasps, but today he didn¡¯t care about that. Something else was going through his mind as he sat on his bed, gazing down at his soul. ¡®It¡¯s finally healed¡­ well, sort of¡­¡¯ It had stopped absorbing more mana, although it wasn¡¯t back to 100% yet. The hole in his chest had mostly closed, but notpletely, leaving a circr scar about the width of a strawberry right where the ethereal cord linked him to Micky. ¡®I suppose this is as good as it¡¯s going to get.¡¯ It didn¡¯t look like it would recover entirely, as a part of him still existed within the bird. Perhaps he could fix it by retrieving the missing piece or severing the connection ¨C he wasn¡¯t sure which ¨C but he had no intention of doing either. Hopefully, this injury wouldn¡¯t affect him too much when creating more clones. Especially since that was exactly what he was nning to do right now! It was early in the morning, although Percy¡¯s room was currently pitch ck, as he had closed the curtains. Thest thing he needed was somebody seeing what he intended to do today. ¡®Micky, start hunting!¡¯ ¡®CAW!¡¯The familiar was roaming the base of the Fungal Spire, searching for Starry Drones to munch on. He could already kill a couple Starry Workers by himself, but it took too long, and it was dangerous to let him hunt on the second floor by himself. Percy would have to settle for the less potent soul mana they could gather from the Red bugs. Still, between the crow¡¯s help and the increased regeneration brought about by the colourful motes, he estimated he would have a much easier time forming his new clone. Pressing down his bubbling enthusiasm, he began by sending pulses of soul mana through his channels, letting them bounce off his soul¡¯s edge. Not wanting to interfere with his connection to Micky, he had adjusted the angle slightly, so that the mana would gather a few inches below the previous spot after being reflected. By the time that happened, he was ready to grab a hold of the bulge, pulling it out of his skin. ¡®Fuck. I sure didn¡¯t miss the pain.¡¯ he winced, as the strain cause some tears to form. However, he quickly raised an eyebrow after examining them for a couple of seconds. ¡®Is it me, or is the damage less extensive thanst time?¡¯ This was strange. If anything, he would have expected his injury to have negatively impacted the integrity of his soul, making it more fragile than before. That didn¡¯t seem to be the case. It was hard to say for sure, but the cracks appeared both less numerous and less serious than thest time he¡¯d done this. ¡®Has my soul grown stronger in the past year?¡¯ Why would that be the case? He¡¯d spent all this time recovering¡­ Then again, wasn¡¯t that how muscles and bones worked? Exercising essentially involved damaging and repairing one¡¯s body repeatedly. Perhaps, the same principle applied to his soul! ¡®Then, maybe I can strengthen my soul enough to use Cirction with my first core if I keep sending clones!¡¯ This was an issue that had troubled him for a long time. Although the technique he¡¯d learned on Huehue had served him well until now, he greatlymented only being able to use it with his second core. After all, it was much weaker than the one in his sternum, both in grade and affinity. Evidently, the solution had been right under his nose all along! In his excitement, the young man nearly let go of the bulge. ¡®Shit. Focus Percy.¡¯ It was a project for the future. While it was a nice surprise, it wasn¡¯t worth ruining his current attempt. Shaking the distracting thoughts out of his head, he sent another pulse through his soul, which soon caused the bulge to grow. More soul mana began flowing into his core a few minutester too, as Micky had already taken down the first drone. This story has been uwfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡®Keep it up buddy!¡¯ *** Eight hourster, Percy was holding an outstretched chunk of his soulrger than an apple. Thanks to his familiar¡¯s diligent efforts, he had reached this step four hours sooner than thest time! ¡®I can keep going, but it¡¯s best not to risk it.¡¯ This was already the same amount he¡¯d used for his previous clone, so he knew it was enough to survive for a couple days. Perhaps, he could increase that if he gathered more of the silver me before cutting it off, but he didn¡¯t want to damage his soul more than he could handle. ¡®Moving to the next phase then.¡¯ Pulling the mana out of his core, he directed it all straight into the bulge, filling it up like a waterskin. Taking deep breaths, he strove to gather even more, as his familiar intensified his efforts to support him. ¡®Let¡¯s give the clone more mana thanst time.¡¯ Back then, Percy had done this out on a limb, without knowing if it would help in any way. Still, that had obviously been the correct decision. His clone had greatly relied on the stashed mana multiple times during his adventure ¨C whether to bond with Micky¡¯s soul initially or to deliver the killing blow to Mixcoatl near the end. Suffice to say, the young man didn¡¯t mind investing a few more hours to overcharge his clone again. *** It wasn¡¯t until another four hourster that Percy stopped. Right now, the bulge had bloated up by about 50% of its previous volume. It still contained the same amount of his soul as before, but its surface stretched due to the dense quantity of mana sealed within. The young man briefly considered pushing some more into it, but at this rate he might cause the clone to burst before he even sent it out. Plus, the mana was already slowly leaking, as his willpower was scarcely sufficient to keep it contained. ¡®It actually resembles baldy¡¯s clones somewhat.¡¯ Unlike his previous attempt, the soul mana was so concentrated it was fully visible even to the naked eye, appearing like a silver bubble pulsing akin to a beating heart. This reassured Percy somewhat. All this time he¡¯d been fumbling in the dark with his bloodline, mostly doing whatever he instinctively felt made sense. Still, the more his efforts looked like what his family did with their version, the more confidence he had that he was on the right track. ¡®Ok then. Now for the really painful part.¡¯ After refilling his core onest time, he tossed another nce at his handiwork, nodding in appreciation. Then, he stirred his bloodline, feeling the ghostly w forming in his sternum. ¡®Please go where I want you to go¡­¡¯ If it insisted on heading to the previous spot, it could harm his connection to the familiar. Percy focused all his willpower to direct it slightly lower, towards the thrumming bubble he had spent all day cultivating. Luckily, the ghostly w didn¡¯t need much prodding either, as it dly acquiesced, pouncing on the bulge like a cat would a mouse. Percy gritted his teeth in agony as all the tears in his soul widened. He held his breath, watching the ghostly w mp the soul and mana alike, twisting them and pulling them out of his body. SNAP And with an audible popping sound, apanied by a violent shockwave rippling through his very existence, Percy felt his world tremble as the silver bubble was ripped out of his stomach, shooting off like a meteor. By the time his head sank into the pillow, his eyes had already closed shut. *** ¡®¡­¡¯ ¡®¡­AW!¡¯ ¡®CAW! CAW!¡¯ Percy¡¯s eyes bolted open, a splitting headache making him dizzy. ¡®Fuck, I¡¯m alive.¡¯ was his first thought. Wait, no. That was supposed to be a good thing. ¡®CAW!¡¯ the familiar called to him again. Percy could practically taste the palpable sense of panic oozing through their bond. The realization simultaneously gave him a fuzzy feeling at having somebody who cared, but also a pang of guilt in his chest. ¡®It¡¯s ok, buddy. I¡¯m ok. I¡¯m sorry I worried you.¡¯ Getting off his bed was tough, but it was promising he was even capable of standing. Pulling the curtain open, he noted it was dark outside. ¡®How long was I out?¡¯ He knew it shouldn¡¯t have been more than a day or two, otherwise he would have starved. Well, he was feeling a little peckish, but not quite starving yet. ¡®CAW!¡¯ Micky sent him an image of a single sunset, though no sunrise. It was still the same day. This was good. He couldn¡¯t afford to knock himself out for a week every time he sent out a new clone. Walking was a hassle, but he made his way to the door. He sure hoped Freddy was open, as he was too tired to cook, and he could use a Honey Roll right about now. THUD Suddenly, he lost his bnce, falling to his knees, his consciousness sucked right out of his body. One moment he was still in his room, the next he felt the wind press against him, colourful motes whizzing by from all directions. He was diving towards a bug, its carapace pitch ck, with bright spots glistening all over the sleek chitin. ¡®A drone? I¡¯m Micky?!¡¯ They felt dizzy, banking towards the left. pping their wings at thest second, they barely managed to soften theirnding, narrowly avoiding a nasty crash on the ground. ¡®What the hell?¡¯ he thought, as he returned to his own body, lying against the cold stone of his room¡¯s floor. More came gushing through the cord. Images, feelings, memories, thoughts. He felt his familiar¡¯s confusion, as his mind drifted back and forth between the bodies a couple more times. ¡®Are you doing this?¡¯ he asked the bird once the situation seemed to stabilize. ¡®CAW¡­¡¯ The reply was strained. Micky didn¡¯t seem to understand much more than he did. What was going on? Chapter 48: Limit ¡°What?¡± Percy asked. Freddy gave him a concerned look. ¡°I said, are you sure you¡¯re ok?¡± he repeated. The young man felt his mind slipping again, but he resisted the pull. ¡°Yeah, sorry. It¡¯s been a long day.¡± he forced himself to say. It was only now he remembered he was holding a Honey Roll. ¡®Thank Phoebe I haven¡¯t dropped it.¡¯ Not that he was in the mood to eat, but it would have looked strange. He searched his pocket for some change, but his friend stopped him. ¡°It¡¯s on the house today. Just look after yourself man. You¡¯re the only one I see who¡¯s hunting 18 hours a day, no breaks. Clearly, it¡¯s not sustainable.¡±Percy nodded, thanking Freddy before leaving in a hurry. Going out in this state hadn¡¯t been his brightest idea. It wasn¡¯t until he got back home that he allowed himself to fall on the bed, leaving the snack on a table forter. Soon, another episode hit him, but he allowed himself to sink into Micky¡¯s body this time. They were pecking the core out of the drone when he joined him. Percy had watched the bird hunt, as Micky had inadvertently sent him the images. He¡¯d nearly got stung too, having lost his concentration during what would have otherwise been a trivial kill. As the soul got digested in the familiar¡¯s stomach, Percy¡¯s mind followed the soul mana back to his own body. He quickly forced it to his eyes, to see what the hell was going on with him. ¡®Nothing too weird there.¡¯ he frowned. His soul didn¡¯t look much different from the time he went to Huehue. There was the small scar near his sternum, a grapefruit-sized crater above his stomach, and a bunch of cracks all over. Fewer than before too, due to his increased resilience. ¡®It¡¯s not due to excessive damage...¡¯ This was different than even the time he¡¯d woken up after creating the familiar. Rather than pain or weakness, it felt more like his sense of self was shaken. As if he had trouble remaining himself. ¡®Is it because I have two connections at the same time?¡¯ This didn¡¯t bode well for his ambitious n of forming an army of familiars. At this rate, he¡¯d be lucky if he could keep sending out clones. ¡®Hopefully, the clone isn¡¯t affected.¡¯ *** And there it was ¨C the good old infinite nothingness he fondly remembered. Unlike thest clone, this one epted his identity promptly, beginning the search for a body without dy. He knew this was one of the most critical parts of the journey. During his previous attempt, three weeks had passed on Remior, but he shouldn¡¯t have spent longer than a couple of days on Huehue. This could only mean one of two things. Either there was a huge mismatch in the flow of time from one world to another, or he had spent most of it in the space between them. Consequently, the faster he moved here the better. Retracing his actions, he allowed his senses to expand outwards, touching upon the sea of souls. Brushing over them without focusing too intently was a little tricky at first. Percy had grown rusty, having not done this in over a year, but he soon got a grip on it. ¡®Too powerful¡­ too weak¡­ too powerful again¡­ too broken¡­ too broken¡­ too weak¡­¡¯ He couldn¡¯t tell how long it took, but he eventually picked one he liked, reaching towards it without missing a beat. A momentter, he found himself lodged between the nooks and crannies of the dying soul. It was more cramped thanst time, but that was a good thing. It meant his new host was in a better condition than Micky had been in. And, having learned from his past experience, he was a lot more careful moving around, trying not to exert much pressure on the fragments before the new guy epted him. ¡®Hello? Anybody home?¡¯ No reply. Nothing verbal, at least. A sense of panic and pain assaulted him. Also, hunger¡­ and cold¡­ indescribable cold. Percy¡¯s very soul shivered. ¡®Did this person freeze to death?¡¯ This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. His host felt distant. They didn¡¯t seem aggressive ¨C at least, they didn¡¯t push him away yet. But they cowered in a corner, trying to avoid being touched. ¡®I¡¯m not here to hurt you. Can you talk?¡¯ The creature didn¡¯t understand him. Its intelligence seemed even more rudimentary than his familiar¡¯s had been right after hatching. ¡®A beast perhaps?¡¯ That put Percy at a bit of an impasse. He couldn¡¯t begin the process of patching up their souls into something workable unless his host opened up. But they couldn¡¯t evenmunicate properly. The only clues he had were that it was afraid, in pain, starving and really cold. ¡®Well, I don¡¯t know how to deal with the fear or the pain¡­ I could send it the taste of a Honey Roll, but I don¡¯t even know what this thing eats.¡¯ There was only one thing he could do. He dug through his memories for anything suitable. The first one he found was a time he was nestled in a nket, enjoying some hot soup during the winter. He couldn¡¯t even tell how old he was. Maybe 4 or 5? It was after his folks died, and the nket was cozy, almost reminding him of his mother¡¯s hug. A weird thing to rece one¡¯s parents with, he knew, but he was willing to cut himself some ck. It wasn¡¯t like toddler-Percy had anybody else in his life back then. He hadn¡¯t grown close to ine untilter. ¡®Does this work for you pal? I¡¯ll help you find warmth like that too if you let me in.¡¯ Suspicion. Percy counted it as progress. You¡¯d only get suspicious about something you hoped was true. Well, not that it was true of course. It was an empty promise. He had no idea if he could deliver. He¡¯d try to make good on it if possible, but he wasn¡¯t going to cry if he ended up lying to the animal either. ¡®Better keep thisst part to myself.¡¯ At least, he was more in control of what he allowed to leak through the connection this time. The bond was more intrusive when he possessed something than it was with his familiar, but he¡¯d still gained enough experience over the past year to filter his thoughts somewhat. A few more carefully picked memories and some catingter, the creature opened up enough to let him move around without harming it. ¡®The hard part is over.¡¯ His soul wisp expanded and twisted, stretching through the gaps and touching as many of the broken shards as possible. Only then did he unleash his sizeable stash of soul mana, letting it do its thing. Like glue, the potent substance forged a bridge between the two entities, as they came closer together than ever before. Memories shed through Percy¡¯s mind, one after another¡­ Hatching through an egg, a nest full of tiny gecko-like things, cannibalism, running away, hiding from giant shadows, scavenging for scraps, cold, cold, shivering, FREEZING COLD¡­ Oh, and they were all monochrome. ¡®Great, because who needs colours?!¡¯ Percy tried opening his new eyes. They refused to budge. He wasn¡¯t sure if he was signalling the wrong muscles or if the problem lied elsewhere. ¡®Any help? Can you open our eyes?¡¯ Silence. The beast was still in there somewhere, but it refused toe to the surface, happy to observe from the background. ¡®Ok, fine. Thanks for the body I guess¡­¡¯ Unable to figure out how to control this thing, he fell back to his Status instead. Percival''s clone Mana cores: Spells: ???: Percy would have frowned if he could. Nothing special there. His clone didn¡¯t have a proper name this time, which frankly made sense. An Orange core was decent. Not too high, but it could have been worse. Only his Parting Gift was listed under spells, because it was the only one he could currently use. The beast affinity and the iplete second mana core were also expected. ¡®So, what do we do with you?¡¯ There wasn¡¯t a question mark thingy to bring back to Remior and he didn¡¯t think the lizard knew any profound techniques to teach. He also doubted it would make a good familiar, nor had he any intention of crippling himself again to try. ¡®Yeah¡­ This one is definitely a lost cause.¡¯ He¡¯d thought the exact same thing on Huehue, only to be proven wrong. Still, he was willing to bet good money it was true this time. He could walk around, hoping to find something interesting, but he hadn¡¯t a clue how to even bring it back. Were there even any sentient races on this world? ¡®Maybe I can try finding a life source and learn what happens when a beast gets a second core.¡¯ That sounded like a n. It would be a good datapoint, so he¡¯d know what to expect from Micky. Not the most rewarding venture, but probably the best he could get out of the creature. ¡®Assuming this body is even capable of moving, that is.¡¯ It didn¡¯t respond to anymands. He couldn¡¯t even hear his own heartbeat. Frustrated, he grew less gentle with it. Its owner didn¡¯t seem to care, so why should he? He willed any muscle to move. He tried to give himself a panic attack. Anything¡­ A twitch. It wasn¡¯t much, but it was the first sign of feedback. Capitalizing on it, he redoubled his efforts, trying to expand on the sensation. CRACK More twitches. A muscle group. He could feel a limb unfold slowly. A foreleg ¨C if he understood the lizard¡¯s physiology correctly. CRACK. CRACK. CRACK. Every time a joint moved, something broke. ¡®Are we frozen solid?¡¯ It would certainly exin his host¡¯s aversion to cold and their impairment. Why didn¡¯t it hurt though? Were they numb? A couple frantic spasmster, Percy received his answer. He didn¡¯t get the chance to celebrate his newly freed limb before it began burning, as if on fire. ¡®Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck!!!¡¯ That didn¡¯t make him give up though. If anything, it was proof his efforts were paying off. He figured the pain would stop either when he frozepletely again, or when he fully thawed. And thetter seemed preferable. He ignored the other limbs, focusing inwards. The sooner he jumpstarted their heart the faster his torture woulde to an end. ¡®Assuming we even have one at the usual spot.¡¯ Fortunately, they did, as he found out a couple minutester. Its beats were soft and infrequent. He thought there was something wrong with the organ, or that it would take a while to get back to normal. But it never did. At some point, he was forced to ept that this was normal for the lizard. In any case, the pain had receded slightly. Even more importantly, he realized ¨C to his great joy ¨C he could finally open their eyes. A sh of white greeted him, which soon died down to¡­ ¡­an everything else of white. Chapter 49: Frozen expanse Snow covered the ground below like a white nket. Percy was standing on a steeply inclined surface ¨C a boulder or something. ¡®This world must have harsh winters.¡¯ Not used to looking at everything sideways, he climbed down from the rock. He noticed his host didn¡¯t weigh much, their feet not sinking very deep, their steps barely leaving some shallow prints. ¡®Good. Let¡¯s not attract any predators so soon.¡¯ Examining his surroundings, he realized his host wasn¡¯t the only unlucky lizard. Countless more geckos stood motionless all around him, having met the same fate. Either some extinction level event had urred in this region, or it was normal for his species to go through cycles of freezing and thawing with the seasons. ¡®Oh well¡­ You don¡¯t mind me eating their cores, do you?¡¯ he asked his new pal. Percy had already experienced some of the lizard¡¯s memories. He¡¯d watched his host devour its own siblings, so he doubted it cared. That said, he figured it was polite to ask. No reply. Shrugging, he activated Mana Sense, noting most of the creatures were not only still alive, but also at Orange like him. Approaching the nearest one, he dug its core out with his ws, before swallowing it whole.¡®It didn¡¯t even taste that bad.¡¯ Normally, Percy wasn¡¯t a huge fan of raw meat, especially when frozen solid. That said, his new tastebuds appeared to have a thing for blood-voured snow. Another pleasant surprise soon followed. A burst of mana was released in their stomach, warming them up. This was finally enough to elicit a satisfied reaction from his host. Although, the timid lizard quickly faded to the background again, happy to let Percy do all the work. ¡®It¡¯s that passive attitude that screwed you up in the first ce.¡¯ Percy reprimanded the gecko, before moving to the next statue. He had no idea how close the lizard was to advancing, but it wouldn¡¯t take that long to eat all the cores. It was a bit of a gamble but ¨C if he got lucky ¨C he¡¯d have a much easier time travelling at Yellow. As he continued ughtering one gecko after the other, a strange thought crossed his mind. The lizards looked rather simr to what one could find on Remior, making him wonder whether he¡¯d even left his world. A quick nce at the sky gave him his answer. ¡®Never mind. Definitely a coincidence.¡¯ There was only one sun ¨C its colour unknown ¨C but that was where the simrities ended. Percy counted as many as 17 moons of various sizes, and guessed there should be more that weren¡¯t visible right now. And those were just the semi-intact ones. Many more broken, irregr chunks of stone littered the sky, making it look like a cosmic cesspit. ¡®I wonder what the story is there. Did they just collide against each other, or did somebody do this?¡¯ The mere thought sent shivers down Percy¡¯s reptilian spine. He had no idea if a god was even capable of such a feat, and he¡¯d rather not find out. He wasn¡¯t keen on meeting a being capable of tossing moons around like pebbles. After all, what else would such an existence be capable of? Detecting souls, maybe? Eager to get the hell out of this world, he picked up the pace, guzzling down one core after another, uncaring about the lizard genocide he wasmitting. Of course, he still had to take frequent breaks, to digest the mana every time his body reached saturation. While he couldn¡¯t devour the geckos¡¯ souls like Micky, the beast mana contained in their cores still umted rapidly after eating so many in quick session. *** ¡®This is the most boring clone I¡¯ve ever made.¡¯ he thought as he sat on the snow waiting once more. It had been several hours since he managed to thaw his host, and he¡¯d already consumed hundreds of cores in that time. The sun had set too, but luckily his eyes turned out less useless than expected, as they appeared to possess some level of night vision. Percy¡¯s core was still at Orange, although more than two thirds of the lizards remained. At his current rate, it would take him another day to finish the rest. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡®Hopefully it won¡¯t be a waste of time.¡¯ His fear wasn¡¯t the only thing rushing him. Given the rtively good condition of his body coupled with the ungodly amount of soul mana he had used to patch it up, he was confident he could easily survive for a week or two. However, sending out clones was a zero-sum game. Every day he spent here meant dying the next clone by just as much. Consequently, if there was nothing of value on this world, it was in his best interest to leave early. ¡®Let¡¯s not dilly dally then.¡¯ Standing up, he walked to the next lizard, about to resume his feast. Not that he had much of an appetite left. While the first dozen or so had tasted alright, he¡¯d grown sick after spending the whole afternoon stuffing his face full of them. Also, the statues looked much creepier at night. Either way, he never got the chance to take another bite, as he saw movement off the corner of his eye. ¡®What the fuck is that?!¡¯ he thought, as a wave of primal terror overcame his host. A massive shape was slithering some distance away, its pale colour barely discernible against the frozen expanse. Much like the geckos, the serpent also vaguely reminded Percy of something he might encounter on Remior, but it was his first time seeing a snake covered in fur. ¡®Shit. It¡¯s at Green.¡¯ He had no idea howrge his host waspared to a human, but the abomination appeared colossal to his current eyes, its girth four times his own. As for its length, it was impossible to estimate as it zigged and zagged through the army of statues, swallowing them whole, one after the other. ¡®What do I do?!¡¯ Percy briefly considered ying dead. A momentter he realized how idiotic the idea was. Even if the snake somehow missed the trail of footprints behind him, the thick stench of blooding from him or his elevated body temperature, it certainly couldn¡¯t miss the sea of mana coursing through his channels. But more importantly, the serpent clearly wouldn¡¯t stop until it devoured everyst one of his kin. Whether he stood still or not, his end would be the same. ¡®Oh well. Worst case scenario it eats me.¡¯ Out of options and without much to lose, Percy waited for the snake to look the other way before sprinting as if his life depended on it ¨C which it did. He didn¡¯t even dare to look back, only using Mana Sense half a minuteter to check if the monster was in hot pursuit. It wasn¡¯t. Only then did he stop, turning around. The snake was still busy eating the other geckos a few hundred meters away. ¡®What, am I not tasty enough for you, you bastard?!¡¯ Percy wasn¡¯t sure whether to be relieved or offended. He was certain the creature had noticed him, but it hadn¡¯t bothered giving chase. Then again, it wasn¡¯t that surprising. Why waste time going after the lone survivor when it had a veritable feastid out in front of it? ¡®I doubt it would be willing to share though.¡¯ Perhaps the serpent didn¡¯t care much about a single gecko slipping away, but it was probably not going to take too kindly to him returning. ¡®Great! All those hours wasted!¡¯ Frustrated, Percy entertained the thought of going back to confront the snake. He knew he was no match for a Yellow beast, let alone a Green one, so he¡¯d definitely die. That said, ending this farce a moment sooner might be his best course of action right now. But he shook his head. He realized he¡¯d been spoiled by his past clones'' sesses. His current situation was likely more indicative of what he should expect going forward. The odds of stumbling upon a treasure trove every time weren''t high, so giving up after the first setback would be unwise. ¡®Let''s wander around for another day or two. If I can''t find anything interesting, I''ll leave.¡¯ As for what "something interesting" might be, he wasn''t sure. He guessed he''d know when he found it. Perhaps a potent life source for his second core, another cluster of frozen lizards he could eat, a vige of sentient lifeforms, or any other rare treasure might qualify. SCREEEEEEEEEEEEE Just as Percy made up his mind, a loud screech caused him to tilt his head up. The only thing he managed to see was a shadow blotting out the sky. SNAP He didn¡¯t even get the chance to examine it with Mana Sense, before an elongated maw snapped shut around his head. At least it didn¡¯t hurt, the pain not yet registering, as his face rolled inside something slimy, before plunging into a pungent swamp. And with that, his vision faded to ck, an irresistible force prying him out of the gecko¡¯s flesh, bringing his third adventure to an abrupt end. ¡®Worst. Clone. Ever.¡¯ [Author¡¯s Note 1: I know many of you were probably eagerly waiting for Percy to resume sending clones and might be disappointed his first one in a while went down like this. I just want to rify that I typically won¡¯t be showing failed clones ¡°on-screen¡± moving forward. I only included this one to give you a taste of what his average clone experience is like. From now on, Percy will be sending clones regrly, but I¡¯ll only show the interesting ones where he gains something useful. Apologies for the wait.] [Author¡¯s Note 2: Some of you might be wondering why the lizard could perceive colours through Mana Sense when its vision is monochrome. Mana Sense is NOT the same as regr eyesight. People use colours to describe grades out of convenience, but if you notice I always capitalize them when viewed through Mana Sense. (Red, Orange, Yellow etc)] Chapter 50: The hunt resumes ¡®I¡¯ll be there in 10 minutes.¡¯ Percy was running along a bridge, Cirction active, with a wasp corpse the size of a fox slung over his shoulder. The stinger pointed forward, ensuring he wouldn¡¯t identally stab himself. ¡®CAW!¡¯ The crow was flying at half its usual speed with another worker hot on its trail. Ten minutester, they met up. Percy tossed the carapace in front of his familiar, before gathering both types of mana in his right hand, forming a cyan glove and a transparent sickle. He dashed towards the bird, who circled around him. Micky dug into the corpse¡¯s sternum for its snack, as Percy engaged his pursuer. The fight was short. Percy dodged the first few stabs before a well-executed parry with his backhand doubled as a lethal counterattack, swiping the Parting Gift across the bug¡¯s torso. As soon as the second wasp died, he ignored it, letting Micky deal with the corpse once he finished his current meal. Instead, Percy moved toward the third target, conveniently located on the same mushroom. A minuteter, it met the same fate. Just in time too, as Micky arrived at Percy¡¯s location, gently holding two nds in his talons.¡®How far to the next batch?¡¯ Percy asked while squeezing the nectar into a vial. CAW! CAW! The bird showed him the locations of three more workers, the nearest over half an hour away, eliciting a groan from the young man. ¡®Ok. I¡¯ll go there. You bait that one. We¡¯ll meet up here.¡¯ he said, getting a nod back. Their current hunting strategy was a lot different from what Percy had originally envisioned. Based on what others had told him soon after he joined the Guild, he¡¯d thought he and Micky should ideally grow proficient enough to split up and hunt separately. After all, they could cover more ground like that ¨C on paper. And indeed, both of them had improved a lot after a month, to the point Micky could even kill a few wasps on his own by now. However, their strengths and weaknesses had developed rather disproportionally to one another. On one hand, Percy was quite adept at killing the bugs with his glove and sickle, often dispatching them within seconds. As much as his familiar had improved in this department, he doubted it would get as good as him anytime soon. On the other hand, Percy was held up by his slower travelling speed. Even if he knew where the bugs were, he still needed several minutes to reach each one ¨C let alone when he had to blindly search for them. Yet, scouting was precisely where Micky excelled. Consequently, he had concluded that the most efficient strategy should make use of both their talents, while covering their shorings. Micky would locate the bugs and bait the more distant ones over, while Percy was in charge of putting them down. Like that, they had reached an average of 29 daily kills by the end of the month! ¡®Still not enough though.¡¯ Percy smiled bitterly as he crossed the bridge. Strictly speaking, he could now earn over 400 contribution points per hunt, which was just barely enough to cover for one of his cores. However, that was under the assumption that he¡¯d hunt every single day without fail. Unfortunately, some downtime was unavoidable. His third clone had needed three full days for the round trip, forcing Percy to remain idle in that time. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. At first, he had intended to keep hunting while his clone was away. Due to his soul¡¯s injuries, he knew it would be harder to umte soul mana by himself, but he could still form the sickle with Micky¡¯s help. Sadly, he couldn¡¯t have ounted for the unexpected issue with his soul¡¯s integrity, caused by having two ethereal cords simultaneously. Hunting in that state was ill-advised as a single moment of weakness could cost them dearly. ¡®I guess we just need to raise the bar a bit more to cover for the idle days.¡¯ There was a little room for improvement, but not a lot. Percy estimated they¡¯d cap out at 32 kills after some more experience, but that was it. He couldn¡¯t get much quicker at killing the bugs, and neither could Micky fly any faster. The only thing he could help was getting Cirction to work for the rest of the afternoon. SIGH ¡®I wanted to siphon the excess profits into alchemy, not to cover for my clones¡¯ adventures¡­¡¯ Of course, he could just stop creating clones. He shook his head. As annoyed as he was when his first clone in over a year came back empty-handed, Percy had no intention of giving up on his ability entirely. He¡¯d always known this would happen. Not every dying body in the universe held some profound magical secret, but he¡¯d never find the few diamonds in the rough if he stopped looking altogether. Perhaps, somebody else in his shoes might have grown content with a second core and a familiar, but Percy understood his current kit wasn¡¯t sufficient to reach the pinnacle. ¡®Sending clones is the one thing I can¡¯tpromise on. Even if it slows down my advancement.¡¯ *** Percy entered the settlement, after another exhausting hunt. In the end, they¡¯d only harvested 29 nds again. The same as yesterday. And the day before. His efficiency had only dropped slightly a couple hours before sunset, when Cirction failed him. Still, it was hard to extend its duration any further and he couldn¡¯t figure out a better way to use his mana than his current glove-sicklebo. It didn¡¯t help that he woke up tired every morning, as five hours of sleep didn¡¯t seem to cut it. ¡®Maybe I should look into recovery potions.¡¯ They weren¡¯t very good, but he only needed the tiniest boost. It would all depend on their price though. He was about to head to one of the official buildings to exchange his nectar, when his gazended on the drowsy girl¡¯s stand. ¡®Huh. She¡¯s still growing.¡¯ he chuckled. Contrary to his expectations, her information trade had not only survived over the past month, but even boomed somewhat. Percy had been shocked to see her jar steadily filling over time, until she had amassed enough money to expand her business. Her sign now read: ¡®BUYING [AND SELLING] INFORMATION ON THE THIRD [AND FOURTH] LEVEL[S]¡¯ Much to Percy¡¯s annoyance, she hadn¡¯t even bothered to nail a new nk with the changes, instead sticking a couple pieces of paper to patch in the new words. Yet, the five jars on the counter, all filled with red and orange coins were proof enough that she knew what she was doing. ¡®Maybe I should try something like this too.¡¯ Percy¡¯s eyelid twitched as he listened to the girl snoring without a care in the world. At the beginning he¡¯d felt happy for her, but it was starting to irritate him. She was making nearly as many points as he was, while sitting around all day. In fact, he wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she surpassed him before long. SIGH ¡®Forget it. I have no idea how to broker information. There¡¯s clearly some secret behind her sess, otherwise everyone would be doing it.¡¯ Ignoring her, he walked to Freddy¡¯s for his daily Honey Roll. Eating the delicious snacks after each hunt had grown into a bit of a ritual by now. Also, Freddy was currently his only friend in the Guild, and it was nice having somebody to talk to. Only ten minutester did Percy leave, trying to catch the official buildings before they closed for the night. ¡®I wish I didn¡¯t have to go through so many hoops though.¡¯ The most annoying part was that he had to visit two different shops, in opposite corners of the settlement. He only sold half his loot at each location, and alternated which one he bought his elixirs from, to avoid unnecessary questions. He knew he was probably just being paranoid, as nobody had ever asked him where he got his nectar. Even if somebody figured out that an Orange core was somehow making over 400 points per day, they wouldn¡¯t care too much. Still, he did prefer to take any precautions he could. ¡°Anything else I can help you with?¡± the clerk at the second shop ¨C a brte d in green ¨C asked after handing him a vial of elixir. Percy was about to shake his head absentmindedly, when he thought of something. ¡®Since I¡¯m here, I might as well.¡¯ ¡°Do you sell potions?¡± Chapter 51: Potions ¡°Of course!¡± the clerk replied, before scratching her head. ¡°Although, I¡¯m forced by Guild regtions to inform potential customers that the potions¡¯ potency is rather limited.¡± ¡°So I¡¯ve been told. But how limited are we talking about exactly?¡± ¡°Well, they work as advertised, but don¡¯t expect any miracles on par with the elixirs.¡± she borated, before furrowing her brow. ¡°Although I suppose they¡¯ll be somewhat effective for you. No offense.¡± Percy nodded. ¡°None taken. I¡¯d like to have a look if it¡¯s not too difficult.¡± The clerk shrugged, before leading him to an adjacent room. She pressed her badge against a symbol on the wall, causing a different rune to light up on the ceiling, illuminating the ce. It wasn¡¯t arge room and ¨C if the dust on the shelves was any indication ¨C it was rarely used. ¡®I guess nobody cares enough to inscribe self-cleaning runes in the potion room.¡¯ ¡°As you can imagine, not many of our alchemists bother brewing potions, and even fewer customers ever buy them. Still, we currently have four different varieties of sufficient quality to be approved for sale by the Guild.¡± Seeing Percy remain silent, she continued.¡°The most popr ones ¨C rtively speaking ¨C are the healing potions. They can help mend injuries for people below Yellow. Just minor stuff though. No raising the dead or regrowing limbs.¡± ¡®It might be worth having one or two of these on me, for an emergency.¡¯ So far, Percy had survived his first month on the Spire without getting stabbed by the wasps, so he doubted he¡¯d get in much trouble anytime soon. Still, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to have something to fall back to in case of an ident. ¡°How much?¡± The clerk smiled. ¡°Just 10 points per dose. If we went solely by the price of the ingredients and the expertise required to brew them, they¡¯d be a lot more expensive. However, the supply far exceeds their demand. Our senior alchemists only bother with them whenever they want a break from elixirs. The same is true for the other potions.¡± ¡®Lucky me.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯ll take three of these then.¡± Percy said. He didn¡¯t have much money to splurge on them, but if it was a one-time thing he could afford it. He doubted he¡¯d need them reced anytime soon. The clerk handed him three ss vials. Apparently, the gemstones were too precious to be used for cheap potions. Percy could see a glowing green liquid swirling inside. Probably some life mana somehow processed into this form. In any case, this wasn¡¯t what he was here for. Tossing the potions into his pockets, he paid the clerk three orange coins, before asking her about the rest. ¡°Next we have magic potions.¡± she gestured to a row of vials, their contents shimmering in a light blue colour. ¡°Their main ingredient is a flower with pure mana properties, and they can refill your core once consumed. However, they only contain enough for an Orange core, and the conversion rate to other affinities is abysmal.¡± Percy made an odd expression. On paper, it sounded like these potions were tailor made for him. He had a Red core with a pure affinity, which meant there was nobody else on Remior who could benefit more from these potions than him. A single dose could refill his core thrice over! Still, Cirction boosted his mana regeneration the most, so he couldn¡¯t recall ever getting in a situation that couldn¡¯t be resolved through his Refined spell. In the end he shook his head, prompting the clerk to continue. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the vition. ¡°These are called enlightenment potions. Please pardon us for the tacky name ¨C it is a bit on the nose considering their subpar effect ¨C but they do help you focus for a couple hours after consuming them. They are best used before studying.¡± she said, pointing to a shelf of bright red potions that looked a bit like glowing blood. Percy¡¯s eyes widened. They might be handy for him if he decided to read up on alchemy, but that wasn¡¯t what surprised him. ¡°Do they contain mind mana by any chance?¡± he asked, trying to mask his inner turmoil. He probably did a poor job at it, as the clerk chuckled upon seeing his expression. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m sure you see the pattern by now. Our alchemists have drawn inspiration from elixirs, trying to brew other affinities into potions, although their results leave much to be desired. None of them exceed what an Orange core is capable of.¡± Percy quickly ran some calctions in his head. Baldy had needed around 1800 refills to germinate his second core. If these enlightenment potions contained as much mana as an Orange core, he¡¯d need somewhere around 110,000 doses for Micky. He smiled wryly at that conclusion. ¡®That¡¯s over a million contribution points. Do they even have that many in stock?¡¯ Even if he somehow managed to amass the oundish sum, he¡¯d have to find a way to buy the potions without arousing suspicion. Still, this was his first lead, so it was something to keep in mind for the future. ¡°Do you want to buy some?¡± the clerk asked, breaking him out of his thoughts. ¡°Not right now.¡± Micky aside, he definitely wanted to hit the library in the next couple of days. Perhaps the enlightenment potions would be handy at that time, but they weren¡¯t a priority at the moment. Shrugging, the clerk moved to the final shelf filled with brown potions. This time, she had to brush some cobwebs aside, speaking volumes as to thest time anybody bought any of these. ¡°This is the final item ¨C and the least popr I¡¯m afraid. They are called rejuvenation potions and you¡¯re meant to drink them before going to bed. Supposedly, they help you rest more overnight, but the difference isn¡¯t huge and it¡¯s not like sleep deprivation is a serious issue in the Guild.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t seem very keen on promoting your merchandise.¡± Percy noted. The clerk hadn¡¯t really painted any of the potions in a positive light since he got here. It was his first time experiencing something like this in a shop. She chuckled. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like I get amission based on sales. Besides, all the prices in this shop are fixed ording to Guild rules. Also, the profits from the potions are peanutspared to the elixirs and the demand for those is set in stone, regardless of my conduct. Thank Phoebe for it too. People only volunteer for these posts to rx. Nobody would bother if it was a hassle. So yeah¡­ I might as well be honest with the customers.¡± This arrangement suited Percy just fine. ¡°So, what mana do these contain?¡± he asked. ¡°Don¡¯t quote me on this, but I believe it¡¯s a mixture of life and mind mana. However, they are designed to have a more dyed effectpared to the other potions. They basically work by augmenting your body¡¯s natural recovery over a longer period of time. So don¡¯t try relying on them in a pinch, but they¡¯ll probably give you more value for your points overnight.¡± ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll take one of these for now.¡± Percy said. Truth be told, none of the potions seemed revolutionary, but the brown ones sounded like the most suitable to his situation. He¡¯d try one tonight to see if it helped. A single dose was worth less points than a Starry Worker, so if it let him get an extra kill tomorrow it would pay for itself. He left after thanking the clerk. Returning home was a pain in the ass, as the shop was in the other side of the settlement. ¡®Shit, I have to wake up in five hours. And I still haven¡¯t taken today¡¯s elixirs.¡¯ he grimaced. Picking up the pace, he made it to his house in a rush, onlymenting the fact that he couldn¡¯t activate Cirction in the middle of the Guild. Not many people were out and about thiste, but it wasn¡¯t worth the risk just to sleep a few minutes longer. As soon as he entered his room, he downed the expensive elixir before getting into the shower. To save time, he circted his pure mana between his stomach and abdomen while the warm water sshed on his shoulders, washing the grime off him. The mana burned wherever it passed, as he had overused his channels again. On top of that, his body¡¯s soreness made it a struggle to even stand, but he gritted his teeth to see this through. Half an hourter, he was in his bed, drinking a dose of the diluted elixir. ¡®Micky, can you eat the bug now?¡¯ For the next couple of weeks, Percy would need some help generating enough soul mana for the elixirs. They¡¯d arranged for Micky to keep a half-dead Starry Drone by his side, with its stinger broken and its wings clipped, to be eaten on demand. ¡®CAW¡­¡¯ The familiar appeared half-asleep, but a modest trickle of mana still flowed through the connection a few momentster. Percy took deep breaths to reinforce it, as he circted it between his stomach and sternum. By the time he finished, there were less than four hours left before sunrise. Picking up the rejuvenation potion, he gave it a swirl, gazing at the brown liquid as if it was the most precious treasure. POP He uncorked the vial with his mouth, carelessly spitting the lid on the floor, before gulping the potion down. It wasn¡¯t bitter like the elixirs. It was sweet, reminding him of thinned syrup. ¡®I really hope it does something, or tomorrow is going to suck so fucking much.¡¯ Chapter 52: Time management Percy woke up feeling¡­ alright. He stretched out on his bed, before ncing around the dimly lit room. Just enough sunlight seeped through the curtain to cast soft shadows on the walls. Percy wasn¡¯t exactly fully rested, and he¡¯d dly sleep for another hour if it were an option. As the shopkeeper had said, the effect of the rejuvenation potion was rather modest. ¡®Still impressive though¡­¡¯ All things considered, Percy had barely slept four hours, yet he was less tired than the previous mornings. His soreness remained, but it was muted. Pulling some mana from his abdomen also revealed that his channels had somewhat recovered ¨C at least they didn¡¯t burn as much. Percy was tempted to keep buying the brown potions if only to improve his quality of life. Not feeling like crap had to count for something. ¡®No, let¡¯s make sure it gets me some tangible results first.¡¯ he decided, getting up. Tossing his robe on, he opened his house¡¯s preservation box, taking a bottle of milk out. Next, he hurriedly drank two mouthfuls before rushing out of his house with a loaf of bread held by his teeth, eager to begin hunting. If he managed 30 kills today, he¡¯d absolutely use that as an excuse to justify buying the potions. Half an hourter, Micky tilted his head upon seeing him, clearly noticing he was in a good mood. CAW? Percy chuckled, feeling a rare lightness in his steps. Even the colourful motes slowly falling on the mushroom looked prettier than usual. ¡®It¡¯s a secret.¡¯ he smirked, acting all mysterious.CAW! CAW! The familiar pecked him a few times. ¡°Ah-Ouch! Fuck! Ok! It¡¯s a thing that made me sleep better!¡± Percy broke rather easily, rubbing his arm. That only seemed to pour oil in the fire, however. CAW!! CRAAAA!!! CAW!!! Percy shielded his face with his elbows, curling on the ground to cover as much of his body as possible. ¡®Why are you evenining?! I¡¯m the one who has Cirction active all day!¡¯ CAW! Micky sent him the memory of being woken up in the middle of the night. ¡®Fine! If they prove useful, I¡¯ll CONSIDER buying you some too.¡¯ Only then did the bird stop torturing him, a satisfied glint in its eye. ¡®You extortionist¡­ Have you at least found any wasps on the way here?¡¯ he exhaled in defeat. Micky remained silent, only sending him a few images of Starry Workers on some nearby mushrooms. Nodding, Percy took a deep breath, and then another¡­ Next, he sprinted towards their first target for the day as the cyan lines shone under his skin. *** ¡®CAW! CAW!¡¯ Micky reminded him of his promise as he crossed the final bridge connecting the second level to the Spire¡¯s base. ¡®Alright, a deal¡¯s a deal. I¡¯ll bring you one tomorrow.¡¯ the young man replied. His steps were uneven, as were his breaths. However, a shit-eating grin was stered all over his face, despite the exhaustion. Today, they had managed to harvest 31 nds, proving the efficacy of the rejuvenation potion! Well, ok. Perhaps part of it was just luck, another part a cebo. Still, Percy was quite certain his recent purchase had contributed to some extent. After all, once the mana began burning his channels and Cirction started feeling heavier, he was able to push through, keeping the technique active until the end. He doubted he had achieved this through sheer willpower. Overall, he was satisfied. Not only with the potion but also his improvements since joining the Guild. He and Micky had started with aughable 14 kills on their first day, yet they had more than doubled that number since. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. His only regret was that there didn¡¯t seem to be any room for further improvement. At least not on the second floor. And he wasn¡¯t confident in risking their lives or their secrets on the third one. This meant he had to make do with 465 contribution points per hunt for the foreseeable future, assuming he could keep this up. ¡®It¡¯s enough for one core, even if I ount for three days of downtime per month.¡¯ Of course, it was possible one of his clones might need longer but, in that case, he¡¯d just have to ept the loss and hope he got something worthwhile in return. More importantly, this would also leave him enough change for two potions per day. One of those had to be his daily dose of the rejuvenation potion ¨C it was already indispensable in his mind. The second slot ced him in a bit of a dilemma though. On one hand, he wanted to get brown potions for Micky, topensate the crow for helping him recover soul mana. He needed his help both to use the diluted elixirs with his first core, but also to begin clearing the corresponding set of channels. On the other, he had to start reading up on alchemy. Saving 1000 points for each lecture was out of the question, so his only option was to hit the library and hope the enlightenment potions helped. And there was another problem. ¡®Why can¡¯t there be more than 24 hours in a day?¡¯ Percy felt like tearing his hair out. His hunting trips alreadysted 18 hours ¨C of which one was spent just travelling to and from the mushrooms. He couldn¡¯t cut the time down, else his ie would also drop. Of the remaining six hours, one was spent at home drinking elixirs. His other activities ¨C such as socializing with Freddy or exchanging his points ¨C only ate into his sleep. Suffice to say, he couldn¡¯t reduce that any further either. ¡®The only way is to learn how to use the elixirs while walking.¡¯ It might take some practice, but it would save him an hour per day. He could spend that either in the library or at home unblocking his channels. ¡®Let¡¯s alternate between the two. I¡¯ll do the same with the potions.¡¯ Having settled on a n, Percy entered the settlement, stopping by Freddy¡¯s for a few minutes. Next, he went to the official shops, this time buying his elixir from the other one. He also got two doses of the rejuvenation potion, one for himself and one to hand to his familiar tomorrow. Only then did he head home, taking a shower and downing one of the new potions before going to bed. He didn¡¯t drink any elixirs today, as he had to adjust the time he took them. *** Percy got up, feeling even better than yesterday. Evidently, an extra hour of sleep got him even more value out of the potion. After dressing and eating a tomato ¨C no time for a sd ¨C he ran out of his house, taking two doses of elixir with him ¨C a regr and a diluted one. However, he didn¡¯t drink them just yet. His n was to take the diluted dose in the afternoon, on the way back. At that point, his body and core would be full of soul mana, right after the hunt ended. This meant he had to cleanse his pure core in the morning, but he couldn¡¯t do that in in sight. People might notice the mana circting in his abdomen. Consequently, he waited until he reached the second level to finally swallow the expensive elixir. ¡®It¡¯s tougher than I thought.¡¯ he groaned. Cleansing one¡¯s core required a lot of focus and it was his first time trying it on the move. Making a mistake wasn¡¯t necessarily dangerous, but it could easily waste some of the elixir¡¯s efficacy. ¡®At least the Starry Workers don¡¯t attack unprovoked.¡¯ He didn¡¯t know if it was different on the upper floors, but he didn¡¯t have to worry about them bothering him right now. By the time he met up with Micky, the elixir in his stomach had been used up. Percy estimated he¡¯d wasted about 20%, which wasn¡¯t ideal. He sure hoped he¡¯d get better at this soon. ¡®It can¡¯t be helped. It¡¯s a useful skill to have anyway.¡¯ Most experienced mages learned this at some point. People like baldy couldn¡¯t afford to waste half an hour sitting still every day. ¡®Come to think of it¡­ Can¡¯t I also unblock my channels on the move?¡¯ It would be impossible to do that during a fight, but most of his time was spent travelling atop the giant fungi. In fact, whenever they finished a batch of wasps, Micky provided him with a ton of mana, so his current difficulty in regenerating it by himself wouldn¡¯t be an issue. Of course, he needed the soul mana to recover, but it wouldn¡¯t be lost when he unblocked a channel. It would still be in his body, avable to be usedter. ¡®Doing that while having Cirction active is going to be such a chore though.¡¯ he grimaced. Like this, Percy would essentially be using every second productively. Waking up. Travelling to the Fungal Spire while cleansing his second core. Killing a batch of wasps. Clearing his channels while moving to the next batch. Repeating thest two steps for the whole day. Returning to the Guild while cleansing his first core. Exchanging his points and buying potions and elixirs. Spending an hour in the library. Sleeping. His routine would only change slightly once a month when he sent out a new clone. At that point, he¡¯d have to take a break from hunting, but it would also be his best chance to put more time into studying, so he wasn¡¯t going to waste it. He frowned. Strictly speaking, this was arguably torture. However, if he stuck to it, he¡¯d be making rapid progress towards multiple goals. Whenever he reached one of them, he¡¯d be able to rx somewhat. Eventually, using the elixirs while walking would be effortless. Also, after mastering Cirction with his second core, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about it either. Plus, he could reconsider hunting on the third level at that point. And these were just the short-term milestones. One of his clones was bound to stumble upon something interesting sooner orter. Not to mention that once he became an alchemist, he might be able to stop hunting entirely. And even if everything else failed, his second core should advance to Orange in a little over three years too. Although he sure hoped another of his projects would bear fruit before then. Percy grinned. ¡®Pain is temporary. Gains are forever.¡¯ Chapter 53: Three pillars One of the Guild¡¯srgest buildings stood before Percy. It was made out of the same polished stones as all the houses and shops, covered from top to bottom in intricate glyphs, shimmering faintly whenever the colourful motesnded on them. He¡¯d walked past the library many times since joining, although he¡¯d never entered. And he wasn¡¯t alone in that. Apparently very few people ever bothered, as it wasn¡¯t the easiest way to learn alchemy. ¡®Let¡¯s do this then. My time here is limited after all.¡¯ At least the ce was always open, so he wouldn¡¯t have to tailor his schedule to any inconvenient opening hours. He only needed to press his badge against a rune to be allowed inside. As soon as he gazed upon the countless towering bookcases, his heart began racing. ¡®Gods, I¡¯ve missed reading!¡¯ It used to be his main pastime growing up, but he¡¯d been too busy over thest couple of years. ncing around the room, he saw two middle-aged men dressed in blue, sitting on different tables. Each had a pile of books by their side. However, both had stopped what they were doing, giving him strange looks. ¡®What? Did I do something wrong?¡¯ On closer inspection, one of them was the guy who¡¯d given him the introductory lecture a month earlier. Percy never caught his name, but he did feel grateful for the freebie. He walked up to him, with a smile on his face. In his experience, the man was approachable, and he could use some help finding what he needed. ¡°Good evening, sir!¡± he whispered to avoid bothering the other guy who¡¯d returned to reading by now.¡°Did something happen outside?¡± the alchemist asked in concern, skipping the pleasantries. Percy furrowed his brow. ¡°No? Why do you ask?¡± The man stared at him in confusion for a few moments. ¡°I see¡­ It¡¯s just that I can¡¯t remember thest time I saw anybody under a century old in here.¡± Percy smiled wryly. ¡®Yeah, no shit.¡¯ ¡°Well, I¡¯m currently broke, so this is my only means of getting into alchemy.¡± he said. ¡°Actually, I wanted to thank you for that lesson you gave recently. I was hoping you could point me to some suitable books for beginners. If it¡¯s not too much trouble of course!¡± The man¡¯s expression brightened like the morning sun as soon as alchemy was brought up. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it! As I said back then, the Guild can use as many alchemists as we can get. It brings me great joy whenever I see young people willing to delve into the field.¡± Standing up, the man hurriedly walked to a certain corner of the room, motioning him to follow. ¡°Sadly, these are all the books we have on the subject.¡± he gestured to an old, dusty bookcase. ¡°Seriously?¡± These were less than 5% of the books in the building. Pretty neglected too ¨Cpared to everything else. ¡°What about the rest?¡± The alchemist chuckled. ¡°History, geography, politics, novels¡­ Those are a lot more popr. Only old people frequent this ce, and most of them are already experienced alchemists after all.¡± Percy nodded. The thing about a world as old as Remior was that there was never ack of material for people to read and write about. Countless wars took ce every year between the various noble Houses. Alliances, betrayals, epic battles¡­ If there was one thing authors and bards alike never had to worry about, it was sources of inspiration to draw from. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°I suggest you start with these for now.¡± the man said, breaking him out of his thoughts. Next, he handed him four leather-bound tomes, one after another. The stack might have felt heavy if he was still at Red. ¡°Feel free to ask me if you have any questions. I spend most of my nights in here.¡± The implication made Percy¡¯s heart skip a beat. It would be rude to keep bothering the alchemist if he never offered, but now things were different. Between the books, the potion and the elder¡¯s help, wasn¡¯t this like getting another free lesson? ¡°Thank you, sir! I really appreciate it.¡± ¡°Just call me Orin.¡± the man replied, already returning to his table. Following suit, Percy picked another vacant spot, before setting down the books. THUD Next, he removed them from the pile,ying them side by side, before blowing at them, raising a cloud of dust in the process. COUGH, COUGH ¡®When was thest time anybody read these?¡¯ In any case, he could finally make out their titles. ¡®Common reagents: flowers, herbs and minerals¡¯ ¡®Known recipes for elixirs¡¯ ¡®A guide to brewing¡¯ ¡®The three pirs of nectar purification¡¯ Percy decided to start with thest one, assuming it was the most fundamental. With less than half an hour left, he doubted he¡¯d get far tonight, so he didn¡¯t waste the enlightenment potion. Opening the tome, he quickly skimmed through the fluff in the first few pages before his eyes settled on something interesting. ¡®¡­and thus, the central idea is to process the nectar into a form more suitable for core purification. In its raw state, the beast mana would run amok, causing great damage over a few seconds. What we want instead, is to alter some of its properties, so that it can be used safely and effectively. These transformations are separated into distinct categories, which are formally called the three pirs¡­¡¯ Percy was d to have started with this one. He still didn¡¯t fully understand what the brewing process involved, so learning about specific ingredients and recipes shouldeter. Reading on, he soon found the definitions he was interested in. ¡®The first pir is the pacification of the nectar. Simply put, it involves a ss of materials that cause the beast mana to act in a dyed manner, allowing the elixirs to be slowly used over several minutes instead of rampaging in one¡¯s core within a handful of seconds.¡¯ ¡®Huh, I bet it¡¯s the same thing they use to make the rejuvenation potions work overnight, contrary to the healing potions.¡¯ Percy realised. But there was more there, so he continued. ¡®The second pir is the redirection of the nectar. This step involves adding materials which make the beast mana react more strongly to the impurities found in a core, rather than the core itself. As for the third pir, it is called deattunement. If it wasn¡¯t for this, the beast mana would counteract the user¡¯s mana, wasting the effect of the elixir before it even reached one¡¯s core. Deattunement allows the nectar to blend peacefully with another affinity, so that it can be safely guided from one¡¯s stomach to their sternum.¡¯ Percy reread the text a few more times to make sure he understood everything. ¡®Pacification, redirection and deattunement. I guess all the various recipes just substitute a different ingredient for each of the three pirs.¡¯ Almost out of time, he quickly dove back into the book to make as much progress as possible. ¡®Naturally, each of the three pirs is essential to the brewing process, but they do note without a cost. Every time the nectar is mixed with a different ingredient, some of the beast mana is lost. And this exchange has to ur thrice in each session. Beginners often struggle to get past even one of the steps without wasting the nectar. An alchemist¡¯s skill is quantified based on how much elixir they manage to retain by the end of the third one.¡¯ The book went on to divulge some general information about the three pirs and what types of nts tended to fall into each category. As expected, dozens of known ingredients were suitable for each step, giving rise to thousands of recipes. That said, about 80% of the process was transferable from one recipe to another. Some nts required special handling, introducing some additional variable, but for the most part there was no clear ¡®winner¡¯ among the recipes. It was just a question of what materials were avable and what the alchemist was most familiar with. SIGH ¡®I wish I could stay longer.¡¯ Even though he had yet to delve into alchemy proper, Percy had still enjoyed reading up on the theory. Sadly, he couldn¡¯t extend today¡¯s session without affecting tomorrow¡¯s hunt. Returning the books to the shelf, he gave Orin an apologetic smile before leaving. The man frowned upon seeing him go so early. A few minutester he made it home. After showering, he drank the rejuvenation potion and went to bed. Staring up at his ceiling, he thought back to Orin¡¯s disappointed expression as he bade him farewell. ¡®Huh, he probably thinks I got bored after half an hour.¡¯ Percy smiled bitterly. But there was nothing he could do about it. Actions spoke louder than words and besides¡­ ¡®I¡¯ll be back.¡¯ Chapter 54: Orin Lukewarm. If Orin had to pick a word to describe his life, it would be that. He enjoyed what he did of course ¨C enough to forget about the bitterness in his past, but his daily routine hadn¡¯t changed much in a long time. It had been several centuries since he left home to join the Guild as an aspiring alchemist. He still missed his family from time to time, his House having long been destroyed. Not being there for his parents and sister in their final moments was one of his few regrets. Still, he understood he couldn¡¯t have changed much even if he¡¯d stayed. Born with an Orange core, Orin hadn¡¯t even reached Green back when the disaster struck. His only sce was he didn¡¯t have to worry about the brutality running rampant across Remior as long as he remained within the walls of the Guild. Nobody dared to stir trouble under the noses of both the Divine Order and the Great Houses. Even better was he¡¯d found his true calling here. Harnessing nature for humanity¡¯s sake, using the raw nectar to refine elixirs ¨C Remior¡¯s lifeblood ¨C was Orin¡¯s greatest passion in life. Something about the art truly resonated with him. Perhaps it was the respect it garnered from mortals and gods alike. Maybe it was the satisfaction he drew knowing he personally contributed to his world¡¯s survival. Or it could just be that challenging himself to improve every day, to find new ways of increasing his yield was a ton of fun. In fact, if there was one thing the old codger liked as much as brewing, it was mentoring youngsters and passing along the art to the next generation. ¡®If only they cared half as much to learn.¡¯The Guild didn¡¯t exactlyck manpower. Sure, they couldn¡¯t provide for the Red-borns of Remior, but who cared about them anyway? There were plenty of elixirs to go around for the Orange-borns and above. Plus, new members kept joining the Guild in droves. Most of them picked up alchemy too ¨C sooner orter. Even thezier ones eventually managed to save up enough points. However, Orin had a soft spot for the rare few who bothered learning the art properly ¨C paying as much attention to the underlying theory as they did for demonstrations and lessons. That was why he¡¯d been so excited when he first saw Percy in the library. Sure, the boy had probably been driven there by his empty pockets ¨C not a pure appreciation for the subject. Still, it warmed Orin¡¯s heart to see somebody diving into the books in earnest. The others who only blindly copied their elders rarely surpassed a yield of 35%. They also never brought any new insights into the field, causing it to stagnate. So great had his enthusiasm been, that his dejection had been equally grand seeing the boy give up mere minutes after starting. ¡®Huh, just like the rest of them.¡¯ he¡¯d thought at the time. But to Orin¡¯s great shock, the boy had returned the next day, at about the same time ¨C if a few minutes earlier perhaps. Percy had picked up the books again, resuming exactly where he had left off. The old alchemist hadn¡¯t missed the youngster swallowing a dose of a red potion too. He¡¯d recognised it of course ¨C Orin had brewed a lot of the Guild¡¯s potions personally. Not many of his peers cared much about this lesser branch of alchemy. ¡®Smart. This is one of the best uses for the enlightenment potions.¡¯ Uwfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. It was only at that point Orin realized Percy hadn¡¯t left the previous night out of boredom, but necessity. Over the following few days, he paid more attention to the context clues. Percy always arrived at the library at around the same time ¨C just before midnight. He never stayed longer than an hour, but he always had a distraught expression when leaving. Clearly, the boy wanted to keep reading, but had to cut his trips short. His eyes were also tired the whole time. There was never a speck of dust on the young man¡¯s orange robe ¨C the self-cleaning runes doing their job admirably ¨C but Orin didn¡¯t miss the traces of dried sweat all over his face. ¡®He spends all day hunting!¡¯ Orin had realized. It wasn¡¯t that strange for a new member to spend a lot of time on the Spire. It wasmon for neers to do that. After all, it was the easiest way to save up enough points before switching to alchemy. That said, the vast majority were Orange-borns who didn¡¯t need more than 8 to 10 hours of work to cover their needs. This was his first time meeting a boy who was not only willing to learn the art the hard way, but who struggled to find enough time for it. The revtion made his heart quiver, to the point he no longer minded offering to answer Percy¡¯s questions. Originally, Orin had regretted the words as soon as they¡¯d left his mouth. He¡¯d volunteered to mentor others in the past, but that never went well. The youngsters tended to ask simple questions at first. However, they kept demanding more and more, until eventually it all turned into a one-to-one lesson, with Orin spoon-feeding them everything. But that wasn¡¯t what Percy did. For the most part, the boy had done his best to study by himself. Even when he seemed stuck, he went back to the books, trying to figure out the answer on his own. Very rarely did he take Orin up on his offer and, even then, he only asked specific questions rted to the problem he was facing. Over time, the old man truly came to appreciate Percy¡¯s work ethic and his dedication. The boy never missed a day, although he only used a potion every other night. Apparently, it was the most he could afford. Once a month, the young man seemed to take a break from hunting for a few days. Orin was curious, but he didn¡¯t ask, respecting the boy¡¯s privacy. Percy almost lived in the library during those days, taking the opportunity to get a lot more reading done than usual. Sadly, he didn¡¯t use the potions at that time, as they didn¡¯tst very long, and he didn¡¯t have the funds to keep guzzling them down one after another. He also seemed to endure some headaches during those days. Maybe he suffered from some chronic illness? In any case, Orin hade toment Percy¡¯s lower grade. He felt it was a true injustice that such a hard-working young man was cursed with the lowest birthright on Remior. Then again, perhaps it was a blessing. Maybe the boy wouldn¡¯t have been so passionate about learning if he¡¯d grown up with a silver spoon in his mouth like the rest. Either way, the young man kept visiting the library, night after night, month after month. Through the scarce scraps of time he could invest into alchemy, Percy slowly devoured all the books Orin rmended, even rereading a couple of them. Eventually, the old alchemist watched the boy return the final book to its shelf, his expression an odd cocktail of triumph and dejection. ¡°Congrattions Percy!¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯ve read everything we have on alchemy!¡± ¡°Thank you, sir. I couldn¡¯t have made it this far without your help.¡± Orin shook his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t do much. I barely gave you a couple tips here and there. What do you n to do next? I bet you¡¯re itching to try brewing an elixir yourself, aren¡¯t you?¡± The boy smiled bitterly but didn¡¯t say anything. He didn¡¯t need to. ¡°Six months.¡± Orin said. Percy tilted his head. ¡°I¡¯ll provide the materials you need for the next six months, four hours per day. You can keep any elixir you manage to brew too, so even if your yield is horrible at the start, you might be able to make up for the shorter hunting trips in due time.¡± The boy¡¯s jaw ckened. Orin chuckled at the sight. Only about a minuteter did Percy seem to find the words. ¡°Sir, I can¡¯t express how grateful I am¡­ But may I ask why?¡± Orin shrugged. ¡°Why not? I¡¯m filthy rich. It won¡¯t really affect me if I buy you some nectar.¡± Percy still appeared confused. ¡°I mean, I get that. Still, wouldn¡¯t it be cheaper if you gave some more free lectures like before? That way, a lot more people would benefit than just me.¡± The old alchemist scoffed. ¡°I could do that, but why bother? Most of those kids can afford the lessons and the materials by themselves if they put a tiny bit more effort. I¡¯d rather help the one who actually needs it.¡± Percy¡¯s eyes glistened with tears. He looked like he was about to hug him too. Orin chuckled, cing his hand on the boy¡¯s forehead to keep him at bay. ¡°But I meant it when I said it¡¯s only for six months. There¡¯s no guarantee you¡¯ll manage to brew any elixir by then.¡± ¡°What you get out of this is up to you.¡± Chapter 55: A message from a god Percy¡¯s past few weeks had been rough ¨C to say the least. Hisst clone had been another dud, just like the five before it. He¡¯d found himself in the body of a fish that barely survived an hour before getting eaten. ¡®By a fucking crab too!¡¯ the memory still made his blood boil. At this point, he wasn¡¯t sure if he¡¯d been lucky with his first two clones, or unlucky with the rest. Probably both. However, that was where the bad news ended. Last night, he finished the alchemy books, and Orin generously offered to sponsor him for half a year. It really was like the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel, as he¡¯d been trying to figure out how to fund his studies for a while now. His hunting trips had capped out at 32 kills per day since three months ago, with no further improvements in sight. At least, he could now afford both Micky¡¯s rejuvenation potions and the ones he needed to study, but he still struggled to save up any more points past that. At this rate, he¡¯d be stuck until he managed to use Cirction with both cores. That said, he¡¯d made some progress towards that. He¡¯d already finished clearing the rest of his channels and even mastered drinking the elixirs while moving. His soul had also grown a lot stronger after sending so many clones. Right now, using his bloodline didn¡¯t cause any new tears to form ¨C other than therge chunk he carved out deliberately of course. The only steps left were to temper the channels to their limits and figure out a suitable pattern for the soul mana to flow in. Of course, there were some issues there, but he hoped he¡¯d solve them in due time. Still, Orin¡¯s help was the key to delving into alchemy a lot sooner than he could have otherwise. Percy hoped his strong theoretical background would let him reach the minimum thresholds more easily than other newbies. ¡®I have to make Orin¡¯s funding count. I need to reach a 15% yield by the end. Losing only half the value of the materials is going to sting less.¡¯ Percy stopped in front of a stone house, slightlyrger than his own. Senior alchemists who had contributed a lot to the Guild were given an upgraded home with its own private alchemyb. The rest had to make do with the public ones. Luckily, Percy¡¯s mentor had offered him his own. He was even going to guide him through the process! Well, only for his first few attempts, but it was still massive.¡®I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m finally doing this for real.¡¯ Reading about alchemy for so long without being able to put the lessons to practice had been quite frustrating to say the least. It was like baking cakes without being allowed a bite. ¡®Or in my case, I suppose I wasn¡¯t even able to bake the cakes. Just memorizing the recipes¡­¡¯ he chuckled. He was about to knock on the door, when something unexpected happened. A shockwave coursed through him, making all the buildings around him tremble slightly. A gentle but firm breeze soon followed, sending all the motes in the air flying to the south. Percy squinted as a fewnded in his eyes in quick session. ¡®What¡¯s going on?!¡¯ Orin¡¯s door opened, the man walking out of his house with an equally perplexed expression. The same happened with a few of his neighbours ¨C the ones who were at home presumably. Everyone just stood outside, trying to make sense of the event. Percy had never seen anything like this since joining the Guild, and from what he gathered, neither had these seniors. ¡°Is somebody dumb enough to attack us?¡± he asked his mentor. It was only now that the old alchemist even registered he was there. He gave him a reassuring smile, before shrugging. ¡°I doubt it, but even if some House has gone crazy, there¡¯s nothing to worry about. We have 5 Violet cores stationed here, so even a Great House would struggle to do much.¡± Percy nodded, but he still wasn¡¯t fully convinced. ¡°Attention, denizens of Remior! This is a message broadcast by Hermes, one of the 12 gods of the Divine Order!¡± a booming voice said. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. The young man couldn¡¯t tell where the sound wasing from. It was as if it came from everywhere and nowhere, all at once. As if each pebble on the ground and each speck of dust in the air was eager to ry the god¡¯s will. ¡°Today is a joyous day for our world!¡± Hermes continued, oblivious to Percy¡¯s thoughts. ¡°As you all know, our Order is constantly at war with other races ¨C A war overnd, lives and resources. Usually, these conflicts do not spill over to the rest of you ¨C the mortals of Remior ¨C but a recent development has granted us a grand opportunity that we can share with some of you.¡± Awed exmations followed from the alchemists surrounding Percy. Everyone knew the Order often came across unique treasures with miraculous powers. However, they tended to monopolize them among themselves. Some people weren¡¯t happy with that arrangement but, honestly, Percy understood where the gods wereing from. After all, they were the ones who fought tooth and nail to protect them all. Plus, they were their spoils of war, so they did deserve to keep them. ¡°You may be wondering why we¡¯re being so generous all of a sudden, but that will be clear once I describe the properties of this bizarre item we have recently procured. It¡¯s called the Lotus of a Myriad Rivers. Although, strictly speaking it¡¯s not the lotus itself we¡¯re in possession of, but the seed of one. In any case, as you may imagine, this object is not native to Remior. It¡¯s something we¡¯vepeted against rival races to obtain from a recently vanquished world. And its effect is something you¡¯ve all dreamt of at some point in your lives. No, scratch that. This is something that WE¡¯VE all dreamt about ¨C including many of our gods. After all, once the lotus fully blossoms, it can change one¡¯s affinity!¡± It was Percy¡¯s turn to draw a sharp breath at that revtion. This was something that had truly bothered him ever since he discovered his second core¡¯s affinity. He¡¯d long hypothesised he might be able to find a solution out there in his travels. But he couldn¡¯t have predicted the solution would present itself to him back at home, in such a manner! ¡®I have to get this at all costs!¡¯ ¡°Now here¡¯s the catch. As the name of the nt implies, you can¡¯t exactly get whatever affinity piques your fancy. Once consumed, a petal of the lotus will add a water affinity to one¡¯s core. ording to our current understanding, it won¡¯t do anything if you already possess the water affinity. Neither will it work with the rare orposite ones. However, it does work with other elemental affinities, merging with them. In other words, if you have a fire or earth affinity, you will end up with steam or mud respectively, and so on.¡± Percy grimaced at that. Those whocked an affinity like him were already 20% of the poption, but now he¡¯d also have topete with those with fire, earth, air or lightning. It meant about 84% of the people on Remior would want a petal¡­ ¡°Yes, as you have probably realized, almost everyone you know can use it. As fate would have it, there¡¯s plenty of it to go around, however! Once again, the name of the treasure might have already clued you in, but the lotus will generate a total of 10,000 petals when it blooms. And ¨C lucky you ¨C we currently only have about 7,000 members in the Order who can benefit from it. In theory, we could dy nting the seed until we have more people, but nobody knows how long that would take, as we can¡¯t exactly control the rate by which talented individuals are born. Plus, we are firmly of the philosophy that the treasure won¡¯t do us any good if we keep it in storage forever. So, we have already nted it ¨C and the petals will be avable for us all in five short years. A blink of an eye for us gods, and even the morepetent of you mortals. Still a long time for the Red-born runts though.¡± The god chuckled. Percy didn¡¯t appreciate somehow being the butt of a joke even during a divine transmission, but he was excited enough to let it slide. ¡°Ah, and just in case you smartasses think we haven¡¯t considered storing the excess petals forter ¨C surprise! We are not as dumb as you think! Sadly, they will wither away into nothing exactly 23 days, 7 hours, 12 minutes and 45.2 seconds after the nt blooms, no matter what we do. There is no preservation array that can change that. Even time dtion won¡¯t work. It¡¯s actually the first time we ¨C Remior specifically ¨C got our hands on this bad boy, but other races have documented trying to cheat the system, only to end up crying over the wasted petals.¡± This time, the crowd around Percy erupted into cheers. Of course, everyone understood they probably wouldn¡¯t be among the lucky few to get a petal, but there was still plenty to be excited about. The news that the Divine Order had achieved another important victory gave them all some peace of mind. And, after this, their world would grow stronger still! ¡°Yes! We are amazing and all that!¡± Hermes said after a couple of minutes. ¡°In any case, I¡¯m running out of juice for the spell, so let me wrap this up real quick. To summarize, we have this neat thing in the oven that will give anyone with a pure or elemental affinity an upgrade five years from now. There are about 3,000 spots we are willing to share and around 1,000 noble Houses on Remior. We could have tried toe up with a more borate system to decide who gets them but, frankly, we don¡¯t give a shit. So, we¡¯ll just hand three petals to each House and they can do whatever with them. Even if you¡¯re amoner it doesn¡¯t necessarily mean you are screwed. You can still try buttering up one of the Houses if you¡¯ve got anything of value to give them, but that¡¯s your problem, not mine. Ba-bye!¡± Chapter 56: Calm before the storm ¡°Careful. Careful! Stir it! STIR IT!!!¡± Percy followed his mentor¡¯s instructions, picking up the pace. However, before he even got the chance to celebrate the broken lumps, more bubbles began to form in the cauldron. ¡°Shit!¡± It took him a couple seconds too long to remember what he was supposed to do. Brushing his fingers over the rune controlling the temperature, he hurriedly dialled it down a notch, but the mixture was already threatening to boil over. SSSS A few dropsnded outside, soon evaporating into wisps of steam, causing Percy¡¯s heart to clench. Each of those was a wasted contribution point! Pinching a touch of powder from a bowl, he tossed it into the concoction, causing the bubbles to die down more quickly. Of course, this wasn¡¯t without cost. Every mistake he made either killed some of the elixir¡¯s efficacy directly or dyed the process ¨C indirectly resulting in a lower yield. ¡°Well, that was positively atrocious.¡± Orin said a few minutester, staring at the useless sludge in the cauldron. Percy plopped down on a chair, before wiping the sweat off his brow. He was too embarrassed to look his mentor in the eyes. The alchemist chuckled, patting him on the shoulder.¡°Don¡¯t let this get to you kid. This was your first time trying this. You should have seen me back when I was starting out. It took me a month just to get through the pacification step. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get it down within the week.¡± Percy sighed. Brewing an elixir was nothing like reading about it in a book. There were a ton of things that could go wrong with each attempt, and it was an alchemist¡¯s job to deal with any issues that came up promptly and effectively. If he had to exin alchemy to an amateur, Percy would liken it to a song yed by two clueless musicians ¨C the nectar and the secondary ingredient. In this analogy, the alchemist was like the conductor, who had to somehow fix the shoddy performance, blending the dissonant tunes into something eptable. No matter what he did, it would never sound good, but he could minimize both the duration of the piece and the number of mistakes that slipped through, to spare the audience¡¯s ears from the pain. ¡®Or in this case, to spare my wallet from the loss.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t like the recipes outlined everything perfectly either. The nectar was an organic product, and it wasn¡¯t homogeneous from one vial to the next. There were subtle differences not only between wasps, but even a pair of dropsing from the same nd. Consequently, no two brewing sessions would ever go the same. Percy had to learn to recognize problems before they even manifested, relying on various clues such as faint odours or minor changes in the colour of the mixture. ¡®And I have to preserve over two thirds of the nectar after each step, if I want to end up with a 25% yield.¡¯ ¡°Let¡¯s stop here for today. Technically, we¡¯ve got some time left, but I can see you¡¯re still rattled by the god¡¯s message.¡± Orin said, breaking him out of his thoughts. Percy didn¡¯t deny it. He¡¯d known about the existence of gods his whole life, but he¡¯d never seen one in person. Well, that was still true of course, but he had experienced one¡¯s spell today, and it was truly eye opening. Hermes had somehow affected the whole world with his magic! Sure, it wasn¡¯t some apocalyptic spell bringing ruin and destruction on Remior or anything crazy ¨C just straightforward transmission magic. However, Percy still had difficulty picturing the insane amount of mana it should have required. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. And then, there were the god¡¯s words. The deity definitely seemed a little long-winded and downright entric ¨C Percy didn¡¯t know if that was amon side-effect of divinity. That said, it was the substance of the message that interested him the most. ¡®In five years, I¡¯ll have a chance to fix my second affinity!¡¯ It was still going to be difficult ¨C but not impossible. He didn¡¯t have to worry about the 7,000 petals the Divine Order would keep to themselves, or the other nearly 3,000 handed to the rest of Remior. He merely had to snatch one of the three spots in his own House! The good news was, of the 500 people in his family, about 60% had been born with the life affinity. He only had topete with the remaining 200. In fact, there were even fewer, considering 16% already had a water affinity. ine and Gawain came to mind. However, there weren¡¯t many Red-borns left in their family. Most of those 170 eligible people had a stronger im to the treasure than him. ¡®Yeah, fuck that. If ites down to it, I¡¯ll trade Cirction for it.¡¯ He¡¯d rather not deal with the fallout of such a rash move, but he wouldn¡¯t pass up a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity just to keep a secret. In any case, he had five years to figure something out. ¡°Sir, are you going topete for a petal too?¡± Orin appeared to ponder over his question for a few moments. ¡°I could. But I don¡¯t think I will, no.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Well, Hermes didn¡¯t say anything about giving the Guild any petals. That¡¯s probably because all our members are nobles, so they can all just go back to their family for the event. However, my House was destroyed a long time ago.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re a senior alchemist! And forgive me for putting it so bluntly, but you¡¯ve said it yourself that you¡¯re loaded! Surely you can cut a deal with one of the smaller Houses!¡± Orin nodded. ¡°Indeed, that¡¯s why I said I could do it. And truth be told, it would be fun to upgrade my fire affinity to steam. It would certainly give me a fun toy to y around in my old age. Hahaha!¡± ¡°But it won¡¯t affect my alchemy, and I can¡¯t even remember thest time I got into a fight. I don¡¯t really need this, so I¡¯d rather leave it for somebody who does. What about you?¡± Percy smiled wryly. ¡°I have a soul affinity already. Also, I can think of an uncle or two who would lose their shit if a Red-born like me got a petal.¡± Lying to his mentor ¨C even if only by omission ¨C felt wrong. Especially given how much Orin had done for him. But Percy hadn¡¯t known him for long, so he couldn¡¯t risk telling him about his second core. He¡¯d already reported his soul affinity to the Guild too. On paper, he had neither the need nor the means topete for a petal, so he¡¯d have to y the part. ¡°Percy.¡± Orin spoke in a sombre tone. ¡°Don¡¯t leave the Guild in the next five years.¡± ¡°Huh? Why not?¡± the young man asked. ¡°This announcement sounds like a good thing¡­ And, well¡­ It IS a good thing, for the most part.¡± the old alchemist said, before borating. ¡°However, it will also bring a lot of chaos in the foreseeable future. It¡¯s better to stay out of trouble until it all blows over.¡± Percy wasn¡¯t sure he understood. Back when he heard the message, he did consider the noble Houses might intensify their conflicts over the petals. However, he quickly concluded they wouldn¡¯t. After all, Hermes said every House would get three of them. He didn¡¯t say you¡¯d get more if you destroyed a rival family. That would be a barbaric message to send, wouldn¡¯t it? ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking, but there are plenty of ways to tiptoe around it. For example, what if one House annexed another without destroying it? Or kidnapped important hostages to use as leverage? People have done worse things than that over the centuries. There¡¯s no telling how low some families are willing to stoop in the face of such a treasure.¡± Percy swallowed a lump of saliva. If this was true, the world outside the Guild¡¯s walls was going to be even more dangerous than usual. After all, the majority of Blue and Violet cored mages on Remior could instantly grow stronger with a petal, elevating their House¡¯s status. Naturally, they¡¯d do everything to get more of them. ¡°Thanks for the warning, sir. I have no intention of going anywhere anytime soon.¡± Percy said. Another half-truth. He¡¯d have to return home before the five years were up. However, that was some time away. He wasn¡¯t even remotely close to meeting his goals in the Guild just yet. In fact, he¡¯d barely even begun tackling them. After bidding his mentor farewell, Percy leisurely strolled to his ce. Since the brewing session had finished earlier than expected, he had some time to kill. It wasn¡¯t enough to go back to the Spire and he was already used to sleeping less, so he didn¡¯t feel the need to go to bed either. Instead, he was going to deal with something else that had been bothering him for a while. Chapter 57: Nesha A ray of sunlight pierced through the blockade, causing her eyelid to twitch. Evidently, even the extrayer of clothes she had clumsily draped over the curtain wasn¡¯t perfect. But s, she couldn¡¯t be asked to adjust it. The girl ignored the disturbance, shifting on her pillow. A couple secondster, she was asleep again. It was noon the next time she woke up. The intensity of her headache clued her in. Nesha was a bit of an expert in that department. Her body refused to remain asleep any longer, regardless of how hard she pushed. She¡¯d already rested way longer than necessary, but it wasn¡¯t like there was a point to getting up. With a shrug, she remained there, staring at the ceiling for another hour. Only when her stomach grumbled did she begrudgingly reach for the sses on the nightstand. Practically dragging her feet along the stone floor, Nesha made her way to the preservation box. She grabbed a couple oranges ¨C the first things she saw ¨C before peeling them with her mana. Tossing a segment into her mouth, she bit down a little too hard, identally sending some juice down her chin. It was a bit too sour for her taste, causing her brow to pucker up. She was also getting sick of eating the same five things over and over. Technically, Nesha knew how to cook. Her father ¨C the patriarch of the Veritas House ¨C had made sure her maids taught her. ¡®A lot of good it did me.¡¯ she chuckled. ¡®Or him.¡¯ Born with an Orange core, she¡¯d never been destined to seed Janos as the new leader, nor to be a powerful mage. That said, she did have two gifts that were of value to her family. The first was the bloodline. It didn¡¯t matter how high her grade was, or what affinity she had, the Truthseeker ability worked the same way regardless. That¡¯s why she had been brought up learning about trade and psychology. The second was that she was a woman, and she could have made for a useful chip to be given away in a political marriage. Sadly for Janos, things hadn¡¯t gone ording to n. Backstabbed by his allies, the man had seen his House crumble before his very eyes. Hisst ¨C and one of the few ¨C acts of love towards his daughter had been to send her to the Guild to seek asylum. It took Nesha another half an hour to dress up and reach the door. ¡®Why do I even bother?¡¯ she wondered as she headed toward her stand.Nesha didn¡¯t really care about the contribution points. Her core¡¯s advancement wasn¡¯t a priority for her, nor had she any interest in alchemy. Supposedly, her space affinity could have made her good at hunting, but there was no way she¡¯d ever be powerful enough to hurt her enemies ¨C the ones who ruined her life ¨C by herself. Perhaps, she harboured hope of finding a different way to enact her revenge. Maybe, deep down, she believed she could hire assassins or something if she amassed enough wealth. Either way, it was a pipe dream, but she could work on it in her own way. She wasn¡¯t going to waste her time killing the wasps one at a time to collect nectar like a brute. Nor was she going to get her hands dirty brewing elixirs. If there was one thing she was confident about, it was her ability to get rich in a more sophisticated manner. ¡®Slow and steady¡­¡¯ And yeah, she wasn¡¯t exactly in a rush either. Reaching her stand, she took out five jars filled with orange and yellow coins, cing them next to her. Nesha could have emptied them at home of course, but she¡¯d brought the money here intentionally. She understood giving the appearance of a sessful business was the key to attracting even more customers. It was why it had taken her longer than she¡¯d liked at the beginning. Then, she rested her face on the counter, forcing herself to take another nap. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. A few minutester, a young man in yellow approached. Nesha caught him eyeing the jars, but she wasn¡¯t worried. Nobody was stupid enough to steal in the Guild in broad daylight. ¡°Selling or buying?¡± she asked. The man smirked at her. ¡°Selling. I found a ce with dozens of Starry Soldiers clustered together somewhere on the third level. I can tell you the exact location for 50 points.¡± Nesha didn¡¯t even spare him a nce. ¡°Not interested.¡± She resumed her nap. The guy mmed his fist next to her. ¡°What bullshit business are you running, you slut?! Are you buying information, or not?!?!¡± Nesha didn¡¯t bother with him. Neither did any of the passerbys. Everyone was familiar with his type. After not getting a reaction for several seconds, the asshole clicked his tongue before walking away. More people approached her in irregr intervals. Many tried to sell ¨C but very few of them were honest. Some were willing to spend a few coins on information. Almost everyone was interested in the third level. It wasn¡¯t like there weren¡¯t Green cores in the Guild, but most of them were veterans who knew the ropes well. Nesha hadn¡¯t made much money from them since she expanded her business to the fourth level. ¡®Maybe it¡¯s time to switch things up.¡¯ She¡¯d known from the beginning brokering information on the Spire wouldn¡¯t be very profitable. That said, it had been less of a hassle to start with. At least, it didn¡¯t require an initial capital nor too much effort. Still, Nesha had amassed more than enough money for her next step. At this point, she was just procrastinating. ¡®Fine, I¡¯ll do it¡­¡¯ Another guy approached, drawing her attention. She recognized him. Although she hadn¡¯t socialized much in the Guild, the boy had made a slight impression as the only Red-born in her orientation. Since then, she often watched him walk by. He almost never missed a day from hunting. Nesha couldn¡¯t recall seeing him leave ¨C he probably tended to head out early ¨C but she did spot him on the way back nearly every night. ¡®What does he want though? Is he going to offer me information on the second level? Who would even buy that?¡¯ The young man stopped before her. He was holding something under his arm ¨C a wide nk of wood. ¡°Hello there. I¡¯m Percy. You might not remember me, but we joined on the same day.¡± Nesha nodded, still waiting to see what he wanted. ¡°In any case, I¡¯ve noticed you¡¯ve been using this shoddy sign for a while. I had some free time today, so I figured I could help a peer out.¡± He then shifted the nk, showing her its contents. It basically read the same as her current one, but the words had been carved with more care, and it did away with the patchwork. She raised an eyebrow. In her experience, there were only two reasons he¡¯d do this. Either he saw her business growing and wanted to ingratiate himself with her¡­ Or, like a typical guy, he wanted to get in her pants. And frankly, Nesha wasn¡¯t interested in either. ¡°Why?¡± she asked, barely masking her irritation. The boy ¨C Percy ¨C exhaled before speaking. ¡°Ok, I know it will sound weird, but I have something to confess.¡± Nesha smirked. ¡®And there it is. Just spill it out so I can tell you to fuck off.¡¯ ¡°So uhm¡­ I keep seeing your sign every time I return from the Spire and¡­ It kinda irks me.¡± he smiled wryly. ¡°I mean no offense or anything, but I¡¯d rather look at this one.¡± Her jaw ckened at the revtion. She was about to call him out on his bullshit excuse, but her bloodline corroborated his words. The madman was telling the truth! ¡°Hello? I hope I haven¡¯t overstepped or anything. You don¡¯t have to use it if you don¡¯t want.¡± he said after a while. ¡°Ah, no! Leave it. Ehh¡­ Thanks I guess.¡± ¡°No worries!¡± The young man waved at her, already walking to the plump guy¡¯s stand. ¡®What a strange boy¡­¡¯ Shrugging, she picked up the new sign. It really did look better than the other one. Also, there was more space at the bottom. Pulling the nails from the stand, she removed the previous sign, recing it with the one Percy had given her. Then, she flipped the old one around, as she carved some new words on it with her mana, before clumsily patching it under the new sign. Giving it onest look, she nodded in satisfaction. It read: ¡®BUYING AND SELLING INFORMATION ON THE THIRD AND FOURTH LEVELS [ALSO GAMBLING]¡¯ Chapter 58: Soul channels ¡®I can¡¯t believe she couldn¡¯t even wait a week.¡¯ Carving that sign for the drowsy girl hadn¡¯t taken him longer than ten minutes. It wasn¡¯t a big deal for him, but it had only proven just howzy she was, having not bothered to do it herself after so many months. In any case, Percy had considered it a great investment of his time. The sheer satisfaction he¡¯d draw by not having to look at that abomination every day would pay dividends for a while. Or so he¡¯d thought. One could only imagine his shock upon seeing his work desecrated with a new patch the very next morning. ¡®At least I got some useful information out of it.¡¯ Apparently not one who liked owing people, the girl had called him over the following night, giving him a free tip to thank him for the donation. She¡¯d informed Percy of a location on the northwestern side of the Fungal Spire to be wary of. On a map of the second level, she¡¯d circled a couple dozen mushrooms, telling him to avoid wandering there by mistake. In terms of elevation, those tforms were much higher than the rest of the second level, bringing them closer to the third. Consequently, Starry Soldiers were known to roam those mushrooms, making them extremely dangerous for an Orange core like Percy. However, they were considered part of the second level on paper, because they could only be essed from below. Their closest neighbours on the third level were too far away, making it impractical to build bridges between them. ¡°Good to know.¡± he¡¯d grinned at the time. The girl ¨C Nesha ¨C had only told him out of concern for his safety, but Percy had heard something entirely different from what she¡¯d intended. He could hunt Starry Soldiers on the second level!His profits had teaued for a while now, and he was already considering giving the Yellow beasts a shot sooner orter. What worried him the most was he wouldn¡¯t be able to hunt them while keeping all his trump cards secret, and the third level was always crowded. The location Nesha had so graciously shared would let him do it with the same privacy he¡¯de to enjoy! ¡®I¡¯m still not ready though.¡¯ Percy understood the soldiers would rip him to shreds as he was. He¡¯d only consider approaching them once he could use Cirction with both cores. Sadly, his results in that department were rather mixed. He¡¯d already finished clearing his second set of channels and he was currently busy tempering them. This was the easiest step, as it only involved pushing mana through them, forcing them to expand little by little, until they couldn¡¯t grow any wider. It was the next and final step that stumped him, however. ¡®Is it even possible to use Cirction with soul mana?!¡¯ Percy had known from the very beginning that each affinity introduced its own variables into the technique, requiring some adjustments to be made. ine and Archibald had already learned the hard way, having unblocked a very differentwork of channels to his own. They¡¯d also been forced to discover the correct pattern for their mana by themselves. In fact, his cousin had still not managed to solve the issue by the time he¡¯d left the Avalon House. Consequently, he¡¯d already expected his soul affinity woulde with its own set of challenges. However, he couldn¡¯t have predicted just how many roadblocks he would encounter in his quest. First, there was the issue with tempering his soul rather than his body, but luckily his clones had passively helped him do that. More problems popped up back when he began unblocking the channels though. Each affinity might have its own set of pathways, but at least they were typically fixed in ce. This wasn¡¯t the case for Percy. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡®They¡¯re like intestines!¡¯ he¡¯d noted when he first tried opening them. The ones he had cleared as a child were still ok, as they branched out from his sternum to his soul¡¯s extremities. In other words, both their ends were anchored in set locations, making these channels rtively static, much like other affinities. In his analogy, they were like therge intestine. However, the rest of his channels ¨C the ones that looped around his soul ¨C were a lot more fluid. Like the small intestine, they shuffled around with each ¡®bowel movement¡¯. Their connections were still fixed in rtion to one another, but there was a lot of leeway for them to bend and turn, making the entirework look very different from one moment to the next. ¡®How am I even meant to find the correct pattern like this?!¡¯ Locating and clearing a single channel wasn¡¯t that hard, but to use Cirction he had to look at all of them at the same time and find a pattern that took the whole system into ount. ¡®CAW! CAW!¡¯ Micky sent him an image of his next targets, pulling him out of his thoughts. Shrugging, he began running towards the bridge. ¡®I suppose I¡¯ve still got some time left to figure this out.¡¯ It would be a few more months until he finished tempering his channels. He sure hoped he¡¯d work out the correct pattern by then. Over the next several hours, Percy absentmindedly hunted the Starry Workers along with his familiar. By now, he¡¯d been doing this for so long the arduous task was firmly embedded into his routine. Keeping Cirction active with his second core. Tempering his soul channels. Rushing from one mushroom to the next. Forming his weapons. Executing the bugs swiftly. Feeding them to the crow. Extracting the nectar from their nds. None of it required much focus, allowing him to keep thinking about the issue. ¡®Maybe what I need is a change in perspective. I¡¯ve been thinking of my soul affinity in the same terms as my pure affinity, but it¡¯s clearly a different beast.¡¯ From his experience travelling between worlds, Percy knew that disembodied souls tended to perceive time and space very differently from living people. In that state, a single moment could stretch into days, while a single step could bridge unfathomable distances. In the same vein, it was perhaps a mistake trying to fit his soul and its corresponding channels into the same mould as his body¡¯s. He grimaced. ¡®That¡¯s easier said than done¡­¡¯ It wasn¡¯t like he hadn¡¯t tried sensing his soul more deeply in the past. However, inhabiting his own body was very different than drifting outside Remior, or fighting to possess others with his clones. In thetter case, his soul was but a fragment, free to move within a muchrger vessel, in constant contact with an external ¨C often hostile ¨C soul. Here, his soul existed alone, in its rightful vessel, without much space to move or anything else touching it. ¡®CAW!¡¯ Micky called out to him once again. Percy checked the four vials in his pocket. Three were filled to the brim with nectar as the fourth one was a little over halfway there. The sun was also about to set. ¡®Shit, I¡¯m going to bete.¡¯ Handing his familiar a rejuvenation potion, he bid him farewell in a hurry, before drinking a diluted elixir and rushing back to the Guild. It was still his first week brewing under Orin¡¯s supervision and he didn¡¯t want to keep his mentor waiting. After entering the settlement, he sprinted to the old alchemist¡¯s house. He did grab a Honey Roll, only because he was so hungry he might faint during the session otherwise, but he didn¡¯t have time for a chat with Freddy tonight. Nor would he visit the official stores today. Due to alchemy eating into his schedule, he was already earning less than 400 points per hunt, so he no longer needed to stop by every night. He barely managed to swallow thest bite of his meal by the time he made it to Orin¡¯s door. He downed the enlightenment potion too while waiting for the man to open. ¡°Another busy day?¡± his mentor asked with a smile after seeing his student out of breath once more. Percy nodded, having already flushed out all thoughts of souls and mana channels out of his mind, recing them with a different set of problems. Right now, the only thing he was thinking about was how to mix those damn ingredients properly. Making his way to the cauldron, he rolled up his sleeves, fully aware he was going to get his ass kicked here too. But he wouldn¡¯t let this bother him. Taking a deep breath, he prepared himself before tossing the ingredients in. ¡®I¡¯m going to reach the top, one step at a time.¡¯ Chapter 59: Floating Percy¡¯s feelings towards his clones had shifted a lot over time. His first attempts had been defined by pain and confusion, as he hadn¡¯t had the slightest clue how his bloodline was supposed to work back then. Yet oddly enough, those very trips to the Moirais¡¯ world and Huehue had proven his most sessful ones by far. Suffice to say, by the time he¡¯d developed a proper understanding of his ability, his greed and anticipation had reached an all-time high. Of course, that had only led to disappointment during his crappy adventure in the gecko¡¯s body, which was soon followed by several equally fruitless trips. That said, things had flipped around once more since then. No, he hadn¡¯t found anything else of value, but that was precisely why he had learned to lower his expectations, to the point the shitty bodies and gruesome deaths no longer bothered him. If anything, he had slowlye to appreciate the novelty of his adventures. Initially, Percy had pitied his clones, who had to endure all those hardships just so he could benefit. Nowadays, he was beginning to think it was his main body who had drawn the short end of the stick, however. ¡®I¡¯ll take freezing to death and getting eaten by crabs over picking apart one more bloody wasp. Or brewing another pot of sludge.¡¯ And it was with this mindset that clone #13 had embraced his new holiday. Things were looking up for him too! He¡¯d found a suitable body fairly quickly and it hadn¡¯t even resisted much ¨C unlike clones #9 and #11 who had imploded before even doing anything. In fact, his new host was even more zen than the lizard, happy to rx and give him the reins. Not out of fear ¨C just pure, unmitigated chill. ¡®Why am I spinning though?¡¯Percy tried looking down at his body, but failed to even glimpse at his limbs. A curved wall of grey fur was in the way. ¡®Ok¡­ Another beast. Shocker. But why is it so FAT?!¡¯ Getting dizzy, he tried to stop rotating. There was nothing to grab against! Though he wasn¡¯t underwater ¨C he¡¯d already experienced that, and this was different. ¡®What the hell is going on?! Did we fall off a cliff or something?!¡¯ After experimenting for a few minutes, he realized he could slow down by stretching his limbs. He still couldn¡¯t see them, but they seemed to respond to hismands all the same. He also had some damn powerful lungs, as he managed topletely halt his movements by blowing the other way! By now, he¡¯d also verified he wasn¡¯t falling. If he were, he¡¯d have sttered on the ground already. No, his host was floating!In the sky! ¡®That¡¯s a new one.¡¯ Paying more attention to his surroundings, he soon noticed he couldn¡¯t see very far. A light brown fog partially obscured his vision. At first, he wondered whether his host had suffocated or been poisoned to death by the substance. However, he instinctively felt there was nothing wrong with it. As if inhaling the gas was the most normal thing in the world. ¡®Come to think of it, it tastes a bit like strawberry juice.¡¯ Percy took a few deep breaths, enjoying the vour. Even if it was harmful¡­ Who cared, right? Next, he remembered his purpose here, opening his Status. Percival''s clone Mana cores: Spells: ???: He nodded, not seeing anything out of ce. His host was at Yellow too, making him one of the luckier clones so far. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the vition. Although, if there was anything of value here, he¡¯d have to look for it. His best means of navigating the environment was to propel himself by blowing air. He didn¡¯t know if the beast had something better in its arsenal, but it refused to share if it did. Since his eyes couldn¡¯t peer through the fog, Percy activated Mana Sense, soon getting a couple readings. They were at Orange, so he wasn¡¯t too concerned. Not that he had any clue how to fight in his current body, but the creatures hopefully wouldn¡¯t attack unprovoked. He cautiously approached the nearest one, a bizarre animal appearing in his sight. It looked very different to anything he¡¯d seen, but the closest match would be a cat. Maybe. Not really. Its body was round like a ball, covered in long, pink, curly fluff. It actually looked ridiculous as it rotated slowly, without a care in the world. Every time its head spun his way, it watched him curiously, with its three eyes half-opened and its four earszily hanging aside. ¡®Is it the same species as me? Is that what I look like?¡¯ That should be it. After all, why else would it remain so calm when approached by a beast at a higher grade? Although it did appear smaller. Half his radius maybe? Less? Percy inched closer, trying not to startle it. His worries were unfounded though, as the furball wasn¡¯t fazed in the slightest. When he was in front of it, he shifted slightly. Roughly estimating where his paw was, he gave it a gentle shove. Was that rude? He didn¡¯t know, nor care. The creature didn¡¯t mind either, continuing to inhale some fog of its own as it drifted away. ¡®Am I definitely a clone? Maybe this is just a dream...¡¯ Well, dream or not, he fully intended to get his time¡¯s worth. Falling back to Mana Sense, he moved around, examining a dozen more creatures. They all looked the same, but their fur was either pink, brown or ck. He¡¯d yet to find another grey one like himself. And they all had Orange cores. ¡®Hmmm¡­ Maybe my host died of old age? It would exin the different colour and grade.¡¯ In any case, he had to get out of the fog. Harmful or not, he could barely see past his nose. That kinda went against his goal of finding something useful. He decided to descend to the ground, when another question popped up in his mind. ¡®Does this world even have a ground? Or is it all sky?¡¯ If there was any gravity, he couldn¡¯t differentiate it from the buoyancy holding him up. Not seeing any other solution, he exhaled as much air as he could, causing his body to shrivel slightly. That seemed to do the trick as he began falling a certain direction. After falling a few metres, he inhaled again to slow down. He had no idea how high he was, but he¡¯d rather not turn into meat paste so soon. Luckily, his situation changed after a while. ¡®Now we¡¯re getting somewhere.¡¯ The brown fog thinned as he descended, letting him see further. It wasn¡¯t perfect, but he could now vaguely spotnd underneath him, as well as some rocky peaks in the distance. He saw more of his species floating around too. Shrugging, he continued his controlled fall with more confidence than before, stopping when he was a dozen metres from the ground. The fog still surrounded him, but it wasn¡¯t as intrusive. ¡®It¡¯s also less tasty¡­¡¯ he frowned. No wonder the rest of the cat-thingies preferred floating higher. But this wasn¡¯t the time to indulge in alien delicacies, so he simply began moving towards a random direction, parallel to the ground. Hopefully his higher vantage point would help him find something interesting soon. *** This was getting annoying. Percy had to blow opposite to where he wanted to go, so he was forced to turn around every few seconds. It had already been a few hours since he descended, and he¡¯d travelled a fair distance. His higher grade helped some, although his host didn¡¯t seem to be the fastest flyer. Well, either that or he was doing something wrong. ¡®Maybe these things move by farting?¡¯ He briefly entertained the idea of giving it a shot, but he shook his head. Inconvenient or not, he¡¯d rather keep his dignity. Percy hadn¡¯t found anything either. It was just more rocky ins and hills all around him. He had no idea how far they stretched, and he hadn¡¯t seen any other living beings either. Well, besides the furballs. His species seemed to be extremely abundant in this world. Or this region at least. The only slight oddity he spotted was a higher concentration of both the fog and the cats somewhere in the distance. It was difficult to make out, but it appeared there was somerge vent there, spewing the brown gas into the air. ¡®I guess it¡¯s a natural phenomenon. It alles from the ground. Should I check it out?¡¯ Judging from everything he¡¯d seen to that point, not only wasn¡¯t the substance harmful to him, it was beneficial even. If he approached, he might find something interesting there, or at least he¡¯d get a better taste of the strawberry vapor. ¡®But it¡¯s going to be a pain to navigate out of it.¡¯ In the end, he decided to circle around it for now. He could consider returningter if he found nothing else. SHREEEEEEE Hearing a shrill cry, he snapped his head to the right. A shadow was approaching rapidly, bringing up some bad memories. ¡®Not this again!¡¯ Whatever it was, he knew he couldn¡¯t outrun it, so he began blowing downwards to gain elevation. His only hope was to ascend high enough to lose it in the fog. However, the monster was getting closer much faster than he climbed. He¡¯d never make it in time! A few secondster, he could already make out its features. It was a fierce lizard-like creature, with its two forelimbs ending inrge membranous wings. He thought he saw three ruby-like eyes glinting on its face too. And it was five times his size. ¡®Whatever, I guess it¡¯s another bust.¡¯ Resigning to his fate, he stopped struggling after noticing the Green core thrumming in the creature¡¯s frame. Yet, when he was sure the monster was about to pounce on him, something strange happened. It just circled around him, continuing on its way, ignoring him entirely! ¡®What¡¯s the deal with this ce?!¡¯ Chapter 60: Docile Beasts didn¡¯t just ignore tasty meals. Not all of them were cannibals, but if they encountered prey of a different species and a lower grade, their reaction was essentially set in stone. So, Percy had no clue why the flying lizard decided to spare him all of a sudden. ¡®Come to think of it, there was something off with its mana.¡¯ He hadn¡¯t cared at the time, but the creature¡¯s core burned less intensely than it should for its size. The flow in its channels also appeared stilted and the colour muted. ¡®Is it sick? Blind even?¡¯ If it hadn¡¯t seen him nor used Mana Sense, it would exin how he got lucky. Then again, that didn¡¯t sound right. Percy was pretty sure the creature had gone out of its way to avoid him. Not attacking had been a conscious choice. ¡®Maybe everything here is docile. Could be something in the fog.¡¯ His own species were the least aggressive beasts he¡¯d ever seen, and they seemed to thrive off the substance. Either way, there wasn¡¯t enough data to tell for sure. In any case, Percy wasn¡¯t one to look a gift horse in the mouth. Since he got a second chance, he resumed his journey, this time flying higher to more easily escape to the clouds in a pinch. A whileter, he found something else worth noting. Splitting the in in half, a river gushed through the stone. It was wider than the Guild¡¯s settlement, and he couldn¡¯t tell what lied at either end as it trailed off in the mist. He wasn¡¯t even sure if it was water flowing through it. The liquid was a light brown colour. If it was water, it was polluted by the same substance permeating the air.¡®Great! Progress!¡¯ Percy¡¯s feline heart skipped a beat, as he began tracing the river upstream. If this was drinkable, it should lead him to something alive sooner orter. And it turned out to be sooner. He didn¡¯t need to fly higher either, as the new creatures he ran into werend-dwellers this time. One was a mix between a praying mantis and a beetle. The other resembled a scaled leopard. Both wererger than him, ring at each other with their three eyes, apparently getting ready to tear each other to shreds. ¡®Definitely not docile.¡¯ Approaching them cautiously, he stopped just near enough to check out their cores. They were both at Green, afflicted by the same ailment as thest beast. In fact, they had it even worse. A third of the leopard¡¯s channels werepletely inactive. On closer inspection, Percy saw the corresponding hindleg was half-rotten. The beast avoided leaning on it too, the paw being suspended an inch off the ground. The bug didn¡¯t look much better, its pathways also a patchwork of holes and dim links. ¡®Are my species the only ones immune to the fog?¡¯ Thinking of something, he ascended to the clouds, looking for another of his kin. He flew above the first furball he saw before blowing air the other way, elerating towards it. mming against his much smaller rtive, he sent it flying downward. The creature didn¡¯t even resist, just passively letting him push it around. It took them a few more bumps and a couple of minutes to return to his previous location. The Green cored beasts were still trying to intimidate each other, but they had yet to make a move. Apparently, they judged they weren¡¯t in a good enough condition to fight. ¡®I¡¯m sorry pal. This is for science.¡¯ Percy shed the smaller furball an apologetic grin, before shoving it onest time towards the leopard. The muchrger beast tilted its head, giving them both a curious look, but didn¡¯t do much else. It just allowed the cat to bounce off the ground right next to it ¨C within striking distance even ¨C without touching it. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the vition. ¡®Ok. So not only are we immune to the fog, it seems we¡¯re the only ones the other beasts won¡¯t attack. Are we poisonous or something?¡¯ Then again, the leopard¡¯s reaction wasn¡¯t what he¡¯d expect if a highly toxic creature brushed right next to it. It had merely eyed it in amusement before looking away. ¡®Maybe we just taste REALLY bad.¡¯ Shrugging, Percy continued following the river. He had yet to fully solve the mystery, but at the end of the day he didn¡¯t even know if it mattered. They didn¡¯t have the brown substance back on Remior and even if they did, he couldn¡¯t exactly bring this body back with him. It took several more hours until he saw something new. However, this discovery truly made his breath quicken. For the first time in over two years, one of his clones stumbled upon sentient life! The vige was small, the humble huts made of stone. Not the polished, enchanted sort he was used to. Just rough chunks, stacked against each other to form the most rudimentary shelter. Whoever lived here was clearly primitive. And he did get a closer look at them, soon enough. These people were mostly humanoid, although their skin was a richer pink. They also had four pointy ears and three eyes, one in the middle of their forehead, much like everything else in this world. ¡®At least they aren¡¯t naked.¡¯ Not that the patches of beast skin they draped on themselves were particrly fashionable, but it was something. Percy internally debated how close he wanted to get to the natives. He wasn¡¯t sure if they¡¯d be as indifferent towards him as the wild beasts. Not that it would be the end of the world if they killed him, but it had taken him nearly a dozen clones to find some semnce of civilization. He didn¡¯t want to miss learning something useful by being careless. Who knew how long it would be until he had another chance? ¡®Then again, do they even know anything? They can hardly build a house¡­¡¯ In the end, he chose to err on the side of caution. He ascended to the clouds once more, before returning with another sacrificial furball to test the waters with. Approaching the vige, he shoved the creature in there, this time prompting some exmations and amused reactions from the crowd. Some pointed at him while a few chuckled or talked to one another. Percy figured they just weren¡¯t used to his species being so¡­ animated. All the ones he¡¯d seen had been a lot more sluggish. ¡®Well, as long as they¡¯re not hostile, I don¡¯t care.¡¯ Nobody moved to attack him, or the one he¡¯d tossed their way. A kid ¨C a girl maybe ¨C ran up to the furball as it bounced a few times on the ground. She watched it curiously before extending her hand to pet it, when an adult hurriedly grabbed her arm, shaking his head. He spoke a few words Percy didn¡¯t understand, before the girl nodded, continuing to stare at the creature from a distance. ¡®Touching us must be taboo.¡¯ In any case he¡¯d confirmed it was safe, so he moved closer, inspecting the locals with Mana Sense. He spotted Red, Orange and Yellow cores, in approximately a 40-40-20 ratio. That made them a lot luckier than the people of Remior, as they got Yellow cores twice as frequently. However, Percy didn¡¯t feel any envy towards them. Many of the older-looking folk were still at Red. ¡®They don¡¯t have any means of advancement! They¡¯re stuck at whatever they were born with!¡¯ And that wasn¡¯t even where the bad news ended. The vigers seemed to suffer from the same condition as the beasts, all their cores appearing somewhat dysfunctional. The kids had it a bit better than the adults, reinforcing Percy¡¯s guess that the ailment was brought on by their chronic exposure to the fog. ¡®I guess the reason we¡¯re held at such a high esteem is because we purify the air, making things easier for all the other creatures.¡¯ Well, this was all fascinating and everything, but that still didn¡¯t answer the question of what he should do. One option was to ept that this clone was another dud and leave early. He¡¯d already spent several hours travelling here, and it didn¡¯t look like these people had much to give him. But he was disinclined to pick this. While wasting time was something he generally preferred to avoid, this was his first time finding sentient life since Huehue. Even though this particr vige didn¡¯t seem to contain anything valuable, it did raise the worth of the clone in his eyes. At least, hisst ten or so clones hadn¡¯t lived half as long or found anything remotely as interesting. Even if he spent a few days longer than expected, it wouldn¡¯t hurt the main body much. ¡®Ok. I¡¯ll keep going. But do I stay in this vige or try looking for a bigger one?¡¯ Percy doubted the 40 or so people here were the entirety of their species. There were bound to be more out there. That said, he had no idea where to find them, or if they¡¯d have anything more useful. ¡®Hmm¡­ Let¡¯s observe them for one full day. If I can¡¯t find anything worth my time, I¡¯ll head out.¡¯ Chapter 61: Holy ball of fur Over the past several hours, Percy had learned a lot more about the dynamic between his species and the natives of this world. While they were prohibited from touching him for any reason, he wasn¡¯t. He had approached and tapped the vigers many times over, always eliciting a smile from them. They seemed to see his presence as a good luck charm, treating him like a guest of honour ¨C no, a sacred creature even. ¡®A bit weird but I could get used to it.¡¯ In any case, this only made his life easier. Between their overt friendliness and the fact he could survive on nothing but the brown fog, Percy was free to float around the vige and observe it to his heart¡¯s content. Their understanding of magic was as poor as expected. They appeared to possess the samemon affinities he was used to, although he hadn¡¯t seen them cast anything moreplex than a Crude spell. He also had no idea if they could be born with rare orposite affinities. Less than 1% of the poption had them back on Remior. His sample size here was too small. Either way, Percy could see how they survived in such a hostile environment. Even though he¡¯d spotted several Green beasts on the way to the vige, such arge group of Yellow and Orange mages shouldn¡¯t have much trouble taking care of themselves. He sighed. ¡®I suppose it¡¯s time to leave.¡¯ As rxing as it was floating around and being worshipped, Percy was confident there was nothing to gain here. He was about to wave the vigers farewell, when somemotion drew his attention.¡®No harm in checking it out before I go.¡¯ Flying above the crowd, he saw a distraught father carrying his unconscious daughter in his arms. She looked to be in her mid-teens, although Percy wasn¡¯t sure how well his pre-conceived notions about aging tranted to this ce. More importantly, the girl was afflicted with the worst instance of the disease he¡¯d seen yet, her Yellow core seemingly on the verge of dying out. The man hurriedly brought her to one of thergest huts, before kneeling by the entrance. He then spoke in an anxious tone, probably pleading with somebody. ¡®Ok, colour me intrigued.¡¯ Percy wanted to watch how the natives mitigated the poison. Whatever they did was clearly nothing more than a half-measure, as none of them were in perfect condition. Still, he¡¯d be lying if he said he wasn¡¯t curious. Someone walked out of the house. An olddy. She was only at Orange, but her core was among the healthiest he¡¯d seen, despite her age. She held two small bowls ¨C carved out of bone presumably. Leaving one on the ground, she tilted the girl¡¯s head up with her free hand, before cing the other bowl under her nose. A green liquid was swirling inside, emanating thick smoke of the same colour. Some of it entered the teen¡¯s nostrils, as Percy paid closer attention, using both his regr sight and Mana Sense. Nothing changed in the girl¡¯s core, but she soon creased her brow as if in pain, before opening her eyes weakly a few momentster. ¡®That¡¯s not the cure. It was just to wake her up.¡¯ The olddy picked up the second bowl again. This one contained a fine cyan powder. She spoke a few words to the girl, seemingly exining something as she pointed first to the bowl and then to her stomach. Next, she gestured to a man in the crowd, who manifested a few drops of water above the powder. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Nodding, the girl picked up the bowl, mixing the contents into paste with her fingers before swallowing it. What followed made Percy¡¯s eyes widen. He saw the mana flow from the girl¡¯s core to her stomach and then back, much like what he did on Remior whenever he used an elixir. ¡®But that¡¯s not what this is.¡¯ The purpose of the paste was very different. Every time it washed over the core, thetter regained some of its lustre. The change was minute, almost imperceptible. Percy would have certainly missed it if he wasn¡¯t actively looking for it. Even several minutester, after she was done, the girl¡¯s situation had barely improved. Still, the tension on her forehead seemed to ease slightly. She was also able to stand, albeit with her father¡¯s support. ¡®They can¡¯t do anything to remove the poison, but they can mend some of the damage.¡¯ The father and daughter both bowed their heads to the olddy, as the former said something in a sombre tone. She didn¡¯t reply, but she made a gesture with her hand Percy didn¡¯t recognize, before returning to her hut. It didn¡¯t take long for the rest of the crowd to disperse. ¡®Now what do I do?¡¯ Percy was reconsidering his decision to leave. Strictly speaking, all of this was irrelevant to him. The brown fog wasn¡¯t something they had to worry about back home. Furthermore, the effect of the cyan powder was quite underwhelming. He couldn¡¯t figure out what it did, nor did he know if it could be used for anything else. But that was exactly what made him want to learn more. This was the first thing the natives did he didn¡¯t fully understand. ¡®I must at least find out where they get it from.¡¯ Having made up his mind, he descended next to the olddy¡¯s hut, peeking inside. It was a little creepy spying into her home like that, but he doubted she¡¯d take offense. The woman was sitting on a piece of stone roughly shaped like a cube, sipping some orange broth from a cup. As expected, she only gave him a smile upon noticing him, not bothered by his intrusion in the slightest. ¡®If only I could fit through the door¡­¡¯ Beingrger than the rest of his kin, Percy¡¯s host was as tall as one of the adult vigers. However, he was much wider than them, his frame closer to a bear¡¯s than a cat¡¯s. Shrugging, he plopped down, taking a seat on the ground outside. He nearly rolled on his back too, just barely managing to grab the stone wall to keep himself upright. The olddy failed to stifle herughter at his antics, choking on her soup as some came out of her nose. Percy rolled his eyes, but internally suppressed a chuckle of his own. He knew he looked ridiculous. ¡®Anyway, I¡¯ll stay here until I see where she gets the cyan powder from.¡¯ Feeling a little peckish, he took a couple deep breaths, greedily sucking all the brown fog he could, savouring its vour. A few minutester, the air inside the hut already looked cleaner, as the olddy bowed her head in appreciation. She said something Percy didn¡¯t understand, although he did recognise some of the words of gratitude the girl¡¯s father had spoken earlier. ¡®Ah right. I almost forgot I can help them like this.¡¯ Percy made an odd expression. In theory, nothing stopped the locals from kidnapping a few of the furballs to lock in their houses. It wouldn¡¯t fix everything, but they could at least improve their quality of life that way. Would these people rather die than disrespect his kin? ¡®Well, I can do whatever the hell I want.¡¯ Getting up, he took another deep breath before exhaling downward, taking off. A few minutester he returned to the vige with two of his younger rtives in tow. The creatures didn¡¯t even struggle as he threw the first in the olddy¡¯s hut, before locating the sick girl¡¯s house and tossing the second one in there. Percy ignored the vigers cheering him on as he ascended again, repeating his actions a few more times. Only when he had stuffed a furball in each hut did he return to his spot by the olddy¡¯s entrance, clumsily sitting down again. More people surrounded him, eager to express their thanks. However, it wasn¡¯t their gratitude he wanted. Sadly, he didn¡¯t understand theirnguage and he suspected he couldn¡¯t speak it anyway. His rotund frame made it difficult for him to ry his request via gestures too. Furthermore, it probably didn¡¯t help he was immune to the poison, thus having no reason to be interested in its remedy. ¡®I¡¯ll have to be patient until they show me what I need by themselves¡­¡¯ Luckily, he didn¡¯t have to wait for long. Chapter 62: Crystal Chapter 62: Crystal It wasn¡¯t easy telling day and night apart on this world. Percy had no idea how many suns there were, as the brown clouds perpetually obscured the sky. Still, it was never dark, as the light seemed to be absorbed and then disseminated by the substance, giving it a permanent glow. Suffice to say, he didn¡¯t know how the natives kept track of time. But he guessed it was their equivalent of a night when he saw the olddy go to sleep on the floor, not long after he¡¯d begun observing her. The rest of the vige soon grew quieter too, as he turned around to show somemon courtesy. He didn¡¯t think she¡¯d mind being stared at, but it felt downright creepy to do that as she rested. Several hourster, people started waking up. What drew his attention was a young girl walking his way. She was actually the one who¡¯d tried petting the furball when he first arrived here, only to be scolded by an adult. She seemed to have learned her lesson too, as this time she stood some distance from him, eyeing him curiously without daring to move closer. Feeling bad for the girl, Percy patted her head, prompting her to smile brightly, two dimples forming on her cheeks. A few minutester, more kids arrived. This time it was a pair of boys, slightly older than the girl. Probably siblings too, as they¡¯de together from the same house and looked identical to one another. In fact, Percy was being conservative. He was confident they were twins, but maybe he wasn¡¯t that good at telling the natives apart. In any case, they joined the first girl outside the hut. Soon, the olddy also woke up, inviting them all inside. All four of them sat down on the floor, forming a circle. It was quite cramped in there ¨C especially with the cat-creature floating just inches above their heads ¨C but they still left enough room for one more person. Nobody spoke as they waited for the final member to arrive. It wasn¡¯t until half an hourter that the man fromst night helped his daughter along, escorting her to the olddy¡¯s hut once more. Only after the teenager joined the others in the circle did her father leave. ¡®Is she teaching them how to be healers?¡¯ This suited Percy just fine, as he looked forward to the lesson. After exchanging a few words with the neer, the olddy addressed the rest of the kids. Next, she pulled some mana from her core, forming a cyan blob in her hand.The students followed her lead, although the sick girl seemed to have more trouble controlling her mana. Despite having the highest grade in the hut, her condition wasn¡¯t doing her any favours. However, this wasn¡¯t what Percy was focused on. ¡®They all have a pure affinity!¡¯ he¡¯d rub his paws together if he could. Doubling his concentration, his gaze locked onto the olddy¡¯s palm, unwilling to miss whatever she was about to do. Her first move was to will the blob into a solid, forming a cyan sphere the size of a tangerine. Percy nodded. This wasn¡¯t very different from his own constructs. However, what she did next made him furrow his brow. She ced her other hand on top of the ball, and then began pressing them both together, trying to squeeze the sphere tighter. The kids also mirrored her actions, but he didn¡¯t pay them any attention, preferring to learn from the expert. The strangest part was that Percy wasn¡¯t exactly sure what she was doing. Her muscles were tense and her face red, suggesting some level of physical activity. Yet, her core was also shining a touch more brightly, which typically happened when somebody was using their mana to form a spell. ¡®She¡¯s exerting both physical strength and willpower!¡¯ Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. At first nothing changed, making Percy wonder whether they were pulling his leg. However, a minute or twoter he noticed the sphere had shrunk somewhat. It contained the same amount of mana as before, but it was denser. The olddy kept going. She was already drenched in sweat, but her focus didn¡¯t waver. She was probably used to doing this. Over time, the ball continued to shrink, until it was roughly half its original size an hourter. Only then did she stop, letting the ball roll out of her hand. The marble made a crisp sound as it hit the floor, bouncing once before rolling to the centre of the circle. ¡®What the hell?! It¡¯s stable!!!¡¯ In his experience, whenever he stopped paying attention to his constructs, they instantly crumbled into motes of mana before dissipating. But that wasn¡¯t what happened here. The olddy had already forgotten all about the ball, as she was talking to her students, pointing out their mistakes. Yet, the sphere was sitting idly on the floor, giving no signs of breaking anytime soon. ¡®How does that even make sense?! Our cores already contain denser mana, yet it doesn¡¯t crystallize like that!¡¯ The olddy only had an Orange core. An injured one at that. Her mana capacity couldn¡¯tpare to a Yellow, let alone a Violet or White, so why did the substance transform this way just by beingpressed by about 50%? Thinking back to her actions, Percy tried to figure out what she had done to cause this. She had first pulled the mana out of her sternum, manifesting the cyan blob in her hand. At that point, it was still in its fluid state, as that was how mana was stored in one¡¯s core. When in that state, mana could bepressed countless times, which was essentially the difference between different grades. By purifying their core, mages reinforced it, allowing it to withstand more pressure and store denser mana. ¡®But she created a construct before squeezing it!¡¯ After turning into a solid, the mana resisted thepression more strongly, requiring a lot more effort for even the tiniest deformation. The olddy had probably done this her whole life, yet she¡¯d still needed an hour before the crystal was stable. Percy¡¯s attention returned to the kids. It had taken them longer than their teacher, yet most of their spheres had barely shrunk by 20% ¨C a far cry from their goal. The younger girl was actually the best, but even she had onlypressed hers by about 25%. All of them were breathing heavily too, their hands shaking. One of the boys was the first to make a mistake, his sphere shattering into a cloud of dust. Percy almost thought he had made it, but the powder faded away into nothing not long after. The rest of the kids soon followed, none of them leaving behind much evidence of their efforts, other than a shallow pool of sweat by their seat. After giving them a couple minutes to catch their breath, the olddy spoke to them in a consoling tone, seemingly giving them a few words of advice. Only then did she remember the marble on the floor, picking it up before flicking it a couple of times with her fingernail. TING, TING It showed no signs of breaking, making the children nod in appreciation as Percy considered the implications. ¡®It looks like it takes a lot of effort to learn, but it could be worth my time. If I can form my constructs out of this crystal, I can make them a lot strong¨C¡¯ He didn¡¯t even get a chance toplete that thought, when the olddy smashed the ball with a rock, splitting it in two. She then tossed the pieces in a bowl, before proceeding to crush them both into powder. ¡®Ok, scratch that. It¡¯s useless in a fight.¡¯ Perhaps the crystal was slightly harder than his regr constructs, maybe not. But it was certainly extremely brittle. Even if Percy ignored the effort required to create it, he doubted his weapons would take more than a hit or two before breaking. ¡®It won¡¯t be easy to repair them either¡­¡¯ With his hopes dashed, he had no choice but to keep watching the lesson to its end. The olddy continued to mercilessly pound the crystal for a while longer, until she was left with a pile of the same cyan powder he had seen before. She then picked up an oblong piece of bone from the corner of the room. It was hollowed out, looking a bit like a vase. She poured a few drops of water into the bowl, before handing it to the sick girl. The teenager then mixed the powder into paste once more, before repeating her actions from the previous night. Half an hourter, the olddy said a few more words to her students before sending them on their merry way. ¡®I guess they can¡¯t make enough powder to keep up with everyone¡¯s poison.¡¯ Even if every person with a pure affinity learned to do this as proficiently as the olddy, it wouldn¡¯t be enough. In any case, Percy fully intended to observe for a few more days. He had a hunch this trick could help him with alchemy back home. Unfortunately, he had no way of knowing what repercussions this decision would have on his main body¡­ Chapter 63: Emergency Chapter 63: Emergency This was going to be the one. Percy had already preserved enough of the nectar through both pacification and redirection. In fact, deattunement was going great too. Just a couple more minutes and he¡¯d finish brewing his first drops of elixir! Suddenly, he felt the ethereal cord tense, his consciousness nearly sinking into his familiar¡¯s. He resisted. Percy had grown somewhat better at handling the episodes after nearly a year in the Guild. Still¡­ The mixture boiled over, as the few remaining drops of elixir began to dwindle. Even a couple moments of inattention were more than enough to ruin his efforts. Percy tried his best to salvage some of it, but only slop remained in the cauldron. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re ok?¡± Orin asked in concern. ¡°Your¡­ illness hassted a lot longer this time.¡± The old alchemist had stopped supervising his attempts for the past few months, letting him experiment and learn by himself. However, he¡¯d resumed observing him recently, as his sponsorship was nearing its end and he wanted to evaluate his student¡¯s progress as well as offer some final advice. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s going to pass sooner orter.¡± Percy said. ¡°If you want, I¡¯ve got a friend with a Blue core and a life affinity in the Guild. I can ask him to give you a check-up.¡± Orin didn¡¯t relent.¡°Thank you sir, but it won¡¯t be necessary. We have plenty of those in my House and none of them could do anything about my situation.¡± he replied vaguely. Orin creased his brow but didn¡¯t insist. They bid each other farewell before parting for the night. ¡®What is that clone doing?!¡¯ Percy wondered on the way to his ce. It had been gone for over a week! Of course, he knew this was technically a good thing. It meant he¡¯d finally stumbled upon something interesting enough to warrant looking into. Percy had been over the moon when he first realized histest venture was a sess. That said, the dy was really screwing with both his alchemy and hunting in the meantime. Entering his house, Percy was about to take a shower when the connection pulled him again. Instinctively he fought back, but a wave of powerful thoughts and emotions also seeped through the bond. ¡®CAW! CAW!!¡¯ Micky was distraught. Afraid. In pain. Panicking, Percy was tempted to peer through the crow¡¯s eyes, to see what was happening. Still, he didn¡¯t want to interfere with his familiar in case he was fleeing from something. Without wasting a moment, he grabbed all the healing potions in his room, clumsily splitting them into his pockets, hoping the cheap vials wouldn¡¯t break. Next, he bolted out of his house, sprinting towards the Spire, ignoring the soreness and exhaustion. ¡®Micky, what¡¯s going on?!¡¯ ¡®CAW!¡¯ The bird couldn¡¯t spare him much attention, but it still managed to ry some fragmented images. A figure in a yellow robe. Stones flying. An injured wing. Micky hadn¡¯t given him much, but it was enough. Percy already knew where the familiar tended to nest for the night. ¡®Hold on! I¡¯m on my way! Try to escape towards me!¡¯ Despite his reassuring words, he was a lot more conflicted internally, however. ¡®Shit! What do I even do in this situation?!¡¯ Percy had no idea what madness had driven the Yellow core to roam the first level sote at night. Nor what stroke of misfortune had caused him to attack his familiar. Still, technically that person hadn¡¯t done anything wrong. Sometimes, other beasts besides the Starry Wasps wandered into the Fungal Spire and there weren¡¯t any rules against killing them. But if Percy harmed him, he¡¯d be the one in trouble. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the vition. Even if he came clean with his secrets and exined the situation to the Guild¡¯s management, he doubted it would solve much. Micky might not be a regr beast, but the truth was in many ways worse. He was a member of a foreign race that Percy had smuggled into Remior! Some might even consider it an act of treason. They wouldn¡¯t take kindly to him attacking a member of the Guild ¨C a native ¨C over such a creature. Percy shook his head. ¡®What am I even thinking?! It doesn¡¯t matter what the consequences are!¡¯ Micky wasn¡¯t just a beast. Or an alien. Or a creature¡­ He was his friend! His family! By the time he¡¯d resolved himself to doing whatever it took, Percy was outside the settlement. Ignoring the bridge leading up to the second level, he ran towards Micky while activating Cirction. ¡®Are you still there? What¡¯s the situation?¡¯ ¡®CAW¡­¡¯ Micky¡¯s thoughts were sluggish. He was desperately fleeing from his pursuer, but he couldn¡¯t fly very high nor very fast. Every beat of his wings hurt, and he felt cold ¨Chaving lost a lot of blood. At least, the Yellow guy didn¡¯t seem to be in a hurry, only leisurely chasing the bird, knowing it wouldn¡¯t get very far. Percy gritted his teeth, picking up the pace. He might have decided to do whatever he could to save his friend, but he had yet to settle on his best course of action. ¡®I can¡¯t handle a Yellow core in a direct fight...¡¯ As things stood, he only had two viable options. He could try reasoning with that person, getting him to back off peacefully. This was the most civilized approach, but also a rather shitty one. There were many details he¡¯d have to gloss over while negotiating, and he had no idea what the other party¡¯s personality was like. If the talks failed, he¡¯d be giving up the element of surprise. The other option was a sneak attack. It had worked in the past, but there was no guarantee it would again. Especially given the circumstances. Having freshly sent out a clone, Percy still had some trouble regenerating soul mana by himself. Micky was in no condition to help either. Perhaps he could gather enough for a Parting Gift in the next few minutes, but that would limit him to a single shot. If he missed, he¡¯d be screwed, and it would be toote for negotiations. ¡®I can give Cirction another try.¡¯ He¡¯d already failed to find the correct pattern for his soul affinity countless times, but there was still some distance from Micky, so he could afford another attempt. Intensifying his breaths, he began filling his first core. His injuries pulled the mana, trying to pry it from his control. And he let them. As the mana flowed into his channels, the newly formed vacuum enhanced his ability to draw more from the air, as the colourful motes swirled into his body even more forcefully. Soon, an equilibrium was reached, with mana flowing both into and out of his sternum at equal measures, as the hole in his soul began to fill up. Thissted until the injury was saturated. It needed some time to absorb the mana, which caused the drain on his core to weaken temporarily. Still, Percy didn¡¯t allow it, continuing to push the mana into his channels, this time intentionally directing it along thetest pattern he had devised. Locating the correct pathways inside the mess was tricky, but he managed to get a grip on them eventually. At first, things were going alright, as the soul mana flowed through his soul unobstructed, his body and mind strengthening. However, the channels soon drifted again, making him almost mess up, nearly sending the mana down the wrong pathway. Gritting his teeth, he adjusted his control, focusing on maintaining the correct pattern as the channels continued to shift around. ¡®I won¡¯t be able to fight like this.¡¯ Percy would have to constantly pay attention inwards to keep the technique up. It wasn¡¯t practical, but he didn¡¯t want to give up just yet. Sadly, he made a mistake a few momentster. Having missed a connection, he sent the mana down the wrong turn, causing the entire flow to collide against itself. An entire section of his soul swelled near his right shoulder, causing some tears to form, as an excruciating wave of agony washed over him. ¡°AAAAAARGGGHH!!!¡± Percy stumbled, falling on the ground before rolling a dozen meters in the dirt. Still, he didn¡¯t let go of his control just yet, trying to restore the correct pattern. However, anotherplication emerged. The soul mana now wanted to flood the newly formed cracks, creating a third flow topete against the other two. And it all went downhill from there. More shes urred, causing more injuries and just as many rogue flows of mana, soon forcing him to relinquish the technique before it led to irreparable damage. ¡®It was worth a shot¡­¡¯ he smiled wryly. Pushing himself up, he resumed running towards Micky, allowing part of the mana to flood the new injuries as he gathered the rest in his core. At least, he had enough for the Parting Gift now. A few minutester, he finally caught a glimpse of his familiar, flying in an irregr path towards him. In fact, it might be more urate to say it was leaping from tree to tree, inadvertently banking to his injured wing with each beat. ¡®I¡¯m here. Bait him over.¡¯ Percy ignored Micky for now, hiding behind the nearest tree, pulling a trickle of soul mana into his eyes, sending the rest to his hand. He felt the sickle form, as the pursuer¡¯s silver silhouette casually approached the bird. ¡®Just a little closer¡­¡¯ Percy didn¡¯t bother circling around the tree, insteadunching the sickle through it. He held his breath as the de spun soundlessly through the air. It was about to hit its mark! At thest second, the pursuer was startled, clumsily leaping out of the way. He only had enough time to move slightly, the sickle still carving a nasty groove on his upper arm. ¡°AAAAAAAAAAAGHH!!!¡± the man fell down, clutching his injury. However, before Percy had the chance to celebrate, his enemy was back on his feet. This time, he was looking his way. Through Mana Sense, Percy spotted three Yellow masses gathering in the air next to the man, taking the form of spears, pointing towards the tree. The sneak attack had failed. Chapter 64: Maelstrom The spears pierced through the tree like it was made of cotton, barely giving Percy a chance to dodge. But his trouble had just begun, as more Yellow mana gathered under his feet. Tilting his body at thest second, he narrowly escaped impalement, though not without a gnarly gash on his upper thigh. If this had been higher up on the Spire, his opponent wouldn¡¯t be able to manifest his earth constructs through the surface of the giant fungi. Sadly for Percy, the ground on the first floor was made of dirt and rock. At least, Mana Sense gave him the chance to react a fraction of a second early, but even with Cirction, keeping up with a Yellow core was a tall order. ¡°What the fuck gave you the confidence to attack me?! And what¡¯s up with the weird mana flow around your abdomen?!¡± the man asked without pausing. Percy was too preupied trying to survive the barrage of javelins to reply. Another twonded next to his feet, almost pinning him in ce. Luckily, he¡¯d managed to step out of their path just in time. ¡®I can¡¯t keep this up forever.¡¯ Squarely at a disadvantage, he tried dodging backwards whenever possible in a desperate attempt to put some distance between them. It would give him more time to react, not to mention giving his familiar an opening to escape. However, even the physical capabilities of his opponent eclipsed his own, letting him casually keep up with him while continuing his relentless onught. ¡®Shit. Micky can¡¯t help. The quarterstaff will snap like a twig. The glove might as well be made of paper. I can¡¯t close the distance for a physical blow either¡­¡¯A javelin brushed over his head. It would have stabbed through his skull if he hadn¡¯t ducked. The earth mage made the next one pop up from the ground at an angle, leaving another deep cut right under Percy¡¯s ribs. ¡°AAAAAAGH!!¡± Returning to the Guild wasn¡¯t an option either. It was too far to outrun him. Percy gritted his teeth. Soul mana was the only thing that could save him, but it took too long to recover normally. Still, realizing it was only a matter of time until he made a fatal mistake, he took a deep breath, not giving the mana a chance to settle in his core before pushing it into his channels. He didn¡¯t even bother trying to control where it went this time. He couldn¡¯t. Most of his attention was glued to his opponent. His only option was to let it rampage freely until he had enough for another sickle. A javelin headed for his eye. This one Percy saw toote. He tried parrying with his backhand. The glove shattered on impact, blood sttering from his left hand as the bones inside cracked, sending a visceral wave of pain through his body. Percy suppressed a groan, as he continued to evade whatever he could, trying to minimize the damage. Several secondster, enough mana had gathered in his channels to begin shing with itself. Tears formed on his soul, the new surge of agony utterly dwarfing that of his physical wounds. But he didn¡¯t stop it. He didn¡¯t have the luxury to grab a hold of the flow or to dy the umtion. If he failed to craft his weapon, he was done for regardless. The flow shifted towards the new cracks, putting more strain on his soul. ¡®Just a little more.¡¯ Wherever the mana shed, more tears opened. Each fresh wound created its own flow, in a vicious cycle that could only end in a horrific death. Percy was too absorbed to care. He dodged spear after spear, the cuts continuing to umte on his flesh every time he made a mistake. Some were shallow, others deeper, as both his body and soul were on the verge of copse. At this point, he couldn¡¯t even keep track of how much mana he had gathered. Maybe it was enough for the sickle, maybe not. Hecked the mental capacity to form the spell anyway. He could only keep evading. Soon, his vision became a blur. He couldn¡¯t make out his surroundings and his heartbeats dominated his hearing. The only thing he had left was Mana Sense, barely providing him enough information to keep dodging by the skin of his teeth. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the vition. The mana still raged in his channels. By now he couldn¡¯t stop the flow even if he wanted. It rampaged ceaselessly through his soul, tearing and repairing it with each violent gale. Percy wasn¡¯t sure he was even alive anymore. He hoped his muscles still responded to his input, but he couldn¡¯t feel them. By now he struggled to even remember the shape of his body. For a second, he even forgot where he was, almost thinking he was another clone, trying to possess somebody else. The ethereal cord tightened, his consciousness nearly stripped out of his head. Luckily, he was still lucid enough to resist. If he let this happen now, his death would be guaranteed. ¡®No¡­ I must stay in my own body¡­¡¯ He seeded, his opponent¡¯s Yellow coreing into focus once again, as he sidestepped another construct. ¡®Huh, it was a little slower. Is he finally tired?¡¯ Something new appeared in his vision. Surrounding the Yellow glow in the man¡¯s body, a silver silhouette gradually formed. ¡®Soul Vision? I don¡¯t remember activating it.¡¯ More spears. Some flew directly towards him. Others tried to block his escape. A few stabbed from the ground up, in all sorts of insidious angles, trying to catch him unprepared. Percy dodged one after another. Fewer scraped him than before. Soon, he noticed something interesting. Right before each attack, the silhouette changed. Silver flicker. Yellow glow. Dodge. Javelin. Another flicker. Another glow. Dodge again. Spear. ¡®I can begin dodging before the glow!¡¯ Silver flicker. Dodge! A Yellow glow. The spear changed trajectory at thest second, but evading it was still easier than before. This time the silver silhouette wavered! He was surprised! Percy didn¡¯t care, he just continued dodging as best as he could. The man¡¯s intent betrayed his actions before they wereplete. The spells grew slower too. At some point, dodging them was effortless. Another new sensation took root in Percy¡¯s mind. His hearing. But it wasn¡¯t regr sound. Howls of pain. It was his own soul, screaming at him in agony. Only then did he remember what he was doing. He tossed a fleeting nce at his body. The sight shocked him. His soul thrummed in a bright silver, raging torrents rampant through his channels. New tears kept forming. His pathways kept shifting. The flow randomly changed, never remaining constant for longer than a moment. Like a maelstrom. Percy¡¯s eyes widened in horror. ¡®How am I still alive?!¡¯ He dodged another couple of spears before checking his soul again. More tears formed each second, but they were tiny. Every time the potent mana washed over them, they disappeared! At some point, he¡¯d began to outheal the damage, to the point the injuries only managed to change the flow before fading! He grinned, shifting his attention to his opponent. Another spear stabbed through the ground. Percy tilted his head slightly to avoid it. A torrent of mana gushed to his hand, forming the Parting Gift. It was twice asrge as it normally was. The silver silhouette trembled. One more spear pierced underneath Percy¡­ but he was ready for it. Falling forward, he let it stab the air behind him, before kicking it with his right foot. Propelling himself, he dashed towards his opponent, with two types of mana empowering his body. More javelins formed. Some stabbed at him directly, others tried to cut him off. They all missed. Percy stepped around them, weaving and pivoting and¡­ dancing! ¡°Please, don¡¯t!¡± a shaky voice begged. However, the sickle sliced soundlessly through the air without stopping. And just like that, a soul was cleaved in half. As soon as the lifeless body hit the ground, Percy wanted to plop down himself. But there were things he needed to do first. ¡®Micky?!¡¯ No reply. They had put some distance from the familiar during the fight, and he should have passed out from his injuries. Percy felt the crow¡¯s location through the cord, before tossing the corpse on his shoulder and running towards it. While moving, he threw his body another nce. Both his flesh and soul were covered in nasty wounds from head to toe. Fortunately, the adrenalinebined with two instances of Cirction gave him enough energy to stand. For now at least. He reached for the healing potions in his pockets. ¡°Ouch!¡± He tried again after covering his hands with cyan gloves, grabbing a pile of wet shards. Only one of the vials had survived, the rest having shattered during the fight. In hindsight, it wasn¡¯t that surprising considering even his robes were in tatters. Reaching the crow, he pushed a crapload of soul mana through the connection, waking it up. He drank half the potion, before feeding the rest to the bird. It wasn¡¯t that potent, but they¡¯d have to share given the circumstances. ¡®Eat him.¡¯ he said, carelessly tossing the body on the ground. Even ignoring how valuable a Yellow core was, they had to get rid of all the evidence of what happened. Percy hadn¡¯t forgotten he¡¯d justmitted a serious crime. As the bird feasted on the corpse, Percy searched the man¡¯s possessions for anything of value. He found a pouch containing about a dozen elixirs and a couple thousand contribution points. Next, he buried everything else a few meters deep by the time Micky was done. Only a third of the corpse had been consumed, the bird not beingrge enough to devour the whole thing in one sitting. He¡¯d have to finish the rest tomorrow. The two found the nearest tree, before plopping down at its base. Their situation was still precarious given the partially eaten body and the hundreds of stone spears littering their surroundings. If somebody stumbled upon them, they¡¯d get in a world of trouble. However, neither of them could summon enough strength to clean up right now. They¡¯d have to do so in the morning, assuming the potion did its job. Chapter 65: Aftermath Beasts tended to heal fast. Between drinking half the healing potion and consuming a fresh Yellow core, Micky was alright by morning. Percy on the other hand¡­ Not so much. ¡®I suppose I¡¯m in better shape than the other guy¡­¡¯ he consoled himself, looking at the half-eaten corpse of his enemy. At least, he wasn¡¯t dead or in chains. Percy had never been more grateful for the destion on the lower levels than he was in that moment. His wounds had stopped bleeding too, so he wasn¡¯t in any immediate danger. Gritting his teeth, he grabbed against the tree to stand up, before walking to the nearest stone javelin. He only activated Cirction with his weaker core, as he wasn¡¯t in the mood to start tearing his soul again. His channels still burned, but he needed the extra boost to crush the constructs to dust. And there were plenty of them. ¡®Micky, you must eat the rest of the body. Do whatever you have to, but it needs to be gone by the afternoon.¡¯ CAW The crow wasn¡¯t pleased, as the remains were already devoid of mana. But it epted the assignment withoutint. Percy stomped the first spear to powder, before moving to the next one. There were hundreds in the area where they had fought, plus he¡¯d have to retrace the guy¡¯s steps from when he was chasing Micky. The bastard had paced himself well,unching the projectiles about as fast as he recovered his mana. Even without Cirction, he¡¯d unleashed a lot of attacks without tapping out. It was already dark again by the time Percy was done. He¡¯d destroyed most of the evidence of the battle and Micky had eaten thest traces of the corpse. They¡¯d even looked for any lingering bloodstains, burying them underground. If somebody passed through the area in the next couple of days, the freshly dug dirt might look suspicious, but they couldn¡¯t do much about that, other than letting time take care of it.Another problem was the tree the earth mage had pierced through at the beginning of the scuffle. Percy couldn¡¯t make the whole thing disappear, so his next best move had been to cut it in half and trim the trunk. At least, that way it wouldn¡¯t be so obvious what had damaged it. It was probably overkill, but he didn¡¯t know if somebody was familiar with the guy¡¯s magic. ¡®I wonder what Orin is thinking.¡¯ This was his first time missing an alchemy session in the past five months. He¡¯d have to make up a story by tomorrow, but he doubted his mentor would suspect he¡¯d spent the day covering up a murder. Then, there was the issue with his current appearance. Between his battered body and tattered clothes, he needed a believable excuse before returning to the settlement. Fortunately, the bandage wrapped around his abdomen still seemed to work, despite a few holes here and there. At least, Micky couldn¡¯t detect the second core through Mana Sense. CAW! Next, the bird led him to a pile of Starry Drones. He¡¯d hunted them on his own while Percy was busy clearing the evidence. Not for the contribution points of course. They¡¯d already decided to take it easy for the next few days. No, they needed the dead wasps for something else. ¡®This is going to suck so fucking much.¡¯ Ripping a strip of fabric from his robes, Percy rolled it up before cing it in his mouth. He bit down, holding a carcass over a wound on his arm. Next, he squeezed its abdomen, causing a drop of purple liquid to drip down from the stinger, sshing along the cut. This narrative has been uwfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. SSSSS A sharp pain instantly assaulted him as he watched his own flesh sizzle and cken. Intentionally pouring acid into his injuries wasn¡¯t something he¡¯d ever imagined doing, but he had to make them look like they¡¯d been inflicted by the bugs. Percy¡¯s body had gone through a lot of torture over the past day, but his mind wasn¡¯t faring much better. Even now, he couldn¡¯t help but second guess his decisions. ¡®Was this really the best course of action?¡¯ The guy he¡¯d killed wasn¡¯t a bandit like Rick. Just a fellow member of the Guild, hunting on the Fungal Spire. An innocent person. Percy had attacked without even trying tomunicate first. He¡¯d done that to maintain the element of surprise, but the sneak attack had failed anyway. He didn¡¯t regret doing his best to save his familiar, but he couldn¡¯t help but wonder what would¡¯ve happened had he given that person a chance. Even if negotiations had led nowhere, the fight would have pretty much developed in the same way. But what if he¡¯d agreed to let Micky go? Sure, Percy would have still ended up in a difficult situation, with another person knowing at least one of his secrets. That said, it wasn¡¯t necessarily worse than worrying about his crime being discovered. ¡®I guess I¡¯ll never know¡­¡¯ It was past midnight by the time he finished mutting his wounds. Percy was d he didn¡¯t have a mirror on him, as he was too scared to look at his body. At least, there wouldn¡¯t be too many people awake in the settlement right now. Hopefully, he wouldn¡¯t meet anybody besides the guards. *** ¡°Gods! What happened to you?!¡± one of the men asked. Percy scratched his head. ¡°I was an idiot. I heard of a ce with Starry Soldiers on the second level and I was dumb enough to try fighting them.¡± The two gave him incredulous expressions. ¡°Hunting Yellow beasts with an Orange core?! What madness possessed you to do that?!¡± ¡°Kid, you¡¯re lucky to be alive!!¡± Percy chuckled bitterly. He then tried walking through the gate but one of them stepped in his way, blocking his path. Outwardly Percy gave him a questioning look, but internally he was sweating buckets, afraid he¡¯d overlooked something. The guy didn¡¯t seem to notice, however. Instead, he searched his pocket before handing Percy a vial. ¡°Use this. I¡¯ve had this for ages, but I doubt it will do me much good. It might work better on you. It¡¯s a healing potion.¡± Percy was moved. He was already nning to buy a few tomorrow to fix his body, but the sooner he began recovering, the less unwanted attention he¡¯d draw to himself. He looked for some change in his pouch, when the guard stopped him. ¡°It¡¯s on me kid. Just try to be more careful out there.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Percy nodded in appreciation before downing the green liquid on the spot. He felt his wounds itch for a few seconds, already looking a bit better by the time the effect wore off. Luckily, he saw nobody else on the way home. All the stands had already closed for the night. Not that he didn¡¯t crave his daily Honey Roll ¨C Percy was practically starving ¨C but he¡¯d rather not give Freddy a heart attack. Reaching his house, he first stopped by his preservation box, stuffing his face with anything edible he found. Only then did he enter the shower, still chewing on a slice of cheese. Peeling what remained of his robes was painful, the fabric already stuck to his wounds in several spots. Many scabs fell out, making him wince. Washing the acid off his injuries wasn¡¯t much better. ¡®The good news is I have another set of robes.¡¯ It had cost him 200 points ¨C a hefty sum ¨C most likely due to the self-cleaning enchantments inscribed on the garments. Still, given his secrets, he¡¯d decided it was worth investing in some spare clothes in case of an emergency. Thank Phoebe too. He wouldn¡¯t have to walk around naked tomorrow. ¡®If I wake up at sunrise, I can get to the official shop as soon as it opens.¡¯ He¡¯d give the clerk the same excuse as the guards ¨C if she asked ¨C and patch his body up with another potion or two. By then, he¡¯d look as good as new. That way nobody else would see his wounds. He¡¯d only have to repeat his story twice more ¨C to Orin and maybe Freddy, before returning to his routine. Overall, he was happy with his odds of getting away with it. Murder was a serious crime in the Guild, but only if he got caught. Nobody ever bothered checking up on people. The chances anyone would notice the Yellow core was missing were abysmal. Not to mention somebody going out looking for him ¨C and on the first floor, of all ces. Beyond that, it would alle down to Percy¡¯s luck. Chapter 66: Hemarakah Having been around for nearly two weeks, #13 was Percy¡¯s longest-lived clone so far ¨C at least in terms of time inside a body. Of course, he still fell a little shortpared to his predecessor¡¯s trip on Huehue, but most of that guy¡¯s days had been spent shopping for a host, so they hardly counted. Either way, Percy confirmed once more that his clones were inherently unstable. No matter how peacefully he possessed their bodies or how much soul mana he invested, they wouldn¡¯tst long before copsing. Perhaps it also depended on the circumstances of their deaths. At least when it came to old age, there was only so much he could do to stretch their remaining lifespan. Consequently, his time observing the primitive vige was also nearing its end. ¡®Not that there¡¯s much more to learn here.¡¯ The crystallization technique was straightforward. Percy had only needed a couple days to understand how it was performed and what the effects of the cyan powder were. Essentially, it was a matter of exerting one¡¯s control over mana topress the constructs into a denser state. The locals used their physical strength to supplement their willpower ¨C something he would have an easier time doing due to his second core and Cirction. That said, thisponent wasn¡¯t necessary. Advancing to a higher grade would naturally make the technique easier, so he estimated he would eventually be able to perform it without getting his hands dirty. Sadly, this simply wasn¡¯t an option for the locals. Either way, the rest of his time had been spent estimating how long he¡¯d need to master the art. It was an important datapoint that would determine whether it was worth focusing on this once he returned home, or whether he was better off waiting until he advanced. And the results were mixed. ¡®The kids have barely improved since I got here. At this rate, it¡¯ll easily take me a year. Maybe longer.¡¯ His only constion was that he was both more hard-working and healthier than the local children, giving him some hope of integrating the cyan powder into his alchemy before it was time to leave the Guild.Percy had also grown a little fond of the locals. Every world he had ever experienced had its own share of hardships, but he¡¯d never met anybody as pitiful as these people. The very air they breathed was poison! The sick girl¡¯s situation in particr was a true tragedy. Born at Yellow, she would have enjoyed a long andfortable life in most ces. Here, she was destined to die before reaching adulthood¡­ ¡®At least these people are kind.¡¯ If this had been any noble House on Remior, her tribemates would have written her off as a hopeless case and left her alone to die a long time ago. But that wasn¡¯t what the vigers had done. They seemed to have a policy of devoting all their cyan powder to the person who needed it the most. Many others were also sick, but the olddy kept all her efforts focused on the girl. Not that it helped much. ¡°Hemarakah!¡± her father shouted when she copsed again. That was the girl¡¯s name as Percy hade to learn. Despite everyone¡¯s sacrifices, her episodes had grown both more frequent and more severe. At this point, he wasn¡¯t sure if his host would die before she did. The man brought her to the olddy¡¯s hut once more. However, the healer was at a loss. The green concoction was no longer enough to wake the girl up and she couldn¡¯t use the powder if she was unconscious. A gloomy mood overcame the small vige as a crowd gathered around them. Nobody spoke, but the children¡¯s cries and even the asional sobs of the adults broke the sombre silence. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. As Hemarakah¡¯s breaths slowed down and whatever was left of her core began to dim, her father grew even more desperate. Grabbing his daughter, he began shaking her, trying to wake her up. Another person had to intervene to stop him. ¡°AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!¡± the grieving father¡¯s guttural scream was the most heart-wrenching sound Percy had heard in any of his lives. Someone patted the man¡¯s back, trying to console him. He didn¡¯t react. He just stared at his unconscious daughter, his body trembling. He was either unwilling to miss her final moments, or unable to ept they were forting. Suddenly, he stopped shaking. Raising his head, the man looked at Percy. His eyes were bloodshot, a crazy glint shining in his pupils. But there was something else there too. Hope. Leaping to his feet, the father sprinted towards him, before falling to his knees right underneath the floating clone. ¡°Sah kar, el di kin! Di kin!!¡± he screamed, his voice cracking. Percy didn¡¯t understand the words, of course, but it wasn¡¯t that hard to infer their meaning. ¡®Is there anything I can do?¡¯ Truth be told, he still didn¡¯t know the full extent of his species¡¯ abilities. Could they do more than just filtering the air? The olddy soon approached the man, trying to pull him away. He resisted. ¡°Di kin!! Di kin!!!¡± he kept yelling. He knocked his head on the ground over and over, a trickle of blood flowing down his forehead, mixing with tears on his chin. The sight made Percy wince, especially considering these people had an eye on their foreheads. Exhaling, Percy floated down, gently stopping him with his paw. He then made his way to the girl. Her life was already hanging by a thread. Percy had no idea if he could help, but what was there to lose? ¡®Worst case scenario, I fail. Both of us are dying anyway.¡¯ Patting Hemarakah¡¯s arm, he quickly noted it was cold. He already knew her sternum was filled with the brown mist. The question was how to get it out of her core. ¡®Any insight you¡¯re willing to share?¡¯ Percy asked his host. The original owner of his body had remained silent over the past two weeks. He wasn¡¯t sure if he was still even there. Against all odds, a response came through! Foreign thoughts soon crossed Percy¡¯s mind. He suddenly had some idea of what he was supposed to do. ¡®Alright. Here goes nothing.¡¯ Looking at the girl¡¯s father who¡¯d already joined him by now, he gestured for him to open his daughter¡¯s mouth. He then lowered his own, before softly inhaling, focusing his Mana Sense on her core. Nothing happened. Percy drew a second breath and then a third, in a desperate race against time. Every moment risked being Hemarakah¡¯sst. A dark wisp emerged. It was the thickest, deepest brown he¡¯d seen sinceing to this world. It was even denser than the clouds above, or the vents spewing the poison into the air. Another wisp followed, as the girl¡¯s core stopped dimming. A wet cough escaped her throat, as a viscous sludge sttered all over Percy¡¯s face. Part of him flinched, wanting to move away from the discharge. Another part of him, however, the one stemming from his host¡¯s instincts, prodded him to remain in ce. If the brown fog tasted like strawberry juice, the sticky liquid was more akin to strawberry jam, its vour heavenly to his alien tastebuds. ¡®I¡¯m not sure if this is the best thing I¡¯ve ever eaten, or the most gross. Probably both.¡¯ Either way, the girl kept improving the more of the substance he extracted from the core, as the Yellow light burned brighter with every breath. ¡°HAHAHAHAHA!!!¡± the father burst into joyousughter, as the rest of the vigers erupted into cheers. A few minutester, Hemarakah had the healthiest core he had seen sinceing here, but Percy didn¡¯t stop just yet. ¡®If I¡¯m going to do this, I might as well clean it uppletely.¡¯ He kept going, until the core was restored to over 80% of its full capacity, when something unexpected happened. Amidst the bright Yellow glow, a faint Green strand emerged, causing Percy to raise an eyebrow, as the locals gasped and eximed in awe. ¡®Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡¯ Intensifying his efforts, he took breath after breath, as more poison was sucked out of the girl¡¯s core and more strands of Green appeared, one after another, until they began to dominate. By the time Hemarakah coughed out thest drop of sludge out of her throat, a Green core thrummed with power in her chest! ¡®Holy shit. The poison must contain beast mana.¡¯ It clearly wasn¡¯t pure like the nectar they had on Remior, as even the beasts he¡¯d encountered were suffering from the poison. His species were the only ones equipped to fully process the substance. The mana was also rather thin, as it wasn¡¯t visible through Mana Sense. Still, it had to be there, as that was the only exnation for Hemarakah¡¯s advancement. ¡°Kerez dimat!!¡± the man said, drawing Percy¡¯s attention. His daughter soon echoed his words. Nodding, Percy then looked at the rest of the vigers, noticing all their eyes were sparkling as they gazed at him. He chuckled. ¡®Oh well, I suppose I still have a few hours left.¡¯ Chapter 67: Vent It took Percy several more hours to cure the rest of the vigers. Not all of them advanced like the girl, but many did. Especially the older ones or those with the most poison umted in their cores. By now, Percy was in a lot of pain, his host¡¯s soul already beginning to crumble. He had to keep shifting his soul mana around the dying vessel to hold it together just a little longer. Despite the pain, a content grin tugged at his lips. He hadn''t known these people for long, and his efforts hadn''t permanently solved their problems, but even this small act of kindness brought him a sense of satisfaction. ¡°Kerez dimat!! Kerez dimat!!¡± they chanted over and over, their joy surpassing even his own. Waving them farewell, Percy took off, determined to aplish one more task before his body gave out. He doubted it would make much difference, but he wanted to help the locals onest time before returning home. Retracing his steps from two weeks prior, he flew along the river. Before long, his destination came into view ¨C the giant vent spewing brown gas into the air. Guessing this was the closest source of pollution to the vige, Percy¡¯s n was to filter as much of the substance as possible before his host expired. As he approached the colossal geyser, he noticed more of his kin ¨C this time including a fewrger ones with Yellow cores. However, none had the distinctive grey fur of his host, indicating that the creature he was inhabiting was likely an elder, even among others of the same grade. ¡®Hopefully we¡¯re close to a promotion too.¡¯ Drawing nearer, Percy¡¯s vision was soon obscured by the dense cloud of gas, but he managed to orient himself toward the hole by tasting the concentration of the toxic substance around him. By now, he had to rely on Mana Sense to locate the other furballs, the poption of which grew denser the closer he came to the source of the gas. At least, that was the case at first. Past a certain point, the strawberry vor in the air grew overwhelming, almost reminiscent of the syrupy sludge he¡¯d extracted from the vigers¡¯ cores. As he pressed on, the number of Orange cored beasts began to dwindle. Here, the fog was so thick it was beginning to hinder his movements, the current pushing him back. The sweetness in his mouth gave way to a spicy sensation as his core began to burn. ¡®Wow, I guess even our species have their limits.¡¯Not that he cared much about his health ¨C he only had minutes left anyway. Unlike his Yellow cored kin, who were unwilling to venture further, Percy pressed onward, diving deeper against the flow. Ignoring the pain in his sternum, he took deep breaths, trying to rid the world of as much of the toxic gas as he could manage as a final gift to the vigers. The remnants of his host¡¯s soul began to shatter, the knots of soul mana unravelling. Percy could already feel the ethereal cord linking him to his main body on Remior pulling him back. He resisted for as long as he could, until it seemed he was about to lose the battle, when something changed. His body began to burn more intensely than before, internal pressure threatening to tear him apart. Percy grinned, recognizing the sensation ¨C one his familiar had experienced in the past. Looking inward, he quickly confirmed his suspicion. His body was saturated with dense Yellow mana, though parts of it were dimmer than others. His organs were fighting a losing battle, struggling to purify the toxin into a state his core could handle. However, something began to shift as strands of Green mana started to form in his sternum. As he had hoped, his host had lived just long enough to reach the boundary of his next promotion. The reckless baptism in the toxic fumes had proven to be precisely the catalyst required to push them over the edge. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the vition. Soon, the Green strands coiled together, consuming the Yellow mana around them, as his core shifted colours, burning more fiercely than ever before. ¡®Keep it together old cat!¡¯ Usually, a core advancement was a joyous asion. However, this was perhaps one of the few cases where it wouldn¡¯t do anyone much good. The creature¡¯s remaining lifespan would be tripled, but three times zero was zero. It was still going to die within the next minute. As for Percy, his host¡¯s advancement onlyplicated matters, hastening the unravelling of the fragile bonds joining their souls. That said, he hoped tost long enough to harness this opportunity to do some real good. ¡®Just a few more seconds¡­¡¯ he smiled wryly. Now that the furball had advanced, they could consume a tremendous quantity of the toxic gas. Strictly speaking, the vent was toorge for a single creature to filter by itself, whether it was at Green or even Blue. However, there was one critical exception where a beast could consume far more than normal. At the moment of its advancement! Back when Micky had evolved to Orange, Percy and the crow had spent all night scouring the Whistling Woods, feeding the bird anything they could find so it could rebuild its body to suit its new grade. This time, the furball had advanced to Green ¨C two grades higher ¨C and its diet consisted entirely of the toxic brown gas. Just how much of it would it need to consume toplete its transformation? Well, Percy intended to find out. Fighting against his crumbling body, Remior¡¯s pull and the pressure from the vent, he opened his mouth, inhaling the gas as forcefully as he could. Normally, his lungs would have filled in an instant, but now his body hungrily absorbed every bit of material that entered, breaking down the toxins into nutrients necessary for growth. Soon, the clone transformed into a ravenous vortex, greedily sucking in the brown fog like a drain at the bottom of a tub. He could feel his body swelling at an rming rate, doubling in size within half a minute as the remaining shards of the dying soul grew just as quickly as they crumbled. This pace wouldn¡¯tst long ¨C his vessel was already nearing its new limits ¨C but the massive intake of mist triggered another change. The pressure from the vent was no longer enough to push him back, his expanding body beginning to elerate toward it. Having absorbed enough nutrients, the flow of gas began to slow, but Percy refused to let it. He forced his body to continue drawing in everyst particle of poison it could, even as he hurtled dangerously toward the ground. He mmed into a stone wall with a deafening crash, feeling both bones and rock shatter as the impact knocked the air from his lungs and sent his body rebounding. More impacts followed, each collision wreaking havoc on his flesh as well as the surrounding environment. Percy heard more stones crashing down as sections of the vent¡¯s walls crumbled, but he didn¡¯t pay that any heed, focusing solely on maintaining his grip on the dying soul and inhaling more fumes with every ounce of willpower he had left. By now, every bone in the furball¡¯s body had turned into mush, as a bunch of boulders fell on top of him, pushing him down. Percy¡¯s lungs felt like they were on fire, the pungent substance overwhelming even his newly upgraded constitution. ¡®I hope that was enough¡­¡¯ he thought, his consciousness finally slipping out of the dying vessel. Percy knew his actions didn¡¯t truly amount to much. The furballs he had ced inside the vigers¡¯ houses would leave sooner orter. The cores he had cleansed would eventually end up polluted again, and the poison he had consumed inside the vent would hardly make a dent. And even if he ended up helping out the people in that vige, just how many more viges like that were scattered around this world? But he didn¡¯t regret trying. Everything he¡¯d done would buy these people some precious time. With higher grades, a cleaner environment and healthier bodies, the ones with the pure affinity would be able to produce more cyan powder too, extending everyone¡¯s lives even more. They might still die, but the few years he had bought them mattered. They mattered just as much as when he¡¯d killed Mixcoatl, or when he¡¯d preserved his friend¡¯s soul to create his familiar. Percy wasn¡¯t strong enough yet to free the people of Huehue, or to cleanse all the poison in this world¡­ But he would do what he could, to help as many as he could¡­ Why? Because he felt like it. Micky was his friend, and he¡¯d grown fond of the natives here too. Wasn¡¯t that what magic ultimately was? The power to exert one¡¯s will on the world! ¡®I¡¯ll keep growing stronger and¡­ one day, I¡¯ll have the power to make asting impact.¡¯ Chapter 68: Alchemist Percy stirred the concoction at a modest, yet steady pace. A few bubbles began to form, but not too many. Instead of panicking, he continued going as he had, only carefully adjusting the temperature slightly with his free hand. A few secondster, the foam died down, the mixture settling into a transparent gel at the bottom of the cauldron. Carefully pouring the substance onto a membrane over a vial¡¯s mouth, he watched it distilled into a clear liquid. The droplets made crisp sounds, sshing inside the sapphire bottle one after another. ¡°65 drops! Congrattions Percy! That¡¯s over 16%! You¡¯ve improved again!¡± Orin said. Letting out a breath he¡¯d been holding, Percy also felt a sense of triumph rising over his achievement. It had already been two weeks since his clone returned, and he¡¯d been able to brew some elixir every day since. His yield had started off at a modest 15%, but it was already slightly higher than that. There was still some way to go before he could be considered a fully-fledged alchemist, but at least the losses were small enough he could stomach them on his own now. A good thing too, as today was his final session sponsored by his mentor. ¡°Thank you, sir! I owe everything to your kindness.¡± he said. ¡°How many times do I need to tell you to just call me Orin? And no, given how hard you¡¯ve been working, I¡¯m sure you would have reached this point sooner orter. I only helped you get started.¡± Percy chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s still massive. It would have taken me years to gather enough points by myself.¡± Orin patted his shoulder before speaking.¡°In any case, I¡¯m sure you can reach 25% if you keep at it for a few more months. Just promise me you won¡¯t pull off another reckless stunt.¡± The young man gazed down at his feet, unable to look the alchemist in the eye. ¡°Percy¡­ promise me.¡± Orin had bought his lie about getting injured by the Starry Soldiers. That much was unavoidable, as the alternative was confessing to murder. However, what exacerbated Percy¡¯s guilt was that he nned to start hunting the Yellow bugs for real. Now that he¡¯d settled his previous concerns, he intended to put his new strength to work. ¡°The most I can promise is to be more careful in the future.¡± he replied after a few seconds. Orin didn¡¯t say anything, instead just patting his shoulder again. The two bid each other farewell as Percy left his mentor¡¯s ce for the night. Moving forward, he was still allowed to use the old alchemist¡¯sb, but he wouldn¡¯t be provided with any more free materials or supervision. Thinking back to his gains over the past month, he couldn¡¯t help but grin. During his clone¡¯s absence he¡¯d lost a lot of time from hunting, which meant he¡¯d collected much less elixir the normal way. However, adding in the amount he¡¯d looted from his unfortunate victim, as well as the ones he¡¯d brewed himself, he still had over forty vials left. Each brewing session started with 400 drops of nectar and currently took him around an hour from beginning to the end. Over thest two weeks he¡¯d reliably earned over 60 drops per session, for four sessions per day, meaning that Orin had allowed him to keep over a month¡¯s worth of elixir. However, his ie would take a massive drop now that he had to pay for his own materials. After all, he was still brewing at a loss. He sure hoped his new targets would be profitable enough to cover the difference. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. *** Percy was breathing heavily as he reached the Starry Worker. At least, dispatching it wasn¡¯t that hard ¨C it only took a single swipe of his sickle. He owed his exhaustion to something else. Over the past few days, the young man had practiced activating both types of Cirction at the same time and keeping them going for longer. At first, it had been somewhat tricky to recall how he¡¯d managed to get his soul mana flowing that night. The circumstances at the time had been rather unique. Still, he was able to replicate his sess after some trial and error. In fact, by now he could even do it without injuring his soul too much in the process. Unlike the cyan lines of pure mana forming static patterns on his skin, their silver counterparts constantly moved around in a chaotic vortex, resembling a maelstrom centred around his sternum. In any case, the new version of the art further enhanced his physical capabilities, letting him run even faster atop the giant mushrooms. That alone would have increased the number of nds he harvested, but he figured he¡¯d get the most benefit by taking down the stronger variants. Sadly, the Starry Soldiers were located on the other side of the Spire, so he¡¯d have to spend a few hours running back and forth every day. At least, he and Micky could minimize the wasted time by killing the Orange variants en route to their cousins. ¡®I should start learning the Crystallization technique too.¡¯ Percy groaned. Killing the workers wasn¡¯t very difficult, so there was no better time to practice new spells than while travelling. The only issue was this particr technique required him topress his mana over longer sessions. The frequent interruptions every time he had to kill a bug would be annoying. Still, even if it wasn¡¯t very efficient, he could work on it over time. Overall, Percy doubted he¡¯d have enough nectar for over two hours of alchemy per day, which meant he would have about 16 hours to hunt on the second level. Of those, one was needed for the round trip from the settlement, while six more would be spent traveling to and from the location Nesha had told him about. He estimated he and Micky could get around 12 workers in that time. That left him about nine hours to hunt the Yellow cored bugs, and he¡¯d need to kill at least seven of those per day to make as much nectar as he normally would. ¡®And I should try teaching Micky Cirction too.¡¯ The crow still couldn¡¯t speak, but Percy guessed it was likely because it didn¡¯t need to. The bird was already more intelligent than a human child by now ¨C not something a two-year old beast should be capable of. Even more importantly, due to beasts constantly fighting with their bodies, Micky didn¡¯t need any physical training. He only needed to clear his remaining pathways, to temper them and then find the correct pattern for the mana to flow in. Given how smart he was and with Percy guiding him, he should be able to get it down within a few months. In fact, he harboured some hope the process would jog his friend¡¯s memories, making him learn faster, or helping him remember who he was. ¡®If all else fails, it¡¯s still worth it for the powerup.¡¯ So once again, Percy had ended up with quite a few projects to work on in parallel. The increased profits from his lucrative prey would hopefully offset the losses from his subpar brewing, allowing him to continue funding one of his cores. He¡¯d keep at it until he surpassed a 25% yield, at which point he¡¯d switch to full-time alchemy. That should eventually get him enough points to cover for both of his cores. In the meantime, he¡¯d keep feeding his familiar wasps, working on both Micky¡¯s advancement and his own recovery, so that he could resume sending out clones once a month. The bird would also focus on learning Cirction, which would allow it to hunt the workers on its own when mastered. That would let them split up, focusing on different tasks. At the same time, Percy would work on Crystallization, eventually incorporating the cyan powder into his alchemy. He still wasn¡¯t sure what the exact result would be, but he had a hunch he could use it to improve the elixirs in some way. ¡®No time to waste. There are only four-and-a-half years left until the lotus blooms.¡¯ Percy understood he still had a long way to go until he was strong enough to have a real voice in his family. Well, if he wanted to aplish that without spilling his secrets or hugging baldy¡¯s thighs, at least. CAW! CAW! Micky suddenly pecked his shoulder, breaking him out of his thoughts. ¡®You¡¯re right. I¡¯m thinking too far into the future. For now, let¡¯s focus on what¡¯s right in front of us.¡¯ They were there. They had finally reached the location of the Starry Soldiers. Percy grinned. He was about to have his first proper fight against a Yellow cored beast. And with his own body at that. Chapter 69: Starry Soldiers As soon as Percy overcame the shock of seeing a wasp asrge as he was, he thought he¡¯d have an easy time ying the overgrown bug. Its slick ck carapace still glittered with colours like its smaller cousins, but the soldier wasrge enough that its camouge was essentially useless. After all, the motes of light slowly falling from the mushrooms above couldn¡¯t possibly conceal the man-sized creature, nor could they obscure the dense Yellow shape thrumming within Percy¡¯s Mana Sense. So, with nowhere to hide and with such a bulky frame, how hard could it be to hit it with his sickle? Well¡­ Near impossible it turned out. ¡®I really need to stop jinxing everything.¡¯ The soldier¡¯s stinger was about the shape and length of a rapier, delivering a barrage of lunges, trying to turn his head into a kebab. Strictly speaking, Percy didn¡¯t have much difficulty dodging the blows ¨C they were more forgiving than the mage¡¯s stone javelins. Especially with the bug¡¯s soul betraying its intentions ahead of time. Still, it wasnding his own attacks that proved challenging. Unlike his human opponent who had stood in ce like a sitting duck, Percy couldn¡¯t pin the wasp down. Despite itsrger frame, the soldier was even more agile than the Orange variants. Hitting it from a distance was a tall order. Then, there was the strategy Percy had used against the workers at the beginning. Back when he was weaker, he¡¯d resorted to well-timed counterattacks to dispatch the bugs. Sadly, that wasn¡¯t applicable right now. His only means of defending himself had grown obsolete once more. And there wasn¡¯t much he could do about that. ¡®There¡¯s no way to block a Yellow beast¡¯s attacks with pure mana from a Red core.¡¯Until it advanced to Orange, he¡¯d have to retire his second core entirely. Its only use at the moment was the passive boost to his physique. Although he did have another advantage. Side-stepping a stab, Percy tried to bisect the wasp¡¯s soul with his left. It moved horizontally to dodge, but that gave him a chance to throw the second Parting Gift held by his right. Thanks to Cirction, he could summon and maintain two of the weapons now! That said, the wasp flew up to avoid the second attack. Next, it only stared at him for a moment before diving back to unleash another rain of lunges, trying to take advantage of his missing weapon. Not that he had much trouble evading them, but a simr scene repeated once he finished recing his second sickle. Half an hourter, the two were still at an impasse. The bug attacked whenever Percy was one weapon down, putting him on the backfoot until he recovered. Whenever he did, it was his turn to go on the offense, but the soldier was just as good at evading. If necessary, Percy could keep Cirction up with both cores for a couple more hours. Still¡­ ¡®How do I create an opening?¡¯ Having Micky distract the creature was out of the question. Percy had already asked his familiar to remain at a safe distance and he had no intention of letting him anywhere close to the monster. As Percy was evaluating his options, the soldier suddenly did something different. It flew a few meters above his head, before pointing its stinger down. ¡®Oh, fuck me!¡¯ A purple blob emerged from the stinger¡¯s point, soon expanding to a nket shrouding his view. Leaping to the side, Percy barely managed to roll out of the way as the sludge rained on the mushroom. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the vition. SSSSS The surface of the giant fungus sizzled as a wall of brown gas rose to the sky. The small amount that reached Percy¡¯s nose burned his nostrils, even coating the back of his throat with an acrid aftertaste. However, that was just the start, as the wasp fired two more liquid projectiles. This time, it was harder evading them, some of the acidnding on his leg. SSSSS ¡°AAAAAAGH!!¡± Percy hadn¡¯t expected to experience this again so soon. Luckily, it didn¡¯t corrode much deeper than his skin. The substance had spread rather thin during its flight, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t be surprised seeing his entire limb melted into a puddle ¨C bones and everything. Not that it made his situation much less precarious. He barely got the chance to roll out of the way of the stinger, as it stabbed just inches from his face. Lodged into the mushroom, the wasp appeared stuck, but it still tried to crush his throat with its limbs, forcing him to keep crawling away. Only when he was a couple meters from the bug did he get the chance to stand up, before dashing towards the soldier, taking advantage of its immobility to finally kill it. ¡®That was a close one.¡¯ Percy had thought histest improvements would make this a walk in the park, but he couldn¡¯t have been more wrong. The acid rain attack was something he¡¯d never seen the Orange variants do. It could have easily spelled his doom if the bug wasn¡¯t limited to three consecutive shots. In fact, if the soldier hadn¡¯t stupidly trapped itself, the fight might have not even ended. ¡®You live, you learn.¡¯ he shrugged. At least, this did give him an idea as to how he could use his pure mana against these creatures. Although it wasn¡¯t strong enough to block their blows or pierce their carapace, maybe he could protect himself from the acid rain with it. ¡®Micky! Come eat the core!¡¯ The familiar didn¡¯t need to be told twice. Tearing into the hard exoskeleton took the bird a bit longer than usual, but it still managed to w a hole soon enough. It first dug the nd out of the torso, throwing it to Percy with its talon. Then, it dove back into the bug¡¯s sternum, looking for the tasty snack. Percy grabbed the nd. Ignoring his feasting friend, he took a vial out of his pouch. Next, he sliced it open with a knife before squeezing the nectar into the gemstone. ¡¯45!¡¯ he counted with glee. He¡¯d already known how much nectar the soldiers had on them of course. Still, actually seeing half the vial filled with amber fluid after a single kill was truly satisfying. ¡®And to think themanders on the top level have over 400 drops on them. That¡¯s enough for a dose of the elixir!¡¯ Not that anybody hunted there of course. Most Guild members were already alchemists by the time they reached Green, let alone Blue. By then, they could earn a lot more points brewing than hunting. ¡®Oh well. I¡¯ll get there too. Soon.¡¯ *** ¡®Here ites again.¡¯ The wasp fired a blob of acid like thest one. This time, Percy was prepared. Through the passive Soul Vision granted by his Cirction, he dodged the spray before it was even unleashed. He could have easily evaded the next two shots too, but he intentionally remained within the ssh zone to test something out. Pure mana gushed out of his pores as he swiped his arm, brushing the droplets aside with a wave of cyan. The purple liquid rapidly dissolved the flimsy defence, some of it making it to Percy¡¯s skin. Still, most of it had been blocked. ¡®Sess¡­ kinda.¡¯ he made a weird expression halfway between a grin and a wince. He¡¯d rather dodge the attacks entirely than rely on this, but it was nice knowing he had onestyer of protection. Next, the soldier dove down in an attempt to poke his eye out. Apparently, this one wasn¡¯t dumb enough to get itself trapped like thest bug. Dodging, Percy tried tond a melee blow, hitting nothing but empty air. Not getting discouraged, he quickly threw a handful of silver knives towards the creature. While he¡¯d kept one of the Parting Gifts in the shape of a sickle, he¡¯d decided to branch out by reverting the second one to a bunch of projectiles. Two of them missed, but thest one grazed its side. The silver silhouette shook, the wasp¡¯s movements growing erratic. Finishing the injured creature only took a couple more minutes. ¡®Ok. Progress.¡¯ At least, Percy didn¡¯te close to dying this time. Also, incorporating some level of variation in his arsenal looked promising. Still, he estimated he wouldn¡¯t kill more than six soldiers today. Surpassing his previous spoils would take a few more weeks. But he wasn¡¯t too disappointed. ¡®It¡¯s going to be worth it in the long-term.¡¯ His gains had been modest when he began hunting the workers too, yet they¡¯d quickly eclipsed what was possible on the first level. Percy couldn¡¯t help but rub his hands in anticipation. After a year in the Guild, his original goal was finally within reach. ¡®I¡¯m going to have enough elixir for both of my cores soon.¡¯ Chapter 70: Second year in the Guild More time passed as Percy worked hard on all fronts, improving both his hunting efficiency and his brewing yield. A month after his first fight against a Starry Soldier, he could already reliably kill around 10 of them per day. The difference was rather modest, but he weed the opportunity to hone hisbat skills once more. Before, his efficiency had teaued as he could already y the workers near instantly, and his profits had been capped by his travelling speed. Now, he finally had the chance to work on both his stamina ¨C extending Cirction tost all day ¨C and the potency of his magic ¨C learning how to better ughter the bugs. He also grew better at alchemy, raising his yield to 18%. Between earning 630 drops of nectar per trip and converting most of that into elixir, he could finally fully support one of his cores while still getting a lot of brewing practice. But he didn¡¯t stop there. Five monthster ¨C or about half a year since the end of his funding ¨C Percy was able to hunt 14 soldiers per trip, while his yield had increased to a whopping 23%. He estimated he could have crossed the 25% threshold if he had continued spending four hours on alchemy per day, but sadly he only had enough nectar for about two. Still, he was on the verge of supporting both of his cores when another interesting development urred. Micky finally mastered Cirction! As Percy hade to learn through the numerous beasts his clones had possessed, a beast affinity was very uniquely suited for the technique. In fact, that was an understatement. Apparently, blood was the best medium for beast mana to flow in, making one¡¯s blood vessels synonymous with their channels! Even more importantly, since beasts didn¡¯t use conventional spells, they didn¡¯t fall into the trap of only clearing the channels branching out from their cores to their extremities. Instead, they passively cleared and tempered all their pathways, their mana constantly flowing through their whole body, always empowering it. Percy had been shocked by that discovery, realizing beasts already used Cirction ¨C albeit a weaker version of it. It had essentially been the truth behind their strength all along! It didn¡¯t take a genius to find the correct pattern for the mana to flow in either. It was identical to one¡¯s circtory system. However, that didn¡¯t mean Micky couldn¡¯t learn to use the full scope of the technique. It only meant Cirction for a beast was equivalent to supercharging their blood flow, a bit like a steroid, drawing even more strength out of their bodies than usual. Beasts also couldn¡¯t exactly replenish their mana by breathing like mages did, because ambient mana didn¡¯t contain the beast affinity. They could still slowly draw some mana of other affinities from the air, converting it to beast mana, but it was much less efficient than it was for Percy.In Micky¡¯s case, Cirction drew its power from the crow¡¯s flesh and blood. It broke down the body, converting matter to strength. At first, Percy had worried this would have an adverse effect on his familiar. After a few tests, however, he concluded it wouldn¡¯t. Perhaps it might be an issue for a beast living in an environment where food was scarce. For Micky who had more wasp meat than he knew what to do with, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem. It only meant he had to eat some more of his preys¡¯ bodies per day, and he¡¯d wake up fresh the following morning. The only reason it had even taken the bird so long to master the technique was due to its reluctance. It had needed a lot of convincing from Percy before it was willing to endure the strain of the spell. It wasn¡¯t a pleasant experience, but the familiar quickly came around after enjoying the benefits of the technique. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. And naturally, that was a game-changer for them. Micky had already been able to easily find the workers before ¨C he just hadn¡¯t been great at killing them. However, his efficiency soared after his upgrade. The crow could now hunt the Orange variants way faster by itself, as Percy only slowed the bird down. On his first day roaming the second level alone, Micky took down over forty wasps, brutally shattering their previous record! At that point they split up, with Micky spending all day hunting the workers by himself, while Percy was free to focus on Crystallization as he travelled to the soldiers. They also gathered over 1200 contribution points per day, not only giving Percy enough for both cores, but even letting him save some. Four monthster, their hunting trips hadn¡¯t improved much, with Micky capping at around 43 kills per day, and Percy unable to get past 15. Still, his brewing yield finally reached 26%, making him a fully-fledged alchemist. ording to Orin, he could even take a test if he wanted, to be officially acknowledged by the Guild. It would raise his status if he left one day. It still wouldn¡¯t be on par with a Yellow-born, but he¡¯d receive better treatment than Orange-borns who had never dabbled in alchemy. It wasn¡¯t a huge deal, and Percy didn¡¯t see a reason to bother just yet, but perhaps he could consider it when it was time to leave. More importantly, he could now brew elixirs at a profit, and he even had a lot stashed in his house. He had enough tost as a buffer for two months once he stopped hunting. It was finally time to make the transition to full-time alchemy! At first, it would be less profitable than his current hunting trips, but that would be temporary. By brewing 18 hours per day, he would improve rapidly, meaning he¡¯d continue increasing his yield several times faster. And sure enough, another two monthster ¨C or one year after Orin¡¯s funding stopped ¨C Percy reached a 30% yield! That was when the improvements truly slowed down, but it was enough. Each brewing session only took him about 40 minutes now, and with such a yield it meant he could now earn 2160 points per day! That was without even including the 645 points Micky got! ¡®Finally¡­¡¯ His two original goals ining to the Guild had already been met. He could now fund both of his cores, and Micky had a perfect environment to keep hunting Orange beasts to his heart¡¯s content. Even better, Percy was making over three times as much money as he needed, so in theory he could fall back and rx for a while. He chuckled. ¡®As if¡­¡¯ Percy might have met his initial targets, but there were still many projects he had to worry about. He had continued sending his clones out about once a month, although they¡¯d all returned empty-handed. A couple of them had ended up possessing sentient creatures again, but neither of them had ess to anything that couldn¡¯t be found on Remior. Not that it was a bad thing, as he had yet to fully process his gains from the primitive vige. By now, he couldpress the cyan constructs by about 40%. It was still a little short of what he needed, and his improvements had slowed down as he hadn¡¯t had much time outside alchemy to invest in the technique over the past couple of months. Still, now that he was free, he decided to only brew as much elixir as he needed for the next few weeks, spending the rest of his time on Crystallization. He had a hunch it would let him take an important step forward once mastered. His other long-term projects included the creation of a Starry Wasp familiar and repairing Micky¡¯s second core. The former still stumped him, as there were way too many impossible problems he had to ovee. Having two ethereal cords at once was already difficult, so he couldn¡¯t even consider creating another familiar without losing the ability to send out clones. Not to mention the issue with stealing a wasp egg from the depths of the Fungal Spire under the noses of Blue and Violet beasts. As for repairing Micky¡¯s core, that was more doable. The 1 million contribution points he needed were a lot, but given his current ie, they were no longer impossible to amass. Even without any further improvements, he¡¯d get there in less than two years if he saved up all his excess money. Though he still hoped his gamble with Crystallization would pay off beforehand. ¡®Let¡¯s do it then. I need topress the damn crystal by the end of the month.¡¯ Announcements Hi everyone, First of all, I want to thank you all for this amazing month! It has been a great Rising Stars run, thanks to each and every one of you for giving my book a chance :) Writing The Lone Wanderer was a ton of fun even when I was doing it alone and nobody knew about it. That said, having thousands of people reading and enjoying it alongside me just feels different. With that out of the way, I promised you big announcements, so here theye: 1) Double releases are EXTENDED by one week, until Nov. 7th! Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the tform they originally published on. As you all know, the double releases were originally only meant for October, so they were technically supposed to end yesterday. However, as a celebration of the past month, I''ve decided to work hard to keep them up for a week longer. (Also it turns out there''s a writathon starting and I want the badge ;|) 2) New (lower) Patreon tiers Admittedly, I should have had these options from the beginning, but hey, betterte than never, right? There are now three paid tiers in total (and the free one).So yeah. That''s about it for today. The next chapter ising out in 1 minute, so just refresh the page a couple of times if the next button is greyed out. And remember that Percy''s adventure has only just begun. I promise you that he will continue growing as a mage, just like I will continue growing as a writer, for many, many, many chapters toe. The ideas I have for the story are positively endless, and I can hardly wait to write them all, so stay tuned! Best, PathOfPen Chapter 71: Crystallization A vein throbbed on Percy¡¯s forehead, his skin already a deep crimson colour. His eyes were shut, to shield them from the annoying streams of sweat pouring down his face. His body shook, his muscles having already been locked in their current position for over an hour. A palm was ced on top of the other, both squeezing hard on a glowing sphere with all their strength. Two sets of bright lines pulsed underneath his flesh. The cyan ones were static, drawing orderly curves on his body, while the silver ones constantly shuffled, outlining a violent maelstrom swirling around his sternum. ¡®Just a little more!¡¯ Percy gritted his teeth. He couldn¡¯t estimate how close he was exactly, but he felt he¡¯d been on the verge ofpressing the pure mana into a crystal for the past few days. Today, he¡¯d resolved himself to doing whatever it took to finally cross the threshold. And just like that, the young man felt something snap in ce, as the cyan marble stopped fighting back a few minutester. But Percy wasn¡¯t in a hurry to quit, unwilling to risk wasting his efforts. Luckily, he received some additional confirmation of his sess not long after. [Congrattions! You have mastered a new spell: Crystallization ¨C Crude!] ¡®Wow, it¡¯s been a long time since my Status registered something new.¡¯ Finally free to deactivate Cirction, Percy let go of the orb, plopping back on the cold stone weakly. His chest heaved up and down, as he watched the crystal roll away on his room¡¯s floor. Perhaps it would have been morefortable to do this on his bed, but he didn¡¯t want to get his mattress all sweaty. In any case, he was done!His lips curled upwards as thest motes of mana seeped out of his pores. It had taken him over a year, but the new spell was finally ready. Opening his Status, he spent the next couple of minutes gawking at it in silent appreciation. Percival Avalon Mana cores: Bloodline: Spells: ???: ¡®Six spells!¡¯ Percy was pretty sure nobody else on Remior had this many at his age. If it hadn¡¯t been for the various opportunities granted by his bloodline, he knew he would have only mastered a single one by now. The Status never bothered registering variants of the same spell if they weren¡¯t sufficiently different from one another. This was why there was only a single mention of Cirction. Also, why his Parting Gift was only listed once, despite all the slight permutations he could cast. In fact, the two most simr spells listed separately were his Quarterstaff and his Glove. Strictly speaking, both were just regr constructs of pure mana, although their purpose was very different to one another, as were the principles of their design. He still wasn¡¯t sure what the Status was for. He guessed it was meant to encourage mages to branch out, developing distinct lines of magic. As for the spells¡¯ ssification, it was probably there to push people to delve deeper into each one. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡®So, whoever created it wants us to develop multiple, powerful spells. But what for?¡¯ In the end, he shrugged. This wasn¡¯t something he could figure out right now. Nor did it matter too much to him at the moment. Pushing himself up, he walked to the marble before grabbing it. It was warm to the touch, but he guessed that was just an artifact of his lingering body heat ¨C from holding it for so long. It was a little sticky too ¨C drenched in sweat ¨C prompting him to wipe it on his robes a few times. Only then did he lift it in front of his eyes, examining it more closely. It was about the size of a cherry, its smooth surface shimmering with a pale cyan light. Percy was tempted to keep the first one as a memento, but his anticipation won out in the end. He¡¯d already looked forward to testing its effects for so long! Making his way to the kitchen table, he sifted through his alchemy equipment for a pestle and mortar. Tossing the marble inside, he gave it one final nce, before sealing its fate. Without his willpower and his hands pressing on the sphere uniformly, it shattered rather easily, the brittle material quickly giving way under the weight of the bronze tool. Less than a minuteter, Percy was looking at a small pile of powder, reminding him of his short time in the primitive vige. ¡®I wonder how those people are doing.¡¯ Had their cores sumbed to the poison once more? They must have. The brown fog was both abundant and fast-acting. Shaking the distracting thoughts out of his mind, Percy walked to the tap, opening it slightly to let a few drops of water into the pestle. Recalling Hemarakah¡¯s actions, he mixed the contents with his fingers, before gulping down the cyan paste. Next, he pulled some soul mana from his sternum, letting it swirl inside his stomach for a couple minutes, before moving it back. Originally, his core still burned a little. It had only been a few hours since he consumed today¡¯s elixirs. However, as soon as he pushed the enriched mana inside it, the ethereal organ itched, the difort easing slightly. ¡®Holy shit! It works!¡¯ Percy hadn¡¯t been certain it would, as his circumstances were somewhat different from the natives of that world. Still, he had persisted in his madness, recognizing the underlying principles behind the two situations were simr. The vigers Percy had encountered had relied on the cyan paste to mend their cores, letting them survive the poison longer ¨C despitecking the means of purging it entirely. Strictly speaking, the damage caused by the brown mist wasn¡¯t that different from what the elixirs did. Of course, the effect of the elixirs was more surgical, designed to target the impurities. Still, the process always left the organ injured, forcing people to wait 24 hours for it to recover after each dose. But if the powder could speed things up¡­ ¡®I can elerate my advancement!¡¯ The question was how much more frequently he could drink the elixirs. ¡®I¡¯m gonna have to test a couple things.¡¯ *** A few dayster, Percy already had some answers. The cyan paste seemed to merely provide the nutrients his core needed. A single marble was more than enough for his recovery, so consuming more than one didn¡¯t do anything. In other words, he couldn¡¯t spam the process to mend the core instantly. No matter what, he was limited to one dose of powder after each dose of elixir. As for the exact recovery period, it seemed to fluctuate depending on when he used the paste. The sooner he did, the fresher the wounds in his core were, making the powder more effective. When he consumed the paste right after the elixir, his core recovered twice as fast as normal! ¡®I can advance both my cores in half the time!¡¯ his heart skipped a beat. Of course, it would also be twice as expensive. Not just that, but he¡¯d also need about six hours to condense enough crystals. That would only leave him about twelve hours to spend on brewing. With his ie dropping sharply and his costs doubling, he estimated he would barely keep up with his needs. Suddenly, he felt a little envious of the olddy. ¡®She only needed about an hour for each marble¡­¡¯ Percy groaned. Granted, her core had been at Orange, giving her an edge when it came to controlling pure mana. She was a lot more experienced than him too. Still, he had his own advantages, so he figured he¡¯d catch up soon enough. ¡®Actually, this is all temporary anyway.¡¯ Calcting the time he¡¯d already spent on his second core; Percy was over two thirds into his next promotion. If he began consuming four elixirs per day, he would get there in under a year! At that point, condensing the crystals would be much easier too. And there was another thing that gave him pause¡­ ¡®There should be a way to drink the elixirs and the paste at the same time.¡¯ Since the effects of the powder improved depending on how soon it was used, Percy had naturally tried consuming both substances simultaneously. The elixir and the paste had mixed in his stomach without issue, but the moment he added his own mana, it all reacted violently, eliminating the potency of both materials before he even had the chance to draw them back to his core. That said, Percy wasn¡¯t too discouraged. He already had an idea as to how he could fix this ¨C he¡¯d just need some time to work on it. If he seeded, he could speed up his advancement even further! ¡®I guess I can delegate all my excess ie into modifying the recipe over the next few months.¡¯ Chapter 72: Unexpected visitor Chapter 72: Unexpected visitor ¡­DRIP. DRIP. DRIP. Tossing the empty nd aside, Percy picked the next one, carving a small incision into the soft tissue before squeezing it over the vial. A few secondster, he threw another one to the pile ¨C which contained hundreds by now ¨C before moving on. Gone were the days when he and Micky spent all their time hunting together on the Spire. Over the past several months, Percy had focused on his alchemical endeavours, leaving the crow alone to tend to its own needs. Nowadays, they only met up once a week, for Percy to retrieve the nds stashed by his familiar, handing him rejuvenation potions in return. CAW! CAW! ¡®There you are! Running a littlete today?¡¯ the young man grinned. He waved at the crow flying rapidly towards him, a small pouch held in its beak. Percy returned to the task at hand, emptying thest couple of nds by the time Micky reached him. The birdnded on the dirt right next to him, as the amber lines on its plumage faded. Next, Micky gently ced the linen bag on the ground. Handing a different pouch to the crow, Percy watched his familiar fly excitedly to a nearby tree, the gem vials making clinking sounds as they tumbled inside the cloth. Having learned from his mistakes, Percy now carried even the cheaper potions in the expensive vials, to prevent them from breaking. Micky dropped his new supplies in an oversized nest, as the young man opened the pouch the familiar had brought, picking another nd from the fresh batch. ¡®Keep up the good work buddy. I¡¯ll get you the mind mana as soon as I can.¡¯CAW! If Percy dropped everything else and merely focused on making as much money as possible, he could amass enough enlightenment potions in under two years. However, not only would that slow down his own progress, but he also strongly suspected it wouldn¡¯t even be the quickest way. He had a hunch he could make a lot more money once he figured out how to profit from the cyan paste. Of course, there were a few obstacles to ovee. First, he couldn¡¯t sell it in its raw form, as that would risk people figuring out how to reproduce it. After all, the only thing one needed was a pure affinity, which was extremelymon on Remior. In fact, Percy was surprised nobody had discovered the usefulness of the powder before. His guess was that it took too much effort for people under Blue to crystallize their mana. They were unlikely to stumble upon the spell by mistake. As for those above, they were already too fixated on their ways by the time they reached Blue, so even if they identally condensed their mana, they wouldn¡¯t necessarily realize the implications. The natives in that world had probably tried everything they could to alleviate their poisoning, stumbling upon this secret out of sheer desperation. ¡®Or luck.¡¯ But people weren¡¯t dumb. If Percy sold the paste directly, it wouldn¡¯t take them long to figure it out. Consequently, he¡¯d have to incorporate it inside the elixirs before profiting off it. The next issue was finding a suitable location for his experiments. He couldn¡¯t work on the new recipe in the publicbs, so he¡¯d have toe clean to Orin. Percy greatly respected his old mentor, but he also had no idea how the alchemist would react to such a revolutionary discovery. Finally, even if everything went well, he¡¯d still have to find a proper avenue to sell the product safely and secretly. After all, he wouldn¡¯t be able to create too much of the improved elixir by himself. If knowledge of it leaked and he couldn¡¯t meet the demand, the Divine Order would skin him alive for the recipe. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡®Oh well, if I mess things up, I¡¯ll just publicize it and wash my hands of the mess.¡¯ It wouldn¡¯t be ideal, as he¡¯d be giving up on his advantage, but it would be better than losing his life. Unlike his other secrets, he could im he had just stumbled upon Crystallization by ident. It wasn¡¯t nearly as exotic as a second core or Cirction, so he wouldn¡¯t have to spill the beans on his bloodline. ¡®It¡¯s such a pain, keeping so many secrets.¡¯ he grimaced. ¡®At least nobody came to me asking about the missing guy. I suppose it¡¯s safe to assume I got away with it by now.¡¯ Bidding his familiar farewell, Percy returned to the settlement. On the way to Freddy¡¯s, he tossed a quick nce at the spot where Nesha¡¯s stand used to be. It had already changed hands multiple times, the current owner being a Yellow core with a life affinity, offering cheap healing services. As for Nesha, she had rented a stone building a long time ago, opening a proper gambling den. It was quite impressive too. Based on what Percy had heard, the Guild charged a lot more when leasing buildings formercial reasons than they did for amodation. Not that there was a shortage or anything, but they did it on purpose, to discourage small business owners from renting buildings they didn¡¯t really need. In any case, it only spoke to how much money the girl was making. Percy was confident she was even wealthier than him, despite his recent sess. ¡®Good for her.¡¯ he shrugged. At least the new owner of the stand had spent a lot more effort on the sign. ¡°Oh! Hi Percy!¡± Freddy greeted him with a smile, which quickly morphed into a mischievous grin. ¡°I thought it was your time of the month again.¡± Percy snorted. His friend had been teasing him about this for a while now. In hindsight, he should have realized altering his schedule for a few days per month would lead to¡­ misunderstandings. Not that he could do much about it. This was simply the most convenient timing to send out his clones, taking into ount the average length of his trips and the impact they had on his main body. In the end, he¡¯d given up, simply ying into the joke. ¡°No, my period is next week.¡± he shot back. They stared at each other silently for a couple of seconds. Freddy was the first to burst intoughter, Percy joining him a momentter. ¡°There you go man.¡± the plump guy handed him the steaming snack, as the young man paid him a brown chip ¨C worth a tenth of a contribution point. Percy held the Honey Roll with both hands as if it was the most precious treasure, biting a huge chunk out of it. He closed his eyes to savour it too, as the crispy dough blended with the warm honey in his mouth. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t watched you eat them every night for the past two years, I¡¯d have thought it was your first one.¡± Freddy said. ¡°Haven¡¯t you grown sick of them yet?¡± ¡°Never!¡± Percy protested in shock a few secondster ¨C but only after swallowing. The two chatted for a while longer. It was mostly Freddy gossiping, really, as Percy didn¡¯t have too much to talk about, since he tended to spend most of his days holed up in ab. At the end, the young man waved his friend goodbye, but not before buying a second Honey Roll to take home. Part of it was to make a statement, while the rest was just because the things were that damn good. It waste by the time he reached his ce. Shockingly, he saw a woman in green standing outside. ¡®The hell?!¡¯ Percy paled. He never got visitors, so his mind instantly went to the worst-case scenario. ¡®Don¡¯t tell me I¡¯ve jinxed myself again!¡¯ Part of him wanted to run, but it would only make things worse. Maybe she was here for something else. ¡°Hello? How may I help you?¡± he asked, trying to sound calm. It was only now the woman seemed to notice him. ¡°Are you Percival Avalon?¡± she asked, prompting him to swallow hard. ¡®Geez, calm down Percy. Even if they learned about the missing guy, how would they link it to you after a year?¡¯ In the end, he just nodded silently. The woman didn¡¯t say anything either, approaching him instead. She ced her hand in her pocket, searching for something. Right when Percy expected her to pull out a pair of handcuffs, she took out an envelope instead, handing it to him. ¡°It¡¯s a letter from your House.¡± she said. Then she left without even waiting for the reply, as Percy watched her walk down his porch, his mouth agape. ¡®Seriously?! Have you people never heard of mailboxes?! You almost gave me a heart attack!¡¯ It wasn¡¯t until a few minutester that he had calmed down enough to look at the sender¡¯s name. ¡®ine Avalon¡¯ Chapter 73: House Tantalus Entering his room, Percy gobbled up his Honey Roll swiftly, before taking a quick shower. Only after he was done with today¡¯s chores did he allow himself to sink into his bed, finally taking the letter out of its envelope. ¡®Huh, talk about going all out.¡¯ he chuckled. The penmanship was immacte, and the light indigo paper smelled ofvender. His cousin had clearly poured a lot of effort into this. ¡®Dear Percy, I hope this letter finds you well! No, really! You left without even saying goodbye and haven¡¯t bothered writing in over two years! To the point we aren¡¯t even sure you made it to the Guild safely! So, if you are reading this ¨C thank Phoebe! ¨C but also, please know you are a massive jerk¡­¡¯ ¡®Ouch.¡¯ ine¡¯s scathing words stung, but Percy couldn¡¯t exactly argue against them. At the very least, he should have let her and baldy know he was alright. ¡®Well, it¡¯s not like you wrote me either!¡¯ Still, he decided to contact them more frequently from now on, before diving back to the letter.¡®¡­Now that we got that out of the way, I wanted to bring you up to date on our House¡¯s news. One of my missions ended really badly right around the time you left. Our cousin, Aleyn, passed away. But I don¡¯t want you to worry about me. Things were a little rough for a while, but I¡¯m doing much better now. I managed to upgrade my Whip spell, and I recently perfected those dance moves you showed me too. Oh, and my mother is expecting! I¡¯m going to be a sister in a few months!...¡¯ Percy nodded. He didn¡¯t really know Aleyn that well, but he could tell his death still weighed heavily on ine¡¯s conscience. ¡®I should ask baldy about the details the next time we meet.¡¯ Either way, the rest of his cousin¡¯s news were much more positive. The ¡®dance moves¡¯ she mentioned were obviously code for Cirction. Percy wasn¡¯t sure how secure these letters were, but ine clearly wasn¡¯t willing to take any chances ¨C which suited him just fine. That meant she had at least two Refined spells listed in her Status now. That ought to have made her a force to be reckoned with. Even without a bloodline, he doubted any noble their age would be a match for her. However, the letter wasn¡¯t over yet. ¡®¡­Broadly speaking, things have been peaceful around here ¨C although House Tantalus is beginning to stir up trouble again. They¡¯ve already messed with a few of our people out on missions. Thankfully, they haven¡¯t done anything too drastic yet, but grandpa thinks it¡¯s only a matter of time before they escte¡­¡¯ ¡®House Tantalus¡­¡¯ Percy gritted his teeth. Those were the same people who¡¯d attacked them when he was young. The ones who¡¯d killed his parents. He didn¡¯t know what exactly the deal was between the two Houses. It seemed to be aplicated mix of an old grudge, territorial disputes and also some drama around their bloodline. But yeah, it didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out why ine had decided to contact him all of a sudden. ¡®¡­So, I just wanted to warn you against travelling by yourself anytime soon. Definitely not to our House, but also in general. Ever since that god¡¯s announcement, all the noble families have gone crazy. Commoners too, actually. From what I hear, a lot of people are turning into bandits, hoping to kidnap somebody important to trade for one of the petals¡­¡¯ You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. This was in line with Orin¡¯s spections. ¡®Well, it¡¯s not like I was nning to leave soon. There should still be over three years left until the lotus blooms. Besides, I can get an escort back if I need it.¡¯ ine¡¯s next words corroborated that. ¡®¡­That¡¯s not to say you shouldn¡¯t visit! ording to Grandpa, you¡¯ll be safe if you travel with the Guild¡¯s envoys. Nobody in their right mind would attack them¡­¡¯ Due to the widespread need for elixirs, most noble Houses had frequent dealings with the alchemists. Percy knew his own family needed thousands of doses per month, so a group of Blue cores was given the job of delivering them three times a year. No bandit group had the power to mess with such a force. In theory, a rival House could, but none of them were dumb enough to try. Attacking the Guild¡¯s people was tantamount to dering war on all of Remior. Sadly, the next delivery had been months away back when Micky advanced, so Percy had chosen to take the risk rather than waiting. Returning to the letter, Percy quickly noted it contained some more coded messages. ¡®¡­Finally, we¡¯d like to know how you¡¯re doing. Have you been able to dive into alchemy yet? Grandpa has been feeling guilty we couldn¡¯t give you the elixirs you wanted back home. He says he¡¯ll figure out a way to convince the rest of the family if you still need them. Also, he said he¡¯ll take some time off his schedule to brew your favourite tea if you want. In any case, make sure to keep in touch this time! Lots of love, ine¡¯ ¡®My favourite tea, huh?¡¯ Percy grinned. Naturally, he had nothing of the sort. Baldy was clearly talking about the petals. He should have realized Percy would want one, and he was subtly telling him he¡¯d try to make it happen. ¡®Still, it won¡¯t be easy for him.¡¯ If it was that simple, Percy wouldn¡¯t have needed to travel all the way to the Alchemists¡¯ Guild for elixirs ¨C not to mention something as miraculous as the petals. But Archibald obviously understood this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so he didn¡¯t want his grandson to miss it. Percy felt a fuzzy sensation in his chest. Having people who genuinely cared for him was a novel feeling. Though it did exacerbate his guilt over not contacting them sooner. That said¡­ ¡®I¡¯m not as helpless as I used to be.¡¯ His rtives¡¯ intentions were good, but they had no idea how much he had progressed over the past two years. He wasn¡¯t powerful enough to travel around the world freely, but he could still handle the average bandit group in a direct confrontation. If he ran into someone like Rick and his goons, he was confident he could beat them without relying on his familiar or resorting to a sneak attack this time. Percy could brew his own elixirs too, although he had yet to find a way to do it away from the Guild. The nectar wasn¡¯t exported outside the Fungal Spire, so he¡¯d lose his main source of ie once he left. Still, if he seeded in creating a wasp familiar, he could fix that too. Even when it came to the petals, he already had something in mind. ¡®I can trade Cirction for it.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t perfect, but it would be easier than exchanging it for elixirs. While a petal was more valuable, it was also a single-use consumable. He just had to convince one of the three recipients to part with it. It was better than handing the spell to everyone in his House¡¯s management and getting them to keep giving him elixir forever. In thetter case, he¡¯d also have to reveal his second core, and his secrets were more likely to leak the more people he told. ¡®Ghad will probably get one.¡¯ The man had a lightning affinity, which could be elevated to acid with the petal. His status in the family was the highest too. Still, as much of a prick as he was, he¡¯d probably recognize that Cirction would help him more. Especially if Percy managed to figure the final step of the technique. ¡®If not him, one of the other two will agree for sure.¡¯ There was also the cyan powder. Getting another Violet core sooner would be massive for his family. Though Percy would rather not spend the next seventy years of his life feeding his uncle the cyan paste twice a day. ¡®At least, I have options now.¡¯ He also had plenty of time to decide. Shrugging, he quickly searched through his cupboards for something to write with, eager to get back to his cousin. He did manage to find a quill and a half-empty bottle of ink. Remnants from the previous owner of the house obviously, as he¡¯d never bought any. Percy confirmed the ink was still usable, when he realized he didn¡¯t have anything to write on. ¡®I mean¡­ I COULD write on the back of ine¡¯s letter¡­¡¯ He smiled wryly, before shooting the idea down. There was definitely enough space there, but it would be crass of him. ¡®Don¡¯t do it Percy... Don¡¯t be a Nesha. Let¡¯s just buy some paper tomorrow.¡¯ Chapter 74: Gabe The state of histest host shocked Percy. On one hand, he¡¯d spent way too long searching for a body, so he had no choice but topromise. This person¡¯s condition was much worse than he¡¯d like. However, as broken as it was, this was still one of the strongest souls any of his clones hade across. ¡®Probably a sentient. Also, a higher grade than usual.¡¯ Knowing that a good first impression was half the battle, he wasn¡¯t in a hurry to reach out. Instead, he took a moment deliberating how to best introduce himself, unwilling to spook an otherwise promising host. Though he never got the chance. The stranger spoke first. ¡®Wow, sending ghosts now? You guys are getting really creative.¡¯ This wasn¡¯t among the reactions Percy was expecting, but he didn¡¯t sense any hostility, which was a good sign. ¡®I¡¯m not a ghost. Just a soul clone.¡¯ he exined. ¡®What¡¯s the difference?¡¯ his host asked. Percy would have creased his brow if he had one. While he¡¯d never thought of his clones like that, they were invisible, incorporeal and could possess bodies. Functionally, they did fit with what he imagined a ghost to be. ¡®Ok, I can see why you¡¯d call me that. Still, I should rify that I wasn¡¯t sent by whoever you think sent me.¡¯¡®Oh really?¡¯ the spirit sounded amused. ¡®Are you not here to uncover the magical secrets of this world?¡¯ The response left Percy stumped. ¡®Alright. You got me again. But how could you possibly know that? I¡¯ve only been to a few ces so far. Rather remote too. Do you often get visited by foreign souls?¡¯ he asked. ¡®Souls, no. That¡¯s why I was surprised by your approach. But lots of people want a piece of our world. Sadly for them, infiltrating this ce is impossible. Or well¡­ it used to be, I suppose¡­¡¯ his host exined. The spirit¡¯s words made Percy want to rub his hands. This was shaping into quite the treasure trove already. A powerful host he couldmunicate with, and a rich world coveted by all. But their body was deteriorating fast, and this person seemed suspicious of him. ¡®Look, I admit you got me figured out. I guess I am a ghost, and I am also here in search of knowledge to make myself stronger. However, I¡¯m not some powerful god, nor is there any organization behind me. I¡¯m just a random guy with an Orange core, wandering blindly around the universe, picking up whatever crumbs I find.¡¯ he said. ¡®My point is, I couldn¡¯t really do too much damage to your world even if I wanted to. Which I don¡¯t!¡¯ he hurriedly added. His host sent him something akin to a mental shrug. ¡®I¡¯m sorry¡­ I may have inadvertently given you the impression I care. The truth is, I have no loyalty to this ce. Even if you were sent by our enemies to hurt us, I wouldn¡¯t give a shit.¡¯ Percy was surprised once more. He wasn¡¯t the most altruistic person either, but he wouldn¡¯t be so indifferent if an outsider tried to use him to take down Remior. Still, his host¡¯s callousness made him easy to work with. ¡®Alright, then perhaps we can strike a deal. I¡¯ll patch your soul up for a while, and you¡¯ll let me learn whatever I can in that time.¡¯ A pang ofughter rang in their shared consciousness, but it sounded hollow. ¡®That¡¯s a great start, but it seems to me you¡¯re getting the better end of the bargain.¡¯ the spirit protested. ¡®How so?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll still be dead in a couple of days. Meanwhile, you get to return home, enjoying your gains for the rest of your life.¡¯ The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Percy remained silent for a few seconds. It was true his offer was lopsided, but he couldn¡¯t help it. ¡®Look¡­ As I mentioned, you¡¯re not the first person I possess. Sadly, I can¡¯t fix you permanently. The most I can do is hold your broken soul together for a while.¡¯ ¡®Then there¡¯s nothing in it for me. Or do I look like a charity?¡¯ They appeared to be at an impasse. ¡®So, are we going to waste this? Can¡¯t you think of a way to make it work?¡¯ Percy asked again, unwilling to lose this chance. ¡®Well, I know how to fix my body, at least. But it won¡¯t be easy. Plus, it¡¯s basically squandering an otherwise valuable opportunity. Originally, I was hoping to use it for something else. Do you think that¡¯s enough to save me?¡¯ Percy considered it for a few moments. Despite what his new host might believe, he wasn¡¯t exactly an expert on souls. Everything he knew were just bits and pieces he¡¯d discovered by ident. Still, he took this seriously. Technically, he could lie to get what he wanted, but deceiving a dying person didn¡¯t sit well with him. ¡®Honestly, I don¡¯t know.¡¯ he ultimately said. ¡®I¡¯ve never managed to heal my hosts¡¯ bodies before, so I have no idea what that does to their soul. At a minimum, it should slow down its degradation, buying us more time. As for anything beyond that, I can only promise to do my best to help you.¡¯ The spirit didn¡¯t reply right away, taking a few minutes to contemte Percy¡¯s words. Eventually, he probably realised this was the best he was going to get. ¡®Fair enough. Name¡¯s Gabriel by the way. Friends call me Gabe though. Or well¡­ they would ¨C if I had any.¡¯ Percy felt the natural resistance of his host disappear, allowing him to move more freely in the damaged vessel. Seeing that their condition was critical, he stretched his soul wisp, touching as many fragments as he could without dy. Only then did he release some of the stashed mana, letting it flow to the cracks, gluing himself to Gabe. Having already sent out over thirty clones, Percy was a bit of a veteran by now. He¡¯d grown somewhat proficient at patching his hosts up efficiently, meaning he didn¡¯t need to use all his mana right away. The rest, he kept as a trump card, in case Gabe needed a follow-up treatment. ¡®Percy.¡¯ he replied. Finally able to tap into the body¡¯s senses, a bizarre sight greeted him. He found himself lying face-up in a spacious room, its ceiling as high as its sides were long. It appeared to be a dark grey cube, over 50 meters wide, entirely made of a smooth metal. Bright runes covered all its surfaces, theirbined glow more than sufficient to illuminate the ce. They were smaller, denser and far more intricate than anything he¡¯d seen before. The symbols were joined together with all sorts of geometric shapes and curved lines. If this magical script could be likened to a detailed painting from a talented artist, then everything they had back on Remior ¨C including the glyphs in the Alchemists¡¯ Guild ¨C were nothing more than a toddler¡¯s scribbles. ¡®Ah, shit!¡¯ shifting a little made him wince, the pain breaking him out of his daze. It hurt all over, though this wasn¡¯t his first rodeo. Soon, he filtered out the unpleasant sensation, before gazing down at his body. ¡®Geez, what are we?! Some kind of man-shaped jellyfish?!¡¯ While Gabe was vaguely humanoid, his flesh was transparent. Through their skin, Percy saw an assortment of strange organs decorating the interior of their torso. A pale sphere-like thing pulsed rhythmically like a heart in their chest. It was right behind the bright blue star burning in their sternum. Percy didn¡¯t know what affinity it was, but a quick activation of Mana Sense revealed the core was at Green. As for the rest of the squirming organs, their colours varied from turquoise to deep purple, and Percy couldn¡¯t name any of them if his life depended on it. He also had four limbs ¨C his favourite number to have ¨C but they all ended in just three digits. ¡®Workable, I guess.¡¯ More concerning was theck of clothes ¨C other than a pair of brown shorts ¨C and the numerous cuts all over their body, all oozing out a clear, viscous liquid. ¡®Please tell me that isn¡¯t your blood.¡¯ Seemingly oblivious to the novelty of his guest¡¯s situation, Gabe didn¡¯t even register his words, clearly impatient to get himself healed. Without even giving Percy a chance to read his new Status, he spoke. ¡°Cube. Restart the ¡®swarm¡¯ challenge. Green level. User ID: 004527945512.¡± ¡°Authorization granted. Restarting ¡®swarm¡¯ challenge, Green level. The user has already cleared wave 5. Do you wish to resume at wave 6? WARNING: Wave 6 contains elite enemies.¡± a soulless voice boomed from all around them. ¡°Yes.¡± Gabe said, not missing a beat. ¡°Choice confirmed. Wave begins in 18 rits.¡± ¡®Whoa! Slow down man!¡¯ Percy protested. ¡®Shouldn¡¯t you bring me up to speed before diving into a challenge?¡¯ Gabe shrugged. ¡®What for? You said it yourself ¨C your main body is only at Orange. Unless you¡¯ve possessed another Green core with a fire affinity in the past, you won¡¯t be much help. Just let me handle this. Besides, time is too precious, and waiting is only going to worsen my condition.¡¯ ¡°Wave begins in 12 rits.¡± Percy wasn¡¯t sure how long a rit was. He estimated it was a little longer than a second, which meant they were running out of time. Fast. ¡®At least tell me you can handle this.¡¯ ¡°Wave begins in 6 rits.¡± ¡®Probably. I was this closest time, but the attacks from the mini-bosses caught me by surprise. The injuries will make it harder though.¡¯ Gabe¡¯s words didn¡¯t sound particrly reassuring, but Percy had no choice but to trust him. ¡°Wave begins. May your challenge be sessful!¡± Chapter 75: Wings A strange gtinous liquid oozed out of the walls, the ck droplets of sludge pooling at their base. Bulky appendages rose from the tar-like substance, before solidifying, making metallic groans as they pushed against the floor. An army of obsidian golems slowly took shape, pulling themselves out of the swamp, each of them as tall as a man. Their features became increasingly defined over time, a series of shallow indentations forming on their surface, before ultimately lighting up in a dim Yellow colour. ¡®Holy shit! How many do we need to fight at once?!¡¯ Percy asked. He lost count after thirty. Plus, the dark liquid was still pouring down the sides of the cube, showing no sign of stopping anytime soon. ¡®The small ones aren¡¯t a problem. Those at Green are the issue.¡¯ Gabe replied. And just as he said that, Percy noticed a fewrger silhouettesing to life a couple rows back. Even while hunched over, they were twice as tall as the weaker variants, their long arms thicker than a tree¡¯s trunk. One of the giants took its first step forward, inadvertently crushing a smaller golem under its fist, a series of bright green inscriptions lighting up all over its smooth surface. The others soon followed, each of their strides sending a tremor through the floor. But Gabe was too preupied to worry about that right now. The first batch of Yellow golems was already upon them. As for Percy, he understood he¡¯d only get in his host¡¯s way, so he rxed, relying on Gabe to handle them. And handle them he did.Before the nearest golem reached them, Gabe¡¯s core lit up, as Percy watched a torrent of blue mana gush through their transparent arms. A bright sh emerged from their palms, soon expanding into a fiery tornado, grinding against a dozen golems, their metallic frames melting like candles under the intense heat. Seemingly unconcerned about the devastation, more of the constructs walked into the hellish mes, only to share the grim fate of their predecessors. By the time the fire died out, over twenty golems had been reduced to a second puddle, surrounding Gabe like a donut. Unlike before, a red-hot sheen coated the substance, which showed no intention of returning to life. ¡®Neat!¡¯ Percy was ecstatic. The spell was a lot fiercer than expected. Of course, it wasn¡¯t his first time seeing fire magic cast by a Green core, but Gabe¡¯s mes looked different. Hotter too. He wanted to ask his host about it. However, he suppressed his bubbling curiosity, recognizing their situation was still dire. Gabe had used up a quarter of his reserves already, barely putting a dent in the swarm. ¡®Now what? You won¡¯tst if you keep going like this.¡¯ Percy felt their lips part into a savage grin, as the ambient mana flowed towards them. At first, he thought Gabe was trying to recover a little before the next batch reached them, but he soon noticed that wasn¡¯t it. The mana didn¡¯t enter their lungs ¨C or whatever the equivalent organs were. Instead, it gathered on their back, the region below their shoulder des heating up. A momentter, another sh blinded them, a blue light reflecting off the smooth walls of the cube. ¡®What the hell?!¡¯ Judging from its intensity, Percy guessed the new spell should havepletely drained their core. However, he quickly noted he was wrong. It was still at 75%, not a single drop missingpared to a second ago. By the time the light died down, he realized they were hovering a few meters off the ground, a pair of wings pping rhythmically behind them, holding them up. ¡®Are they fuelled entirely out of ambient mana? How is that possible?!¡¯ Oblivious to Percy¡¯s questions, Gabe remained in that position a little longer, arrogantly staring down the golems below. Then, he tilted his body, pping his wings more violently than before, diving with great ferocity towards his enemies. He rolled in the air once, forming another fiery tornado, narrower but denser than the previous one. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. And¡­ BOOM The zing wings mmed down on the metallic floor, crushing and melting more of the golems, leaving a shallow dent on the ground. Percy felt one of their ethereal appendages crumble under the roughnding, but more ambient mana rushed to repair it. Not that Gabe gave it the chance, as he leapt towards the nearest golem, pivoting on his foot to spin, the half-formed wing slicing through it like butter. Suddenly, a tall silhouette loomed over them, its shadow nketing their vision. The first Green golem¡­ it was here. Its massive fist descended, Gabe barely folding his one remaining wing at thest second, to shield their torso from the impact. Half of it was torn off, as Gabe was sent sliding back. Their bare feet burned from the friction against the metal, the blood rolling in their chest, the blow having knocked the breath out of their lungs. Still, the wing had done its job, protecting them from any serious damage. And it was already recovering, as was the other one. A wet discharge escaped their lips, as Gabe wavered for a second. While his wing had endured the brunt of the blow, his previous injuries weren¡¯t doing him any favours. Still, he regained his bearing a momentter, throwing a quick nce around the room, scanning the army of golems as his gaze briefly lingered on the bigger ones, memorizing their locations. Then, he made use of his newly repaired wings, diving back towards the smaller constructs. Over the next several minutes, he methodically took them down one after another, this time making sure to avoid getting close to the taller variants. Things seemed to be going well too. A whileter, he finished clearing out the cube without any further mishaps, leaving only the Green golems standing. Luckily, they were too slow to catch up. The walls had stopped oozing sludge at some point too. ¡®What are we going to do about those?¡¯ Percy wondered. As much as their situation had improved, he guessed the challenge wouldn¡¯t be over until they destroyed the rest. Suddenly, one of the giants stepped in a pool left over from its molten brethren. The construct raised its massive arms, stretching them towards Gabe. At the same time, ck tar began flowing towards its bulky legs, visible bumps travelling up its body. More of the liquid umted in the outstretched limbs, as Percy watched them swell, in preparation for something nasty. Gabe was clearly expecting that, as he started running to a wall, circling a different golem, to use its body as cover. But he was a moment toote. The golem¡¯s hands exploded into a rain of ck needles, pelting their location, trying to rip them to shreds. Sparks flew wherever theynded, most of the projectiles bouncing off the smooth floor, as some pierced through, lodging themselves in ce. Gabe raised his wing to block them, though it clearly wasn¡¯t going tost long. The burning appendage was already full of holes a secondter, a couple shards having opened fresh wounds on their body. Luckily, they managed to make it behind the construct a momentter, prompting the other to cease firing. Just in time too, as the remaining two golems reached puddles of their own, preparing to join theirrade. ¡®This¡­ was how they got mest time¡­¡¯ Gabe exined between pants. ¡®I didn¡¯t know they could do this¡­ so I tried to stay airborne to buy time¡­ I was forced to terminate the challenge as soon as they started firing¡­ but the damage was already done¡­¡¯ Percy shuddered, picturing four of the golems shooting at once. In any case, it was good they were better prepared, but that still didn¡¯t solve their immediate problem. Their ¡°cover¡± was nothing more than another enemy. It was already slowly walking towards them, forcing them to step back, nearing the wall dangerously. They couldn¡¯t escape any other direction, as the other three were waiting for an opening to shoot. And to make matters worse, there was another puddle in the golem¡¯s path. As soon as it reached it, it would be able to unleash a barrage of its own. Thinking of something, Percy moved a trickle of soul mana to their eyes. Gabe raised an eyebrow, but didn¡¯t say anything, letting his guest try this. Sadly, Soul Vision showed nothing. The constructs didn¡¯t have a soul he could target. In fact, they didn¡¯t have a mana core either. Apparently, they were powered entirely through their inscriptions, drawing mana from the cube. ¡®Any other brilliant ideas?¡¯ Gabe asked. ¡®Nope. You¡¯re the one who said to leave it to you.¡¯ Percy shot back. ¡®Whatever. I guess I¡¯ll have to hit them with everything I¡¯ve got and hope it¡¯s enough¡­¡¯ Percy thought there were more issues to solve than just offensive power¡­ There was also the matter of endurance. Would their manast for all four of the golems? Also, how would they reached the other three amidst the barrage of needles after losing their cover? But he remained quiet, not wanting to discourage his host before they even got through the first hurdle. Shrugging, Gabe ran towards the approaching golem, in a rush to intercept it before it stepped into the pool. A huge chunk of mana flowed out of his core, this time supplementing the ambient mana in his wings, causing them to burn even more fiercely than before. Gabe winced, as Percy felt the skin on their back blister from the heat. And a momentter, Gabe stepped in front of the construct, pivoting on his foot as a white-hot wing cleaved towards the golem like a giant axe. Chapter 76: Complications The zing spell made a grating sound as it shed with the golem¡¯s fist, encountering far more resistance from the Green construct than it had from its lesser brethren. Percy felt a sharp ache in their back, the torque threatening to rip the ethereal wing to shreds. But it held somehow, digging into the material inch by inch, the dark metal slowly parting under the burning de. More ambient mana surged to repair the axe. Sadly, the same couldn¡¯t be said about Gabe¡¯s own mana, his core already dry. The wing gradually reverted to blue, much of its power gone. Gritting his teeth, Gabe didn¡¯t give up. With a final push, he sent the upper chunk of the golem¡¯s arm flying, before delivering a diagonal sh to its torso. The axe had lost a lot of its heat and momentum, but it still managed to dig halfway through the construct¡¯s chest before crumbling into wisps of blue. Exposed and at the golem¡¯s mercy, Percy braced for impact, fully expecting to get pounded to a pulp the very next second. Gabe must have thought the same, as he closed his eyes, preparing for the worst. But nothing happened. They reluctantly opened their eyes to see the golem¡¯s colossal frame still looming over them, unmoving. The green lines on its surface were already dark. ¡®Holy shit! I thought we were done for!¡¯ Percy said. His host only nodded in agreement. While they¡¯d failed to bisect the golem as intended, the final sh had still been deep enough to put it out ofmission. Yet...Not giving them a chance to celebrate, the other three golemsunched a joint round of fire, no longer concerned with the integrity of their fallenrade. Gabe barely managed to use the golem¡¯s leg as cover, but the relentless needles were already eating into the metal. It wouldn¡¯t be long before they reached them, assuming the corpse didn¡¯t copse on them first. ¡®Shit! Bring the wings back! We need them!¡¯ Percy urged. Heeding his guest¡¯s advice, Gabe pulled the ambient mana once more, igniting a blue me under his shoulders. ¡®Now what?¡¯ Gabe asked. ¡®Push against the golem with your hands so it doesn¡¯t topple over! Wrap your wings around the leg to slow down the damage! And start taking deep breaths! FAST!¡¯ Gabe¡¯s eyes widened in understanding as he followed the instructions. The golem¡¯s corpse was heavy, but they only needed to support a fraction of its weight to keep it bnced. Gabe was at Green, so his physical strength was just about enough. The wings barelysted a second against the torrent of shrapnel, but Gabe kept flooding them with ambient mana, to buy more time. And with their situation temporarily stable, he inhaled, sending a trickle of mana into the empty core, slowly refilling it. Of course, this wasn¡¯t sustainable. At this rate the leg would be eaten through, or the golem would crush them before the core was even halfway full. Percy was racking his brain for a n when something changed. Suddenly, the cacophony of the metallic rain eased slightly, seemingly taking pity on their eardrums. ¡®What happened?¡¯ he wondered. ¡®One of the golems must have run out of juice!¡¯ Gabe guessed. Sure enough, a series of thunderous steps sent tremors through the floor, as the giant started walking around the room, probably searching for another puddle to use as ammunition. ¡®This is our chance!¡¯ Percy said. ¡®Are you crazy?! There are still two of them shooting at us! We should wait until another one taps out!¡¯ Gabe protested. ¡®What if the first one recovers by then?! This might be our best shot!¡¯ Percy felt their features twist into a grimace. Still, his host didn¡¯t argue back, likely agreeing with his logic. He pulled his wings, hiding them behind to let them recover, allowing the needles to grind through the leg faster. The half-eaten limb began to buckle, as the golem¡¯s weight shifted, straining their arms dangerously. Their bones creaked and groaned, threatening to break within the next few seconds. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Out of time, Gabe pushed some of his newly recovered mana into the wings, turning them white once more. A powerful p sent him half-way across the cube, well on his way to the next golem. He¡¯d aimed for the one not shooting at them, roughly estimating its location by the sound of its steps. The other two quickly turned to him, as Gabe split his mana between the wings, using one to shield himself from the projectiles while aiming the other downward. The golem barely raised its arm in time, but Gabe¡¯s momentum allowed him to slice right through it. His axe carved vertically into the construct, splitting its head down the middle, before fizzling out at the base of its neck. And just like that, the second golem was dead, Percy and Gabe finding themselves behind new cover. ¡®Cool! Let¡¯s stick with this tactic!¡¯ Percy said. Their core was empty again, but with one less golem shooting at them, they had more time. Reforming the wings, Gabe hid behind a leg, coating it in ayer of blue mes. Then, he inhaled. Or tried to. It was only then they realized they hadn¡¯t escaped unscathed. The adrenaline had masked the pain, but now they noticed several needles had prated through their defences. Plenty were sticking out of their body, their left side resembling a porcupine. Worst of all was a shard deeply lodged in their lung, making it much harder to recover mana. Percy was momentarily unsettled by the alien taste in his mouth. The vour was metallic but, unlike the sweet undertone of iron, it left a hint of bitterness lingering at the back of his throat. ¡®Damn, you have to push through it, or we¡¯re done for!¡¯ he grimly told his host. They couldn¡¯t damage the remaining golems with the wings alone. Without Gabe¡¯s own mana empowering the spell, they had no hope of cutting through the hard material. Gabe nodded. Each breath hurt and, with only one functioning lung, it took way longer to gather mana. Still, thanks to the weakened barrage, they eventually managed to refill half their core. Percy was ecstatic when another of the golems ran out of juice, though he couldn¡¯t help but frown a momentter. His host wasn¡¯t moving. ¡®What are you doing?! Go!¡¯ he urged again. No reply. Only then did Percy notice Gabe¡¯s condition had grown critical. By now, they¡¯d lost a ton of blood, and their vision was blurry. His hostcked the strength to execute the manoeuvre. ¡®I don¡¯t think I can.¡¯ thetter said weakly. While he had made it look easy, Percy understood it took a lot of focus tobine the two sources of mana. Reshaping the wings into weapons probably required some effort too. ¡®What if I take over the ambient mana? Can you do the rest by yourself?¡¯ he asked. He still had no idea why Gabe had this ability, but he¡¯d observed him long enough to figure out how to keep it going. ¡®That could work, but we won¡¯t be able to fly. It takes a lot of practice. Just focus on maintaining the wings and run towards the golem. I¡¯ll take it from there.¡¯ Without missing a beat, Gabe relinquished control of the ambient mana, passing the reins to his guest. It was a somewhat novel experience for Percy, but he quickly realized it felt vaguely familiar. ¡®It¡¯s a bit like when I create my clones! Are the wings Gabe¡¯s bloodline? I thought those were exclusive to Remior!¡¯ But he shook the distracting thoughts out of his head. This wasn¡¯t the time. Gabe soon added his own mana to the wings, reshaping them into a white shield and axe, as Percy sprinted towards the next target. More shards dug into the wing, but with only one golem shooting, the damage was more bearable. Once they reached the construct, Gabe swung the tattered wing to brush its fist aside, before shing at its neck with the other one. Its headnded heavily a couple meters away, as its inscriptions dimmed, making this one of their cleanest kills yet. Plopping down, Gabe rested against the leg, not even bothering to coat it with his wings this time. It would take thest golem ages to pierce through the cover by itself, letting them concentrate on recovering. Every time one of them was on the verge of passing out, the other shook him awake, as they waited for the construct to exhaust the liquid pool by its feet. And finally ¨C after what felt like forever ¨C the golem stopped shooting. Not in a rush to exacerbate their wounds, they casually strolled towards it, delivering onest strike, ending the challenge. ¡®Wow! We actually did it!¡¯ Percy said. ¡®Are you sure we can get healed now?¡¯ ¡®We¡¯d better¡­ We should be eligible for more than that¡­¡¯ Gabe replied, before falling to his knees. Suddenly, the symbols all over the room lit up, as the cube started repairing itself. The remains of the golems ¨C both the small andrge variants ¨C all liquefied, seeping into the floor. Even the shards sticking out of their body melted, trickling down their skin, as more of Gabe¡¯s clear blood gushed out of the wounds. ¡®Ugh¡­ Couldn¡¯t they be a little gentler?!¡¯ Percy groaned. A few secondster, everyst drop of sludge had disappeared, the cube¡¯s surfaces having reverted to their former condition, with no sign of the previous dents and scratches. ¡°Congrattions! Wave 6 has been cleared! Calcting rewards¡­¡± the soulless voice was back. ¡°Awarded credits: 6000. Current bnce: 28563.¡± ¡°Wave 6 is a special milestone. Bonus reward is avable. Please voice your request. NOTE: Bonus reward is limited to the Green grade.¡± ¡°I want my body healed uppletely.¡± Gabe strained himself to speak. ¡°Evaluating request¡­¡± ¡®My goal was to ask for a tome on fire magic¡­ I¡¯m working on improving my spell¡­ It¡¯s such a pity to waste it on healing¡­ Oh well¡­ I suppose the tome won¡¯t do me much good if I¡¯m dead...¡¯ Gabe exined. However, Percy didn¡¯t pay him any attention. He was busy thinking about something else. It was only now he realized their recovery might be riddled with¡­ . ¡°Evaluationplete. The request falls well within the parameters of your reward. The excess value will be converted to credits.¡± ¡°umting life mana. Healing begins in 6 rits.¡± And that about confirmed Percy¡¯s fears. ¡®Shit.¡¯ Chapter 77: Decree Multiple green symbols lit up underneath their feet. Together, they formed an intricate circle, woven out of the same script decorating the rest of the cube. Gazing up, Percy noticed a simr shape forming on the ceiling right above them, as a beautiful gem glistened in its centre. It fell, flying through the air like a verdant droplet, beforending on their forehead. The liquid was cool to the touch, swiftly seeping into their skin. Percy felt an itch snaking down through their body, as cuts and scrapes closed in its wake, the pain fading a momentter. By the time its effect was exhausted, all the injuries above their chest had healed entirely, the difort reced by a gentle chill. Only then did they look up again, watching a second droplet about to coalesce. However, things didn¡¯t go so smoothly this time. As the soothing sensation lingered in their torso,tching itself to some of the many wounds marring it, something else stirred inside their body. ¡®Ah, there it is¡­¡¯ Percy grimaced. An all too familiar vortex awakened right around their abdomen, exerting an attractive force on the mana. At first it was weak, unable to sway the substance off its path. But it was nothing if not persistent. The pull kept intensifying, until a trickle was finally pried from the wounds. And the very moment the mana reached its new home, all hell broke loose. While the minuscule snack wasn¡¯t remotely sufficient to satiate the vortex¡¯s hunger, it was more than enough to fully whet its appetite. The force instantly quadrupled in strength, as the rest of the mana was violently snatched from its original purpose. ¡®What¡¯s going on?!¡¯ Gabe asked, only now registering something was wrong. ¡®Well, now we pray this cube of yours isn¡¯t cheap enough to skimp on your reward¡­¡¯ Percy said, knowing there was no stopping what was about to ur. The third droplet barelynded on their head, before getting sucked right into their abdomen. But the inscriptions appeared too proud to ept their loss, tossing more life mana at their patient, trying to outmatch their newpetitor. Little did they know that it was only getting started. The new droplets were gone as soon as theynded.The inscriptions were enraged! They blinked furiously for several seconds, before rapidly expanding. They didn¡¯t stop until their diameter had doubled! More mana umted inside the circle on the ceiling, but it didn¡¯t fall just yet. This time, it waited, gathering more and more of the syrupy liquid, a viscous blob swelling to fill the entire shape. ¡®Oh boy¡­ I suggest you take a deep breath¡­¡¯ Percy advised his host. Luckily the hole in their lung was one of the few injuries the first couple of droplets had managed to reach. It wasn¡¯tpletely healed, but it didn¡¯t hurt as much when Gabe inhaled. And he was just in time too. Having gathered enough fluid, the inscription finally let go of the monstrous blob, as the mother of all droplets rapidly erged in Percy¡¯s vision. It was heavy, but not enough to knock a Green core off his feet. The sound was strangely muted too, as the liquid instantly wrapped around their body, hugging it tightly. It seeped through every orifice and pore, desperate to do its job before it got consumed. But the vortex never gave it the chance. Almost as if it knew its tasty feast would end the moment the healing wasplete, it stubbornly devoured every single hint of mana, much to Gabe¡¯s growing frustration. Worse still, the liquid blocked his air canals, making it impossible to breathe. Gabe didn¡¯t seem to appreciate the minty taste in his mouth either, wing the bubble out of his face. Sadly for him, more flowed to rece it. ¡®Give up. It won¡¯t stop until its done.¡¯ Percy exined. Much like the crimson fluid back in Phoebe¡¯s temple, it was far denser than anything a mortal could produce. This was clearly a god¡¯s mana! And just like back then, the liquid had been in storage for who-knew how long. The will of its original owner had long dissipated, rendering it powerless to resist the gluttonous vortex. ¡®It¡¯s a good thing. Well, assuming it leaves enough mana for you to heal afterwards.¡¯ Percy said. But Gabe didn¡¯t seem convinced. He kept squirming, desperate to shake the substance off. At some point, he even tried summoning his wings, but the bubble blocked the flow of ambient mana. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡®Conserve your breath. It¡¯s going to be over soon.¡¯ This was Percy¡¯s third attempt at cating his host. Out of options, thetter finally paid attention. ¡®How soon?!¡¯ Gabe asked. ¡®Hopefully before we suffocate.¡¯ Percy shrugged. Resigning to his fate, Gabe sat cross-legged, letting the vortex enjoy its meal. And indeed, the flow died down about a minuteter. Freed atst, what remained of the liquid returned to its original job. Though only a fraction was necessary toplete their recovery. The rest, they had to expel the good old way, as the circle on the floor drained whatever mana reached it. Before they were even done spitting out the leftovers, the cube spoke once more. ¡°Healingplete. Calcting excess value¡­¡± ¡°Excess value: -2432. Deducting credits. New bnce: 26131.¡± ¡®The hell?! Care to exin what the actual fuck just happened?! Why did it take credits instead of adding them?! What have you done?!¡¯ Gabe snapped. ¡®Geez, calm down! It¡¯s because you used up way more life mana than you were meant to. But I promise you, you got your money¡¯s worth.¡¯ Percy felt their brow crease. ¡®How so?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s easier to show you.¡¯ Percy said, pulling up his Status. Though he got interrupted before even reading half-way through. Gabriel (Percival''s clone) Mana cores: ¡®Wow! You never mentioned you¡¯re a Moirai!¡¯ Gabe eximed. ¡®Oh? You¡¯ve heard of them?¡¯ Percy asked back. ¡®Who hasn¡¯t?!¡¯ Well, Micky hadn¡¯t. Then again, the diator hadn¡¯t been privy to much gossip from inside his damp cell. The rest of the ces Percy had visited hadn¡¯t been much better. However, this world seemed even more developed than Remior, so it wasn¡¯t that surprising Gabe was better informed. ¡®I¡¯m not a Moirai. I just snatched their thing. Much like how I passed it over to you.¡¯ he said. ¡®You¡¯re kidding right?!¡¯ his host asked. ¡®Why is it so hard to believe?¡¯ Percy shrugged. ¡®You¡¯re telling me you managed to steal the Moirais¡¯ Decree from under their noses?!¡¯ Percy raised an eyebrow. ¡®Decree? What¡¯s that?¡¯ A wave of shock reached him through their connection. ¡®You don¡¯t even know THAT?! It¡¯s only the highest tier of spells in the entire universe! The holy grail of magic!¡¯ Gabe exined enthusiastically. He remained silent for a couple seconds, before adding, ¡®learning to cast one marks the difference between a regr god and a titan!¡¯ Percy¡¯s eyes widened. He¡¯d nevere across this tidbit of information in his studies. It seemed the Divine Order didn¡¯t publicize everything. Then, was that the secret behind the mysterious section in his Status? Did it list all the Decrees affecting him? One of them was what granted him the ability to view his Status in the first ce. Was that a Decree in and of itself? Plus, Phoebe was a titaness. And she clearly had a connection to the Status and the affinity tests. Was it her Decree? Then what about the one granting him a bloodline? Who did thate from? All those were things he¡¯d have to investigate when he returned to Remior. For now, his best course of action was to learn as much as possible from his host. ¡®What¡¯s so special about them anyway?¡¯ he couldn¡¯t help but ask. Gabe gasped, seemingly taken aback by his question. Almost offended, even. ¡®Decrees differ from the lower tiers of magic in two major ways.¡¯ he said. ¡®First, they are self-sustaining, meaning their effect persists without any conscious effort from their caster. Even if the titan in question dies, the Decree remains active.¡¯ Percy was already shocked but didn¡¯t interrupt. ¡®The most important characteristic, however, is that a Decree is powerful enough to affect an entire world, changing it forever.¡¯ For the next few minutes, Percy pondered the implications. Indeed, all the Decrees he hade across fit the criteria. Every person on Remior had ess to a Status and the chance to inherit a bloodline. And the same was true for the Moirai, all of them born with a second core. Decrees were truly world-altering! ¡®I understand.¡¯ he eventually replied. But his host shook his head. ¡®You really don¡¯t!¡¯ Gabe said before borating. ¡®Every time a new titan emerges, they grant their world a permanent advantage. Naturally, all Decrees are impressive. That said, not all of them are created equal.¡¯ ¡®What do you mean?¡¯ Percy frowned. ¡®Some aren¡¯t as rare or powerful as others. For example, we have one granting us a bloodline in this world. It basically lets us inherit some unique ability from our parents. That¡¯s amon type. Many worlds have something simr, though the exact details may vary slightly.¡¯ Percy nodded. He had already suspected Gabe¡¯s wings to be a bloodline. Unaware of his thoughts, thetter continued. ¡®The one which lets you view information about yourself is rtively widespread too ¨C though we don¡¯t have that here.¡¯ ¡®Then, I take it the Moirais¡¯ Decree is on the more valuable end of the spectrum?¡¯ Percy asked. ¡®That¡¯s quite the understatement! You can¡¯t even fathom how many different gods have tried to recreate it! But the circumstances under which it came to be are almost impossible to replicate. From what I¡¯ve heard, only one faction has evere close, yet even their version is but a pale imitation ¨C ridden with drawbacks.¡¯ Once again, Percy came to appreciate just how lucky that first clone of his had been. Of all the ces in the universe, it had ended up in quite the spot! He grinned, before turning to his host again. ¡®Congrattions are in order then! I thought you¡¯d be happier with your new toy!¡¯ Chapter 78: Blessing ¡®You mean I get to keep this after you¡¯re gone?!¡¯ Gabe asked. ¡®I imagine so, assuming you survive. After all, it¡¯s already taken root inside your body. Though it¡¯s hard to say for sure. I¡¯ve nevere this far with one of my hosts.¡¯ Percy replied. Gabe frowned. ¡®But I don¡¯t feel any different.¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s because it¡¯s still inactive. As soon as you fill it up for the first time, you¡¯ll experience an all-around improvement ¨C not unlike a promotion. If we¡¯re lucky, it might even help us fix your soul. Its effect should be significant too, since it¡¯s only one grade lower than your first core.¡¯ Saying that, Percy felt a little envious of his new pal. Why did Gabe¡¯s second core start off at Yellow, when he had to climb from the very bottom? ¡®Are you a Yellow-born by any chance?¡¯ Gabe nodded absentmindedly, apparently lost in thought. Confirming his guess, Percy wasn¡¯t very happy. All three of his datapoints suggested one¡¯s second core began at the same grade as their first. It meant Micky¡¯s would be Red too. In any case, that was his main body¡¯s problem. Right now, his job was to make the most of his time here. Thinking of something, he turned to Gabe again. ¡®How do you guys discover your affinity?¡¯It should be moreplicated without a Status or Phoebe¡¯s tests¡­ ¡®How else? If it¡¯s not amon element, we buy a book on rare affinities and find which one matches.¡¯ Ok, that didn¡¯t sound very difficult. Percy couldn¡¯t help but wonder why they didn¡¯t have books like that back on Remior. Then again, all the important people got tested for free. Besides, listing their grades and affinities was nothing more than a convenience. The main purpose of the Status was to help them develop their spells. Shrugging, he pulled Gabe¡¯s information again, eager to read the rest. Gabriel (Percival''s clone) Mana cores: Bloodline: Blessing: Spells: Decrees: Most of it was as expected. Percy was happy his new understanding of Decrees was reflected in his Status. It might not seem like a big deal that a couple of question marks had been reced by words, but it was massive. He now knew what to look for during his travels. After all, these divine perks were some of the most valuable things he could obtain. What shocked him the most, however, was the blessing. It finally exined the odd colour and increased potency of his host¡¯s mes, but that wasn¡¯t what surprised Percy. He didn¡¯t need to ask what a blessing was, as they actually had them back on Remior. No, what left him bbergasted was what it implied about Gabe¡¯s heritage. ¡®You¡¯re the son of a god?!¡¯ It was the only way to obtain a blessing. A god¡¯s offspring wasn¡¯t much different from a mortal¡¯s. Their grade, affinity and bloodline were still determined based on the same rules as everyone else¡¯s, and with the same rates. Their only advantage was the chance of inheriting a blessing. For that to happen, they needed to share the affinity of their divine parent and, even then, it wasn¡¯t guaranteed. If they got lucky enough to inherit one, it essentially allowed them to passively tap into one of the concepts their parent had mastered, permanently empowering their magic. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been uwfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. In Gabe¡¯s case, it turned his mes hotter, but that wasn¡¯t the only blessing one could inherit from a fire god. Somebody else might have mes that spread more easily orsted longer. Each element was associated with multiple concepts, though a mortal could only ever possess a single blessing. ¡®It¡¯s not a big deal. Nearly everyone in our world has at least one divine parent. We mortals are forbidden from procreating amongst ourselves.¡¯ The revtion left Percy bbergasted. ¡®What?! Why?!¡¯ Gabe shrugged. ¡®I suppose it¡¯s about time I told you what sort of ce you¡¯ve found yourself on, since you don¡¯t seem to have the slightest clue¡­ Wee to the Vault of Magic! Thergest artificial world in the cosmos!¡¯ ¡®Artificial?!¡¯ Gabe sighed. ¡®Let me exin on the way to my ce. It¡¯s been a long day ¨C considering I died and everything.¡¯ Gabe walked to a wall, as a few symbols shined brighter, forming the outline of a square. SSSSS By the time he reached it, a burst of steam spewed out of its edges, the thick b of metal sinking into the floor, allowing them to leave the room. The sight outside was unlike anything Percy had ever seen. They found themselves inside an even bigger cube ¨C this one downright colossal. Its sides were so far away they appeared blurry, the walls taller than mountains. The top of the room was closed too, the ceiling akin to a sky of grey metal. Countless inscriptions decorated the structure¡¯s surfaces like stars. Percy spotted many of the smaller cubes around him, simr to the one they¡¯d just exited. A few people queued up in front of each, probably waiting for their turn to start a challenge. Gabe ignored them, as he began walking. ¡®This ce started off as a small research facility. Our founder, Metatron, was a god who abandoned his original world, having grown tired of the wars and politics. His only wish was to uncover the secrets of magic. Anything else, he viewed as a distraction.¡¯ Over the next few minutes, Gabe exined the Vault¡¯s history to Percy. Apparently, this Metatron possessed a space affinity, and was pretty good with it too. He originally hid the Vault in some remote corner of the universe. Finding it was no easy task, and even the few times it was spotted, it hadn¡¯t been too difficult to move it elsewhere. Away from everyone, the god was free to continue his research in peace, spending countless millennia holed up in his humble abode. Eventually, something changed. At some point, Metatron grew powerful enough to finally cast a Decree, making him the Vault¡¯s first titan. It allowed him to grant others ess to the Vault, letting them open a portal to the artificial world from anywhere across the universe. That moment marked the beginning of the Vault¡¯s rapid expansion. Through the Decree, it was possible to recruit more gods withoutpromising the world¡¯s safety. After all, they could enter it even while it was hidden or on the move. The portals were one-way too, so it was much easier to join than leave. Not that it was impossible for a god to exit if they really wanted, but that was beside the point. Even then, they wouldn¡¯t necessarily know the location of the Vault, and by the time they had the chance to betray Metatron, he would have long moved it elsewhere and revoked their ess. ¡®It¡¯s ingenious!¡¯ Percy said. ¡®Yes.¡¯ Gabe nodded. ¡®Giving people the ability to open a portal isn¡¯t as direct a boon as a bloodline or second core. Not exactly whates to mind when you think of a Decree. Still, its impact is undeniable. It functioned as an extrayer of security, allowing the Vault to be what it is today.¡¯ Of course, that was not to say Metatron didn¡¯t vet his peers the good old way too. He had to use all the means at his disposal ¨C both mundane and magical ¨C since many of them came from shady backgrounds. Some were criminals, exiled from their own worlds. Many were refugees with nowhere to go after their homes were destroyed or conquered. Only a few were researchers at heart, sharing his own passion for magic. ¡®Well, that certainly exins the diversity of races here.¡¯ Percy noted. On their way to his host¡¯s house, they saw people of all sorts. They ranged from Gabe¡¯s own species, to hulking humanoids twice his height with two horns sticking out their temples. There were even some green-skinned folks with pointy ears who barely reached his knees, scurrying about like kids. ¡®The gods didn¡¯t start having children until muchter though.¡¯ Gabe exined. Through all his security measures, Metatron had ensured the Vault¡¯s safety, as more and more gods joined. Many of them brought new knowledge with them, helping him upgrade and expand the artificial world, until it became the marvel of magical technology it was today. Of course, it still paled inparison to a natural world, in both size and content. Though they did eventually manage to implement a habitat that could support arger poption of mortals. ¡®But that still doesn¡¯t exin why you have this weird rule about procreating.¡¯ Percy said. ¡®Huh, that¡¯s because you have yet to understand what we are to our parents¡­¡¯ Gabe chuckled bitterly. They reached another cube, muchrger than the one they had undergone the challenge in. Gabe pressed his hand on its surface, as a circle lit up around it. SSSSS A momentter, the metal parted like before, letting them inside. Gabe walked through a rtively narrow corridor. It was wide enough for them, but Percy guessed the horned creatures would probably have to crouch to fit. Every time they came across a resident, they had to squeeze against the walls to pass each other. Percy didn¡¯t miss the faint square indentations tightly packed along the walls, guessing they were probably doors. Several corridors and flights of stairster, they eventually stopped before one, pressing their hand on its cold surface once more. Gabe¡¯s room was tiny. It was actually smaller than Micky¡¯s cell on Huehue! There was a bed, barelyrge enough for him. Right next to it, there was a toilet and a shower, with nothing but a thin ss panel to shield the rest of the room from the moisture. ¡®We are not products of love. We aren¡¯t even treated as people¡­ Our parents only see us as a resource for their experiments.¡¯ Chapter 79: Natural selection ¡®Experiments? What could gods possibly gain from us mortals?¡¯ Percy raised an eyebrow. ¡®Lots of things, actually.¡¯ Gabe shrugged. ¡®The most obvious benefit is getting more people to ascend to godhood, expanding their ranks.¡¯ While the chances of any one child reaching divinity wereughably minuscule, it was ultimately a numbers game. Especially for immortal beings who could keep pumping out kids for millennia on end. ¡®But that¡¯s just a matter of luck, isn¡¯t it?¡¯ Percy asked. Gabe shook his head. ¡®It¡¯s true a child¡¯s grade is random, which means it¡¯s not possible to control the emergence of new gods directly. However, an indirect solution is to simply have children more often.¡¯ ¡®Having more kids means you need more space to house them, and more food to feed them. How is that sustainable?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s not. At least, not if you care about what happens to the failures.¡¯ Percy¡¯s eyes widened. Resource management was a problem all worlds had to deal with. That said, it was even more pronounced in the Vault of Magic, due to its smaller size and barren environment. Consequently, it could only support a small number of mortals. This meant the gods had to be a lot more deliberate when choosing which of their kids to keep around.¡°Cube. I wish to purchase one portion of sizian meat. User ID: 004527945512.¡± Gabe suddenly said. ¡°Authorization granted. 1 portion of sizian meat is valued at 1 credit. Current bnce: 26131. Proceed with purchase?¡± the soulless voice answered again, as the colourful symbols blinked along the room¡¯s walls. ¡°Yes.¡± Gabe said. ¡°Confirmed. Deducting credits. New bnce: 26130. Delivery in 6 rits.¡± Percy couldn¡¯t help but wonder what happened if one tried using somebody else¡¯s ID. Though, he seriously doubted the gods in charge had been dumb enough to overlook such a ring loophole. SSS A small circr hole opened in the ceiling a few secondster, before an amber object fell on the bed. ¡®What¡¯s that?¡¯ Percy asked. ¡®Lunch.¡¯ Gabe said, before picking it up. The alien snack was irregrly shaped and about asrge as Gabe¡¯s fist. Taking a bite, Percy quickly noticed its texture was rough, its taste bitter. Between this and the spoilt rodent meat he¡¯d eaten back on Huehue, he couldn¡¯t help but reevaluate the food they had on Remior. His world might be far from perfect, but if there was one thing he couldn¡¯tin about was their cuisine. At least, he¡¯d yet to stumble upon anything on par with Freddy¡¯s Honey Rolls during his travels. As soon as Gabe finished eating, he began circting his mana between his sternum and stomach, in a manner very familiar to Percy. And about half an hourter, the meal¡¯s efficacy was exhausted, leaving a burning sensation lingering inside the core. ¡®Now I¡¯m confused. Is this your food, or how you cleanse your cores?¡¯ Percy asked. ¡®Both.¡¯ Gabe replied, before borating. ¡®As you can imagine, the Vault can¡¯t exactly support a diverse ecosystem, so the gods in charge had to carefully choose what flora and fauna to cultivate. They ended up importing sizians, which are a bunch of reptiles that store beast mana in their flesh. It makes their meat both nutritious and ¨C after some processing ¨C suitable for core purification, killing two birds with one stone.¡¯ ¡®But isn¡¯t it expensive? What about those who can¡¯t afford the advancement?¡¯ Percy asked in protest. ¡®They starve, making space for more people.¡¯ Gabe said. Percy grimaced in disgust. What sort of monsters would treat their children like that?! This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡®It¡¯s even worse than you think. They make us fight for our food. The challenges are the only way to earn credits, but Red-borns and Orange-borns can¡¯t keep up with their needs.¡¯ ¡®Why?! Do those bastards get off watching you struggle?!¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s not for entertainment. You see, they don¡¯t just want to increase the quantity of new gods. They want to improve their quality too.¡¯ ¡®The bloodlines?¡¯ Gabe nodded. In the context of the Vault ¨C and even Remior ¨C one of the most important factors influencing the ¡®quality¡¯ of a god was whether they had a powerful bloodline or not. After all, bloodline abilities had all sorts of weird effects, often letting one do things even gods couldn¡¯t otherwise replicate. Percy himself was a prime example of this. So, while a bloodline wasn¡¯t a requirement for divinity, a god who had one was generally stronger than one who didn¡¯t. ¡®Yes, everyone born under Yellow is left to starve, while the rest of us are thrown into challenges to test our bloodlines. The ones who make it further are granted the ¡°honour¡± of mating with our own parents, to create the next generation of children. That way, they maximize the odds of breeding people with both a blessing and a powerful bloodline. On one hand, the challenges are there to motivate us ¨C since we¡¯d starve or fail to advance without them. On the other, they¡¯re our opportunity to develop unique spells, revealing which bloodlines are worth keeping in the process, weeding out the weaklings.¡¯ Percy remained silent for a while, contemting the implications. Strictly speaking, Remior¡¯s gods weren¡¯t much better than this. True, they didn¡¯t treat low-borns nearly as badly and, they also didn¡¯t sleep around to spread their blessings all over the ce. That said, their approach to bloodlines was more or less the same. The constant war rampant between the noble Houses was clearly something that suited the Divine Order. After all, it would only take Phoebe a word to stop it, since nobody would dare oppose her. In other words, letting Remior¡¯s nobles continue killing each other was their version of the challenges, to keep recycling the poption, allowing more gods to emerge and powerful bloodlines to mutate. ¡®Though even those at the bottom can still have some semnce of a life there.¡¯ Percy thought. Byparison, the Vault¡¯s deities were downright cruel, treating their own offspring as nothing but livestock. ¡®Well, as much as we all hate their guts, I guess I can¡¯t argue with the results.¡¯ Gabe shrugged. Indeed, Percy¡¯stest host was clearly one of the lucky ones, having inherited the full package. ¡®You still died though, didn¡¯t you?¡¯ he couldn¡¯t help but point out. ¡®I suppose.¡¯ Gabe said, before adding. ¡®Now that you bring that up, what are we going to do about it? You did promise to help.¡¯ ¡®Right. Like I said, this is a long shot, though I guess it¡¯s been going well for us so far.¡¯ Percy replied. ¡®Meaning?¡¯ ¡®Meaning that healing your body DID greatly slow your soul¡¯s deterioration. It¡¯s still a mess, but between your second core and my stashed mana, we have a lot more time than I previously thought.¡¯ Percy felt a wave of hope inadvertently seeping through their connection, but Gabe quickly quashed it. ¡®I sense a ¡°but¡±ing.¡¯ thetter said. ¡®But it¡¯s not a permanent solution. You need a lot more soul mana than I have left for a decent shot at aplete and rapid recovery. And I guess only a god¡¯s mana is dense enough to be stored for a long period of time.¡¯ he exined. Naturally, Percy wasn¡¯t certain about thatst part, but all his experiences seemed to corroborate that deduction. ¡®Seriously?!¡¯ Gabe was flustered. And rightfully so. While life and soul affinities were both categorized as rare, the former were much moremon than thetter. The Vault of Magic clearly possessed at least one god with a life affinity willing to donate some of his mana. However, there was no guarantee they had what Gabe needed. ¡®Is it impossible to get any?¡¯ Percy asked. ¡®I don¡¯t know. Even if we have it ¨C and that¡¯s a big if ¨C it¡¯s definitely in the restricted lists. You can¡¯t buy a god¡¯s mana with credits alone, otherwise we wouldn¡¯t have had to go through that challenge to fix my body in the first ce. The only way is to get another bonus reward.¡¯ ¡®So?¡¯ Percy didn¡¯t understand what the problem was. ¡®It should be easier toplete another challenge now that you¡¯re healed.¡¯ But Gabe shook his head. ¡®You don¡¯t understand. You only earn a bonus reward every 6 waves. The ¡°swarm¡± challenge is the one I¡¯m best at, because my wings essentially grant me unlimited endurance. Even then, it took everything I had to clear wave 6. The next reward is at 12.¡¯ Percy swallowed hard. He had no idea how the difficulty scaled, but he couldn¡¯t help but picture an army of Green golems like the ones from earlier surrounding them. ¡®What about the other challenges?¡¯ he asked. ¡®There are only two more types. The ¡°magiscript¡± challenge doesn¡¯t involve anybat, but nobody under Blue bothers learning the art, as it takes decades to make any progress. Right now, I couldn¡¯t ce down a single glyph to save my life. And that¡¯s just the Red version of the challenge. The Green one involves much moreplicated inscriptions. You can only earn rewards for your own grade.¡¯ Gabe said. As much as Percy would¡¯ve loved to dip his toes into the field, he didn¡¯t argue back. Not only had he promised Gabe he¡¯d try saving him, they also didn¡¯t have enough time for this. Even with their newly repaired body, he estimated they¡¯dst a month or two at most. ¡®And the other one?¡¯ he asked. ¡®The ¡°gauntlet¡± challenge is admittedly the only one we might stand a chance at. Still, beating the third wave was tough. I can¡¯t see myself clearing three more, especially since thest one will be on a whole different level¡­¡¯ It definitely sounded like a tall order, but Percy wasn¡¯t one to give up easily. ¡®Then, I guess we¡¯ll have to be on a whole different level too.¡¯ Chapter 80: Preparations ¡°Evaluating request¡­¡± ¡®Are you sure there is no other way?¡¯ Gabe asked. ¡®Hey, don¡¯tin! Tattoos might hide the core from Mana Sense, but people would still be able to see it through your skin. And you obviously can¡¯t wear a shirt either due to your wings.¡¯ Percy replied. Before they could begin filling up Gabe¡¯s second core, they needed to ensure it was concealed. Based on what Percy hade to learn about the Vault of Magic, thest thing they needed were the gods in charge finding out such a juicy specimen had fallen in their grasp. Of course, Percy had inadvertently left plenty of evidence of his presence already ¨C whether it was Gabe¡¯s miraculous survival or the extraordinary amount of life mana they had used up. Adding all the things they were nning to do over the next few weeks, the cat was already halfway out of the bag. Though most of it couldn¡¯t be avoided, they could at least take care of the rest. ¡°Evaluationplete. Custom item is valued at 37 credits. Current bnce: 26130. Proceed with purchase?¡± the soulless voice asked. Percy felt Gabe¡¯s heartache through the connection. ¡®I get it! But does it have to be so expensive?!¡¯ he groaned. ¡®It doesn¡¯t seem like a lot. It will barely put a dent in your bnce.¡¯ Percy said.¡®That¡¯s because it hasn¡¯t been too long since I reached Green. I still have most of my rewards from the fresh batch of challenges.¡¯ Gabe exined. ¡®But I have to be mindful when spending them. Getting more won¡¯t be easy.¡¯ Percy nodded in understanding. It should indeed be the case that a resident of the Vault earned the majority of their resources shortly after advancing. The first few waves in each grade shouldn¡¯t be too difficult. Though Gabe was already struggling to climb much further. His current credits would have tost him all the way to Blue, which was presumably several decades away. ¡®Just do it. Or would you rather some god cut you open on an operating table?¡¯ Gabe grumbled some more, but he ultimately acquiesced. ¡°Yes.¡± he spoke. ¡°Confirmed. Deducting credits. New bnce: 26093. Delivery in 900 rits.¡± Percy raised an eyebrow. That should be over fifteen minutes. A lot longer than that piece of meat had needed. Then again, thetter was probably an off-the-shelf product they had plenty of in stock. As for the object they¡¯d just requested, it would have to be manufactured on the spot. All things considered, it was already quite impressive the Vault¡¯s system could aplish the task at all ¨C let alone in such short notice. A testament to their advanced technology. Soon enough, a circr hole opened on the ceiling once more, before the requested objectnded on the bed. It was a rolled-up strip of cloth, cut out of an exquisite midnight blue fabric, densely covered in embroidered symbols a few shades lighter. Percy picked it up, noting it was still quite warm ¨C probably because it was fresh out the oven. It was soft to the touch, made of the finest silk he¡¯d evere across. Next, he unravelled it, marvelling at the intricate script decorating it. This bandage was both thinner and much shorter than his own, which only served to drive home the insurmountable gap between the Vault¡¯s enchanters and Remior¡¯s. A quick tug revealed it was also somewhat flexible, yet still strong. It wouldn¡¯t be an issue if it had to stretch a little, and it was unlikely to tear easily. In any case, Percy couldn¡¯t help but study the runes a little longer. Due to all his secrets, it would serve him well to learn how to craft this type of enchantment by himself. Gabe didn¡¯t bother him either, letting him concentrate for a few minutes ¨C probably a gesture of goodwill, considering how much Percy had done for him already. Still, thetter didn¡¯t get very far. He had to begrudgingly give up after failing to understand anything. His host clearly hadn¡¯t lied when he said magiscript was a demanding field. Not letting this get to him too much, Percy wrapped the bandage around their abdomen a couple of times, before tying the loose ends behind their back. This novel is published on a different tform. Support the original author by finding the official source. ¡®There, all done¡­ I think.¡¯ Between the cube being stingy with the fabric and his host¡¯s transparent skin, the core was barely concealed, but it would have to do. ¡®How do I exin it?¡¯ Gabe asked. ¡®For the first couple of months, I could wrap a regr bandage on top and im I was injured, but people will eventually start wondering why it¡¯s taking so long to heal.¡¯ ¡®Sorry, but I¡¯ll be gone by then. You¡¯ll have to figure that part out by yourself. For the time being, I suggest you focus on actually surviving until then.¡¯ Percy replied. ¡®Fair enough. So, what¡¯s the n?¡¯ Percy thought about it for a while before speaking. ¡®Let me handle your second core for now. It took me about a week to get mine filled up, but I¡¯m sure I can do it even faster this time around.¡¯ Without wasting a moment, he activated Mana Sense, looking inward for the new organ. His host¡¯s physiology was different to his own, but Percy was a bit of an expert in locating cores and mana channels in all sorts of alien bodies by now. ¡®What should I do in the meantime?¡¯ Gabe asked. ¡®Hmmm¡­ Can you dig up any information the Vault has on the Moirai?¡¯ Ever since he obtained his second core, Percy had been winging it, mostly using his two affinities independently of one another. However, he couldn¡¯t shake the feeling he was missing out on something important. An entire culture of people with two cores should have developed some more esoteric arts to fully exploit them ¨C yet Percy had never had the opportunity to learn them before now. ¡°Cube. What do you have on the Moirai? Also, while you¡¯re at it, check if you have any soul mana stored. User ID: 004527945512.¡± Gabe said. ¡°Authorization granted. Evaluating request¡­¡± ¡°Evaluationplete. There are 452 books, 1121 research logs, 9 encyclopaedias and 32653 news reports that mention ¡°Moirai¡±. Part of the selection is restricted for your grade. Only 321 books, 354 research logs, 6 encyclopaedias and 7564 news reports are avable for purchase. Total cost: 35431 credits. Current bnce: 26093.¡± The response elicited different reactions from Percy and Gabe. The former couldn¡¯t help but rub his hands. He wanted to purchase everything and make his host binge read it, but he knew that wasn¡¯t realistic. As for thetter, the shocking price nearly gave him a heart attack. But the cube wasn¡¯t done quite yet. ¡°Evaluationplete. Soul mana is listed on the restricted section for Green grade. It is only avable through a bonus reward.¡± As expected, they still had to work through the challenge, though it was nice to have confirmation the mana actually existed. ¡®Try filtering out the fluff?¡¯ Percy suggested, returning to the previous item. Gabe hesitated for a moment, probably thinking it would still be more than he¡¯d be willing to pay, but ultimately heeded Percy¡¯s request. ¡°Get rid of anything on the Moirais¡¯ world, politics, history and geography. Only leave behind things rted directly to their magic.¡± ¡°Evaluating request¡­¡± ¡°Evaluationplete. There are 78 books, 185 research logs, 2 encyclopaedias and 67 news reports avable for purchase. Total cost: 6597 credits. Current bnce: 26093.¡± That did seem to cut out a lot of encyclopaedias and news reports, but not as many research logs ¨C which frankly made sense. Still, it was way too pricey. ¡°Ignore everything relevant only to gods or specific affinities and bloodlines. Focus on general information about how the average Moirai mortal uses their two cores.¡± ¡°Evaluating request¡­¡± ¡°Evaluationplete. There are 24 books, 93 research logs, 0 encyclopaedias and 67 news reports avable for purchase. Total cost: 2597 credits. Current bnce: 26093.¡± ¡®It¡¯s still way too much. Besides, we don¡¯t have enough time to read all that.¡¯ Gabe said. Percy creased their brow. ¡®Why do I feel you¡¯re leaving out something?¡¯ ¡®Look, it¡¯s possible to request the system to summarize the information,piling it into a much shorter document while getting rid of redundancies. It will add a charge for the service, though it should also give us a discount due to the eliminated information. That said, I doubt it¡¯s going to end up below 2000 credits¡­¡¯ Gabe exined. Hearing that, Percy wanted nothing more than to p his host. He only held himself back because he knew it would hurt him too. ¡®No, YOU look, you stingy piece of shit!!!¡¯ he fired back. ¡®I¡¯m doing my best to save your ass here, and you¡¯re skimping on me over a bunch of credits!¡¯ ¡®Hey, I have to think about my life after you¡¯re gone too!¡¯ Gabe replied. ¡®What¡¯s there to think about?! I gave you a second core! You¡¯ll live twice as long and clear plenty more waves with it! A couple thousand credits are the least you can invest! You¡¯ll make them back in no time!¡¯ Percy didn¡¯t let up. But his host shook his head. ¡®I¡¯ll also need twice as much sizian meat as before. It¡¯s not as simple as you make it sound!¡¯ Well, that was true¡­ Also, Percy would be lying if he said he wasn¡¯t thinking about himself too. Still, he firmly believed this was in Gabe¡¯s best interest. The credits wouldn¡¯t matter if they failed to fix his soul, plus Percy genuinely thought the insight contained in those books would pay for itself. ¡®Gabe¡­ the system has already confirmed it contains the soul mana you need. And you¡¯ve admitted you can¡¯t get to the next bonus reward as you are. We need to get you a lot stronger in a short amount of time. At the end of the day, it¡¯s your money and your life, but if you ask me, you¡¯ll have to take a gamble.¡¯ Gabe remained silent for a few seconds, considering his options. ¡®Fine.¡¯ Chapter 81: Gabe鈥檚 second affinity Percy figured he¡¯d been in the Vault for about a week, though keeping track of time was always difficult outside Remior. It had only taken him a few days to clear enough mana channels to fill up his host¡¯s second core. Piling onto the good news, the event had also gone down surprisingly smoothly. Sure, an elemental affinity wasn¡¯t the shiest one to have, but it was definitely more useful than pure mana. Also, activating the core did strengthen Gabe¡¯s soul, causing the broken shards to swell, filling up more of their vessel. Sadly, the shift did cause their bond to loosen, forcing Percy to expend thest of his stashed mana to repair the connection. Though it wasn¡¯t that great a loss, since the golems were immune to his Parting Gift anyway. And today, Percy felt he¡¯d cleared enough pathways to use the new core in a fight. Not that he was anywhere close to using it with finesse, but they should still be ready to tackle the fourth wave. As much as they¡¯d love to prepare a little longer, their time was finite, and they needed to assess their situation. *** The white-hot axe shed against the octagonal shield, the impact sending a shockwave reverberating through the room. However, the empowered mes barely carved an inch into the ck metal before dimming, as the green inscriptions on its surface shed brighter. Worse still, the construct easily brushed its left arm aside, tearing one of Gabe¡¯s wings to shreds, throwing him off bnce in the process. And taking advantage of the opening, it lunged forward with its sword. Percy¡¯s host barely managed to leap to the side at thest second, escaping with a shallow cut on his upper arm. Not ideal, but definitely preferrable to getting cleanly ran through by a de wider than his thigh. Gabe clumsily walked backwards, putting some distance from the giant golem, each step awkwardly sshing through the viscous liquid covering the cube¡¯s floor all the way up to his knees.The construct simply stood in ce, watching him disengage. It clearly wasn¡¯t in a rush to give chase. Some of the tar-like substance flowed to the golem, mending the small cut on its shield within mere seconds. ¡®How the hell are we supposed to beat this thing?!¡¯ Gabe asked. But Percy didn¡¯t have a good response either. Unlike the ¡°swarm¡± challenge which involved lots of weaker enemies, the ¡°gauntlet¡± instead focused on singr, elite opponents. Their current foe was technically ¡°just¡± another Green golem, not unlike the four constructs they had defeated during Percy¡¯s first day in the Vault. Still, its strength was nothing like those. It stood at twice Gabe¡¯s height ¨C much like the previous golems ¨C though this one was a fair amount leaner. Its shield was neigh-impregnable ¨C even harder than the bodies of thest ones ¨C while its speed was nothing to scoff at either. Percy estimated it was faster than the Starry Soldiers back on Remior. Plus, this was still only the fourth wave. He wasn¡¯t looking forward to whatever monstrosity the challenge would throw at them during the sixth one. To make matters worse, Gabe¡¯s kit wasn¡¯t as well suited to this challenge. Sure, his bloodline and blessing did augment both his offense and defence to a degree ¨C making him much stronger than the average Green core. That said, these advantages couldn¡¯tpare with the boost to his endurance, which was what had ultimately carried him through the other one. And these challenges had clearly been designed taking into ount that most of the Vault¡¯s surviving mortals were bred elites. ¡®I guess we expected as much. At least this one doesn¡¯t seem to have any ranged attacks.¡¯ Percy said. ¡®Should we pull out our secret weapon?¡¯ Gabe wrinkled his nose. ¡®Normally, I wouldn¡¯t be keen on letting somebody experiment with my body, ying around with new spells in the middle of a fight. Certainly not against such a monster. But I suppose I¡¯m dead anyway ¨C unless we can get this to work. Are you sure you won¡¯t make things worse though?¡¯ While Gabe would have to figure out how to use his second core by himself after his guest was gone, they had agreed to leave Percy in charge of the new affinity for now. ¡®Well, I¡¯ll do my best to not get in your way at least. I¡¯ll focus on supporting you.¡¯ Percy said. Nodding, his host prepared the wings again, taking to the air. Reinforcing them with mana from his first core, he dove down towards their opponent. The golem raised its shield to block with practiced ease, though it was in for a small surprise this time. Right when they had covered about half the distance, Percy drew some mana from their second core, expelling it from their feet. The manoeuvre was a little rough around the edges, but it did work as intended. Picking up speed, they arrived a moment sooner than the construct was expecting, as Gabe delivered another brutal blow. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Like before, he failed to deal much damage, but he didnd the attack at an angle, deflecting the shield to the side as he spun, opening the way for a second sh right at the golem¡¯s neck. Taken off-guard, the construct still managed ast-second parry with its sword, though not before Gabe carved about an inch into its neck. The golem was even forced to take a step back. Sadly, the wound wasn¡¯t nearly deep enough to cause anysting damage. The construct didn¡¯t miss a beat, mming its shield right where they stood the very next second. It nearly crushed them into paste too ¨C as Gabe still hadn¡¯t recovered his footing, having gone all out in thatst exchange. It certainly didn¡¯t help they were essentially fighting in a swamp. Luckily, Percy intervened once more, pushing their body out of the impact zone with another burst of mana. The shield caused the tar to part for a moment, sending a tall wave of liquid metal mming against the room¡¯s walls. It also pushed Gabe a few meters back, but that worked in their favour, helping them disengage sooner. ¡®Ok¡­ Not a terrible first try.¡¯ Percy said. Gabe hesitated briefly before nodding, reluctantly agreeing with that assessment. ¡®Try to weave the bursts of speed into all my moves.¡¯ he suggested. ¡®Alright. I¡¯ll let you know which way I¡¯m pushing you a moment before I do it.¡¯ Percy said. Repeating the same sequence, Gabe dove against the golem once more, with Percy elerating his descent behind the scenes. Better prepared than before, the construct firmed its stance while waiting for the attack to arrive. But it never did. ¡®Right.¡¯ Percy said, diverting their flight to the side at thest second. The unexpected turn allowed them to circle around the golem¡¯s massive shield, as it awkwardly moved it, trying to trace their trajectory. Still, it was a little slower than them, allowing Gabe to roll in the air beforending a vertical sh on its scalp. Before he had the chance to split its head open, the shield was finally in the way to resist the attack, but Percy wasn¡¯t going to let their opponent have its way. ¡®Down!¡¯ he said, adding momentum to his host¡¯s cleave. Swinging the shield up, the golem managed to throw them off by the time they¡¯d cut about a third into its face ¨C right around where the bridge of its nose would have begun if it had one. A wave of disappointment overcame the duo, though it faded once they noticed their opponent¡¯s inability to follow-up with a counterattack. It was still on its feet, but thest blow had obviously done something. Not wasting the opportunity, Gabe tried tond another blow with his second wing. ¡®Forward!¡¯ Percy released more mana from their back, clearly on the same page. The burst of wind was more modest than the ones before. Their second core¡¯s lower grade, coupled with Percy¡¯s inexperience with the air affinity had already dried out their reserves. In fact, Gabe wasn¡¯t doing much better with his first core, having already exhausted most of his fire mana during the previous attack. That said, the golem wasn¡¯t in top shape either, its grip shaking after that desperate block and the nasty wound on its noggin. Expecting another attack to its neck, the construct tried to intercept with its sword, but Gabe had seen through its moves by now. Taking advantage of their shorter stature, he crouched below the swing, before cleaving at the golem¡¯s wrists. The hand holding the weapon was cleanly separated, though the wing fizzled out before it got through the other one too. As the heavy chunks of metalnded in the liquid, they sent a tall wave towards Gabe. A second one also rose when the construct lifted its foot to stomp them. Luckily the viscous sludge impaired the golem¡¯s movements as much as it did Gabe¡¯s ¨C if not even more so due to its increased bulk. Out of mana and wings both, the duo barely rolled out of the way. At least, the powerful current helped. However, the golem didn¡¯t stop after the first step. It stomped its way towards them, trying to pulverize them before they recovered, its previous nonchnce nowhere to be seen. The scene might have looked a littleical to an outsider, but neither Gabe nor Percy were in the mood tough, as they frantically dodged the golem¡¯s furious footfalls, trying to sneak in a few breaths in between. Some mana barely trickled into their cores, as a little more made its way to Gabe¡¯s back, reigniting the wings. Though they weren¡¯t the only ones recovering. The sludge kept flowing to repair the construct, the wound on its head already halfway mended. In fact, Percy didn¡¯t miss how the discarded sword had already melted down, as the severed hand and weapon were already reforming on the golem¡¯s arm. It was currently little more than a broken shard attached to a hilt, but it wouldn¡¯t be long before it was back to its former glory. Suffice to say, Gabe had no intention of letting his opponentplete its recovery. ¡®It¡¯s all or nothing!¡¯ he said, getting a mental nod back from Percy. Leaping back to avoid another stomp, Gabe tensed both calves, before springing forward like a coiled cobra, bolting through the space between the golem¡¯s knees. And, using whatever air mana he¡¯d managed to recover, Percy added to his host¡¯s momentum, as thetter reinforced his wings once more. The duo knew they wouldn¡¯t get through their foe¡¯s defences had they aimed for its torso or head, so they hadn¡¯t bothered trying. Their current goal was to sever another limb or two. The golem¡¯s shield was already on its way down, in ast-ditch effort to crush the pesky vermin by its feet before theypleted their stunt. But it was toote. It wasn¡¯t just the shield, but the construct¡¯s entire upper body thatnded in the ck tar. It raised the tallest wave yet, submerging Gabe who was still in the process of climbing back to his feet. The golem squirmed, trying and failing to right itself. The liquid rushed to repair it, dirtying its previously polished surface with sludge. Gabe and Percy were out of mana again, though time was on their side for once. They estimated they would recover long before the construct did. And sure enough, they were able to finish the golem a couple minutester without any surprises. ¡®And you said we need to beat two more of these things?¡¯ Percy asked grimly. Gabe grimaced too, before nodding. ¡®Two stronger ones¡­¡¯ Chapter 82: Fifth wave ¡®Any progress with that book?¡¯ Percy asked. Another week had passed since their narrow victory against the fourth wave, though they had yet to challenge the fifth one. Acknowledging their inadequacy, they hadn¡¯t been in a hurry to move on, taking their time to get stronger, as they fought against the same opponent again and again. Challenging a previously beaten wave didn¡¯t reward any credits, but it was still good practice, letting them hone both their magic and their teamwork. Though Gabe was currently back in his room, as the two of them had plenty of work to do even during their downtime. ¡®A little.¡¯ he replied, before borating. ¡®The gist is we can supposedly fuse the two elements, much like aposite affinity. In fact, since both of my cores have elemental mana, the result will be exactly like aposite affinity. However, there are a fewplications.¡¯ ¡®Such as?¡¯ Percy asked. ¡®Well, if you have aposite core, the two types of mana merge automatically inside it, without requiring any effort from its user. In my case, I¡¯ll have to expend a lot of willpower to replicate that feat.¡¯ Gabe exined. ¡®But there¡¯s two of us! Shouldn¡¯t that make it easier?¡¯ Percy asked. However, his host shook his head. ¡®That¡¯s actually a bad thing. It makes it harder to blend the mana if there are two separate minds in charge. Also, the mismatch between my cores¡¯ grades and the fact that only my fire mana is enhanced by a blessing will create an imbnce of power.¡¯ Percy frowned. If this was true, they¡¯d struggle to get the trick down in time. A possible solution was for Gabe to learn how to use his air magic by himself, but that would put too much pressure on him during the fight. Percy knew first-hand how difficult it was to keep track of two cores at once. It could easily take his host a couple months to get there. Especially since Gabe was in charge of the wings too¡­¡®The wings!¡¯ Percy eximed. ¡®What about them?¡¯ Gabe raised an eyebrow. Percy grinned. ¡®Perhaps we don¡¯t have enough time to master the Moirais¡¯ art, but I have another idea to give us an edge in the fifth wave.¡¯ *** The golem stood motionless at the other end of the room, its cold gaze locked on Gabe. It looked exactly like the previous one, though its shield had been reced by a second sword. On paper, that should mean it had sacrificed some defence for the sake of offense, but Percy doubted that was the case. ¡®I bet it¡¯s even better at parrying.¡¯ he noted, getting a nod back from his host. That said, the two of them weren¡¯t the same as a week ago either. Percy had improved the most, having cleared plenty more channels and grown far more proficient with air mana. He¡¯d even briefly considered working towards Cirction, though he¡¯d quickly shot the idea down. Meeting the requirements of the Refined spell would take him way longer than they had. Oblivious to his guest¡¯s thoughts, Gabe summoned his wings, before readying his stance. Ironically, he was the one who¡¯d improved the least, despite being the actual owner of the second core. Still, he¡¯d grown more ustomed to fighting alongside Percy against the elite golems. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any urrences. ¡®Give it a try.¡¯ he suggested. Percy acquiesced, focusing his senses on the flow of ambient mana. He¡¯d already experienced Gabe¡¯s bloodline ability before, having briefly takenmand of the wings back during his first day in the Vault. However, his n was to do something slightly different today. The idea was fairly simple ¨C the only reason Gabe¡¯s wings manifested out of mes was because of his original affinity. Now that they possessed another core, there was no reason why they couldn¡¯t dig even more value out of the bloodline. Indeed, Percy identified a portion of the ambient mana being ignited at Gabe¡¯s back. He tugged at the flow to pry it from his host¡¯s control, as thetter fought to remain in charge. One of them focused on the zing heat burning in their sternum, as the other imagined the softer air mana dancing in their abdomen. Responding to their thoughts, the river of ambient mana split into twoponents, one continuing to fuel the wings right below Gabe¡¯s shoulder des, as a smaller stream was pulled a few inches lower, forming a second pair below the first. ¡®Sess!¡¯ Percy was ecstatic, feeling the new ethereal limbs respond to hismand. ¡®Wow, I can¡¯t believe this actually worked!¡¯ Gabe said. Percy sensed some mixed feelings from his host. Thetter was happy he could use his bloodline with both cores at the same time, though he wasn¡¯t looking forward to juggling all these tasks by himself in the future. But this wasn¡¯t Percy¡¯s problem. Focusing back on the new wings, he quickly noticed they were both smaller and weaker than the other pair. It made sense. While the ability was fuelled by ambient mana, its strength was corrted with the corresponding cores¡¯ grades. Percy¡¯s control was a little clumsy too, but it would have to do for now. After spending a few minutes to adjust to the new appendages, the two looked back at the construct. It was still patiently waiting for them to make the first move. ¡®I¡¯m going in.¡¯ Gabe said, pping his wings once, soaring halfway to the ceiling. Meanwhile, the second set remained folded behind their waist. Percy didn¡¯t want to interfere with his host¡¯s movements, so he¡¯d reserve the new limbs for a time when they actually needed them. For now, he simply augmented Gabe¡¯s speed the good old way. That said, their cooperation had grown a lot more refined over the past week. The air mana flowed underneath Gabe¡¯s wings, giving him an even greater boost than if Percy had tried to propel their body directly like before. And just like that, they dove upon the golem, finally beginning the battle. Surprising no one, the construct raised its swords to parry the white-hot axes, before trying tond a blow of its own. Gabe ducked and weaved to dodge the colossal de by a hair¡¯s breadth, as he tiptoed around the golem, looking for an opening. The construct was even faster than the previous one, but Percy expertly unleashed small bursts of air around their body, elegantly augmenting his host¡¯s every move, using the minimum amount of mana each time. Two figures ¨C one man-sized, the other colossal ¨C danced amidst the flurry of shes, the ck ones parting the viscous tar in their passing, as the white-hot ones raised the temperature to a dangerous level. The axes were even hotter than before, with Percy¡¯s air mana adding more fuel to the mes, while sharpening them and elerating them further than Gabe could manage on his own. By now, their skin was blistering and peeling, as a red sheen coated the obsidian golem. Every now and then, the weapons collided, sending loud shockwaves bouncing around the walls of the cube, throwing the previously calm surface of the swamp into turmoil. No side seemed to gain an advantage, as neitherbatant managed tond a single blow. At least, that was the case until Gabe and Percy¡¯s mana was exhausted a minuteter, leaving them at the golem¡¯s mercy. A massive sword descended, its edge sinking halfway through the floor, though Gabe was already a few meters back, Percy having saved their asses with the first p of their new wings. The golem returned to its default state, giving them a chance to recover. Percy had yet to fully understand what the condition was for the constructs to bother chasing. His best guess was that disarming it would do the trick. ¡®Do you want to keep going like this?¡¯ he asked his host. While they seemed equally matched with the golem at the moment, they possessed an advantage their opponent sorelycked. The ability to grow. Right now, they could only use their newer limbs as a way to disengage, but it wouldn¡¯t be long until they weaved them into their fighting style. Plus, it would only be a matter of time until they grew ustomed to the golem¡¯s movements too. ¡®Sure.¡¯ Gabe shrugged. ¡®Let¡¯s take it nice and easy with this one.¡¯ Chapter 83: Moment of truth ¡°Cube. Start the ¡®gauntlet¡¯ challenge. Green level. User ID: 004527945512.¡± ¡°Authorization granted. Starting ¡®gauntlet¡¯ challenge, Green level. The user has already cleared wave 5. Do you wish to resume at wave 6? WARNING: Wave 6 contains a far more powerful opponent.¡± ¡®Are you ready for this?¡¯ Gabe asked his guest. Another month had passed since they first cleared thest wave, breaking Percy¡¯s record for the longest-lived clone, and by a huge margin at that. By now, they¡¯d already grown rather skilled at seamlessly weaving their two types of mana and both sets of wings into their fighting style. Though their strength was beginning to teau. The only avenue that still left them a lot of room for improvement was mastering the Moirais¡¯ trick, fusing their affinities into one. Gabe and Percy had actually made some progress in that department, but the result wasn¡¯t quite ready to be relied upon during the fight. ¡®Go for it.¡¯ Percy replied. ¡°Yes.¡± Gabe spoke out loud. ¡°Choice confirmed. Wave begins in 18 rits.¡± While it would have certainly been more prudent to wait longer, the two were already running out of time. Despite their rtively healthy body, Gabe¡¯s recent promotion, and the crazy amount of soul mana Percy had invested, the patches holding their souls together were finally beginning toe undone. Their most optimistic estimates gave them a few more days together ¨C though they figured it was best not to cut it too close.¡°Wave begins in 12 rits.¡± All in all, they weren¡¯t particrly happy with their odds, but it wasn¡¯t like they¡¯d miraculously get stronger if they held on for another day or two. Naturally, the thought of turning Gabe into a familiar had crossed Percy¡¯s mind. While his stingy host wasn¡¯t always the most pleasant to be around, Percy had still grown fond of the jellyfish-person after spending so much time fighting alongside him. That said, he¡¯d rather not resort to that before exhausting all the alternatives. While Percy had never regretted creating his crow familiar, the jury was still out on whether he¡¯d done right by the original Micky, as his pal had yet to recover any of his old memories. ¡°Wave begins in 6 rits.¡± Not to mention the personal cost involved with his secret art. Perhaps, he could get Orin to take care of him for a few weeks if he ended up in aa again, though he wasn¡¯t looking forward to exining everything to the alchemist afterwards. Then there was the question of whether he¡¯d even find a suitable body for Gabe in the middle of the Guild¡­ ¡®I¡¯ll only do it if we¡¯re out of options.¡¯ ¡°Wave begins. May your challenge be sessful!¡± ck metal poured down the cube¡¯s walls once more, the level of the liquid rising to Gabe¡¯s knees soon enough. Only then did a blob of sludge swell on the floor about a dozen meters in front of them, as theirtest opponent started forming. Of course, Gabe and Percy had tried attacking the golems in this vulnerable state in the past, but they¡¯d only wasted their time. Despite the cube¡¯s words, the challenge wouldn¡¯t officially begin until the construct was done taking shape. Not that it took very long, as the new golem stood tall before them mere momentster. This one had two pairs of arms, reminding Percy of the natives on Huehue. Each of its four hands held a curved sabre, their edges fanning out in a ferocious stance, tilted slightly towards Gabe. Even more unsettling was the construct¡¯s gaze, which seemed no less piercing than its weapons¡¯ tips, flooding the room with a palpable sense of oppression. ¡®I have a bad feeling about this¡­¡¯ Percy didn¡¯t wait for the golem¡¯s inscriptions to finish lighting up, hurriedly pulling the ambient mana towards their back. Following his lead, Gabe did the same, as the stream split off, coalescing into two pairs of nascent wings. The upper ones were the widest and most majestic, made of scorching blue mes. The others were more modest, elegantly crafted out of swirling gusts of wind, carrying a faint green tint. In any case, it was a good thing they hadn¡¯t waited¡­ If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been uwfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. This time, the golem didn¡¯t give them the chance to attack first, seizing the initiative instead. It pounced towards them like a tiger, a short-lived crater forming in the swamp where it had stood just a moment ago. Its visage rapidly erged in their vision as it flew mere inches above the ck substance, two of the sabres carving waves into the formerly-serene surface of the liquid metal. As for the remaining pair, they were crossed in front of the golem¡¯s face, clearly impatient to taste Gabe¡¯s blood. pping all four of the half-formed wings, they barely managed to escape diagonally to their right, though not before losing both left wings and getting a nasty cut below their ribs. ¡®What the hell?!¡¯ Percy moved their bottom-right wing opposite the upper-right one, to bnce it out. It was a nifty trick they¡¯de up with in the past few weeks, taking advantage of the fact their wings weren¡¯t actual body parts, allowing them to be shifted around somewhat freely. Their flight was a little lopsided, but hovering for a while longer wouldn¡¯t be an issue. ¡®I suppose this one won¡¯t let us recover between rounds.¡¯ Percy said as they rose higher, putting more distance from the ground. ¡®Geez¡­ Real dick move to change up the golems¡¯ tactics with no warning!¡¯ Gabe groaned. Had the gods in charge made the previous constructs passive out of kindness? Or had it all been a ruse to lure challengers into a false sense of security? Either way, their trouble had only just begun. Before the severed wings were done recovering, the golem tilted its head up, its eyes shing a shade brighter, sending a chill down their spine. Then, it moved again! It tossed its sabres in well-spaced intervals, the colossal des spinning as they sliced through the air towards them. Even in his current state, Gabe didn¡¯t have much difficulty manoeuvring around the projectiles, but that was beside the point. The shockwaves Percy had expected to hear never came, the weapons spluttering into blobs of liquid the moment they made contact with the cube¡¯s sides, rolling down the smooth walls. And the sludge constantly flowed to the golem¡¯s feet, its sabres reforming one after another, ensuring the construct would never run out of des to throw. ¡®Shit! It¡¯s going to tire us out eventually!¡¯ Percy noted. The barrage was a lot more forgiving than the rain of needles in the ¡®swarm¡¯ challenge, but it seemed like it could go on forever. While the wings didn¡¯t use up any of Gabe¡¯s mana, keeping them active and flying around was still mentally taxing. ¡®I guess we have to go on the offense.¡¯ Gabe shrugged. ¡®Yeah. I suppose that was the n all along.¡¯ Percy nodded. ¡®It¡¯s not like we can get the reward you need by dodging.¡¯ Their wings had recovered by now. They took a moment to rearrange them into their original configuration, before circling the golem cautiously. The good news was that the moment it threw each of its weapons, it was left with just two-and-a-half sabres, giving them a slight opening to attack. Though it wouldn¡¯t be long before the construct was back to its top shape. ¡®Let¡¯s use all our mana at once.¡¯ Percy suddenly suggested. ¡®There¡¯s no sense in rationing it, as it won¡¯t give us a chance to disengage anyway.¡¯ Gabe raised an eyebrow. ¡®But what if we fail? We¡¯ll bepletely defenceless.¡¯ he protested. ¡®You can still verbally terminate the challenge, can¡¯t you?¡¯ Percy reminded him. That was how Gabe had tried to escape from the ¡®swarm¡¯ challenge when things had gone downhill, though he¡¯d been a moment toote, leaving him riddled with fatal wounds by the time Percy found him. ¡®Right¡­ ok. I¡¯m going in.¡¯ the former replied. As soon as they dodged the next iing sabre, Gabe reinforced the upper pair of wings with fire mana, turning them white before pping them. Percy mirrored the motion with the lower pair, while also skilfully distributing the air mana throughout their body. Their vision blurred for a moment, but they¡¯d done this so many times in the past month they didn¡¯t need to see where they were going. Reaching the golem, the first of their zing axes cleaved at its neck, leaving a distorted afterglow in its wake. The concentrated mana burst into a wave of force and heat upon impact, spreading outwards from the point of collision. Gabe had to actually close his eyes to shield them from the sh, rendering the duo unable to gauge the extent of the damage they¡¯d dealt. Still, they felt their opponent¡¯s sabres bend and crack, though the attack ultimately failed to pierce through. But that was ok ¨C the second wing was just behind the first. This one finished the job, as shards of metal flew in all directions, the white de slicing through the damaged weapons before delivering a diagonal sh on the golem¡¯s torso. The construct staggered, its inscriptions even dimming for a moment¡­ But it didn¡¯t copse. Soon, the runes on its polished surface shone brightly again, as it swung the broken sabres towards Gabe. Percy mmed the second pair of wings against one another, right in front of their chest. The burst of wind pushed them backwards, letting them narrowly dodge the fragmented edges of metal thirsting for their flesh. ¡°C-cube¡­ Abort wave¡­ End challenge!¡± Gabe barely got the words out as the golem was already airborne, falling rapidly towards them. The two stumbled backwards in their desperate attempt to buy an extra fraction of a second, the shadow of the golem¡¯s visage shrouding their vision, as the viscous sludge enveloped their back, hugging their sinking body. Their pupils widened as they stared in horror at the colossal fist just inches from their face, about to smash their head open like a watermelon! Chapter 84: Persistence The sickening sound of their skull cracking never came. Gabe thought it might have already happened ¨C too fast for them to register ¨C but Percy had experienced enough deaths to be confident this wasn¡¯t it. Still, they held their breath, remaining motionless under the surface of the dark swamp, unsure whether the challenge had stopped in time, or whether the golem had simply lost track of them. It was most likely the former, but neither of the two was feeling brave enough to check. Sure enough, the liquid¡¯s level dropped soon, draining into the floor, exposing their body once more. Only then did they reluctantly open their eyes, before bursting intoboured breaths a momentter, their chest heaving up and down. ¡®Well¡­ That sure sucked¡­¡¯ Gabe said. ¡®Next time we fail ¨C and there will definitely be a next time ¨C PLEASE say the words faster.¡¯ Percy berated him. Gabe didn¡¯t respond, focusing on refilling his cores for a while. Only after they¡¯d fully recovered did he speak again. ¡®How are we going to get through this?¡¯ Sadly, Percy had no good answer for his host, feeling just as lost. Of course, they¡¯d encountered many difficulties during the previous waves too, but they¡¯d had plenty of options at the time. They¡¯d adjusted their tactics, honed their cooperation and magic, or grown more used to their opponents¡¯ moves. This time, things weren¡¯t as simple. They had no idea how to improve enough in the next couple of days, plus the golem¡¯s response had been too fast to read. They¡¯d basically attacked it blindly, at a speed they could hardly even grasp, yet that hadn¡¯t been enough. It had parried their offense rather easily. Despite going all out, they¡¯d barely broken through its defences, and even then, it had deflected the trajectory of their shes enough that they¡¯d no longer posed a threat to its integrity.¡®You¡¯re not going to like this, but I suggest we keep doing the exact same thing and hope we get lucky.¡¯ Percy said. Gabe¡¯s jaw ckened. ¡®That¡¯s the shittiest n ever!¡¯ heined. But Percy shook his head. ¡®It¡¯s all I¡¯ve got. Feel free to suggest something better.¡¯ Gabe groaned as he pushed himself up, his body hurting all over. While they¡¯d healed perfectly after the ¡°swarm¡± challenge, they¡¯d umted a lot of new injuries over the past few weeks. The peculiar thing was most of them had been self-inflicted. While he and Percy had done amendable job dodging most of the golems¡¯ attacks, the intense heat of their own spells had caused plenty of nasty burns all over their skin. Naturally, mages possessed high innate resistance to their own magic. That said, Gabe¡¯s blessing and bloodline already pushed his spells close to his limits. Adding the extra air mana into the mix, and the mes had grown a little too hot forfort. Unfortunately, beggars couldn¡¯t be choosers. They¡¯d needed every bit of firepower to even get this far. Plus, although Gabe had been forced to splurge a few credits on ointments and other remedies ¨C to his great dismay ¨C none of these injuries were life-threatening, so they¡¯d chosen to endure them. ¡®Let¡¯s do it then. I haven¡¯t gone through all this crap just to fail at thest juncture.¡¯ he said resolutely. Soon, they began the challenge anew. Knowing what to expect, they¡¯d already prepared beforehand, waiting for the golem to toss a couple of sabres their way, before diving in for an attack. Again, the sh had been too quick and far too hectic to fathom, though it had gone slightly better than the previous one. While the construct was still alive, this time it had lost two of its arms. Perhaps, this would have been the perfect opportunity for Gabe and Percy to finish it¡­ if they had any mana left ¨C which they didn¡¯t. ¡°Cube. Abort challenge.¡± the former spoke with a heavy heart once more, not giving their opponent the chance to retaliate. And about half an hourter, they went for their third attempt, managing tond a good blow on the golem¡¯s head, slicing a corner off. In fact, the injury had even left it disoriented for nearly half a minute, making them think this was their lucky break. Unfortunately, just when they repaired their wings enough to go for the finisher, the golem attacked, nearly beheading them before they hurriedly ended the challenge. ¡®Again.¡¯ Percy said. This time, they tried to sneak up on the golem from behind. To their great horror, they discovered it possessed eyes at the back of its head too! Not only that, but it could easily spin its arms around, causing the sh to go no better than the previous ones! Fifth attempt. Abort. Sixth. Seventh¡­ Tenth! Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Abort. Abort¡­ Abort! Gabe was sitting by the side of the cube, resting against the wall. They¡¯d recovered a few minutes ago, but they weren¡¯t in a rush to try again. Verbally terminating the challenge and restarting whenever it suited them might seem like a great loophole ¨C and it was, to an extent ¨C yet it wasn¡¯t without cost. Recovering their mana between rounds wasn¡¯t difficult, but they had no way to heal their wounds. By now, Gabe was aplete mess, his skin peeling and bleeding, his flesh battered and sore. Not to mention the risk of incurring much more serious injuries with each attempt. Two tries ago, they came this close to losing an arm, narrowly getting away with a nasty gouge on their shoulder. And Gabe couldn¡¯t just ask for more life mana if they seeded. He needed the soul mana, and he seriously doubted the cube would be generous enough to give him both. Also, they were running out of time. Fast. Percy could feel the patches falling apart one after the other. By now, he had to get creative, shifting around the mana, trying to keep their soul from crumbling before its time. ¡®Let¡¯s try fusing the affinities again.¡¯ Gabe suggested. ¡®I know it¡¯s a long shot, but it¡¯s the only thing we haven¡¯t tried.¡¯ Percy considered it for a few seconds. ¡®It¡¯s more than a long shot. The best we¡¯ve managed was weaker than your air mana alone. And we need something more destructive than your all-out attack¡­¡¯ Gabe grinned. ¡®As a wise man once said, ¡°feel free to suggest something better.¡±¡¯ ¡®Fine¡­ but let¡¯s practice for a couple hours without starting the challenge. No sense in testing a new spell while having an angry golem trying to slice us into strips¡­¡¯ *** Whether it was Remior or the Vault of Magic, less than 1% of the poption was born with aposite core. That said, these affinities were well understood, as they represented elements abundant in nature, such as mud, steam, or magma. So, while neither Gabe nor Percy had personally seen someone use the light affinity before, they had a pretty good idea what to expect. Sadly, that didn¡¯t seem to help them much in mastering it. ¡®Steady¡­ keep going.¡¯ Percy said, focused on the rotation and integrity of the small tornado between their palms. Gabe, on the other hand, was doing his best to lower the intensity and temperature of his own fire mana, trying to match his guest¡¯s output. ¡®I think we¡¯re nearly there.¡¯ he said, watching the mes spin. The air mana provided fuel for the fire, turning it hotter, while the heat allowed the air to move even faster. The twoponents were rapidly consumed, generating an effect more potent than the sum of its parts. The blue vortex grew brighter, though this wasn¡¯t due to Gabe¡¯s blessing. He was still doing his best to hold it back for now. Perhaps, they¡¯d need to add it to the finished productter, but for now their focus was on blending the affinities together. And as the scorching winds shrunk into a ball, their shape and colour shifted, turning the tornado into something different. A white sphere. It was so bright, it caused Gabe to look away. In fact, it seemed even hotter than his strongest mes, though it had lost much of its substance, turning matter into pure energy. ¡®So far so good.¡¯ Percy nodded. He couldn¡¯t help but salivate over the prospect of fusing his own mana back home. He knew it would be harder as neither of his affinities was elemental, which meant their fusion was inherently unstable. Still, the Moirais¡¯ books suggested it was possible. ¡®Stop daydreaming and focus on the sphere!¡¯ Gabe snapped him out of his thoughts. ¡®Right.¡¯ Percy replied as his attention returned to their project. This wasn¡¯t their first time getting to this point, but they needed to pour a lot more mana into the spell, and to control it much better before it could be used against the golem. The two coordinated to increase their input at the same rate, slowly expanding the radius of the sphere, as its blinding rays grew more intense. Gabe¡¯s eyes watered even through his closed eyelids, though they didn¡¯t stop. They needed this to work. Running out of ideas, they tried to divert the beam away from their body. Partial sess. About 70% of the light was directed to the front, though the remainder still hurt them. Even worse, the higher outputbined with their rough attempts at manipting the spell affected its stability, causing it to blink rapidly, putting it on the verge of fizzling out. ¡®I can¡¯t keep this up.¡¯ Gabe winced, before allowing it toe apart. Smoke wasing out of their palms, which had received the full brunt of the fused mana. ¡®Man, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve improved in thest few hours at all¡­¡¯ Percy noted. ¡®Me neither¡­ how are our souls doing?¡¯ Gabe asked. ¡®Not great. I¡¯ve had to actively expend my willpower to keep the patches stable for a while now. If we start fighting the golem again, we¡¯ll onlyst a few more tries¡­¡¯ Gabe plopped on the ground weakly, as Percy felt despair seeping through their connection. ¡®It¡¯s over. It was all for nothing.¡¯ the former said. ¡®It wasn¡¯t¡­ there¡¯s still one more thing I can try doing for you if we fail to beat the golem. Though you won¡¯t like it.¡¯ Gabe raised an eyebrow, prompting Percy to exin how his familiars worked. ¡®So, you¡¯re telling me I¡¯ll lose all my memories and potentially end up reincarnated as some vermin, small enough to fit in my palm? And that¡¯s the best-case scenario, assuming all the stars align? What¡¯s even the point?!¡¯ he asked. ¡®I know it sucks. It¡¯s why I didn¡¯t mention it earlier. Still, it¡¯s on the table if you want to try it.¡¯ Percy said. His host didn¡¯t respond immediately, taking some time to consider his options. Eventually, he spoke. ¡®Alright. If all else fails, I¡¯m willing to give it a shot. However, I¡¯d like to test onest thing before we resort to that.¡¯ he said. ¡®I¡¯m listening.¡¯ Percy replied. ¡®Well, it¡¯s nothing too revolutionary. Just a final gamble. So far, we¡¯ve split our efforts between making the spell powerful enough to damage the golem while also controlling it to keep ourselves safe.¡¯ Percy understood what his host was getting at. ¡®You want to ditch the second part.¡¯ Gabe nodded. ¡®I don¡¯t know if we¡¯ll seed, or what state my body will end up in, but it might be better than bing an amnesiac critter.¡¯ ¡®Alright. Start the challenge then.¡¯ Naturally, they¡¯d only get one chance, as they didn¡¯t have the luxury of injuring themselves repeatedly to hone their suicidal attack to perfection. Gabe went through the motions, restarting the wave, as the two summoned their wings and took to the air. The duo looked ahead as the ck metal began pouring down the walls of the cube, watching their opponent form once more. And this time, there would be no giving up. In a few short minutes, Percy would finally return to Remior. The only question was whether he¡¯d do so alone, or withpany¡­ Chapter 85: Gabe鈥檚 gamble Gabe¡¯s palms burned as the white sphere expanded between them. The dark blob rapidly took shape right below the duo, putting pressure on them to fuse their mana faster. Naturally, they¡¯d already abandoned all caution, willingly epting the painful cost of the technique. Their eyeballs felt like they were melting in their sockets, the entire front side of their body peeling. ¡®We need to time this right.¡¯ Gabe said. ¡®We¡¯ll only get one shot.¡¯ Percy nodded. ¡®Yes. There¡¯re three things we need to do at once. We have to push the rest of our mana into the sphere, while at the same time unleashing your blessing to raise the temperature even further. Meanwhile, I¡¯ll try to direct as much of the explosion towards the golem and away from our face.¡¯ ¡®Make those four things then. Let¡¯s also try tossing our wings into the mix. Even if the ambient mana fails to add to its strength, it might shield our body from some of the damage.¡¯ With the n set in stone, the duo held their breath, focused on their opponent¡¯s form. Of course, they couldn¡¯t gaze at it directly, as their head was tilted away from the radiant star thrumming between their hands, but they could still observe it through Mana Sense. The vague outline of Green finally finished taking the shape of the golem,plete with four sabres tightly grasped in its fists. Not wasting a moment, the two rushed to their tasks before their enemy started hurling weapons at them. First, they stopped pping the wings, only slightly adjusting them to maintain their orientation, allowing themselves to fall closer to the construct. Pushing all the mana out of their two cores, they let it gush through their channels, soon flooding the spell with an influx of fuel, causing it to burn brighter than ever before.The golem finally reacted, tossing the first sabre towards them. But they were ready for that. They dodged with a quick p of their upper wings, before returning to their previous position using the second pair. Next, estimating they were already close enough to the golem ¨C hardly three metres away ¨C they finally folded all four wings to their chest, dipping the tips into the sphere. To nobody¡¯s surprise, the mana from their sternum had already dominated its counterpart, technically making the attack more of a fire affinity spellced with hints of something else. Its temperature had already surpassed anything they¡¯d tried before, as it happily devoured part of the wings too. They heard the golem throw another de, but they didn¡¯t care. This one never reached their body, melting mid-flight, unable to withstand the intense heat of the sphere. SSS A few scorching dropletsnded on Gabe¡¯s skin, causing him to wince as his flesh sizzled even faster in those spots. If it hadn¡¯t been for his passive resistance to heat, he would have long turned to ashes by now. But the two were already far too deep to back down. When they were mere inches above the golem¡¯s head, they finally let go of the mana, doing their best to divert it away from their body. Making a shrill, high-pitched sound, the sphere burst out in every direction. The shockwave itself wasn¡¯t that powerful, as the spell¡¯s focus was its luminosity and heat. Thest thing Gabe and Percy saw through their closed eyelids was a sh of white, as a warm trickle rolled halfway down their cheeks, before evaporating. They could also tell when their left hand literally crumbled into dust. The entire front side of their body felt like it was dropped on a frying pan. Yet, despite all the pain and worry, Percy couldn¡¯t help but feel some fleeting pride over the sheer power of the spell he¡¯d just helped cast. It had truly pushed the upper limit of what a Green core should be capable of. That said, his Status remained silent, as this wasn¡¯t something he could reproduce on his own. Though, had he been the one responsible for naming it, he did have an idea what to call it¡­ The light affinity spell, Copsing Star. Luckily for them, the viscous tar coating the room¡¯s floor cushioned theirnding, sparing them from further injuries. Of course, the bubbling liquid was rather hot to the touch, but it couldn¡¯tpare to the attack they¡¯d just eaten to their face. Though it did aggravate their burns some more. Sinking to the bottom, they remained motionless on the floor, waiting with hope for their victory to be announced. And soon enough, the viscous metal was drained out of the room, as the soulless voice spoke again. ¡°Congratu¡­ cleared¡­ rewards¡­¡± The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the vition. The two had some trouble making the words out through the ringing in their ears, but there wasn¡¯t any question as to their contents. Oblivious to Percy¡¯s thoughts, the system kept speaking. ¡°Awarded¡­ Current¡­¡± ¡°Wave¡­ Bonus reward¡­ request¡­ limited¡­¡± ¡®Gabe! You¡¯re up!¡¯ Percy prodded his host after realizing he¡¯d remained silent for a few seconds too long. ¡®W-What happened?¡¯ thetter asked, apparently only now regaining consciousness. ¡®We¡¯ve done it! Get it to heal you! Remember to ask for the soul mana first.¡¯ Percy advised. Gabe tried nodding, but even this slight motion hurt. ¡°H-Heal¡­ my soul¡­ and my body.¡± he spoke in a hoarse voice. ¡°Evaluating request¡­¡± Percy sure hoped the cube had heard the message clearly. It would be so stupid to fail at thest stretch because of a simple mimunication. Luckily his worries had been misced, though the response wasn¡¯t the ideal one. Not that they heard it in its entirety, but they still made out the gist of it. ¡°Evaluationplete¡­ outside parameters¡­ only eligible¡­ one type of mana¡­ prioritize soul¡­?¡± ¡®It¡¯s your call Gabe. My offer is still up. What do you want to do?¡¯ Beforeing to the Vault, Percy had no intention of creating a second familiar anytime soon. While he¡¯d grown somewhat used to having two connections at the same time, it would inhibit his ability to send out more clones for the foreseeable future. Of course, it would be worth it if it was part of his project to get a Starry Wasp familiar, but that wasn¡¯t on the table right now. Sadly, he had no idea how to get his hands on a suitable egg. Still, he wouldn¡¯t abandon his new friend for his own convenience. ¡®What do you think about the state of my body?¡¯ thetter asked. Naturally, Gabe understood his own physiology better, but he knew Percy had possessed dozens of dying bodies in the past. Evidently, he could use a second opinion. Percy remained silent for a few moments, considering it. Every now and then, he tried moving a muscle, gauging the condition of his host¡¯s various body parts. ¡®I don¡¯t think your wounds are quite lethal, but they aren¡¯t exactly minor either. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve noticed some of the most egregious injuries already.¡¯ Gabe sent a mental nod back. He¡¯d lost both eyes and one hand. What wasn¡¯t as clear was whether the remaining limbs could be salvaged. Even if they could, the numerous burns on his body would easily take several months to heal. At first, Percy had thought his friend could just look for a mortal with the life affinity to heal him, but Gabe had already exined that was unlikely to work. Mortals in the Vault were highlypetitive, as the avable resources were limited. There was no sense of camaraderie between them, plus the gods liked things this way, as it helped them cultivate the strongest ones. Sadly, Gabe would only have himself to rely on. Worse still, his next opportunity to fix his body was decades away, at best. Even if he mastered the rest of his arsenal after Percy left, he couldn¡¯t reach the twelfth wave in either the ¡°swarm¡± or ¡°gauntlet¡± challenge. Probably not even if he¡¯d been healthy. Certainly not in his current state. Plus, getting into magiscript would be much harder now that he was both blind and crippled. In fact, advancing to Blue didn¡¯t exactly guarantee he¡¯d clear the sixth wave either. It was entirely possible he was stuck like this forever. ¡®I¡¯d still rather give this a shot¡­ I don¡¯t think reincarnation is my cup of tea¡­¡¯ he spoke after a while. Percy didn¡¯t say anything, respecting his host¡¯s decision. ¡°Heal my soul.¡± thetter said. By now, the ringing in their ears had subsided somewhat, letting them hear the cube¡¯s next words more clearly. ¡°umting soul mana. Healing begins in 6 rits.¡± Though they¡¯d been working towards this very moment for weeks, Percy was suddenly ovee by a wave of panic, realizing they were mere seconds away from parting for good. What was he even supposed to say to a friend he might never see again?! A crisp sound broke him out of his thoughts, as something soft brushed through the air. The familiar feeling of a cool dropletnding on their forehead was soon followed by a refreshing sensation spreading through their soul. Wherever it passed, the cracks in Gabe¡¯s soul rapidly closed. Not wishing to waste theirst few moments, Percy said the first thing that came to mind. ¡®I¡¯m so sorry for leaving you behind in such a shitty state.¡¯ Perhaps he should have gone with something more positive, but he did feel strongly about this. While Percy had only promised to do his best to help Gabe, returning to Remior without knowing whether he¡¯d seeded didn¡¯t sit well with him. Especially since he was leaving his friend crippled, and with a heavy secret to bear. However, a wave of amusement soon seeped through their bond. ¡®What are you apologizing for?¡¯ Gabe asked. ¡®It¡¯s not your fault I got myself killed before we met. As far as I¡¯m concerned, you¡¯re leaving me better than you found me.¡¯ Another droplet fell, causing Percy¡¯s soul wisp to recede even further down the mending cracks. The patches he¡¯d been struggling to hold together continued to fizzle out, no longer required. And as he started getting pushed out of the vessel, Percy noticed the pull of his main body had grown extremely strong, trying to pry him out of this world. But he wasn¡¯t thinking about that. His mind was focused on Gabe¡¯s words. Hearing his friend didn¡¯t me him lifted a weight off Percy¡¯s chest. ¡®Then I suppose the only thing left is to wish you a quick recovery. And¡­ who knows? Maybe I¡¯ll visit again sooner orter!¡¯ Gabe chuckled. ¡®Huh, as if it¡¯s so easy sneaking into this ce¡­¡¯ ¡®Hey, who do you think you¡¯re talking to?! I¡¯m the sneakiest guy in the universe!¡¯ Percy snapped back in mock outrage. ¡®In fact, all I need is some kind ofpass and I can stop wandering around blindly!¡¯ He was part-joking around of course, though he did mean what he said. Percy fully intended to find a proper way of navigating the cosmos eventually. There already were one or two ces he¡¯d like to return to, and he was sure there would be even more in the future. And just like that, the third dropletnded, the divine mana soon sealing thest few injuries in Gabe¡¯s soul, pushing Percy out. As the powerful cord on his back tensed, he was finally pulled away, as Gabe¡¯s final message echoed in his mind. ¡®Thanks, Percy¡­ For everything.¡¯ Chapter 86: BUMP The moment Percy was dragged out of Gabe¡¯s body, and before he had the chance to pick up much speed, something strange happened. BUMP ¡®What the hell was that? Did I hit something, or did something else collide with me?¡¯ It was weird because the only things he had ever interacted with in this disembodied state had been other souls. Plus, it had always been him running into them ¨C if not intentionally then at least knowingly. Though he didn¡¯t think much of it, continuing on his way to Remior, not feeling any different after the collision. Instead, his thoughts were upied by his recent experiences in the Vault. While the ce was positively rich with magical secrets, Percy had only managed to scratch the tip of the iceberg. Magiscript was arguably the Vault¡¯s most valuable art, but he hadcked the funds and the time to study it too deeply. After all, he couldn¡¯t have asked his dying friend to waste his limited credits on books and tutorials for his sake. ¡®That stingy jellyfish wouldn¡¯t have agreed anyway¡­¡¯ Consequently, leaving without learning how to inscribe a single rune was Percy¡¯s second greatest regret in this trip, only narrowly beaten by the bittersweet ending of Gabe¡¯s challenge. However, that was not to say he was without gains. ¡®I can¡¯t wait to apply everything we¡¯ve learned about the Moirai!¡¯ And soon enough, the wisp was back in its rightful body, the two sets of memories now blending into each other. The process took a little longer than usual, probably due to the greater volume of divergent memories he had to sift through. In fact, the memories themselves were fine ¨C it wasn¡¯t very difficult to logically arrange them. The bigger issue were the emotions.As it turned out, Percy¡¯s clone and main body had developed some distinct feelings during their time apart, some of them even in conflict with one another. For example, the main body had spent several monthspressing crystals, brewing elixirs and working on the new recipe with Orin. Suffice to say, he¡¯d grown a little fed up with alchemy by now. On the other hand, the clone had begun to miss it after the long vacation. So now that the two minds fused once more, Percy had to deal with all sorts of concurrent incongruities like that. By the time he was done, his head was throbbing, as he rested weakly on his bed. Only now did he remember it was the middle of the night. The clone¡¯s return had woken him up. ¡®Well, better than copsing in Orin¡¯s house, I suppose.¡¯ All in all, there had been plenty of interesting developments on both sides, so Percy nned to spend tomorrow rethinking his priorities. For now, he figured there was no better starting point than reading his Status. Percival Avalon Mana cores: Bloodline: Spells: Decrees: Percy¡¯s eyes widened upon reaching the end of his Status, the new words carrying some shocking implications. ¡®When did this happen?!¡¯ He and Gabe had checked their Status a few hours before starting thest wave of the challenge. The new Decree definitely hadn¡¯t been there at the time. More importantly, this was something targeting Percy specifically, having followed him all the way home! This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡®It must be what bumped into me right when I was leaving!¡¯ But what did this mean?! Obviously, their secrets had been exposed to the upper echelons of the Vault! Their hopes of hiding under the noses of a bunch of gods, while having all sorts of unusual interactions with the Vault¡¯s system had obviously been way too optimistic! ¡®Shit, what¡¯s going to happen now? Am I even safe here?!¡¯ Percy¡¯s heartbeat quickened, as all sorts of catastrophic scenarios shed through his mind. A few minutester, he realized panic wasn¡¯t helping, so he grabbed his shaking wrist to calm himself down. Only now did he register his bedsheets were stuck to his skin, drenched in cold sweat. ¡®Let¡¯s not jump to conclusions¡­ Metatron has clearly opted for a softer approach¡­¡¯ The titan could have chosen to appear before Percy at any point, forcibly capturing him, or performing all sorts of experiments on him against his will. Instead, he had remained silent, waiting for him to leave before passing him what was essentially an invitation. ¡®But why?!¡¯ The guy wasn¡¯t some sort of saint! Metatron was a callous man who had crafted one of the most brutal worlds Percy had ever heard of! Why would he care about the feelings of some random mortal?! Though, thinking about it from the god¡¯s perspective, it did make sense. The most precious thing his clones possessed was the Moirais¡¯ Decree. Of course, that was plenty valuable in and of itself, but Percy wasn¡¯t sure if Metatron could have snatched it by force. Maybe they could have tried extracting his soul from Gabe and cing it into a different body. However, he wasn¡¯t sure that would have worked. Perhaps he couldn¡¯t possess another body without using his ability first, or maybe they couldn¡¯t have fused his soul with somebody else¡¯s without his consent. Either way, it would have been a gamble. They¡¯d have risked everything to maybe grant one more person a second core. But had they failed, they would have lost their chance forever. However, Percy¡¯s main body possessed something far more valuable ¨C the very bloodline making all this possible in the first ce! If they could get their hands on him, they could pass the Moirais¡¯ Decree to as many people as they wanted! And who knew what else they could do with it?! ¡®This is still a gamble on his part though. The rewards are higher, but so is the risk¡­¡¯ Percy could always choose not to go. In that case, Metatron would lose everything. In fact, as much as he wanted to check up on his friend and to uncover more of the Vault¡¯s knowledge, Percy would be a fool to even consider it. These people treated their own children as disposable experiments! Who would be stupid enough to willingly ce themselves at their mercy?! ¡®But Metatron isn¡¯t an idiot. He obviously knows I would feel this way. Just what is his angle?¡¯ Did he think Percy would eventually get into a situation where he¡¯d have to use the Decree? It was possible¡­ After all, he was just a weak mortal. He wouldn¡¯t risk his life when he was safe, but what if he found himself cornered by a powerful enemy? Possible death was better than certain death, wasn¡¯t it? Did Metatron count on that happening sooner orter? ¡®Unless he doesn¡¯t even care about that. What if the Decree lets him do something else, like invading Remior at will?¡¯ The possibility sent a shiver down Percy¡¯s spine, but he quickly shook his head. It shouldn¡¯t be that easy. If it were, Metatron would have taken over the universe already. Besides, even if he could invade, it wasn¡¯t like Percy could do much to stop him. He had no idea how to get rid of the Decree and he wasn¡¯t selfless enough to kill himself or spill the beans to the Divine Order¡­ ¡®Actually, that might be what he wants me to do!¡¯ How would the gods react if they were to learn about all this? Perhaps, their safest bet would be to execute him on the spot. If things developed in such a way, he might be forced to escape to the Vault in desperation. ¡®It¡¯s best not to do anything rash. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m in any immediate danger.¡¯ In fact, Gabe was the one in trouble¡­ ¡®Shit! Gabe! Is he going to be alright?!¡¯ While Percy was by far the most valuable of the two, Gabe was still an important test subject. After all, Percy had already given him the Decree. Could his children inherit his second core? If so, Percy could see the Vault¡¯s gods forcing Gabe to sire a lot of kids. ¡®Hopefully the Decree doesn¡¯t propagate like that¡­¡¯ They could also try snatching it from him the same way Percy had passed it along in the first ce. Though that was likely impossible. If this hadn¡¯t been a unique feature of the Clone bloodline, other races would have long stolen it from the Moirai. Soul affinities were rare, yes, but still abundant at the cosmic scale. It was the of Percy¡¯s affinity and bloodline that was probably unprecedented. ¡®With any luck, they¡¯ll treat him as a valuable asset.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t hard to imagine. The Vault¡¯s deities were certainly self-centred, but also logical. Gabe had already been a Yellow-born with a blessing and a useful bloodline before Percy¡¯s interference. He was one of the chosen few they had kept around in the first ce. Now, his value had gone up again. Perhaps they¡¯d treat him kindly, investing in him rather than squeezing him dry of all he was worth. And not just due to his own potential, but also as a bargaining chip to use against Percy in the future. ¡®Either way, I can¡¯t do anything about it as I am.¡¯ Percy couldn¡¯t help butment his powerlessness once again. And it was more pronounced than ever before, now that he found himself opposite a titan of all people. But at least, Metatron didn¡¯t seem like he was nning to move against him directly anytime soon. He was probably ying the long game. Or at least, Percy had no alternative but to assume as much. Thinking of a possibility, he grinned. ¡®Then, I guess I can y games too.¡¯ Chapter 87: Advancement Chapter 87: Advancement Percy tried ¨C and failed ¨C to get some more sleep following his clone¡¯s return. His insomnia wasrgely a symptom of his stress. He couldn¡¯t help but nce around the room every few seconds, fully expecting to see Metatron standing there, smirking at him. Only when the sun rose did Percy finally shake off his rampant paranoia. Of course, logic had told him hours ago he¡¯d most likely be alright, but it wasn¡¯t until the warm rays snuck past the curtains, gently caressing his face, that he managed to put his worry to rest. Though, the new Decree hadn¡¯t been the only thing keeping him awake. There was more ¨C some of it even being good news! While he¡¯d been exhausted after another day of brewing, he was always a little reinvigorated whenever a clone returned. The missing soul fragments tended to fill him with energy as they settled in their rightful ce. And to top it all off, today was special in more ways than one. ¡®It¡¯s finally happening!¡¯ Percy struggled to contain his bubbling enthusiasm. Through an amusing stroke of luck, the end of his trip had coincided with another important development. The first strands of Orange had appeared in Percy¡¯s second core the day before! Estimating that around 12 hours had passed since thest dose, he sat cross-legged on the bed, before stretching his arm to grab a gemstone vial from the nightstand. POP¡­ PTUI Naturally, Percy didn¡¯t miss a beat, uncorking it and spitting out the lid with a single motion, gulping its contents down before the cork evennded on the floor. And as soon as the elixir settled in his stomach, he drew some mana from his abdomen, swirling the two substances together with practiced ease. Only when the deattuned beast mana finished bonding to his own did he begin circting them back and forth to his second core.Percy activated Mana Sense, watching as wave upon wave of mana washed over the crystalline walls. Usually, one didn¡¯t need to directly observe the purification process, but he wouldn¡¯t miss this moment for the world. Whenever he pulled the mixture inwards, it chipped away at some of the dimmer Red segments, causing his abdomen to itch. And every time he pushed the mana outwards, the impurities were the first to go, leaving the ethereal organ a little emptier, though its contents purer. At the beginning, only a single new strand appeared during each revolution. At that speed, it would take several days for the promotion to bepleted. Luckily, it didn¡¯t work like that, as the purification rate tended to snowball as one inched closer to the finish line. Two strands appeared together during the fourth cycle, while five of them popped up at once by the tenth. However, it was still a bit slow. ¡®It¡¯s not going to be enough¡­¡¯ Percy couldn¡¯t help but crack a bitter smile. The advancement was around halfwayplete, though the elixir in his stomach was already nearly exhausted. Not that it was the end of the world. Far from it! It just meant he¡¯d have toplete the promotion in the evening. He¡¯d already waited years for this moment ¨C he could wait a few more hours. ¡®But it¡¯s a little anticlimactic¡­¡¯ epting it simply wasn¡¯t meant to be, he watched thest traces of elixir about to be consumed. Yet, something suddenly changed. At first, a single new strand appeared. It wasn¡¯t enough to fill the core by itself, but that was only the beginning. Having crossed some kind of threshold, the neer soon attracted its neighbours, as the pure lines of Orange mana twisted together, forming a thicker band. And it seemed to exert some influence on the smaller ones, starting a chain reaction. More of them joined together, as the thicker ropes also began attracting one another. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Yet there was some final barrier preventing those from merging. They tried to, but couldn¡¯t take thest step, causing them to swirl around the organ even more violently than before. Their endsshed out against the walls of the core, scraping more impurities out. This caused Percy¡¯s abdomen to burn more intensely than it usually did after a purification session. Of course, he didn¡¯t panic. Having experienced this before, he knew what to expect. As the thicker ropes purified the core, they allowed more of the thinner ones to appear. With nowhere to go, they had no choice but to merge much like their predecessors had done mere moments ago. The situation kept escting, until the core was filled with only thick bands before long. By now, the Orange colour had overwhelmingly dominated the Red, leaving no more space for new strands to form. This seemed to push the reaction to its final stage, as the densely packed ropes overcame the barrier, fusing together. The rest happened too fast for Percy to register. With a satisfying sound reverberating through his body, all his core¡¯s contents fused into a singr blob of Orange, sshing down at the bottom of the organ. The new mana was a lot denser than before, only filling up about a third of the volume. Though that could easily be fixed. Taking a few deep breaths, Percy quickly replenished his reserves over the next couple of minutes, as a potent wave of vitality washed over his body and soul, elevating every inch of his existence. His senses grew sharper, letting him observe details in the room he¡¯d never quite noticed before. His thoughts became clearer, as time even seemed to slow down a little. But the greatest improvement was to his physical strength, as his muscles twitched, their fibres coursing with new vigour. ¡®I¡¯ll never get tired of this.¡¯ Advancing to a higher grade was easily the greatest joy for a mage,fortably beating even the exhration felt after mastering a new spell. It was something most people would only get to experience a few times in their life. Well, high-borns like ine might do it a couple more, but they also tended to live much longer, so it averaged out. Either way, Percy got to enjoy the rare privilege of going through each milestone twice! ¡®And it hasn¡¯t even been 5 years yet!¡¯ The thought reminded him to grab a bowl of cyan powder he¡¯d prepared on the nightstand before going to bed. Dripping a ssh of water from a nearby cup, he hastily mixed the two materials into paste before downing it. It hadn¡¯t been that long since he began using the miraculous substance, but it had already proven its worth, having shaved several months off his advancement time. In fact, he¡¯d probably just set a brand-new record ¨C unbeknownst to anyone ¨C for the fastest promotion on Remior! Furthermore, it would probably be even more effective when he and Orin finalized the new recipe, fully integrating the cyan powder into the elixirs. Something they were extremely close to doing! ¡®But not today¡­¡¯ Percy had already notified his mentor he was going to take the day off. After all, he had a new toy he couldn¡¯t wait to y around with. And it wasn¡¯t even just for fun. He did need to get used to how his spells felt after the advancement, to avoid any surprises in case he ended up in a fight. Furthermore, this promotion would have a significant impact on his ability to condense the crystals, hopefully letting him produce more of them per day. Right now, he could still barely keep up with his needs, but he had to greatly increase his output if he wanted to make money off the new elixirs. ¡®I suppose it¡¯s time to pay my good old friends ¨C the Starry Soldiers ¨C a visit.¡¯ It had been around a year since Percy made the switch to full-time alchemy. Suffice to say, hisbat skills had probably grown a little rusty, making this a great opportunity to get in shape again. He could put his new power to the test, while also stretching his limbs. Leaping to his feet, he took a couple minutes to wash up, before grabbing another dose of elixir and paste for the road. Leaving his house, he sent a message to his familiar. ¡®Morning, buddy! I¡¯m on the way to the Spire! Man, I¡¯ve actually missed you!¡¯ ¡®CAW?¡¯ the crow sent him a questioning sound back. From the bird¡¯s perspective, they¡¯d only met a couple days ago. Well, technically the same was true for Percy, but he was still sorting through his conflicting emotions. ¡®It¡¯splicated.¡¯ he said, not bothering to exin. A few hourster, Percy stood on a giant mushroom, with Micky sitting a few metres away. The former took deep breaths, appreciating the colourful motes boosting his regeneration. Of course, they had them in the settlement too, but fewer made it indoors where he spent most of his time. It was nice getting some fresh air for a change. Around three dozen paces ahead, a wasp the size of a man was strolling carelessly atop the colossal fungus,pletely oblivious to the grim fate that awaited it. Two sets of glowing lines thrummed underneath Percy¡¯s skin, as he cracked his fists, eagerly eyeing his prey. ¡®Well then¡­¡¯ Chapter 88: Synchronization Chapter 88: Synchronization The soldier stabbed repeatedly with its stinger, trying to poke holes into Percy¡¯s brain. Though thetter didn¡¯t have much difficulty dodging. ¡®I can¡¯t believe I even missed the scent of their acid¡­¡¯ he thought, sniffing the acrid odour, unbothered by the slight burning sensation in his nostrils. Ok¡­ perhaps he needed to get out of theb more. Brewing nonstop was clearly driving him insane. In any case, Percy had yet to summon any of his weapons, nor had he used a spell other than Cirction. Maybe it was a little reckless of him, taking on a beast a full grade higher barehanded ¨C especially right after such a long break from hunting. That said, his newly sharpened reflexes seemed to carry him just fine. Not that he wasn¡¯t a little out of shape, yet it wasn¡¯t nearly as bad as he¡¯d expected. Fighting alongside Gabe over the past month must¡¯ve helped. While Percy had only been in partial control of his friend¡¯s body, and while his host¡¯s style had been very different to his own, they¡¯d still faced off against elite opponents at Green. That was a level Percy wasn¡¯t even remotely ready to touch by himself. Evidently, the experience had been more than a little eye-opening. ¡®But why does this feel off?¡¯ He¡¯d already casually evaded dozens of lunges, his agility having grown to a monstrous level following the promotion. The wasp even showed signs of tiring by now. Yet, Percy just couldn¡¯t shake this irritating feeling he wasn¡¯t giving it his all. ¡®Weird. I¡¯m using both instances of Cirction at maximum output.¡¯ Oblivious to his thoughts, the insect suddenly disengaged, flying a little higher. Percy wasn¡¯t surprised, having expected it to resort to this move sooner orter. He tensed his calves, preparing for the iing attack. Probably realizing it was outmatched, the wasp didn¡¯t hold back, desperately releasing all its venom at once.Three blobs of purple spread above Percy. Yet it only took him two steps to escape the ssh zone,fortably leaping out of the expanding shadows with plenty of time to spare. SSSSSSSSSSSSSSS Perhaps, the sheer ease by which he¡¯d evaded the deadly acid should have satisfied him. However, it only exacerbated the feeling there was something more. It simmered beneath the surface, waiting to be unleashed. ¡®I suppose the advancement has opened a new door for me¡­ Can I push Cirction even further?¡¯ Putting some distance from the bug, he turned his senses inwards. This arrangement suited the wasp fine, as it wasn¡¯t in a hurry to follow, instead taking the opportunity to recover a little. But Percy didn¡¯t care about his cowardly opponent, his focus now entirely on the ethereal organ in his abdomen. The core was filled to the brim with mana, as more kept flowing in and out to his channels. In fact, the pathways were all stretched to their limits too, making them unable to amodate another drop. Or well¡­ that should have been the case. However, they didn¡¯t seem quite as strained as usual upon further examination. Shifting his gaze towards the one in his sternum, he noticed the same phenomenon happening in the second set of channels. The flow coursing through them was about as potent as it normally was, yet he felt he could push it further if he really tried. ¡®Strange. Is it because both my cores are at the same grade now?¡¯ The interesting thing about Cirction was it both strengthened one¡¯s body and required it to be stronger. That was why Percy had needed to exercise for several months before he could use it. It was all about finding the highest stable level at which the spell could operate without harming him. But what happened if a mage had two cores and just as many instances of Cirction? Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any urrences. ¡®Let¡¯s find out.¡¯ Taking another breath, Percy pushed more pure mana into his abdomen, forcing it into the corresponding channels. He encountered a lot of resistance ¨C his whole body hurt ¨C but the pathways ultimately swelled a little further to amodate his wishes. Next, he repeated the process with soul mana, which was even more painful. He couldn¡¯t help but wince as the maelstrom swirled more violently, carving nasty grooves in his soul. But it held. Percy paused for a moment to examine his body. Overall, the gains were minuscule ¨C hardly worth the trouble so far. That said, he couldn¡¯t help but notice his channels felt slightly less saturated once more. ¡®Is this some sort of positive feedback loop between the two cores?¡¯ ¡°CAW!¡± Micky called out to him, a trace of worry worming its way into his voice. ¡®Don¡¯t worry buddy¡­ I¡¯m being careful.¡¯ Over the next few minutes, Percy continued to push his body further and further, one tiny step at a time. Eventually, there seemed to be no more room for improvement, as both sets of channels settled at their new upper limit. Only then did Percy stop using Mana Sense, examining himself through his eyes. His muscles had swollen even more than they usually did, his flesh now painted a deep crimson colour. His veins throbbed, as the glow from the cyan and silver lines was almost blinding. And most curiously, motes of mana leaked out of his pores about as fast as they were being replenished, giving his skin a magical sheen, shrouding his body in a dual halo. ¡®Ugh¡­ this is going to take some getting used to¡­¡¯ Everything ached, from head to toe. Not just his flesh, but his soul too. And that was without even mentioning how taxing it was on his mind. While Percy could normally use Cirction all day long, he¡¯d be lucky if he could keep this version up for a couple of hours. ¡®Another project to work towards, I guess.¡¯ Still, he couldn¡¯t help but crack a smile, eager to put this power to the test. He stretched his limbs and flexed his muscles, hearing all sorts of popping soundsing from his joints. Then he took a step forward. BZZZZZZZ The Starry Soldier had spent thest few minutes staring at him cautiously, but it appeared to have run out of patience, Percy¡¯s current appearance scaring it out of its mind. It turned around without missing a beat, fleeing at top speed, leaving Percy staring at its back with his mouth agape. ¡°Seriously?! Come back here!¡± he yelled, running after it. At first, the wasp looked like it was going to get away ¨C it was a fast one even among Yellow beasts. It also didn¡¯t help Percy¡¯s steps were measured, as he was careful not to overexert his body before understanding his limits. However, he didn¡¯t need to be so cautious, as the spell seemed to work as advertised. It greatly boosted both his mobility and resilience, letting him easily keep up with the creature, elerating with each stride. Before long, he was confidently gaining ground on the bug, leaving it no choice but to fly upwards, trying to escape to the sky. ¡®As if I¡¯ll let you!¡¯ Percy quickly formed a silver sickle before throwing it above the creature, blocking its path. The chase went on for a little longer as he drew nearer and nearer, tossing projectiles at his prey whenever it tried taking an inconvenient turn. Eventually, the wasp understood it wasn¡¯t going to get away, suddenly turning around tond a sneaky stab in Percy¡¯s eye. But the young man grinned, his passive Soul Vision having already warned him. With some elegant footwork, he pivoted around the giant insect, soon finding himself staring at it from behind. Before the beast could even tell what was happening, he jumped to its back, stepping on its smooth exoskeleton, grabbing a membranous wing with each hand. The Starry Soldier crashnded on the giant mushroom, sliding along its surface for about a dozen metres beforeing to a halt. It struggled weakly for a few moments, trying to shake Percy off. Not particrly bothered, he took his time pulling out the thin tes of chitin held in his palms. At some point, the insect did manage to shake him off, but only because his footing loosened after ripping the wings out of their sockets. Next, the creature pounced on him, the two rolling atop the giant fungus engaged in a slugfest. Of course, Percy could easily put an end to this charade at any point with a Parting Gift. But he didn¡¯t. He wanted to savour his new spell, exploring the limits of his physical strength. He dodged the bug¡¯s sharp mandibles, ignoring the putrid droplets of spittle they spread every time they moved. With every opportunity, he tore out another of the wasp¡¯s limbs, slowly wrestling the beast to the ground, ripping it apart inch by inch. Eventually, he stood alone amidst a sticky pool of green, filled with severed chunks of bug flesh. His face and hands were covered in the substance too, though his robes had done their job once more, the enchanted fabric looking about as immacte as it had earlier that morning. Percy breathed hard, the fight ¨C or at least the way in which he¡¯d stubbornly chosen to conduct it ¨C having taken its toll on him. Yet his face beamed with a radiant smile, as he revelled in his new strength. And only now did the Status see fit to announce histest aplishment. [Congrattions! Your spell has evolved: Cirction ¨C Refined -> Synchronization ¨C Refined!] Chapter 89: Condensing crystals ¡°Neat!¡± Strictly speaking, Synchronization was only ssified as ¡®Refined¡¯, like Cirction. However, this was still impressive in many ways. Generally, the Status avoided registering an upgrade within the same ss, unless the spell in question was a qualitative improvement over its predecessor. ¡®Though I hope it¡¯spatible with the Dance.¡¯ Of course, Percy didn¡¯t know how to get his hands on the final step of the technique. The only clue Micky had left him was it had something to do with ambient mana, but that wasn¡¯t much to go with. That said, he hoped he wouldn¡¯t have to choose between that and Synchronization. CAW! The crownded next to him, diving into the mess of wasp parts. It tossed the bigger chunks away with its beak, asionally swallowing one of the smaller pieces, while searching for the core. ¡®Wow, you could at least pretend to be excited over my new spell.¡¯ Percyined in a faux-offended tone. Though Micky just ignored him. Only after the familiar was done eating did the two head back to the settlement. They took their sweet time catching up, as they weren¡¯t in a rush, wanting to make the most of this rare vacation while itsted. ¡®At some point, I¡¯ll need to teach him how to speak.¡¯Due to his unique circumstances, Micky was more than smart enough to learn thenguage. Communicating via feelings and images was certainly convenient, but it wouldn¡¯t hurt to have the ability to talk to other people. Well, assuming his physiology even allowed it. ¡®It¡¯ll be easier after his next advancement¡­ Plus, I¡¯m a little swamped right now.¡¯ Percy sighed. His original goal for today had been to test his entire kit, though his overindulgence in his new toy had left his body battered and sore, forcing him to leave earlier. It was a bit of a bummer, especially since he also looked forward to fusing his affinities. ¡®I suppose I¡¯ll have to try that some other time.¡¯ Once they approached the bridges leading to the ground level, they finally parted ways. Entering the Guild, Percy headed straight to Freddy¡¯s stand, waving at the plump vendor as soon as he came into view. Thetter waved back absentmindedly at first, though his eyes widened upon noticing Percy¡¯s condition. ¡°Holy shit! What happened to you?!¡± ¡°I got in a messy situation out there¡­¡± Percy replied vaguely. However, upon seeing the colour fade from his friend¡¯s face, he hurriedly added, ¡°Ah! But don¡¯t worry about it! I¡¯m not injured! Just tired¡­ and filthy¡­ and¡­ very, very hungry!¡± The response seemed to calm Freddy down, though the man still raised an eyebrow. ¡°Since when did you return to hunting anyway? I thought you switched to alchemy a while ago.¡± Percy shrugged. ¡°I did. I was on a break today.¡± Freddy chuckled, thinking it was a joke. It wasn¡¯t until a momentter he seemed to realize Percy wasn¡¯t kidding. ¡°Seriously?! Who goes hunting on their break?!¡± he asked in exasperation. ¡°Man, you should really get yourself a hobby!¡± Percy didn¡¯t take any offense, knowing the guy was just looking out for him. ¡°You know what they say¡­ Happy is the man who turns his hobby into a profession.¡± This tale has been uwfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Oh? Is that what you did? Turned your hobby into a profession?¡± Freddy scoffed. ¡°Well, not exactly.¡± Percy admitted, before grinning. ¡°But I think I¡¯m close to turning my former profession into a hobby!¡± Freddy rolled his eyes, though Percy didn¡¯t miss the subtle smile tugging at his pal¡¯s lips. ¡°Anyway¡­ You¡¯re here for the usual I assume?¡± Freddy asked, changing the topic. Percy nodded before passing him a brown chip. Freddy handed him the Honey Roll, grimacing as he tried and failed to wipe the grime off the change. Percy didn¡¯t pay him much attention, his focus soon shifting to his snack. Pouncing on it like a famished wolf, he¡¯d already devoured half of it by the time his friend finished cleaning the coin. ¡°Wow. It¡¯s almost like you didn¡¯t have onest night.¡± Freddy said, getting another shrug back. A few minutester, Percy arrived at his house. Though he¡¯d been too tired to keep fighting the bugs, it was still bright outside, so he wasn¡¯t going to bed just yet. There was something else he wanted to figure out before returning to work tomorrow. After taking a quick shower, he sat on the floor, pulling some pure mana out of his abdomen. He¡¯d shaven a lot of time off Crystallization over thest year, but each marble still took him over an hour to make, which wasn¡¯t ideal. ¡®Let¡¯s see how much faster I can do it now. First, without Cirction.¡¯ Forming the cyan blob between his hands, he exerted all his strength, pressing down on it with physical and magical might alike. Normally, Percy hated producing the crystals more than anything else he¡¯d done over the years. It was no less exhausting than his most difficult fights, and even more monotonous than alchemy. At least when brewing elixirs, every batch was unique, making the process interactive and somewhat engaging. This, instead, was sitting still for hours on end, doing the exact same thing over and over. In fact, he couldn¡¯t even think about something else to distract himself. The tedious task required nothing short of his full attention and willpower. Of course, he didn¡¯t really have a choice. It wasn¡¯t the first sacrifice he¡¯d had to make during his magical journey, nor would it be thest. ¡®Maybe I shouldn¡¯t be doing this on my day off though¡­¡¯ Then again, this was a special asion. The mere idea of evaluating his gains post-advancement filled him with anticipation, breathing some fresh air into the stale process. The sphere continued to shrink as Percy kept pushing. He felt no different than when he usually did it ¨C he was just as tired, his body drenched in sweat. Yet, the results spoke for themselves. POP ¡®Wow, that was much faster indeed.¡¯ He wiped his forehead with his arm, his chest heaving up and down. Perhaps he shouldn¡¯t have been in a rush to take a shower before starting. Though having to wash up twice was definitely preferrable to getting wasp goo all over his room. ¡®Around forty minutes, give or take.¡¯ he estimated, pinching the cyan marble between his thumb and index finger. Then, he grinned. ¡®I¡¯ve finally beaten her!¡¯ Having a one-sidedpetition against a sick olddy struggling to provide for her vige admittedly wasn¡¯t Percy¡¯s ssiest moment. Especially since the poor woman hadn¡¯t the slightest idea some random kid across the cosmos had set her as a personal goal to surpass. But hey, Percy thought being a littlepetitive was one of his better traits! It motivated him to keep improving! Plus, he wasn¡¯t hurting anybody! In any case, the experiment wasn¡¯t over yet. In fact, the main event had yet to begin. Taking a few deep breaths, he activated Cirction with both cores, though he didn¡¯t push it beyond the usual limit. For now, this was the state he¡¯d be using most of the time whilepressing the crystals ¨C at least until he grew more ustomed to Synchronization. Repeating the process once more, he soon ended up with a second marble in his palm. ¡¯20 minutes¡­¡¯ It was good. Over three times faster than before the promotion, which was definitely going to help once the new recipe wasplete. However, Percy wasn¡¯t done. While he still had to iron the kinks out of histest spell, he just couldn¡¯t wait to put it to the test. Retracing his actions from earlier that morning, he incrementally raised the intensity of the two instances of Cirction, until his channels couldn¡¯t fit any more mana. Realizing the process had taken him a while, he frowned. ¡®I¡¯ll have to work on the activation time too, not just the endurance. I can¡¯t afford to spend this long in a fight.¡¯ But that was a problem for the future. Manifesting another blob between his hands, he quickly began thepression process again, soon beating his record for the third time that day. ¡¯15 minutes!¡¯ The difference wasn¡¯t huge, but Percy knew an opportunity when he saw it. If he spent as long as possible making the marbles with Synchronization active, he¡¯d not only increase his output a little, but it would also help him get used to the new spell, killing two birds with one stone. ¡®Great! Efficiency is king.¡¯ he smiled, though his expression soon soured. Now that his end of the manufacturing process was settled, he had a few more obstacles to deal with, standing between him and untold riches. ¡®On the bright side, Metatron still hasn¡¯t kidnapped me.¡¯ Chapter 90: Compromise The blueish-green concoction stopped boiling, giving Percy a moment of reprieve. But he couldn¡¯t rx for long. The mixture was currently unstable, so dying could easily cause the yield to suffer. Moving quickly, he grabbed a pinch of ground leaves he¡¯d prepared earlier, tossing the colourful dust in the cauldron. Next, he turned up the temperature much higher than before, stirring it again. ¡°The rainbow grass seems to work!¡± Orin eximed as he watched it bubble. Upon learning of the cyan paste¡¯s ability to mend one¡¯s core, Percy had been trying to incorporate it directly into the elixirs, aiming to maximize its effectiveness. The first additional step had been rtively simple. He¡¯d only needed to mix the powder with a finished elixir. Naturally, it had involved some heating and stirring, much like the previous steps. That had allowed the crystallized mana to bond with the beast mana already present. And of course, this hadn¡¯t been veryplicated, so Percy had actually seeded on his first try! However, the resulting elixir hadn¡¯t worked as intended. The moment he added his own mana to the concoction, it reacted violently inside his stomach, nearly injuring him. After some reflection, the problem had be clear. The recipe for the regr elixirs involved three stages,monly referred to as the ¡°three pirs¡± of alchemy. First, the pacification step dyed the activation of the beast mana, allowing the elixir to work gradually over several minutes rather than surging through the mage¡¯s body all at once. During the redirection step, the beast mana was modified to target impurities more strongly than the rest of the core, enhancing the elixir¡¯s purifying effects. Finally, the deattunement step allowed the beast mana to blend more easily with the first new type of mana it encountered, so that it could be guided through the user¡¯s channels. And this was exactly where the problem lied. It was precisely because of deattunement that the cyan powder could bond with the beast mana. However, that meant the elixir was no longer deattuned afterwards. Of course, the solution had been rather obvious too. Since the deattunement was ¡°used up¡± after adding the cyan powder, all Percy had to do was deattune it a second time. Essentially, the new recipe required five steps now: pacification, redirection, deattunement, bonding and then deattunement again!Though that came with its own set of challenges. To start, the same ingredient used for the first round of deattunement couldn¡¯t be used again. At least not without massively impacting the yield and quality of the elixir. In fact, the same was true for the overall procedure. Percy and Orin had discovered it was best to perform the second deattunement at a much higher temperature. That meant they¡¯d needed to modify the procedure, fine-tuning everything to amodate the changes. Furthermore, not all ingredients could handle the increased heat, greatly narrowing down their options. Ground rainbow grass was simply the most recent in a long string of experiments. ¡°It¡¯s done!¡± Percy said once the mixture settled into a turquoise gel. Distilling the contents of the cauldron into a vial was a struggle, his hands shaking from excitement. ¡°Let¡¯s not get ahead of ourselves. We need to make sure it works first.¡± Orin said, though Percy didn¡¯t miss the grin on his mentor¡¯s face. Stretching out his arm, he offered him the experimental product, but the old alchemist shook his head. ¡°You do the honours. It¡¯s your recipe.¡± Orin said. It was true. Percy had led the whole endeavour, testing all the provisional iterations by himself. As for his mentor, he¡¯d only taken on a supporting role, giving him tips and advice whenever he got stuck. ¡°Bottom¡¯s up then.¡± he said, before gulping down the liquid. It tasted just as bitter as the regr elixirs. At least, the second round of deattunement seemed to have done its job, his soul mana easily blending with the substance, guiding it to his core with no issues. And the moment it reached the ethereal organ, it behaved in a very peculiar way. His sternum both burned and itched at the same time. The exotic substance washed over the core¡¯s walls, chipping away at the impurities, mending the resulting scars right afterwards. It was somehow even more unpleasant than the regr elixirs! A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the vition. While the damage it left behind was greatly reduced, the dual action of the two materials was rather intense. That was in stark contrast to the refreshing effect of the cyan paste Percy had grown fond of over the past year. ¡°Well?¡± Orin impatiently asked about half an hourter. Only then did Percy shift his gaze back to his mentor, remembering he was still in thetter¡¯sb. ¡°I guess we¡¯ll have to wait a few hours to make sure, but I believe it works.¡± ¡°How effective do you think it is?¡± Percy spent a few moments gauging the state of his core. It was better than if he¡¯d used the elixir and paste separately, though it was hard to estimate exactly by how much. ¡°I think I¡¯ll be able to drink three of these per day.¡± he ultimately concluded. The old alchemist drew a sharp breath, clearly finding Percy¡¯s assessment difficult to ept. Perhaps, he wouldn¡¯t have been so surprised if his student hade clean about the details of the cyan powder and paste. Percy had actually held back a lot of information about the substance. For example, he¡¯d yet to disclose where he got it from, nor had he told Orin it could be used even without fusing it into the elixirs. Obviously, the old alchemist wasn¡¯t dumb ¨C he could tell Percy hadn¡¯t been entirely honest. Though they¡¯d tacitly agreed to postpone their inevitable argument for after the recipe was perfected. Which, unfortunately, was now. Pulling a couple of chairs from a nearby desk, Orin moved one close to Percy, before sitting on the other. ¡°Percy¡­ you know we have to talk about this, right?¡± The young man shrugged, taking a seat. ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t bring it up before now.¡± ¡°I considered it. But to tell you the truth, I wasn¡¯t entirely convinced by your im you could improve the elixirs. It sounded too good to be true. That said, this has been a fun project, so I figured I¡¯d indulge you and see where it went.¡± Percy remained silent for a while, contemting his mentor¡¯s words. Thetter¡¯s exnation was pretty much in line with his guess. ¡°Now what? You know where I stand, don¡¯t you?¡± he asked. ¡°I imagine you want to keep this knowledge to yourself. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have been so secretive in the first ce.¡± Orin said, getting a nod back. ¡°Yes! I need this! I¡¯m just a Red-born! I worked hard for a chance to catch up to my peers!¡± But the old alchemist shook his head. ¡°You understand me well enough too. I can¡¯t agree with that.¡± Of course not. Orin was too nice and too principled to hold back such a huge breakthrough from the rest of Remior¡­ It was why Percy had been dreading this conversation. In fact, he would have tried modifying the recipe on his own if it had been an option. Sadly, he¡¯d need years to aplish that without help. Orin smiled bitterly. ¡°Son, I know it¡¯s not fair. You did work hard for this¡­ But this is bigger than you or I. Our whole world can benefit from this knowledge! Everyone will reach higher grades! We¡¯ll get more Violet cores! More gods!¡± Percy clenched his fists. ¡°I care about Remior! Believe me, I do! And I get how important this is. If some faction invades us, this recipe might make the difference between everyone I know surviving or getting enved!¡± he said. It was the same conundrum he had about sharing any of the other gains his clones brought back. Though this was a little different. It was easier to im he¡¯d identally stumbled upon the cyan powder. That wasn¡¯t the case with an intricate spell like Cirction, or the Moirais¡¯ Decree. ¡°But I need to think about myself too! Nobody else will! I¡¯m currently at the bottom of the barrel. This can help me climb higher. Even if Remior was the strongest world in the universe, it won¡¯t mean a damn thing when a random noble steps on me like a bug!¡± Orin ced his hand on Percy¡¯s shoulder, gently squeezing it. ¡°Kid, even if we publicize the new elixirs, you¡¯ll still benefit from them. I¡¯ll make sure you do! If you can¡¯t afford them without my help, I¡¯ll brew you some personally! If you don¡¯t want people to know you came up with the recipe, I¡¯ll pretend it was my idea! No matter what, I promise I won¡¯t let you suffer a loss!¡± Percy felt a fuzzy feeling in his chest. Orin had already done so much for him. He¡¯d mentored him, sponsored him and even helped him with the new recipe. Now he was offering to shield him from all the repercussions too. Still¡­ ¡°It¡¯s not that simple. Power is rtive. If everyone gets an advantage, then nobody does. Besides, it¡¯s not just about the advancement speed. I was nning to mize the new recipe. I need the funds...¡± Percy¡¯s voice trailed off. He couldn¡¯t tell Orin about Micky, or the enlightenment potions. As much as the man cared about him, his reaction would be the same. And unlike the cyan powder, none of his other secrets were safe to leak. With this, he could at least cut his losses if things went downhill. At worst, he¡¯d miss out on a potential advantage. But the rest could actually endanger him. Orin was about to say something, but Percy raised a hand to stop him. shing him a resolute look, he made an offer. ¡°How about this¡­ Give me a head start. Just 200 years. With the new elixirs, I can advance a couple of times by then. After that, you can share the recipe with whomever you like.¡± The old alchemist didn¡¯t immediately decline, which was good news. All things considered, it wasn¡¯t a terrible suggestion. Two centuries might be a long time for a young man like Percy¡­ However, it wasn¡¯t much for the leader of a Great House or a god of the Divine Order. Though, Orin shook his head in the end. ¡°Normally centuriese and go without much happening at the cosmic scale. But we could still get unlucky. Remember the incident with the lotus a couple years ago? It was a good thing, yet it could easily go differently next time.¡± Percy¡¯s expression fell, thinking his mentor wouldn¡¯t agree. Suffice to say, his heart skipped a beat when the man ultimately extended his hand. ¡°20 years. That¡¯s the highest I¡¯m willing to go. It¡¯s still a gamble, but I suppose you deserve that much.¡± Chapter 91: Deal In the end, Percy shook his mentor¡¯s hand, the weight of their agreement settling between them. Twenty years were just a touch more than he needed to reach Yellow. It wasn¡¯t that much in the grand scheme of things, but he hoped his clones would bring back some additional advantages in that time. While the deadline added a tinge of pressure on his shoulders, he understood the enormity of Orin¡¯s concession. Wanting to show his gratitude for everything the old alchemist had done, Percy offered to brew the new elixirs for him. The man was already at Blue, which would have normally been his upper limit as an Orange-born. However, thanks to the new recipe, he now stood a real chance of reaching Violet in his lifetime! Yet his mentor¡¯s response surprised Percy. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that.¡± Orin said with a dismissive wave. ¡°The whole point of this twenty-year dy is to give you a head start. If I had you tied up brewing elixirs for me, it would defeat the purpose. Besides, I¡¯ll still need nearly two thousand years to advance. A couple of decades aren¡¯t going to make that much of a difference.¡± Percy was moved by his mentor¡¯s words. Especially because he knew it wasn¡¯t as simple as Orin had made it sound. Twenty years saved before his promotion would trante to sixty afterwards. Over half a century! Even for a powerful mage, it was still a sizeable amount of time to just give up on. But he didn¡¯t insist, mainly because he understood he wouldn¡¯t be able to deliver anyway. After all, he was nning to leave the Guild in a couple years. So instead, he tried to make it up to Orin by sharing the details about the cyan powder, exining how somebody with a pure affinity could condense the crystals. That way, the old alchemist could look for another way to brew the elixirs by himself. Of course, Percy still left a few things out. As much as he trusted Orin, there was no reason to tell him how he¡¯d stumbled upon this discovery, nor did he need to reveal the existence of his second core. Instead, he said he had a friend helping him get the powder. In any case, this exchange solved most of Percy¡¯s immediate problems. The recipe was finallyplete, and he¡¯d sessfully negotiated an eptable deal with Orin. Yet, there remained one final obstacle to ovee.¡®And it¡¯s the toughest one.¡¯ It was already a struggle preparing four doses of elixir and cyan paste per day. Plus, he required even more now that he could consume them every eight hours. Not to mention the points he needed to afford Micky¡¯s potions. Suffice to say, his only path forward was tomercialize the new recipe. Sadly, he had no experience trading, nor did he think he¡¯d manage to learn the art anytime soon. He also had no connections, meaning he¡¯d have a difficult time finding a customer by himself. Especially since he had to do it without alerting others. He did ask Orin if he could help, but the man always dealt with the Guild¡¯s official stores directly ¨C whether to purchase materials or sell his products. Regrettably, the old alchemist couldn¡¯t be of much assistance in these shady ventures. Consequently, Percy had no choice but to ce his trust in one more person. ¡®I wonder if she even remembers me.¡¯ Of course, he was thinking about Nesha. Though he didn¡¯t know her that well, and some of her personality traits would probably make her a little difficult to work with, it wasn¡¯t like he had any other options. At least, she clearly had a good business sense, having established herself quite nicely over the past couple of years. Furthermore, their limited interactions had given him the impression she was honest. More importantly, Percy had learned some more information about her since theirst meeting. While he hadn¡¯t been aware of her lie detection bloodline originally, it wasn¡¯t exactly some great secret. Nesha actively publicized it upon establishing her gambling den, presumably to build up prestige. And the gossip had eventually reached Percy¡¯s ears too ¨C mainly thanks to Freddy. If nothing else, this ability of hers would help them gauge whether their future business partners could be trusted. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡®What¡¯s up with the queue though?¡¯ There was quite a crowd waiting outside the building, all of them surprisingly quiet. The corner of Percy¡¯s mouth twitched at the sight. ¡°Hey, doesn¡¯t she live next door? Have you guys tried knocking?¡± he asked a random guy in a yellow robe. ¡°Shhhhhh!¡± thetter replied, cing his index finger over his lips. Then, he pointed at a sign propped-up against the building. In typical Nesha fashion, the words were written sloppily, and she hadn¡¯t even bothered nailing the sign to the wall properly. ¡®GAMBLING DEN¡¯ ¡®ANYBODY WHO BOTHERS ME AT HOME WILL BE BANNED FOR LIFE¡¯ Percy failed to suppress a chuckle. ¡°Seriously? Has she actually banned people before?¡± The guy seemed taken aback by the question. ¡°Keep your voice down.¡± he hissed, before pointing at a different sign, a few meters away from the first one. This one was also propped-up, but at least the handwriting was much neater. In fact, it seemed to have been authored by multiple people ¨C none of them being Nesha. Upon closer examination, it contained a list of names, each written slightly differently to the one above, probably added on different asions. Percy raised an eyebrow. ¡°Wow. Did all those people get banned just for knocking on her door?¡± ¡°Well, most of them. Though a few were rude to her or tried to cheat.¡± Ok, perhaps thest two transgressions did warrant the treatment, but not the first one. Looking up at the sky, Percy noticed the sun was still just a little below its apex, partially obscured by the thick cloud of colourful motes descending from the Spire. It was early afternoon. Nesha should have opened by now, yet she was clearly content chilling at home instead. Not just that, but she¡¯d apparently gone to great lengths to ensure nobody would disturb her. ¡°Why do you guys even put up with this nonsense?¡± The guy shrugged. ¡°What else are we supposed to do? This ce is pretty much the only source of entertainment around here.¡± Percy scratched the back of his neck. ¡°Well, why doesn¡¯t anybody else try opening a gambling den then?¡± But the guy shook his head. ¡°Some people have tried, but it¡¯s not so easy. Obviously, you need to rent a building for this sort of thing. A street stand isn¡¯t very suitable. Unfortunately, due to the high rent for independent businesses in the Guild, you need to manage things really well for it to survive.¡± Hearing the man¡¯s words, Percy¡¯s expression was mixed. On one hand, he couldn¡¯t help but be impressed that Nesha had achieved so much in so little time. Though her ruthless nonchnce towards her clientele was more than a little concerning. As was the prospect of coborating with her. ¡®I guess I¡¯m not here to gamble anyway.¡¯ he thought, casually walking towards her front door. The crowd drew sharp breaths, seemingly shocked by his boldness. Many stepped away from Percy, presumably to dissociate themselves from him. He didn¡¯t miss the disdainful looks aimed his way either. ¡®What¡¯s even the big deal? I just want to talk to her¡­¡¯ KNOCK, KNOCK Looking back, he noticed their expressions growing even more incredulous after he dared to go through with it. Shaking his head, he turned back towards the door, waiting a few seconds. No response. Percy was a little more forceful the second time. KNOCK!!! KNOCK!!! ¡°Nesha?! I know you¡¯re in there!¡± Yet it wasn¡¯t until a couple minutes and twice as many escting knockster that the door finally opened. ¡°Can you idiots not read a simple sign?¡± she asked in an irritated tone. It was a little funny actually. Percy could tell she was annoyed enough she wanted to yell, but raising her voice was too much of a bother for her. Luckily, her expression did seem to ease ever-so-slightly upon failing to recognize him as one of her regr customers. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m really sorry for the intrusion, but I¨C¡± Percy started speaking, though he cut himself off after thinking of something. Looking around, he saw the crowd still staring at them curiously. Dialling down his voice, he shielded his mouth, muttering his next words as softly as he could manage, making sure nobody but Nesha heard them. ¡°I have a business proposal for you. I promise it¡¯ll be worth your time.¡± Nesha narrowed her eyes, staring at him silently for a few seconds. ¡°I remember you.¡± she eventually said. ¡°You¡¯re the guy who wrote me a new sign a while back. I can¡¯t recall your name though.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Per¨C¡± She raised a hand to stop him. ¡°I don¡¯t care. You interrupted me in the middle of a nice bowl of strawberries. I¡¯ll let it slide this once, but if you have something to tell me, wait until I open shop.¡± BANG And just like that, she mmed the door right in Percy¡¯s face, leaving him staring with his mouth agape. ¡°Hey, at least you didn¡¯t get banned.¡± some guy consoled him a few secondster. Percy frowned. ¡®It¡¯s going to be sooooo much fun working with her.¡¯ Chapter 92: Negotiations Nesha remained holed up in her house for a couple hours, much to the crowd¡¯s dismay. She did walk out eventually, casually strolling towards the building next door, yawning along the way. Everyone but Percy quickly masked the frustration in their expressions, unwilling to risk pissing her off. As eager as Percy was to approach her, he decided to blend with the others at first, waiting patiently for the opportune moment. Nesha finally opened the gambling den, letting her customers inside. Only after everyone was sitting at different tables, engaging in various games involving dice or cards did Percy grab the chance to talk to her. ¡°About that thing I mentioned earlier¨C¡± he started saying, before she interrupted him. ¡°You¡¯re really keen on this, aren¡¯t you?¡± she rolled her eyes. Percy frowned. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be too? I told you it¡¯s going to be worth your time. And you know I¡¯m telling the truth.¡± ¡°I know you believe that. If I had a brown chip every time somebody made a simr im, I wouldn¡¯t have needed to open the gambling den in the first ce.¡± Realizing she was going to take some convincing, and also understanding this wasn¡¯t the ce to make a scene, Percy opted for a subtler approach. He handed her a small pouch, before speaking. ¡°Look, words are cheap. Open it when you¡¯re back at home and try out the thing inside. In private. I swear it¡¯s safe. I¡¯ve included instructions on how to use it. We¡¯ll discuss the restter.¡±Seeing her ept it, Percy left the building. He genuinely had no clue how Nesha would react to the new elixir. Its value would definitely speak for itself, but that still wasn¡¯t a guarantee she¡¯d be willing to coborate with him. Perhaps, she wouldn¡¯t want to take the risk, or she¡¯d be toozy to bother. ¡®Nothing ventured, nothing gained, I suppose¡­¡¯ Returning home, he spent the rest of the daypressing crystals. It appeared he could only keep Synchronization active for a couple hours at a time. That said, he estimated he could use it three times per day, assuming they were adequately spaced apart. Taking everything into ount, he calcted how many doses of the new elixir he could brew per day. He needed to figure that out before discussing specifics with Nesha. ¡®My yield with the regr elixirs has increased to 31% over the past year¡­¡¯ The improvement was minuscule, though that was to be expected, as gains truly slowed down past 30%. Still, that meant his yield was a little under 68% for every one of the three steps. Each brewing session currently took him around 40 minutes. However, all those numbers would change drastically if he brewed the new elixirs from scratch, as the recipe involved five steps now. That meant his overall yield would drop to 14% and each batch would take over an hour. Percy quickly shook his head. ¡®No. That would be a waste of time. I¡¯ll ditch the first three steps.¡¯ If he bought pre-brewed elixirs to use as his materials instead of nectar, he¡¯d only have to go through thest two steps. A quick calction revealed his yield would climb to over 45% that way, and he could cut the brewing time to under half an hour. Of course, it would cost him much more, but he guessed that would ultimately be negligible in the grand scheme of things, as the new steps would be the most profitable ones by far. That way, he could start with 400 drops of regr elixir and 4 cyan crystals every session, ending up with about 180 drops of the new product. And he could do that twice an hour. ¡®So, if I also take into ount the time needed to actually condense the crystals, I can probably brew about 19 doses per day.¡¯ That wasn¡¯t too bad. He currently needed 6 for himself, though that might go up to 9 depending on what Micky¡¯s second affinity ended up being. The rest he could sell. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. ¡®Hmmm... Let¡¯s not sell all of it. I also need to build myself a stash for when I leave the Guild.¡¯ Making up his mind, Percy was about to head off to Freddy¡¯s, when somebody knocked on his door, startling him. ¡®Moment of truth¡­¡¯ he thought, crossing his fingers. Rarely getting visitors, he knew it was either Nesha here to make a deal, or an official of the Guild here because she ratted him out. Opening the door, he was relieved to see it was the former. In fact, she looked a little different to how she usually did, her expression being a touch brighter, an ambitious glint noticeable in her eyes. Percy couldn¡¯t help but smile, realizing she had taken the bait, when a mischievous idea crossed his mind. Perhaps, he should m the door in her face, to get back at her for earlier. ¡®Nah, let¡¯s not antagonize the entric girl now that she¡¯s finally onboard¡­¡¯ Still, it was difficult to keep the smugness out of his voice. ¡°Well, I take it you¡¯re interested all of a sudden?¡± Nesha ignored him, rolling her eyes. She shoved him inside before letting herself into the house, closing the door behind her. ¡°Do you have any idea what this means?!¡± This was Percy¡¯s first time hearing actual excitement in her tone. ¡°Duh, why do you think I came to you?¡± he asked back. Nesha let the response sink in for a couple of seconds, before walking over to Percy¡¯s kitchen and plopping down on a chair. She then crossed one leg over the other before speaking again. ¡°Who else knows about this?¡± Percy shrugged. ¡°My alchemy mentor helped me perfect the recipe, but he¡¯s promised to stay quiet for the next twenty years. I can brew them by myself.¡± Nesha nodded. ¡°You do realize what you¡¯re asking of me, right? It¡¯s not easy smuggling anything out of the Guild, let alone something like this. You need to pull all sorts of strings to make this happen. And that¡¯s just to get them out of the settlement. Let¡¯s not even mention the difficulty involved in finding a rich, reliable customer.¡± Percy grabbed another chair, setting it a couple metres in front of Nesha before joining her. ¡°Can you make it happen, or not?¡± She grinned. ¡°I want 50%.¡± But Percy failed to suppress a chuckle. ¡°Talk about a rip off. I¡¯m the one who has to spend all day in ab. 30%.¡± ¡°No way. It¡¯s really time consuming on my end too. 40%.¡± Percy shook his head. ¡°You can¡¯t do this without me, but I can do it without you.¡± ¡°Need I remind you that I can tell when you lie?¡± she smiled. ¡°Fine. I admit I don¡¯t have any other options avable right now. Still, I can take my sweet time finding somebody else. Good luck reinventing the recipe by yourself.¡± Percy didn¡¯t back down. Though Nesha was clearly just as stubborn. ¡°You won¡¯t find a better middleman than me. Even ignoring my bloodline, I have connections to the Asclepius House.¡± Percy raised an eyebrow. The Asclepius House was one of the 7 Great Houses. Their prestige aside, one of their most important traits was they possessed a lot of people with the Memory Bank bloodline. It allowed them to freely manipte or even erase their own memories. One of the House¡¯s most valuable assets was a specially trained order known as the Oblivious Agents. They could execute a sensitive task and then erase all memory of it afterwards, thus eliminating all trails leading back to the one whomissioned it. If Percy and Nesha went through them to contact their potential buyer, they would more easily keep themselves anonymous, cutting their losses in case they got betrayed. Not to mention that she could also use her own bloodline to ensure they didn¡¯t cheat her. ¡°Fine, 35% and we have a deal.¡± Percy conceded. ¡°35% is just my share.¡± she emphasized. ¡°Keep in mind that hiring an Oblivious Agent is going to cost us a lot too.¡± Percy wasn¡¯t happy to hear that, but he knew she was telling the truth. ¡°How much do you think the elixirs can even sell for?¡± ¡°Beats me.¡± Nesha admitted. ¡°If I was free to auction them all over Remior, they could easily sell a hundred times more than the regr ones.¡± ¡°That much?!¡± Percy was shocked. He knew it was a big deal, but that was still more than his estimates. After all, they could only be used three times as often. ¡°These things don¡¯t scale linearly. It¡¯s a premium item. Do you have any idea how many people would fight over them? Imagine how much money somebody close to Violet would be willing to spend to save themselves a few centuries.¡± Percy swallowed a lump of saliva as he pondered the implications. It was true. It wasn¡¯t easy to put a price tag on something that could save a noble House from the verge of extinction, or even elevate them to a Great House. ¡°But you can¡¯t auction them freely, can you?¡± he caught the caveat in her words. ¡°Naturally not.¡± she said, exhaling in disappointment. ¡°If I did that, everyone who lost the auction would just publicize the elixirs to get back at us. Needless to say, everything would go to shit at that point. I need to investigate potential candidates and only approach those I think will pay the most.¡± ¡°So how much do you think we can make?¡± Percy asked again. She shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s hard to say before doing my due research. We can¡¯t push too far given the circumstances. Still, I guess it shouldn¡¯t be too difficult to sell them for over a dozen times as much as the regr elixirs.¡± Percy nodded. That was a lot of money. Even after keeping most doses to himself and taking out Nesha¡¯s share and the rest of their expenses, it would still be enough to afford Micky¡¯s potions after a few months. ¡°Very well.¡± he said, extending his hand. ¡°But I¡¯ll need your help with a couple more things.¡± Chapter 93: Aurora Dew Chapter 93: Aurora Dew ¡®How the hell did he manage this less than three years after joining the Guild?¡¯ Nesha couldn¡¯t help but wonder. Countless experienced alchemists had failed to improve the elixirs after tens of millennia, yet here Percy came ¨C one lone Red-born boy ¨C revolutionizing the field in no time. Obviously, there was some secret behind his sess, though Nesha knew better than to ask. It wasn¡¯t her job to snoop around Percy¡¯s business. She had her own end of the deal to worry about. Entering her house, she made her way to her bed, before lying down. ¡®This is going to be such a pain.¡¯ she sighed. While she hadn¡¯t lied to Percy, getting this to work was a lot moreplicated than she had let on. It was true the Great Houses were scrutinized a lot less by the Guild¡¯s officials, but the Oblivious Agent would still have to regrly smuggle goods in and out of the settlement. Naturally, they¡¯d have to bribe lots of guards to turn a blind eye, though that would only leave more trails leading back to her and Percy. The only solution would be for the Agent to ce the bribes himself, ensuring all knowledge pertaining to the operation would be forgotten. At least, they wouldn¡¯t be the first people hiring an agent inside the Alchemists¡¯ Guild ¨C lots of noble Houses did that, to keep their dealings secret from one another. As long as Nesha was careful, nobody would link the appearance of the new elixirs to her movements, even if something went wrong down the line. ¡®But there¡¯s another problem.¡¯ This was going to be a recurring transaction, not a one-time deal. Naturally, the request might raise a few eyebrows in the Asclepius House¡¯s management. Fortunately, the higher-ups also erased their memories after sending out their subordinates, but Nesha would still have to be cautious not to reveal anything too sensitive in her correspondence. After all, even a Great House could crumble under the pressure of the Divine Order, should the secret eventually leak. ¡°And Percy isn¡¯t making things easy for me either¡­¡± she grumbled.Before sealing the deal with her, he¡¯d asked her to help him procure over 110,000 doses of enlightenment potion! Naturally, the request had truly left Nesha bbergasted! She hadn¡¯t the slightest clue what that madman needed all those potions for, but getting them was no trivial thing. First, they didn¡¯t even know if the Guild had so many in stock. Even if they did, they couldn¡¯t exactly exin how there was suddenly such a great demand for a previously dead product. But Percy had insisted, telling her this was one of the main reasons why he¡¯d even wanted to sell the new elixirs in the first ce. Begrudgingly, Nesha had agreed to help, though not before making it clear they¡¯d have to do it very carefully. They couldn¡¯t buy all the potions at once, nor could they purchase them directly within the Guild. ¡®I suppose we can have the Oblivious Agent handle that too.¡¯ Over a period of about six months, the agent would slowly buy the potions a few at a time, transporting them outside the settlement. In fact, they could make that the agent¡¯s official reason for being there. The unusual request might raise a few eyebrows, but ultimately the Guild¡¯s higher-ups would assume some noble House had found a purpose for the potion. Meanwhile, the agent would unofficially sneak them back into the settlement whenever he returned, delivering them to Percy. Obviously, going through these extra hoops would add to the cost, but it was a small price to pay to sleep at night. Besides, Nesha estimated the gains from the new elixirs would more than cover the expense. ¡®Now, let¡¯s see who we¡¯re going to sell them to.¡¯ Grabbing a quill and a few pieces of parchment, Nesha started writing down the names of all the noble Houses she knew of. It took quite a lot of head scratching, as it had been years since she¡¯dst dealt with people outside the Alchemists¡¯ Guild. Still, she¡¯d studied Remior¡¯s geography, politics and economics extensively in her youth, so a lot of it had stuck. ¡®Only about 700¡­¡¯ she frowned. Stolen novel; please report. She couldn¡¯t remember all the noble Houses, nor was she up to date with recent developments. Some of the ones she¡¯d written down might have been destroyed by now. ¡®I¡¯m sure the bigger ones are still around.¡¯ she shrugged. The oldest Houses were also the richer ones, and the ones most likely to have survived. Their client would probablye from those. Plus, she could cross-check the House¡¯s details to make sure everything was in order before following through. Happy with the list, she started adding a few details next to each name ¨C whatever she remembered about their leaders. After all, the Violet cores in charge would be the ones buying the elixirs. Once she was done, she began crossing out some of them. The ones with younger leaders were definitely out. A recently promoted Violet core still thousands of years from reaching White wouldn¡¯t be desperate enough to buy the elixirs at a premium. The same was true for the poorest Houses whocked the funds. Upon narrowing the list to just under a hundred candidates, she started paying attention to more details. ¡®The son of House Pas¡¯s leader is on the cusp of reaching Violet¡­¡¯ ¡®Not her. She¡¯s known to be really stingy¡­¡¯ ¡®Oh! Houses Antaeus and Talos have been in a conflict for centuries. I¡¯m sure one of them might be interested in gaining an edge over their rival¡­¡¯ ¡®That guy is still far from White, but he¡¯s known to splurge¡­¡¯ Nesha didn¡¯t even notice when the sun rose. She couldn¡¯t recall thest time she¡¯d been immersed in her work enough to pull an all-nighter. Ever since her House¡¯s downfall, she hadn¡¯t been that motivated to do much. At some point, she put down the quill, though it wasn¡¯t because she¡¯d grown tired. Nesha had just run out of ink! ¡®Oh well¡­ I suppose I¡¯ve narrowed them down enough for now¡­¡¯ There were only ten Houses left on the parchment. Nesha was certain all of them would be interested in the elixirs. The only question was how much each of them would be willing to spend. In any case, she figured it was best not to delve any further before getting some recent information on them. She¡¯d ask around to bring herself up to speed over the next couple of days before finalizing her choice. Leaving her house, Nesha walked to one of the official shops to buy some ink before returning. Her next order of business would be to write the letter to House Asclepius, requesting the services of the Oblivious Agent. ¡®Not going to enjoy this part¡­¡¯ she wrinkled her nose in disgust. There was a reason why Nesha felt confident she could contact the Great House. It was because House Veritas used to have strong ties to them. In fact, Nesha¡¯s ancestors were rumoured to have derived their own Truthseeker bloodline from a branch of the Great House. After all, House Asclepius was one of the wealthiest even among the Great Houses, specializing inmerce and information trading. They had multiple rted bloodlines to aid them in those ventures. The Memory Bank bloodline the Oblivious Agents possessed was only one of them. Nesha had no idea why the Great House hadn¡¯t lifted a finger when her family got butchered and, frankly, she didn¡¯t much care about House Asclepius¡¯s internal politics either. That said, the thought of doing business with them again made her stomach churn. ¡®I guess I¡¯ll have to make some sacrifices if I ever want to take revenge on those bastards.¡¯ So far, she¡¯d taken things slow ¨C well, at least ording to her. From an outsider¡¯s perspective, establishing such a popr gambling den within three years of joining the Guild was rather impressive. Still, Nesha knew she could have done much more in that time had she put her mind to it. However, she hadn¡¯t been too motivated to rush things, as she hadn¡¯t expected it would be easy to get back at her enemies with money alone. But things were different now. This new opportunity Percy had given her could change everything. Not only would it be far more profitable than her gambling den, it could also help her grow her personal strength. Before, Nesha hadpletely ignored her own magic, assuming she wouldn¡¯t get very far as an Orange-born. Now, even reaching Violet wasn¡¯t out of the question. ¡®Let¡¯s do it then¡­¡¯ she decided, her eyes glinting with resolve. *** KNOCK, KNOCK The door opened a few secondster, Percy soon greeting her. He was drenched in sweat, his eyes looking tired. ¡®Did he also pull an all-nighter, or is brewing actually so taxing?¡¯ she raised an eyebrow. ¡°What¡¯s up? Do we have news already?¡± he asked after she remained silent for too long. Hearing him, Nesha scowled. ¡°It hasn¡¯t even been a day since we made the deal! I haven¡¯t sent the letters yet, nor have I settled on a candidate!¡± Percy shrugged. ¡°Alright, no need to get angry. What do you want then?¡± Nesha took a deep breath to calm down before speaking. ¡°Well, I was thinking¡­ We can¡¯t keep calling these ¡®the new elixirs¡¯. Coming up with a catchy name is half the battle.¡± Percy¡¯s jaw ckened upon hearing her. ¡°What are you looking at me like that for?!¡± she asked in irritation. ¡°Are you the same Nesha who patches her signs up? Since when do you care about optics? Or marketability?¡± Nesha felt some heat gather in her cheeks. ¡°Look... What I¡¯ve done in the Guild so far hasn¡¯t been a huge deal. It would have seeded regardless. But this is a high-profile business we¡¯re trying to build here. Every little bit helps if you want some extra money from our clients.¡± Percy smiled. ¡°Well, you¡¯re the one in charge of the sales. Any good suggestions?¡± he asked. Nesha nodded. ¡°Aurora Dew.¡± Chapter 94: Affinity fusion It had been two weeks since Percy and Nesha settled on the name of their product, and progress had been steady. Nesha had already reached out to the Asclepius House and hired the Agent. She¡¯d also narrowed down the potential customers to three, having promised to finalize her decision and send the letters by tomorrow at thetest. Meanwhile, Percy had focused on brewing. Granted, he¡¯d initiallycked the contribution points to purchase the sheer volume of materials necessary ¨C over 40 doses of the regr elixirs per day! Luckily, Nesha had chipped in, buying him the ingredients through the Agent. They both knew they¡¯d make everything back a dozen times over once the sales kicked off anyway. But none of that was on his mind today. Estimating he¡¯d prepared enough Aurora Dew to start their uing venture, Percy was free to take another day off alchemy. He wanted to practice his magic some more while he still had time to spare. So, he found himself standing atop a softly glowing mushroom once again, the fantasticalndscape around him humming withtent energy. Shimmering motes fellzily from the fungal fronds above, painting his surroundings in all sorts of colours. And another unfortunate wasp grazed carelessly a few paces ahead, the loud buzz of its wings betraying its location no less than its oversized visage did. ¡®First, let¡¯s see how far I can push my spells now¡­¡¯ Percy took a deep breath, the cool, earthy scents of the Spire mixing with the sharper tang of magic in the air. He activated Cirction with both cores, feeling the familiar rush of mana flooding his channels with power. But he didn¡¯t stop there. Having grown a little more ustomed to Synchronization since first discovering it, he could now activate it a bit more quickly. Though keeping it up for long was still difficult. The moment the technique took effect, he gathered both types of mana in his hands, manifesting his tools. Ayer of pure mana formed a pair of gloves. At the same time, the soul mana coalesced into the shape of silver sickles, the ethereal glint of their curved des resembling crescent moons. Meanwhile the bug darted erratically in the distance, only now spotting Percy, the undeniable pressure he exerted finally revealing his presence. ¡®I guess you drew the short end of the stick today pal¡­¡¯Tightening his grip on the weapons, heunched forward with no warning, as his boots sank slightly into the spongy surface of the mushroom. He closed the distance in a couple powerful strides, his heart racing in tandem with the steady beat of his magic. The bug barely dodged the vicious shes, and only because Percy allowed it to. Naturally, he had no intention of eliminating his training dummy so soon into the fight. Still, the creature was instantly on the backfoot, unable to do much besides clumsily evading his attacks. Man and insect danced, the former swapping out his spells every few minutes to test them all, as thetter constantly hovered all over the ce, struggling to match his footwork. Over the next few minutes, Percy tried the alternative variants of the Parting Gift ¨C the silver daggers, as well as some throwing stars with three curved des apiece. He¡¯d developed those in the months before he quit hunting. Later, he even brought the Quarterstaff back from retirement to see how much sturdier it had grown. Finally, he manifested the cyan sheet he¡¯d used to shield himself from the acidic rain, though his Status had never deigned to register it. ¡®Ok, the results are as expected.¡¯ Obviously, his pure magic had benefited the most from his advancement. Not that the spells were particrly potent, the flimsy constructs falling apart rather easily upon colliding against the creature¡¯s exoskeleton. It was to be expected, really, due to their lower grade andcking affinity. That said, they¡¯d grown at least marginally usable again. As for his Parting Gift, it had already been lethal enough before Percy¡¯s promotion, and it had grown more powerful still, mostly thanks to Synchronization. Satisfied with his improvements, Percy was ready to move on to the next phase. With a quick flick of his sickle, he casually dispatched the soldier, the bug¡¯s luck having finally run out. The man-sized creature might have given him a tough fight a couple years ago, but that time had long passed. With its soul cleanly bisected, the wasp¡¯s carapace copsed lifelessly upon the giant mushroom. ¡°CAW!¡± Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred tform and support their work! In typical Micky fashion, the crow eagerly leapt on the carcass, activating Cirction to more easily dig the core out of the bug¡¯s sternum. Not paying his familiar any heed, Percy then concentrated on his mana, gathering both types between his palms. ¡®How am I meant tobine them?¡¯ Every affinity had its own properties, meaning each pair was unique and had to be fused in a different manner. While Gabe had run into his share of difficulties, he also had an advantage over Percy. He possessed two elemental affinities. Their fusion was aposite one ¨C light ¨C which existed in nature, making it inherently stable. Meanwhile, Percy had it easier in other ways, as he controlled both of his cores, and they were currently at the same grade. However, he was also disadvantaged in that his affinities could not achieve a stable fusion. The good news was they could still merge, ording to the book he and Gabe had read. Unfortunately, fusing two otherwise ipatible affinities was trickier. It required the user to actively exert their will upon the mana even more forcefully, essentiallymanding it to behave contrary to its nature. Sadly, there were too many possiblebinations, and while the documents they¡¯d found had listed a few examples, a pairing between pure mana and soul mana hadn¡¯t been one of them. ¡®But it can be done. The only question is how.¡¯ In Gabe¡¯s case, it had been straightforward as his affinities both had physical properties, interacting with one another. Air fuelled the mes, causing them to burn more intensely. From there, Percy and Gabe had only needed to take the reaction to its extreme, ultimately consuming the two substances, converting them to light. Yet in Percy¡¯s case, that wasn¡¯t an option. His soul mana was incorporeal, and simply phased through the pure mana. The two energies upied the same space without interacting. ¡®One is tangible, while the other isn¡¯t¡­ I suppose this is what the book meant when it said I need to make them behave contrary to their nature.¡¯ Focusing on that clue, Percy allowed most of the mana between his palms to dissipate, the ovepping blobs now shrinking to the size of a strawberry. Perhaps he¡¯d been too greedy trying to fuse more than that on his first attempt. Next, he concentrated on a single thought ¨C giving the soul mana a physical form. He pictured the silver orb as something he could grab, trying to squeeze it between his hands. Percy had held his soul constructs before of course, but he¡¯d done so with his soul, not his flesh. Next, he imagined the cyan mana touching it and pushing against it. Nothing. After going through all sorts of mental exercises over the next hour, he failed to induce any noticeable change. ¡®Maybe I have it backwards?¡¯ Without much to lose, Percy spent some more time attempting the opposite ¨C robbing the cyan mana of its substance, hoping it would interact with his soul. But he failed once more. ¡®Well, duh. I obviously can¡¯t make the pure mana incorporeal. That¡¯s a unique property of soul mana. If it was possible to do this, 20% of the people on Remior would essentially be walking around with a soul affinity¡­¡¯ He had to force the mana to behave contrary to its nature, but he couldn¡¯t just ignore its nature entirely¡­ And the nature of soul mana¡­ no, the nature of souls, was to upy living bodies, controlling them. Percy¡¯s eyes widened in realization. ¡®That¡¯s it! I need to make my soul mana ¡°possess¡± my pure mana!¡¯ Confident he was onto something, he ovepped the spheres again. Next, he willed them into cubes, then pyramids, cones, cylinders and other shapes. He observed them with both regr sight and Soul Vision, paying attention to his timing. At first, it was a little off, as he¡¯d never done anything like this before. Sometimes the pure mana would transform sooner, while other times the soul mana would. But he gradually improved, the transitions slowly beginning to sync up more and more. Percy intentionally allowed himself to fall into a trance, trying to trick his mind into thinking of the two objects as one in the same ¨Cponents of a greater whole. He imagined the silver shape as nothing more than the soul of the cyan one, hiding within its vessel, obligated to follow its every movement. At first, this seemed like another exercise in futility. Yet Percy wasn¡¯t in a rush to give up. He had a hunch it was worth trying for a while longer. He could swear he felt some faint feedback from the two objects every now and then. It was as if the silver manatched onto the cyan shape at times, requiring less prodding from Percy to copy its transitions. ¡°CAW?¡± Percy vaguely heard his familiar call out to him. It was only then he realized he¡¯d deactivated Synchronization entirely at some point, having grown too tired to keep it up. He wasn¡¯t sure how long he¡¯d been at it, but the sun was close to setting. ¡®Just a few more minutes.¡¯ he thought, diving into the exercise again. More time passed, as Percy continued to y with the two types of mana between his palms, his attention glued to the twin shapes. ¡°CAW! CAW!!!¡± Hearing the crow¡¯s cries, the young man noticed it was dark already. Probablyte at night too, in fact. Remembering the settlement was a few hours away on foot, Percy decided to finally call it a day. It sucked to return empty-handed, but perhaps this wasn¡¯t the sort of thing he could master after a single session. ¡®Alright buddy¡­ Let¡¯s go¡­¡¯ he replied, allowing the mana to dissipate. However, something unexpected happened. Right as the two spheres shattered into motes of silver and cyan, they revealed a third, smaller shape resting inside. It was only about the size of a pea, but it looked like it was made of an entirely different material than the others. ¡®Don¡¯t tell me!¡¯ Unable to contain his excitement, Percy carefully pinched the substance between his thumb and index finger, noticing it was corporeal. It felt exactly like his pure mana to the touch, though its colour was different ¨C an amalgamation of itsponents. A pale shade of teal! Chapter 95: Teal fog Chapter 95: Teal fog As much as he would have liked to stay and practice some more, Percy knew he¡¯d have to resume brewing tomorrow. He couldn¡¯t afford to pull an all-nighter on the Spire. ¡®Have I signed my freedom away?¡¯ he groaned. Granted, adhering to a tight schedule wasn¡¯t exactly new to him. He¡¯d done that for years already. That said, it was one thing working nonstop for himself ¨C out of discipline ¨C and another thing entirely to be held ountable to a third-party like Nesha or their customers. ¡®I guess I¡¯m still doing it for myself.¡¯ he sighed. ¡®I really need that money¡­¡¯ In any case, he could at least take his sweet time on the way back to the Guild, ying around with the minuscule quantity of teal fog he¡¯d managed to create. It wasn¡¯t enough to form a proper spell, but perhaps he could discern some of its properties. Splitting the exotic substance in half ¨C to avoid wasting all of it by ident ¨C he pinched a portion with his other hand. Next, he willed it to solidify, forming a marble smaller than his fingernail. It worked, allowing Percy to curiously fiddle with the tiny sphere for a few minutes, before ultimately crushing it between his fingers. Many of the fragments dissipated on the spot, though he did manage to salvage a few. He melted them again before merging them back to the rest of the material in his other hand. ¡®Hmmm¡­ It behaves much like my pure mana. Except when it breaks.¡¯ Percy drew a trickle from his second core, manifesting a cyan orb about the same size as before. Then he handled it in a simr manner for a while,paring the two objects in his mind.Once he was satisfied with his observations, he shattered it too, noting the teal sphere hadn¡¯t been any more durable than the cyan one. Percy had exerted about the same amount of force to crush both. Other than the colour, the only difference was the pure mana dissipatedpletely into motes, making it a little harder to retrieve. ¡®Is that the only benefit? Recycling it more easily?¡¯ If that was the case Percy would be disappointed. Gabe¡¯s light spell had been both hotter and quicker than either of itsponents. Though that hade at the cost of its mass, it would still be the superior option in many circumstances. Meanwhile, the only advantage to the teal fog so far was that Percy might be able to chain his magic, reshaping one spell into another smoothly. It wasn¡¯t nothing, but he¡¯d certainly expected more. ¡®That can¡¯t be everything.¡¯ he shook his head. ¡®It has yet to disy any properties of soul mana.¡¯ ncing back at the substance in his palm, he focused on its ethereal nature this time. He flushed out all thoughts rted to his pure mana from his mind, visualizing only his original affinity. Hopefully, that might draw out anytent effects the teal fog had yet to reveal. Taking it a step further, he shaped it into a miniature Parting Gift. There wasn¡¯t that much of the fused mana, but he still managed to form a tiny sickle in the end ¨C though it looked more like a strange earring. Still, his self-induced illusion seemed to have yielded some results. ¡®It feels different¡­¡¯ he raised an eyebrow. The small weapon looked the same, but its tiny handle had partially sunk into his skin. Percy could tell from experience he was pinching it with his soul now ¨C not his flesh. His eyes widened. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡®Holy shit! I can choose whether to make it tangible or not!¡¯ Percy walked onto another suspension bridge absentmindedly, retracing the way home by instinct. Next, he yed around with the teal construct some more, trying to change it between the two states at will. Getting himself into the correct frame of mind took some effort, but he did get the sickle to transition between corporeal and incorporeal a few more times. Yet, there was more. ¡®Did it turn invisible just now?!¡¯ Percy raised an eyebrow. He¡¯d only stumbled upon this by ident, having not even tried to rob the construct of its colour. In fact, he¡¯d almost forgotten his soul mana was invisible by default. After all, he rarely used it without activating Cirction first, which came with passive Soul Vision. Not just that, but his constructs were much denser than they used to be, making them faintly visible to the naked eye. Still¡­ ¡®Can I pick out what properties to give it? That could really enrich my kit!¡¯ Currently, his options were essentially set in stone. Half his mana was invisible and intangible, while the rest was both opaque and corporeal ¨C albeit flimsy. But what if he could control his entire mana pool, freely assigning his constructs whatever effect was convenient at any given time?! Eager to confirm if that was possible, Percy resumed his experimentation, ying around with the teal fog some more. And sure enough... ¡®It has four possible states. Even the ones I can¡¯t ess normally.¡¯ Percy could definitely think of a situation where he might need a construct that was corporeal yet invisible. For example, if he wanted to trick an enemy immune to soul damage. Or to shield his face from a physical attack without inhibiting his own vision in the process. Likewise, the opposite could be handy ¨C a spell that was opaque yet able to phase through objects. Perhaps he could conjure illusions with it, or pass a message through a wall. The possibilities were endless! ¡®Though it¡¯s going to have a high skill ceiling¡­¡¯ It had taken him all day to fuse the tiniest amount of teal fog. Changing its properties wasn¡¯t exactly easy either. And Percy also doubted recycling the mana from one spell to the next would be trivial. Each of these steps would take a lot of practice to learn. ¡®Still, I¡¯ll be able to pull off all sorts of tricks once I master it.¡¯ Percy nodded in appreciation once he fully understood the path whichy before him. His fused mana might not be ¡®stronger¡¯ than its twoponents in the traditional sense ¨C but it did open some interesting doors for him. If he had to use one word to summarize it, it would be¡­ Versatile. ¡®Oh, I guess I¡¯m back.¡¯ Without realizing, Percy had reached the settlement. Today had definitely been productive, as he¡¯d not only familiarized himself with the rest of his magic post-advancement, but also taken another step along the prestigious path the Moirai had paved. By all means, he should be happy. Yet¡­ GRUMBLE Percy grimaced. ¡®How am I going to sleep without my fix?!¡¯ Since his first day in the Alchemists¡¯ Guild, he¡¯d never gone once without a Honey Roll. Sadly, he¡¯d returned way toote tonight. Freddy should have long closed already. ¡®Ugh¡­ I hope I have something edible at home.¡¯ Walking along the empty streets of the settlement, Percy tried his best to keep his mind on the colourful particles dancing in the wind, ignoring his protesting stomach. Eventually, he arrived at his house, pressing his badge against the door to open it. As a neer, he used to appreciate the mysterious runes making conveniences like this possible. That said, his recent trip to the Vault of Magic had truly put Remior¡¯s rtively primitive technology into perspective. Entering, he paused, noticing a sealed envelope by his feet. Percy wasn¡¯t very surprised, having expected ine¡¯s reply. The two had kept in touch since her first mail a few months back. Picking the letter up in a hurry, he dropped it on his nightstand forter, before rushing to the preservation box. Desperately digging through the container for scraps, he soon realized there wasn¡¯t much there ¨C just some stale bread and a few vegetables of questionable quality. ¡®At least I won¡¯t starve¡­¡¯ Making a mental note to restock at some point, he then begrudgingly stuffed his face with as much food as he could tolerate. Next, he took off his robes. He tossed the immacte fabric a passing nce, appreciating how his clothes had remained spotless after another hunting trip. Then, he dove into the shower, eager to finish his chores as quickly as possible. Soon, he found himself resting on his bed. There was only onest item left for today. Extending his arm, he grabbed the envelope from the table. Technically, he didn¡¯t have to read the message right now ¨C he could leave it for tomorrow. But Percy would rather get it over with, having grown a little worried over the recent developments back at home. Ripping the envelope, he took the letter out, before unfolding the light indigo paper, his attention falling on his cousin¡¯s words. ¡®Dear Percy¡­¡¯ Chapter 96: Happy 20!!! Chapter 96: Happy 20!!! ¡®Dear Percy, Forgive me if this is not the exact day ¨C as I¡¯m not sure when the letter will find you, but¡­ Happy 20!!!...¡¯ Percy paused for a moment, calcting the date. With everything going on, he¡¯d honestly forgotten about his birthday, which had actually been a couple days ago. ¡®Close enough.¡¯ he shrugged, returning to the message. ¡®¡­I wanted to bake you a cake, though I wasn¡¯t sure it would survive the trip. I suppose we¡¯ll have to add it to those I owe you ¨C what is it, three now? I can¡¯t believe you¡¯ve been gone for so long already¡­¡¯ GRUMBLE ¡®Ugh¡­ a cake would be lovely right about now¡­¡¯ he thought, grabbing his aching stomach. His arguably spoiled dinner hadn¡¯t done much to fill him up, but that didn¡¯t stop it from stirring a storm in there, preparing for its prison break.¡®¡­In any case, I hope you remember to take a day off to celebrate. Being so hard-working is definitely one of your better traits, but everyone needs some downtime once in a while¡­¡¯ Percy chuckled. Even after all those years, his cousin knew him so well. ¡®I did take a break today though! Well¡­ sort of.¡¯ Training on the Spire wasn¡¯t exactly rxing, but it was fun. He fully intended to negotiate with Nesha about properly weaving it into his timetable ¨C at least once or twice a month. As nice as it was to make money, his new trick wouldn¡¯t master itself. ¡®¡­In other news, my mom gave birth a few weeks ago! I have a baby brother now! We¡¯re calling him Owain! He¡¯s really cute too ¨C I can¡¯t wait for you to meet him! He doesn¡¯t have our blue hair, so we think he might not have dad¡¯s water affinity, but the jury is still out on earth. As for the bloodline¡­ I suppose we won¡¯t be sure until he¡¯s five, but it doesn¡¯t tend to resurface after skipping a generation either¡­¡¯ Reading ine¡¯s words, Percy couldn¡¯t help but revisit what he¡¯d recently learned about Decrees. It was technically possible for children on Remior to awaken their cores before taking the affinity test, though it was exceedingly rare. The very contact with Phoebe¡¯s mana seemed to not only give them ess to their Status, but also catalyse their cores ¨C or something ¨C allowing them to discover them and begin filling them up. ¡®What did people do before Phoebe became a titaness? Did kids have to get older to tap into their magic?¡¯ Either way, Percy sure hoped his new cousin wouldn¡¯t be a Red-born like him. Granted, the odds weren¡¯t on the baby¡¯s side, though his life would certainly be a lot easier if he got lucky. YAWN ¡®Ok, maybe this isn¡¯t the time to contemte life¡¯s great questions. Let¡¯s just read the rest and go to sleep¡­¡¯ ¡®¡­I¡¯d honestly prefer to end the letter here, as I don¡¯t want to sour your birthday with bad news¡­ However, it¡¯s probably best that you¡¯re aware of what¡¯s going on around here¡­¡¯ Sensing the shift in tone, Percy couldn¡¯t help but perk up a little. ¡®¡­Long story short, House Tantalus has grown even more aggressive. Their goons have begun crossing river Glein and attacking members of our House. They¡¯ve already killed two people, kidnapped three more and injured about a dozen ¨C to various extents. Most of them I don¡¯t think you knew very well, but Hector is dead¡­¡¯ Percy¡¯s eyes widened. His rtionship to that cousin of his had never been great ¨C the older boy having mocked and bullied him his whole life. Still, Percy had never wished him such a grim fate. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡®These bastards are really pushing it¡­¡¯ he gritted his teeth. In normal times, House Tantalus wouldn¡¯t have gone so far. Though they¡¯d gained the upper hand since their raid a few decades ago, the two families¡¯ strength wasn¡¯t that far apart. Typically, they would haveid low, dealing a blow whenever a good opportunity presented itself, yet without escting the conflict too fast, risking an all-out war. After all, such a development wouldn¡¯t benefit either party. ¡®It¡¯s probably because of the petals. They want to chip away at our House so they can more easily pressure us when the timees.¡¯ Part of Percy wanted to return and help. While he didn¡¯t get along with all his rtives, there were people back home he did care about. However, he also knew he couldn¡¯t do much as he was. He might have grown enough to hold his own against anyone at Yellow, but a noble House of that size had scores upon scores of people at Green. ¡®¡­In any case, you don¡¯t need to worry about us. Their Blue cores are too valuable to be sent out on such low-level skirmishes, and I¡¯m not afraid of anyone below that. Also, grandpa isn¡¯t one to take this lying down either. So far, he¡¯s remained passive to avoid throwing more oil in the fire, but enough¡¯s enough. The other day, I overheard him talking about retaliating. So yeah¡­ We¡¯ll be fine. Just please, please, PLEASE, don¡¯t try returning home on your own! Wait for the envoys if you really want toe. Other than that ¨C we can¡¯t wait to have you back! Happy birthday again, ine¡¯ It was probably true. She should be able to handle herself against any of their juniors, thanks to Cirction. Even those with the bloodline. ¡®But only if it¡¯s a one on one¡­¡¯ They couldn¡¯t count on those scumbags to y fair, so he certainly hoped baldy was keeping an eye on his granddaughter. Folding the letter, he ced it in a drawer with the rest. Percy wasn¡¯t the most sentimental guy, but he¡¯d kept all of their correspondence. He didn¡¯t really have many other possessions anyway ¨C other than his alchemy equipment. Then, he let his head sink back into the pillow. His current n was to spend another couple of years in the Guild, raising his and Micky¡¯s strength some more. He¡¯d only leave a few months before the lotus bloomed, topete for a petal. ¡®I need to start preparing though¡­ I guess I should try that soon¡­¡¯ *** A couple more weeks went by without any hups. Luckily Nesha had managed to strike promising deals with two customers in that time, the contribution points having started flowing in already. The first was Aeneas, the current leader of House Priam. He was actually one of the oldest Violet cores on all of Remior, widely considered to have the best chance of reaching White. Should he seed, he¡¯d elevate his family to the eighth Great House. Adding to that, House Priam was fortunate in other ways. Located in a fertile yet remote region, they were free to develop without many enemies. Suffice to say, Aeneas was rich, and had nothing better to spend his money on. ¡®11,000 points per dose is still crazy! That¡¯s nearly thirty times the cost of the normal elixirs!¡¯ Percy was shocked when Nesha told him. Sadly, their second customer wasn¡¯t quite so lucrative. The leader of House Talos was a rtively young Violet core, thousands of years from White. His family was constantly at war against their neighbours, House Antaeus. Naturally, they didn¡¯t have too many resources to spare. That said, it also made them desperate to spend what little they did have, to grasp any edge they could get their hands on. Ultimately, Nesha had chosen them over their rivals because they had a Blue core closer to Violet. That person would probably end up as the recipient of the Aurora Dew. In the end, House Talos had agreed to purchase the new elixir at 8,000 points apiece which ¨C although much less than what House Priam was paying ¨C was still a hefty sum. Percy would have been happy to leave it at that. He personally only needed six doses per day and ¨C after selling just as many to their customers ¨C he could save the rest for the future. However, Nesha had made him an unexpected offer. The girl had wanted to purchase another set of Aurora Dew, this one for her own use. Specifically, she¡¯d pay 8,000 points per dose, matching what they made from House Talos. ording to her, they wouldn¡¯t make more if they approached a third customer anyway, and her share of the profits was more than enough to cover the expense. Naturally, Percy hadn¡¯t had any reason to decline. Though his partner¡¯s offer had surprised him. Nesha had never struck him as the type who cared much about her own magic ¨C a pity too, as he thought she was wasting her rare and powerful space affinity. Evidently, she intended to change that. And that was on top of all the other things she had to do. Namely, managing their deals and even keeping the gambling den open, to avoid drawing suspicion. In a strange turn of events, thezy girl had turned a lot more hardworking! ¡®What¡¯s her goal anyway?¡¯ he couldn¡¯t help but wonder. But he shook his head. That wasn¡¯t any of his business. He should respect her privacy as she had respected his. In any case, Percy was currently standing at the ground level of the Fungal Spire. He had plenty of training ns for today, though those were forter. Right now, he was waiting for somebody. He was about to meet the Oblivious Agent for the first time. Chapter 97: Oblivious Agent Generally, Percy didn¡¯t have to interact with the Agent much. His primary responsibility was to brew the elixirs. As for everything else, it was taken care of by Nesha. However, there was one task Percy couldn¡¯t delegate to anyone else. ¡®I hope this is the right spot.¡¯ Today, he wore a full-body shroud to conceal his face and the colour of his robes. To further disguise himself, Percy stuffed a pillow under his shirt and crouched slightly, making him appear shorter and bulkier than usual. Maybe it was a bit overkill, but he preferred being overly cautious than careless. Of course, the Agent might still discern his grade via Mana Sense. That¡¯s why he¡¯d asked Nesha to procure him another enchanted bandage, wrapping it around his chest. ¡°You didn¡¯t need to go to all this trouble. I won¡¯t remember anything about you or this meeting five minutes from now.¡± a man spoke. The neer faintly appeared on the horizon, casually walking towards Percy. He seemed to be wearing a dark cowl, though it was hard to tell from the distance. The air shimmered with colourful motes, obscuring his figure further. Percy guessed the man must¡¯ve used a spell to project his voice from so far away. It had sounded distorted, yet oddly clear ¨C likely due to a sound affinity. ¡°I¡¯d rather not take any chances.¡± Percy replied, deepening his own voice too. Nesha¡¯s arrangements had admittedly grown quiteplex, yet thorough. She was clearly just as paranoid as him ¨C if not more. The Agent had to juggle half a dozen tasks, plus she had him erase any memories the moment they ceased being necessary. She also met him regrly, to update him on any information he required for his next moves. Finally, she took every chance she could to use her bloodline on him, confirming he had no intention of going off script or betraying them. ¡°Fair enough.¡± the man said once he drew closer. He ced a heavy-looking pouch on the ground about a dozen metres from Percy, its contents making all sorts of crisp sounds as they tumbled over one another. A cursory nce via Mana Sense revealed the Agent¡¯s core was concealed too, which admittedly made Percy feel a little uneasy. For all he knew, the guy could be at Blue ¨C more than capable of casually killing him with nobody ever finding out.¡®Calm down Percy¡­ As long as they don¡¯t know the recipe, you¡¯re more valuable alive anyway¡­¡¯ ¡°Why do you guys even do this?¡± he asked out loud, partly to conceal his inner turmoil and partly out of genuine curiosity. ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. We have a unique talent, so we¡¯re using it in service of our family.¡± the Agent replied. ¡°Well, sure¡­ but isn¡¯t the cost too high? Aren¡¯t you worried you¡¯ll look back one day only to realize you can¡¯t remember half your life?¡± The man shrugged. ¡°You¡¯re overestimating the importance of these memories.¡± Contemting the Agent¡¯s words, Percy felt they made sense. If anything, the man was probably better off forgetting every time he assassinated a target or spent weeks trekking through a forest. It was more of a blessing than a curse, really. Unaware of Percy¡¯s thoughts, the Agent then left, havingpleted this part of his mission. Only when he was gone did Percy dare approach the pouch, opening it. It wasrge enough to fit two watermelons inside, filled to the brim with small vials about the size of his pinkie. Each contained a deep crimson liquid that looked a bit like glowing blood. And there were thousands upon thousands of them in there. Naturally, these were the enlightenment potions ¨C or at least the first batch. Percy had asked to be paid in this manner for the near future. This novel is published on a different tform. Support the original author by finding the official source. ¡®Micky! Come over here!¡¯ The crow was busy hunting Starry Workers on the mushrooms above. Percy hadn¡¯t called it over sooner, as he hadn¡¯t wanted to risk the Agent spotting it. While waiting for his familiar to arrive, he took off his disguise. Folding everything, he stashed it on a nearby tree, hiding it carefully in the vibrant canopy. Truth be told, the meeting with the Agent hadrgely assuaged his worry ¨C the man didn¡¯t seem like he had any intention of hurting him. Still, there wasn¡¯t any harm in dressing up next time too. ¡°CAW!¡± Micky greeted him a few minutester. The bird hastily grabbed the pouch in its beak before flying away. It was heavy, straining the crow¡¯s flight somewhat, though Percy figured it would manage to carry it to its nest. ¡®Eventually¡­¡¯ They¡¯d already confirmed the potions worked as intended ¨C so the only thing left was for Micky to consume them. Of course, it would take him hours to drink so many, but that was a small price to pay. Seeing his familiar leave, Percy headed off too. It was still early, and he had other ns for today. Ascending to the second level of the Spire, he walked about a quarter around it, reaching a region by the west side which he knew was already plenty far from prying eyes. Next, he spent a few minutes searching for the nearest Starry Worker. After finding one, he sat cross-legged on the fungus, some distance away from the bug. Then, he took a deep breath. Soon, a series of silver lines lit up underneath his skin, drawing a maelstrom around his sternum. Of course, Percy didn¡¯t bother activating Cirction with his second core, as he didn¡¯t need the pure mana for what he wanted to do. As for Synchronization, it would certainly help, but he couldn¡¯t keep it active for long enough yet. Once the technique began empowering him and replenishing his reserves, he sent out a pulse of mana from his sternum, rippling through his soul. He directed the waves to converge a few inches below his chest, before swiftly grabbing the resulting bump in a familiar manner. That¡¯s right! Percy had been ready to create another clone for a while, and he intended to do so right now, on the hunting grounds! Naturally, there were a bunch of reasons why he¡¯d chosen this open location over the safety of his house, the first of which having to do with the very body he intended to possess. By the time Percy was done cultivating the bulge and filling it up with soul mana, several hours had passed. Micky had already finished drinking the potions, and he¡¯d returned to the second level too, to help Percy with the next step. Pinning the wasp down wasn¡¯t very difficult for the crow, though it did take some extra care to avoid killing it or injuring it too badly just yet. Grabbing the bug¡¯s thorax from behind, he clenched it tightly within his talons. BZZZZZZZZZ It struggled desperately of course, trying to escape the crow¡¯s clutches. However, it never stood a chance, as Micky didn¡¯t have much trouble overpowering it ¨C especially with the amber lines currently decorating his plumage, reinforcing his already superior strength. A couple minutester, the bird dragged the Starry Worker to Percy, who was holding a silver orb thrumming with power in one hand, forming an ethereal dagger with the other. ncing at the wasp before him, Percy considered how to best approach this. Given the potency of his soul constructs, even the slightest injury he inflicted would likely prove lethal. That much was fine ¨C part of the n even ¨C as the creature wasn¡¯t going to survive either way. However, it did matter how soon the bug died. In the end, he went with a rtively shallow cut at its sternum, right around the centre of its soul. The wasp let out a terrible, shrill sound. While Percy was ashamed to admit he didn¡¯t particrly care about the bug, he still couldn¡¯t help but feel a pang of guilt hearing its pained cry. A momentter, the creature stopped squirming, making him fear it was already dead. However, a cursory nce at its soul soon revealed that ¨C although not in a great condition ¨C it held on for now. ¡°Pleasest a couple more hours!¡± Percy pleaded, before falling on his back. With his torso and, by extension, the nascent clone in his grasp facing towards the sky, he finally willed his bloodline ability to activate. The ghostly w awakened in his core once more. It leapt into the glowing orb with glee, twisting and severing it from Percy¡¯s soul. And as Percy clenched his teeth in pain, the silver meteor shot towards the stars above, soon disappearing from his sight. ¡®Now for the hard part¡­¡¯ Chapter 98: Tests Percy had several goals for this particr clone. Though exploring the cosmos was arguably the most important tool in his arsenal ¨C and by a huge margin ¨C he¡¯d decided to take a short break from that, to test other potential uses for his ability. Naturally, the first thing he wanted to know was whether he could create local clones on Remior. He could imagine several scenarios where that would be handy ¨C whether it was because he found an interesting body worth possessing, or because he needed another assistant to aid him back home. But there was more. If his only goal had been to possess that Starry Worker, he wouldn¡¯t have aimed his torso towards the sky. Instead, he could haveunched his soul fragment directly at the creature ¨C much like he¡¯d done to the egg when creating his familiar. However, he hadn¡¯t done that. That was because Percy wanted to check one more thing. ¡®Can I return to Remior like this?¡¯ he wondered, scanning the sea of souls surrounding him. His reasoning was simple. He might not always have ess to the body he wanted to take over. It would serve him well if he could learn to navigate in this state better, developing a way to urately reach a more distant target. ¡®I can¡¯t tell up from down like this though¡­¡¯ While outside a body, Percy had a very distorted sense of time and space. Two seemingly nearby souls might not even be located on the same world as one another. But he did have something he could use as a makeshiftpass.¡®What happens if I focus on my main body?¡¯ In all his previous expeditions, Percy had gazed outwards, searching for a suitable host while ignoring the ethereal cord linking him to the rest of his soul. Yet, the connection was always there, constantly trying to draw him back. Its pull kept growing stronger and stronger, until it became irresistible. So far, he¡¯d only ever treated this phenomenon as a nuisance at worse, or a timer at best ¨C indicating how long he had toplete his mission. Not today though. This time, he was going to approach his main body on purpose. ¡®Let¡¯s do this slowly. I don¡¯t want it to suck me inpletely.¡¯ Percy only allowed himself the most fleeting of nces. And it was a good thing he¡¯d held back too. The moment his attention even brushed by his own soul, it attracted him far more forcefully than any foreign entity ever had. Percy felt the familiar glow erge in his mind rapidly, as he did everything in his power to halt his movement. He desperately fought against the connection, willing with all his strength to elerate the exact opposite way. So lost was he in that frame of mind, in fact, that he didn¡¯t even register he had seeded, until muchter. By the time he regained awareness, he noted he wasn¡¯t moving, though the cord was even tenser than before. ¡®Is it because I approached my body, or because more time has passed?¡¯ Either way, he couldn¡¯t afford to waste another second. ncing at his own soul was no longer an option. He was far closer than before. If he did that again, he¡¯d be absorbed for sure. Instead, he tried something else. Drawing some of his stashed mana, he pushed it into the ethereal cord. It flowed through it without any resistance, leaving his control. Nothing happened for a while. Yet, when Percy was starting to think he¡¯d failed, a trickle of soul mana poured into him. ¡®It¡¯s more than a trickle¡­ this¡­ it¡¯s too much!!¡¯ His main body had already saturated the clone before cutting it off, so it couldn¡¯t fit much more. It only took him a moment to replenish the minuscule quantity he¡¯d sent away, as well as any other traces he¡¯d lost over time. The rest, he had to release outside, in the empty expanse between worlds, wasting it. But that wasn¡¯t important. The only thing that mattered was what this meant. This story has been uwfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡®Sess! I¡¯m in range of my main body!¡¯ Percy would have grinned if he could. While the ethereal cord allowed him tomunicate and even transfer mana over vast distances, it wasn¡¯t without limit. He¡¯d only ever managed to use it like that with Micky, who had never been more than a few miles away from him. As for his clones, Percy had never sessfully sent them any mana before. The moment they left his body, they had always been on their own. Consequently, he couldn¡¯t even tell what the maximum range was. For all he knew, it might only stretch as far as the distance between his house in the settlement and Micky¡¯s hunting spot on the second level of the Spire. Or it might cover all of Remior and then some. ¡®Now what?¡¯ Percy was a bit stuck. He couldn¡¯t get any closer, nor did he dare to send a message. He was afraid attempting tomunicate with his main body was more likely to draw him in, which was why he¡¯d opted to send mana instead. He couldn¡¯t move away either, as it still took a lot of effort to maintain his current distance. Thinking of something, he focused outwards once more, as the sea of souls manifested in his periphery. He could try approaching a different host to escape from his main body¡¯s pull. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t actually do that. After all, that would only waste his previous efforts. He had a better idea. As his mind brushed over the souls, he searched for one in particr. He knew it had to be close! ¡®There!¡¯ He found it. It was the only healthy soul besides his own that didn¡¯t reject him. If anything, this one also exerted a pull on him, though it was much weaker than his main body¡¯s. Naturally, it was Micky! There was no cord connecting him to the familiar, as all his wisps were linked to his main body ¨C not each other. Still, he felt it was possible to possess the crow if he wanted. ¡®The wasp must be somewhere between the two.¡¯ He didn¡¯t dare to look at them directly, to avoid being pulled, but he could tell their general direction. That said, locating the Starry Worker wasn¡¯t exactly trivial. In the material world, his main body and his familiar were standing next to each other, with the insect right alongside them. However, this wasn¡¯t the material world. A straight line there wasn¡¯t quite as straight in the world of souls. ¡®Still, there has to be SOME corrtion¡­¡¯ Percy sensed hundreds of souls where he expected the bug to be. He¡¯d have to go through them, one by one. Most of them he could easily ignore, as they were too healthy. It helped to know his target was on the verge of death. Of course, it wouldn¡¯t be the only one that met the criterion. This was the Fungal Spire, where lots of people spent all day hunting bugs. ¡®The rest should be above Orange¡­¡¯ he remembered. Other people hunted in the upper levels. While Percy had struggled to tell the souls¡¯ grades apart back when he began using his bloodline, he¡¯d improved a lot since then. Having sent out dozens of clones already, he was confident he could tell the Starry Worker apart from its stronger cousins. And sure enough¡­ ¡®There!¡¯ The soul was fading, on the verge of fizzling out. Since he¡¯d taken care not to injure the bug too badly, it could only mean he¡¯d spent too long looking for it. ¡®Let¡¯s hope it¡¯s still functional.¡¯ Without missing a beat, he concentrated on his suspected target, elerating towards it. The very next moment, he found himself in a familiar situation, stuck inside a foreign vessel. Though this one wasn¡¯t as crammed as usual. Much of his host¡¯s soul had already evaporated, leaving him ample space to move about. Carefully reaching out to the creature, he soon discovered two things. First, he was semi-positive this was indeed a Starry Wasp, thanks to the few foggy memories he managed to ess. Though he¡¯d have to properly bond to it before he could confirm it was an Orange variant ¨C and the specific one he¡¯d meant to possess. Second, the dying insect was in a delirious state, making negotiations a little tricky. ¡®Wake up, will you?! I¡¯m trying to help you!¡¯ he said, leaving out the part that all of this was his fault in the first ce. The good news was he was an expert at getting through to beasts by now. Most of his hosts fell in this category, so he¡¯d had plenty of practice cating them. Simple-minded creatures as they were, it was all about honing into their instincts and desires, telling them what they wanted to hear. Usually, this meant promising them food or shelter. It took him a couple minutes, but eventually he seeded. Well, it certainly helped he already knew what the bug wanted ¨C to escape from his familiar¡¯s clutches! After establishing the preliminary connection to his host, he stretched his soul wisp, touching as many of the soul fragments as he could, before releasing all the stashed mana. Naturally, he didn¡¯t care about the expenditure this time. His main body was here to top him up if necessary ¨C a luxury he wasn¡¯t used to! Once he finished patching everything up as best as he could, he finally managed to tap into his host¡¯s senses. The insect¡¯s vision wasn¡¯t that great ¨C much too blurry for his liking. Still, he couldn¡¯tin about what he saw. Standing in front of him, was the most handsome man he¡¯d everid eyes upon. ¡®Hello Percy!¡¯ Chapter 99: Buggy vessel ¡®Everything ok?¡¯ the main body asked. He was holding a half-formed sickle made of teal mana in one hand. Clearly, he hadn¡¯t remained idle, practicing the affinity fusion while waiting. ¡®I will be, as soon as you get Micky off me.¡¯ the clone replied. A momentter the bird lifted its talon, letting the bug move about, getting a better feel of his body. ¡®It¡¯s a little on the smaller side¡­¡¯ he couldn¡¯t help but notice. Naturally, this wasn¡¯t his first time possessing a beast at Orange, or even Red. Since their size was often corrted with their grade, some of his past incarnations must¡¯ve been tinier. That said, he¡¯d never had an adult from Remior avable forparison before. Standing up, his new vessel struggled to reach the main body¡¯s knees. Even the crow wasrger than he was. As for his limbs ¨C Percy was already ustomed to having an extra pair. A cursory buzz of his wings revealed they still worked too, which was a wee bonus. It was a miracle they¡¯d survived the rough handling. ¡®How long have I been out anyway?¡¯ he asked the original. ¡®All night. The sun should be up soon.¡¯ the main body replied.That certainly exined the extent of his host¡¯s deterioration. Still, it could¡¯ve been worse. At least, the first test had seeded. They¡¯d confirmed he could return to Remior and even take over a specific body. Of course, it would be harder if said body was further away, though that was a project for another day. ¡®Go home then. You might make it in time for a nap.¡¯ he said. They¡¯d already taken their biweekly break yesterday. Percy couldn¡¯t afford another day off. ¡®You sure you¡¯ll be alright?¡¯ the original asked again. ¡®I can easilyst a couple days like this. Just remember to send me manater.¡¯ While his host¡¯s soul wasn¡¯t in great shape, the clone could probably survive for a very long time with the others helping. In fact, it should be possible to heal the bugpletely over time, if he wanted ¨C though that would only kick him out of the vessel. As for his physical body, it was lucky they¡¯d taken extra care to leave it intact, since there was no way to repair it. The second core would suck all the life mana out of the healing potions before they had the chance to do much. Nodding, the original waved him farewell before heading off. The crow soon followed, flying down to the first level. The two had already wasted too much time on him ¨C they had their own roles to return to. ¡®And I have mine¡­¡¯ Stretching his legs, he took a few minutes casually strolling atop the giant mushroom, getting used to his new body. He wasn¡¯t feeling brave enough to try flying just yet. It was probably best to leave it for tomorrow, assuming he got a hang of the ropes by then. ¡®The headache isn¡¯t doing me any favours either¡­¡¯ he groaned. Since the moment he first tapped into his host¡¯s senses, he¡¯d felt a constant buzz in his brain. Had Micky smacked his head too hard or something? ¡®Hopefully it goes away soon.¡¯ But it wasn¡¯t all bad news. The air here felt quite refreshing. Pausing, he activated Mana Sense to observe the phenomenon in more detail. Like most bugs, Starry Wasps didn¡¯t inhale through their mouth. They didn¡¯t even have lungs! Instead, they breathed through openings in their exoskeleton. Still, that didn¡¯t stop him from absorbing the colourful motes around him. In fact, he seemed especially efficient at it ¨C nearly none of the particles entering his body ever escaped. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred tform. Support original creators! ¡®It makes sense, really. The wasps have adapted to this environment more than any other creature.¡¯ What could he do with all that ambient mana though? He clearly didn¡¯t need that much to survive, nor could he store any more inside his core¡­ Examining himself for a few minutes, Percy soon had his answer. ¡®Of course¡­ the nd¡­¡¯ The excess was converted to beast mana inside his core, before flowing out, umting in a special organ a few inches below his sternum. That was where it would presumably end up condensed into the familiar amber fluid everyone knew and loved. In fact, tapping into his host¡¯s instincts, Percy realized he could¡­ BLUUUUURG ¡®Eeeww¡­ This went better in my head¡­¡¯ he thought as he looked at the tiny pool of nectar he¡¯d just vomited. Using a forelimb, he swirled the viscous liquid a few times, before making up his mind. ¡®Yeah. I¡¯m not eating that again.¡¯ Not like his main body drank six doses of it per day or anything¡­ And with that, Percy had some idea of what his current vessel was capable of. Well, there was the stinger too, but he wasn¡¯t particrly interested in it. The worker¡¯s acid wasn¡¯t very potent. Plus, he hoped he wouldn¡¯t ever have to fight in this body either. He had other ns for it. ¡®Ok. That¡¯s enough ying around.¡¯ Creating a local clone was only the first item on the agenda. The second one involved his Status. Percival''s clone Mana cores:
  • [Mana core 1 ¨C Orange ¨C Beast]
  • [Mana core 2 ¨C Seed ¨C ???]
Spells:
  • [Parting Gift ¨C Crude]
Decrees:
  • [Phoebe¡¯s Decree] ¨C Grants ess to your Status.
  • [Moirais¡¯ Decree (Iplete)] ¨C Grants the seed of a second mana core. Requires potent life mana to germinate.
  • [Metatron¡¯s Decree] ¨C Open a one-way portal to the Vault of Magic at will.
There it was! Percy felt the urge tough ¨C though he doubted his host¡¯s physiology allowed that. Ever since he returned from the Vault, he¡¯d been itching to go back. But he couldn¡¯t risk travelling there with his main body. Even on the off-chance Metatron let him be, Percy would be stuck there. Yet¡­ ¡®This changes everything!¡¯ His clone had inherited histest Decree too! Percy had hoped it would be the case, but it hadn¡¯t been a sure thing. Each Decree worked differently, so it was a matter of chance. From personal experience, he¡¯d ced his odds at two out of three. ¡®Well?! What¡¯s the situation?¡¯ his main body suddenly asked through their link. The clone wanted to roll his eyes, but they appeared fixed in ce. ¡®Just go to sleep already¡­ You¡¯ll get my memories when I¡¯m done anyway¡­¡¯ But the original wasn¡¯t having it. ¡®Like hell I¡¯m going to wait weeks for an answer! It¡¯s a yes or no question!¡¯ The clone remained silent for a while, amused by the novelty of arguing against himself. Though a wave of irritation soon seeped through the cord, snapping him out of his reverie. In the end, he didn¡¯t keep his main body in suspense much longer. ¡®It¡¯s here!¡¯ The annoyance was reced by excitement, though the original didn¡¯t say anything else. In any case, this was massive! With this, they could ess the Vault¡¯s secrets at a much lower risk! Of course, it would ultimately depend on Metatron¡¯s stance. Percy was sure the titan would notice and could easily put an end to his ambitious n if he wanted. ¡®Hopefully not everyone there is as stingy as Gabe¡­¡¯ Either way, this wasn¡¯t the time for that. The Starry Worker wasn¡¯t a suitable body to send there. Percy was probably better off waiting for a sentient host. Preferably one at Yellow or higher too. That way, he¡¯d stand a better chance ofmunicating with the locals and practicing magiscript. Anything less and he might be killed on sight. ¡®Well, they might not take kindly to a foreigner either ¨C though I suppose they¡¯re used to coexisting with different races¡­¡¯ Then, there was the question of whether it would be moral to bring an innocent person to such a dangerous ce to begin with. Generally, Percy wouldn¡¯t do that without consent ¨C though it would also depend on who his host was. ¡®Maybe if they¡¯re an enemy¡­ or a huge asshole¡­ or if they¡¯ve got nothing to lose for whatever reason¡­¡¯ But the clone shook his head. One of the perks of not being the original was that it wasn¡¯t his job to waste time on ethical dilemmas. Besides, he had his own task to worry about. After all, there was a reason Percy had chosen a wasp as his host. ¡®Let¡¯s see¡­ where¡¯s the nearest hole?¡¯ While he¡¯d ignored them all these years, the Fungal Spire was full of openings leading to its interior. Many of these entrances could be found on the mountainside itself, but it was possible to enter the natural wonder through plenty of the colossal mushrooms too. Of course, most of the people hunting on the Spire wouldn¡¯t dare doing that, not only because it was strictly forbidden by the Guild, but also because they didn¡¯t have a death wish. ¡®Or a wasp clone.¡¯ Percy wanted to grin, but the mandibles didn¡¯t help. Walking around the mushroom, he failed to see any openings. Neither did he find any on the next three fungi. Though he did eventually get lucky, spotting a narrow tear along the underside of one of the stems. The hole was a few metres long, but quite narrow ¨C only about a quarter of a metre wide. Just enough for Percy to barely squeeze through. ¡®Great. Now let¡¯s find me some wasp eggs.¡¯ Chapter 100: Into the Spire Percy¡¯s adventure hit a roadblock sooner than expected. Upon stepping inside the massive stem, the buzz in his head grew a dozen times louder, eliciting a visceral response from his host. Jolted awake from its stupor, the bug fought for control over its body. Driven purely by instinct, it quickly turned and stumbled back out, only calming once the headache subsided to a bearable level. ¡®What¡¯s going on?!¡¯ Unwilling to retreat so easily, Percy steeled himself before entering the Spire again, more prepared this time. The bug really didn¡¯t want to be there, but the clone resisted as much as he could, determined to press onward. Venturing further, he noticed the tunnel expanded after a few more steps, making it a little less cramped. Contrary to his expectations, it was quite bright in there, the flesh of the fungus glowing more vividly than the cap outside, giving the walls of the living cavern an otherworldly appearance. The air was thick with shimmering motes too ¨C three or four times denser than on the surface. ¡®I suppose that makes sense. What we get is just whatever leaks out of the mushrooms.¡¯ Sadly, his host soon rebelled again, pulling him towards the exit. Reluctantly, Percy let it have its way this time. He couldn¡¯t afford to push too hard, lest he got evicted. ¡®How are the others able to remain there?¡¯ Though his stay had been brief, Percy had glimpsed a couple more Starry Workers ¨C the same ss as his host ¨C grazingfortably inside the mushroom, basking in the mana-rich environment. The rumours that the hive¡¯s interior was teeming with wasps appeared true. More importantly, the rest of the creatures showed no sign of suffering from his host¡¯s ailment.¡®Do they not hear this incessant buzzing?¡¯ Perhaps it wasn¡¯t a natural phenomenon. There might be some intelligence behind the scenes, imposing its will on only some of the bugs ¨C for some reason. And it didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out its source¡­ ¡®The queen must be real too!¡¯ Though he couldn¡¯t tell for certain, he felt it was a reasonable guess. Even regr wasp colonies were highly hierarchical, let alone one asrge and powerful as this. And there was no telling what a Violet cored beast might be capable of. Much like he used his ethereal cords tomunicate with his clones and familiars from afar, it was possible the queen had her own means to ry her orders from a distance. As for what those orders might involve? Well, most of her subjects were apparently meant to stay inside, taking advantage of the abundant resources. Percy¡¯s host, on the other hand, presumably belonged in the minority tasked with venturing outside, to gather what little mana strayed there. ¡®Isn¡¯t there a way to get this idiot to disobey her?!¡¯ Percy would be damned if he lost to a couple of insects. He spent the next couple of hours ¡®negotiating¡¯ with the creature, trying to get through to it. That was easier said than done, as it was arguably the dumbest host he¡¯d ever had the misfortune of possessing. ¡®Well, what did I expect? It¡¯s a bug...¡¯ Yet, as simple-minded as it was, the wasp seemed hell-bent on following its mother¡¯s will above all else. Approaching the problem from various angles, Percy started by trying to filter the buzz out of their head, hoping to eliminate it entirely. Unfortunately, there was a limit to how much he could tamper with his host¡¯s senses. Next, he attempted to convince the bug its hive was under attack, its mother in danger. Perhaps it might be more open to breaking a rule or two in the face of an emergency. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡®Or not¡­¡¯ Initially, his efforts bore no fruit. Eventually, he thought of a way to take advantage of his mental connection to the creature, which seemed to yield some results. Essentially, Percy fed the bug memories of the buzzing sound whenever it did something he disagreed with, to dissuade it. It was the equivalent of impersonating the queen, establishing a second line ofmand. ¡®Yes. Go back inside, or I¡¯ll be very, very angry!¡¯ The wasp was really confused. While Percy¡¯s fake signal appeared to work as well as the real thing, it wasn¡¯t like the queen had stopped transmitting her own. Torn between two ruthless rulers, the bug kept walking back and forth, entering and leaving the cave repeatedly, unable toprehend why its mother was so hard to please today. Some more maniptionter, Percy convinced the creature to remain inside, though he knew they wouldn¡¯t get very far before he lost control again. ¡®Let¡¯s move fast then.¡¯ Finally delving a little deeper, Percy couldn¡¯t help but stare at his surroundings in awe. The tunnel they were in kept getting wider and wider, as the poption of wasps didn¡¯t stop increasing. Most of them were workers like his host. Percy guessed the fungi on the upper levels contained more mana, making them more suitable for the higher grades. Though he did spot the asional drone or soldier. Admittedly, the first Yellow cored insect he saw frightened him. While he could easily handle them with his own body, he couldn¡¯t do much in his current state. The fact they lookedrger than horses right now wasn¡¯t helping. ¡®Calm down. These are my siblings now¡­¡¯ Sure enough, the creatures just ignored him, continuing whatever it was they were doing. Still, the cavern was already so full of bugs they now had to crawl over one another. Suffice to say, the sight was more than a little unsettling for a human. However, Percy gritted his¡­ mandibles¡­ and pressed on, knowing he didn¡¯t have much longer. The queen¡¯s signal was already beginning to overpower his own. Even worse, these other bugs released all sorts of pheromones, probably to let each other know which tunnels contained the most mana or something. Affected by all the external stimuli, his host stirred in rebellion once again. ¡®No, you don¡¯t! Just keep walking buddy!¡¯ he demanded, tuning the buzz up to eleven. Moving a little further, he noticed the walls of the hive were starting to change. At first, it wasn¡¯t easy to tell. His poor eyesight,bined with the turbulent river of bugs only allowed him a few sporadic glimpses here and there. Still, he eventually pieced together what was happening. The mushroom¡¯s flesh had given way to rocks and minerals. Everything was filled with mana like before, though it manifested differently. Unlike the softly pulsating organic matter of the fungus, the tunnel¡¯s surfaces were now decorated with crisscrossing veins of enchanted ores. ¡®This must be the Spire proper¡­¡¯ Percy would be lying if he said he wasn¡¯t tempted to bring some of the colourful metals back. Granted, he had no idea what they could be used for, and it wasn¡¯t like magical craftmanship was particrly advanced on Remior either. Yet, there was no question everything here was valuable. But he held himself back. There was a reason the Guild didn¡¯t let people enter the Spire and, honestly, Percy agreed with them. This was their world¡¯s most precious asset and the only source of the elixirs they needed to survive. Nobody ¨C Percy included ¨C was willing to damage this ce. ¡®I¡¯m only here to look for an egg. Nothing else.¡¯ he reminded himself, suppressing his greed. Suddenly, he ran into a fork in the tunnel, breaking him out of his thoughts. It appeared he had to make a choice. Neither of the paths particrly stood out ¨C both were about equally wide, with the same number of wasps of all sizes crawling throughout. However, the buzz in his head spiked at the mere thought of going right. Naturally, his host wanted nothing more than to go left ¨C or better yet, back ¨C but Percy wasn¡¯t having it. ¡®I bet the reason she doesn¡¯t want us in there is because it leads closer to her nest.¡¯ At the risk of frying the poor worker¡¯s tiny brain, he overloaded it with the strongest signal he could muster, essentially challenging the queen to a battle over his host¡¯s body. He did manage to force the bug a few metres into the new tunnel, though he quickly realized the creature was finally approaching its limits. Its legs wobbled and he got a little dizzy. Begrudgingly, he turned around, deciding to call it a night, much to his host¡¯s relief. In any case, even if he could somehow reach the eggs, he didn¡¯t exactly have a n for snatching one under the watchful gaze of a Violet cored beast. Nor did he think it would be easy to escape from the thousands upon thousands of wasps that would presumably try to stop him. ¡®In fact, it isn¡¯t safe for my main body either¡­¡¯ For all he knew, taking an egg outside might cause the entire colony to rush out of the Spire, unleashing their wrath on not only himself, but the rest of the Guild too. Percy would have to take his time carefully mapping out the interior of the hive anding up with a n. ¡®Oh well¡­ I didn¡¯t expect to get this done on my first attempt¡­¡¯ Chapter 101: Whirlpool of Four Streams Chapter 101: Whirlpool of Four Streams Percy dropped the marble in the jar with the others, before pausing for a second to catch his breath. Then, he pushed the soul mana he¡¯d just recovered through the ethereal cord, sending it to his wasp clone to do whatever he wanted with it. As for the pure mana, he gathered some between his palms, forming another sphere in preparation for the next crystal. ¡®Just one more before cleansing time.¡¯ This was his routine now. Percy started his days by drinking two doses of Aurora Dew ¨C one for each core, before spending all morning condensing crystals. He could even keep Synchronization active for about half the time already! Twenty minutester, Percy added another marble to the pile, before deactivating Cirction, relieving his body of the excess mana. Sealing the jar, he carefully ced it inside a leather pouch along with the rest of his alchemy tools. Only then did he dare open the curtain. ¡®Finally! Sunlight!¡¯ Opening the window too, he stood in front of it for a minute, inhaling as much fresh air as he could, basking in the warmth. If it was up to him, he¡¯d stay there longer. Unfortunately, he had other things to do. For one, it was already a couple hours past noon, and he was positively famished. Walking to the kitchen, he scanned the interior of his preservation box, ultimately settling on an apple. He was about to close it, though he hesitated. In the end, he grabbed a banana too. After devouring his snacks quickly ¨C every second mattered ¨C he begrudgingly closed the window and curtain again, picking two more vials of Aurora Dew from a cupboard. It was time for the second set of elixirs already. ¡®Man, why does everything I do have to involve some big secret?!¡¯Perhaps it was ungrateful of him toin. Most people would kill for the opportunities afforded to him by his bloodline. All things considered, shutting himself inside a room for part of the day sounded like a small price to pay¡­ In the end, he shrugged, before biting both corks at once. Spitting them out, he drank the elixirs one after the other! ¡®Now for the tricky part...¡¯ Pulling mana from both cores, he split each stream into two, before sending them to his stomach. The ones made of pure mana passed horizontally by the front and back regions. They flowed in opposite directions, causing the contents of his stomach to churn, forming a miniature whirlpool inside his belly! As for the other two streams ¨C the ones made of soul mana ¨C they flowed along the left and right sides of his stomach. They merely phased through without causing any physical changes. However, the brief contact was enough to blend with the augmented beast mana released by the Aurora Dew. Finally, all four streams ended back at their respective cores, purifying both organs simultaneously! ¡®Let¡¯s aim for 90% this time.¡¯ Naturally, Percy wasn¡¯t the one who¡¯d invented this technique. The Moirai books had mentioned more than just the affinity fusion. After all, they contained the distilled knowledge of an entire culture of people who¡¯d spent eons learning to live with two cores. Suffice to say, they¡¯d had plenty of time toe up with a couple nifty tricks! This one was called the Whirlpool of Two Streams. ¡®A little on the nose, but I suppose it did suffer two rounds of trantion¡­¡¯ As its name implied, it allowed one to purify both cores simultaneously, saving time. It worked by using two opposing flows of mana ¨C one from each core ¨C which then induced a rotation inside the stomach, spreading the beast mana uniformly. It sounded simple, but that couldn¡¯t be further from the truth. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Core purification was a delicate process, and there was a reason mages carefully measured how much elixir they consumed per day. Going over that, they risked damaging their cores more than they should, while using less meant slowing down their advancement speed. What made this technique so profound was that it allowed the user to y around with the intensity of the flows, controlling how much beast mana reached each core. From there, it was all about manually bncing the two, so they got cleansed at the same rate. ¡®If only I could use the technique in its original form, I would have mastered it already¡­¡¯ Sadly, Percy¡¯s affinity had forced him to modify it. The soul mana was incorporeal, rendering it unable to physically affect the contents of his stomach. That meant he needed two streams of pure mana to properly form the whirlpool. Consequently, he had to split the soul mana too, otherwise his pure core would end up drawing more beast mana. ¡®Oh well¡­ I guess Whirlpool of Four Streams sounds catchier anyway. I¡¯ll patent it if I ever end up on the Moirais¡¯ world.¡¯ Then again, they must¡¯ve had plenty of people with the soul affinity in the past. Percy was probably just reinventing the wheel. In any case, the elixir was soon exhausted. Examining his cores, Percy realized he was off by a little again. His soul core burned slightly more than it was supposed to, which meant he¡¯d have to skip the next purification session. As for the one in his abdomen, it had only benefited from around 85% of the substance. Percy clicked his tongue. Ever since he began practicing the technique, he¡¯d experienced quite a few losses. Every wasted drop of Aurora Dew was like a dagger in his heart ¨C especially since he knew exactly how valuable it was. And judging by the rate at which he improved, it would be a few more weeks until he perfected the art. ¡®But it can¡¯t be helped. It¡¯ll pay dividends in the long-term.¡¯ Though he¡¯d mastered cleansing his cores while doing other things, it was no longer enough. After all, he now had to drink six doses per day, which added up to about three hours if taken separately. Granted, he could do it while brewing, but the distraction affected his yield. Consequently, learning to cut the time in half was a no brainer. ¡®Besides, my next promotion should be like fifteen years away. Losing a few weeks isn¡¯t the end of the world¡­¡¯ Shaking his head, he opened a different cupboard, grabbing a few dozen vials filled with the regr elixir. Stuffing them in his satchel, he slung it over his shoulder before hurrying out. Percy still had some more crystals to condense in the evening, but he¡¯d arranged for his brewing sessions to go in-between. That way, he¡¯d be able to recover his stamina, allowing him to use Synchronization againter. In any case, his walk to Orin¡¯s ce was the perfect opportunity to take in some more fresh air, and to catch up with his clone. ¡®What¡¯s the situation there? Any closer to the nest?¡¯ The clone had spent some time exploring the Spire, though he¡¯d never managed to delve too deep before getting kicked out by the queen. While Percy had thought it was worth mapping out the interior of the structure at first, he was beginning to reevaluate the usefulness of the clone. ¡®Nope. Just more of the same. I think there¡¯s no point keeping me around.¡¯ Percy nodded. They¡¯d already discussed this. Next time he was on a break, he¡¯d work with the clone on drawing a map of the outeryers of the colony. Not that it would be particrly helpful, but it felt like a waste to not even document his progress. After that, they¡¯d destroy the wasp and resume sending regr clones for a while. ¡®I¡¯ll try again with a stronger bug at some point.¡¯ Naturally, he hadn¡¯t given up on the project entirely, but it was proving even more challenging than expected. A Starry Soldier might move faster and withstand more mental pressure from the queen. He didn¡¯t know if it would be enough to reach the nest, but there should be an improvement. Reaching Orin¡¯sb, Percy set his ns aside, clearing his mind of anything unrted to alchemy. Over the rest of the afternoon, he processed the most recent batch of crystals into Aurora Dew, before bidding his mentor farewell. ¡®I need to be back home in about twenty minutes¡­¡¯ He only met up with Nesha once a week to hand her the merchandise, but today happened to be the day. In any case, he had enough time to stop by Freddy¡¯s. Only after he was done getting his daily fix of socialization did he return to his ce. There, he found Nesha standing outside, a grimace marring her face. ¡°You realize every minute I spend here, people might figure we¡¯re up to something, right?¡± Percy rolled his eyes before letting her inside. ¡°It¡¯s not my fault. You¡¯re early.¡± he replied in a nonchnt tone, keeping up the appearance of the aloof badass that he was. At least until Nesha¡¯s next words caused him to dete. ¡°You¡¯ve got honey on your cheeks.¡± The girl left as soon as he handed her the elixirs, letting him return to his routine. He started by drinking another dose of Aurora Dew for his second core, before activating Synchronization. Only then did he resume condensing crystals, keeping at it until around midnight. At that point, he decided to call it a day, taking a quick shower before going to bed. He''d be lying if he said he wasn¡¯t tired. Working for eighteen hours a day was brutal, but he always focused on the next milestone to keep himself going. Right now, that was Micky¡¯s second core. ¡®And it¡¯s getting close¡­ I wonder what affinity he¡¯ll get¡­¡¯ Chapter 102: Micky鈥檚 second core ¡°A bit overkill, don¡¯t you think? I¡¯ll forget everything after I leave anyway.¡± the Oblivious Agent said upon noticing Percy¡¯s disguise. ¡°I¡¯d rather not take any chances.¡± thetter replied, regurgitating his side of the conversation word for word. ¡°Fair enough.¡± the man nodded once he drew closer. Then he carefully dropped the pouch on the ground like all their previous meetings. ¡°Why do you guys even do this?¡± Percy asked again. ¡°I can¡¯t speak for the others, but I¡¯m just using my ability for the sake of my family.¡± ¡®3 out of 3 so far.¡¯ Percy thought. By now, he¡¯d met the man about a dozen times. He¡¯d always repeated the exact same words to the Agent, gauging his responses. While there were some minor permutations, the gist of what the guy said was more or less the same. At the very least, he¡¯d never given him any reason to suspect he remembered any of their previous conversations. ¡°Well, sure¡­ but isn¡¯t the cost too high? Aren¡¯t you worried you¡¯ll look back one day only to realize you can¡¯t remember half your life?¡± Percy asked the final set of questions, carefully observing the Agent¡¯s reaction.¡°No offense, but forgetting you isn¡¯t that big a deal.¡± the Agent shrugged. ¡°None taken.¡± Percy nodded, rxing. Either the Agent had truly erased his memories as he was supposed to, or he was the best actor ever. In any case, this was the most Percy could do to contribute to the operation¡¯s security. ¡®Let¡¯s leave this stuff to Nesha. She¡¯s better at it than I am...¡¯ After watching the man leave, he called his familiar over, hoping thistest batch of enlightenment potions would seal the deal. By now, he¡¯d already fed Micky over 110,000 of the darn things which, ording to his original estimates, should have been enough. Clearly, he¡¯d miscalcted how much mind mana each dose contained, though he didn¡¯t know by how much. ¡®Best-case scenario, today¡¯s shipment will be thest¡­ As for the worst-case scenario¡­ I¡¯d rather not think about it¡­¡¯ Of course, even if they were still months away, he¡¯d have no choice but to keep going. It wasn¡¯t like he had an alternative. ¡°CAW!¡± the crow greeted him upon reaching his location. Percy didn¡¯t miss the hint of annoyance in its tone. While he¡¯d exined many times how everything was for Micky¡¯s benefit, thetter really hated gulping down potions for hours on end. ¡®Just shut up and drink them...¡¯ he rolled his eyes. Why was the crow evenining? He was the one who¡¯d spent weeks brewing elixirs so they could afford the potions anyway¡­ ¡°CRAA!¡± the bird groaned but ultimately obeyed, flying to its nest. Over the next few hours, Percy remained on the ground level of the Spire, practicing his affinity fusion while waiting for the familiar to finish. As for his wasp clone, he¡¯d already retired him a couple months ago. Right now, he had another one active somewhere in the cosmos. Though he doubted he¡¯d aplish anything of note. His sessful expeditions so far could be counted on one hand. ¡®I should go for the Starry Soldier next¡­¡¯ He¡¯d ced the infiltration mission on hold for the time being, to focus on more pressing matters, like mastering Synchronization and affinity fusion. But he¡¯d already grown much better at both. Also, his time in the Guild wasn¡¯t infinite. While the lotus was still over two years from blooming, Percy couldn¡¯t afford to waste a second if he wanted to have the wasp familiar ready before leaving. ¡®CAW!¡¯ Suddenly, Micky called out to him. For a moment, Percy thought the bird had finished the potions, but it was too early for that. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡®Don¡¯t tell me?¡¯ he asked with hope in his eyes. ¡®CAW!¡¯ the crow affirmed. Not missing a beat, Percy activated Synchronization, rushing to his familiar at top speed. The bird¡¯s nest was a few miles away, but the young man crossed the distance in under a minute, stamina be damned. It was only when he got there that he remembered he could check Micky¡¯s Status from afar. ¡®Right¡­¡¯ Mtecuhtli (Percival''s familiar) Mana cores:
  • [Mana core 1 ¨C Orange ¨C Beast]
  • [Mana core 2 ¨C Red ¨C ???]
Spells:
  • [Cirction ¨C Refined]
Decrees:
  • [Moirais¡¯ Decree] ¨C Grants a second mana core.
As usual, the birdcked most of his Decrees. Percy was particrly relieved it didn¡¯t have Metatron¡¯s either. He didn¡¯t know if Micky could enter his portal should he ever open one, but he was certainly d the crow couldn¡¯t create its own by ident. ¡®It makes sense, since I only got itter¡­¡¯ Beyond that, everything was as expected. Not to say he wasn¡¯t over the moon seeing Micky¡¯s second core finally repaired! They¡¯d worked on it for years! ¡®Congrattions! This is HUGE!¡¯ ¡°CAW!¡± the bird seemed to share his enthusiasm, though not for the same reason. It was just d it could finally stop drinking all those potions. Over the next couple of hours, Percy showed his familiar the ropes, exining how it was meant to locate the new core and start clearing the corresponding channels. It helped he¡¯d personally experienced the process twice already, as he had plenty of rted memories to send over, getting the message across. ¡®I guess there¡¯s no point staying here¡­¡¯ As impatient as he was, he knew the crow wouldn¡¯t be done for a few days at the earliest. Begrudgingly, he left the hunting grounds, though not before emphasizing to the bird that it should contact him the moment anything happened. ¡®It¡¯s going to be another beast affinity, isn¡¯t it?¡¯ Percy knew there was a high chance of that happening. After all, he¡¯d never heard of a beast possessing anything else. Then again, he¡¯d never heard of one with two cores either. This would probably be an anomaly even on the Moirais¡¯ world. Though getting another beast affinity wouldn¡¯t necessarily be a bad thing. It was responsible for the mutations and enhanced physical strength of its owners. With a second one of those, Micky would probably grow evenrger. In fact, Percy couldn¡¯t think of any other affinity that would synergize better with the crow¡¯s first one. ¡®He won¡¯t even have too many new channels to open. Just a couple linking the second core to the rest of the circtory system.¡¯ That would be convenient at first, though it woulde with its own share of downsides. For example, the crow wouldn¡¯t be able to get as much juice out of Cirction with only one set of channels across both cores. ¡®Will a different affinity even help much though?¡¯ Micky had devoured thousands of wasp cores over the years. Percy wasn¡¯t sure how close the bird was to advancing again, but it shouldn¡¯t be far. As soon as that happened, he¡¯d have a two-grade gap between its cores. Even worse, the second one might never catch up, even with Aurora Dew. In the end he shook his head. ¡®I¡¯m just torturing myself. Whatever it is, we¡¯ll find a way to make it work.¡¯ Well, as long as it wasn¡¯t another pure affinity. Now, that would suck big time¡­ *** It wasn¡¯t until three dayster that Micky informed him he managed to draw some mana into his abdomen, activating the core. Only then did the bird finallye to appreciate the value of those potions, basking in its new strength. On the other hand, Percy couldn¡¯t help but frown. The affinity was still listed as a bunch of question marks. At the very least, it meant Micky hadn¡¯t gained another beast affinity, as he would have recognized it. ¡®Just pull some mana from your core and send me the image.¡¯ The bird followed his instructions, soon showing him a burst of mana emanating from the underside of its wing, brushing over the dark feathers. It carried a faint green tint¡­ ¡®Not pure mana!¡¯ was Percy¡¯s first reaction. In fact, he recognized it the very next moment, having personally used this particr affinity the most outside his own. ¡®It¡¯s air.¡¯ he informed his familiar, before borating. ¡®Remember that bandit you fought a few years back? He had that.¡¯ Micky remained silent for a few seconds, apparently recalling their journey to the Guild. Eventually, he excitedly sent a mental nod back. Either way, this was great news! Besides a second beast affinity, this was essentially the best they could¡¯ve hoped for. Though it would likely end up falling behind the crow¡¯s first core, it would support the bird well, allowing it to augment its flight. ¡®I can share my own experiences to get him started.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t help but grin at the thought. The irony of a human teaching a bird how to fly faster wasn¡¯t lost on him. Still, there was no reason to waste all that training he¡¯d undergone in the Vault. ¡®Finally, we can stop spending all those contribution points on potions¡­ I can start stockpiling ingredients for when we leave the settlement¡­¡¯ Whether or not he seeded in creating the wasp familiar, Percy hoped to amass enough resources by the time they left, tost him for a while. Hopefully even for a decade or two. Admittedly, that was an ambitious goal but not impossible, assuming he could maintain his current ie for the following two years. Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t have predicted what would happen just three short monthster¡­ Chapter 103: House Talos Chapter 103: House Talos ¡°Lord Bronn, the bastards have taken over the iron mine!¡± the boy reported. The former¡¯s features twisted into a grimace. While a powerful mage could tear a sheet of iron apart as easily as paper, it was still a valuable resource across Remior. After all, most people were at the lower grades. They relied on everyday tools made of the mundane metal. Consequently, House Talos regrly exported it, making the mine an important economic asset for their family. ¡°What about the casualties?¡± ¡°Sixteen dead. Over thirty injured.¡± Bronn wanted to clench his fists, yet he had enough awareness to hold back. Even the tough gemstone vials would shatter into powder in a Violet¡¯s grip. It would be a shame to spill their contents ¨C the elixirs had cost him an arm and a leg. Forcing himself to calm down, he spoke again. ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Most of the dead were Red-borns. Only four were Orange-borns¡­ though¡­ one of them was uncle Zin.¡± Bronn sighed. It could have been worse. At least they hadn¡¯t lost any Yellow-borns. Still, Zin had been at Blue, making him one of the family¡¯s strongest fighters, regardless of what grade he¡¯d started with. It was a significant loss. Bronn¡¯s only constion was they hadn¡¯t been that close. The man had only been a distant nephew of his. ¡°Do we know who¡¯s stationed there?¡±The boy scratched his head for a few moments. ¡°Only a couple of our people made it back, so we aren¡¯t too clear on the details. All we know is they have at least two Blues. Ren is among them.¡± Bronn¡¯s eyes widened. Ren was a Yellow-born and one of House Antaeus strongest mages. Perhaps the third or fourth from the top. ¡°Are you certain?¡± The boy nodded before rifying. ¡°There¡¯s no mistake. We spotted him from afar after he used his ability.¡± Houses Talos and Antaeus actually had the same bloodline, Gigantification. This was amon urrence on Remior, as neighbouring families often shared ancestors. Rogue mages frequently left their homes for various reasons, establishing rival branches nearby. In any case, Gigantification allowed a person to increase their size based on their grade. At Red, one could only double their height, while a Blue core like Ren could grow six times as tall. People jokingly referred to it as a poor man¡¯s beast affinity, though the transformation wasn¡¯t nearly as drastic. ¡°Tell Lorin, Sedon and Hert to pick ten Greens and go drive those assholes away.¡± ¡°But Lord Bronn! What if it¡¯s a trap?!¡± the boy protested. Bronn shook his head. ¡°It isn¡¯t. They never intended to keep the mine. It¡¯s much closer to our estate. They know they can¡¯t hold it. They just wanted to hurt us.¡± The boy bobbed his head in understanding before bolting out. However, the door didn¡¯t get the chance to close before another person ran into the office. ¡°What is it now, Floria?¡± Bronn asked in exasperation. The girl bent over, holding her knees as she caught her breath. ¡°Grandpa¡­ they¡¯ve attacked Oakbridge town¡­ they took the guards out and razed the warehouse down.¡± Bronn couldn¡¯t stop himself this time. mming his free fist on the desk, he crushed it into a rain of splinters. It was lucky Floria was at Green, or he could¡¯ve hurt her. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the vition. ¡°Are they still there?!?!¡± Oakbridge town was one of three under their jurisdiction. Unlike House Talos¡¯s estate where the members of their family lived, the towns in their control were full ofmoners. This was another rtively widespread convention on Remior. Still, these towns were far from worthless. They constituted important trading hubs for the noble Houses. Even more notably, the nobles often married Yellow-bornmoners, bringing new blood into the fold, enhancing their strength. Flinching at her grandfather¡¯s outburst, the girl took a moment before answering. ¡°No. They left as soon as they were done.¡± she muttered, her voice barely a whisper. Bronn rubbed his eyelids. ¡®Damn it! Why couldn¡¯t they wait just a few more years?!¡¯ Truth be told, he had expected their enemies to escte at some point. While House Antaeus currently had the upper hand, both sides knew this wouldn¡¯tst forever. Bronn¡¯s son was getting closer to Violet. As soon as he advanced, the tides would change. Of course, a single Violet core couldn¡¯t take on an entire family by themselves, but their strength still couldn¡¯t be ignored. On paper, a Violet core was about three times as strong as a Blue. However, conventional wisdom was that it would usually take about five Blues to pin one down. That¡¯s because they¡¯d fight less efficiently, some of their strength wasted due to bad teamwork. Then there was the entire morale aspect of having another powerful leader at the head of an army. Overall, getting a second Violet core would be a huge deterrent. It might even let House Talos go on the offense. ¡°Call Fyn over.¡± Floria scurried away, probably d to be out of her grandpa¡¯s sight right now. A few minutester, a man walked into the office. He threw the broken desk a passing nce before chuckling. ¡°Dad, you have to stop smashing desks. We can¡¯t keep up with you.¡± Bronn almost snapped at him, but he caught himself. Instead, he plopped down on his chair ¨C at least this piece of furniture was still standing ¨C before tilting his head up at the ceiling. Then, heughed bitterly. ¡°This is the fifth attack in thest two months. We¡¯ve already lost about 10% of our men.¡± Fyn stopped smiling. ¡°The bastards must really want to build up their advantage before my promotion¡­¡± Bronn nodded. ¡°At this rate, they¡¯ll seed. How close are you?¡± But Fyn shook his head. ¡°Dad, you know this is my third promotion already¡­¡± It was true. Fyn had been cleansing his core for centuries. It wasn¡¯t easy to calcte the exact date it would bear fruit. ¡°Give me your best estimate.¡± Fyn appeared to ponder his words for a while. ¡°Well, before you brought me these new elixirs, I would have said maybe between eight and fifteen years.¡± And it had already been around nine months since he¡¯d started taking this so-called Aurora Dew. It meant he was anywhere between two and four years away now¡­ ¡®So close¡­¡¯ For Blue and Violet cores like them, four years were nothing. If only those assholes had waited just a little longer¡­ They could have caught them by surprise and wiped their stench off the region! But s¡­ ¡°We can¡¯t wait that long. At this rate, they¡¯ll burn everything to the ground by then.¡± ¡°They can¡¯t eliminate uspletely. As soon as I advance, we¡¯ll turn everything around.¡± Fyn protested. Yet Bronn disagreed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry son. We can¡¯t afford to do that. We might win in the end, but half our family will be ruined by then.¡± ¡°Hey, you¡¯re the boss¡­ It¡¯s your decision.¡± Fyn shrugged, before adding. ¡°But I¡¯m confused. What¡¯s the alternative?¡± ¡°What else? We flip the table.¡± The two men looked down at the broken pieces of wood as Bronn scratched his head. ¡°¡­figuratively speaking.¡± Then, he crouched by the remains of his desk, digging through the pile. A few secondster, he found what he was looking for inside a somewhat-intact drawer. It was a bottle of ink. ¡°You mean¡­?¡± Fyn asked, realization shing in his eyes. Bronn nodded. He handed his son the elixirs, before walking to a cupboard. There he found a quill and a piece of paper. Dipping the quill in the ink, he held the paper against the wall as he began writing. ¡°We¡¯ll reach out to the Divine Order¡­ Ask them to get those bastards off our backs¡­¡± Fyn didn¡¯t say anything. He stood by silently, watching Bronnpile the letter. What thetter had left unsaid, was that the Divine Order wouldn¡¯t interfere in a conflict between two Houses just because one of them asked nicely. They¡¯d only do so if they gave them a good reason to... About half an hourter, Bronn reread everything, nodding in satisfaction. Folding the letter, he slid it into an envelope, before digging through his desk¡¯s remains again, this time for his seal. Then, he extended his hand towards Fyn, holding out a red candle. Thetter heated it up with his fire mana, before Bronn splotched a blob of wax on the envelope, stamping it down with the seal. Only then did he hand it to his son. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Fyn. I suppose you¡¯ll have to reach Violet with the regr elixirs like everyone else.¡± ¡°Two years¡­ Thirteen years¡­ It¡¯s not that big a difference.¡± Fyn shrugged, before assuming a more serious tone. ¡°But¡­ are you sure about this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the only way.¡± Bronn smiled bitterly. ¡°Take the letter and the elixirs to the Divine Root.¡± Father and son looked each other in the eyes, knowing they were about to turn Remior upside down¡­ Chapter 104: Smooth sailing no more Percy was on the way back from Orin¡¯s ce, when he saw an unusual group of people heading towards him. ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ he raised an eyebrow, stopping in his tracks. None of them wore the Guild¡¯s robes ¨C they were outsiders. Of course, that alone wouldn¡¯t have shocked him. Lots of merchants passed by every day. What left him speechless was that he recognized the insignia on their clothes. It definitely wasn¡¯t one he often saw on the streets. Depicting a series of roots emerging from the underside of a cloud, there was no mistaking it ¨C these were members of the Divine Root. ¡®Shit! What do they want from me?! Is our jig up?!¡¯ Even among the seven Great Houses, the Divine Root was a special existence, as they were closely affiliated with the Divine Order. The inner circle of the Divine Order consisted only of gods, or of the mortals deemed talented enough to have a chance of ascending to divinity one day. Their job was to look outwards, guarding Remior against external threats. While they were the undisputed leaders of Remior, they didn¡¯t have the time to manage all the worldly affairs beneath their feet. Consequently, the deities delegated many of those tedious tasks to their subordinates. The Divine Root was essentially their outer circle, consisting solely of mortals whocked the potential to attain godhood. Not that it made them weak! While the gods viewed the members of the Divine Root as talentless rejects ¨C the failed children who weren¡¯t good enough to join them ¨C the rest of Remior could only look up to them, as they stood at the top even among the rest of the Great Houses! After all, many were direct descendants of the deities themselves, making the organization thergest gathering of blessings and powerful bloodlines in the world! ¡®They¡¯re like the people of the Vault, all gathered in a single House¡­¡¯ Percy clenched his fists, knowing there was no escaping. There was a Blue core in the group! He was a tall man with gunmetal-grey hair whose piercing gaze sent shivers down his spine. Though this person was the same grade as Orin, the two couldn¡¯t be further apart in strength. ¡®I bet he has a blessing. He might even be able to hold his own against baldy for a minute or two¡­¡¯As the men approached ¨C six of them in total ¨C Percy couldn¡¯t help but instinctively hold his breath, the suffocating auras they passively radiated making it difficult to do otherwise. And when they were only a couple metres away, he closed his eyes too, bracing for the worst¡­ ¡®Huh? They just ignored me!¡¯ The group passed right by him, most of them not sparing him a nce. The only exception was a blond young man who appeared the same age as him. He was already at Green ¨C probably a Yellow-born. He scanned Percy for the briefest of instants, his derisive sneer soon giving way to cold indifference. Only once they were all behind him did Percy remember to let out the turbid air in his lungs, cold sweat trickling down his face. ¡®Right. We¡¯ve gone to great lengths to hide our trail. It¡¯s probably just a coincide¨C¡¯ Sadly, he didn¡¯t even get to the end of that thought before the world proved him wrong. A shockwave suddenly coursed through him, making everything around him shake. It was followed by a gust of wind that sent the colourful particles of mana southward. The bizarre event felt extremely familiar ¨C thest time something like this happened being firmly engraved in Percy¡¯s memory¡­ ¡°Attention, denizens of Remior! This is Hermes again.¡± the entric god¡¯s voice boomed from everywhere at once. ¡°It¡¯s quite rare for me to be making announcements like this so often. So, hooray for you, I guess! You get to hear a god speak twice in a few years! What¡¯s more, it¡¯s good news again, so double hooray! Trust me, it¡¯s better than the alternative ¨C you really don¡¯t want me toe out here informing you that Remior has fallen and you¡¯re all about to die.¡± The god chuckled. ¡°Rx, that was a joke. Well, not really. It could actually happen ¨C I just found it funny. In any case, you might be wondering why I¡¯m contacting you again. No, the lotus hasn¡¯t bloomed early. That¡¯s still over two years away, as originally nned. Today, I¡¯m reaching out for a different matter.¡± The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the vition. Percy swallowed hard, holding some hope deep down that it wasn¡¯t about him, though it was evaporating quickly ¨C it would be way too big of a coincidence. And sure enough¡­ ¡°You see, one of the brilliant folks in the Alchemists¡¯ Guild has invented some new elixirs that can be consumed three times as often! I trust I don¡¯t have to exin what this means for Remior.¡± ¡®Gee, thanks for thepliment¡­¡¯ Percy smiled bitterly as his worst fears came to light. ¡°Speaking as somebody who¡¯s seen lots of amazing treasures out there ¨C each of which would make your mouths water ¨C this is HUGE! Even for us! We¡¯ll get more gods, and you¡¯ll get more Violet and White cores! The only ones who¡¯ll get squat are the Red-borns, but then again¡­ who cares about them anyway, right? It¡¯s not like we had enough elixirs to waste on them before, let alone now. However, everyone else will benefit! Well, as soon as we can mass-produce this so-called Aurora Dew, that is. Big fan of the name, by the way! Props to whomever came up with it! In any case, this is all nice and dandy, but we¡¯ve sadly run into a small problem¡­¡± Knowing where this was heading, Percy took off, hurrying towards Nesha¡¯s gambling den. Contacting her right now was risky, but so was waiting around until the Divine Root homed in on them. ¡°Apparently, the smartass who came up with the recipe chose to keep it to himself, sneaking around to sell it to a small number of people at a premium. Honestly, I get the temptation, but we can¡¯t have that. Whoever you are, we¡¯re willing to pretend thest few months never happened, provided youe forward right now. We¡¯ll give you something for your trouble, and a nice god-approved pat on the back, and we can all have a great time moving forward. We know you¡¯ve gone through a lot of trouble to hide from us, but trust me, that isn¡¯t going tost long. We¡¯ve already sent a group from the Divine Root to interrogate all the registered alchemists in the Guild, and they¡¯ll find you sooner orter. Until then, security at the Guild¡¯s borders will be tripled, and nobody will be allowed to enter or exit without being searched from head to toe. I suppose I needn¡¯t say anything else. If you were smart enough toe up with such a marvellous elixir, you can probably tell what¡¯s best for you. The rest, I¡¯ll leave to our capable underlings. Ba-bye!¡± ¡®Crap!¡¯ Percy couldn¡¯t help but curse in his head. This was about as bad as expected. The only upside was that he¡¯d never taken the test to officially register as an alchemist. That was probably why the men had ignored him earlier. Well, that and the fact he was dressed in orange robes. Nobody would have expected him of all people to be behind such a breakthrough. But his cheap veil of anonymity wouldn¡¯tst forever. As soon as the Divine Root ran out of people to search, they¡¯d branch outwards, until they eventually got to him or Nesha. Even if they destroyed all the evidence of the operation by then, Percy still had plenty of other secrets he couldn¡¯t afford to leak. If anyone wondered why he had a bandage wrapped around his abdomen, it could easily lead to them learning about his second core. From there, the gods would get involved directly, discovering Metatron¡¯s Decree too. Realizing how quickly he was running out of time; Percy quickened his steps. ¡®And that¡¯s assuming Orin doesn¡¯t tell them anything.¡¯ He knew his mentor wouldn¡¯t hurt him on purpose, but the man had been opposed to keeping the secret from the beginning. If the old alchemist thought he was doing Remior ¨C or even Percy ¨C a favour, he might choose toe forward. Reaching Nesha¡¯s ce, he forced himself to calm down, trying not to look too suspicious. Entering the building, his ears soon buzzed with a cacophony of cheers and loud discussions. The den was packed to the brim with Nesha¡¯s regrs, but none of them was ying right now. They¡¯d all forgotten about the chips, dice and cards in their hands, instead excitedly talking about the announcement they¡¯d just heard. ¡°Can you believe it?! I¡¯m only seventy years old! I can actually reach Violet and be the leader of my House one day!!¡± somebody shouted. But his mate pped him on the back. ¡°Yeah right. The Yellow-borns will get the elixirs too, remember? By the time you get to Violet, Remior will be unrecognizable. There might be dozens of Whites and thousands of Violets by then. I doubt the number of noble Houses will increase that much though. It¡¯ll only raise the bar higher¡­¡± The first guy appeared to ponder his friend¡¯s words, but somebody else spoke next. ¡°Screw politics! With this, we¡¯ll live much longer!!¡± Though the new guy got shot down fast too. ¡°You idiot! Most people don¡¯t die of old age anyway¡­ When¡¯s thest time you met somebody older than 600? We¡¯ll still get killed in some war like before¡­¡± More shouts ensued, but Percy ignored them, pushing forward. Luckily, nobody seemed to pay him any attention either. Eventually, he reached Nesha. At first, neither of them said anything, as they merely exchanged a knowing nce. Only a few secondster did she speak. ¡°Two hours.¡± Percy nodded, before turning around and leaving. They¡¯d already made ns for the worst-case scenario. After all, they¡¯d always intended to stop the operation within a couple of years anyway. Naturally, their clients wouldn¡¯t have taken kindly to the supply of Aurora Dew getting cut off abruptly, so Percy and Nesha had prepared an exit strategy. Of course, they¡¯d originally nned to be long gone by the time the shitstorm reached the settlement. Sadly, it was toote for that now,plicating things. That said¡­ ¡®I¡¯ll be damned if I give away all my hard work to those assholes¡­¡¯ Chapter 105: Escape ¡®She¡¯s taking forever¡­¡¯ Percy tapped his foot. Standing at the base of the Fungal Spire, he was waiting for Nesha to arrive. The two hours she¡¯d mentioned were nothing more than the time until she closed the gambling den for the night. Despite the urgency of the situation, she couldn¡¯t just drop everything and run away abruptly, as that would raise more than a couple eyebrows. ¡®At least the guards didn¡¯t search me on the way here.¡¯ Evidently, the Divine Root had only bothered to increase the security at the gate leading outside the Guild, and presumably the Spire¡¯s perimeter. Even in normal times, they mostly cared about people leaving the settlement, to ensure they weren¡¯t carrying any nectar with them, breaking the Guild¡¯s monopoly on the substance. It was why Percy hadn¡¯t been checked thoroughly upon first arriving. Also, why the Agent hadn¡¯t encountered too much trouble smuggling the Aurora Dew or the enlightenment potions over the past few months. As for the people hunting on the mushrooms, nobody ever bothered to track their movements. Noticing something by the corner of his eye, Percy turned to see his familiar swiftly approaching. ¡°CAW!¡± the bird greeted uponnding. ¡®Caw indeed.¡¯ Percy replied, before sifting through the bandage wrapped around Micky¡¯s abdomen. It was the same one he¡¯d used back when he still met the Agent regrly. Since he no longer had to do that, he¡¯d long passed it to the crow to conceal its new core. Not that a beast adorned with an essory wasn¡¯t conspicuous, but it was certainly better than the alternative. Especially since Percy had purposelymissioned for the bandage to be crafted out of a dark fabric, to more easily blend in with the bird¡¯s plumage.¡®Where is it?!¡¯ Percy¡¯s heart skipped a beat after failing to find what he was looking for. ¡®Don¡¯t tell me you dropped it?!¡¯ ¡°KRAA! KRAA!!¡± the bird protested in indignation before pecking his shoulder. It was only a few secondster that he finally located a small object somewhere between the cloth and the feathers, dousing his rising panic. Next, Percy wore it around his neck. It was a pendant, with a weirdly shaped gem as its focus. Cut into a perfect cube, the lustrous stone somewhat resembled onyx, though that wasn¡¯t quite what it was. Countless tiny lights glittered like stars across its faces, contrasting against the ebony backdrop they dotted. Looking closer, the particles weren¡¯t syed randomly, instead forming orderly constetions. Percy knew those were the runes responsible for the enchantment. ¡®It¡¯s pretty AND useful. But stillcklustrepared to what they have in the Vault.¡¯ ¡°I admit rushing to buy the spatial amulet was the right move.¡± Nesha said, having arrived at some point. He shrugged. ¡°Well, we couldn¡¯t exactly carry everything around without it.¡± After awakening the familiar¡¯s second core, Percy hadn¡¯t really had much else he¡¯d wanted to spend his money on. His only goal at that point had been to amass enough brewing materials tost him for some time. Of course, considering his and Micky¡¯s rate of consumption, and his less-than-ster-yield, Percy currently needed around twenty doses of the regr elixirs per day, which tranted to thousands over the course of a single year. Luckily, he¡¯d made plenty of contribution points during the past nine months. Over eight million in total! Of those earnings, he¡¯d spent more than a million on the enlightenment potions and another million on the amulet. As for the other tools and secondary materials he needed to brew on the run¡­ Well, those cost peanutsparatively speaking. In any case, that had still left him over six million to buy the primary ingredients of the Aurora Dew ¨C the regr elixirs. ???????§¦? This tale has been uwfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°I can¡¯t believe there are nearly twenty thousand doses in this tiny ne.¡± he mused. Though one cubic metre of space wasn¡¯t that much, it could easily fit enough of the pinkie-sized vials tost him for years. Nesha had also pitched in, converting her own share into materials, storing them in Percy¡¯s amulet. With these, they could both keep drinking Aurora Dew for the next two years. Of course, he¡¯d originally nned to remain here longer. Sadly, that wasn¡¯t possible now. As things stood, they¡¯d run out of elixirs right after the lotus bloomed. And depending on how their escape went, they might not be able to return to the Guild for more. ¡®Oh well. That¡¯s a problem for future Percy¡­¡¯ ¡°Are you sure this is the best move?¡± Nesha suddenly asked, fidgeting. ¡°For me, yes.¡± Percy replied, before borating. ¡°Coming clean to the Divine Root is admittedly tempting, but I have other secrets besides the elixirs that I don¡¯t want them to learn.¡± Nesha gave Micky a cursory nce. ¡°You mean this Orange cored beast you¡¯ve somehow tamed?¡± ¡°Among other things¡­¡± he replied vaguely. Even if he could somehow guard all his secrets from them, he wasn¡¯t entirely convinced they¡¯d treat him as fairly as they imed. After all, he¡¯d seen the disdainful looks the people of the Divine Root had given him, and he¡¯d heard the sheer contempt with which Hermes talked about Red-borns. The moment they realized how easily the pure mana could be crystallized, he¡¯d lose all worth in their eyes. ¡®No, escaping is my only option¡­¡¯ Not Nesha¡¯s though. ncing at her, he pondered the implications of what he was asking her to do. Depending on how everything went, they might end up as fugitives on the run from actual gods. ¡°You don¡¯t have toe with me.¡± Nesha raised an eyebrow. ¡°They¡¯re more likely to notice my involvement. I was the one in charge of everything. And unlike you, I won¡¯t be able to give them what they want. They¡¯ll skin me alive¡­¡± she said, biting her lip. But Percy shook his head. ¡°My mentor knows the recipe. Find him and work together to make a deal with them. They only want the elixirs. They don¡¯t really care what happens to you.¡± What Percy had left unsaid was that this way, he¡¯d lose both his advantage and his means of making money. In a few years, he might be the only one on Remior who couldn¡¯t afford the Aurora Dew. ¡®Well, me and all the other Red-borns.¡¯ Still, it wouldn¡¯t be fair to force his problems on Nesha. The girl nervously crossed her arms, apparently considering it. At first, he gave her a couple of minutes to think. It was a huge decision, and he didn¡¯t want to rush her. However, as she continued to remain silent, he was about to urge her, when she suddenly spoke. ¡°I¡¯lle with you.¡± Percy carefully scanned her. Nesha had stopped shaking, her eyes now burning with determination. He didn¡¯t mind her tagging along ¨C he trusted her after working together for so long. Plus, she was useful, not only because of her bloodline andmercial skills, but also due to her affinity. Though there was one thing he needed to know first. ¡°Why?¡± Nesha furrowed her brow, apparently contemting the question. ¡°Before we started coborating, I was working towards a certain goal¡­ Though I suppose I always knew deep down that it wasn¡¯t a very realistic one.¡± she ultimately said. ¡°What changed?¡± Percy asked. She shrugged. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve made more money in the past year than I would¡¯ve made in a decade. Not to mention, the elixirs gave me hope of catching up to my enemies in this lifetime.¡± ¡°Lifetime?¡± Percy failed to suppress a chuckle. ¡°If youe with me, I can¡¯t even promise we¡¯ll be alive tomorrow. Plus, the recipe is going public in neen years regardless of what we do.¡± She certainly knew he was telling the truth, though she didn¡¯t seem deterred. ¡°I have a hunch that sticking with you will give me a chance to get my revenge. That¡¯s enough.¡± Percy grinned. ¡°Wee to the team then. By the way, the bird is Micky.¡± She nodded. ¡°So, what¡¯s the n? Are we going to look for a weak point in the perimeter?¡± she asked. But Percy shook his head. ¡°Even on the off chance we get out, they¡¯ll spot us. It¡¯ll only be a matter of time before they let the people in charge know. And we can¡¯t outrun a Blue core.¡± ¡°What other choice do we have? We can¡¯t leave through the front gate¡­¡± Percy smiled. ¡°How about below the Guild?¡± Nesha tilted her head. She appeared about to voice her confusion when¡­ CRACK A loud noise came from a bunch of boulders a few dozen metres away from them. There seemed to be a hole in the rocky formation, though it was only big enough for something the size of an apple to squeeze through. The sounds escted, as the stones by the tiny entrance began to shake. A few momentster, a pair of oversized mandibles pierced through, followed by a head, and a torso¡­ Before long, a man-sized wasp emerged, widening the tunnel in its passing. Nesha took a step back, already drawing mana from her core, as a pitch-ck bubble manifested in her hand. But she didn¡¯t stop there, gathering more as she stared at the bug. ¡°How the hell did a Starry Soldier end up on the first level?!¡± she asked nobody in particr. Percy ced his hand on her shoulder. ¡°Stop. The bug is our way out.¡± he said, eliciting an odd expression from his friend. Nesha turned towards the wasp again, her features twisting in incredulity upon seeing the creature wave at her with its forelimb. Chapter 106: Unsettling Percy removed his robes, carefully folding them before cing them on the ground. ¡®Man, I¡¯m so going to miss the self-cleaning enchantment¡­¡¯ Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t risk being seen wearing his Guild attire outside. Doing so would only needlessly increase the risk of people connecting him to the elixirs. The same went for his old clothes. He was better off masquerading as amoner, to avoid bringing his House trouble. That was why he¡¯d brought two sets of in, linen outfits ¨C one for himself and one for Nesha. ¡°How do you even control these beasts? The wasp is a higher grade than you!¡± her voice rang out from the other side of the tree, where she was also changing. ¡°I¡¯ll exin if we survive¡­ No point wasting my breath before then.¡± he replied as he pulled up the boot on his right foot. ¡°Fair enough¡­¡± she said, though she caught herself a momentter. ¡°Wait. What do you mean ¡®if we survive¡¯?! How confident are you in this n?!¡± Percy shrugged, though she couldn¡¯t see him. But neither party spoke much over the next few minutes, as he waited for her to finish. At some point, he remembered the Honey Roll he¡¯d bought in a hurry before rushing out of the settlement. Digging through his folded robes, he found the snack in one of the pockets, gleefully biting a chunk off. It had grown cold, but he wasn¡¯t deterred. It was debatable whether stopping by Freddy¡¯s had been wise given the circumstances, though Percy had wanted to chat with his pal onest time before leaving the Guild for good. While he hadn¡¯t dared to bid the man farewell, afraid to get the poor guy involved in his mess, he knew that might have very well been hisst chance to see him. ¡®And this could be myst Honey Roll ever¡­¡¯Slowing down to savour it, he looked up at the mushrooms above. They still showered the ground level with their wondrous particles. Percy would never forget the first time he saw them, on that fateful night some three years ago¡­ ¡®No. I¡¯ll definitelye back one day.¡¯ A couple minutester, he and Nesha stood by the mouth of the tunnel his clone had dug up, gazing at the colourful glow emanating from within. Swirling motes of light danced in the air, reflecting off the tunnel¡¯s slick walls, casting a mesmerizing, almost dreamlike atmosphere around them. Despite its beauty, Percy keenly felt the weight of the danger lurking beneath them. ¡®Let¡¯s get this over with¡­¡¯ he silently conveyed to his clone. That was when the Starry Soldier approached, opening its jaws wide before suddenly spitting something at him. Percy barely closed his eyes in time to avoid the green goo sttering all over his face. This serving of sludge had nothing to do with the nectar in the bug¡¯s nd. Rather, it hade from its stomach. It was thick like mucus, sliding slowly down his neck. Its stench, a disorienting blend of musk and rot, hit him instantly. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± he grunted, resisting the urge to gag as he used his hands to smear the creature¡¯s vomit all over his clothes. The insect continued to throw up more of the disgusting substance. Nesha retched, recoiling back in horror at the sight. Percy would have grinned if not for the fear of identally swallowing some of the foul goo. After another mouthful of vomit sshed onto him, he nodded in satisfaction, before waving a hand toward the bug, sending it after his partner. ¡°Eeeek!!! Keep that thing away from me!!!¡± she shrieked, stepping back as the creature advanced. Though the clone ignored her, closing in against her protests. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the vition. ¡°Let it do it if you want to survive.¡± Percy said, wiping his mouth on thest clean patch of his shirt before exining. ¡°The interior of the Spire is filled with wasps. This is the only way to keep them from attacking us¡­¡± ¡®Hopefully.¡¯ he kept thatst part to himself. Nesha groaned, wrinkling her nose in disgust as she reluctantly began thering the vomit on her clothes. Eventually, she broke the long silence as soon as she was done. ¡°Isn¡¯t it forbidden to enter these tunnels?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Percy admitted. ¡°But we¡¯re already criminals. Or we will be, if people find out what we¡¯ve done. Also, nobody is going to know about this. They can¡¯t monitor all these openings ¨C there are too many. Not that they need to, as entering is a death sentence in and of itself.¡± ¡°Lovely.¡± she spat sarcastically. Then, Percy turned to his familiar. Over the next few minutes, he had his clone cover the crow with the sludge too, taking the opportunity to strap their old clothes on the wasp¡¯s back. The idea was for it to dispose of them somewhere in the tunnels below, as soon as they escaped the Guild. Before long, he was done ¨C as was the bug. ¡°KRAAAA!¡± Micky cawed in annoyance, trying to peck some of the goo out of his feathers. Percy had considered letting him fly away on his own, but they didn¡¯t know how tight the security was around the perimeter. ¡®Oh well¡­ For all we know he won¡¯t survive if I die anyway¡­¡¯ ¡°Are you ready?¡± he asked Nesha. Getting a nod back, he embraced the bird with his left elbow, before offering his right hand to his partner. She stared at it for a moment before reluctantly grabbing hold. ¡°Whatever happens inside, don¡¯t let go.¡± The two then walked into the vibrant cave, the Starry Soldier right behind them. As soon as they were all inside, the bug turned around and lunged at the walls of the tunnel, wing at them with its thin forelegs, biting at them with its mandibles. ¡°Now what?¡± Nesha asked as the cave¡¯s opening copsed, sealing the way back. ¡°The tunnels on the first level aren¡¯t supposed to berge enough for people.¡± Percy exined. As they delved deeper into the hive, the bug kept digging at the walls, copsing everything in their wake. If anyone saw what Percy was doing to the interior of the Spire, they¡¯d have rushed to skin him alive. ¡®I prefer to think of it as restoring the environment to its original state.¡¯ Which was technically correct. The tunnels his clone was currently destroying were the very ones he¡¯d personally widened over the past few weeks. Naturally, he couldn¡¯t have possibly built the entire tunnel leading outside ¨C it would be too long for a single bug to pull off in such a short time. Even for one at Yellow. Percy¡¯s clone had merely expanded some sections, linking the ground level of the Spire to thework a few dozen metres underground. Most of the tunnels the group would be using had already existed beforehand. ¡®It¡¯s a pity I couldn¡¯t get to the queen¡¯s nest though¡­¡¯ Even though histest clone had delved much deeper than the worker, he still hadn¡¯t managed to reach the eggs. It was one of the reasons Percy wanted to return to the Guild in the future, to try again after possessing one of the Green bugs. After all, the prospect of a Starry Wasp familiar was too tempting to give up on. BZZZZZZZZ Percy was taken out of his thoughts as the trio encountered the first few bugs. There were only five drones in front of them, but a quick scan via Soul Vision revealed twice as many lurking around the corner. Nesha¡¯s grip tightened, the girl appearing a little shaken. A few Red beasts were nothing to a Yellow core, but she didn¡¯t have much experience hunting, and the current circumstances were more than a little ustrophobic. ¡°Listen. The further we go, the more of them there will be. Higher grades too. Don¡¯t try fighting them or running away. If the goo fails us we¡¯ll be overwhelmed anyway.¡± At first, his words seemed counter-productive, only causing the colour in her face to drain further. Still, Nesha bit her lip to calm down, before forcing a strained smile. ¡°Great. Let¡¯s hinge all our lives on bug vomit.¡± Percy grinned too, mostly to suppress his own bubbling unease, as he pressed onward, bringing the others along. The drones paused upon noticing them, eyeing them curiously. From his clone¡¯s experience, Percy understood they were trying to discern whether they posed a threat to the colony. No wasp below Yellow would attack him unprovoked outside, but things here were different. Still¡­ After approaching and giving them a cursory feel with its antennae, the bug turned away, seemingly satisfied with their credentials. Its pals returned to their jobs too, back to grazing the concentrated mana off the tunnel¡¯s walls. ¡°So far so good.¡± he muttered, keeping his voice down. The others seemed to have grown a touch more confident too, as Nesha picked up the pace, probably eager to get the hell out of here before the scent wore off. Sadly, no amount of confidence could have prepared them for what followed¡­ Chapter 107: Hell Countless legs poked Percy from all sides, pushing him around like a boat amidst a sea of insects. They came in all sizes, from the rod-like limbs of the soldiers pinning him to the ground, bruising his body with each heavy step, to the stick-like legs of the drones crawling all over his skin. Their soft, frequent taps were as intrusive as they were unnerving. The young man had to lean on both knees and one elbow, desperately trying to resist the weight of the wasps above, doing his best to keep Micky from getting squashed in his embrace. ¡°Ugghhh!¡± Percy couldn¡¯t help but groan in pain, as the frightened crow clenched its talons, digging into his flesh and soul both. As for his right hand, it didn¡¯t fare much better, creaking as Nesha sped it tightly, short-lived but frequent tremors coursing through his bones every few moments. It was nearly impossible to make out what was happening around them, as the flurry of insect shadows bled into the dizzying glow of the cavern, plunging Percy¡¯s surroundings into chaos. Still, he vaguely spotted his partner trying to shield her head with her free hand, her face a nauseated green. ¡°Hold on!¡± he shouted, though his voice barely pierced through the buzzing cacophony of the hive. At first, he wasn¡¯t sure Nesha heard him, but a prompt squeeze of her palm soon revealed she indeed had. Percy gathered all his strength to crawl forward, forcing himself against the current. ¡®Should I use Cirction?¡¯ Even with two Orange cores and a trained body, enduring the current of bugs without his boosting art was a struggle. The thought of resorting to it was tempting, especially since the dense umtion of mana inside the tunnel promised to make the act easier than ever. But he shook his head.Inducing such a conspicuous flow of ambient mana risked drawing the wrong type of attention from the insects. Gritting his teeth, he pushed through the river of wasps with brute strength alone, still protecting his familiar with one hand, guiding the girl forward with the other. Inch by inch, they made some progress, though it would take them days to reach the exit at this pace. Not to mention, the constant scratches caused by the bugs¡¯ limbs threatened to tear what little remained of their clothes off, and the soldier¡¯s goo with it. ¡®Shit! If we lose the scent, we¡¯re fucked!¡¯ he realized, before calling out to his clone. ¡®Do something, will you?!¡¯ Thetter had to deal with the rushing bugs too, but his hard exoskeleton ensured he had an easier time doing so. His body was built for precisely this environment after all. Heeding Percy¡¯s call, he dove forward, alleviating some of the pressure with his frame, finally allowing the trio to move a little faster. With the immediate danger warded off for the time-being, the group ¨C two humans, one bird and one wasp ¨C crawled closer to one another, doing their best to not fall into the same predicament again. Of course, some of the insects still climbed over them, but there were fewer now, as the clone focused on clearing the path ahead. Yet¡­ Percy swallowed hard as a soldier¡¯s stinger brushed right by his cheek, narrowly missing his eye. Had itnded a couple inches to the right, it would have skewered his brain, pumping his skull full of acid. ¡®At least it wasn¡¯t on purpose¡­¡¯ he realised in relief. Not that he particrly cared about souring his rtionship with a random bug, but had the creature intentionally attacked, it would have meant the rest of its kin were about to follow suit. The party continued like this for several hours, each of them visibly fighting both the exhaustion, and to keep the contents of their stomachs from spilling. Percy handled the situation slightly better than hispanions, but only because he¡¯d already experienced this many times before, through his clone¡¯s memories. Even so, there was a stark difference between merely recalling his clone¡¯s second-hand experience ¨C in its native environment no less ¨C and actually enduring it with his real body. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡®Less room for mistakes too¡­¡¯ Eventually, the slope beneath their feet tilted upward, the density of bugs in the winding tunnel dropping about half an hourter. They were still some distance from their destination, but they appeared to have crossed the half-way mark. Suddenly, Percy stopped. Nesha shed him a questioning look, but he ignored her, busymunicating with his clone instead. Soon, the bug turned around, spitting a new round of vomit on him. Understanding his intentions, the girl then closed her eyes, silently inviting the clone to renew her own cover too. She appeared to have finally ovee her disgust for the sludge. ¡®I suppose it would be strange if she still cared about that¡­¡¯ he chuckled. Only after the whole group had undergone the process did they resume their journey. Honestly, Percy wasn¡¯t sure the substance was necessary anymore, as the entire hive reeked with the foul stench this far in. From what he understood, this was how the bugsmunicated to one another who was a friend. ¡®It doesn¡¯t hurt to be careful.¡¯ he shrugged. In any case, the party of four continued their trek through the colourful tunnel, finally able to appreciate the scenery now that the flood of bugs had grown less chaotic. Percy had seen the lustrous deposits decorating the walls before, though they looked twice as beautiful now that he sported a better pair of eyes. Nesha gawked at the sight too, seemingly having set her fears aside. Percy didn¡¯t me her for it either. The view was truly mesmerizing, especially for someone stumbling upon it for the first time. ??? A couple hourster, the traffic of bugs nearly disappeared entirely, as the group approached the artificial part of the hive the clone had personally dug up. Atst, the most dangerous part of the trip was already behind them¡­ ¡­or so they thought. Suddenly, a massive insect head smashed through the ceiling a few metres ahead, the crumbling debris raising a cloud of dust as it hit the floor. ¡®The fuck?!¡¯ Percy nearly stumbled backwards, dragging Nesha with him. He coughed, wanting to cover his mouth, but neither of his hands were free, forcing him to awkwardly use his shoulder instead. From the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of the intruder. Luckily, it didn¡¯t seem to have noticed them yet, still struggling to dig itself out of the hole. Yet, what little Percy could see was frightening enough. The bug¡¯s head was asrge as his clone¡¯s thorax, meaning the creature¡¯s entire body was probably as big as an elephant. ¡®A Starry Knight!¡¯ It was his first time seeing one in person, though his clones had run into a few in the past. Not many, as they seemed much scarcer than their weaker rtives ¨C at least in the sections of the hive he¡¯d managed to ess. Only a few secondster did Nesha spot the oversized bug, Percy feeling her shudder. Part of him wanted tofort her, but the priority right now was to figure out how to get past the monster in one piece. ¡®Will the disguise even hold?¡¯ he openly wondered through the cord, letting his clone listen in. ¡®I don¡¯t know¡­ All the wasps rely on the goo, but the higher grades are smarter too.¡¯ Percy gritted his teeth. Bug or not, he didn¡¯t dare underestimate a Green core¡¯s intelligence. ¡®Can you get us past it?¡¯ he asked again. He¡¯d considered turning back, but there was nowhere to go. His clone had only dug one exit to the surface, and this was the only tunnel leading to it. ¡®I can try.¡¯ Then, realizing they were almost out of time ¨C the knight having nearly extricated itself from the hole ¨C the clone spat another mouthful of sludge on each of them for good measure. Next, it turned around to negotiate with its giant cousin. The creature had to scrunch up to fit inside the tunnel ¨C it clearly wasn¡¯t meant for the Green variants. Each of its movements scraped ores and crystals off the walls. ncing at the group, it perked up, noticing something out of ce. Not missing a beat, the clone stood before it, trying to block its view, as he opened his mandibles. The stench of rot and musk intensified further, as Percy¡¯s clone released more of it, this time in a gaseous form. Releasing a high-pitched screech that made Percy¡¯s ears hurt, the knight tried to brush the clone aside with its head, though thetter fought to stand his ground. Confused, the Green wasp felt the clone with its antennae, probably trying to discern whether he was truly its kin. Though the knight seemed convinced, it still stubbornly tried to look past the clone, sensing something wrong. Percy held his breath throughout the whole ordeal, a quick nce revealing that Nesha was doing the same. Unable to hold on much longer, however, he ended up gasping for air a few secondster, a whiff of the putrid stench nearly making him gag. Thinking of something, he let go of his partner¡¯s hand ¨C much to her surprise ¨C discreetly cing it behind his back, hidden behind the bandage. Luckily, the enchanted fabric was still in one piece, unlike many of the tattered rags they wore. Then, he began gathering some soul mana, just in case. The standoff continued for several minutes, as cold sweat trickled down his back. At some point, the knight seemed to back down a little, making Percy think it had finally agreed to let them go. Rxing, he noticed the noxious odour had, at some point, given way to a different, less unpleasant scent. It was sweet, faintly reminding him of bananas¡­ ¡®Shit. RUN!¡¯ the clone suddenly screamed through the connection. Chapter 108: Starry Knight With a violent snap of its mandibles, the knight tore nearly halfway through the clone¡¯s torso, before mming him against the wall. Nesha stepped back, seemingly about to run away, when Percy stopped her. ¡°DON¡¯T!¡± he yelled, not leaving room for debate. Putting aside whether they could outrun the creature, they couldn¡¯t risk diving back into the sea of bugs behind them. The knight could easily set the whole colony off! No, there was only one way out, and it was past the beast! The monster lunged towards them, its pir-like legs punching craters in their wake, the rocky protrusions sticking out of the tunnel¡¯s surfaces barely hindering its advance. Out of time, Percy swung his right hand,unching the Parting Gift. A faint distortion passed through the air, spinning towards the bug. He¡¯d poured everything in the attack, not leaving even a drop behind for Soul Vision. He¡¯d have used Cirction too if he had a few more seconds. KREEEEEE!!! The bug let out an otherworldly screech ¨C even louder than before ¨C as the invisible sickle found its mark,nding between its eyes. Percy counted his lucky stars that the narrow tunnel had robbed the knight of its greatest strength ¨C its agility. He assumed he¡¯d have never managed to hit it outdoors. Not if it was any faster than the soldiers, just as they were quicker than the workers. Missing a step, the monster stumbled on the ground, though its momentum continued to carry it forward at a dangerous speed. Thinking on his feet, Percy shoved Nesha against the wall, leaping towards the opposite one himself, hoping they¡¯d fit in the gaps by the bug¡¯s sides.¡®Micky!!! Use Cirction!!! NOW!!!¡¯ The impact shook him, though he¡¯d made sure to absorb all of it with his body, still cognisant of the crow in his arms. Though that was only the beginning of his struggle, as the knight¡¯s limp frame finally reached him, pushing him against the hard stone. Percy instinctively pressed both knees and elbows against the wall, desperate to leave enough space for Micky. He felt all his bones creak and crack as the rough carapace of the giant wasp peeled ayer of skin off his back. ¡°AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHH!!!!¡± he screamed, enduring the pain as he did everything in his power to keep both himself and his familiar alive. Eventually, the wasp came to rest about halfway past him. Its body still pressed against his own, though the weight was more bearable now that it wasn¡¯t moving. Well, for a while at least¡­ Suddenly, the creature spasmed, sending a wave of force through him. ¡®It¡¯s still alive!¡¯ Percy realized in horror. His Parting Gift had never failed before ¨C at least not when he managed tond it. Then again, a two-grade gap was probably too much to bridge, especially without Cirction. The creature cried and squirmed, each tiny movement mming into Percy with the force of a charging ram. He had no idea if Nesha had survived, but he didn¡¯t have the luxury to worry about her now. Taking advantage of the pauses between the bug¡¯s pained jolts, he crawled against the wall, ignoring his protesting limbs, trying to reach the rear of the creature before it recoveredpletely. ¡®Faster¡­¡¯ he thought as its spasms grew more frequent. It was fortunate itcked the awareness to attack him on purpose, as he doubted he¡¯d survive any deliberate blows. Yet he understood it was just a matter of time until his luck ran out¡­ He inhaled as much air as he could with every chance the creature gave him. His efforts stung, as a broken rib seemed to have pierced his lung, slowing down the process. At least, the extreme density of mana in the air helped, letting him slowly refill his cores despite the obstacles. A few secondster, he found some space beneath the wasp¡¯s abdomen, finally letting him stretch his limbs a little. However, a new issue had arisen, giving him pause. Glinting by the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of the bug¡¯s stinger. The lethal weapon was longer than ance, thick droplets of purple dripping from its tip. SSSSSS A pool had already formed beneath it, and the acid seemed even more potent than that of the soldiers. Percy was standing a few steps away, yet the scarce vapor alone was enough to make his eyes burn and water, leaving an acrid aftertaste at the back of his throat. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Just as he was contemting how to best bypass it, the knight suddenlyshed out with a hindleg, sending him bouncing against the wall, before tumbling down a few metres behind it. COUGH, COUGH Percy¡¯s coughs were wet, and his body felt like it had been stomped on by a herd of buffalos. ¡®At least I¡¯m alive¡­¡¯ he reasoned, before registering that the bug had kindly helped him around the pool of acid. ¡®Thanks for that!¡¯ Even better, a quick nce revealed that Micky was ok. Rattled, yes, but otherwise unharmed. It was more than he could say about¡­ ¡®Shit! Nesha!¡¯ Only now did he remember hispanion, scanning his surroundings for her. Luckily, he didn¡¯t have to look far, as he found her sitting by a wall nearby, having also managed to escape the bug¡¯s clutches somehow. He was about to call out to her, when he noticed her condition. She had a hand pressed against her right temple, a stream of red seeping through her fingers. One of her eyes was closed, the other sporting a vacant gaze. There were several more cuts and bruises throughout her body, though her blood was mixed with a different liquid. A green one. ¡®Wasp blood?¡¯ Percy recognized it, having encountered it countless times while hunting. There was no mistaking it, as it gleamed in a brighter shade than his clone¡¯s vomit. A piercing screech reminded him they weren¡¯t out of the woods quite yet, as the knight had stood up again, and it was trying to turn around. Breathing faster, Percy hoped to activate Cirction in time. The boosting art put a strain on one¡¯s body ¨C which wasn¡¯t an issue for him normally ¨C but his current state made everything a challenge. ¡®Synchronization is definitely out of the question¡­¡¯ he noted, as he watched the wasp w some extra space out of the walls so it could turn. That was when Percy spotted some nasty gashes by its side, a bright green liquid oozing out of its exoskeleton. ¡®It¡¯s injured!¡¯ Checking Nesha¡¯s core with Mana Sense, he saw it was empty. She¡¯d probably used everything she had to extricate herself from the creature, wounding it in the process. The bug finally managed to orient itself, itspound eyes locking onto Percy, sending a shiver down his spine. ¡®I suppose it¡¯ll have to do.¡¯ he thought as a silver maelstrom came to life underneath his skin. He hadn¡¯t bothered to use his second core, as he knew the pure mana wouldn¡¯t even put a dent on the knight¡¯s carapace. Plus, Percy¡¯s body couldn¡¯t handle another round of boosting right now. cing Micky on the ground, he briefly considered asking him to help. Though he quickly shot the idea down. While the crow was in a better state than him, it didn¡¯t have anything in its arsenal that would make a difference here. It wouldn¡¯t even be able to fly properly inside the narrow tunnel. Realising it was all up to him, he manifested two silver sickles, eachrger than the one before. The bug was about to charge towards him, but Percy wouldn¡¯t give it the chance to pick up speed a second time. Unleashing both of his weapons, he watched as they stabbed his opponent¡¯s soul. It had clearly learned its lesson, however, jerking its head at thest second to ensure only one of the constructsnded on it, letting the other hit its torso. The projectiles definitely hurt. Still, the monstrosity simply refused to copse. Itshed erratically against the tunnel with everything it had ¨C limbs, stinger and mandibles ¨C causing chunks of stonerger than Percy¡¯s head to fall all over the ce. The young man had no choice but to jump around, while keeping an eye out for Nesha and Micky both, ready to intercept a rock with a st of cyan if he had to. At the same time, he rushed to replenish his soul mana, preparing to hit the wasp again. But it wasn¡¯t going down that easily, it seemed. Snapping out of its frenzy sooner thanst time, it crawled towards Percy, hell-bent on chomping down the annoying pests that dared to injure it. Percy wanted to run. Unlike before, the exit was behind him. Still, he was in a worse shape than the creature. It would definitely catch up. Besides, he couldn¡¯t leave the others at its mercy. ¡°Then¡­ Just DIE already!!!¡± he yelled,unching another sickle with what mana he¡¯d managed to recover. It hit, but the wasp kepting. ¡°DIE!!¡± he threw one more, draining his channels out too, bringing him right out of Cirction. This one halted the knight¡¯s movements, causing it to fall to its side, the impact sending a shockwave through the cavern. Yet, the horror wasn¡¯t quite over, as the bug¡¯s limbs twitched just momentster, letting it resume its march. ¡°JUST¡­!! FUCKING¡­!!DIE¡­!!!¡± The young man screamed between strained breaths, resorting to random blobs of pure mana that sttered harmlessly against the creature. Naturally, they did nothing. Looming over him, the wasp looked like it was about to pounce, when someone interfered¡­ ¡®My clone!¡¯ Percy had written the soldier off, as he was in the worst condition out of everyone in the tunnel. By far. His upper body was barely held together by a few scant shards of chitin. Though that hadn¡¯t been enough to put the clone out ofmission, apparently. Having waited for the knight to walk right over him, he bit at one of its legs, hugging it tightly. Then, he plunged his stinger right into the wound Nesha had inflicted, pumping the monster¡¯s carapace full of acid. Screeching in agony once more, the Green bug stomped on the clone¡¯s head with a different leg, this time crushing it directly. It only took a moment for the soul fragment to m into Percy, flooding his mind with memories. The young man forcefully brushed them aside, however. This wasn¡¯t the time to sort them out. Having exhausted all his trump cards, Percy stared at the beast, his expression grim. He knew he couldn¡¯t retreat another step. Nesha was right behind him. Tightening his grip around a half-formed sickle, he prepared for his final stand against the bug. Satisfied with its handiwork, the knight tossed the broken clone aside, turning back toward Percy. It opened its jaw wide, sending a rain of spittle at him. Man and insect looked each other in the eyes, both keenly aware that only one of them would survive. ¡®At best¡­¡¯ Chapter 109: Regal intent The knight¡¯s mandibles opened wide, preparing to chomp the pesky human in half. Reading his adversary¡¯s intentions via Soul Vision, the young man was ready to crouch beneath the monster at a moment¡¯s notice, clenching the half-formed sickle tightly in his fist. Yet just as they were about to sh, something strange happened. The beast¡¯s body suddenly rxed, its expression easing. ¡®Now what?!¡¯ At first, Percy thought it was an act. A ruse to get him to drop his guard. But he doubted the creature was that smart. Besides, it didn¡¯t really need to trick him to end this. Honestly, his odds of surviving the frontal assault of the elephant-sized beast were abysmal. More importantly, he could see the wasp¡¯s bloodlust had all but evaporated, not finding any trace of hostility in its soul. ¡®Who cares?!¡¯ Whatever the reason was, he wouldn¡¯t waste his chance. Swinging his weapon at the knight¡¯s face, he gouged another deep wound into its soul. What was it, the sixth now? An advantage of fighting in close range was that he could more easily maintain his constructs. A chunk of it still crumbled away, but he needed less mana to repair it than to form a new one, soon delivering another strike after the first. No reaction. For some reason, the towering monster that had savagely fought to ughter them all just minutes ago was now standing motionless, eating Percy¡¯s attacks with no intention of fighting back.¡®Has it lost consciousness or something?¡¯ he wondered, as the silver maelstrom finally formed within his torso once more. Yet, just when he was about to redouble his efforts to y the knight, another change urred. A spark of intelligence suddenly shed inside itspound eyes, gazing at the young man not with hatred or hunger, but curiosity. Percy shivered, leaping backwards by instinct. He knew his best course of action was to continue hacking at the monster, but his body refused to listen, a primal wave of terror now coursing through it. Somehow, the bug¡¯s pensive look was even more frightening than its previous demeanour. But the wasp didn¡¯t stop there. Tilting its head, it unleashed a suffocating aura inside the narrow corridor. Physically, nothing happened ¨C Percy didn¡¯t need to use Mana Sense to see the colourful motes dancing through the air like before, many of them flowing towards him. The bug hadn¡¯t moved an inch from its spot either¡­ Still, he couldn¡¯t help but feel like he was stuck in amber, as a palpable presence flooded the cavern, holding him in ce. No Green beast should be able to exert this kind of tangible authority! This¡­ it felt almost regal! ¡®Shit.¡¯ It appeared the Starry Queen had taken notice of their actions! Percy had no clue why she had stopped the knight from killing him, or why she seemed intent on capturing them alive¡­ and honestly, he wasn¡¯t interested in finding out. Summoning every shred of willpower, he fought to twitch his thumb, eventually managing to point it towards his palm. Then, he pushed some soul mana through it, extending a sharp point off its tip. ¡°AAAAARRRRGGGHHHH!!!¡± The pain was immense. But it worked. Gritting his teeth, he intensified his breaths as he formed another sickle in his right hand, still stabbing himself with his left. ¡°GO TO HELL ALREADY!!!¡± he yelled, dashing towards the creature. It raised two forelimbs to stop him, though Percy saw its reactioning from a mile away. He didn¡¯t know if the previous damage had slowed the wasp¡¯s movements, or if it was the queen¡¯s control over her subject that was clumsy, but it worked in his favour either way. Crouching beneath the knight¡¯s legs, he slid underneath its carapace, as he relied on his momentum to slice a long line through its soul. If a dozen small attacks weren¡¯t enough to take it down, Percy would have to go big! The rough floor of the tunnel further shredded his already injured back, but he didn¡¯t let the pain dull his offensive. The sickle¡¯s edge met a lot of resistance ¨C it was like trying to chop a tree with a rusty axe ¨C but Percy wasn¡¯t deterred. He kept flooding his weapon with mana, as his core and channels emptied again, bringing him out of Cirction a second time. In the end, the construct shattered right around the wasp¡¯s sternum, Percy¡¯s bodying to a halt not much further. He wasn¡¯t sure if that had been enough, but he knew he shouldn¡¯t remain in that spot either way. Kicking against a rocky protrusion, he rolled to the side, colliding violently against the wall. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any urrences. And just in time too¡­ BOOOOOOOOOOOOM With a deafening sound, the heavy carapace of the colossal bug fell limp on the floor, countless cracks spreading out from the impact. Instinctively, Percy wanted to hold his breath until the results came in, though he knew the fastest way to check if the beast was alive was to gather enough mana for Soul Vision. And a few secondster, he had his answer¡­ He finally exhaled in relief, plopping back onto a hard crystal. It hurt a bit, but not as much as everything else. Still, Percy ignored his protesting body, pushing himself up. There was no time to waste. Limping towards Nesha, he ced two fingers on her neck, checking for a pulse. It was faint, but she was alive. ¡®Not for much longer though.¡¯ Luckily, he had the means to save her. Reaching for the spatial amulet around his neck¡­ ¡®No. No-no-no-no-no!¡¯ his heart skipped a beat upon realizing it wasn¡¯t there. ¡®Shit! Where is it?!?!¡¯ The artifact contained everything! From the two years¡¯ worth of ingredients he¡¯d painstakingly umted, to the healing potions he needed to save his partner¡¯s life. Hell, without them, he wasn¡¯t sure he¡¯d be in any condition to escape the tunnel himself, before the queen sent her troops after him. Percy scanned his surroundings, looking for the pendant. He had to find it. And he had to do it fast! He still wasn¡¯t sure what the queen wanted from him. Perhaps she had seen how useful Cirction was, or maybe she just wanted to kill him personally. Either way, the sea of bugs they had left behind was only a few hours away, and that was assuming there weren¡¯t any other nearby tunnels filled with the darn things. It didn¡¯t take a genius to guess they were probably all heading their way already. ¡®It all depends on when I dropped it¡­¡¯ Had it happened back when the wasps were crawling all over them, there would be no retrieving it. His only hope was to have lost it during the fight with the knight. But the odds of that being the case were swiftly fading as he failed to spot it anywhere around him. ¡®Maybe it¡¯s under the corpse¡­¡¯ The only thing more difficult than walking back to the knight was lifting its oversized carcass. Percy¡¯s limbs were already purple and swollen. Even the slightest exertion resulted in a series of popping sounds all over his body. Still, he persisted, knowing he wasn¡¯t getting out of here without that amulet. Reactivating Cirction was torture. To make matters worse, a single application didn¡¯t seem to be enough. Gritting his teeth, he pushed as much mana into his channels as his body could handle, eventually managing to budge the knight slightly. ¡®This thing must weigh half a dozen tons¡­¡¯ It took everything he had and then some, only to roll the body a couple inches to the side. Percy was starting to lose all hope when he finally caught a glimpse of a dark object about a metre to his left. ¡°HAHAHAHA!!!¡± heughed like a madman, his sheer joy giving him the strength to lift the carapace just a little more. ¡°Micky!! Grab it! FAST!¡± The bird didn¡¯t need to be told twice, eagerly fluttering towards the artifact, happy to finally be useful. Percy hadn¡¯t had the time to think about it earlier, but he knew the crow had felt guilty letting him fight on his own, unable to help. Only after the familiar retrieved the pendant did Percy lower the corpse again, falling back weakly. Micky then brought him the object, as he wasn¡¯t in any condition to move. Confirming that it wasn¡¯t damaged, the young man stuck his thumb on one of the cube¡¯s faces, releasing three brief pulses of pure mana. He didn¡¯t know if these enchantments worked with every affinity, but they certainly did with his. The cube emitted a satisfying sound, before expanding severalfold, reaching the size of a crate. The same side he had just tapped then opened, revealing a stash of tools and vials within. Most of them contained a turquoise liquid, but those weren¡¯t the ones he needed. ¡°There!¡± he eximed, clumsily pulling a handful of green potions out. Sadly, he hadn¡¯t bought too many of them ¨C only a couple dozen. Given the state of their injuries, he wasn¡¯t sure they¡¯d suffice. Nesha was at Yellow and the potions had grown less effective on him too, ever since his second core advanced. ¡®If only I had known¡­¡¯ he smiled bitterly. But he couldn¡¯t have. Not about the Divine Root forcing them to leave two years in advance, and not about the Starry Knight beating them within an inch of their life. He shook his head. There was no point regretting things he couldn¡¯t change, nor any time for it. Uncorking three of the vials in quick session, he quickly guzzled their contents down, hoping they¡¯d fix him up enough to move. ¡®I¡¯ll only drink more if Nesha doesn¡¯t need them.¡¯ His wounds itched as the potions took effect, though it was modest as expected. Still, he did feel a little better about a minuteter, able to move his limbs again. Making his way to hispanion, he soon panicked upon seeing how pale she was, her skin cold as ice. Lifting her chin, he helped her swallow potion after potion, only pausing after the sixth one. ¡°Come on¡­¡± he muttered, biting his lip. Scanning her intently, he saw many of her wounds begin to close, though that didn¡¯t seem to be enough. She didn¡¯t regain consciousness either. He fed her another four potions, drinking a few more himself. Finally, her injuries faded away, as did his own. ¡®She¡¯s still not waking up!¡¯ Turning Soul Vision on, he examined her again. She was right on the verge ¨C bad enough that he could probably possess her if he wanted, though notpletely beyond the pale. He did have a few more potions, though this wasn¡¯t something life mana could fix. ¡®But I can!¡¯ Pouring all his soul mana into her, he did mend the injuries slightly. Given enough time, he should be able to heal herpletely. Yet time was the onemodity they were swiftly running out of. He could speed things up with Cirction, but his own soul wasn¡¯t exactly healthy either¡­ ¡®The knight!¡¯ he remembered. With Micky¡¯s help, the colossal carcass could provide them all the soul mana they needed, and then some. The only problem was getting through its hard exoskeleton. Neither his pure constructs nor Micky¡¯s talons could pierce it. Examining the corpse, Percy¡¯s gaze briefly lingered on the wound Nesha had inflicted. However, his clone had filled it with acid, rendering it too dangerous for the crow. Then there was the soldier¡¯s body too, but it was a lower grade. It had also died even earlier, and more thoroughly. There wouldn¡¯t be anything left¡­ ¡°Micky!¡± Percy called to his familiar, thinking of something. ¡°CAW?¡± the bird gave him a questioning look. ¡°I need your help, but you aren¡¯t going to like it.¡± ¡°CAW! CAW!¡± Micky replied resolutely, eager to contribute however he could. ¡°Go into the knight¡¯s mouth and eat its soul from inside.¡± Chapter 110: Devourer The crow remained silent, staring at the young man as if he had lost his mind. ¡°Please buddy¡­ Can you do this for me?¡± Micky looked back and forth between Percy and the carcass a few times, seemingly pondering the request. Eventually, he begrudgingly hopped towards the bug, resigned to his fate. Pushing a mandible open with his talon, he crouched inside the gaping maw, disappearing into the dead knight¡¯s horrid throat. Letting his familiar do his thing, the young man turned to Nesha again, watching her with bated breath. Luckily, he didn¡¯t have to wait long. Soon, a flood of soul mana gushed through the connection, filling up his frame. It was a lot. Too much, even. Without missing a beat, he poured everything into the girl, until she couldn¡¯t handle another drop. Both his and her wounds greedily drank the tonic as fast as they could, though more kept rushing in, forcing him to spill it out of his pores. It was a waste, but he couldn¡¯t help it. The two remained like that for several minutes, their frames saturated with mana, slowly but steadily patching them up. ¡°Please work¡­¡± he whispered, not knowing if anyone could hear him. Well, Nesha seemed to. Her eyelids twitched, before she finally opened her eyes weakly. Regaining their lustre, her pupils darted around a little, before locking onto Percy. She blinked a few times, and then spoke. ¡°Have you seen my sses?¡± The young man was taken aback by the question. Instinctively, he shook his head. While the sturdy amulet had survived the violent fight, he doubted the sses would be equally lucky. They hadn¡¯t packed any spares either.¡®At least we have some extra clothes¡­¡¯ That was when Percy jerked his head away, only now registering their bodies were barely covered. Nesha looked confused for a second, though her cheeks lit up with a rosy tint a momentter. Sifting through the cube, the young man handed her a fresh change, before wearing another pair of trousers himself. He was out of shirts, however, so he¡¯d have to go around bare chested for the time being. ¡®Another thing I would have bought if we had more time.¡¯ he sighed. Percy stood before helping Nesha up too. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We barely have an hour to get the fuck out of here. If we¡¯re lucky.¡± ¡°What about the knight? What happened?¡± Nesha asked, looking around. Soon, she saw the giant wasp ¨C it was kinda hard to miss ¨C her body visibly tensing at the sight. A couple seconds passed before she found the courage to approach it, to examine it more closely, her poor eyesight not doing her any favours. Realizing it was dead, her expression twisted into an odd blend of shock and relief, as she turned to Percy, clearly ready to unleash a barrage of questions. ¡°Later.¡± he dismissed with a wave, before calling out to his familiar. ¡®Come on Micky. You did great buddy, but we¡¯ve got to go now.¡¯ No response. Percy waited a moment before trying again. ¡®Micky?¡¯ ¡®¡­CAW¡­¡¯ the bird finally replied, though it sounded odd. Lethargic perhaps or¡­ bloated? Considering a possibility, the colour drained from Percy¡¯s face. ¡®Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡¯ The familiar sent him a series of images, confirming his fears. It was eating a path through the wasp¡¯s flesh, when it spotted something glowing in the darkness. It was an orb thrumming in an intense amber colour ¨C Green through Mana Sense. Unable to resist, the bird pecked at it and¡­ it wasn¡¯t hard to guess what happened next¡­ Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡®Here?! Now?!¡¯ Percy panicked, though in hindsight, he should have seen thising. He¡¯d already known the crow would overtake him sooner orter, and it HAD spent thest three years stuffing its face full of Orange and Yellow cores. Dozens of them per day, even. It would¡¯ve been stranger if the knight¡¯s core hadn¡¯t pushed it over the edge. Still¡­ ? ¡°Nesha!¡± he shouted, startling the poor girl. ¡°Change of ns. I have to stay here a while longer¡­ But we can¡¯t have you wait with me.¡± ¡°W-What? Why? What?!¡± Percy pinched the bridge of his nose, thinking of the best way to exin it. ¡°Keep heading down the tunnel until you reach the end. Don¡¯t worry about losing the way, it¡¯s just a straight path towards the exit ¨C there aren¡¯t any more forks. Once you get there, you¡¯ll find yourself at a dead end.¡± ¡°A dead end?!¡± Nesha asked in horror. ¡°It¡¯s not as bad as it sounds. It should only be around a dozen metres from the surface. We never finished digging the tunnel, because we hadn¡¯t expected to escape from the Guild so soon. My n was to have the wasp dig us out, though that isn¡¯t an option anymore¡­¡± Percy gestured at his broken clone, whose memories he was still suppressing. ¡°In any case, you¡¯re a Yellow. I¡¯m sure you can dig us out with a few spells.¡± he exined. ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll meet you as soon as I can. But you need to get a move on. We won¡¯t have enough time to expand the tunnelter, so I¡¯m counting on you to get it done by then.¡± The girl stared at him in silence for a couple seconds, letting his words sink in. Percy could practically see the questions bubbling up but, understanding the urgency of the situation, she didn¡¯t voice them. In the end, she simply nodded, before cing her hand by the wall to orient herself, heading off. Only then did Percy turn back towards the carcass. ¡®Well, Micky¡­ Whatever you¡¯re doing, just hurry up¡­¡¯ Activating Mana Sense, he examined the dead knight, observing his familiar¡¯s advancement. The wasp¡¯s body itself was now void of mana ¨C whatever had remained in its channels was already gone, its core consumed. The crow was the only thing still visible within Percy¡¯s sixth sense. The carapace did obscure it slightly, but a core¡¯s advancement was a difficult thing to hide. Micky¡¯s entire silhouette shone in a vibrant Orange colour. His core burned a shade brighter, filled with strands of Yellow twisting and rolling within. More of them appeared each second, as they joined and banded together in a familiar manner. ¡®Not fast enough¡­¡¯ Thinking of something, Percy walked to his clone¡¯s remains, picking a broken chunk off the ground. The gruesome piece of flesh was tough to identify, but he was almost sure it contained the creature¡¯s core. Scanning it, he confirmed it was indeed there, though more than half had already crumbled, the rest of it dim. ¡®Oh well. Every little helps.¡¯ he shrugged, tossing it into the knight¡¯s mouth. The birdined of course ¨C it didn¡¯t exactly have room for dessert ¨C though it ultimately acquiesced, probably recognizing through Percy¡¯s tone he wasn¡¯t in the mood for nonsense. As expected, the extra push increased the pressure in Micky¡¯s sternum, forcing the strands to fuse faster. The young man estimated it would be done in a couple minutes. Sadly, their time had already run out. Everything shook, from the shimmering crystals filled with mana, to the colourful ores lodged in the cavern¡¯s walls, to the corpses of the two bugs, all the way to Percy¡¯s very bones. Feeling the vibrations coursing through him, he could tell the army of insects was already upon them, his body oozing cold sweat. Then, he heard their wings. There were countless of them, their incessant buzzing echoing through the vast cavern, growing louder by the second. Looking at the carcass again, Percy saw it shrivel and sink, as Micky had already moved to the second phase of his advancement, his core shining in a bright Yellow. Honestly, the young man was tempted to grab the bird right then and there, getting the hell out while he still could. ¡®No, I don¡¯t know what happens if a beast doesn¡¯t get the food it needs after evolving¡­¡¯ He had no idea if they¡¯d find enough outside. They might even run into other problems there. Unwilling to ce his familiar at risk, he allowed him to continue devouring the Starry Knight, turning its flesh into his own. Percy¡¯s heart did ache a little at the sight, as he couldn¡¯t help but imagine the Green clone he could have crafted out of the corpse. But that was just a pipe dream ¨C he hadn¡¯t had the luxury of taking it easy on the creature to leave its body intact, nor to spend hours using his bloodline inside the hive. ¡®Feeding it to Micky was the best use for it¡­¡¯ Shaking the distracting thoughts out of his mind, he took a deep breath and then another, drawing the shimmering motes into both cores, preparing to fight. The first bugs to appear were the workers. While the wasps grew faster with each grade, that was provided they were free to fly. Within the tight walls of the hive, a different dynamic manifested. Nothing above Orange had enough space to stretch its wings, so this wave of insects was the quickest to reach him. Gritting his teeth, Percy formed a sickle in each hand, as two sets of glowing lines lit up underneath his skin. But he didn¡¯t stop there. Now that he¡¯d managed to heal his flesh and soul both, he pushed the boosting arts to their very limits, as his muscles bulged and his skin reddened, a twin halo of cyan and silver shrouding his frame. Next, he poured even more mana into his weapons, sharpening them and growing them another touch, as he stared intently at the depths of the tunnel ahead. And finally, the dense river of fox-sized wasps appeared, rushing him in all their maddened fury, as Percy pounced into the swarm, determined to survive¡­ Chapter 111: Slaughter Chapter 111: ughter Percy hade a long way since joining the Alchemists¡¯ Guild. He¡¯d learned a lot and honed many of his spells over the years, though if there were two things he¡¯d gained the most experience in... well¡­ it would be brewing elixirs and killing wasps. Thetter was precisely the skill he was currently exercising, to survive the onught of Starry Workers rushing him like a torrential river amidst a downpour. Most of them were headed to their doom of course, but the mad beasts didn¡¯t seem to care, heeding their ruler¡¯smand withoutint. Horizontal slice. Five dead. Vertical sh. Three more. Sidestep and swing. Another two killed and one attack evaded. ¡®There¡¯s no end to them¡­¡¯It had already been over five minutes since the bugs reached him, and Micky had yet to finish mutating. From the fleeting images he sent over, Percy could tell the knight¡¯s carcass was already halfway eaten ¨C he wasn¡¯t sure the rest would suffice. But he didn¡¯t exactly have the time to worry about that, as he was busy trying to prevent the creatures from getting past him. The workers never truly stood a chance against his oversized sickles, the crescent edges slicing the wasps¡¯ very souls apart like hot knives through morsels of butter. The constructs were frankly overkill for the job, as was the young man¡¯s speed and ferocity, rendering the poor creatures without any means of defending themselves. Thus, no single insect posed a problem by itself, though their sheer numbers did. With a diameter of nearly three metres, the tunnel was more than wide enough for a dozen workers to arrive at once without bumping into one another. Moreover, they dove upon him in waves spaced apart by mere fractions of a second, never giving him a moment to catch his breath. ¡®At least the dead ones are blocking the way¡­¡¯ Percy smiled bitterly. So many had he in already, that their fox-sized corpses littered his surroundings, forming multiplerge mounds. It was to the point some of the oing insects had to waste time flying around ¨C or digging through ¨C their fallenrades, rxing the pressure on him slightly. Of course, every now and then, one of them crashed violently onto the piles of bodies, sending their limp frames tumbling through the tunnel. ¡®Is it me, or are they deliberately not using their stingers?¡¯ Given his recent advancement, the upgraded boosting art and his many years of experience, Percy was doing a decent job holding on. That said, he couldn¡¯t help but notice he owed some of his sess to his enemies not giving their all. Their endgame was to bypass and overwhelm him from every direction, apparently still intent on capturing him alive. ¡®Just what does she want from me?!?!¡¯ The mere thought of being delivered as a prisoner to the titanic monster would have sent a chill down his spine, if only Synchronization wasn¡¯t cooking his body inside out. ¡°CAW!!¡± Micky suddenly cried. It was hard to make his voice out through the cacophony of the buzzing wasps and the endless rumble of the tunnel. Still, Percy could¡¯ve sworn it sounded a little deeper and slightly more piercing than before. ¡®Are you done yet?!¡¯ he asked through the cord, too upied to turn around. Taking the hint, the crow used the connection this time, sending him another glimpse of the knight¡¯s carcass. Only a chunk remained, though it was the part Percy¡¯s clone had filled with acid. Micky couldn¡¯t eat that. And it appeared the bird still needed some food to finish evolving¡­ ¡°For fuck¡¯s sake!¡± Percy spat through gritted teeth. ¡°Just eat the smaller ones!! They¡¯re all over the ce!!!¡± Intensifying his efforts, he advanced through the chaotic corridor, leaving his cover behind. ughtering a path through the workers¡¯ ranks, the young man turned into a violent hurricane of flesh and soul, his weapons unleashed in a lethal flurry against the insects. The incessant buzzing gave way to the rhythmic sounds of dead bodies, some making dull noises as they crashed against stones and metals, a few forming crisp tunes as they collided with the crystals instead. Step by step, sh by sh, Percy pushed back the rush of beasts with sheer grit and force of will, his muscles burning and his bones aching as he left a graveyard in his wake. ¡°Well?! What¡¯s the hold up?!¡± The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the vition. Fortunately, it didn¡¯t take Micky much longer toplete his transformation. The giant corpse had left him very close, and the veritable buffet Percy had prepared for him was more than enough to seal the deal. But it wasn¡¯t all good news. A fleeting nce revealed the crow was now as tall as a human! It had already been impossible for it to fly inside the narrow tunnel before, yet now even fluttering through it was out of the question. ¡®Just run then!¡¯ Percy felt like banging his head against the wall. ¡®Do I look like I can carry you?!¡¯ ¡®CAW¡­¡¯ The bird didn¡¯t sound particrly happy but then again, it wasn¡¯t the one that had to keep an army at bay. Jolting off, it disappeared into the colourful corridor as Percy also backtracked, conceding some ground to the insects to keep up with his familiar. Under different circumstances, the young man might have found the bird¡¯s awkward dash hrious ¨C Micky actually looking like a chicken as he skittered through the tunnel! This wasn¡¯t the time tough at the crow¡¯s antics, however, as another change urred with his attackers. The second toon was upon him. Spilling into the tunnel, the drones filled in the gaps between the workers, blotting out Percy¡¯s view. Pathetically weak as they were, he knew he could crush each of them with a finger. If only he had a few hundred fingers¡­ ¡®This is going to suck¡­¡¯ As the cloud of palm-sized wasps reached him, he made the split-second decision to ignore them entirely, focusing his Mana Sense solely on the Orange creatures. Continuing as before, he simply allowed the drones to do as they pleased, manytching onto his body, as a few made their way to his familiar. ¡°KRAAA!!!¡± the bird cried in annoyance, shaking the bugs off with a powerful p of its wings as a series of amber lines lit up on its plumage. Percy on the other hand was having a tougher time, as he was neither a beast, nor at Yellow. The nket of insects crawled all over his skin, inhibiting his joints, trying to slow down his movements. ¡°Piss off!¡± he shouted, sending a powerful burst of cyan out of his pores, sting the pests to smithereens. His pure mana might have not been that useful against the knight or the workers, but for the drones? It was plenty. And thus, they continued ¨C a man and a bird, desperately inching towards the exit, struggling to resist the suffocating grasp of the magical hive trying to steal their freedom. ¡®How much further is it?!?!¡¯ They must¡¯ve run for half an hour like this, and Percy wasn¡¯t sure he¡¯dst much longer. While he¡¯d grown far more proficient with Synchronization over the past few months, he¡¯d never fought at such intensity and for such a prolonged period of time. Yet, even more than his dwindling stamina, Percy had another thing to be worried about. The tremors beneath his feet had grown fiercer, indicating the soldiers were about to reach them too! Luckily, there didn¡¯t seem to be another knight nearby, or it would have long caught up by now. Still, it wasn¡¯t like he felt confident handling a legion of the Yellow creatures in his current state. ¡®CAW!!!¡¯ Micky suddenly called out to him ecstatically, sending a vivid image through the cord. It was bright, but different than the magical glimmer of the cavern. Sunlight! They¡¯d reached the exit! Moreover, the fact the sun could peer into the tunnel meant Nesha had seeded too, digging them a way out of this infernal deathtrap. ¡®Hurry up!!¡¯ Percy said, the literal light at the end of the tunnel renewing his vigour. ¡®We need to get there before the soldiers reach us!¡¯ ¡®CAW!¡¯ Keenly aware of the danger they were in, the two drew on any lingering dregs of strength they¡¯d yet to tap into, hoping to make it in time. But they weren¡¯t fast enough. ¡®Shit, they¡¯re here!¡¯ Percy¡¯s heart skipped a beat, as the first hint of Yellow appeared in his Mana Sense. Realizing the soldiers would get to him before he made it out, he decided to change tactics. Fighting the workers one-armed, he allowed the sickle in his other hand to transform, soon taking the shape of half a dozen throwing stars. Next, heunched them towards the bugs, the projectiles piercing long lines through his enemies, killing scores of them as they flew into the distance. This seemed to ease the pressure on him momentarily, letting him manifest a sheet of cyan in his now-free hand, as he continued to hold off the rest of the wasps with the other. Finally, he flung the cloth of pure mana against the creatures, ensnaring many of them and forcing them to collide, before turning the second sickle into another set of projectiles and throwing that too. ¡®Here goes nothing!¡¯ Having exhausted all the mana he could spare while retaining his boosting art, he then turned around, sprinting towards his familiar. Picking him up, he slung him awkwardly over his shoulder, before crossing thest few metres separating them from the exit. And without even waiting until he took his first step out of the hellish tunnel, he called to his partner. ¡°NESHAAA!! COLLAPSE THE ENTRANCE!!! NOW!!¡± Catching a glimpse of a dark shape by the corner of his eye, he barely ducked in time to avoid the bolt as it crashed onto the ceiling. CRACK, CRAAAAAAACK, BOOOOOM! Percy didn¡¯t bother ncing back at the aftermath as he leapt out of the cave, hoping the girl had poured everything into the spell. ¡°What the fuck is that?!¡± she asked upon seeing Micky. But the young man didn¡¯t register her words, only now managing to examine the devastation behind him. The bolt of space mana had done its job, shattering ayer of stone off the ceiling, leading to a cascading demolition. Still, this wasn¡¯t going to hold them off for long ¨C he was certain the wasps were already busy wing their way out. ¡°No time to waste!¡± he told hispanions as he picked a handful of dirt off the ground. ¡°Scrub your bodies with it.¡± Their only shot at survival hinged on eliminating their trail. No way they¡¯d outrun the wasps in an open space. The others followed his advice, even Micky tossing a few beakfuls of mud onto his plumage. Finishing first, Percy helped the crow speed up the process as he noticed a dark bandage hung over its neck. ¡®Wow, did you actually remember to take it off before advancing?¡¯ That was quite some foresight from the bird. Percy had been too busy to think about that but, had his familiar evolved with it still wrapped around his abdomen, they¡¯d be in need of a new one by now. ¡®CAW¡­¡¯ Micky said, shing him an annoyed ¡°I¡¯m not a moron¡± look. A minuteter, the entire group was done masking their scent ¨C and just in time too. The loose pebbles resting atop the recently copsed entrance were already shaking violently, intense tremors seeping through the ground. ¡°Good. Now let¡¯s get the hell out of here.¡± Chapter 112: Mutations The trio ran for hours until they felt safe enough to take a break. And even then, they only gave themselves a few minutes to catch their breath and rub some more dirt on, before resuming their journey until nightfall. Perhaps, the Green or Blue bugs could still track them down, but Percy guessed the queen wouldn¡¯t bother sending her elites that far from the hive. ¡®Do you see anything suspicious?¡¯ he asked his familiar. Ever since they exited the tunnel, he¡¯d had Micky fly lower than usual, to ensure he didn¡¯t get spotted by anyone on the Spire. It wasn¡¯t until the colossal structure was naught but a distant silhouette on the horizon that he gave him permission to climb higher, acting as a scout. ¡®No¡­¡¯ Percy¡¯s eyebrows shot up. ¡®What?¡¯ ¡®No.¡¯ the bird repeated. The young man was sure he hadn¡¯t misheard. His familiar hadn¡¯t merely transmitted his thoughts ¨C he¡¯d sent an actual word over! Of course, the bird hadn¡¯t uttered a sound ¨C it was all in Percy¡¯s mind ¨C but Micky had talked through their connection in a high-pitched, childlike voice. ¡®Can you speak normally now?¡¯¡®No.¡¯ Percy frowned. ¡®What words do you understand?¡¯ ¡®No. Yes. Percy. Micky. Eat. Fly¡­¡¯ The bird kept going for a while until the young man cut it off. ¡®Ok, I get it¡­ I guess this is something to work on...¡¯ Micky¡¯s vocabry wasn¡¯t too varied, and it didn¡¯t seem like he could form aplete sentence just yet, but this was promising. While he might have been able to achieve all this even before the evolution, it would have probably taken more effort. As expected, the promotion had boosted Micky¡¯s intelligence. All advancements did that to an extent, but not as much as other aspects of one¡¯s existence. For instance, while Percy¡¯s thoughts had grown a little clearer upon reaching Orange, he certainly hadn¡¯t turned three times as smart or anything crazy like that. Still, as far as he knew, beasts tended to benefit more than sentients in this regard, and he had a hunch his familiar was an outlier even among them. After all, he doubted other beasts started to speak upon hitting Yellow ¨C though he wouldn¡¯t rule it out for the higher grades. ¡®Are his old memories beginning to resurface?¡¯ Percy sure hoped that was the case. At least, this was the first real sign his friend was on the road to recovery. However, it had taken them nearly five years to reach this point, so if the past was any indication, it was going to be a long road¡­ ¡®Oh well¡­ For now, let¡¯s just teach him a few more words and see if he can actually speak them out. But I suppose that has more to do with his vocal cords than his intelligence¡­¡¯ In any case, this wasn¡¯t the only change Micky had undergone during his advancement. As early as back in the tunnel, Percy had noticed some additional differences in his appearance ¨C besides the obvious size increase ¨C though he hadn¡¯t had the time to dwell on them. Now that they were finally free, he could examine them in more detail. ¡®Micky,e over here.¡¯ Hearing him, the familiar dove downward at great speed, partly to show off, and partly to simply revel in his newfound strength ¨C as he had been doing ever since they escaped the ustrophobic walls of the underground cavern. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Hended in front of the young man, raising a cloud of dust with a p of his wings. Percy rolled his eyes at the theatrics as he stepped closer, scanning the crow¡¯s body carefully. ? ¡®The colour has spread to cover the entire talons and beak¡­ Even his eyes arepletely silver now¡­¡¯ Just like thest time, Micky¡¯s nature as a familiar seemed to have bled into the rest of his being, furthering his evolution towards this unique direction. They¡¯d have to test the sharpness of the bird¡¯s ws in an actual fight, but Percy suspected they were on par with his sickles now. However, the crow¡¯s abnormal soul wasn¡¯t the only thing to have induced some unexpected mutations. Looking closely, the young man noticed Micky¡¯s plumage had undergone a subtle shift too. The dark feathers were now tinged with a hint of green at the edges. The difference was minuscule ¨C barely perceptible under the soft moonlight ¨C but Percy knew his friend well enough to spot it. ¡®Is it because of his air affinity?¡¯ Nobody could answer that, of course, as Micky was possibly the only beast in the universe to have a second core. They were pretty much in uncharted territory. Still, this sounded about right ¨C nothing else could exin this oddity. In fact, Percy had a hypothesis as to why the crow was mutating in such a manner. ¡®This must be how affinity fusion works for beast mana.¡¯ They¡¯d tried tobine Micky¡¯s two mana types before, though they¡¯d never seeded. At first, Percy had chalked it up to the mismatch between the two grades, though he was now confident there was more to it than that. Even on its own, the beast affinity seemed to revolve entirely around empowering and transforming its user¡¯s body. Perhaps all its fusions involved incorporating other mana types into the body, resulting in mutations like this. Percy felt his spection was close to the truth, though at the end of the day it didn¡¯t really matter. Whatever the cause of these changes, the most important thing was figuring out how to take advantage of them. ¡®Can you gather some air mana on your feathers?¡¯ Micky heeded the request, releasing a faint green aura by the underside of his wings. Percy had watched him do this many times before, but it was different now. Bathed in the air mana, the crow¡¯s feathers lit up, apparently resonating with the substance! Activating Mana Sense, the young man observed ayer of Red coating them, sticking to them without dispersing! ¡°Fly?¡± the bird asked, clearly eager to put its new trick to the test. ¡°Fly.¡± Percy nodded. Taking off, the crow sped through the night once more, this time doing so with even greater ease as the air seemed to part in its way, aiding rather than hindering it. ¡®Interesting¡­¡¯ the young man noted. It wasn¡¯t the first time Micky used his second affinity to augment his flight, but the effect had never been quite as pronounced. This, in tandem with Cirction and just the overall boost from the advancement, and the crow was guaranteed to be a menace in aerialbat! ¡°Are you two done ying around?¡± Nesha asked in annoyance, snapping Percy out of his thoughts. The girl had remained oddly quiet since their frantic escape, apparently contemting a great number of things during their journey. ¡°I¡¯m sure you have a lot of questions.¡± Percy said. Honestly, he felt a little guilty over letting her join without knowing much about him. It was true she¡¯d followed him of her own volition but, in hindsight, he should¡¯ve probablye clean beforehand. Between Micky, his clone, Cirction and his second core, there was plenty he¡¯d have to bring her up to speed with. ¡°I do.¡± she nodded, but then shook her head. ¡°There¡¯s only one thing I want to know right now, however.¡± Percy tilted his head, waiting for her to borate. ¡°Where are we going?¡± Ah, that! They hadn¡¯t really discussed their ns for after leaving the settlement, had they? In Percy¡¯s defence, it was a miracle they¡¯d even survived this long. ¡°Well, I did have a ce in mind.¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s a small town about two weeks from here. I have my reasons for going there. Unless you wanted to go somewhere else?¡± ¡°No, that sounds fine. Anywhere is good, as long as I can buy a new pair of sses.¡± Percy¡¯s jaw ckened upon hearing what her priority was. ¡®Though I suppose I¡¯d also want that if I couldn¡¯t see properly¡­¡¯ Shrugging, Percy gestured at her to follow him as he strayed away from the dirt path. The road was easier to walk on, but it wasn¡¯t the safest ce to camp the night. Moving a couple hundred metres, they made their way around a hill, hoping to rest behind it, hidden from in sight until sunrise. ¡®Take the first shift, will you?¡¯ he asked Micky. It was a rhetorical question. Percy knew he deserved some sleep after fighting a damn army of wasps for his familiar¡¯s sake. Picking a nice-looking patch of dirt, he patted it a few times to soften it, before lying down. Sadly, they hadn¡¯t brought any camping equipment, as the amulet had only had enough space for some food and water. But it was ok. With his enhanced physique, even weathering the frigid midnight winds with his bare chest shouldn¡¯t be too difficult. Thinking of something, he turned to Nesha who was also preparing her own resting spot, before speaking. ¡°I thought advancing fixed things like poor eyesight.¡± ¡°It does. You should have seen me at Orange.¡± Chapter 113: Search ¡°What do you mean you can¡¯t find anything?¡± Deimos¡¯s voice boomed, the entire room shaking. The idiot in his grip trembled as he was held by the cor, not even daring to blink as the spittle sshed all over his face. ¡°S-Sir, we¡¯ve searched the settlement inside out. We¡¯ve already interrogated all the registered alchemists too. Nobody knows anything about this Aurora Dew. Or well¡­ at least nothing they¡¯re willing to share.¡± Deimos felt his blood freeze at the mere thought of returning to his father empty-handed. Hermes might have given the rest of Remior the impression of an easy-going entric, but Deimos knew the truth about the fickle god. If he failed to deliver the elixirs, his father might just beat him to death. ¡°Look again! Leave no stone unturned! Interrogate everyone from the most senior alchemists to the lowest Red-born trash selling junk food on the streets! Don¡¯t show your ugly mug to me again, unless you have something useful to report!!!¡± he yelled, tossing him out of the room. The fool was lucky he still needed him. Pinching the bridge of his nose, Deimos then walked out of the temporary lodging the Guild had so ¡°kindly¡± bestowed him, eager for some fresh air. At least the mana density was rich here ¨C the only silver lining in a mission too troublesome to be worth it. Walking along the cobblestone road, he breathed the colourful motes in, trying to calm himself down. A few minutester, he reached a grand building ¨C one of thergest in the settlement ¨C climbing up its stone steps. Upon seeing him, an attendant in a green robe rushed to greet him, but Deimos just waved him away. ¡°I know the way.¡±¡°But sir¡­ the elders are currently in a meeting¡­ I¡¯m sure if you wai¨C¡± ¡°No meeting is more important than this. Your elders know that too.¡± Without even waiting for the man to reply, Deimos walked past him, making his way to arge chamber. The door had been left wide open ¨C he could see the five old alchemists locked in a heated discussion from here. Though no sound escaped, as the room was clearly warded. Another attendant was stationed outside, the man looking at him in hesitation, probably considering whether he should try stopping him. But Deimos didn¡¯t care, ignoring him as he entered the hall. The elders went silent upon noticing him, their features twisting into a grimace following his ¡°rude¡± entrance. Dressed in their violet robes as they were, it had probably been centuries since thest time anyone dared to treat them this way. But he wasn¡¯t afraid of the old coots. Their status was no higher than his given the circumstances. One of them was about to speak, but Deimos beat him to it. ¡°How the fuck have you managed to miss something like this happening right under your noses? Somebodyes up with a one-in-a-million-years recipe, pumping out some miracle elixir next door from you, and you¡¯re thest people to find out?!¡± Deimos¡¯s voice shot up again, crushing against the warded walls like a tidal wave, the power of his blessing nearly shattering the soundproofing runes. But the elders didn¡¯t seem rattled by his outburst. Unlike his minion earlier, they merely unleashed a sliver of their own presence, shielding their bodies from the annoyance. Next, the oldest of them ¨C a short man with ck hair that had begun to grey around his temples ¨C spoke. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the vition. ¡°Deimos¡­ Have you ever considered that people might be more willing to give you what you want if you ask them nicely?¡± Listening to the old man¡¯s patronizing tone, Deimos felt his rage bubbling up again. But he pressed it down. The only thing that mattered here was finding those elixirs, and snapping at these fossils wouldn¡¯t help. ¡°As I see it, you have exactly two options in front of you.¡± he said. ¡°Either you find out how this happened, or you figure out the recipe yourselves. And you better do it fast, or my father mighte here personally and ¡®ask us all nicely¡¯.¡± This time, all five of the elders ¨C their leader included ¨C shuddered at the god¡¯s mention, their expressions turning grim. The two sides discussed for another ten minutes, before the alchemists assured Deimos they would continue to do everything in their power to get to the bottom of this. Then, he handed them one of the vials that Talos guy had sent, asking them to work on the recipe. Of course, everyone involved knew that figuring the base ingredients out from the finished product was a tall order. That said, it was something they had to try, in case they failed to locate its maker. Once he was done, Deimos returned to his ce, finding the blond kid waiting outside. His features eased slightly, as he knew the boy was the most capable of his subordinates. Hopefully he¡¯d done a better job than the other morons. ¡°Since we couldn¡¯t find anything about the elixirs directly, I looked into other strange happenings over the past few days.¡± Jason cut to the chase. ¡°And?¡± ¡°A popr gambling den closed a few hours after we arrived. It didn¡¯t open the following day, and nobody has seen the owner since.¡± Deimos gave the boy a questioning gaze, not knowing what a random gambling den had to do with any of this. Still, he knew Jason wouldn¡¯t have approached him with this if he didn¡¯t have something more. ? ¡°The owner was a girl from the Veritas House. She¡¯s only been in the Guild for a few years, but she¡¯s made quite some money in that time.¡± ¡°Veritas¡­?¡± the name did ring a bell, but Deimos was having trouble cing his finger on it. Jason shrugged. ¡°I didn¡¯t know them either, so I asked around. Apparently, they were affiliated with the Asclepius until they got the shaft right around when the girl joined. She has a Truthseeker bloodline.¡± Deimos¡¯s eyes narrowed at the revtion. Indeed, a girl with a good business sense, the ability to detect lies, and a possible connection to the Oblivious Agents just vanishing out of the blue was a bit conspicuous. Of course, people in the Guild died all the time while hunting ¨C it wasn¡¯t exactly the safest job. But something told him the girl didn¡¯t spend her days on the giant mushrooms. And nobody could have left the settlement the normal way either due to the lockdown they¡¯d imposed. ¡°I trust you¡¯ve already followed through?¡± The boy nodded, before snapping his fingers. Another man in a green robe approached them at the sound of that. ¡°Tell him what you told me.¡± Jasonmanded, prompting the guy to swallow a lump of saliva. ¡°Y-Yes¡­ I was on guard duty at the gate leading to the hunting grounds on the day of the message. I remember her going out that night, but I never saw her return.¡± Deimos raised an eyebrow. ¡°Are you bullshitting us, or do you memorize the faces of everyone who goes through?!¡± Startled, the man took a step back at the outburst. ¡°N-No, sir¡­ I-I remembered her because I¡¯m one of her r-regrs¡­ It made an imp-pression because I¡¯ve n-never seen her go h-hunting b-before.¡± he stuttered, his words an affront to the ears. ¡°If he¡¯s telling the truth, the girl must be hiding on the Spire. Scan every level with the others. Get one of the elders to help you search the top level.¡± he said, before scratching his head. ¡°Not that she would have survived surrounded by Blue beasts¡­ But look there too, just in case. I want to know what happened to her, and I want to know it yesterday.¡± Jason nodded before taking off. ¡®The girl must only be a piece of the puzzle¡­¡¯ Deimos reasoned, rubbing his chin. Based on what they¡¯d learned, there was indeed a high likelihood she was involved with the distribution of the product, but she wasn¡¯t an alchemist. She couldn¡¯t have been that as well. So, whoever came up with the recipe was somebody else entirely. Probably one of the veterans in the Guild ¨C maybe even one of those five coots themselves. Chances were, they got rid of the girl too, disposing of her body to hide their tracks. But Deimos shrugged. ¡®Oh well¡­ It doesn¡¯t really matter. Now that we¡¯ve got an actual lead, Jason will sniff them out with his little trick¡­¡¯ Chapter 114: Ripples ¡°Grandpa!! Why are they taking you?¡± Floria cried as the members of the Divine Root ced Bronn in handcuffs, escorting him out of the building. The man could free himself of course ¨C if he wanted ¨C but he didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of resisting. The girl just couldn¡¯t understand how things hade to this. Hadn¡¯t her grandpa been the one who came forward with the information the gods wanted? Why was he getting punished?! Panicking, she rushed behind them, ready to fight against the powerful mages if she had too ¨C blessings be damned. Of course, she wasn¡¯t stupid ¨C she knew she¡¯d probably get killed too, but how could she just watch them take her grandpa away?! A firm hand descended on her shoulder, however, locking her in ce. Floria instinctively tried tosh out, but withdrew her mana upon noticing who it was. ¡°Dad! Are we going to let them take him?!?! This¡­ it isn¡¯t fair! They should be treating him like a hero!¡± But Fyn shook his head. ¡°This all happened because we went behind the Order¡¯s back to buy those elixirs¡­ for me. We¡¯re lucky the Divine Root agreed to our terms. They¡¯re going to ce our House under their protection for the next two hundred years. And they¡¯ll even spare me, letting me reach Violet and rece father. That way, we¡¯ll have a chance to recover. This is what we wanted ¨C what we traded the information for¡­¡± ¡°But then why?!¡± the girl shouted, her voice cracking. ¡°They can¡¯t just let us go entirely unpunished. It would send the wrong message¡­¡± her father patiently exined. Listening to him, Floria couldn¡¯t help but shudder. She hadn¡¯t realized how close her dad hade to being arrested too. Turning back to her grandpa, she noticed he¡¯d been escorted quite far already. She frantically wiped her tears away, trying to look at Bronn onest time, just so she could remember him. Yet her vision kept blurring.¡°Floria¡­ Your grandpa knew this would happen when he sent that letter. He is a hero. To our family at least. Remember that¡­¡± The girl nodded, her gaze still glued to the group in the distance. *** ¡°Lord Asclepius, care to exin this situation?¡± an authoritative voice asked, the passive presence it radiated leaving all the others in the room with their heads bowed. Nobody dared lift their eyes. Not the dozens of Blues, nor even the handful of Violets. None but Lord Asclepius himself ¨C a fellow White. ¡°Theseus, we¡¯ve known each other for thousands of years already. I thought we were on first name basis by now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m here on official business, Machaon. I do need to maintain appearances, lest I wrongly give the impression that I¡¯m going easy on you.¡± Theseus clicked his tongue, before scanning the others in the room, each shuddering as his eyes brushed over them. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether you go easy on me or not, old friend. The answer will be the same. You know how our agents operate. Better than most in fact. I hope you haven¡¯t conveniently forgotten how often the Divine Root employs our services.¡± Machaon replied sharply. ¡°Be that as it may, I¡¯m sure you understand how much pressure I¡¯m under to get to the bottom of this.¡± Theseus said. ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do to help you. Just like our field agents, the people who registered the mission have also erased all details from their minds. Nobody can recall anything about the one who hired us.¡± ¡°How the hell did it evene to this?!¡± Theseus snapped. ¡°Your agent should have never agreed to transport those elixirs! They should have rejected the mission and reported it right away!¡± But Machaon shook his head. ¡°How was anybody supposed to know those were elixirs ¨C let alone ones as revolutionary as this? Lacking any other information, our agent must have assumed they were just a new variety of potions or something. Or did you want them to taste them too?!¡± Theseus didn¡¯t respond right away, considering his words. Next, he looked Machaon in the eyes before speaking. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°At the end of the day, it doesn¡¯t matter whether your House is in the right or not. You know that, right?¡± Machaon clenched his fists as he unleashed his own presence, pushing back Theseus¡¯s as the two domains collided, prompting the others to retreat a few steps just in case. The sh went on for several minutes, as neither of the powerful Whites was willing to back down. At least, not at first. ? ¡°This is as stupid as it is pointless¡­¡± Machaon eventually waved in exasperation, withdrawing his aura. ¡°Just tell me what you want from me...¡± ¡°A scapegoat.¡± Theseus cut to the chase, before borating. ¡°We both know there¡¯s no way to identify who employed you, but a head is going to roll today all the same. If you can¡¯t find the specific agent who took the mission, pick a different one. I don¡¯t care who.¡± Machaon¡¯s eyes widened at the sheer audacity of the request. It wasn¡¯t until a momentter the words sank deep enough for him to grit his teeth. ¡°Must we resort to such a barbaric oue?!¡± ¡°Machaon¡­ I¡¯m not ying games here.¡± Theseus said, his tone not leaving room for debate. ¡°Either you sacrifice one of your agents, or it¡¯s the two of us who¡¯ll lose our heads.¡± *** ¡°This is amazing!¡± Uncle Gareth eximed. ¡°If we get those elixirs, even I could reach Violet!!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you a little too excited for something that would still be over a thousand years away?¡± Dad shut him down, though it didn¡¯tst long. ¡°Still, I¡¯ll reach Blue much faster too!¡± Gareth spoke again after a few moments, his enthusiasm clearly not so easy to douse down. ¡°Silence.¡± Uncle Ghad said. ¡°If and when the Divine Order decides to mass produce this Aurora Dew, we will give priority to the Yellow-borns. Whether anyone else gets any will depend on the cost and avability.¡± Hearing them discuss the topic of the elixirs, ine gave her grandpa an odd look, as he also tossed a fleeting nce her way. It hadn¡¯t been long since they allowed her to attend these strategy meetings. Yellow-borns were given the privilege younger, as they represented the future leaders of the family. Though she didn¡¯t say anything. Today, she was only here to listen. Archibald cleared his throat. ¡°Just a reminder that we¡¯re here to discuss House Tantalus. Not the fancy new elixirs.¡± he said, putting the debate to rest. Hearing him, Uncle Balin mmed his fist, shaking the long table. He must¡¯ve held back too, or it would have shattered to splinters. ¡°What¡¯s there to discuss?! I say we attack them head on already! Are we afraid of those bastards?!?!¡± The others averted their gazes following his outburst, ine included. Everyone still stepped on eggshells around him, knowing the man was grieving. It hadn¡¯t even been a year since Hector¡¯s death. ¡°Calm down, son.¡± Grandpa said. ¡°We¡¯d probably win an all-out war, but our losses would be greater that way. Though I agree we need to escte our attacks too, if we want them to stop.¡± It had already been months since their House started fighting back, having killed many of House Tantalus¡¯s members in that time. Still, that only seemed to pour oil in the fire, as their enemies retaliated even more aggressively. They appeared determined to weaken them regardless of the cost, their goal probably being to prevent Ghad from consuming a petal. After all, they already had their hands full against Archibald ¨C a Violet core with a powerful bloodline. They clearly didn¡¯t want to deal with a second one in possession of aposite affinity. ¡®I bet they¡¯ll escte even more after that announcement¡­¡¯ ine smiled bitterly. The meeting continued for a few hours, as everyone exchanged ideas and ns on how to best defend the western side of the Camelot province from their enemies. River Glein had always served as a natural barrier, splitting the province in two down the middle, but the recent unrest had made the rival House a lot more daring. It wasn¡¯t until the meeting was over that ine approached Archibald. She waited until they were alone in the room before speaking. ¡°Grandpa¡­ Those elixirs¡­ Do you think¡­?¡± she trailed off, though the man clearly caught her meaning. ¡°Hard to say. The fact he managed to be a full-fledged alchemist in a few years is impressive¡­ Buting up with a new recipe so quickly? That sounds a little farfetched.¡± ine nodded in agreement, though Archibald wasn¡¯t done. ¡°Still, it¡¯s quite the coincidence this happened so soon after he arrived there. The old elixirs had remained mostly unchanged for tens of thousands of years¡­ I suppose it¡¯s not impossible he was involved, given his ability¡­¡± She gasped. ¡°Do you think he might be in trouble?!?!¡± ¡°How should I know? We aren¡¯t even sure it¡¯s him. If it is, it was smart of him to not tell us through the letters. These things are better shared in person. Let¡¯s just hope he knows what he¡¯s doing¡­¡± *** Simr scenes yed out all across Remior, as those involved with the new elixirs tried to hide, and everyone else couldn¡¯t wait to get their hands on the miraculous product. Percy would have been shocked had he seen how far his actions had reached. In fact, the ripples extended all the way to a dark room hidden in some remote location, where no sound was ever heard, nor any soul did ever visit. It was a simple room,cking any furniture. There was only a mat, with two incense burners lit up on either side. The faintly sweet scent of agarwood permeated the ce, as a hooded figure meditated silently atop the mat. Had somebody stumbled upon the room, they might have thought the person was a corpse ¨C and not a very important one at that. After all, they were dressed in naught but the cheapest clothes, a ragged outfit of worn linen. It was as if somebody had picked the lowestmoner off the street and left them here to starve for whatever reason. Yet, here, in this room in the middle of nowhere, amidst the thick veil of darkness and hidden beneath the unassuming hood¡­ ¡­a pair of lips curled upward. Chapter 115: Clothes ¡®Percy!¡¯ ¡®What is it?¡¯ the young man asked, sensing the crow¡¯s urgency through their bond. Getting used to hearing actual words from Micky would take a while. ¡®People¡­¡¯ He sighed. They were bound to run into somebody sooner orter ¨C it was the downside of travelling along a paved road. Especially one leading to a destination as popr as the Alchemists¡¯ Guild. If anything, it was more surprising it had taken three days for this to happen. ¡®Hermes¡¯ message must¡¯ve spooked everyone.¡¯ Percy guessed most merchants would steer clear of the Spire for the next couple of weeks, waiting for the dust to settle. Yet some people didn¡¯t care, apparently. ¡®How many?¡¯ ¡®Three.¡¯¡®On horses?¡¯ ¡®Yes.¡¯ The young man nodded, assuming they had at least one person below Yellow with them. Ideally, it would be nice to know their exact grades, to decide the best course of action, though that might be asking for too much. Micky couldn¡¯t get too close to them, or they might notice something was off. That¡¯s why Percy had asked his familiar to fly wide circles around him and Nesha, scouting the area while remaining at least a mile away. That way, he might pass for a wild bird that just happened to roam the region. Back when they¡¯d first headed to the Spire, things hadn¡¯t been as bad. Orange beasts weren¡¯t nearly as rare, nor as dangerous, so one flying above somebody wouldn¡¯t raise an eyebrow. Now that Micky had evolved, however, he was more than a little conspicuous. Not to mention, it would be easier to spot the crow¡¯s bandage from up close. Naturally, Percy had wrapped it around his familiar¡¯s abdomen again after escaping the hive, though it looped fewer times now. ¡°Nesha.¡± ¡°Hmmm?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a group behind us. Let¡¯s find some cover just in case.¡± Honestly, Percy was confident they could handle them. He doubted they were too strong and, if they were, they were unlikely to be bandits. Nobles and Yellow-borns didn¡¯t need to dabble in petty crime. That said, he¡¯d prefer to avoid them altogether ¨C whoever they were ¨C for multiple reasons. First, he was still half-naked, his body covered in dirt and grime. It made the prospect of meeting people a little embarrassing. Second, he¡¯d rather not be seen anywhere close to the Spire. Making up their minds, he and Nesha upped the pace, to keep their distance from their unwitting pursuers. They scanned the surrounding scenery for a good ce to hide. Most of it was t, entire fields of yellow grass stretching to the horizon. Though it wasn¡¯t tall enough to shroud them properly. Finding something they could work with took about an hour. Straying from the path once more, they made their way to the first hill they spotted, hoping to wait there for the group to pass. s, despite their caution ¨C or perhaps because of it ¨C they were caught off guard by what happened next¡­ ¡°Well, well¡­ what has the wind delivered today?¡± a creepy voice asked. It sounded quite off ¨C as if the man behind it was wheezing. In front of Percy stood a trio in mismatched leather outfits, all of them sporting scraggly beards, grinning with yellowed teeth. The one who¡¯d spoken appeared to be their leader, standing in the middle of the bunch. He had a nasty scar marring the upper half of his neck and up his chin, all the way to his bottom lip. Right where it ended, the man¡¯s canine was missing. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the vition. ¡°How¡­¡± Nesha began to ask, though she trailed off as she put two and two together. This was the only ce in the surrounding area where one could take cover, so¡­ didn¡¯t that work both ways? Evidently, it also made for a great ambush spot. In fact, if Percy¡¯s guess was right, the other three were probably on their way here, the two groups being in cahoots. ¡°Hahaha. I¡¯ll tell you what. Hand over that enchanted bandage and the girl, and we¡¯ll let you go. We don¡¯t get off killing punks.¡± Yeah, right. Fat chance they were willing to leave a survivor behind. Especially once they found out about the spatial amulet hidden beneath his bandage. But Percy wasn¡¯t paying attention to the bandit¡¯s ¡°offer¡±. ¡®Two Yellows and one Orange¡­¡¯ It wasn¡¯t that intimidating a lineup. Nesha didn¡¯t have much experience fighting, but she shouldn¡¯t have much trouble dealing with the weaker guy. As for the other two, Percy felt confident fighting them by himself. Stepping forward, he took a couple breaths in quick session, building up his reserves. His body was still sore from all that madness in the hive, but otherwise uninjured. ¡°Brat, are you deaf? Toss me your bandage, or else¡­¡± the leader spoke. Then, he manifested a fireball the size of a watermelon above his palm, trying to spook him. He must¡¯ve thought it was working too, judging from the smirk on his face. Though Percy didn¡¯t me him. Seeing him breathe rapidly, they were probably under the impression he was hyperventting or something. Well, if the idiots thought so, they were in for a rough awakening. ¡°Let me make you a counteroffer.¡± Percy replied, the calmness in his tone eliciting a frown from the bandit. ¡°Back off now, or it¡¯ll be toote once I start.¡± ¡°¡­¡± the criminal just stared at him for a few seconds, blinking a couple times. The others also looked at each other, until one of them broke into a cackle, causing the others to follow. ¡°Hahahahaha!¡± ¡°Start what?¡± the rightmost guy asked, but Percy remained silent. He already had his answer. ¡®Micky. Keep an eye out for the other three. If theye this way, kill them all.¡¯ The young man wasn¡¯t concerned about his familiar¡¯s safety in the slightest. Following his promotion, the crow might even be stronger than he was. As long as the other group didn¡¯t have somebody at Green, there shouldn¡¯t be anything to worry about. Truth be told, this situation felt a little nostalgic. Hadn¡¯t they run into bandits on the way to the Guild too? Back then, Percy had relied on deception and sneak attacks to survive. Rick¡¯s group had been weaker than today¡¯s enemies too. ¡®Let¡¯s see how much I¡¯ve grown then.¡¯ The bandits¡¯ eyes widened as a series of cyan lines lit up underneath Percy¡¯s skin. They were static and orderly, spreading out of his abdomen, reaching every corner of his body. At the same time, a silver maelstrom raged within, carving violent gushes through Percy¡¯s soul, drawing a constantly shifting vortex around his sternum. Panicking, the leader tossed the fireball right at him. But Percy had seen the attacking before the man evenunched it. Hooking his arm around Nesha, he leapt backwards, calmly watching the spell st a patch of grass into ashes where he¡¯d previously stood. Everyone gave him odd looks. The girl had seen his boosting art back when he rushed out of the tunnel, though they hadn¡¯t discussed it. Now that it appeared again, she couldn¡¯t help but examine him curiously. As for the bandits, they now sported a strange mix between greed and caution they hadcked a moment ago. The young man didn¡¯t care about any of them, however. He¡¯d already decided to not keep much from Nesha anymore. They were in this together now. As for his enemies? Well, their fate had been sealed the moment he activated Cirction. Though he didn¡¯t stop there. Inhaling again, he pushed his body further, his muscles tensing as they brimmed with strength, his abs causing his bandage to stretch. Beads of sweat popped up all over his reddened skin, as motes of two colours leaked out of his pores, shrouding him in a twin halo of cyan and silver. ¡°Nesha. Take the rightmost guy on. I¡¯ll handle the others.¡± he muttered, though the bandits must¡¯ve heard him too, as all three began to prepare their own spells. The guy in the middle formed a new fireball, as the other two both used water. ¡°W-What?! By yourself?! They¡¯re both at Yellow!¡± the girl was taken aback. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Percy shrugged. If anything, this was a good opportunity to test something else he¡¯d been working on. Neither the Starry Knight, nor the horde of wasps had been suitable opponents, but these people were. Next, he focused on his mana, as the two halos around his frame began to change. Cyan and silver blended together into a single aura, as smoky wisps of teal enveloped him. ¡°What else? I¡¯m going to get myself some new clothes.¡± Chapter 116: Mantle Oversized fireballs and sts of pressurized water rained upon Percy one after the other, keeping him on his toes. The surrounding patches of grass had all been reduced to soggy cinders, his boots leaving dozens of prints as he danced along the soot and mud, dodging the apocalyptic storm of magic. Had it been a single enemy, he wouldn¡¯t have had as much trouble evading. He¡¯d already done something simr years ago in the Guild, back when he¡¯d been much weaker. However, the situation that night had been a little different. His opponent had been an earth user ¨C an affinity not exactly famous for its speed. Also,paring that person to the two bandits, Percy was starting to think he might have been drunk. ¡®I suppose that would exin why he went hunting on the first level in the middle of the night¡­¡¯ And that wasn¡¯t all. Percy¡¯s ability to dodge the spells heavily hinged on reading his targets¡¯ intentions via Soul Vision. Sadly, he couldn¡¯t exactly keep his eyes on two people at the same time. Of course, the situation wasn¡¯t that bad. He could easily put some distance from them if he wanted, as he was much faster, and they had no way of catching up. It was approaching them he had trouble with. So, the two sides were essentially at a stalemate, as neither one couldnd a hit on the other unless they made a mistake. ¡®Oh well¡­¡¯ Percy grinned. ¡®More practice for my affinity fusion.¡¯ He¡¯d already grown used tobining his two types of mana, but he hadn¡¯t had much opportunity to test that in the heat of battle as neither the Starry Knight nor the horde of wasps had been suitable opponents. And he did need to knock a few kinks off his new trick. Constantly aligning and maintaining his mana while watching his enemies and dodging their attacks was tough. Yet, that was exactly what made this fight so valuable. Sure, he could probably find a way to win without it, but why waste such a willing pair of whetstones? As for the oue of the battle, he wasn¡¯t too concerned. He knew he had the advantage, though the bandits hadn¡¯t noticed. Due to his oundish regeneration, they¡¯d exhaust their cores before he did. Now it was just a question of whether they¡¯d realize it in time, prompting them to take a risk he could pounce on. Either way, they were screwed. ¡®I wonder how Nesha is doing¡­¡¯ Retreating a few paces to give himself some space, he tossed hispanion a quick nce to check whether she was ok. Not the best idea. So shocked was he by what he saw, he nearly caught a fireball to his face, yet even that wasn¡¯t enough for him to pick his jaw off the ground.¡®What the hell?!¡¯ The girl and the final bandit had put some distance from them, and were just standing around, doing nothing. Forget about fighting, the morons didn¡¯t even bother to look at one another, their attention glued to his own battle. ¡°Mind lending a hand since you¡¯re free?¡± He didn¡¯t really need help, but it irked him to see her chilling while he did all the work. ¡°If I do, he¡¯ll butt in.¡± she pointed at the bandit with her elbow. And the guy actually nodded at that! It was ridiculous but it made sense. Kinda. Neither of them felt confident joining the bigger fight, so their fate would inevitably be decided by the victor. ¡®Not how I would¡¯ve done things if I were in her shoes, but I suppose that¡¯s why she never got into fighting in the first ce¡­¡¯ Percy shook his head, focusing back on his own enemies. The two were nearly out of breath already. They threw each other a quick nce, seeminglymunicating something, before drawing most of their remaining mana out of their cores. ¡®Here it is. Their gamble.¡¯ Readying his stance, Percy tensed his calves and scanned the two souls carefully, as he began to gather the teal wisps into his hand. He was going to meet the all-out offensive of two Yellow cores with his own! Six condensed balls of azure shot at him in quick session, trying to block out all his escape routes. Each punched a foot-deep crater into the ground before exploding in a ssh of water. None of them hit but, together, they forced Percy into an awkward stance, right as the seventh projectile flew towards him. A spinning st of fire twice asrge and three times as fast as the others! Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the tform they originally published on. Percy¡¯s eyes widened at the sight of the rapidly expanding me, but he didn¡¯t panic. With a swing of his arm, he coalesced all the fused mana he¡¯d gathered since the start of the battle, forming arge teal sheet, three metres long and half as wide. Then, the fluttering cloth mmed onto the iing projectile like a whip, forcing it to explode before reaching its intended target! The shockwave shot Percy butt-first into the mud, as the heat scorched ayer of skin off his frontside. Luckily, he¡¯d thought to shield his eyes with his elbow in time. ¡°Percy!!¡± a female voice yelled, as a cloud of steam enveloped him. ¡°Is he dead?¡± the bandit leader also asked, more relieved than disappointed. Evidently, he¡¯d grown more concerned with keeping his life than covetous over Percy¡¯s secrets by now. Sadly for him, however, he wasn¡¯t walking away with either today. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± the young man replied, pushing himself up. In their corporeal state, his teal constructs were no stronger than pure mana, which meant they couldn¡¯t survive a frontal collision against an elemental spell a full grade higher. However, Percy could still use them to copse an iing spell early, lessening the damage he took greatly. And¡­ that was just the start. As the steam faded, the bandits¡¯ eyebrows shot up upon seeing the young man standing, a cyclone of tattered strips of teal cloth spinning around him while inching closer to his hand. There, theytched onto one another, quickly restoring Percy¡¯stest tool back to its original shape. Within mere seconds, it wasplete again ¨C though a little smaller than before. ¡°My turn!¡± he said with a toothy grin. Next, he dashed towards the leader, swinging the teal sheet again as soon as he reached the halfway point. The spell shifted mid-movement, the cloth now reced by a couple dozen throwing stars, their curved des making shrill sounds as they spun through the air toward their target. ¡°Fuck!¡± the bandit shouted as he tried to shield himself with whatever dregs of mana he could still summon. Which wasn¡¯t much! He¡¯d exhausted most of it in thatst attack. A pathetic spark lit up in each of his hands, but the man didn¡¯t give up, mming them against one another. Apparently, he wanted to imitate Percy¡¯s trick, using the small explosion to block the projectiles! Unfortunately for him, it wasn¡¯t meant to be. So caught up was he in thisst-ditch effort to protect himself, he didn¡¯t notice the des had gone silent at some point! Through Soul Vision, Percy watched the projectiles phase through the shockwave unaffected, before stabbing countless holes into the bandit¡¯s soul. The man dropped limp in the mud a secondter. By the time he turned to the other one, the poor guy was running for his life! Gritting his teeth, Percy gave chase. Whatever happened, he couldn¡¯t let a witness go after revealing all his secrets. Catching up wasn¡¯t easy, however. It should have been, but Percy suspected his opponent was using some minor bloodline to boost his physical speed. The two men ran, one hot on the other¡¯s tail, as they both tried to recover some mana amidst their dash. ¡®Micky! How are things on your end?¡¯ ¡®Three¡­ dead¡­¡¯ The familiar sent him an image of the corpses. All of them were covered in nasty gashes from head to toe, lying in bloody pools. Only one showed a Yellow core within Micky¡¯s Mana Sense ¨C the very same he was currently feasting on. ¡®Just finish what you¡¯re doing and go kill thest one. We can¡¯t let him escape.¡¯ Percy said. For some reason, he had this sneaking suspicion Nesha wouldn¡¯t bother chasing him. Turning back to his own target, he tossed a handful of teal daggers at him. But the bandit had learned his lesson. He didn¡¯t try blocking, instead summoning a ssh of water beneath his feet, sliding away from the projectiles. Clicking his tongue, Percy formed the teal sheet again. He continued his pursuit, drawing and pouring mana until it was back to its full size, before swiping his arm again. Once more, the man used what little water mana he¡¯d managed to recover, evading the barrage by the skin of his yellowed teeth. Sadly for him, however, Percy¡¯s spell could do more than just turn incorporeal. In his rush to dodge, the bandit had made a terrible mistake. Relying solely on his eyes, he hadpletely failed to notice a second bunch of daggers, these only visible through Mana Sense¡­ And just like that, he joined his former boss in the afterlife¡­ [Congrattions! You have mastered a new spell: Mantle of Deceit ¨C Refined!] *** Nesha watched Percy as he picked clothes from the dead bandits, testing them until he found some his size. Whenever he was done with a corpse, he¡¯d toss it to his crow to feast on. Suffice to say, the sight was more than a little disturbing, but that wasn¡¯t what she was concerned about. She¡¯d known her partner had harboured his fair share of secrets for a while now, but the things she¡¯d seen over thest few days had vastly exceeded her wildest imaginations. From the powerful beasts he seemed to effortlesslymand, to the bizarre techniques he had unleashed on the bandits, eachyer he revealed was more shocking than thest. In fact, she was pretty sure by now that he and his pet had two cores each, somehow! Hell, she¡¯d just watched the duo dismantle an entire band of bandits by themselves. Was Percy really just a Red-born?! ¡®He wasn¡¯t this strong when we joined the Guild¡­¡¯ Nesha was sure of it! She¡¯d seen him return from his hunts worn out, with barely a couple vials full of nectar! ¡®Has hee this far in thest three years?!¡¯ But then¡­ the revolutionary Aurora Dew that had turned Remior upside down¡­pared to this¡­ it was nothing!!! Just the tip of the iceberg ¨C a mere afterthought! The realization sent a chill down Nesha¡¯s spine. Unbeknownst to everyone, biding its time away from politics and wars, hidden beneath the shadow of the Fungal Spire, in some corner where nobody ever bothered to look¡­ ¡­a monster had been born. [END OF BOOK 1: WHISPERS OF THE GHOST ALCHEMIST] Chapter 117: Destination ¡°I look like a bandit¡­¡± Percy groaned, ncing down at his mismatched outfit. ¡°You stink like one too.¡± Nesha said, pinching her nose as she inched further away from him. ¡°Hey, remind me again¡­ Who was it that took all my spare clothes?¡± Percy asked in a faux-offended tone. But the girl just shrugged unapologetically. ¡°Woohoo, I¡¯m dressed as amoner.¡± she said tly. ¡°What an upgrade.¡± Percy shook his head, not seeing any point in continuing the argument. Though he did pick up the pace, eager to find some water to wash up. If his memory served him, they should be reaching River Glein in the next few hours. They could look for a good spot to camp there. ¡®Found anything edible?¡¯ he asked his familiar. ¡®Rat¡­¡¯ the crow replied. The young man frowned at the prospect of eating rodent meat for the second day in a row. Sadly, there was only so much space in his amulet, so they had to ration their supplies for a rainy day. Still¡­¡®I swear he¡¯s doing it on purpose. He¡¯s always had a taste for the darn things¡­¡¯ he sighed. The duo walked in silence until nightfall, only stopping once the body of water came into view. Next, they spent a while longer travelling along the river, looking for a decent camping spot. It wasn¡¯t easy as their surroundings were still mostly nds, but they did eventually stumble upon a semi-concealed ce between a fewrge boulders. It wasn¡¯t perfect, but it would do. After drinking his fill, Percy scrubbed his clothes a few times until he was somewhat satisfied. Of course, he knew no amount of washing would everpletely rid him of the stench, but he hoped it wouldn¡¯t be quite as nauseating over the remainder of their journey. Once he was done, he set his alchemy tools up. Unfortunately, he had yet to condense tomorrow¡¯s crystals and brew the corresponding elixirs. It was annoying he had to spend five hours every night doing this, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. He¡¯d only waste his previous efforts if he started skipping days. ¡®I suppose I¡¯ll be able to cut the time down some more if I keep practicing¡­¡¯ After confirming with Micky that the coast was clear, Percy activated Synchronization. Next, he formed a blob of cyan between his palms before beginning the first of his daily chores. Surprisingly, Nesha didn¡¯t ck off either while he worked. She lit a campfire, taking it upon herself to cook their dinner. Apparently, the crow had found a snake too, so their meal was quickly turning into a veritable buffet. As soon as Percy was done, he drank his third set of Aurora Dew for the day, using his Whirlpool technique to cleanse both cores. Having mastered it some time ago, he could get the full benefit from the elixirs now. Micky and Nesha joined him too, consuming a dose each. Only after they were done did the humans finally pick their kebabs up, taking a bite. As for the crow¡­ Well¡­ He preferred his food raw. ¡°It tastes nice!¡± Percy eximed. The girl didn¡¯t reply, though he didn¡¯t miss her lips curving slightly at thepliment. Evidently, she wasn¡¯t that bad a cook. Still, knowing where the food hade from did dull his appetite somewhat, so he didn¡¯t eat much in the end. This story has been uwfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°So, are you going to tell me where we¡¯re going?¡± Nesha suddenly asked, breaking him out of his thoughts. ¡°Home.¡± Percy replied. Then, he scratched his head. ¡°Well, kinda¡­¡± he added vaguely. By now, the group had almost entered the Camelot province, where his family was based. However, the young man wasn¡¯t nning to return to the Avalon House¡¯s mansion directly. While his home was probably the safest ce to brew elixirs and send out his clones, he knew getting there wouldn¡¯t be easy. After all, House Tantalus¡¯s goons constantly patrolled the borders, looking for opportunities to hurt his family. £Ò?? That said, Percy still wanted to be close to his House, so that he could reach them more easily when the lotus bloomed. As a result, he figured it was best to settle somewhere within the province. And he¡¯d picked the exact spot too. ¡°We¡¯re going to Bogside town.¡± Nesha raised an eyebrow, prompting him to exin. ¡°Returning to my family is currently not an option, so staying in a small town nearby is the next best ce for the time being. We¡¯ll just have to keep our heads low for a while.¡± ¡°Why that one specifically though? I¡¯m sure the Camelot province has multiple.¡± Percy nodded. Indeed, the western side had three of them, but Bogside town wasn¡¯t among them. Instead, it was on the eastern side, being one of the two under their enemies¡¯ control! ¡°The members of House Tantalus are currently roaming my family¡¯s territories like sharks, eager to take a bite. But I doubt they¡¯d look twice at a couple ofmoners passing through their own side of the province. We¡¯ll enter from the north and make our way to the town. We¡¯ll hide there, right under their noses, looking for an opportunity to reach my House in the next two years.¡± Nesha creased her brow at the exnation. She didn¡¯t seem convinced. ¡°If the only issue is the blockade, there are other ways around it. We could circle the province and enter your family¡¯s side from a different spot.¡± ¡°Indeed, we could.¡± Percy said, before grinning. ¡°But I have another goal in Bogside town.¡± ¡°Which is?¡± ¡°Remember how I said we only have enough elixirs tost as two years?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± the girl tilted her head in confusion, apparently unsure what this had to do with anything. ¡°Well, we can¡¯t return to the Guild anytime soon, so there¡¯s only one other ce where we could possibly restock on elixirs.¡± Nesha¡¯s eyes widened as she realized what he intended to do. Indeed, after the Alchemists¡¯ Guild, the next best ce to find arge amount of elixirs was a noble House¡¯s warehouse! After all, a family of that size had over 500 members, of which around 200 would receive elixirs regrly. Assuming they had enough in stock tost them a couple of years ¨C which was the norm for his family at least ¨C it meant theirbined stash wouldst Percy and Nesha for over a decade! And if he was going to raid a noble House¡¯s storage, what better target than his family¡¯s enemies ¨C the very ones who murdered his parents? ¡°Have you lost your mind? How are we going to aplish something like that?¡± Percy shrugged. ¡°Well, I admit that¡¯s the part I haven¡¯t figured out yet¡­¡± he said with a sheepish grin stered all over his face. ¡°Still, we have two years to find a way!¡± ¡°You¡¯re nuts¡­¡± the girl shook her head but didn¡¯t say anything else. There was actually one more reason why Percy had picked that particr town over the other. Now that Micky had advanced, they needed a good ce for him to stay ¨C a ce where he¡¯d have ess to all the higher-grade food he now needed. And as it so happened, Bogside town was located right next to a dangerous swamp filled with Orange and Yellow beasts ¨C the Grisly Bog. Putting out the fire, Percy cleaned the camp up a little before finding a decent spot to sleep. Then, he reached out to hispanions. ¡°Nesha. Micky. Can you two do me a favour and split tonight¡¯s shifts between yourselves? I¡¯ll make it up to youter.¡± The two groaned at the prospect of staying up longer, but ultimately agreed. Naturally, Percy had a reason for voicing this request ¨C and it wasn¡¯t because ofziness. He needed to get a good rest, as he had something important to do the following day. Their target was still a week away, but that wasn¡¯t the only ce Percy would be visiting in the near future. While it hadn¡¯t been that long since histest wasp clone got destroyed, the colossal amount of soul mana his familiar had harvested from the Starry Knight had been more than enough to fully heal his soul. Now that his ventures inside the hive had been ced on hold, it was finally time for the young man to resume sending clones out of Remior. ¡°Let¡¯s hope it¡¯s a lucky one.¡± Chapter 118: Takeo ¡°Takeo¡­ Don¡¯t leave the vige. It¡¯s too dangerous.¡± Father said sternly. But he wasn¡¯t having it. ¡°This is exactly why we have to go! We can¡¯t just wait here like cowards!¡± Sengo reached for his son, but the boy shook the hand off his shoulder. Grabbing his father¡¯stest creation from a table, he bolted out of the room. ¡°Come back!¡± Sengo yelled, though his voice only grew more distant as the boy ran through the empty streets, his wooden sandals cking against the paved dirt. Takeo circled around the house by the corner of the road before heading straight, right into the dense thicket. The pale moonlight was already faint to begin with, though it vanished entirely as the young man dove into the ck vines. The infernal things blotted out the sky, greedily shrouding the world in their demonic embrace. At least the young man¡¯s eyesight had always been the sharpest in the vige, so he could still see where he was going. Somewhat. He strapped the object he had taken from his father to his waist, before unsheathing his own machete from the other side. He ducked and squeezed through the vines whenever he could ¨C his smaller frame making things easier ¨C though he still had to hack an opening once in a while. Every few steps, the boy caught one of the thorn-covered tendrils shift by the corner of his eye. Had this been a few years ago, he might have chalked it up to fear, but he knew the time of the feast was almost upon them. ¡®No way I¡¯m letting everyone get eaten!¡¯The young man roamed the jungle for hours, though he never extended too far from the vige. If he was going to kill somebody, he figured he might as well look for a raider targeting his people. Plus, he had the advantage in his own turf. Knowing the ce like the back of his hand, it would be harder to fall into an ambush here. Eventually, he stopped upon spotting a few broken vines. Somebody must¡¯ve passed through recently. In thest few minutes too, otherwise the jungle would have repaired the damage already. Putting his machete away, Takeo grabbed the hilt of the other object, clenching it tightly in his grasp. Twisting the de upwards, he pulled it slightly from its sheath. Then he crouched, advancing through the thicket with more caution. At the same time, he scanned his surroundings for more signs of activity. And it wasn¡¯t long before he found another broken vine, and then a third. Soon, Takeo was hot on his prey¡¯s trail, inching closer by the second. ¡®The fools won¡¯t know what hit them!¡¯ Aware he was probably close enough they could hear him; he held his breath before brushing a vine aside and peering through a gap in the undergrowth. One of the thorns stabbed into his palm, causing him to wince, but he didn¡¯t utter a sound as his gaze finally locked onto his prey. ¡®Three of them.¡¯ Examining his targets, he firmed his stance, ready to pounce on them. Though he hesitated at thest second. One of them was a kid ¨C a boy even younger than he was. Of the adults, only the man was holding a hatchet in his hand. The woman was unarmed. ¡®A family¡­¡¯ Takeo felt his heart clench at the sight, having second thoughts about doing this. These people weren¡¯t raiders ¨C they were probably just running away from all the chaos, looking for a safe ce to hide before the feast. Chances were, their home had been destroyed already. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s either them or us! Lots of innocents will die anyway, if we can¡¯t stop the jungle from awakening!¡¯ The young man wed into his arm with his free hand, his fingernails digging into his skin as he tried harnessing the pain to move. But his legs refused to listen. No matter how hard he forced himself, he just couldn¡¯t find it in his heart to murder the trio. Suddenly, a vine broke under the pressure, causing the family to jerk their heads in his direction. The kid almost screamed, though his mother covered his mouth. At the same time, the man¡¯s features twisted in fury at the sight of Takeo¡¯s sword. Thetter stepped back, looking for the words to exin himself. But he couldn¡¯t find any. After all, he was still considering the act a moment ago. ¡°Leave my family alone you fucker!¡± the older man hissed, dashing towards Takeo with his hatchet ready. Realizing they were long past words, the young man calmed himself down, as he resumed his stance. His enemy wasrger and probably stronger, but no fighter. His movements were crude, his steps uneven. Another wave of hesitation bubbled up, but Takeo pressed it down as he drew his sword, its edge the only source of light in the dark jungle as it reflected whatever scant rays reached it. THUD, THUD The mother covered her child¡¯s eyes to shield him from the horror as their world came crashing down. Takeo exhaled the turbid air in his lungs before looking at the two in shame. He knew he should finish the job, but he also understood he didn¡¯t have the stomach for it. His arm fell weakly by his side as he dropped his weapon. Of course, he didn¡¯t expect the woman to thank him for sparing them. Naturally, she red at him with unconcealed hatred, asionally tossing a nce at her husband¡¯s decapitated body, the colour draining from her face at the gruesome sight. But in the end, she knew what had to be done. Grabbing her son, she ignored his sobs as she suppressed her own, running away before Takeo changed his mind. The young man looked at the corpse one more time. Blood still gushed out of the wound like a fountain, but there wasn¡¯t any beneath the body. The jungle had already sucked the pool dry. Takeo picked his sword up before heading off, in search of another group. As disgusted as he was by his actions, the vines wouldn¡¯t be satiated with a single meal. Or a thousand, for that matter. Others would have to help too if they wanted to dy the feast. Over the next few hours, he continued roaming his vige¡¯s vicinity, not stopping until he cleared the whole area twice. In that time, he found a dozen more targets, though luckily, none of them were civilians. Heavily armed and in groups of at least three, they posed a much higher threat to Takeo than his first unfortunate victim. Still, between his father¡¯s masterfully crafted katana and the sharpbat skills he had honed his whole life, none of the skirmishes gave him much trouble. ¡®But it¡¯s nowhere near enough¡­¡¯ he smiled bitterly. The lives he had sacrificed today weighed heavily on his conscience, but for the vines? They didn¡¯t amount to much. Maybe a few hours of peace if they got lucky. Takeo knew he¡¯d have toe back tomorrow. And the day after. And even then, he was only dying the inevitable¡­ In any case, there wasn¡¯t much he could do about it right now. Turning back towards his vige, he was about to return home, when somethingshed at him. By reflex, he swung the sword at it, managing to intercept the vine in time. The severed tendril twitched a couple of times by his feet before dying down. ¡®That one almost got m¨C¡¯ Takeo didn¡¯t even get the chance toplete that thought when he felt an impact on the back of his head, a sickening crunch reverberating through his skull. His vision blurred as he fell to the ground. At the same time, another tendril wrapped itself around his neck, squeezing it. ¡®Can¡¯t¡­ b The young man tried to chop away at the vine, when he realized he had dropped his sword at some point. Drawing his machete with his left hand, he was about to use that, when another tendrilshed at his wrist, stopping him. Out of options, he resorted to brute strength, though he was no match for the demonic wood. Takeo pummelled the vine again and again, though it didn¡¯t do him much good. Each hit was weaker than the one before, until he couldn¡¯t go on. Finally, the boy¡¯s resistance fizzled out into smoke, as his eyes fell shut, the very jungle he had spent all day feeding bing his undoing. Though this wasn¡¯t the end of Takeo¡¯s story, as onest chapter had yet to be written¡­ Chapter 119: Infestation Percy was a little bummed out by histest venture. This was his first clone outside Remior in months, though luck hadn¡¯t been on his side. He¡¯d spent the entire trip looking for a suitable host, but all he¡¯d found were crumbling souls that wouldn¡¯tst a minute once he took over. In the end, he went with the least damaged option, though their grade left much to be desired. It was somewhere between a Red and an insect ¨C which was a first for him. ¡®Better than nothing, I guess¡­¡¯ At least, the actual possession went smoothly. For some reason, his host appearedpletely absent this time. It was nothing like the lizard or the furball, which had remained passive yet still present in the background. No. This body¡¯s owner was gonzo. Encountering zero resistance, Percy slid between the gaps, patching the broken soul with unprecedented ease. A few memories shed through his mind in the process, though they were too disorganized to piece together. ¡®What the hell?! Did this guy get hit in the head or something?¡¯ Tapping into the body¡¯s senses, Percy finally pried his eyes open, only to be greeted by endless darkness. After a moment, some vague shapes starteding to focus, but he didn¡¯t have the chance to worry about them, as he discovered he couldn¡¯t even breathe. Something was squeezing his neck tightly. Trying to move his hands, he soon realized his left was bound too, leaving him only his right to pummel the object with. Whatever it was felt slimy, its surface smooth and damp. It slowly slithered around his throat, a small spike tracing a shallow cut along his skin as it did so. ¡®The fuck?! Some kind of thorny snake?!¡¯ Not getting anywhere barehanded, Percy summoned a sliver of his stored mana, forming a weapon in his hand. Soon, a teal sh sliced a line through the darkness, severing the tendril off him. Percy filled his lungs with air a couple of times as he practically felt the colour return to his face. But he was still trapped. Hacking again with his sickle, he cut another three ¡°snakes¡± a secondter, freeing the rest of his limbs. Jumping to his feet, he activated Mana Sense, hoping to scan his surroundings better. Or he tried to, at least. For some reason, his current body couldn¡¯t even use Mana Sense!¡®That¡¯s a new one¡­¡¯ epting that his impaired eyesight was all he could rely on, he examined the ground around him, attempting to decipher what had happened to his host. Faintly illuminated by his mana construct, he spotted five severed vines ¨C all of them ck like tar, covered in spikes of various sizes. The dead ones weren¡¯t moving right now, but the living ones were ¨C wriggling ominously as they waited for another opportunity to pounce. Making a note to keep an eye on the strangely animated nts, Percy¡¯s attention was drawn to a couple of manmade objects glinting nearby. Picking the first one up, he noticed it was a slender sword, sporting a single, curved edge. A quick test revealed its sharpness wasn¡¯t a joke, as it cut a couple inches into another vine with minimal effort. ¡®Wow. Is this really a mundane weapon?¡¯ There sure weren¡¯t any runes visible on its surface, nor the typical glow he would expect from a mana-rich alloy. Finding a scabbard matching the sword strapped to his waist, he sheathed it, before picking the second object off the ground. This one was a machete, crafted from the same material, though its edge had dulled a little from overuse. Still, it was better than any steel tool he¡¯d seen on Remior. ¡®I suppose I can rely on these for the time being.¡¯ Allowing his construct to crumble, he collected as many of the teal shreds as he could, storing them back inside his soul. Some strange force was pulling on them, trying to pry them from his control, but Percy would be damned if he let his limited supply get snatched so easily. Exerting all the willpower he could muster, he forcibly dragged most of the substance into his body, ultimately recovering about three quarters of the amount he¡¯d used. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡®Man, this fused mana is a gamechanger!¡¯ Percy couldn¡¯t help but nod in appreciation. The young man had naturally been thrilled upon discovering he could supply his clones with the teal mana as long as it was stored in its ethereal form. Not only did this let him essentially ¡°cheat¡± some pure mana into his clones, it was highly recyble too, allowing him to get a lot more value from it before it ran out. ? ¡®In any case, better get a move on.¡¯ There was a lot to think about, but this wasn¡¯t the time or the ce. Looking around, Percy realized he recognized the scenery somewhat. Despite the poor lighting, his host seemed to be extremely familiar with the area. In fact, he could even tell which way ¡°home¡± was. Heading towards the vige he scarcely remembered, he soon noticed his body was rather weak. Exhausted and injured all over, yes ¨C but that wasn¡¯t it. It reminded Percy of his youth, from before he advanced to Orange. ¡®Come to think of it, there¡¯s no mana in the air whatsoever...¡¯ No wonder he couldn¡¯t even use Mana Sense. Had his host not even awakened his core?! Suddenly, a vineshed at him from his right, though he was prepared for it. With a semi-awkward swing of his machete, he cut it to pieces, though he didn¡¯t rx just yet, knowing more could attack at any moment. Ignoring the soreness and pain, he picked up the pace, practically running towards his host¡¯s vige, hacking at whatever obstacle stood in his path. ¡®Is this jungle the reason there isn¡¯t any mana here?¡¯ If the ck vines sucked all the ambient mana in this world, it would exin why his host had never managed to awaken his core. For all Percy knew, the poor sap might have been born with a Yellow one, but he¡¯d lived and died without ever enjoying its benefits. And as if that wasn¡¯t enough, the hateful nts weren¡¯t satisfied with all the mana they stole, seemingly thirsting for blood too. In fact, this situation felt a little familiar to Percy, as he couldn¡¯t help but recall something he¡¯d read about on Remior. ¡®Could this be an infestation?!¡¯ The gods of the Divine Order weren¡¯t that open about their operations, but a few morsels of information did trickle down to the mortals like him. From what he knew, foreign races weren¡¯t the only threat the deities had to deal with. Other than the fiercepetition over resources and territories, gods across the universe had another major enemy ¨C this one inmon. Demonic infestations. Supposedly formed from the umtion of negative thoughts, they sprouted randomly like cancers, dooming whatever unfortunate world spawned them. Infestations came in many shapes and sizes ¨C from imps and gremlins as weak as the weakest mortals, to great devils as powerful as the strongest gods, to mindless entities spanning entire worlds, bringing cmity upon their residents. Evidently, this jungle belonged in thetter category. Percy¡¯s confidence in his guess grew as he scanned the living vines around him. This didn¡¯t seem like a natural phenomenon. Unlike the brown fog he had encountered before, this disaster was alive, dripping with malice and cruelty, its only mission to drive all life to extinction. It was only once he finally reached the edge of the dense thicket that he exhaled in relief, leaving the demonic jungle behind him, as he stepped into the pale moonlight. The small vige standing before him looked both alien and familiar, as his host¡¯s memories bled into his own. ¡®Now what do I do?¡¯ Part of him was curious about the infestation. He knew it was close to some turning point, and it was his first time experiencing one with any of his clones. Not that there was anything to be gained from it, but he was sure he¡¯d run into more in his future travels, so it wouldn¡¯t hurt to get a taste. On the other hand, his current clone might be a good candidate to return to the Vault with. Stumbling upon a host that was both sentient and brain-dead was a rare stroke of luck. He had free reign over the body, and he wouldn¡¯t even have to feel guilty over dragging someone else into his mess. That said, he didn¡¯t know if he¡¯d be able to practice magiscript without a functioning core. Perhaps, he could awaken it inside the Vault, but his body wasn¡¯t in great shape, so it might notst long enough. ¡®Let¡¯s figure out the situation here first¡­¡¯ At the very least, Percy wanted to learn more about the crafting technique of the locals here. The strength and sharpness of his steel tools almost rivalled that of his pure constructs, which was quite impressive for a pair of mana-less weapons. Maybe he could learn to make simr tools back home. ¡®But before all that, let¡¯s see what I¡¯m dealing with.¡¯ Summoning his Status, Percy read his host¡¯s details atst. ___ Takeo Muramasa (Percival''s clone) ___ Chapter 120: Sengo ___ Takeo Muramasa (Percival''s clone) Mana cores:
  • [Mana core 1 ¨C Red ¨C ???]
  • [Mana core 2 ¨C Seed ¨C ???]
Spells:
  • [Parting Gift ¨C Crude]
  • [Quarterstaff ¨C Crude]
  • [Glove ¨C Crude]
  • [Crystallization ¨C Crude]
  • [Mantle of Deceit ¨C Refined]
Decrees:
  • [Phoebe¡¯s Decree] ¨C Grants ess to your Status.
  • [Moirais¡¯ Decree (Iplete)] ¨C Grants the seed of a second mana core. Requires potent life mana to germinate.
  • [Metatron¡¯s Decree] ¨C Open a one-way portal to the Vault of Magic at will.
___ As it turned out, his Status was able to recognize Takeo¡¯s grade. It was at Red, which wasn¡¯t exactly great news. Even if Percy could fill it up inside the Vault, it wouldn¡¯t help him much. ¡®No new Decree either¡­ Though that¡¯s to be expected. I doubt any gods can emerge in this ce.¡¯ There wasn¡¯t really anything of note here. The only silver lining was that his stash of teal mana allowed him to use most of his spells. He still couldn¡¯t use Cirction without his cores, but everything else was on the table, at least until his reserves ran out. If everyone else was incapable of using magic, it would give him a significant advantage over the locals. Of course, he wasn¡¯t sure he¡¯d even need it.Shrugging, Percy walked along the paved dirt, tracing the way to his host¡¯s house by instinct. The first thing he noticed as he travelled through the small vige was that the buildings looked a little strange. They were made of some pale, uniform material which looked nothing like the stone buildings they had in the Alchemists¡¯ Guild, nor the wooden walls in his family¡¯s mansion. ¡®They seem surprisingly sturdy too.¡¯ Despite theck of any engravings or magical materials, the houses appeared in decent condition. At least, he couldn¡¯t spot any signs of age on their simple walls. Evidently, the crafting techniques of the natives extended beyond their steel tools. Though it wasn¡¯t that odd, considering they didn¡¯t have magic to fall back to. Back on Remior, people used it as a crutch to solve all their problems. Why bother improving the quality of your materials when you could just carve a couple runes on them topensate for their deficiencies? ¡®Let¡¯s figure out how all this works and then leave.¡¯ Percy decided. Luckily, he didn¡¯t meet anyone on the deserted streets, saving him some time. Apparently, they were all holed up in their homes ¨C evident by the faint shadows he asionally saw shifting through the windows. Every now and then, he caught a glimpse of a viger, which might have startled him under different circumstances. Their deep crimson skin and bright yellow eyes made them more than a little intimidating. Not to mention their sharp features, or the four fangs each had sticking out of their mouth. However, Percy wasn¡¯t scared in the slightest. And that wasn¡¯t merely because he could defend himself. Seeing these people through Takeo¡¯s eyes, he realized he could put a name to each face. They were his family ¨C the very people he had grown up with. ¡®And now he¡¯s dead.¡¯ he thought, feeling his heart tighten. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. He¡¯d sent plenty of clones, but this was his first time meeting the loved ones of his host. Perhaps he should have prepared himself for this eventuality, though the guilt was hard to stomach. What was he supposed to tell them? Pretend that he was Takeo, only to die in front of them a few dayster? Or exin how he had taken over the boy¡¯s corpse? The fact that Takeo appeared to be in his early teens only made the situation more tragic. Percy stopped right in his tracks, realizing he couldn¡¯t in good conscience return to his host¡¯s house like this. He knew the boy had a father waiting for him there, and neither of them deserved to be put in that situation. Yet, just as he was contemting whether to open a portal to the Vault right then and there, or leave the body behind and return to Remior, his worst fear came to light. ¡°Takeo!¡± a rough voice yelled. It was only now the young man saw the person he recognized as his host¡¯s father standing some distance away, staring at him intently, his expression a blend of concern and relief. Percy wanted to turn around and leave, but he never got the chance. The older man sprinted towards him, only stopping once he was a few steps away. Sengo ¨C Percy thought his name was ¨C scanned him up and down, shuddering at the sight of his son¡¯s gruesome injuries. Tears rolled down Sengo¡¯s face, forming two pink trickles on his cheeks. It was only now that Percy managed to recall another titbit of information from the shattered prism that was Takeo¡¯s mind. Apparently, all the people in this world cried red tears, but Takeo¡¯s nsmen were a little unique in that theirs were a few shades paler. This was the source of the vige¡¯s name ¨C Torui. ? Seeing the man remain quiet, Percy wanted to speak first. To exin that he wasn¡¯t Takeo. But the words got stuck in his throat. The two just stood there, staring each other in silence for a few minutes, before Sengo pulled Percy into a firm hug, sobbing as he clenched him tightly. ¡°I told you not to go!¡± the man said in a stern tone. At least Percy could understand him, as Takeo¡¯s memories breathed meaning to the words. ¡°Look what happened to you!¡± Sengo spoke again, gesturing at his son¡¯s wounds. Though it was only now that Percy registered some of the blood on him wasn¡¯t his own. In fact, it didn¡¯t take much effort to recall where it hade from. Perhaps it was because those memories were more recent, or because they¡¯d had a greater impact on his host. Whatever the reason, he vividly remembered killing over a dozen people, including a scared father protecting his wife and kid. Percy frowned, suddenly feeling a little less sympathetic for the boy. The brat had been a cold-blooded murderer, ruining a family just like that. But he shook his head a momentter, remembering the situation that had led Takeo to do that. ¡®I suppose everyone here is just desperate to survive. The vines will awaken sooner unless they keep sacrificing strangers¡­¡¯ Probably realizing what Percy was thinking about, Sengo ced a hand on his shoulder, before lifting his chin with the other. He looked him in the eyes as he spoke. ¡°What¡¯s done is done.¡± he said sternly. ¡°Sometimes, taking lives and saving them are one and the same.¡± The young man nodded, though his guilt had more to do with his charade than his host¡¯s crimes. He knew it was cowardly of him to remain quiet, but he just couldn¡¯t find it in his heart to turn Sengo¡¯s world upside down. ¡®Let¡¯s tell him tomorrow. He can sleep soundly one more night, and I can think of the best way to deliver the news¡­¡¯ was what Percy thought, but he wasn¡¯t sure he believed it. Following the man to their house, he ced his hand on the pale wall, feeling its rough surface. Digging into his memories, he tried to recall what the material was called. It took a few seconds, but it eventually came through. ¡®Concrete.¡¯ ¡°Do you want to help me repair miss Kimiko¡¯s house tomorrow?¡± Sengo asked as he saw him tracing his finger on the material. ¡°Feeding the jungle isn¡¯t the only way to protect our vige you know. We can build strong houses, and arm everyone with weapons to prepare for the feast.¡± Percy nodded. ¡®Maybe I can stay here until the vines attack. I¡¯ll help these people defend themselves, and maybe even learn a couple things in the process.¡¯ In any case, it wouldn¡¯t be long until the infestation reached its final stage. If his host¡¯s memories could be trusted, they only had days at most. And each feast was more severe than the ones before. The demonic jungle had existed as far as Takeo could remember, having nearly driven the world¡¯s inhabitants to extinction already. Perhaps the few remaining viges would be gone too in another decade or so. After all, infestations were mindless and vicious. They didn¡¯t care about self-preservation in the slightest. The only thing they knew was destruction ¨C first of their surroundings, and ultimately themselves. ¡®I suppose protecting the boy¡¯s people should be enoughpensation for the free ride...¡¯ Chapter 121: Concrete Percy watched the strange contraption grind the materials into fine powder. They swirled through the long metallic cylinder, its interior filled with steel teeth, rotating thanks to the heat from the furnace. It was actually ingenious how the locals harnessed the movement of the hot air to aplish tasks otherwise impossible with brute strength alone. ¡®I suppose we would have figured this out too, if we spent our whole lives stuck at Red...¡¯ As for the materials Sengo had ced inside the machine ¨C they weren¡¯t anything special. Just some limestone and y. They had those back on Remior too. In fact, Percy was pretty sure he¡¯d seen both of them in many of the other worlds he¡¯d visited. A few minutester, the crushing process wasplete. Sengo removed the pipe venting the excess air into the tube, before emptying its contents into several buckets, filling them with an unassuming grey dust. ¡°This is called cement.¡± the man exined to his ¡®son¡¯ after noticing Percy¡¯s perplexed expression. And thetter wasn¡¯t faking it either. While Takeo had seen his father work many times before, Percy struggled to find many details in his host¡¯s memories. Evidently, the boy had never helped Sengo much, their rtionship having always been rather rocky. ¡°It¡¯s an important ingredient of concrete, but not the only one.¡± the man continued, oblivious to his thoughts. Next, he picked a bucket with each hand, gesturing at Percy to do the same. The young man didn¡¯t miss his ¡®father¡¯ wincing as he lifted them, probably suffering from some old injury or ailment. The two then walked to a different room where a second machine was located. It looked a little like the one from before, though it was wider and didn¡¯t contain any teeth inside. Clearly it was only meant for mixing, not crushing. Sengo ced the buckets on the ground, before picking a different pair up, filled with other materials.¡°Concrete is mostly made of gravel, mixed with fine sand to fill in the gaps.¡± he exined as he poured the buckets into the device. ¡°The cement we created earlier is used along with water to hold everything together.¡± Percy nodded along, as he watched Sengo work, asionally helping out when thetter had to lift something heavy. Even with the aid of the machines, a lot of physical effort still went into this. Though from what the young man had seen, the results were more than worth it. Once they were done, they emptied the new material into the buckets again, this time ending up with a viscous grey sludge. Leaving the house, they walked over to a building down the street, stopping by one of the walls. It was broken, as a few chopped vines thicker than Takeo¡¯s thigh were lying motionless next to it. Two men were also working there ¨C the first people other than Sengo that Percy saw outside sinceing here. One was an older man ¨C maybe a few years younger than Sengo, while the other was a boy around his age. The two barely spared them a cursory nce, busy as they were. They seemed to be uprooting the malignant growth that had sprouted the vines, before it had the chance to do so again. ¡°Akio, Haruto.¡± Sengo greeted. ¡°I see you¡¯ve had a busy day.¡± ¡°Aaahhh! We¡¯ve been trying to dig this infernal thing out for hours!¡± the older man groaned. ¡°Kimiko keptining about it. ¡®Akio, we can¡¯t leave that thing sticking into our living room!¡¯ Well, I sure don¡¯t see her pulling the roots out!¡± ¡°Hahaha! Listen to your wife Akio. You know how important it is to get rid of the darn things whenever they pop up inside the vige. If we leave them be, they¡¯ll only get worse.¡± But Akio shook his head. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°What¡¯s even the point? We both know an extra vine or two won¡¯t matter when the whole junglees alive! Old friend¡­ I¡¯m afraid this is going to be ourst feast¡­¡± Sengo didn¡¯t say anything, but Percy didn¡¯t miss how everyone¡¯s mood turned more sombre after the brief exchange. They all understood they were living on borrowed time. As things stood, they couldn¡¯t even venture out to forage for food or more materials. Even if they survived the massacre, who knew if there would be anything edible left out there¡­ ¡°Come on, Takeo. We need to patch the wall up before the concrete starts to dry.¡± Percy nodded, though being called by his host¡¯s name reignited his guilt. He had yet to tell the man the truth, and he was starting to think he¡¯d never find the courage to do so. It wasn¡¯t like the vige¡¯s situation was great, but at least Sengo seemed to find peace in his work. Percy didn¡¯t want to rob him of that minor constion during hisst couple of days. The two worked in silence over the next few hours, filling the broken segment of the wall with the sludge. They used a few metallic sheets propped against the wall to keep the liquid from spilling out. By the time they were done, the others had finished too, returning to their house. Nobody in the vige seemed to be in the mood to do much else, besides waiting for the cmity with their loved ones. ¡°See, Takeo?¡± Sengo suddenly asked. ¡°Most of the buildings won¡¯t survive the feast, but every wall might just be enough to save an extra life. It¡¯s more productive to do this than to go out there killing people.¡± Percy could tell the man really disapproved of his host¡¯s actions. Their differing philosophy on how to approach the feast was probably the core of their strained rtionship. ¡®Honestly, I can¡¯t even tell which one of them is right¡­¡¯ Whether it was ughtering innocents to dy the disaster by a few minutes or trying to build a few extra houses that weren¡¯t likely to survive, none of it sounded like a particrly effective strategy. Of course, it wasn¡¯t like they had a better option. Percy hadn¡¯t personally experienced a feast, but from what he knew about infestations, these people were screwed no matter what they did. ¡®I suppose if it¡¯s not going to help either way, I¡¯d rather avoid getting blood on my hands¡­¡¯ Young and hot-blooded as Takeo was, he had clearly gone with the less moral option. Yet, getting out of this ce with his hands clean might not be in the cards for Percy either¡­ ¡°Aaaahhh!!¡± Hearing the scream, Sengo and Percy looked in a certain direction, spotting a few hooded men holding hatchets and sabres in the distance. Percy couldn¡¯t make their faces out, but something told him these people weren¡¯t from the vige. One of them dragged a weepingdy across the street, heading towards the jungle. She was the one who had screamed. Drawing his machete, Percy hastily dropped it by Sengo¡¯s feet so he could defend himself. Next, he unsheathed his sword as he ran towards the raiders. Strictly speaking, he didn¡¯t really have any skin in the game. After all, he wasn¡¯t the real Takeo and this wasn¡¯t his vige. Consequently, fighting the raiders to save a local was arguably pointless. That said, watching them butcher innocent people while doing nothing just felt wrong. ¡°Hold on, son!¡± Sengo shouted, causing Percy to look back. The older man was running behind him, clutching the machete in his hand. He looked like he was in pain as he exerted himself, but he carried the aura of a fighter all-the-same. Peace-loving as he was, he clearly knew how to defend himself. ncing around, Percy noticed more of the vigers rushing out of their homes, each armed with a finely crafted weapon like his own. It seemed nobody here was a vegetarian. ¡®Of course not. Even if they don¡¯t like going out there hunting people, they wouldn¡¯t have survived this long if they couldn¡¯t handle themselves¡­¡¯ Seeing all the familiar faces, Percy couldn¡¯t help but recall some more of his host¡¯s memories. He remembered the countless hours spent practicing with these people, sparring with them, being taught by them how to hold his sword, how to use it. They were all his teachers¡­ and his friends¡­ Soon, the vigers stood before the raiders, outnumbering them by about 15 to 10. Percy would have expected them to give up and leave, but they hadn¡¯t done that. And why would they? The more blood that got spilled today the better things would be for the survivors. Evidently, the raiders would rather take their chances. But Percy wouldn¡¯t. ¡°I¡¯ll give you one chance to run away. Nobody has to die. Not today, at least.¡± he said before anybody had the chance to. The vigers gave him odd looks. Takeo was probably thest person anybody expected to douse the conflict. But he had to do this. Whether it was the locals or the raiders, all of these people were just trying to survive. Percy didn¡¯t want to hurt anybody if he didn¡¯t have to. Sadly, his enemies didn¡¯t seem to agree. They only tightened their grips on the weapons, silently giving Percy his answer. Watching some of thest surviving natives prepare to kill each other, Percy couldn¡¯t help but recall Sengo¡¯s words from earlier. ¡®Sometimes, taking lives and saving them are one and the same...¡¯ Chapter 122: Steel As it so happened, the two sides weren¡¯t evenly matched at all. Their numerical advantage aside, the vigers seemed topletely outss the raiders in both skill and the quality of their weapons. Hell, even if their numbers were reversed, Percy was confident ¡®his¡¯ people wouldn¡¯t have struggled much. Within mere minutes, over half of the invaders were dead, gutted like fish by the sharp shes of the vigers. At least, Percy had to give credit to the survivors as they showed no intention of surrendering. They probably reasoned that it was better to die here than to go back to the jungle. After all, everyone could see the vines already swaying in unrest in the distance. ¡®I¡¯m the only one still taking my time¡­¡¯ he smiled bitterly, as he looked back at his opponent. He was a man seemingly in his thirties ¨C maybe, though Percy wasn¡¯t an expert on these people¡¯s physiology. He donned a crudely forged cuss, its edge dull and its de covered in dried bloodstains. Evidently, Sengo¡¯s advanced crafting techniques weren¡¯t quite as widespread as Percy had originally thought. Of course, he could have defeated the raider already, had he put his heart into it. However, Percy was still struggling to rationalize killing a stranger just to help more strangers. ¡®Let¡¯s try to learn something in the process, at least.¡¯ As early as their first exchange, he had noticed an impulse to move and react in a specific manner ¨C in a way he wasn¡¯t used to. Apparently, his host¡¯s muscle memory bled into his ownbat instincts, driving him to switch up his fighting style. Percy could have easily resisted the impulse and made quick work of the man if he wanted. After all, he had plenty of experience himself. Besides, it wasn¡¯t like Micky¡¯s fighting style was any inferior to the locals¡¯. But he didn¡¯t do that. He was curious to see how Takeo fought. The Dance of the Savage Gods involved a lot of exaggerated movements and quick footwork. Its central concept was achieving dominance over the battlefield, wearing down an opponent with multiple opportunistic blows. The natives¡¯ style on the other hand couldn¡¯t have been more different. It involved much smaller movements, focusing on the delivery of sharp, deadly strikes at an opponent¡¯s vitals. ¡®This style might be morepatible with my soul affinity.¡¯It was easy to see why. Both worked better with sharp weapons and were best at ending a fight in an instant. Recognizing the value of this art, Percy allowed himself to sink into Takeo¡¯s memories as he entered a kind of trance. His enemy tried to cut him open with the cuss, but Percy wasn¡¯t in a rush to fight back, merely sidestepping the blows one after the other, waiting for an opening of his own. Some of the attacks did ¡®There.¡¯ Percy thought after seeing the man overextend. Taking a step forward, he swung his katana as swiftly as he could, barely stopping an inch before his opponent¡¯s neck. The raider stumbled back, swallowing a lump of saliva after realizing how close he hade to losing his head. Though he frowned a secondter, upon seeing Percy hadn¡¯t tried to finish him. ¡°Again.¡± thetter said, gesturing at him to stand. The manplied, soon engaging Percy into another round. The two fought for several more minutes, as the young man continued to use the raider as a whetstone, trying to mix and consolidate Micky¡¯s and Takeo¡¯s styles in an elerated manner. This novel''s true home is a different tform. Support the author by finding it there. His body was weaker than he was used to, but not as bad as it could have been. While at Red, Takeo had clearly pushed himself to his limits. In fact, Percy was confident he could have used Cirction with it if he had a functioning core and the necessary channels cleared. Though there wasn¡¯t any need for that right now, as he had plenty to learn from even the mundane bout. Dodge after dodge, sh after sh, his body oscited between the two styles as he circled the raider and pivoted on his feet, trying to use the dance to create opportunities for the finishers. As for his opponent, he was constantly on the backfoot the entire fight. That said, he seemed to have calmed down after a certain point, realizing Percy had no intention of killing him. ¡°Stop.¡± the man spoke eventually, raising his hand. Percy barely halted mid-swing, only now registering what was happening. The other vigers had long finished their own opponents and were all gathered around him, giving him strange looks. ¡°Why?¡± the raider asked again, clearly as confused as the rest of them. ¡°I¡¯m not going to kill you.¡± Percy shrugged, before sheathing his weapon. ¡°Though I don¡¯t really care what the others do with you. After all, you did attack us.¡± Turning around, he headed for his house, but not before tossing his father a nce. Sengo¡¯s expression was cold as ice, probably realizing that Takeo was acting out of character. *** Percy watched silently as Sengo hammered the red-hod lump of iron, losing himself in the rhythmic sound. Every now and then, the old cksmith would dip the metal in water to cool it, before using a brush to coat it in ayer of y mud. ording to Sengo, this treatment would prevent the sword from rusting. Next, Sengo ced the lump back inside the forge to reheat it, before resuming the tempering process. Each time, he folded the thinned sheet back onto itself, forcing more of the impurities out with each cycle. ¡®No wonder it¡¯s so much stronger than what we have back home.¡¯ They actually did have steel back on Remior, the idea of fusing multiple metals into alloys not being that foreign to them. However, Percy was willing to bet they hadn¡¯t perfected the process to this degree. Sengo¡¯s work bordered on obsessive. Once he was done, Percy watched the man sharpen the de against a rotating grindstone, powered by heat like all of Sengo¡¯s tools. Soon, an intricate wavy pattern took form along the edge of the katana. It was probably only a side-effect of the forging process ¨C not there intentionally. Still, that didn¡¯t detract from the sword¡¯s beauty at all. It could probably fit inside a gallery just as well as it could on a battlefield. ¡®It¡¯s remarkable what he has achieved with the mostmon of materials. Maybe the philosophy behind it can be applied to my own constructs¡­¡¯ Percy thought. Of course, it wasn¡¯t the same, as his spells were made of mana, not metals or stones. Still, he did have some ideas as to how he could approach this when he returned. But Sengo hadn¡¯t finished quite yet, breaking Percy out of his thoughts as he attached a wooden hilt to the de. Next, he wrapped it in a thin strip of cloth several times, forming a vertical pattern of diamonds. Finally, he checked the sword onest time, hammering it some more here and there, to straighten any lingering imperfections along its length. As for a scabbard, he didn¡¯t seem to have one ready, so he just rested the sword on a cushion before turning to his ¡®son¡¯. He appeared like he wanted to speak ¨C to exin something perhaps ¨C but he ultimately remained silent. His eyes wavered for a moment, before he averted his gaze entirely. Even looking at Takeo was difficult. ¡®He knows, doesn¡¯t he?¡¯ Percy realized. Sengo hadn¡¯t spoken a word since the altercation with the raiders. While Percy had never found the courage to tell him the truth about his son, the man seemed to have figured it out on his own. After all, what sort of father wouldn¡¯t have noticed something like that? ¡®I should still exin everything clearly. It¡¯s the least I can do after everything he¡¯s taught me¡­¡¯ he decided. Though he didn¡¯t get the chance. A tremor suddenly shook the house, as Percy heard a couple of screamsing from outside. Both he and Sengo rushed to the window, trying to understand what had happened. The sight before them was horrific. Multiple tendrils as thick as a tree¡¯s trunk had sprouted all over the vige, all of them covered in countless thorns. The demonic vinesshed at any building within their reach, trying to tear the cement walls down one blow at a time. The sound of something breaking came from behind them, as Percy and Sengo both turned around, only to see another of the tendrils digging out right in the middle of the workshop. ¡®Father¡¯ and ¡®son¡¯ both clenched their weapons tightly in their grasp, ready to face off against the demonic jungle. Chapter 123: Torui village Swinging with as much strength as he could muster, Percy cut through the vine. At first, the de slid right through the ck growth, slicing it apart like butter. However, this was the thickest one he¡¯d encountered by far. Consequently, the edge kept slowing down, before ultimatelying to a halt about halfway through its width. ¡°Shit¡­¡± Percy pulled, trying to pry the sword out of the tendril, ducking in the meantime to dodge its erraticshes. ¡°Pull again!¡± Sengo yelled, kicking the spot right above the trapped de, helping his ¡®son¡¯ free it. Percy considered hacking at it again to finish the job, but the vine had already mended the damage. Realizing this was a lost cause, the two ran out of the workshop, hoping the situation was better in the rest of the house. Sadly, that was just wishful thinking. The demonic vines had already sprouted everywhere, upturning chairs and tables, smashing through the walls and blocking the exits. ¡°Upstairs!¡± Sengo shouted again, pushing Percy towards the staircase, running right behind him. Another vine broke through from their left, though this one was slightly thinner. Without a moment¡¯s hesitation, Percy swung downward, using gravity to add even more strength to the blow, slicing the tendril apart before it had the chance to stop them. ¡°Faster!¡± he said, pulling Sengo up the stairs as the vine was already growing back. The two entered a bedroom ¨C Takeo¡¯s, ording to an influx of memories flooding Percy¡¯s mind. Not that trapping themselves here was particrly wise, but it wasn¡¯t like there was anywhere better to go. The whole vige was a shitshow by now. At least here, the elevation coupled with a fewyers of concrete might keep some of the gluttonous jungle at bay.Brandishing their weapons, they prepared themselves again, as more vines broke through. This time, there were two of them ¨C one digging through the floor, another climbing into the house from outside, breaking through the window. Realizing their swords would only get stuck again, Percy gestured at Sengo to take care of the thinner of the two vines, as he tossed his katana aside, manifesting a sickle of teal mana. Next, he hacked at the infernal thing, cutting about two thirds into it again before the sickle stopped. Unlike before, however, Percy had a response this time. Switching the construct to its immaterial state, he freed his weapon before swinging it again, finally cutting the tendril apart. Sengo raised an eyebrow at the scene, but didn¡¯t say anything. Given the circumstances, the mystery that was Percy¡¯s identity was clearly thest thing on his mind right now. Using his own weapon, he took care of the second vine, leveraging his bigger build ¨C his muscles forged from decades of gruelling work. But their trouble wasn¡¯t over yet. In fact, it had only just begun. Two more vines smashed through the walls, and then two more, and then a fifth one right after. Father and son unleashed a flurry of strikes at the demonic nts, desperately trying to hold them back, to keep them out of the bedroom. Through all their efforts, they did manage to carve out a small space amidst the vines, but their house was already surrounded. The wall of tendrils had blocked out thest traces of moonlight seeping through the window, forcing Percy and Sengo to fall back to their inherent night vision. Percy didn¡¯t even want to imagine how the rest of the vigers were faring. Even if any of them survived the ordeal, it would take them months ¨C if not years ¨C to clear out the vige again. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡®And decades to repopte it¡­¡¯ The young man¡¯s movements slowed down as he contemted how pointless his efforts were. He was fighting for a lost cause, to help a doomed people he didn¡¯t even know merely dy their inevitable demise. What for? He wouldn¡¯t even be here tomorrow! Lost amidst his thoughts as he was, he failed to evade an iing blow. A vine hit him right in the chest, mming him against the wall. The taste of iron filled his mouth as blood trickled down his chin. Some of his ribs had also cracked, the vine greedily sucking him dry through the spots where its thorns had stabbed him. ¡®What¡¯s wrong with me?! Since when do I give up so easily?!¡¯ he couldn¡¯t help but wonder as his body grew cold. It was true he couldn¡¯t do too much for the vigers, but that had never stopped him before. He¡¯d always tried to help people in need, even when the odds were stacked against him. Thinking back to his actions sinceing to this ce, Percy couldn¡¯t help but recognize he¡¯d really been acting strangely throughout. Whether it was his reluctance to tell Sengo the truth, or his indecision against the raider, it was like he was a different person. ¡®Is it the vines?!¡¯ Was it possible the demonic jungle devoured more than just mana and blood? Could it be gnawing at his very willpower too? The realization sent a chill down his spine. These demonic infestations were even more insidious than he had originally thought. Suddenly, he felt the pressure on his chest ease as somebody pulled the vine right off him. Percy winced as the thorns were removed from his wounds, but at least he was free now. Making out his saviour¡¯s figure through the darkness was tough, but who else could it be? ¡°Thanks.¡± he said, before pushing himself up. Most of the fused mana in his construct was gone already, but he repaired the sickle with some more from his stash before helping Sengo again. The two fought for what felt like an eternity, as the jungle continued its relentless assault, determined to devour everyst morsel of flesh, everyst drop of blood on this forsaken world. Sengo might have been the stronger of the two, but he was also older, his movements slowing as his stamina dwindled. Even Percy wasn¡¯t doing too great, his wounds ¨C both the old and the new ¨C holding him back. At least, he now knew to consciously fight back against the jungle¡¯s influence, but his host¡¯s soul wouldn¡¯tst much longer either. Suddenly, he felt the ground disappear from beneath his feet, the floor having apparently sustained too much damage. He fell by about a metre before somebody grabbed his arm, slowing his fall. But not stopping it. Both he and Sengo slid down the now inclined surface, rolling right onto another vine. They were back in the workshop, though the ce now looked more like the jungle Percy had seen the day before. Stabbed in multiple spots against the tendril¡¯s thorns, the young man knew this was it. Even if he could somehow unlodge himself, he wouldn¡¯t be in any condition to move. Sengo wasn¡¯t doing much better either. The man had been lucky enough to avoid impalement, but Percy could vaguely see the cksmith¡¯s legs bent in the wrong direction through the darkness. ¡®Is it me, or are the thorns drinking my blood slower than before?¡¯ Percy didn¡¯t know whether to cry orugh at the irony. The feast was probably close to its end, yet that was little constion to him and Sengo. Their wounds were already lethal. The two just remained in that spot, the only sound breaking the sombre silence being their ragged breaths, alternating in irregr intervals. ¡°Sengo¡­¡± Percy muttered, forcing himself to say what he should have said a long time ago. ¡°You know I¡¯m not your son, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The man didn¡¯t reply immediately, though Percy faintly saw him nod after a while. ¡°When did you find out?¡± he asked again. ¡°¡­the first moment I saw you.¡± Sengo said, causing Percy¡¯s eyes to widen. ¡®The first moment? Is that why he was crying?!¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t say anything¡­¡± Percy said, feeling his heart tighten. ¡°But why didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I was afraid you¡¯d leave¡­¡± Sengo spoke, his voice cracking. ¡°¡­and my boy¡¯s face would rot.¡± Percy had no words for the man. All this time, all the lessons. Teaching him about steel and concrete. Showing him how to repair a wall. Demonstrating how a sword was forged. Was it all just a grieving father¡¯s desperate attempt to see his dead son¡¯s face for a few more hours?! ¡°Sengo¡­ I¡¯m sorry about your son¡­ and your vige¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I know it¡¯s not much, but I promise I¡¯ll use what you¡¯ve taught me to help others.¡± Percy wasn¡¯t sure, but he thought he saw two pale trickles flowing down Sengo¡¯s cheeks as he nodded. Two more were rolling down his own as his soul crumbled apart, bringing his journey to an end. There wasn¡¯t much he could have done for these people, but there was onest thing. ¡°Torui vige¡­ I promise I¡¯ll remember it.¡± Chapter 124: Blighted bloodline ¡°Percy¡­ seat¡­ all day¡­¡± Micky said. ¡°Sit.¡± Nesha corrected him. ¡°Sit.¡± Bored as she had been over thest couple of weeks, the girl had volunteered to teach Micky how to speak. By now, the crow¡¯s vocabry had expanded greatly. Even his ability to vocalize much of it had grown shockingly well. The bird still struggled to formplete sentences, but he was learning faster than a human toddler would. ¡°Yeah, Percy is sitting all day, brewing elixirs for you freeloaders!¡± the young man quipped in an irritated tone after overhearing them. Following the creation of histest clone, the trio had paused their journey, camping at a spot outside the Camelot province. Had they kept walking, they would have certainly reached their destination by now, though Percy had his reasons for dying. He wanted to spend some time brewing a few weeks ahead, just in case he didn¡¯t get the chanceter. Having spent about three weeks waiting for his clone to return, he had already brewed enough elixirs tost them for the next two months. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not like we¡¯rezing around.¡± Nesha argued back. ¡°We keep watch and gather food for you too.¡± ¡°No. Micky keeps watch and gathers food. You just chat with him for a few minutes whenever he returns.¡±¡°Well, I cook...¡± the girl shrugged, but didn¡¯t say much else. At least Percy had shaved a few more seconds off Crystallization again. By now, he only needed a little under eight minutes for each crystal. If only he¡¯d been this fast back when they started selling the Aurora Dew, they would have made so much more money¡­ He sighed. Drawing another sliver of mana out of his core, he was about to resume his work, when a silver blur caught his attention, flying in the horizon at an insane speed. What¡¯s more, it seemed to be heading right towards him! But the young man didn¡¯t panic, already knowing what it was. ¡®Took you long enough...¡¯ A momentter, the wisp mmed into his stomach, lodging itself inside the hole in his soul. Then, a flood of memories shed through his mind. An insidious vine strangling him, a trek through a ck jungle, a finely crafted de, a bitter reunion, a guilty conscience, a master of the forge, a forsaken vige, a bloody feast¡­ There wasn¡¯t much there, as Percy¡¯s clone had only spent a couple of days in Takeo¡¯s body. Most of the psed time had been spent searching for a host. However, what the clone did bring back was valuable. And he¡¯d already promised to keep it all close to heart. ¡®Torui vige, huh?¡¯ The tragic fate of the small vige made him shudder. This was his first encounter with an infestation, and it was far more scarring than he could have ever imagined. Robbing an entire world of its mana, dooming all its denizens to short, difficult lives? Forcing people to kill each other to dy their own deaths? Draining their very will to live, crippling them? R ¡®And one could just as easily pop up right here, on Remior¡­¡¯ he thought grimly. Percy didn¡¯t know too much about these cosmic cancers, but he did know they could appear pretty much anywhere life dwelled, with next to no warning. While that hadn¡¯t happened to his world yet ¨C as far as he knew ¨C it didn¡¯t mean it couldn¡¯t. ¡®But it won¡¯t be the same. We have gods here. They¡¯ll take care of it¡­¡¯ The young man¡¯s feelings on the topic were mixed. He certainly had his differences with the Divine Order ¨C heck, he was currently on the run from them ¨C but he couldn¡¯t help feeling reassured knowing that should the sky fall, somebody was there to hold it up. That said, relying on those pompous assholes definitely irked him. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡®All the more reason to get stronger.¡¯ ¡°Is your clone finally back?¡± Nesha asked, noticing themotion. Percy had already brought her up to speed on his secrets. He¡¯d even offered to teach her Cirction, though she hadn¡¯t given him a direct answer yet. His guess was that she wasn¡¯t looking forward to years of intense workouts. ¡°Yes.¡± he said. ¡°Tomorrow, we¡¯re finally entering the province.¡± ¡°Finally¡­ Food¡­¡± Micky cawed excitedly. Spoiled after stuffing his face full of Orange cores over thest few years, the crow hadn¡¯t enjoyed living off Red vermin during the past month. Especially since his needs had grown greatly following his advancement. The only decent meal he¡¯d eaten recently was the bandit group. Percy smiled. ¡°Just a few more days buddy.¡± *** Percy and Nesha walked along the paved road, looking at the post ahead. Three men stood watch, all dressed in fine silken clothes, decorated with yellow insignias. They depicted a human mouth sporting a set of strangely elongated canines. ¡°Members of House Tantalus¡­¡± he muttered, warning hispanion. While the enemy family had deployed most of their forces to exert pressure on the western side of the province, it wasn¡¯t like they hadpletely abandoned their own territories. Going through a rudimentary check at the border was only to be expected. ¡°How do we handle this?¡± Nesha asked. ¡°They have no clue I¡¯m from House Avalon, nor that we came from the Alchemists¡¯ Guild. It¡¯s already been weeks since Hermes¡¯ announcement. Just act like amoner and let me do the talking.¡± he said, getting a nod back. Nearing the trio, he noticed something that gave him pause, however. One of the guards was extremely pale, his eyes drooping and his features sickly. He was hunched over and appeared to be having a tough time just standing there. ¡®Fuck. He has the bloodline.¡¯ Percy realized. Through his correspondence with ine over the past year, he hade to learn a lot more about the conflict between the two Houses. Apparently, the founder of House Tantalus was originally a member of House Avalon! In fact, he was Percy¡¯s great-great-great-granduncle or something! Centuries ago, that person was born with a mutated strain of the Clone bloodline, called Drain. Its effect was simr, but it essentially worked in reverse. Rather than forming living clones out of life mana, it instead allowed its users to break living tissue into life mana. Had this been all it did, the Drain bloodline would have certainly been a powerful asset for House Avalon. With it, Percy¡¯s family might have grown even more powerful by now. Sadly, this wasn¡¯t meant to be, as the Drain bloodline was blighted. Blighted bloodlines were those that had mutated severe detrimental side-effects, guing their owners more than blessing them. In this case, those with the Drain bloodline constantly needed to use it, as their bodies rapidly broke down in the absence of life mana. Worse still, the Drain bloodline wasn¡¯t bundled with the life affinity ¨C unlike its predecessor ¨C which meant its owners had no way around their curse. From there, it was easy to see how the originator of the bloodline had ended up at odds with the rest of his family, driving him to leave and start a rival House nearby. And the two sides had been enemies ever since, their conflict partly driven by hatred and partly by disputes over territory. But there was more. The one thing the owners of the blighted bloodline wanted more than anything else, was to lift their curse, creating a brighter tomorrow for their descendants. And what better way to fix the Drain bloodline, than to mate with members of House Avalon who had the Clone bloodline? If they got lucky, the detrimental side-effects would disappear, or maybe they could even get the life affinity bundled to their own strain, letting them solve their issue indirectly. Consequently, it wasmon practice for members of House Tantalus to kidnap those with the Clone bloodline, subjecting them to¡­ unspeakable things. ¡°Change of ns.¡± he told hispanion while also speaking through his bond. ¡°Micky, start flying towards us. Nesha, be ready to defend yourself.¡± Taking a deep breath, he began umting mana into his channels, knowing the situation had a high probability of devolving into violence. Originally, he¡¯d thought the guards wouldn¡¯t have had much reason to suspect him ¨C which was still the case. However, that wouldn¡¯t matter. Would the sickly noble think twice before killing a couple ofmoners to alleviate his symptoms? ¡®Not going to risk it.¡¯ Preparing his boosting art, he inched closer to the trio, as thetter finally took notice of him. ¡°Halt.¡± one of them yelled. ¡°What¡¯s your business in the Camelot province?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a cksmith by trade. This is my wife. We¡¯re originally from Riah town in the Sentin province, but the situation there has been a little chaotictely. We figured we¡¯d try our luck elsewhere.¡± Percy spoke his rehearsed lies. The guard nodded, gesturing at them to keep walking, though Percy didn¡¯t miss the sickly guy eyeing them with greed, practically salivating. ¡®Yeah. Fat chance he¡¯s nning to let us go.¡¯ Taking another breath, he finally pushed Cirction past the point of no return, as a bird¡¯s shadow brushed over him, blotting out the sun, apanied by a shrill cry. ¡®Mom. Dad. This one is for you.¡¯ Chapter 125: Rare affinity As it turned out, the people Percy had previously faced weren¡¯t exactly the best the Yellow grade had to offer. Neither the guy he had killed in the hunting grounds, nor the bandits seemed to hold a candle to the nobles from House Tantalus. One of them had the earth affinity, but he used it much more skilfully than that other guy. Rather than wasting a ton of mana to form long stone javelins, he instead concentrated it into smaller projectiles like knives and needles. Percy initially thought they¡¯d be weaker at least, but he couldn¡¯t have been more wrong. It was much easier to elerate them to a high speed, so they packed as much of a punch, if not more. The only difference was that his opponent couldunch way more of them, and each was much harder to evade. ¡®Better put some distance between us.¡¯ he groaned as he leapt back, narrowly dodging another sharp stone whizzing by his ear. He¡¯d already nearly been hit a couple of times, despite having his attention glued to the guy. So focused was he, in fact, that he barely had the chance to observe what his second opponent was doing. His mana was transparent, causing faint distortions wherever it passed. At first, Percy had thought it was an air affinity, but itcked the characteristic green tint that Micky¡¯s mana had. ¡®Is it a rare orposite affinity?¡¯ Apparently, today was the day Percy would finally find out how it felt to be on the receiving end of a rare mana type. At least, the guy didn¡¯t seem to be targeting him directly. Instead, he formed a strange structure in the air in front of him. It looked a bit like a lens, though it was rotating clockwise, picking speed with each revolution. Once the construct was fully formed, its master moved it in front of the earth mage, who began tounch his own projectiles through it. Every time one of them passed through the transparent screen, a deafening explosion sounded, the stone daggers instantly appearing where Percy had stood a moment before. Each stabbed a deep, wide crater into the ground, with several cracks branching out of its centre. The young man had no idea how this affinity worked, but it made the projectiles impossible to dodge. The only reason he was still in one piece was because he could glimpse his opponent¡¯s intentions, guessing the spells¡¯ trajectories before they were unleashed. ¡®What the fuck is that?! A time affinity?!¡¯His only other guess was space, but it looked nothing like Nesha¡¯s mana. Either way, he was forced to put more distance from them again, making it even harder tounch his own counterattack. It was lucky Micky was keeping the third guy ¨C the one with the bloodline ¨C busy, or Percy would have lost already. As for Nesha, she was sitting this one out. Perhaps one day she¡¯d grow into a decent fighter but, right now, her clumsy spells would only get in the way. ¡®Here goes nothing.¡¯ Percy thought as he used all the fused mana he¡¯d umted since the start of the battle, forming a teal sheet. Swinging it towards the earth mage, he turned the outer half of the Mantle into a wave of visible, corporeal projectiles to capture his enemies¡¯ attention. Secretly, however, he had turned the second half of the sheet invisible, still holding it in his hand. A secondter, he discreetly swiped it one more time in a wider arc, releasing another wave of projectiles ¨C these ones invisible and immaterial. They branched outwards more than the rest, travelling a few metres behind them. A couple secondster, the tangible batch reached the mage, though he had already sidestepped them. But Percy grinned, having expected this. He watched the secondyer of throwing stars head straight towards his oblivious opponent¡¯s location, about to stab his soul full of holes. Though it wasn¡¯t meant to be. ¡®What the hell?!¡¯ Percy¡¯s eyes widened as he saw the projectiles slow down to a snail¡¯s pace about a metre before reaching their mark. ¡°Get out of the way you idiot!¡± the suspected time mage yelled. It was only now that the others realized what had happened. The earth mage clumsily dodged out of the way of Percy¡¯s attack, the colour draining from his face as he must¡¯ve finally activated Mana Sense, realizing how close he¡¯de to dying. As for Percy, he noticed the time mage had moved his construct at some point, forcing the invisible projectiles to go through it. Though it had the opposite effect on his own magic, decelerating the spell rather than speeding it up. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡®Troublesome¡­¡¯ Percy clicked his tongue. His opponents weren¡¯tplete idiots this time. At least one of them had been on-guard for his sneak attack, and now both of them would be. As for the time affinity, it was annoyingly good at supporting them both offensively and defensively. ¡®A battle of attrition then.¡¯ he decided, starting to umte fused mana again. Percy could see the earth mage was pacing himself well, so it would take him a long time to run out of mana. His only hope was that the time spells were more costly to maintain. And so, the two sides continued like that for several more minutes, unleashing a barrage on each other whenever they could, to keep up the pressure, both waiting for the other to exhaust their reserves first. ¡®Joke¡¯s on you if you think you can oust Synchronization.¡¯ Percy smirked. Sure enough, the time construct crumbled at some point. Its owner fell to his knees, breathing heavily. Seizing his chance, Percy ran towards him, aiming to execute him before he had the chance to recover. Of course, the stone daggers were still difficult to dodge, but it wasn¡¯t as bad without the time spell supporting them. Yet, as Percy reached the halfway point, he realized something was wrong. The time mage had wrapped thest traces of his mana around his body, coating himself in a translucent halo. He looked very odd, as he breathed three or four times faster than normal, a lot of mana umting in his lungs. ¡®Shit, it¡¯s a trap!¡¯ Percy frantically retreated, but not before unleashing another barrage of invisible des. Sadly, the time mage raised another screen to slow them down before they reached him, looking at Percy with a savage glint in his eye. As for Percy, his features twisted into a grimace as he narrowly dodged more of the sharp stones. This was his first time running into somebody who could match his regeneration! ¡®In fact¡­ he might even be faster than me¡­¡¯ Realizing he wasn¡¯t getting anywhere like this, Percy tried something different. Upon manifesting another Mantle, he began dashing towards the time mage again, as the earth mage began to shoot the deafening sts at him. Percy zigged and zagged to avoid them, timing his steps against his opponent¡¯s moves, as he closed part of the distance separating them. Upon nearing as much as he dared too, he unleashed all his mana into a single set of incorporeal throwing stars, aiming straight towards the time mage. Thetter frowned at the predictable attack. He merely moved the screen in front of him to slow the projectiles down, before sidestepping them with ease, letting them fly away harmlessly. But Percy didn¡¯t stop running. Instead, he turned, circling around the time mage, making it more difficult for the earth mage to target him. The two men had to pivot around too, so that they could continue shooting at Percy. As for thetter, he gathered more fused mana, trying to form his Mantle again. ¡°Uuugghh!!!¡± ying dangerously as he was, Percy was eventually hit by one of the stone daggers. Not directly ¨C fortunately ¨C as that would have probably torn a limb off, but even getting nced by one was enough to carve a nasty gash on his thigh, sending him tumbling on the ground. Though he pushed himself immediately, rolling out of that spot, knowing he couldn¡¯t afford to stop for a single moment. Sure enough, another blownded right where he previously was. Out of options, Percy swung the half-formed Mantle once more, aiming towards the time mage. But he didn¡¯t even stop to check whether his attacknded, as he continued running away towards a certain direction. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re really an Orange core or some kind of monster, but it¡¯s impressive you¡¯vested this long.¡± the man sneered as he casually negated the invisible daggers again. ¡°But it ends now.¡± The time mage¡¯s smile froze on his face, however, when he saw his partner fall limp on the ground, his eyes zed over. ¡°W-What?! How?!¡± he eximed in disbelief. ¡°You sent all the daggers my way! I made sure of that!¡± Percy cracked his neck, looking at the time mage with a cold smile. He slowly walked towards him, manifesting a set of silver knives in each hand. Yet, he didn¡¯t speak. Why bother exining himself to a dead man? Indeed, he had thrown thest of his fused mana towards the time mage, but that wasn¡¯t what he had killed the other guy with. Instead, he had retrieved the daggers he hadunched during his previous attack, recycling the mana into a new Mantle after circling around the entire battlefield! Of course, Percy could have never done this on his own. It was impossible to outrun his own spell ¨C not even with Synchronization. That was why he had relied on the time screen to slow the projectiles down for him, allowing him to catch them on the other side! The man panicked as Percy approached. Clearly, he didn¡¯t have a single offensive spell in his arsenal, his kit limited to support magic. He looked like he was about to beg for his life, but Percy never gave him the chance. Tossing the knives at him, Percy forced him to defend with the screen. Though he didn¡¯t stop after the first wave. The man might be able to regenerate mana faster with his time magic, but he spent it more quickly too. Knife after knife, minute after minute, Percy continued until the man was lying on the ground breathing heavily. Finally, he manifested a sickle in his hand, throwing it at the mage, watching it cleave his soul apart as if it were a sheet of paper. And just like that, the second guy died too. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 126: Dessert A few minutes earlier Micky flew in a wide arc around the pale man, trying to figure out how to attack him. Using the annoying trick Percy had taught him, he made his heart beat faster, and his body glow yellow. He was a lot stronger like this! Micky had really wanted to p Percy when he first showed him how to do it, as it always made him really hungry afterwards. But Micky forgave Percy, as the trick allowed him to get even more food, so it was a good thing. The new changes to his feathers helped him a lot too, but the pale man still didn¡¯t let him approach. A glowing indigo shot at him, giving him a tingly feeling all over his body, as some smoke came from his feathers. The magic was really hard to dodge! The fire and air of the guys he had fought before wasn¡¯t that bad! At least, it didn¡¯t hurt him too much from this far, but Micky was a little scared to get closer. And not only because of the zappy thing. Percy had warned him to not let the pale guy touch him with his hands. Micky didn¡¯t know why, but he always listened to Percy when he was being serious like that. He knew he wanted what was best for him. ¡°Eat!!¡± Micky yelled at his opponent angrily. Percy had told him not to speak when strangers were around, but this one should be ok, right? After all, the man had already seen them use their tricks. Either way, he would have to die. Percy rarely let Micky eat human cores ¨C which made sense, as Percy was a human too. But Micky felt guilty because he really liked them! After all, they tasted differently from the bugs and other animals. Maybe not this guy though. He looked sick, so his core might taste bad. Micky shrugged. It couldn¡¯t be much worse than the mice and snakes. ¡°What the fuck is up with this bird?! Did it just speak?!¡± the man asked.Micky felt insulted hearing him. Did the bad man think he was stupid or something? Nesha always said he was learning fast! Pulling some air mana from his new core, he tried to throw it at his enemy with a p of his wing. He normally preferred using it to make himself faster, but there was no reason why he couldn¡¯t fling spells around like humans did, right? Though the st didn¡¯t travel far before dispersing. In fact, that happened behind Micky, as he was flying even faster than it. Pathetic. How did the humans even do this? The mana was so much more useful when it clung to his feathers! In fact, even if he could reach the man with it, he doubted it would be as good as his talons or beak. Another indigo sh zapped him, taking him out of his thoughts. How annoying! A few weeks ago, Micky had killed several people with Yellow cores at once. Now this guy was giving him so much trouble by himself. It was that irritating indigo light! Percy would make fun of himter if he didn¡¯t finish this quickly! Micky nced at the pale guy in hatred, peering into the silvery thing. It flickered! With another p of his wings, Micky avoided the indigo light before it was even released. Just like Percy had exined. Micky had always been able to see the silvery things, but he¡¯d never relied on them much during a fight. By the time he learned he could kill the bugs more easily with it, he could already predict their movements on his own. This was good! He could get closer to the pale guy now! Sticking more mana to his feathers, Micky flew as fast as he could, spiralling towards his opponent. The man kept trying to shoot him down, but his speed coupled with his ability to see the silvery thing helped him dodge most of the spells. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the vition. Every now and then, he did get hit, which wasn¡¯t great. The sts hurt more from this close. At least, the air mana seemed to reduce the pain a little. Micky couldn¡¯t wait until he could use the trick with his second core too. Sadly, he hadn¡¯t finished clearing his mana channels yet, as it was really boring to sit around doing that. Though Percy had promised him it wouldn¡¯t make him hungry when he used it with his second core. ? Micky got burnt again. This time, the damage made it a little harder to fly, as each p hurt. And he still hadn¡¯t solved the problem of the guy touching him when he pounced on him. While Micky knew he was really fast, he didn¡¯t think he could avoid both the indigo lights and the man¡¯s hands from that close. But it wasn¡¯t like he had many options. The only thing he could do was to use his air mana to fly faster. Gathering it on his wings, he paid more attention to how it interacted with his feathers. It made them feel wider, causing them to push against the wind better. However, they weren¡¯t all the same. Some parts of his wings received more pressure as he flew. Micky tried to gather more mana on those feathers, removing it from the parts that didn¡¯t help as much. Then, he pped his wings. It worked! He leapt even further than before, narrowly dodging another indigo. Lucky! Micky kept at it, fine-tuning how his mana interacted with his flight. It was hard, because his second core was so much weaker than his first one. It barely had any mana! He had to use what little he had more intelligently. But that was ok, as he was the smartest bird on Remior! p after p, Micky grew faster as weird greenish vortices formed behind the tips of his wings. He had expected this to be louder too ¨C flying faster always made more noise. But that didn¡¯t happen. For some reason, he had grown quieter instead. The wind just parted naturally in his passing, propelling him forward rather than holding him back. More. More! Micky circled the pale man from a distance of about a dozen metres, whizzing around him at an insane speed. Everything in his eyes was a blur, but that was ok. If Micky was having this much trouble seeing, his opponent should be even worse. Indigo shes shot randomly, but few even came close to hitting him. Feeling ready, Micky banked towards the man, opening his talons wide. ¡°Aaaagggghhh!!!¡± the man screamed as Micky carved several deep gashes along his arm and soul both. The bird didn¡¯t miss how his opponent had tried to grab him at thest second, but he was moving too fast for that. Again. After the second strike, the man knelt on the ground, several fountains of blood pouring out of his body. The silvery thing was greatly damaged too. If the man hadn¡¯t shielded his torso with his arms, he would have died already. This was it. Aiming for his opponent¡¯s neck, Micky dove onest time, to deliver the finishing blow. So focused was he on doing so, that it was toote to change course once he glimpsed the man¡¯s sinister intentions. mming his fists against one another, the pale guy unleashed the remainder of his mana into a bright shockwave of indigo. The pressure arrested Micky¡¯s momentum, inflicting several nasty burns on them both. Though the man received much less damage from his own mana. Plopping gracelessly on the ground, Micky still tried to pounce on the man, to tear his throat out, but thetter wasn¡¯t nning to go out without a fight, it seemed. He held the bird back with both hands, as a strange suction force emerged from his palms. No! This was the thing Percy had warned him about! Micky felt his strength leave his body, as his hunger reached an all-time high. Unwilling to let himself get devoured, he tried to lift his talons, but he couldn¡¯t move his legs. Falling back to his beak, he tried to peck the man¡¯s eye out, but thetter desperately pushed back, keeping him at bay. At first, Micky had the advantage, inching closer with each snap of his beak. Unfortunately, that didn¡¯tst long. The man started gaining ground as the amber glow faded out of Micky¡¯s body, his power evaporating at a scary rate. At the same time, Micky saw the pale man¡¯s grievous wounds closing in real time, as thetter stole his life one drop at a time. Just when Micky thought he was a goner, however, he caught a shadow flying towards them rapidly. As for his opponent, he didn¡¯t seem to notice, until the dark ball passed right through his head, leaving nothing but a bloody spring behind. Only then did the suction force cease, as the headless corpse fell limp on the ground. Micky nearly copsed too, but somebody propped him up gently at thest second. ¡°Micky¡­ are you ok?¡± Nesha¡¯s voice was tinged with concern. ¡°Hungry¡­¡± he replied weakly, causing a faint smile to tug at the girl¡¯s lips. ¡°Then eat.¡± she said gesturing at the body, before the two of them looked over at Percy¡¯s side of the battlefield. ¡°And hurry up. It looks like he¡¯s about to bring you dessert.¡± Chapter 127: Wild Art Chapter 127: Wild Art Percy limped over to the others as he dragged a corpse with each hand, his expression gloomy. He was d he and Micky had won the fight without casualties, but it would have been better to avoid it entirely. ¡®At some point, House Tantalus is going to notice their people are missing¡­¡¯ he grimaced. Of course, if they took good care of the bodies and reached the town by then, it shouldn¡¯t be too easy to link the murders to them. Still, the resulting unrest would only make their stay in the Camelot province needlesslyplicated. Reaching hispanions, Percy dropped the bodies nearby, before noticing Micky¡¯s state was a little odd. The bird was always keen for a snack ¨C especially when it came to humans for some disturbing reason. Still, his gluttony was strangely exacerbated, but it was tinged with an unusual lethargy. It was as if he was positively famished, yet too tired to go through with his meal. On closer inspection, his plumage was a mess too, many of his feathers charred or torn. ¡°What happened here?!¡± he turned to Nesha. ¡°The guy had a lightning affinity which gave Micky trouble. He managed to push through it but got hit by the bloodline in the end.¡± The colour drained from Percy¡¯s face, as he realized how close his familiar hade to losing his life. The only reason he had asked him to take care of the mage was because he¡¯d thought the crow could handle it. And it was true Micky was stronger than the average Yellow, but he could still get seriously injured if he let his guard down, apparently. ¡®And so can I¡­¡¯ he thought sombrely, thinking back to his own fight. In any case, today¡¯s battle would serve as a good wake-up call for both of them. While they had grown a lot stronger during their stay in the Guild, they had a long way to go still. Right now, however, their priority was to get the hell out of here.¡°Micky, do you think you¡¯ll be able to fly like this?¡± The bird continued to peck away at his meal for a few seconds. Eventually, he replied, but only through their connection, as he was too tired to speak. ¡®Maybe¡­¡¯ Percy frowned. He did have a few more healing potions, though he was saving them for a rainy day. It wasn¡¯t like he was too stingy to use them on Micky if the bird really needed them, but he¡¯d rather hold on to them for a time they might need them more ¨C assuming his familiar could recover on his own, of course. ¡°Ok then. Eat the cores first before they dissipate. Then, get rid of the bodies too. We¡¯ll see how you¡¯re feeling afterwards.¡± Percy and Nesha scanned both battlefields, erasing any bloodstains or traces of magic they could spot, while Micky disposed of the corpses. At least, he could eat a lot more since advancing. It wasn¡¯t until a few hourster that the trio was done with their respective tasks. ¡°Feeling any better?¡± ¡°A bit.¡± Micky said. He did look a little livelier. Of course, it wasn¡¯t that surprising, as beasts tended to recover faster than humans, especially after eating. Still, Percy couldn¡¯t help but exhale in relief after confirming his familiar was ok. ¡°Let¡¯s hold on to the potions for now then.¡± he said. His own injury would make the rest of the journey a pain, but he¡¯d live. Next, Percy stuffed his enemies¡¯ clothes into the spatial amulet. There was barely any space left, and he didn¡¯t much enjoy getting blood all over his stuff, but it wasn¡¯t like he had much of an option. They couldn¡¯t exactly leave the evidence in the scene of the crime. He did briefly consider recing his own stinky clothes with a fine set of silken robes, but he quickly shot the idea down, berating himself for even considering it. Dressing in House Tantalus¡¯s colours while travelling in their territory was about the dumbest move possible. This book''s true home is on another tform. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡®Right up there with picking a fight with the Divine Order.¡¯ he chuckled bitterly. After confirming they had cleaned up to the best of their ability, the group left, continuing towards Bogside town. They moved much faster than before, both Percy and Micky ignoring their injuries, their sense of urgency tuned up to eleven. ¡°Thanks for saving him.¡± he told Nesha. ¡°I¡¯d have intervened sooner if I wasn¡¯t afraid of hitting Micky by mistake. Or setting that guy after me.¡± she shrugged. Percy didn¡¯t disagree, knowing she was telling the truth. Having been brought up to speed on the fight, he was sure even that final st she¡¯d killed the lightning mage with had been a gamble. Her poor eyesight certainly hadn¡¯t done her any favours either. Had she hit Micky instead, they¡¯d be having a very different conversation right now. Assuming they were even alive. ¡°You should really spend some time learning how to use your mana.¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s really a waste of a very powerful affinity¡­¡± he trailed off, realizing it wasn¡¯t any of his business. Percy fully expected Nesha to ignore his unsolicited advice, but she surprised him by nodding. ¡°I know. I¡¯ll spend some time on it once we settle down.¡± Leaving it at that, he turned to Micky, looking at him fly in the distance. From Percy¡¯s location, the crow appeared as little more than a ck dot in the sky, though he could tell flying was especially painful. Still feeling guilty over letting him get hurt, he was about to send some consoling thoughts over. However, the bird beat him to it, reaching out first. ¡®Percy¡­ New spell¡­¡¯ Contrary to his tired exterior, Micky¡¯s thoughts seemed strangely enthusiastic. ¡®During the fight?¡¯ Percy asked, getting a mental affirmation back. ¡®Can you show me?¡¯ Micky remained silent for a few seconds, as Percy could tell how badly his familiar wanted to demonstrate his new trick. Still¡­ ¡®Later¡­¡¯ he ultimately replied. Percy smiled, as he felt the crow¡¯s disappointment oozing through the cord. Micky¡¯s state must have been quite poor if he could resist the temptation to show off. That said, he did send the next best thing ¨C memories of the new spell. Watching his familiar shift the air mana along his feathers, fine-tuning its effect on his flight and manifesting the green vortices behind his wings¡¯ tips, Percy couldn¡¯t help but raise an eyebrow. This was definitely some high-quality stuff ¨C the Status should have registered it. Opening Micky¡¯s tab, he soon confirmed that was the case. ___ Mtecuhtli (Percival''s familiar) Mana cores:
  • [Mana core 1 ¨C Yellow ¨C Beast]
  • [Mana core 2 ¨C Red ¨C Air]
Spells:
  • [Wild Art: eleration ¨C Crude]
  • [Cirction ¨C Refined]
Decrees:
  • [Moirais¡¯ Decree] ¨C Grants a second mana core.
___ ¡®Wild Art?¡¯ Percy had never heard of such a thing before. His best guess was that it was something along the same vein as his own Secret Art. Thetter was simply a spell that involved one¡¯s bloodline ¨C ording to baldy. Was a Wild Art a spell involving a beast¡¯s mutation? He sure couldn¡¯t think of a better exnation, though that was still a little odd. ¡®Why is there even a term for it?¡¯ As far as he could tell, Micky was apletely unprecedented existence. Back when she created her Decree, countless millennia ago, Phoebe couldn¡¯t have possibly predicted a beast with multiple cores ¨C or even a beast with a Status for that matter. Maybe the Status was simply flexible enough to adapt to new circumstances. That wasn¡¯t impossible, as it had already done that a few times in Percy¡¯s experience. For instance, he was pretty sure it wasn¡¯t meant to list one¡¯s Decrees, though that had changed when Percy obtained a new one. ¡®I suppose even the fact that ites up with creative names when registering new spells is proof it has some level of intelligence...¡¯ Though it wasn¡¯t perfect. While Phoebe had indeed done an admirable job amodating for the unexpected, she had clearly not ironed out all the kinks in her Decree. An inconvenience Percy had spotted was that neither he nor Micky got notified when thetter registered a new spell. The only way to know was to manually check the Statuster. ¡®It¡¯s not the end of the world, really, but I wonder what other variants of this Decree exist out there.¡¯ Gabe had already exined this was a rtivelymon Decree, so Percy itched to look at a better version. If he got lucky, he might even be able to upgrade his own in the process, unlocking an extra feature or two. ¡®Better not get greedy though. I have plenty on my te already¡­¡¯ Percy suppressed his excitement, reminding himself he hadn¡¯t even fully digested the gains from his previous trips. He still had to incorporate Sengo¡¯s teachings into his magic, and there was also the project of returning to the Vault. Impatient to resume his training, Percy picked up the pace some more, while nning out his next steps. Frankly, he couldn¡¯t wait to finally reach their destination. Luckily, they were on course to do so by nightfall. Chapter 128: Grisly Bog ¡°Are you sure this is a good idea?¡± Nesha asked as Percy wrapped the bloody garments around arge stone, tossing it in the murky swamp. A few bubbles rose to the surface, releasing a putrid stench of rot upon popping. The group had already reached Bogside town, though they hadn¡¯t entered it yet. Entering while wearing his bloodstained bandit clothes anding from the direction where they had killed the guards would only spell trouble down the line. Instead, they had circled around the town, stopping by the Grisly Bog to get Micky settled first. ¡°It would be riskier to leave them in our possession. If somebody saw them, they¡¯d know it was us. Plus, I don¡¯t have enough space to keep them in the amulet forever.¡± Percy said, pinching his nose. ¡°I get that, but wouldn¡¯t it be better to leave them where they died than bring them here, in the vicinity of the town where we¡¯ll be staying?¡± Nesha didn¡¯t let go. ¡°Nesha¡­ If it gets to the point that House Tantalus isbing the swamp waters with a spoon, we¡¯ll be fucked either way.¡± he said, putting the debate to rest. Suddenly, arge shape rushed out of the swamp, drenching Percy in a ssh of brown water. It was a crocodile, though it was twice as long as a normal one, coated in ayer of spiky scales. It pounced on the duo, opening its oversized maw wide, preparing to chomp the unsuspecting humans down. Sadly for it, however, the humans weren¡¯t quite as unsuspecting as it had thought. Right before the beast reached them, a second shape rushed their way, this one smaller but much, much faster. Its plumage was covered in dense amber lines that branched out of its heart and sternum both, reaching every corner of its body. As for its feathers, they were softly glowing in a green colour, with two vortices swirling behind the tips of its wings. Naturally, it was Micky, who had already warned Percy of the crocodile, having spotted it via Soul Vision long before it revealed itself. Flying over the monster¡¯s neck, the crow mmed it to the ground, as his talons carved a path through the tough scales, releasing sparks in the process. Blood gushed out wherever they passed, as the Yellow beast¡¯s soul was cleanly split in two. Carried by inertia, the lifeless carcass then slid in the mud for a couple more feet, before Percy stopped it with his boot.¡°Great. Because I didn¡¯t stink enough before.¡± he groaned, trying to swipe some of the blood and the swamp water off his clothes. ¡°At least Micky seems to be doing better.¡± Nesha shrugged. Percy couldn¡¯t help but click his tongue in annoyance seeing that she was dry as a leaf in the desert, having used him as a shield. But he shook his head, not in the mood to get into an argument. Anyway, he was going to throw the bandit clothes away as soon as he procured some clean ones. ¡°Yeah. If only I could heal by stuffing my face full of mana cores¡­¡± he replied, shifting the weight off his injured leg as he tossed his familiar an envious nce. ¡°Are you going to be alright here?¡± he asked the crow. Micky was busy digging through the crocodile¡¯s sternum for his snack, so he only replied through their bond. ¡®Good.¡¯ ¡°Just remember this isn¡¯t the ground level of the Spire. There are Yellow beasts everywhere.¡± Percy warned again. The young man knew none of these animals should pose much of a threat to his familiar ¨C but only as long as he remained careful. Of course, that was assuming he didn¡¯t run into a Green one. Luckily, those were quite rare on Remior. The Fungal Spire was an exception, as its extremely mana-rich environment allowed higher grades to thrive. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°So, what¡¯s the n?¡± Nesha asked, bringing him out of his thoughts. ¡°I can¡¯t go into the town looking like this. Can you buy me some clothes?¡± Percy asked. She nodded, prompting him to look inside the amulet for some change. However, he frowned a secondter, realizing they had a problem. ¡°Shit. The only money we have is from the Guild¡­¡± he said, his face twisting into a grimace. ¡°You haven¡¯t travelled much, have you?¡± Nesha asked, clearly not as concerned as him. Percy raised an eyebrow, though he didn¡¯t say anything, waiting for her to borate. ¡°The Guild¡¯s currency is just as widespread as gold and silver across Remior. At least, I¡¯ve never heard of a ce that didn¡¯t ept it.¡± Next, she proceeded to give him a quick rundown of the exchange rates. Apparently, one silver coin was valued at about 1.4 contribution points, with gold coins a hundred times more expensive, and copper coins a hundred times cheaper. ?? ¡°Won¡¯t it give away the fact that we came from the Guild though?¡± Percy asked. ¡°Nine out of ten people who carry contribution points have never stepped foot there.¡± she shook her head. Percy exhaled in relief. That was one less thing they¡¯d have to worry about, at least. Of course, they still couldn¡¯t reveal too much money, or they might blow their cover asmoners. ¡°Make sure to enter the town from the other side. And try to be seen by as few people as possible. It¡¯s better if nobody is sure when exactly we arrived.¡± he advised. ¡°Do I look like I can go on a stealth mission?¡± Nesha asked in an irritated tone, pointing at her eyes. ¡°We¡¯ll be lucky if I manage to spot the shops.¡± Percy scratched his head in embarrassment, realizing it might not be that wise to send the girl with the poor eyesight stumbling through the town in the middle of the night. ¡°On second thought, maybe it¡¯s better to wait until sunrise then. We don¡¯t even know if there¡¯s anything open thiste.¡± Nesha groaned, clearly as impatient to wash up and sleep on a proper bed as he was. But she didn¡¯t argue back, knowing his words made sense. ¡°Do we have any rations left?¡± she suddenly asked. Percy sifted through the amulet, also feeling quite hungry. Even the disgusting smell of rotten eggs failed to quell his appetite, as they hadn¡¯t eaten anything since before the fight against the members of House Tantalus. Though he came up empty-handed a few secondster. ¡°None. But we do have some crocodile meat, if Micky leaves us any.¡± After managing to steal a hindleg each from the carcass ¨C much to the crow¡¯s dismay ¨C the two walked some distance away from the water, setting up camp at a spot that stank a little less. Lighting up a fire, Nesha began roasting their dinner, as Percy looked for a dry ce for her to sleep. It would be best if she didn¡¯t walk into the town covered in mud tomorrow. ¡°Say, can you give me a second core?¡± Nesha asked out of the blue. Percy¡¯s eyes widened, caught off-guard by the request. Naturally, he¡¯d long considered the possibility of intentionally disseminating the Moirais¡¯ Decree, even before he learned what it was called. In fact, they¡¯d discussed it with baldy at length back when he was still at home. Of course, that hadn¡¯t been an option at the time. Back then, Percy had spent over a year trying to patch his own soul up, and he hadn¡¯t even been close to dying. The prospect of injuring somebody to the verge of death and then hoping to save them in time was, frankly¡­ ¡°Too dangerous.¡± His only sess had been Gabe, and even then, they had used a god¡¯s mana to fix his damaged soul. Percy had no idea if he could replicate the feat. The only other situation that came close was back when he saved Nesha inside the hive. It was true her injuries at the time had been quite severe, and he did manage to heal her, by relying on the mana Micky got from the Starry Knight¡¯s soul. Still, there was no guarantee it would work a second time, nor could they kill a Green on demand. Plus, the actual process of possessing somebody always damaged their soul some more, so that could easily leave his host past the point of no return. Overall, this just wasn¡¯t something Percy wanted to test on a friend. ¡°I¡¯m willing to take the risk.¡± Nesha said, her eyes glinting with resolve. ¡°But I¡¯m not.¡± Percy said. ¡°Nesha¡­ I suggest you stop trying to look for an easy way to get stronger. You think I haven¡¯t noticed how you¡¯re putting off training with your affinity?¡± Nesha bit her lip upon being called out. ¡°I¡¯ve never really trained with it. I don¡¯t even know how to go about it.¡± she muttered weakly, before raising her voice. ¡°Why do you care anyway?! Worst case scenario, you¡¯ll have one less person to brew elixirs for!¡± Percy sighed. ¡°How about you walk me through your grand n. Let¡¯s say I help you out and we seed. What then? Do you think you¡¯ll instantly be an expert on using the new core? You¡¯ll have to train with it too, you know.¡± Nesha clenched her fists, but didn¡¯t say anything. Eventually, Percy spoke again. ¡°Listen. I¡¯ll give you some tips to get you started, but you¡¯ll have to put in the work.¡± Chapter 129: Bogside Town Chapter 129: Bogside Town ¡°What did you tell them?¡± Percy asked, watching Nesha return with some folded clothes held in one hand, a bucket of water in the other. The sun was already at its apex, the girl having taken all morning for the round trip. In fact, Percy had started getting worried at some point, thinking it might have not been too wise to send her alone in that state. He also felt a little guilty over the harsh things he¡¯d said the night before, though he knew she had to hear them. ¡°The truth. More or less. I just said my travellingpanion wasn¡¯t presentable, and he was too embarrassed to walk in public looking like that. I obviously didn¡¯t go into details, but they¡¯re going to see youter, so I couldn¡¯t just hide your existence entirely.¡± Percy nodded, as he finally took the dreaded tunic off, using it to wipe some grime off him. Next, he took the bucket from Nesha, washing up as well as he could. Which wasn¡¯t that well. At least, his skin was visible by the time he was done. Sadly, he didn¡¯t have anything clean to dry himself with, so he just used his pure mana to get most of the water off him, before donning his new clothes. The linen fabric was cheap and unassuming, but it was really soft, and a hundred times morefortable than the mismatched leather pieces. Finally, the two headed to the town together, still having lots of items on their agenda for today. As soon as they entered, Percy looked around curiously, this being his first time in amoner town on Remior. It definitely wasn¡¯t as bad as the primitive vige he had encountered on the world with the brown fog, but it wasn¡¯t nearly as majestic as the Alchemists¡¯ Guild either. There weren¡¯t any mushrooms looming over their heads, nor any colourful motes bathing the ce in their lustre ¨C just the warm rays of the midday sun. Nobody had bothered to dress the streets in cobblestone either, the locals happy to walk on simple roads of paved dirt. As for the houses, most of them were wooden huts, lining up either side of the streets. The petite buildings looked nothing like his family¡¯s grandiose mansion, their exteriors full of patches and holes, their walls marred with mould and rot. The acrid scent of old wood permeated the ce, mixed with the even worse odours of piss and excrement. As for the people, they were all dressed in cheap, ragged clothes ¨C not unlike his own. What surprised him the most was that he couldn¡¯t see anybody at Green! ¡®On second thought, maybe it¡¯s not that strange¡­¡¯ While Yellow-bornmoners emerged at the same rate as nobles, they rarely remainedmoners for long. Most Houses were eager to recruit them, marrying them into their families. It was actually the opposite situation from how Red-borns were treated ¨C often getting kicked out of their families and left to leave asmoners.Of course, Orange-borns could still reach Green as they aged, but peasants rarely got to live that long, often getting killed in wars or games between noble Houses. Still, there should have been some of them around. Mentally noting to look into thister, Percy then turned to Nesha. ¡°I imagine you¡¯ve asked around about the shops?¡± ¡°Yes. There should be a ssmaker a couple blocks away.¡± It didn¡¯t take them long to find the ce, the soft jingle of a bell ringing as they opened the door of the humble shop. ¡°Good morning!¡± a female voice said absentmindedly, as the two spotted a middle-ageddy with her back facing them, looking for something on a shelf. Only after she turned around did her brow crease. ¡°Oh? Neers to the town?¡± The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the vition. ¡°Do you not get them often?¡± Percy asked, noticing her reaction was a little strange. Thedy seemed somewhat taken aback by his question, shifting nervously on her feet. ¡°O-Oh, no. No. It¡¯s just, I was a little surprised is all. We get neers all the time.¡± she said, clearly trying to sound calm. Percy didn¡¯t miss the traces of unease in her tone though. Nesha also shed him a quick nce. ¡®So, she¡¯s lying, huh? Does that have to do with the mysterious absence of Green cores in the town?¡¯ Outwardly, he simply smiled. ¡°Do you make eyewear by any chance? My friend here lost her own, and she was hoping to buy a new pair.¡± Happy to change the topic, the shop owner gestured at a different shelf, were multiple pairs of sses were lined up. Their designs were somewhat crude, but that made sense. It would be strange to expect the same quality of sses they could buy in the Guild, or getmissioned by their Houses. Nesha tried a few pairs, not looking particrly happy with any of them. Seemingly lowering her expectations, she eventually settled on one, before turning to thedy. ¡°I¡¯ll take these for now, but would it be possible to order a customized pair halfway between these and these?¡± she asked. ¡°Sure, they¡¯ll take about two weeks to make though. I¡¯ll also need you to pay half their cost in advance. Together, it¡¯ll be a silver and sixty coppers.¡± Percy handed her two red coins and three brown chips, getting a few coppers back. Then, he and Nesha bid her farewell, leaving the shop. ¡°What do you think the deal is with this ce?¡± Nesha whispered after adjusting her new sses. ¡°My guess? House Tantalus.¡± Percy replied, keeping his voice down too. Due to his enemies¡¯¡­ peculiarities, it was entirely possible they treated themoners under their jurisdiction like livestock, using them to feed their bloodline¡¯s insatiable appetite. It was just spection but, given what he knew about the noble House and their tant disregard for human life, Percy was confident it was spot on. It would also exin the mysterious absence of Greens in the town. After all, what better people to kill first than the strongest of the locals? That way, the towns under House Tantalus¡¯s control would never amass enough strength to revolt. ¡°Disgusting.¡± Nesha spat. With their moodpletely ruined, and their stomachs churned, the two continued their shopping in silence, buying some supplies for their new life. They kept their expenses to a minimum, while also asking around for a cheap ce to stay. They had plenty of money to splurge if they wanted, but they had to stick to their roles. In the end, they were told about an abandoned house in a corner of the town. Apparently, they could stay there for free. It was tiny and its condition left much to be desired, but its owner had died years ago, so nobody would care much if they took it. ¡°Are you actually nning to work as a cksmith?¡± Nesha asked, probably recalling what he¡¯d told the guards the day before. Percy nodded. He did need to put up the appearance of working during his stay here, and any opportunity to put Sengo¡¯s teachings to practice would help him incorporate them in his magic. Plus, he could help people out in the process, which was what he¡¯d promised to do. Of course, he didn¡¯t think he¡¯d be particrly good at it ¨C it wasn¡¯t an art one could master after a single demonstration. That said, the locals¡¯ standards were lower too, and being an amateur would only make his act more believable. ¡°Though, I guess these people might need their houses repaired more than they need steel tools¡­¡± he smiled bitterly, looking at the shoddy huts. Most of them probably leaked water whenever it rained. Still, they were unlikely to trust aplete stranger with their houses. Furthermore, he didn¡¯t even know if he could find all the materials he needed to make concrete here. Finally, concrete would be harder to exin than a slightly more sophisticated approach to metallurgy. ¡®Let¡¯s leave it for some other time¡­¡¯ Arriving at their new abode, they quickly noticed it was in an even worse state than they had been led to believe. Decrepit might be an apt term. The hut was tiny, half of it copsed. It would take them a few days to patch it up into something liveable. At least, their higher grades would help with the physicalbour involved. Percy shrugged. ¡®I guess I would have had to renovate the ce anyway, to build myself a workshop.¡¯ He had no idea how to recreate Sengo¡¯s contraptions, but a simple stone forge and an anvil shouldn¡¯t be too difficult to put together. As for the tools and materials, they could try selling some monster parts from the bog, though he¡¯d rather not make it too obvious that they could hunt Yellow beasts. The weaker he and Nesha appeared, the less likely to connect them to the murders, or the Guild. ¡®At least, we won¡¯t starve¡­¡¯ Chapter 130: Karma A blond young man stood outside a stone house, pinching a gemstone vial between his thumb and index finger. A turquoise liquid swirled inside, giving the onlookers pause. They all stood some distance from Jason, torn between their fear of the Divine Root and their curiosity over these new elixirs. As for Jason himself, he wasn¡¯t paying them any attention, focusing on the Aurora Dew itself. Gathering some mana in his eyes, he activated Karmic Vision, watching countless thin threads of all colours appear in the world. They branched out from every object and every person, stretching into the distance. ¡®Too much.¡¯ he squinted as the dizzying tapestry manifested all around him. Unable to discern anything noteworthy through the tangled web, Jason lowered the intensity of mana in his eyes, dialling his magical sense down a notch. That filtered many of the threads out, leaving only the most prominent ones. Sadly, they were still way too many to make out anything important. People who didn¡¯t have a karma affinity would probably be surprised at just how many of these invisible connections existed in the world. Every time two objects interacted, a new thread formed. They did fade away slowly, and they could even disappear entirely given enough time, but they could also grow brighter if the objects in question continued to interact. ¡®It was never going to work with just the elixir.¡¯ he smiled bitterly. Jason had already tried to locate the alchemist many times, but there were dozens if not hundreds of threads attached to the substance. Technically, he could filter out the ones connected to the vial if he moved the liquid to a different container. However, there were plenty fixed to the elixir itself. After all, it had been brewed from multiple materials, each of which had been harvested by somebody else, from various ces across Remior. And each of them had probably been handled by many hands too, before eventually ending in the Alchemists¡¯ Guild. ¡®Luckily, we have more clues now.¡¯ he grinned. Taking some clothes from that Nesha girl¡¯s house, he cross-referenced their threads with the ones attached to the Aurora Dew. There were too many to sift through, but he didn¡¯t care about all of them. The only ones that mattered were the shared ones, as one of those would take him to the girl. This allowed him to cut the number down massively.¡®That¡¯s only on the elixir¡­ That one is only on the clothes¡­ I tracked those three yesterday¡­ Hmmm¡­ Let¡¯s see where this one leads.¡¯ Suffice to say, investigating all the trails one by one was a time-consuming process. However, Jason wasn¡¯t too bothered, having been trained for this job his whole life. It was his specialty ¨C the role he had been assigned since a young age. Using his rare affinity to aplish something only a handful of people on Remior were capable of filled him with pride and purpose. So, he hadn¡¯t let his failures over the past few weeks get to him. ¡®I¡¯ll find that bitch soon enough.¡¯ Eventually, the trail led him to another stone house in the settlement. Knocking on the door, he waited for a few seconds, until a young man in a yellow robed opened. Initially, the guy sported an annoyed expression. He looked like he was about to swear, though he quickly swallowed his words the very next moment, the colour draining from his face upon seeing Jason standing there. ¡°Do you know a Nesha Veritas?¡± Jason asked, cutting to the chase. The man stared at him in confusion for a moment, before shaking his head. ¡°Are you an alchemist, or are you friends with one?¡± Jason asked again, getting the same answer back. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. He frowned, unsure why the guy seemed so clueless. He didn¡¯t look like he had the balls to lie to him, and the karmic threads never lied either. Nesha and the Aurora Dew both shared a connection to this ce for some reason. ¡®Maybe it¡¯s just something tangential.¡¯ he reasoned, guessing this was another dead-end. Though he didn¡¯t give up just yet. ¡°How long have you been living in this house?¡± ¡°I only moved in two weeks ago.¡± the man finally found the courage to speak, his answer causing Jason to raise an eyebrow. If the previous owner left right around when they arrived at the Guild, he could very easily be Nesha¡¯s coborator ¨C the very person they were after! £Ò ¡°Oh? Do you have any idea who lived here before you?¡± Unfortunately, the young man hadn¡¯t a clue. He merely directed Jason to the official building in charge of housing. ¡®I¡¯ll find you, whoever you are¡­¡¯ *** ¡°Well?¡± Deimos asked, waiting for his daily report. Jason grimaced, the prospect of returning to his superior for the billionth time without any tangible results made his blood boil. Sadly, today¡¯s investigation had failed again. ¡°I followed a new trail today. It took me to the house of some boy who wasst spotted about a month ago, so I really thought he was the one.¡± Deimos perked up at the sound of that, which only pissed Jason off more. ¡°And?¡± ¡°Nothing. He was just some Red-born runt from House Avalon. He was young and he¡¯d only been in the Guild for a few years. I don¡¯t know if he was one of Nesha¡¯s regrs at the gambling den who happened to get close to the vial by ident, or if Nesha hired him at some point to deliver the elixirs somewhere. Either way, he couldn¡¯t be our target.¡± Deimos nodded, though Jason didn¡¯t miss his boss¡¯s clenched fists and gritted teeth. ¡°It would still be a good idea to interrogate him. He might know where the girl is, or he¡¯ll at least help you locate her more easily. Where did he go?¡± ¡°Who knows?¡± Jason shrugged. ¡°He couldn¡¯t have escaped the Guild by himself, and I doubt Nesha was sentimental enough to bring him along. Since he isn¡¯t in the settlement, they must¡¯ve killed him and fed him to the wasps to cover their tracks.¡± Deimos rubbed the bridge of his nose. ¡°Jason. I¡¯ve always considered you my most capable subordinate, but you¡¯ve really let me down over the past few weeks.¡± Hearing his boss chastise him, it was Jason¡¯s turn to clench his fists. ¡°What do you want me to do?! I¡¯ve busted my ass looking fo¨C¡± Deimos raised a hand to stop him. ¡°Just shut up and listen. If we go back to my father empty-handed, we¡¯re fucked. So, whatever it is you¡¯re doing, do it faster. Use the boy¡¯s possessions too. He¡¯s clearly just a side-character, but he was still involved with them. If you can find his corpse, it¡¯s going to elerate your search.¡± *** ¡®It¡¯s easier said than done.¡¯ Jason grimaced, standing in that Red-born¡¯s house, having already kicked its new tenant out. Unfortunately, that Percy hadn¡¯t left any traces here before leaving. All his possessions were gone, even thest stain having been scrubbed from the floor by the time he had left. There was nothing to track him down with! ¡®Strange. Even if Nesha killed him, why would she bother wiping his house clean but not her own?¡¯ Maybe the boy had done it himself, paranoid about Nesha tracking him down. Not that it did him much good in the end¡­ ¡®Ugggghhhh!! What a fucking mess this is!¡¯ Of course, there was the house itself and the furniture inside, but those weren¡¯t Percy¡¯s personal possessions. They had changed many owners before him, and even the new guy had filled them up with new threads by now. Trying to cross-reference them with the other clues was only going toplicate things more. Their only option at this point was to fall back to the Aurora Dew and Nesha¡¯s clothes, exhausting the remaining trails. Sadly, they¡¯d already investigated most of the threads leading somewhere inside the settlement, so they¡¯d have to start looking at the ones extending outside. ¡®There¡¯s over a dozen of those¡­¡¯ The worst part was that they stretched all over Remior, so investigating each one could take several months. If they got lucky, they might find Nesha after the first one, but if not, their search could easilyst years. Realizing how precarious his situation was, Jason kicked the bed away in rage, splitting its frame in half. The pieces exploded to splinters and shreds of cloth as they mmed against the wall. Rubbing his temples, Jason tried to calm himself down. It was ultimately a gamble ¨C whether or not they could locate the culprits before the Order¡¯s patience ran out. Still, one thing was for certain. At least one of those shared threads did lead to Nesha. ¡®And if I do find you, I swear I¡¯m going to rip your head off your shoulders and smash it to pieces.¡¯ Chapter 131: Settling in ¡°Like¡­ It¡¯s not bad¡­ but could you try again¡­ maybe making the edges a little straighter this time?¡± Percy asked after Nesha handed him the misshapen b of stone. Over the past week, they¡¯d split up their tasks, with him focusing on repairing the decrepit hut into something liveable. He wasn¡¯t a carpenter, but he could lift a lot of weight, so patching the ceiling with a few nks hadn¡¯t taken him too long. Whether the roof was properly sealed remained to be seen ¨C they¡¯d only know once it rained. As for Nesha, he had asked her to build him his stone forge. The idea was that she could get some practice using her space mana, learning how to shape it and cut things with it, while also getting him the equipment he needed for his new venture. Though the results weren¡¯t exactly ideal¡­ ¡°Why? Isn¡¯t this good enough?¡± she frowned. ¡°It¡¯s the best I¡¯ve managed all week.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯d rather the charcoal stays inside the forge.¡± Percy replied, pointing at the gap between the poorly-attached stones. ¡°I haven¡¯t even finished fixing the house. I don¡¯t want to see it burn down just yet¡­¡± Nesha exhaled in defeat before manifesting some more of her mana, trying again on another piece. It was thest one she hadn¡¯t ruined, so they¡¯d have to go fetch some more if she messed up again. Of course, both of them knew a space affinity could be used for a lot more than merely slicing things apart. Heck, Metatron¡¯s Decree was the perfect case study of the heights one could reach with it. While Nesha was as far from a titaness as one could be, learning to form some smaller portals or crafting spatial amulets wasn¡¯t out of the question. ¡®When I do manage to get into the Vault again, I should try bringing back the runes for it.¡¯ he decided. Percy had grown to love his magical trinket. The sheer convenience of carrying a crate¡¯s worth of items on him at all times was something he wouldn¡¯t give up for the world. Though he didment its rtively limited capacity. ording to Nesha, it was already close to the maximum any enchanters on Remior could craft. Perhaps, the very best ones might be able to make slightlyrger amulets, but only the Great Houses had ess to those people.Once he was satisfied with his work, he took a break for a few hours, letting Nesha continue with her own end of the project. There was something else he wanted to do today. ¡®It¡¯s time for a new clone.¡¯ he grinned. It was true he was a little tired from working on the roof all morning, but he¡¯d grown much more proficient at using his bloodline by now. Thest one he¡¯d sent to Torui vige had only taken him a few hours to prepare. More importantly, Percy intended to send his clones out more frequently now. After all, Micky was hunting Orange and Yellow beasts in the swamp all day long, providing him with a ton of soul mana, letting him mend his soul faster than ever before. He also had to spend much less time brewing elixirs than during his gig with Nesha, so he could more easily tolerate the disturbance. ¡®About once a week sounds good.¡¯ Percy expected it would take him multiple attempts until he found a good candidate to send to the Vault, but there was always the chance he might find something else of value in the process. *** It was dark outside by the time he was done. As always, his soul hurt a lot right after severing the clone, but at least he didn¡¯t pass out anymore. Tossing Nesha a nce, he saw her still working on the forge, a few more discarded chunks of stone lying next to her than thest time he checked. Evidently, she¡¯d gone out to bring more at some point. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ¡®There¡¯s plenty of room for improvement. Though she seems to have taken my advice seriously¡­¡¯ Nesha had stopped procrastinating as much, spending a lot more time honing her magic. Percy was nning to teach her Cirction too at some point, though she¡¯d need several years of physical exercise to strengthen her body enough for it. ¡®Let¡¯s leave that forter. It¡¯s probably better to not push her too hard all at once¡­¡¯ Leaving the hut to get some fresh air, Percy walked over to one of the shops, hoping it was still open. It wasn¡¯t ¨C not exactly ¨C but he did catch the owner taking some trash out of the door. ¡°Hi there!¡± he greeted the shopkeeper, a Yellow core seemingly in his early thirties. ¡°Oh, hi!¡± the man said. ¡°You must be the new guy I¡¯ve heard about. I was told you¡¯re trying to build a forge in your new house?¡± Percy nodded. ¡°Yes. That¡¯s actually what I wanted to talk to you about. You¡¯re Mr. Dn, right? I was hoping to buy some pig iron from you to get myself started.¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t have much to sell. There isn¡¯t a mine nearby, nor do we have a local cksmith. We import all our tools from Greyquarry town to the north.¡± Percy frowned. That was the second town under House Tantalus¡¯s jurisdiction. He and Nesha had ignored it on the way here, as they needed the Grisly Bog for Micky to stay in. Apparently, this was going to make his life a little moreplicated. ¡°Is it impossible to get some imported?¡± ¡°Look, I¡¯ve only got seven ingots in stock ¨C you can have those for two silver.¡± the man took pity on him after seeing his disappointed expression. ¡°I do have some friends over there, so I might be able to work out a long-term solution for you, but we¡¯ll have to see the quality of your work first.¡± Percy nodded. It was only fair. He doubted he couldpete with Sengo anytime soon, but he was confident he could cook something of eptable quality for the locals after a few attempts. Afterpleting the exchange, he bid the man farewell, carrying the stack of ingots back home. Each of the bars was a littlerger than his foot, the entire set weighing hundreds of kilos. Even with his two Orange cores, the metal was heavy. ¡®It can¡¯t be helped. I can¡¯t use Cirction in the middle of the town¡­¡¯ he sighed. Suddenly, he stopped, seeing a young girl approaching him. She couldn¡¯t have been older than ten. She was wearing simple linen clothes, her dark hair tied up in two short pigtails. Percy had no idea why her parents allowed her to roam the town sote ¨C weren¡¯t they afraid of something happening? Then again, it was probably safe. Outsiders like him and Nesha rarely visited, House Tantalus¡¯s territory not being the most weing ce. Carefully cing the ingots on the ground, he turned to her, to see what she wanted. ¡°Mister! Do you want to buy this for a silver?¡± she spoke in a chirpy voice. Percy looked down at the object she was holding. It was a small, hollowed piece of wood, with multiple holes lining its side. The main body of the object was oblong, though there was a narrower tube branching out on one side. An ocarina. It was crudely made, the holes not perfectly circr, with a few misced scratches or other dents throughout the instrument. ¡°Did you make this yourself?¡± Percy asked, getting a nod back. If anybody else had tried to sell him this, he would have probablyughed them off. The misshapen instrument couldn¡¯t be worth more than three coppers, let alone a silver. Still, seeing the child looking at him expectantly, his eyes couldn¡¯t help but soften. ¡°Oh well¡­ Freddy always told me to get myself a hobby¡­ This is as good a time as any, I suppose.¡± he chuckled. Handing the girl the requested amount, he received his new ocarina in return. While he¡¯d already filled his schedule with all sorts of things such as forging tools for the locals, practicing his own magic, mentoring Nesha, sending clones and brewing elixirs, he¡¯d promised himself to not overdo it as much as he had back in the Guild. Leaving some leisure time aside was good for his mental health. Tossing the ocarina in his pocket, he picked the ingots again before finally returning home. Originally, he had wanted to visit Micky in the swamp too, but it was already gettingte. He¡¯d have to leave it for tomorrow. Entering his new abode, he found Nesha sleeping on the floor. They didn¡¯t have beds yet, but they¡¯d spent weeks camping out anyway, so they weren¡¯t too bothered. Still, his attention was drawn to the forge in a corner of the room. It was made of several pieces of stone, cut in a way such that they slotted into one another without needing any adhesive. Percy was proud of the design, havinge up with it himself. However, it wasn¡¯t his design he was currently admiring. The pieces had slid into each other better this time, not leaving much of a gap between them. There was still some, but it was too narrow to let anything pass through. Nesha had clearly busted her ass until she got it right. Grinning, the young man ced the ingots on the floor before going to sleep himself. ¡®Tomorrow, I¡¯ll get started.¡¯ Chapter 132: Monkey Percy swam to the surface, desperate to take a breath. The moment he broke through, he coughed as much of the murky water out as he could, greedily inhaling air into his lungs. ¡®How the hell did you end up here?!¡¯ he asked his host in annoyance, seeing nothing but an endless expanse of greenish blue stretching as far as the horizon. It looked like some kind of ocean, but this wasn¡¯t saltwater. It was closer to the swampwater they had in the Grisly Bog. At least it didn¡¯t stink as bad. The substance had an oily texture, with chunks of nt matter floating to the surface. Receiving no reply, Percy swam over to arge piece of debris drifting a few dozen metres away. It was a cylindrical-ish block of wood ¨C probably a broken tree trunk. Though it had clearly been out here for a while, as it was half-rotten. It was covered in an exotic variety of algae and barnacles, but he ignored them as he climbed onto it. Only once his back was resting on the slimy surface did he finally get the chance to examine himself. His body was vaguely humanoid. For the most part, it had the normal number of limbs and eyes, though he did have a tail. Lacking a mirror, Percy traced the contours of his face with his fingers, deducing that his host was either akin to a goblin or some kind of monkey. ¡®I suppose the Status will have the answer.¡¯ ___ Percival''s clone Mana cores:
  • [Mana core 1 ¨C Orange ¨C Beast]
  • [Mana core 2 ¨C Seed ¨C ???]
Spells:
  • [Parting Gift ¨C Crude]
  • [Quarterstaff ¨C Crude]
  • [Glove ¨C Crude]
  • [Crystallization ¨C Crude]
  • [Mantle of Deceit ¨C Refined]
Decrees:
  • [Phoebe¡¯s Decree] ¨C Grants ess to your Status.
  • [Moirais¡¯ Decree (Iplete)] ¨C Grants the seed of a second mana core. Requires potent life mana to germinate.
  • [Metatron¡¯s Decree] ¨C Open a one-way portal to the Vault of Magic at will.
___ ¡®Monkey it is.¡¯ he concluded after seeing his affinity. Sensing for his core, he eventually managed to take control of his mana after a couple of minutes. Pushing it to flow faster, he felt his heartbeat quicken, his veins bulging as a series of amber lines lit up all over his body. His host protested by instinct as the feeling of their strength getting rapidly consumed wasn¡¯t particrly pleasant. ¡®No wonder beasts don¡¯t use Cirction, despite how easy it would be to discover it¡­¡¯ In the end, he acquiesced, deactivating the spell to conserve their stamina. At least, it was nice knowing he could tap into the technique in a pinch. His Status still hadn¡¯t listed it though, as his main body had already upgraded it to Synchronization. In any case, this wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d used the boosting art with one of his beast clones. He¡¯d been able to do so ever since he and Micky figured out how it worked. Sadly, he¡¯d never had much of an opportunity to get anything valuable out of it. The only time he hade close was back when the Starry Knight attacked them, though the Green bug had dmissioned his wasp clone before he had the chance to activate it. ¡°Tettig¡­ tettig¡­¡± (Testing¡­ Testing¡­) he tried to speak, the wordsing out weird. ¡°Haow? Ih aewan eer?!¡± (Hello? Is anyone here?) he asked, switching things up, though it didn¡¯t sound much better. ¡®Ok. An Orange beast isn¡¯t ideal, but at least I have opposable thumbs and the ability to vocalize¡­ somewhat.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t perfect, but anything was better than staying in the middle of the sea. Percy hurriedly collected some seaweed from the water next to his make-shift boat, before tying it together into something akin to a skirt. Sadly, his host didn¡¯t have a single patch of fur on his pink skin, so the idea of meeting people while naked was a little embarrassing. Only after his privates were covered did he focus on his memories of the Vault, trying to tap into a part of himself that he¡¯d never dared to touch before. Ever since Metatron gifted him with his Decree, Percy had felt something lingering at the edge of his thoughts ¨C an invitation he could always choose to ept. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the vition. ¡®Sorry to keep you waiting, I guess.¡¯ he shrugged, as a faint distortion appeared in front of him. At first, it was mostly transparent, letting him see the vast expanse of the grimy sea through it. It soon began to expand, however, quickly turning into a circr portal wide enough to fit his whole body, its colour darkening into the familiar grey of the Vault¡¯s walls. This was already Percy¡¯s third clone since settling in Bogside town. In theory, he could have waited for a sentient host, but he was already running out of patience. Who knew when he¡¯d next possess a humanoid, or if the stars would align at the time? Having made up his mind, he leapt through the portal, eager to visit his old friend. *** Travelling through the portal was a weird experience. Percy thought he could just take a step forward and find himself in the Vault, but it appeared crossing vast cosmic distances was a touch moreplicated than that. ? The moment he crossed the threshold, it was as if he had frozen in ce, the next second stretching into days. Eventually, he plopped down on the cold metal floor, feeling his entire world spin around him, as a wave of nausea assaulted him. He wanted to puke but, luckily, his host hadn¡¯t eaten anything in a while. In the end, Percy just stayed there for a few minutes, waiting for his surroundings to stop spinning. As soon as he could stand again, he found himself surrounded by all sorts of creatures. Some of them he¡¯d seen before ¨C the jellyfish like humanoids with the transparent skin that Gabe was a part of, the hulking people with two horns sticking out of their temples, the shorter green-skinned folks with pointy ears¡­ But there were a couple species he didn¡¯t recognize. Two people looked a bit like humanoid bats, though they didn¡¯t have any eyes, instead having an oversized pair of ears, each asrge as their face. There was also what Percy could only describe as an octopus ¨C or perhaps a pentapus, as it only had five tentacles. That said, all these people had one thing inmon. They were staring at him intently, shock and curiosity evident in their expressions. ¡®Why are they sorge though?¡¯ All of them towered over him, even the rtively shorter green people being about half a head taller than he was. As for the horned ones, they were as tall as buildings. Apparently, his host was on the shorter side this time. ¡®I suppose it makes sense. After all, I¡¯m just an Orange beast¡­¡¯ Shrugging, he stood up before speaking. ¡°Hai. Am Pessy. Naou beik it ap. Natig to si hia.¡± (Hi. I¡¯m Percy. Now break it up. Nothing to see here.) The giants didn¡¯t seem to understand a word he¡¯d spoken, however. They turned to each other, talking in anguage he didn¡¯t understand either, asionally pointing at him as if he was some exhibit. ¡®Ok. Maybe I didn¡¯t think this through. Without my connection to Gabe I can¡¯t evenmunicate with these people.¡¯ Just when he was considering his best course of action, he noticed the pentapus say something, before a hole opened on the ground, spitting out a strange device. Picking it up with its tentacle, the pentapus then reached for Percy¡¯s ear, hooking it around it, one side sticking to his head. Percy didn¡¯t stop him, not sensing any malicious intent. ¡°Try that again.¡± the pentapus spoke in the samenguage as before, though Percy somehow understood it this time. ¡°Neat, how does this work?¡± Percy asked. His words came out broken again, but the locals looked like they had understood them. ¡°It just uses some runes and some mind mana to trante your thoughts.¡± the creature exined. ¡°Geez, really generous of you, wasting 5000 credits on this¡­ beast.¡± one of the hulking humanoids said, his voice booming. The pentapus didn¡¯t say anything, only shrugging or something. ¡®5000 credits?!¡¯ the amount shocked Percy. He wasn¡¯t exactly an expert on the Vault¡¯s economy, but from the time he¡¯d spent with Gabe he could tell this wasn¡¯t a trivial sum. ¡°So, what¡¯s up with this thing?¡± one of the jellyfish people asked. ¡°Did the gods bring a new race into the Vault?¡± ¡°No way. Why would they bring beasts to live with us?¡± one of the bat-people chipped in. ¡°Well, how else do you exin this?¡± the jellyfish person didn¡¯t let up. ¡°Probably some weird experiment or something. Just look at it! It¡¯s smart enough to talk!¡± The arguments continued for some time, these people talking about Percy as if he wasn¡¯t even there. Eventually, the pentapus approached Percy again, cing a tentacle on his shoulder before speaking. ¡°Why don¡¯t you guys just ask him what he¡¯s here for?¡± he said, putting the debate to rest. ¡°You¡¯re a ¡®he¡¯, aren¡¯t you?¡± he asked Percy, ncing down at his skirt that had ended up uplifted at some point. Percy hurriedly covered up again, some heat gathering in his cheeks before nodding. ¡°I¡¯ve no idea how I ended up here.¡± he lied through his teeth. While he appreciated the pentapus¡¯s help, he didn¡¯t need to exin himself to them. ¡°I¡¯m looking for a friend. He¡¯s one of these guys.¡± he added, pointing to one of the jellyfish people. ¡°Well, whoever it is, there¡¯s a good chance you¡¯ll find him in the living quarters.¡± the pentapus said, seemingly buying his story. Next, he slithered towards a certain direction, gesturing at Percy to follow. ¡°Hey, thanks for the trantion device.¡± thetter said once they were alone. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± the pentapus waved it off. ¡°I¡¯ve got more credits than I know what to do with.¡± ¡®He must be quite powerful.¡¯ Percy spected. ¡®Even with a blessing and a bloodline, Gabe was struggling to get by¡­¡¯ ¡°Thanks anyway.¡± was what he said out loud. ¡°Trying tomunicate via gestures would have been a pain in the ass. Name¡¯s Percy, by the way.¡± The pentapus didn¡¯t say anything, silently guiding Percy through the Vault. Eventually, they came across a massive cube that looked familiar. It was just like the building Gabe lived in, though he wasn¡¯t sure if this was the one. ¡°There are sixteen living cubes in the area. The rest are lined up behind this one. I¡¯m not sure which one your friend lives in, but just tap their walls and say you¡¯re here as a guest. The system will take care of the rest.¡± Percy nodded, though the pentapus was already slithering away. ¡°I¡¯m Ronnie.¡± he said before he was gone entirely. Chapter 133: Reunion Reaching the first cube, Percy ced his palm on its surface, much like he¡¯d seen Gabe do before. A blue circle of runes lit up around it, though it turned red the very next instant. ¡°Error. Failed to identify. State your user ID.¡± Percy didn¡¯t panic, having expected this. ¡°I don¡¯t have a user ID. I¡¯m here as a guest. I¡¯m looking for Gabriel.¡± he said, hoping the trantion device worked on the system. Honestly, he didn¡¯t even know why there was an option to identify as a guest. Weren¡¯t all the denizens of the Vault automatically registered users? But he wasn¡¯t one to look a gift cube in the mouth. ¡°Authorization granted. Logging user in as ¡®guest¡¯. Contacting ¡®Gabriel¡¯. WARNING: Your identity as a ¡®guest¡¯ heavily restricts your ess to most system features. You are not allowed to purchase items, start challenges or enter buildings without permission.¡± Percy nodded, thinking this was only fair, if somewhat inconvenient. Next, he watched the red circle around his palm turn blue, two arrows appearing in its circumference as it began to revolve slowly. Nothing changed for a couple of minutes, making Percy wonder if his friend was even at home. ¡®Actually, forget at home¡­ is he even alive?¡¯ Logically, the Vault¡¯s gods wouldn¡¯t have allowed their only specimen with two cores to die, but Percy couldn¡¯t stop himself from worrying. Luckily, the circle shed green at some point.¡°Hello? What the hell is this? Since when does the Vault have guests?¡± a hoarse voice asked, apparently wondering the same thing as Percy. The voice sounded different than Percy remembered, and not only because he was hearing it from the outside. The owner seemed to have some difficulty speaking, the wordsing out strained. Still, he recognized him. ¡°Gabe? How are you doing man?¡± Percy asked. ¡°I have no idea who you are, but that isn¡¯t any of your business. Just go away. I¡¯m busy.¡± ¡°Gabe, it¡¯s me! Percy!¡± he hurriedly said before his friend hang up on him. ¡°W-What? What did you just say?!¡± ¡°Percy! You know? The guy who gave you your second core!¡± ¡°Shhhhhhh!!! What the fuck are you doing?! You can¡¯t speak about that out loud!! Is this really you?!¡± Percy rolled his eyes. ¡°Are you going to let me in, or should I jog your memory some more?¡± Gabe remained silent for a couple seconds, seemingly taking it all in. ¡°I don¡¯t know where you currently are, but I live in cube #3. Just head over there. I¡¯ll let the system know to guide you to my room.¡± he eventually said. Percy nodded, though his friend couldn¡¯t see him. He circled around the cube, guessing this one couldn¡¯t have been the third. He skipped the next one too, before approaching the one after. It had to be either #3 or #14, depending on which end they started counting from. If it was thetter he¡¯d have to walk some more, though that wasn¡¯t what was going through his mind. ¡®He seemed surprised when I mentioned his second core. Doesn¡¯t he know the cat is out of the bag?¡¯ It was strange. Had the gods not reached out to him? What were they waiting for? Percy would have expected them to do all sorts of experiments on Gabe by now. Why would they have left him in the dark? ¡®Oh well¡­ I suppose I can just ask him myself in a few minutes.¡¯ cing his hand on the cube, he quickly confirmed this one was indeed #3. The system allowed him to enter, a series of arrows shing along the corridor¡¯s surfaces to guide him. Percy met plenty of natives on the way, scurrying around their legs. At least his petite body made it easier to trudge through the narrow pathways. Stolen from its rightful ce, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡®Can they not see the arrows? Or are they just ignoring them?¡¯ Either way, it wasn¡¯t long before he arrived at his destination. However the system worked, it was really convenient. Percy was certain he wouldn¡¯t have remembered the way on his own. He was about to knock, but it appeared there was no need, as the indented metal parted by itself as soon as he touched it, releasing a burst of steam in the process. Standing before him, was a tall man with transparent skin, his organs visible as they throbbed inside his torso. He was wearing simple brown shorts, an unassuming grey bandage wrapped a couple times around his abdomen, concealing the enchanted one Percy knew was there. However, what stood out the most was Gabe¡¯s condition. The entire front side of his body was covered in nasty burns, his skin misshapen and ¨C in many ces ¨C ckened. His left hand was missing entirely up to his wrist, and even his right one seemed to have lost some freedom of movement. This was Percy¡¯s first time seeing his friend¡¯s face, but his features were charred too, as a third bandage covered his eyes. Even Gabe¡¯s throat appeared severely injured ¨C no wonder he couldn¡¯t speak properly. ¡®Wow, he looks even worse than I remember¡­ And this is after a year of healing¡­¡¯ he thought, his expression grim. Percy was at a loss, not knowing what to say to his friend. Luckily, thetter spoke first. ¡°Huh, is this how you normally look?¡± Gabe snickered, though it trailed off into a wheeze. ¡°I guess that exins why you go around possessing people.¡± ncing down at his half-naked body and his shoddy seaweed skirt, Percy remembered he was currently inhabiting the hairless monkey. Some heat gathered in his cheeks again, as he felt even more embarrassed meeting somebody he knew while in this state. And the worst part was, Gabe was only talking about his height. After all, he couldn¡¯t see much else through Mana Sense alone. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t actually think this is my real body!¡± Percy said a little more animatedly than he perhaps should have. ¡°See? No second core!¡± he pointed at his abdomen. ¡°Shhhh!!!¡± Gabe got all jumpy again. ¡°Will you stop saying ¨C you know what ¨C all the time?! Why did you even make me spend my credits on the bandage if you¡¯re just going to keep shouting it out to the world?!¡± Percy frowned. ¡°You really don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°Know what?¡± Gabe asked. ¡°And how did you even return here? I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯ve never seen any beasts like this in the Vault.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll exin everything in a second, but first tell me how you¡¯ve been over the past few months. Honestly, you look like you¡¯ve had a tough time.¡± Percy said, sitting on the bed. He knew the room was rather small, but it sure looked a lotrger than he remembered, thanks to his current perspective. Gabe grimaced upon seeing a grimy monkey on his bed, prompting Percy to smell his armpit. Honestly, he stank quite badly, but only part of it was due to his host¡¯s non-existent hygiene. The majority had to do with the fact he had just swam out of a swampy ocean. ¡°Well, there isn¡¯t much to tell. My situation is about as shitty as you can see. I¡¯ve made a lot of progress with my¡­ affinity.¡± Gabe eventually said, pointing at his eyes. Percy knew his friend probably meant his affinity fusion, but thetter was still conscious about speaking of his secret openly. ¡°Sadly, I can¡¯tplete anotherbat challenge in this state, so I had to delve into magiscript.¡± he added. ¡°But hey, it¡¯s probably for the best! Fighting would just raise the odds of people finding out about¡­ yeah.¡± ¡°Gabe¡­ I hate to break it to you, but it¡¯s a littlete for that.¡± Percy finally said. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°How do you think I got here? Metatron gave me his Decree on the way out. I would have visited sooner, but I had to wait for the right opportunity.¡± Gabe¡¯s jaw ckened at the revtion. A momentter, he shuddered as the words sank in. ¡°You¡¯re joking, right? I would have known¡­ The gods would have chopped me up to pieces by now if that had been the case.¡± ¡°Evidently not.¡± Percy shrugged. ¡°And honestly, why should they? You¡¯re clearly motivated enough to keep improving to heal yourself. They can just sit on the sidelines and watch you practice with your air and light affinities. Why intervene with an experiment that¡¯s already giving them everything they want?¡± ¡°No way¡­¡± it was Gabe¡¯s turn to plop down on his bed, wiping the cold sweat off his forehead. ¡°What happens when they have all the data they want?¡± Percy shook his head, not having an answer. It was true the gods hadn¡¯t bothered Gabe over thest year, but that wasn¡¯t guaranteed to remain the case. Maybe they¡¯d move on to more aggressive experiments at some point. Gabe pointed to himself and then traced a circle in the air with his finger. Percy assumed his friend was asking him to use the Decree to take him out of the Vault, but he was afraid to say the words out loud, in case they were being monitored. ¡°I doubt it¡¯ll work.¡± he sighed. The Status specifically said ¡°one-way portal¡±. Percy didn¡¯t think it would allow people to exit the Vault. Even if it did, there were many other problems they¡¯d have to solve. First of all, Percy didn¡¯t know where exactly the portal opened. Was it a specific ce inside the Vault ¨C the very one where he hadnded? Or was it randomly picked each time? How would Gabe know to use it before anybody else did? One thing was for certain. Percy didn¡¯t dare to open a portal on Remior. He couldn¡¯t risk Metatron or the other gods forcing their way to his homnd. Even if he and Gabe decided to try this, they¡¯d have to bring thetter to a different world ¨C assuming his clones found a suitable one. ¡°Gabe¡­ I really don¡¯t know how to help you man¡­ But I promise I¡¯ll do my best to find a way.¡± Percy said, getting a reluctant nod back. This was the same thing he had promised thest time too, and he had kept that promise. Though their problem was admittedly a little harder to solve now. ¡°Oh, and one more thing¡­¡± Percy added, his friend perking up. ¡°Can I crash here for a few days? I¡¯m kinda homeless¡­¡± Chapter 134: Runecrafting ¡°Percy¡­ are you sure you don¡¯t want to go out for a walk or something?¡± Gabe suggested, pinching his nose. ¡°You haven¡¯t left my ce even once since you got here¡­¡± It had already been a couple of weeks since Percy arrived at the Vault. By now, his host¡¯s peculiar odour permeated the humble room, the thick stench of sweat and spoilt eggs causing its owner to gag every few minutes. ¡°So much for hospitality¡­¡± Percy rolled his eyes. ¡°You know my time here is limited, right? I need to make the most of it.¡± The monkey hadn¡¯t been too injured when he found it, his fused mana being more than potent enough to patch the Orange beast¡¯s soul for a while. If he really wanted, he could probably remain here for several months. That said, he couldn¡¯t aplish too much in this body so, in the end, Percy had decided to not stretch his stay for too long. Unable to start a challenge or do much else by himself, he relied on Gabe¡¯s generosity to dip his toes into magiscript. The stingy jellyfish had initially been hesitant to buy him food or reading material, though he hade around after some pleading. Fortunately, Percy had no interest in cleansing the monkey¡¯s core. That meant he didn¡¯t need much sizian meat to get by, thanks to his smaller frame. Gabe also saved some money on the magiscript books by lending him the ones he had already purchased for himself. Of course, he¡¯d still needed to pay a few credits for a written version, as he personally had the material narrated to him due to his blindness. ¡®Everything I¡¯ve read so far doesn¡¯t sound too different from what we have on Remior.¡¯ Percy noted, diving back into his book. At least, the trantion device conveniently worked on the text too, making his life easier. Still, he put some effort into learning the Vault¡¯snguage, as he knew it would help him moving forward. Strictly speaking, Percy hadn¡¯t delved into magiscript proper just yet, as the field was too advanced for a beginner. Magiscript involved thebination of multiple runes intoplex enchantments that could achieve a lot more than their individualponents. What Percy was currently learning about was merely runecrafting ¨C the formation of single runes, each of which could achieve a very specific, simple, effect. However, even this lesser branch was plenty useful for him. Plus, it was the foundation for everything else.¡®So, it¡¯s all about using one¡¯s mana to draw a symbol and then aligning their intention with the symbol¡¯s meaning...¡¯ Evidently, the enchantments could be written in anynguage suitable for runecrafting. Though there were a few rules as to what constituted one. Certain enchantments worked better with specific symbols. For example, geometrical shapes with lots of angles could more easily convey the meaning of ¡°sharpness¡±, while looping shapes corrted with pleteness¡± and ¡°repetition¡±. A good runecraftingnguage was designed to capitalize on all these nuances. Furthermore, a user could more easily resonate with anguage they were intimately familiar with, which made it a little harder for Percy to learn the Vault¡¯s runes. Finally, somenguages were just better for magiscript, having been specifically designed for this purpose. For example, the Vault¡¯s written word involved circr symbols with multiple segments, which could easily be ovepped atop one another, or chained in a sequence. This gave enchanters a lot more freedom whenbining them. Apparently, Metatron had personally devised thisnguage to facilitate the development of magiscript. By contrast, Remior¡¯s runes were much cruder and nearly impossible to link together, as they hadn¡¯t been designed with nearly as much foresight. ¡®Asshole or not, there is no question the guy is a genius¡­¡¯ Percy admitted. Next, he drew some of his teal mana from his stash, focusing it on his index finger. He tried drawing a symbol on a piece of parchment, careful to make the lines as neat as he could, constantly visualizing the rune¡¯s intended effect in his mind. Slowly but steadily, he seemed to be going well, as he made fewer mistakes than his previous attempts. The rune might even work this time! You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Sadly, it wasn¡¯t meant to be. At some point, he noticed his reserves were about to run dry, forcing him to stop about halfway through. Staring at the iplete rune, he couldn¡¯t help but click his tongue in annoyance. ¡®I just wish I had some more mana to practice with...¡¯ Unfortunately, the monkey¡¯s beast mana couldn¡¯t leave its body, and Percy had a limited supply of his own teal mana. He hadn¡¯t been able to practice nearly as much as he would have liked. For now, his main goal was to simply memorize a few symbols and their meaning, so that he could try them out with his main body once he returned home. Many enchantments could be crafted with any affinity, as was the case for the one Percy was currently working on. Knowing his and Micky¡¯s bandages weren¡¯t going to survive for much longer, he figured it would be a good idea to master the ¡®concealment¡¯ rune, so that he could more easily protect his secrets in the future. Luckily, Gabe had shared that view ¨C at least before Percy told him Metatron already knew about him ¨C so information on this rune was something he had already purchased. Still, there were plenty of enchantments that could only be crafted with specific mana types. The ones typically drawn on spatial amulets fell in that category. Suffice to say, Percy had spent quite some time convincing his friend to buy him a book on that one, to teach Nesha about. ¡°What about the materials?¡± Percy suddenly asked. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you can¡¯t just draw the runes anywhere you want¡­¡± Gabe shook his head. ¡°Technically, you can. But there are materials that are far better for most runes in general ¨C and specific runes in particr. They resonate with some or all mana types, amplifying the effect of the enchantments.¡± Percy thought back to the strange dark cube with the glittering stars his spatial amulet was made of. Clearly, that material was suitable to be paired with space mana, though he had no idea where to get more of it. ¡°So, in theory, I could draw the runes on the ground?¡± he asked again, catching the caveat in Gabe¡¯s words. ¡°Yes.¡± thetter nodded. ¡°They won¡¯t be as effective if you draw them on in dirt, but it can work depending on what you¡¯re trying to do.¡± Percy nodded. In any case, this was the best he could aplish right now. Without any more mana to practice, and having pretty much memorized the runes, the only thing left was to wait until he returned home to test them out some more. ¡°Ok then. I suppose I¡¯ll listen to you and go for a walk.¡± he chuckled. ¡°To give you a chance to deodorize the ce.¡± ¡°And how exactly am I meant to do that?¡± Gabe frowned. ¡°Can¡¯t you get the cube to ventte the room?¡± Percy shrugged. ¡°Yes. For a credit¡­¡± Gabe didn¡¯t sound very happy. ¡°Well, just use your mana or something. Between fire and air, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll work something out.¡± Percy said, heading towards the door. ¡°Do you want me toe with you? To give you a tour of the Vault?¡± Gabe asked. But Percy shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll explore a little on my own. And¡­ Gabe¡­¡± ¡°Hmmm?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t forgotten about my promise. I know it sounds impossible, but we¡¯ll figure it out.¡± Percy walked through the narrow corridors, vaguely remembering the way to the exit. Still, a few secondster, multiple arrows lit up on the walls and ceiling, helping him along. As soon as he was outside, he took a deep breath, having also grown a little sick of the stale air in the room. ¡®Not that it¡¯s much cleaner out here¡­¡¯ he smiled wryly. Strolling around the futuristic city, he spotted many other buildings of various sizes ¨C but not shapes, all of them being cubes for some weird architectural reason. He had no idea what their purpose was, but they were all decorated with countless interlocked runes of various colours, shimmering or pulsating in set rhythms. While Percy was still a novice in runecrafting, his recent studies only made him appreciate the sublime art even more. Many people walked past him, shing him curious nces. Though nobody stopped him or talked to him, despite his minute stature and lower grade making him an easy target. Evidently, the gods in charge of the Vault had taught their children better than to stick their noses in matters that didn¡¯t concern them. Eventually, he managed to reach the area with the challenge cubes ¨C after asking a few passerbys for directions. cing his hand on one of them, he tried to enter it as a guest, only to get rejected. ¡®It was worth a try¡­¡¯ The system had already warned him he wouldn¡¯t be allowed to do this without permission, but Percy couldn¡¯t help himself. He really hated imposing on Gabe, so he hoped to earn his own credits during his future visits. Sadly, it wasn¡¯t meant to be. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s you.¡± a familiar voice said. ¡°Did you find your friend in the end?¡± Percy turned to his right, only to see the pentapus creature ¡°standing¡± some distance away, its purple tentacles and yellow eyes giving it a slightly intimidating appearance. Using Mana Sense, he spotted a Blue core thrumming in its¡­ somewhere. ¡°I did! Thank you again for your help, Ronnie!¡± Percy smiled. ¡°Or would you prefer me to call you Metatron?¡± The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 135: Metatron ¡°Oh? What gave me away?¡± the pentapus replied, its entire demeanour shifting. Not a trace of mana leaked out, but Percy couldn¡¯t help but feel a chill roll down his spine. It was as if a giant beast was staring at him, contemting whether to squish him like an ant with a brush of its finger. While he¡¯d long had a hunch about Ronnie¡¯s identity, getting it confirmed by the titan himself shook him to his core.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Still, he tried his best to maintain his outward calm, not willing to show the ancient god any weakness he could pounce on. After all, he wasn¡¯t here with his main body. Metatron clearly didn¡¯t have all the power here, and they both knew it. Percy guessed the god could probably destroy his clone¡¯s soul if he wanted, but he seriously doubted he could do anything to his real body back on Remior. If he could, he would have done it already. ¡°Besides the name, you mean?¡± Percy asked. ¡°There were a bunch of clues. For one, I was surprised you invited me to the Vault but didn¡¯t bother keeping an eye on me once I arrived. Unless you did. I admit you did a great job blending in with those mortals, but it wasn¡¯t perfect. I¡¯ve recently met a pretty powerful Blue core who failed to contain his aura half as well as you.¡± ¡°Huh, I suppose it¡¯s been a while since Ist spent some time among mortals.¡± Metatron chuckled, narrowing his eyes yfully. ¡°It appears their control is even shoddier than I remembered.¡± Following that, Percy watched the fake Blue star dissipate into nothing inside the titan¡¯s body. There wasn¡¯t anything else visible in his frame either, making Percy wonder if gods even had cores like mortals and he just couldn¡¯t perceive them, or whether they no longer needed them. But Percy pressed down his curiosity, continuing. ¡°The mortals were my next clue. I¡¯ve seen plenty of different races walk around the Vault, and they all had one thing inmon¡­ There were multiple of each species.¡± Unlike all the other mortals, Metatron was unique in that he was the only pentapus Percy had encountered sinceing here. That had struck him as quite odd. ¡°Clever. Indeed, by the time the Vault expanded enough to sustain the lives of mortals, my home world had already been destroyed, my species having gone extinct eons ago. I¡¯m thest one.¡± Metatron spoke in a sombre tone.Though Percy was convinced the titan cared more about his inability to sire children for his sick experiments than the actual demise of his people. ¡°What do you want from me?¡± Percy decided to ask bluntly. ¡°What else?¡± Metatron shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know which remote corner of the universe youe from, but I¡¯m sure you understand just how special your bloodline is by now.¡± ¡°So what? Do you want to steal it from me or something? I¡¯m sure I can¡¯t mate with any of the people here.¡± Metatron chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re a smart kid, Percy. Both for figuring my identity out, and foring here with a clone. Had you brought your real body, I¡¯d have been disappointed. You see, I prefer working with smart people. But no, I don¡¯t have the ability to steal your bloodline. Nobody does, as far as I know.¡± Percy nodded, all of this being in-line with what he knew. Of course, it was possible the titan was lying, but he doubted this was the case. After all, if it was that easy to steal somebody¡¯s bloodline, the gods wouldn¡¯t be relying on random mutations and countless generations of mortals to cultivate bloodlines to their liking. Not here, and not on Remior. ¡°Then what else is there?¡± ¡°While I admit I¡¯m not above taking something by force when possible, there are many other ways to get what I want ¨C and not all of them are bad for you. You see, I want to coborate with you.¡± This time it was Percy¡¯s turn tough. ¡°Coborate with me? A titan, working with a mortal? I wasn¡¯t even born thest time you blinked, and I¡¯ll be gone by the next one. How would this even go?¡± Metatron shrugged. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°What does mortality or divinity have to do with this? You can do something I can¡¯t. Something valuable ¨C and I want that. Hell, you¡¯d be more useful to me than half the gods in my service.¡± ?? Percy fell in thought, contemting the titan¡¯s words. If Metatron was being honest, it could indeed be extremely beneficial for him. He could end up treated as a god, receiving all the benefits the rulers of the Vault had ess to. And why not? Would it really cost Metatron too much to give him some knowledge and resources, in exchange for using his bloodline? There was definitely a way for both of them to profit. ¡°Can you help me ascend to godhood?¡± Percy asked, focusing on his most important goal. Anybody else would haveughed at this question. Despite all his achievements, whether it was his growing strength, his second core or the Aurora Dew, he had barely taken a step towards this ultimate goal ¨C the pinnacle of magic. Percy might be able to grow further than he would have as a normal Red-born, but he was still behind those like Archibald or ine, let alone the chosen ones recruited by the Divine Order. Could Metatron give him what he really wanted? ¡°Impossible.¡± the titan said, dashing his hopes. ¡°Together, we can achieve many things. Unimaginable things. The Decree you¡¯ve snatched from the Moirais is but one of them. With my guidance, we can get treasures you can barely even dream of¡­¡± ¡°But it won¡¯t be enough.¡± Percypleted his sentence for him. ¡°No. It won¡¯t be.¡± Metatron nodded. ¡°If you were a Yellow-born, or hell, even an Orange-born, there might have been a chance. We could have used all sorts of tricks to stretch your lifespan and elerate your advancement for you to barely reach the thresholds. But frankly, I doubt all the resources in the universe are enough to turn a Red-born into a god.¡± Silence persisted for several minutes. Percy didn¡¯t speak, and Metatron didn¡¯t rush him either. For a second there, the young man even forgot he was standing face-to-face against a possibly hostile titan, seeking to exploit him. Only the god¡¯s words rang in his head, as well as the grim realization they had delivered. Ever since he discovered his bloodline, Percy had harboured hope of breaking through the suffocating shackles of his fate. And everything he had experienced since had watered and germinated that hope, helping it flourish. But something about Metatron¡¯s verdict sounded final. This was a man who stood at the pinnacle of all existence! A researcher famous across the cosmos for his power and wisdom! And he believed that Percy didn¡¯t stand a chance of achieving his dream! ¡°Why the long face, kid? Do you know how few people ever ascend to godhood? I didn¡¯t say you cannot reach Violet, or even White. Those goals are far more realistic ¨C with my help. You¡¯ll be showered with resources for millennia, and you¡¯ll live a long life of luxury and wealth. Is that not enough?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s not. I n to find a way to reach godhood, with or without your help.¡± Percy said, lifting his head to look the titan in the eyes defiantly. ¡°But that¡¯s beside the point. I don¡¯t me you that I was born at Red. Still, how can I trust you?¡± ¡°Obviously, you can¡¯t.¡± Metatron casually said. ¡°Trust is something to be earned. I don¡¯t expect you to decide right now. You aren¡¯t close to the end of your lifespan, are you?¡± he asked, Percy shaking his head in return. ¡°Good. Then, from now on, I¡¯ll demonstrate my good will towards you. You are allowed to visit the Vault with your clones whenever you want. I¡¯ve registered you as a user, so you can even undertake the challenges and purchase resources. However, until you ept my offer and join the Vault with your main body, you will be treated as a mortal, and you¡¯ll have to earn every single credit on your own.¡± Percy¡¯s eyes widened at the titan¡¯s generosity. This was all he wanted! He could keeping here without risking his life or his freedom, learning the Vault¡¯s secrets a little at a time! ¡°How will the system even recognize me every time Ie here with a new body?¡± Metatron shrugged. ¡°Normally, it relies on various vital signs such as retina scans and fingerprint scans to identify you. Obviously, none of that is applicable in your case, so I have personally worked tirelessly over the past year to incorporate a new set of identification features into it. These ones rely on your soul. You¡¯ll be able to sign into the cube with any body. Your user ID is ¡®WANDERER¡¯.¡± Percy¡¯s heart skipped a beat, but he quickly quashed his rising enthusiasm, remembering who he was talking to. ¡°Why are you doing this? What¡¯s in it for you?¡± ¡°I already told you. It¡¯s a sign of good will. Besides, the rewards you can earn from the Vault as a mortal are peanutspared to what the two of us can get by working together. The sooner you realize that, the sooner we can move on to the really interesting things.¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be all.¡± Percy insisted. Perhaps pushing the titan was ill-advised, but he couldn¡¯t shake the thought that Metatron was leaving something out. ¡°Hahaha! Smart indeed. That¡¯s right ¨C even with this lesser arrangement, I have plenty to gain.¡± the pentapus admitted. ¡°You see. Before today, I didn¡¯t even know beasts could receive the Moirais¡¯ Decree. I wonder what affinity this creature will unlock?¡± Percy¡¯s eyes widened as he realized what had happened. In his rush to return to the Vault, he had delivered Metatron yet another valuable specimen! And he would continue to do so, every single time he visited. ¡®Shit. What happens if I use Cirction inside the challenges? Or if I show him Crystallization?¡¯ Metatron didn¡¯t really need him to agree to his terms to milk his ability for everything it was worth. He merely had to wait for Percy to hand him all his trump cards of his own volition, one spell at a time. If he wasn¡¯t careful, he might inadvertently give Metatron the power to take over the entire universe¡­ Chapter 136: The Tale of Svarog The tension in the air was palpable as Percy stared at the grinning pentapus, contemting how he¡¯d been yed. He didn¡¯t doubt Metatron truly intended to win him over eventually. Still, the ancient titan had plenty to gain even in the meantime. ¡®Should I destroy the monkey¡¯s soul before I go?¡¯ Percy was certain Metatron could repair his host¡¯s body and soul if he just abandoned the creature at the verge of death like he usually did. Though he could probably prevent that, by actively using what little fused mana he had left, intentionally tearing the soul to shreds. But he shook his head. ¡®It¡¯s best to not antagonize him directly.¡¯ Metatron wasn¡¯t dumb. If Percy did this right now, the titan might take it personally. At best, he could ensure his future hosts died ¡®identally¡¯ inside the challenges, and that he didn¡¯t use anything too sensitive while inside the Vault. ¡®Actually, is that why he admitted he wants the monkey? So that I wouldn¡¯t dare destroy it?¡¯ The realization sent a chill down Percy¡¯s spine. It appeared that no matter what Metatron did, there was always a deeper meaning behind it. Regardless of what Percy chose, the titan woulde out ahead. ¡°Don¡¯t beat yourself up too much, kid.¡± Metatron spoke, breaking him out of his thoughts. ¡°I¡¯ve been around for a while longer than you have. Just say the word, and all my knowledge and experience will be at your disposal.¡±¡°Thanks for your offer¡­¡± Percy spat begrudgingly, his face looking like he¡¯d just swallowed a fly. ¡°I¡¯ll consider it.¡± Metatron shrugged, before turning around, slithering away. However, he spoke again before fading into the distance. ¡°Oh, and there¡¯s one more thing. Ask the cube for information on ¡®acquired blessings¡¯ before you leave the Vault. I won¡¯t charge you any credits for this one. Consider it a wee gift ¨C a tiny sample of the things we could achieve together¡­¡± the titan¡¯s voice trailed off. Only a few minutes after the pentapus disappeared from his sight did Percy plop down weakly on the floor, his body coated in ayer of cold sweat. He¡¯d tried his best to stand his ground against the ancient being, but he understood he¡¯d done a poor job at it. ¡®I need to be more careful moving forward.¡¯ His ess to the Vault was an unprecedented opportunity, but also the deadliest of traps. Should he fumble, he¡¯d lose everything. Gabe too. Percy wouldn¡¯t forget that Metatron was essentially holding his friend hostage, though neither had seen fit to bring it up during their little chat. ¡®Let¡¯s focus on what I can do right now.¡¯ he ultimately decided, cing his palm against the nearest wall. ¡°Cube. Give me all your information on ¡®acquired blessings¡¯. User ID: WANDERER.¡± he spoke, recalling how Gabe had done this in the past. A circle of runes lit up around his palm, though it shed silver this time, probably scanning his soul as Metatron had mentioned.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om ¡°Authorization granted. Evaluating request¡­¡± Truth be told, this was the first time Percy even heard of acquired blessings. ording to his understanding, the only way to obtain one was to inherit it directly from a god. Clearly, what Metatron was giving him was quite an esoteric piece of knowledge. ¡°Evaluationplete. There is 1 book, 57 research logs, 1 encyclopaedia and 9457349 news reports that mention ¡°acquired blessings¡±. Part of the selection is restricted for your grade. Only 0 books, 0 research logs, 0 encyclopaedias and 0 news reports are avable for purchase. Total cost: 0 credits. Current bnce: 0.¡± ? Percy¡¯s jaw ckened at the result. Was this some kind of joke? He was about to curse, but the system spoke again. ¡°NOTIFICATION: User has been granted special authorization to view 1 book on subject ¡®acquired blessings¡¯ free of charge. View now?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± he nodded. ¡°Please deliver it in hard-copy format.¡± The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. He knew he was probably just ying into the titan¡¯s hands again, but he couldn¡¯t contain his curiosity. ¡°Choice confirmed. Printing book: ¡°The Tale of Svarog¡±. Delivery in 24 rits.¡± Soon, Percy held a thick tome in his hands, still giving off some warmth. Wanting nothing more than to finish his business in the Vault and get the hell out of here, he quickly dove right in, ignoring the asional passerby giving him a curious look. If there was one silver lining to this whole mess, it was the fact that he didn¡¯t have to worry about the mortals giving him any trouble. He doubted Metatron would allow anybody to interfere in his project. ¡®Let¡¯s see what this is all about then¡­¡¯ he thought, focusing on the text. At least Percy was a fast reader, and the trantion device made him feel as if he was reading in his nativenguage. A few hours into the book, his stomach began to protest, though he just ignored it. As far as he was concerned, whatever happened to the body from here on was Metatron¡¯s problem. That said, only part of his persistence was brought about by his desire to get this over with. Another part was due to finding the tale genuinely interesting. Apparently, there once was a god called Svarog, who made waves in the cosmos due to his immense power. While he hadn¡¯t been a titan originally, many titans fell by his hand as he roamed the universe seeking thrills and adventures. But Svarog was an oddity among gods in more ways than one. Most deities tended to mate unscrupulously, often siring hundreds ¨C if not thousands¨C of children. However, that wasn¡¯t what Svarog had done. He only ever loved a single, mortal woman, fathering one son. Just one. And he cherished this only child of his most dearly, to the point he would dlyy his very life down for him if need be. Consequently, Svarog only had two regrets in his entire existence. The first was having to watch his beloved wife and son age and wither before his eyes, unable to prevent it. And not for ack of trying. No matter what he did, he couldn¡¯t fight against time itself. ¡®Even Svarog failed¡­¡¯ Percy couldn¡¯t help but clench his teeth after reading that part. Was this why Metatron had given him the book? But he shook his head, diving back into the tale. Svarog¡¯s second regret was that his son hadn¡¯t inherited a blessing from him. He had to spend his whole life as little more than amon mortal, not a trace of divinity apparent in his magic. Unwilling to see his progeny cursed with such a cruel fate, destined to live such a mundane life, Svarog worked tirelessly to change that. He desperately sought a way to grant his son a blessing! Other gods called him a fool for even trying. This was a feat they all deemed impossible. Still, Svarog persisted, inching closer to his goal with every passing decade. Unfortunately, before Svarog had the chance to seed, one of his old enemies ughtered his family in revenge, robbing them of the few years they had left. But that didn¡¯t stop Svarog. It only motivated him to press on. Driven mad by rage, he finallypleted his project, forging a Decree that shook the whole universe, bringing about one of the most terrifying wars in the history of all creation. Svarog¡¯s Decree was as much as a means of granting a blessing to a mortal, as it was a lethal weapon forged out of hatred and spite. Unlike other Decrees like Phoebe¡¯s or Metatron¡¯s, this one took the form of a physical object ¨C an unassuming ring mould. Yet, its bone-chilling effect prompted outrage from every deity across the cosmos. The mould could be used to y a god, subjecting them to a fate most cruel. It refined their flesh and soul, distilling their very understanding of magic into substance, condensing it into a ring. And once worn, this ring could let a mortal wield the in deity¡¯s most prized concept ¨C effectively giving them a blessing. Even worse, the mortal could slowly limate to the new concept over time. Eventually, they could fully absorb the power into their being, so that they could wield it even without the ring. Blinded by wrath, Svarog then hunted down the one who slighted him, torturing him to death. But he didn¡¯t stop there, targeting the man¡¯s associates next. Soon, he ughtered them too, but he still wasn¡¯t satisfied. Too great was his pain. Too bitter his loss. He kept going after more gods, butchering them one after the other, drowning his grief with blood¡­ 99 gods the newly emerged titan hunted to quell his fury. And 99 rings he crafted in total, one from each of his unfortunate victims. The very notion of killing a god to give a mortal anything ¨C let alone a blessing ¨C was viewed as the ultimate sphemy. After all, mortals were supposed to worship gods, not the other way around. Thus, the 99 Rings of Sacrilege gained their name. Raising arms in outrage, countless gods from countless words banded together to punish Svarog for his grave sin. Using the 99 in deities as the excuse, theyid waste to anything the titan held dear. However, their righteous campaign was nothing but a front for their true purpose¡­ After all, mortals weren¡¯t the only ones who could wield the Rings of Sacrilege. Gods could wear them as well, mastering concepts they hadn¡¯t touched before. Ironically, the number of casualties in the resulting war over the rings utterly dwarfed Svarog¡¯s victims. The scars left behind by the War of Hypocrites never truly healed. Entire worlds were destroyed, thousands of races having gone extinct. As for the ring mould ¨C Svarog¡¯s Decree? It shattered at some point, ensuring that no more rings could ever be crafted. Nobody knew how or why that happened, but one thing was for certain. No one ever managed to replicate Svarog¡¯s feat. Not before, nor since. As for the instigator of the war himself, he seemingly vanished from the cosmos, never again to be seen. Some theorized he was dead, others that he was still hiding somewhere to this day. And the rings¡­ the 99 Rings of Sacrilege¡­ The war scattered them throughout the cosmos, most of them lost for countless ages. By now, many of them had been found, a new war urring every time that happened. Most of those ended up in the coffers of thergest factions in the universe. But not all of them. Plenty were still missing, their fate unknown¡­ Chapter 137: A dangerous game ¡®Rings of Sacrilege¡­¡¯ Percy struggled to keep himself from drooling. Reading some more into the book, he quickly learned a few more important details about the priceless artifacts. Apparently, the usual rules still applied to mortals, restricting them to a single blessing per person. ¡®Or perhaps per core?¡¯ he spected with some hope in his eyes. That said, this only happened once they fully absorbed the ring¡¯s concept. Until then, they were free to take the ring off and switch to a different one. ¡®Yeah¡­ Let¡¯s try getting the first one before worrying about that¡­¡¯ he chuckled bitterly. Beyond that, he still needed to have the correct affinity for each ring, whichplicated matters once again. He was sure at least one of them should have a pure concept ¨C given howmon the affinity was ¨C but that might not be relevant to him once the lotus bloomed. Preferably, Percy wanted one rted to the soul affinity, as that might have some positive effect on his bloodline. Still, he understood that beggars couldn¡¯t be choosers. Who knew whether Svarog had even found a god with such a rare affinity to kill? Not to mention the difficulty in beating countless gods to such a treasure. What surprised him the most, however, was a footnote at the very end of the book. Reading the message, Percy was quite certain Metatron had personally added it for him. ¡°Note: The Vault of Magic possesses four rings in total, with blessings rted to the fire, earth, water and time affinities.¡±At first, Percy wondered why the titan had revealed such a sensitive piece of information to somebody who might leak it outside. On further thought, he realized he was just being na?ve. Ignoring the fact that he couldn¡¯t even speak about his connection to the Vault freely in the first ce, Metatron shouldn¡¯t care too much if any outsider learnt of the rings. For all Percy knew, this might even be public knowledge already. After all, everyone already wanted a piece of the artificial world, yet nobody seemed capable of pinning it down. Metatron had clearly done a great job evading the other factions, roaming the universepletely unobstructed. ¡®Still, what exactly is his angle here?¡¯ Part of it was probably to entice him into epting his deal. The titan didn¡¯t know what Percy¡¯s second affinity was, but with three elemental rings at his disposal, his chances of hitting the nail on its head weren¡¯t bad. And technically, he had seeded too. While none of the four rings were suitable for Percy right now, he was still working towards a lotus petal, so that might change a couple years down the line. ¡®More importantly, I think he wants me to be aware of their existence, to keep an eye out for them.¡¯ Countless gods might have failed to locate the missing rings, but Percy had already proven his clones could end up in ces where others might deem impossible. He still had no idea why a space titan like Metatron seemed to have so much trouble invading other worlds ¨C his portals appeared to suffer from some strange restriction ¨C but Percy wasn¡¯t affected by whatever the problem was. ¡®Oh well¡­ I shouldn¡¯t worry about any of this right now¡­¡¯ Either way, this was more of a long-term project. Whether it was the prospect of locating a lost ring, or negotiating with Metatron for the water one, Percy couldn¡¯t do much about it at the moment. Shrugging, he returned to Gabe¡¯s ce to bid his friend farewell, deciding it was time to wrap his current trip to the Vault up. After all, he still had a couple new runes to process back home, as well as bring his main body up to speed on his interactions with Metatron. ¡°Would you rather meet me outside the building?¡± Percy asked via the system, willing to spare his friend¡¯s room from another stinky visit. ¡°Yes! Please stay right there! I¡¯ll be downstairs in 50 rits!¡± Gabe replied a little too eagerly. Soon, the two met up just outside the entrance, as Percy updated his former host on his meeting with the titan. Suffice to say, Gabe¡¯s jaw hit the floor upon hearing about it. ¡°Seriously? Nobody I know has ever met Metatron in person. In fact, I only even met my own father a couple of times.¡± he said. ¡°Given your second core, I imagine that will change sooner than you¡¯d like.¡± Percy shrugged. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the vition. ¡°So, what¡¯s the n?¡± Gabe asked again, his voice a little shakier. ¡°Well, since he¡¯s trying to win me over, I imagine the situation will be stable for a while. Killing my friend wouldn¡¯t be the most effective way to convince me that it¡¯s safe toe here¡­¡± Percy exined. ¡°Still, how long will thatst?¡± ¡°Who knows? The good news is that we¡¯re dealing with a titan.¡± ¡°How exactly is that ¡®the good news¡¯?!¡± Gabe asked in incredulity. ¡°He¡¯s lived for eons. If there¡¯s one thing we don¡¯t have to worry about, it¡¯s his patience. As long as I keep giving him what he wants, he won¡¯t do anything drastic.¡± ¡°And will you?¡± ¡°What choice do I have? Your situation aside, I want to tap into the Vault¡¯s knowledge as much as he wants my bloodline. It¡¯s just a question of who gains the most from this arrangement.¡± ¡°Percy¡­ You¡¯re ying a very dangerous game here¡­¡± Percy didn¡¯t say anything, though he nodded, his expression grim. Of course, he understood what a mess he¡¯d gotten into. At the very least, he had no intention of ever showing Metatron anything rted to Cirction. Even if he struggled toplete the challenges without it, he couldn¡¯t risk giving the callous titan such a huge gift. ¡®In any case, it would be silly of me to back out now.¡¯ The Divine Order was already after him back home, so it was a little toote to avoid interacting with gods altogether. Hell, if his situation on Remior went to shit, joining the Vault might be his only way out. After leaving Gabe¡¯s ce, Percy then returned to the challenge cubes, hoping to earn himself his first couple of credits. Not that he expected to get very far with his current host, but the first wave might not be too difficult. ¡°Cube. Can you keep my trantion device safe for me until the next time I visit the Vault? User ID: WANDERER.¡± ¡°Authorization granted. Evaluating request¡­¡± ¡°Evaluationplete. Request approved. ce the device on the ground. It will be returned to you the next time you sign into the system.¡± Percy exhaled in relief. At least, he wouldn¡¯t have to burden Gabe with this too. ¡°After I hand it in, I won¡¯t be able to speak, so I want you to let me into the cube and start the ¡®gauntlet¡¯ challenge, Orange level.¡± While he knew he¡¯d probably get his ass handed to him, he¡¯d at least learn what the challenge involved so that he could better prepare for his next trip. ¡°Evaluating request¡­¡± ¡°Evaluationplete. User incapable of speaking detected. WARNING: Without the trantion device, it will not be possible to terminate the challenge until itspletion. Higher risk of death is imminent. Proceed anyway?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± he nodded. He wasn¡¯t nning to leave this ce alive anyway. ¡°Choice confirmed. Please leave the device on the ground. Wave begins in 18 rits.¡± the system said, a square entrance opening on the cube¡¯s wall. Following the instructions, Percy walked to the centre of the room, the door closing behind him. Preparing himself, he counted about twenty or so seconds, his heart thrumming in anticipation as the system continued its now-illegible announcements in fixed intervals. The stakes aside, he couldn¡¯t help but feel excited over the uing fight. The idea of testing himself against the golems sounded fun. Soon, the familiar ck tar began to roll down the cube¡¯s walls, umting on the floor as the level of the viscous liquid rose. Luckily, the challenge didn¡¯t throw as much of the substance this time as it had during Gabe¡¯s attempt, stopping when it reached the base of the monkey¡¯s neck. Percy wasn¡¯t paying that any attention, however, his eyes glued to the only other thing in the room besides himself. It was a construct slightlyrger than he was, resembling a six-legged spider. It clung to one of the walls, its sharp legs digging into the grey metal. ¡®So that¡¯s what an elite Orange golem looks like¡­¡¯ He didn¡¯t get to stare at the construct for too long. Suddenly, the spider moved, swiftly crawling along the walls, unhindered by gravity or by the room¡¯s corner. Its limbs made crisp sounds as they pierced tiny holes through the walls in its passing. The golem continued its dash for a few seconds, only stopping once it was closer to Percy. Unwilling to give it an opening so early, thetter tried to put some distance between them, though the sludge made it difficult to do that. Sadly for him, the spider showed no interest in waiting, lifting two of its limbs, pulling them back slightly as if to build some tension up. And just when Percy was debating what his enemy was up to, the sharp legs sprung forth, detaching themselves from the construct¡¯s body, spinning through the room like two boomerangs aimed at him. Percy dove into the sludge clumsily, barely ducking before the des cleaved his head right off. By the time he could toss the spider another nce, its limbs were back on its body, a second pair already preparing the next attack. ¡®Shit, how do I get to it?¡¯ he wondered, evading the new attack a little better than before. Still, he had no means of attacking from a distance, nor could he walk up the smooth wall like the golem. In the end, Percy was forced on the defensive, dodging attack after attack, only asionally getting hit. This went on for about an hour, until he finally made a fatal mistake, getting his body sliced into three pieces. Strictly speaking, he could have probably minimized the damage at thest second, but he¡¯d decided against doing that. The attack would have immobilized him anyway, so he might as well make Metatron¡¯s subsequent work a touch harder. Still, he resisted the urge of destroying the monkey¡¯s soul too, having already decided to not provoke the titan too overtly. ¡®I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to get very far in these challenges with simple beasts. At least, not without showing any of my secrets.¡¯ He grimaced. Without any ranged spells, he wouldn¡¯t even manage to hit the golem, unless he came here as some kind of bird. And he doubted thebat challenges would be any easier for the other grades. ¡®My best chance is to progress through the magiscript challenge¡­¡¯ he realised as the ethereal cord pulled him out of the Vault.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om ying Metatron¡¯s mind games promised to be a hell of a task, but Percy fully intended to rise to the challenge. Chapter 138: Rodrick Rodrick clicked his tongue, annoyed he¡¯d been assigned the tedious task. ¡°Why couldn¡¯t they send somebody else?!¡± he asked, getting a nod back from Sarin. Did he feel a little bad his rtives were missing? Sure, he wasn¡¯t that heartless. Still, this was Remior ¨C people died all the time. Especially during these tumultuous years. Their family was in the midst of a damn war for fuck¡¯s sake! Even if the bastards of House Avalon weren¡¯t the ones behind the attack, there were plenty of other suspects. After all, the filthymoners in their towns hated their guts! ¡°It¡¯s not that bad Roddy. I¡¯ve been itching for some peasant meattely.¡± Bessinda said, licking her lips. Well, she did have a point. While the owners of the Drain bloodline could technically sustain themselves with beasts and demi-humans, there was just something special about hunting down their kin. Nothing beat tasting a human¡¯s hopelessness as the life left their eyes, their body shrivelling like a dried waterskin. Of course, they all knew these¡­ strange stirrings were but another side-effect of their blighted bloodline. But fuck if it didn¡¯t feel good giving into the temptation! Besides, who cared about a couple peasants anyway? They already had to regrly cull the stronger ones, so that shit like this didn¡¯t happen as often. ¡°There it is¡­ finally.¡± he said once Bogside town came into view. Entering the decrepit town, the trio pinched their noses, not appreciating the stench of piss and excrement all that much. These damnmoners were hell-bent on turning the ce into another swamp! A few of them scurried to their homes upon seeing their lords strolling along the streets. The sight caused Rodrick to smirk. They could hide all they wanted ¨C three of them would end up sacrificed all the same.Reaching a small tavern in the middle of the town, he gestured at Sarin to do his part. The boy was a couple years younger than him and Bessinda, but he knew the drill by now. Kicking the door open, Sarin soon dragged an elderly man out. Fegan was among the oldest in the town ¨C a Red-born that House Tantalus had allowed to live this long on purpose, so they¡¯d have somebody leading the rest. cing a person in charge only made their jobs easier. ¡°M-Master Rodrick! To what do I owe this pleasure?¡± the old bootlicker stammered, faking the most pleasant smile he could muster. Still, the third-rate act sounded like nails scraping against a wall to Rodrick¡¯s ears, making him grimace. ¡°Two things.¡± he said, wanting nothing more than to get this over with. ¡°First, three members of our House went missing from their station at the north border. Do you know anything about that?¡± ¡°My lord! We don¡¯t even have that many Yellows since you¨C¡± Fegan swallowed hard as he caught himself. ¡°¡­we don¡¯t have that many Yellows . Everyone at that grade is a young boy or girl who¡¯s never trained a day in their life. Nobody here would be dumb enough to attack three elites from your family.¡± Bessinda pped the old man, sending him tumbling on the dirt. ¡°You think we don¡¯t know that?!¡± she yelled, her voice oozing with contempt. ¡°We¡¯re obviously asking if anybody suspicious has entered the town recently.¡± Sarin added, rolling his eyes. ¡°Ah! Ah, yes!¡± Fegan hurriedly nodded. ¡°Two travellers arrived about a month ago! They¡¯re currently staying by the eastern edge, close to the bog.¡± Rodrick frowned. He hadn¡¯t really expected to find any clues in this god-forsaken dumpster of a town. A month was plenty of time for the culprits to have travelled hundreds of miles from the province ¨C the only reason it had even taken the family so long to realize the guards were missing was because their attention had been focused on the war against the Avalons. ¡°Just two of them? Is either at Green?¡± he asked, having difficulty believing two Yellows would have been strong enough to take down the whole group. But if they had a Green, things could get troublesome. ?? A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the vition. ¡°No, my lord! In fact, only the girl is at Yellow. The boy is at Orange!¡± Hearing that, Sarin kicked the man¡¯s chest, the old codger coughing out a ssh of blood. ¡°An Orange?! Has old age finally rotten your brain, you piece of shit?!¡± Bessinda asked. ¡°How could they possibly take down three Yellows?!¡± It was her turn to kick him a couple of times. Had his grade been any lower, he would have died by now. ¡°That¡¯s enough, Bessy.¡± Rodrick said, grabbing her shoulder. ¡°He¡¯s still useful. Finding somebody to rece him would be a pain in the ass.¡± ncing around, he didn¡¯t miss the relieved sighs of the townsfolk. Most of them were still hiding in their homes, peeking through the windows, only a few daring to step outside. Even those who did made sure to keep their distance from them. ¡°Just to be thorough, where did those twoe from?¡± he asked, turning to Fegan again. The old man was holding his knees in pain, trying to make himself smaller. It took him a second to realize Rodrick had asked him a question. ¡°F-From the south, Master Rodrick. They said they fled from their town because things got too dangerous there.¡± Rodrick nodded, growing more and more certain they couldn¡¯t be their targets. They¡¯d just have to report to the family that they¡¯d found nothing, and hope the group sent to the other town got luckier. ¡°Get up.¡± he ordered, not leaving much room for debate. ¡°Fetch us threemoners close to our age. Two girls, one boy. At Yellow.¡± The old man gritted his teeth at the sound of that, a hint of defiance appearing in his eyes for the first time today. ¡°My lord, it hasn¡¯t even been three months since thest time. Please give us a few more weeks, I beg you!¡± he said, climbing to his feet with difficulty. Bessinda looked like she was about to kick him again, but Rodrick held her back. ¡°I don¡¯t care. We¡¯ve grown sick of feeding on critters. Since we¡¯re here, we might as well indulge. Or would you prefer we pick two people each?¡± Fegan balled his fists, the colour draining from his hands as he remained silent for a few seconds. Eventually, he spoke again. ¡°As you wish¡­¡± he spat in resignation. ¡°At least, can the new girl be one of them this time? She¡¯s the right age.¡± ¡°Is she pretty?¡± Sarin asked. ¡°She¡¯s ok.¡± the old man said, his features twisting into a grimace. The boy looked like he was going to ask for more details, but Rodrick cut him off. ¡°Bring her.¡± he shrugged. ¡°Just hurry up. The sooner we get this over with the better.¡± Fegan limped away, though Rodrick knew he was exaggerating his injuries to buy his fellow peasants a few more breaths. What a pointless endeavour¡­ It wasn¡¯t until half an hourter that he returned, with three people in tow. Two of them ¨C a boy and a girl ¨C Rodrick recognized. Not by name of course ¨C that would be ridiculous. But he did remember their faces, having seen them on some past visit. They were locals. Thest girl, however, he didn¡¯t recognize. Her frame was petite, her tousled ck hair only reaching her shoulders. Her ck eyes were half-hidden behind a pair of sses. As for her demeanour, it was different than the other two. ¡®Of course it is¡­¡¯ Rodrick grinned, deciding he was going to take good care of her. Contrary to the downtrodden expressions of the others, who had already given in to their fate, the neer clearly had no idea what was about to happen to her. She asked Fegan all sorts of questions, trying to figure out what was going on. Wearing the fakest smile the old man could muster, he lied to her through his teeth, convincing her that the generous nobles of House Tantalus were about to grant her some grand opportunity. What a fool she was. Buying Fegan¡¯s bullshit, she looked at the trio in excitement, eager to follow them out of the town. ¡°Have five more ready by the time we return.¡± Rodrick told the old man as they turned to leave. ¡°Our aunts and uncles at the estate could use a few themselves.¡± Soon, the group was inside the Grisly Bog. The ce stank even worse than the town, but Rodrick liked bringing his victims here for the privacy. If they got lucky, they might even stumble upon a Yellow beast for dessertter. Delving a little deeper into the swamp, the group stopped once the stench had grown too foul to stomach. The locals were already sobbing by now. At this point, even the new girl seemed to have noticed something was wrong, as she kept asking all sorts of questions. ¡°My lords, what is this opportunity exactly? Why did you bring us in this dreaded swamp of all ces?¡± ¡°Just shut up already!¡± Bessinda snapped, actively holding herself back from pping the girl. She knew better than to mess with Rodrick¡¯s meal. ¡°Take your clothes off.¡± Sarinmanded, sounding a little too eager. Rodrick didn¡¯t exactly me the boy. If they were going to kill these peasants, what was the harm in having a little fun with them first? They¡¯d even get to live a few minutes longer. It was a win-win. All three of themoners flinched back at Sarin¡¯smand, hesitation shing in their eyes. The two locals looked at each other, probably considering whether to try fighting for their lives. Though their faces sank a secondter, as they knew they were no match for the nobles. Letting themselves die quietly was the best they could do for their loved ones back home.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om As for the new girl, she appeared even more scared than the others. Her hands trembled as she finally realised what a great ¡°opportunity¡± this was. Still, none of them stripped. Just when Sarin was about to force them, a shrill cry pierced the gloomy ambiance of the bog. ¡°KRAAA!!¡± Chapter 139: Quarterstaff A terrifying sound echoed through the swamp, soon followed by a powerful p of wings. A shadow rapidly dove upon Sarin, tearing two wide gashes through his shoulders before the boy even had the chance to react. ¡°What the fuck?!¡± Bessinda yelled, staring at the silhouette of the monstrous bird as it flew away, disappearing into the dark canopies of the trees ahead. There was something strange about the creature, its plumage glowing brightly for some reason, the wind swirling behind its wings leaving a green trail in its passing. Yet even these afterimages faded a secondter, the boy¡¯s bleeding body the only evidence of the encounter. ¡°Sarin, are you ok?!¡± Rodrick reached for his cousin. His wounds looked nasty, but he should be conscious. Or so he thought. Tipping the boy over, the blood froze in Rodrick¡¯s veins as he noticed Sarin¡¯s lifeless eyes staring at nothing. ¡°H-How?!¡± he struggled to believe it. The injuries were serious, but not lethal. ¡°Run! NOW!!¡± the spectacled girl suddenly shouted, her frightened demeanour dropped like a bad act. She grabbed the other two by the wrists, dragging them along as she ran towards the town. Rodrick tossed them a nce, debating for a second whether to stop them, before shaking his head. Their priority right now was to defend themselves against the mysterious creature. The peasants, they could handleter. Standing back-to-back with Bessinda, they scanned their surroundings, on the lookout for the strange bird. It didn¡¯t take them long to find it, as it didn¡¯t even bother hiding. It was perched atop a thick branch a few dozen metres away, looking at them yfully.¡°Yellow?¡± Bessinda asked in confusion. It was true. A cursory nce via Mana Sense revealed a bright Yellow star thrumming in the crow¡¯s sternum. Its size fit too. However, there were plenty of things out of ce, making it different to any beast they¡¯d seen before. A series of Yellow lines branched out of the bird¡¯s core, filling its entire frame like veins. They reached everywhere, except for a band looping around its abdomen which appeared empty for some reason. The same markings appeared on its plumage in Rodrick¡¯s regr sight, though they were a deeper, amber colour. Beyond that, a second set of lines covered the monster¡¯s body. These were a humble Red colour through Mana Sense, a faint green otherwise. They didn¡¯t look like veins, instead swirling throughout the creature¡¯s visage like gales of wind. Just what was this monster?! Was it using magic, somehow?! ¡°Don¡¯t worry about Micky. He¡¯s going to sit this one out.¡± a male voice came from Rodrick¡¯s right. Still weary of the monstrous crow, he only dared to take a glimpse at the neer by the corner of his eyes. He was a young man of average height, two sets of lines glowing on his own body, just like the beast. They were working together! Though his were both Orange through Mana Sense, silver and cyan in his normal vision. The neer wielded a cyan rod ¨C some kind of quarterstaff, perhaps? Normally, Rodrick would haveughed at a pure construct of such a low grade, but he wasn¡¯t in the mood to take anything lightly right now. ¡°Who the fuck are you?!¡± Bessinda hissed. ¡°Are you the one who killed the others at the border?¡± The man didn¡¯t bother responding. The lines on his skin grew even brighter, his muscles bulging as motes of mana leaked out of his pores. At first, they shrouded him in a dual halo, but they soon blended together into wisps of teal. The young man¡¯s flesh turned crimson all over, as beads of sweat formed one after the other. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Shoot him down!¡± Rodrick yelled, not daring to wait any longer. At the same time, heunched two pressurized orbs of water at him, trying to st his head off. Bessinda followed up with a couple fireballs of her own a momentter. The intruder didn¡¯t seem to mind the attacks, however. Having seemingly expected them, he spun the rod in his hands, smashing the spells apart one after the other, slowly advancing towards them. Each of his steps was measured and heavy, raising a screen of mud. As for his blows, they shattered the projectiles into fiery res or sshes of water. Together, the colourful splotches of brown, orange and blue painted quite the contrast against the dull tapestry of the Grisly Bog, but Rodrick didn¡¯t care to appreciate it. He didn¡¯t pause for a second, and neither did Bessinda. The bastard couldn¡¯t possibly deflect all the projectiles! His weapon might be harder than it should¡¯ve been, but its durability wasn¡¯t without limits. It already bent and cracked with each blow, forcing that asshole to keep flooding it with mana. Drawing more power from their cores, the cousins continued their relentless barrage, asionally throwing the crow a fleeting nce ¨C just to make sure it wouldn¡¯t interfere. And just when their opponent crossed about half the distance to them, the cyan construct finally snapped in half. The young man had to bob his head, barely dodging a fireball aimed at his face. ¡®Took you long enough.¡¯ Rodrick grinned. He still had no idea how an Orange spell had survived this long against their own, but it didn¡¯t really matter. Their opponent was screwed without it. Or was he? The young man clicked his tongue in annoyance, but he didn¡¯t seem to panic. Contrary to Rodrick¡¯s expectations, the broken Quarterstaff didn¡¯t dissipate either! Its owner kept holding the two pieces, now wielding them separately as he resumed his steady march towards them. ¡°What the fuck are you?!¡± Bessinda snapped, gathering a much greater volume of mana in her hands. ¡°Don¡¯t! He¡¯s just baiting you!¡± Rodrick tried to stop her, but she didn¡¯t listen. She unleashed fourrger fireballs at the man. This time, he didn¡¯t even try parrying them, choosing to leap out of the way instead. Clearly, he was smart enough to not try pitting his broken weapon against a Yellow¡¯s all-out-attack. Somehow, the bastard could read all of their intentions! Even worse, his reserves never seemed to run out. The man kept replenishing them with each breath. That idiot, Bessinda, hadn¡¯t realized they¡¯d already lost! ¡°Dodge!¡± Rodrick warned her, as he saw the two rods spinning towards her. At least she listened this time, barely avoiding them. Still, she fell limp into the mud a secondter, having been hit by something. ¡°How?¡± he wondered, noticing there was less of the teal smoke shrouding his opponent¡¯s body than before. Had he used it to fuel some kind of sneak attack? Shaking the pointless questions out of his head, he turned around to leave. He wasn¡¯t out of mana yet, but he could tell he was outmatched. Even if he could somehow catch the bastard unprepared, the crow was still looking at him with hunger in its piercing silver eyes. ¡®It¡¯s pointless! There¡¯s no way I can outrun them!¡¯ He didn¡¯t even bother trying, as the spectacled girl emerged from the trees ahead, cutting his path forward. They were all in cahoots! ¡°You guys were a disappointment.¡± the young man spoke. ¡°The other group were much tougher than you.¡± Rodrick clenched his fist in anger, though he didn¡¯t retort. He knew it was true. Their lowerbat ability was why their family only sent them on low-risk missions like this. Who could have expected it would turn out this way?! ¡°What do you want?¡± Rodrick spat, evaluating his situation. ¡°Many things¡­¡± the young man said. ¡°But from you? Only a few answers.¡± he added, inching closer. Rodrick didn¡¯t miss how the bastard exchanged a nce with the girl. ¡®Maybe I can try taking her hostage? She doesn¡¯t look like a fighter. She didn¡¯t participate in the scuffle just now.¡¯ The odds of this working wereughable, but he didn¡¯t see a better option. Yet, just when he was about to go through with his makeshift n, the young man spoke again. ¡°Don¡¯t bother.¡± he said, manifesting a teal sickle in each hand. ¡°Just spare us both the pointless effort and empty your core.¡± he added, his tone not leaving much room for debate. ¡®How did he know?¡¯ Rodrick wondered, taking another look at his opponent¡¯s face. The silver lines reached into the bastard¡¯s eyes, his pupils glowing. Was this how he kept reading their intentions? Gritting his teeth, he slowly extended his arms to his sides, pouring what little mana he had left harmlessly by his feet. He did briefly consider using the puddle for a sneak attack, but the young man narrowed his eyes, clearly having sensed it too.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om ¡°I know about your bloodline, so don¡¯t try anything funny with it either.¡± Rodrick sighed, knowing he was fucked. ¡°What do you want to know?¡± The young man smiled coldly. ¡°Everything.¡± Chapter 140: Reinforcement Chapter 140: Reinforcement Percy sighed as he watched Micky devour the corpses, each of them barely a couple years younger than him. The first one to die might have not even reached adulthood yet. Still, he knew they¡¯d all killed dozens of townsfolk with their bloodline, and they would have certainly continued to do so had he spared them. Had he let them go, he would have only doomed several others in their stead. ¡°What now? You realize this is going to bring us more trouble, right?¡± Nesha asked. She had stuck with him through Rodrick¡¯s interrogation, scrutinizing the information with her bloodline. At first, the guy had tried to mix some lies with the truth. Percy wasn¡¯t sure if he¡¯d done this merely to spite him, or out of love for his family. That said, the man soon gave up aftering to understand how pointless it was. By now, Percy had a prettyplete picture of House Tantalus in his head. He knew their numbers and their grades ¨C he even had a rough idea of theirbat strength and their current posts. It would certainly make his infiltration easier, assuming they survived theing months. ¡°What choice did we have?¡± he asked. While he¡¯d always nned to take action against the rival House, he¡¯d originally intended to do so muchter. Ideally, he would have allowed the situation with the dead guards to calm down, giving himself another year to grow stronger. Sadly, he couldn¡¯t have predicted the old man handing Nesha to those assholes the first chance he got. Was Percy supposed to just let her get killed? ¡®Now they¡¯lle looking for Micky¡­¡¯ Given the circumstances, his best option had been to let the nobles drag themoners to the swamp, having his familiar attack them. It wasn¡¯t an ident he¡¯d allowed the two peasants to see the culprit. Now, they¡¯d disseminate the news back to the others, diverting House Tantalus¡¯s eyes away from him and Nesha. For all anyone knew, the perpetrator of both attacks was just a wild beast that had now settled inside the Grisly Bog. ¡°Next time, they¡¯ll send stronger people.¡± Nesha said grimly.¡°Yes, they will.¡± Percy nodded. ¡°And we¡¯ll be ready for them.¡± It would be dangerous but, at least, they had some time to prepare. Suffice to say, he had no intention of letting the crow bear the consequences alone. Luring the nobles to the bog ¨C away from prying eyes ¨C would only make it easier to ambush them.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Heading back, he quickly noticed somemotion at the centre of the town, a crowd of hundreds standing there. It was rather quiet, considering how many people had gathered. The only thing breaking the sombre silence was a girl¡¯s shaky voice, as she recounted the events in the bog. Her words were interspaced with sobs, a male voice interjecting to add a couple details here and there. Percy shed Nesha a nce, prompting her to act a little more distraught too. Her excuse for not entering the town with the others was that she was afraid to do so, given what old Fegan had done. Percy also had his own role to y, having supposedly found hispanion hiding by the outskirts of the swamp. ¡°What the hell, old man?!¡± Percy yelled as he approached the crowd. The townsfolk drew sharp breaths upon noticing them. Most of them parted, opening a path to Fegan. One person rushed to stop him, however. It was Mr. Dn, the shopkeeper. ¡°Calm down, kid. I know you have every right to be angry, but just hear old Fegan out first. He had his reasons for doing what he did.¡± he said, cing his hand on Percy¡¯s shoulder. Thetter shook it off, giving him a sharp re. Truth be told, his opinion of the shopkeeper was good. They¡¯d already worked together over the past few weeks, with Percy having crafted a few knives of decent quality, selling them through the guy¡¯s shop. Plus, they were currently discussing the possibility of importing iron from the neighbouring town. Suffice to say, he wasn¡¯t thrilled at the prospect of taking his anger out on Dn, but he had to y his part. Besides, his rage wasn¡¯t entirely faked. Had he and Nesha failed to piece together the town¡¯s situation, she might have really died today. ¡°Calm down?! What reason did he have?! Somebody had to die, so might as well pick the new girl, right?! Who cares about her?!¡± he yelled again, looking at the old man. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Fegan nced at his feet in shame, as did many of the others. Honestly, Percy understood where they wereing from, but it was still a fucked-up thing to do. ¡°Everything you say is correct, young man.¡± Fegan found the courage to speak after a while. ¡°I was forced to choose between kids I¡¯ve known my whole life, and somebody that only got herest month. I¡¯m deeply ashamed of my choice, but I¡¯d do it again.¡± Percy snapped at that, approaching him with clenched fists, as more of the townsfolk moved to intercept him. In the end, he didn¡¯t get very close before speaking. ¡°Listen. I get why you did what you did. But I¡¯m warning you now ¨C If you try anything like that again, we¡¯re going to have a problem.¡± he spat, before grabbing Nesha by the wrist and walking away. Only once they were back in the privacy of their humble hut did his expression ease. ¡°How was it? Do you think they bought it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the best person to ask.¡± Nesha rolled her eyes. ¡°My bloodline kept tingling with every drop of bullshit spewing out of your mouth. Though, I suppose it would have sounded somewhat believable without it.¡± Nodding, he let her return to her work ¨C she¡¯d been practicing how to draw the space rune over the past few days. That said, a spatial amulet involved multiple enchantments, and she was still some distance away from getting the first one to work. However, she didn¡¯t ck, focusing on her task intently, knowing they were swiftly running out of time. As for Percy, he had his own concealment rune to worry about, though he ignored it for now, choosing to perfect his newest spell instead. ¡®The middle part of the Quarterstaff was too weak¡­¡¯ he noted, recalling his earlier fight. It was impressive how he¡¯d managed to deflect multiple spells from the Yellow cores with it, but he understood he owed much of that to Synchronization too. His new trick, on the other hand, could still use some work. Percy had developed thistest technique partly from Sengo¡¯s teachings, and partly from the Moirais¡¯. Unstrapping a linen pouch from his waist, he opened it, pinching a handful of cyan powder. Naturally, the new spell involved the exotic substance, using it to reinforce his pure constructs! The idea was that crystallized mana was harder but too brittle to be useable by itself, while uncrystallized mana was too soft. However, what would happen if hebined the two? In a process reminiscent of the creation of concrete, he used his willpower to blend the two variants of mana together, forcefullybining them. Unlike mundane materials, he couldn¡¯t join them through heat or pressure, but that didn¡¯t mean he was without options. Percy was essentially performing affinity fusion! Yet, instead of merging two separate affinities, he was now mixing two variants of the same one. Soon, he ended up with a new material. It was a handful of small rice-shaped grains. They were even tougher than the crystals, making them much more difficult to break. But Percy wasn¡¯t done yet. The new substance was merely an intermediate step. While it was stronger than its twoponents, he couldn¡¯t form constructs out of this alone. Next, he grabbed some more powder from the pouch, drawing mana from his core. He mixed all three variants once again, letting the dust settle between the grains, filling the gaps with regr mana to hold everything together. Via Mana Sense, he carefully scanned the mixture, smoothing out any imperfections, forcing the grains to align, reshaping the ¡°alloy¡± into a more coherent form. It took him another ten minutes before he held another Quarterstaff in his hand, much like the one he¡¯d used in the bog. Or maybe a little stronger than that, if he was lucky. ¡®The only problem is that it takes too long to prepare¡­¡¯ he smiled bitterly. His opponents wouldn¡¯t always give him so much time before a fight. And this was just to fuse the existing powder with his pure mana. He still needed to spend several hours producing enough dust in the first ce. At least, the powder could be recycled afterwards, to be used in a different weapon or in alchemy. Percy had already retrieved the broken pieces from earlier ¨C they were part of his current stash. ¡®Oh well¡­ As always, it¡¯ll get easier with practice.¡¯ Opening his Status, he checked the spell section once more. Spells:
  • [Parting Gift ¨C Crude]
  • [Secret Art: Familiar ¨C Crude]
  • [Quarterstaff ¨C Crude]
  • [Glove ¨C Crude]
  • [Reinforcement ¨C Refined]
  • [Synchronization ¨C Refined]
  • [Mantle of Deceit ¨C Refined]
While his new trick could still use a lot of work, the Status had been kind enough to register it. Reinforcement had taken Crystallization¡¯s spot, apparently being considered a direct upgrade of that. For some reason, it hadn¡¯t been linked to the Quarterstaff itself ¨C perhaps because the new substance could be used more broadly than just that. It¡¯s my third Refined spell!¡¯ He couldn¡¯t help but grin at the realization. His arsenal was getting more and more ridiculous! Sometimes, it was easy to forget how much stronger he¡¯d grown, as he was always pitting himself against tougher opponents. Even now, he was nning to ambush a bunch of hostile nobles, while at the same time preparing to infiltrate their House¡¯s warehouse, to steal tens of thousands of elixirs. And all of that, while continuing to hide from the Divine Root. Every bit of it sounded insane ¨C at least, he would have never believed he¡¯d be in this position had somebody told him a couple years ago! But at the end of the day, it was merely evidence of how far he¡¯de. And he wasn¡¯t going to stop anytime soon. ¡®I¡¯m going to surpass them all, one spell at a time...¡¯ Chapter 141: Demi-humans A terrible tune pierced through the eerie silence of the bog. It had been going for a while, the amateurish melody driving even the owls and bats away from the area. Had somebody been unfortunate enough to walk nearby, they would have certainly torn their ears out by now. Suddenly, a mound of mud rose behind Percy, a scaly reptilian head emerging from within, its slit eyes ring at him in fury. It coiled once, umting strength like a spring as its mouth opened wide, droplets of venom coalescing by the tips of its sharp fangs. Then, it snapped right at him, intent on putting the entire swamp out of its misery. But it never got the chance. Before its attack evennded, two talons sped its head, punching a handful of deep holes in its skull. A couple secondster, Micky was already digging through the snake¡¯s body, searching for his snack. As for Percy, he didn¡¯t even bother turning around, knowing his familiar had everything under control all along. He continued ying the ocarina, his fingers clumsily tapping the misshapen holes, proliferating the atrocious sound. ¡°Percy¡­ just stop!¡± Micky said, taking a break from his dinner at some point. ¡°Geez, I¡¯m starting to regret teaching you how to speak.¡± Percy replied, though he acquiesced. Perhaps, they had all suffered enough of his ¡°art¡± for one night. Well, Nesha certainly had, as she had already kicked him out of the hut a couple hours ago. Though he med the crude design of the instrument as much as his ownck of skill. ¡®Oh well¡­ it¡¯s like magic¡­ I¡¯ll get better at it with practice¡­¡¯ he shrugged. The only thing hemented was how little time he got to spend with Micky ever since the incident. He and Nesha had subtly verified ¨C through abination of her ability and a few well-ced questions here and there ¨C that the townsfolk had truly bought the rumour about the monstrous crow. Everyone seemed to believe that Micky was the sole culprit behind the attacks, which suited them just fine. After all, this was the exact story they wanted to reach House Tantalus¡¯s ears.However, it also meant Percy couldn¡¯t enter the Grisly Bog openly. Everyone believed there was a dangerous Green beast currently roaming the area, so it would have been strange of him if he showed no fear in getting near. Consequently, he could only ever do this at night, sneaking out of the town secretly. At least, their hut was conveniently located by the edge, which made things a little easier. ¡°Micky, I suggest you pace yourself if you don¡¯t want to run out of food.¡± Percy suddenly warned. Ever since the bird mastered Cirction with its second core, it had grown even more formidable. Its effect would have normally been somewhatcklustre by itself, but it seemed to synergize extremely well with eleration, making Micky an absolute menace. While the townsfolk had misunderstood the crow¡¯s grade, their assumption about its strength wasn¡¯t that far from the truth. Percy estimated Micky could hold his own against a real Green beast! But that was a problem.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om After all, they no longer lived beneath the Fungal Spire, where an endless supply of wasps emerged from the hive¡¯s depths every day to replenish their ranks. Wild beasts couldn¡¯t reproduce nearly as fast as the magical insects. If Micky continued to stuff his face with dozens of Yellow cores per day, he¡¯d probably drive them to extinction by the time they left. ¡®I suppose this is why higher-grade beasts are so rare outside the Spire¡­¡¯ Micky wasn¡¯t happy hearing he had to go on a diet, but he was smart enough to understand what Percy was saying. He¡¯d already noticed it was getting harder to find food with each passing day. In any case, this was more of a long-term problem. They¡¯d be lucky if they survived long enough to worry about that. cing the ocarina in his pocket, Percy leapt up from the half-rotten log. He¡¯d already had enough of a break. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the vition. Pulling some pure mana from his core, he focused it on his index finger, as he began to carve intricate circles on the aged wood. His first few attempts were clumsy ¨C until he got into it ¨C though he got better each time. Every now and then, he wiped away his previous scribbles, not wanting to leave evidence of his presence here, in case he forgot to get rid of themter. ¡®Conceal the mana¡­¡¯ he repeated like a mantra, visualizing the effect of his bandage in the process. That was what he wanted from the enchantments ¨C to hide mana from Mana Sense. A simple thing, yet of immense importance to him. Line after line, rune after rune, refill after refill, Percy kept drawing the symbols until there was no more space on the severed trunk. Even Micky had grown bored of watching him at some point, now leisurely cleaning his feathers with his beak. ¡°How long has it been?¡± ¡°Couple hours?¡± the bird shrugged. Percy nodded. He didn¡¯t even know if any of the enchantments were functional. Some of them should have been ¨C after all, most of them looked about right by now. Though he¡¯d long decided to stop checking after each attempt, to save himself some time and frustration. His n was to keep at it for a few more days before examining the results. ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll head back then.¡± he said. He could¡¯ve spent some more time in the swamp if he wanted, but he still had to work in the forge during the days ¨C not to mention brewing more Aurora Dew for the three of them. It would probably serve him better to get himself some sleep. Percy took a few breaths, gathering mana for Synchronization, when Micky stopped him. ¡°Leave it¡­¡± he said, activating his own boosting art. ¡°Thanks.¡± Percy said, waving him farewell as he turned away. He heard the sound of wood breaking, as Micky disposed of the evidence of his runecrafting training. On the way to the town, Percy couldn¡¯t help but throw a nce at the eastern side of the swamp, contemting a certain rumour he¡¯d heard from the townsfolk. Apparently, a tribe of trolls lived inside the furthest reaches of the Grisly Bog. Trolls were semi-sentient creatures, much like the wood goblins he had encountered before. Though they were muchrger and fiercer. They tended to be born at Orange more often too. Naturally, they still weren¡¯t a match for Percy, nor would they make particrly good meals for his familiar, but that wasn¡¯t what interested him. ¡®Should I try making clones out of them?¡¯ Semi-sentients ¨C or demi-humans as they were often referred on Remior ¨C had drawn the short end of the cosmic stick. Smack in the middle between beasts and sentients, they were cursed with the worst aspects of both worlds. Theycked the miraculous affinity that gave beasts their strength, and also the intelligence to make proper use of the other mana types. However, they were in many ways perfect for Percy¡¯s current needs. Sporting humanoid bodies, developed vocal cords, opposable thumbs, Orange cores, and elemental affinities, he would have an endless array of decent hosts to take to the Vault. Even better, he could pick and choose the best ones, selecting affinities that suited him ¨C a luxury he wasn¡¯t used to. That ought to give him a leg up in thebat challenges. ¡®There are plenty of problems with that idea though¡­¡¯ If he did this, he would be missing out on the chance of stumbling upon something valuable out there. Everything his clones had ever brought back had been a pure coincidence, so he didn¡¯t want to stop rolling the dice on that. After all, he hadn¡¯t forgotten about the Rings of Sacrilege, nor the powerful Decrees waiting for him all over the universe. And then, there was the issue with opening a portal on Remior. While he was 90% certain that Metatron had no intention, nor the ability to do anything untoward, he wasn¡¯tfortable taking that risk. Perhaps, he might have ¨C had it just been his own life on the line ¨C but he¡¯d never forgive himself if he ended up dooming his friends and family out of greed. ¡®Let¡¯s not... though it¡¯s still worth paying the trolls a visit at some point.¡¯ If he got lucky, one of them might have an interesting affinity for him to y around with. So far, all his clones had ended up withmon ones, which he felt was a waste of his bloodline¡¯s potential. At the very least, it would serve him well to understand how some of the more exotic mana types worked, in case he ran into another enemy like that time mage. Reaching the town, he made sure nobody was up as he snuck into the house, trying not to wake Nesha. She was sleeping on her bed ¨C they¡¯d managed to buy a couple old ones ¨C though the single room in their house was starting to look a little cramped. At least, they didn¡¯t have many possessions, and the hut¡¯s convenient location meant they could relieve themselves outside. Still, being a hybrid between a bedroom and a cksmithing workshop, it was impossible for Nesha to sleep while Percy worked. The heat from the furnace took hours to disperse afterwards too. ¡®We should expand the house a little at some point¡­¡¯ Picking a bucket of water, he stepped outside before dousing himself, trying to get rid of some of the swamp¡¯s stench. Then he took his boots off, jumping into his own bed. Next, he groaned, calcting he only had a couple hours left until daybreak. ¡®Uuugghh¡­ so much for taking it easy this time¡­¡¯ Chapter 142: War ine was trekking through the Whistling Woods with a few others. The soft tunes of the oblong cones were more than a little nostalgic. They made her think back fondly to that time with Percy all those years ago. She hadn¡¯t been here all that much since then¡­ ¡®Those were some peaceful times¡­¡¯ she sighed. Sadly, she wasn¡¯t in the mood to appreciate the forest¡¯s serene beauty today. Unlike that day¡¯s pilgrimage, their current mission was far more dangerous, a palpable tension settling between the members of their small group. There were only four of them, each being an elite of the family. ¡°Uncle, do you think they will really attack?¡± she asked. ine was certain Ghad had heard her, but the man didn¡¯t bother replying, focused on scanning the area ahead with his Mana Sense. Instead, it was his son who answered. ¡°You worry too much cousin.¡± Mordred¡¯s lips parted in his usual grin. ¡°There¡¯s no way those Tantalus bastards will pass this opportunity to strike.¡± While ine had never liked the boy much ¨C he was an arrogant asshole like his father ¨C she nodded, concentrating on the substance of his words. They were currently tasked with meeting a group of rtives at the other end of the forest, to escort them back to the mansion. One of House Avalon¡¯s most lucrative businesses was lending some of their life users to other affiliated families, to serve as healers for some time. After all, their near monopoly on the affinity was much sought after, letting them earn most of their revenue this way. As for the hunting missions the rest of them ¨C like ine ¨C undertook, they only made peanuts byparison. Those were mostly meant for their members to gainbat experience, not to make money. And, given House Tantalus¡¯s aggression over the past couple of years, there was no doubt in Archibald¡¯s mind the rival family would try targeting those very healers, to deal a major blow to their coffers.¡°What if they¡¯re expecting us?¡± she asked again. Besides protecting the healers, their secondary objective was to intercept the attackers, dealing a blow of their own to House Tantalus. This was how the war manifested these days, with the two families seeking opportunities to gnaw at each other¡¯s forces. It was Ghad who replied this time. ¡°Of course they are. If they have half a brain, that is. It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± While her uncle and cousin¡¯s optimism was somewhat contagious, ine wasn¡¯t entirely convinced their confidence was warranted. It was true the two of them were some of the most talented Yellow-borns in the family, despite theirmon affinity andck of a bloodline. Still, they had no idea how many people their enemies had sent. Overall, House Avalon had a slight advantage in the total number of Blues and Greens, but their members were spread thinner, as their side of the province was about 40%rger, and they had a third town to look after. Consequently, Archibald was more conservative when assigning people to missions, unwilling to leave any important locations vulnerable. ¡®Depending on who they¡¯ve sent, we could get in trouble.¡¯ she thought grimly. But she kept that to herself, not wanting to impact everyone¡¯s morale. ¡°Don¡¯t be so tense.¡± her dad spoke, echoing the others¡¯ words. Gawain was the fourth and final member of their team ¨C the only Orange-born. While he was the same grade as her and Mordred, he had a few more decades of experience under his belt. Next, he patted her on the shoulder before continuing. ¡°Your grandpa knows what he¡¯s doing. If he¡¯s only sent the four of us, it means we can handle whoeveres. We¡¯ll definitely win.¡± Hearing her father¡¯s reassurance, she nodded. Him, she trusted. Her grandpa too. If they believed they were enough, they had to be. Soon, they reached the designated spot. The healers wouldn¡¯t arrive for a few more hours, so their job was to secure the area by then. They all double-checked their concealment bandages were in ce, as they covertly scoured the perimeter, ensuring that their enemies had yet to get there. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ine was torn, unsure whether it was best to get attacked before or after the healers arrived. On one hand, the healers could give them the edge, supporting them as they fought against House Tantalus¡¯s mages. However, it could also be inconvenient to protect their weaker rtives in the midst ofbat. Either way, they didn¡¯t get a choice in the matter. Just half an hourter, a snarky voice echoed through the woods, piercing through the cacophony of the whistling cones. ¡°Well, well¡­ It seems Archibald has finally made a mistake.¡± a man said gleefully, his words sounding like nails against a chalkboard. ¡°Only a Blue and three Greens? House Avalon is in for a rough week.¡± The bastards didn¡¯t even bother hiding, facing their group head on. They had two Blues and five Greens in their ranks, outnumbering them nearly 2:1. Both of their Blues had the bloodline too, their sickly faces making them look even more frightening than they normally would have. ¡°Me and Mordred will fight two people each. As for you and your daughter, you¡¯re going to keep the other three upied until we¡¯re done.¡± Ghad told Gawain, his tone not leaving much room for debate. ine¡¯s heart sank, fearing for her dad¡¯s life above all else. The image of her newborn brother quickly shed by her eyes. ¡®No. I¡¯ll be damned if I let Owain grow up without a father.¡¯ she decided resolutely. Suddenly, two waves mmed onto them, making it hard to breathe. These weren¡¯t spells, however ¨C there was no mana fuelling them. Just somebody¡¯s presence. The Blues¡¯. While each promotion typically strengthened a mage¡¯s body and magic by three times, some additional changes came into y once somebody reached the higher grades. That made the gap between Blues and Greens even wider than expected. ine didn¡¯t fully understand how this ability worked, but it was unique to Blues and above. Just when she felt like she was about to pass out, a third presence emerged, pushing back against the others, forcing their suffocating auras to recede. ine gasped heavily the first chance she got, noting that Ghad¡¯s presence was even sharper than his opponents¡¯. He¡¯d certainly beat either of them, if they were to fight separately. ¡®But will he be alright against both of them?¡¯ It was hard to say. If he lost, the other fights wouldn¡¯t even matter. Conversely, if the Greens finished first, they could intervene to tip the scales. Either way, the time for thoughts was over. The two Bluesunched an apocalyptic spell each, aiming at her uncle. The first one exhaled a zing cloud, wide enough to burn a house to cinders. As for the second, he shot a rain of stone arrows through the cloud, their tips hot-red by the time the emerged from the other side. Yet Ghad was unfazed. Not missing a beat, he sent forth an indigo sh with a wave of his hand, a bright bolt mming into the first of the enemies¡¯ projectiles. It moved too fast for her to fully grasp, but it seemed to zig and zag between the rest of the arrows, shattering them into sand one after the other. ¡®His control is insane!¡¯ she thought, gaining some new respect for the man. A fraction of a secondter, the light sank into the expanding me, causing it to explode, a violent shockwave knocking all eight Greens off their feet. Only the Blues remained upright, the two sides staring at each other as the smell of charcoal and ozone permeated the area. The first of the Blues clicked his tongue, realizing this wouldn¡¯t be as easy of a fight as he¡¯d thought. At the same time, Ghad tossed his son a quick nce, pointing at two of the enemy Greens, getting a nod back. Mordred summoned two indigo javelins in his hands. They paled inparison to his father¡¯s, but the young man stared at his opponents with the same nonchnce.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Next, he aimed at them, beforeunching his spells by their feet, forcing them back. They responded with a few attacks of their own, as the three of them inched away from the apocalyptic battlefield of their superiors. Following their lead, ine exchanged a nce with Gawain, as the two put some distance from the Blues too. As for the remaining three Greens, they chased them into the woods like a pack of ravenous wolves. Clearly, everyone was on the same page, nobody willing to stay anywhere close to the ancient monsters longer than they had to. It wasn¡¯t until they were about a mile away that all five of them stopped. ine briefly considered continuing to run, to keep their pursuers busy without a fight, but she quickly shook her head. If they refused to engage them, their opponents would just return to aid their leaders. ¡°ine.¡± Gawain spoke softly. ¡°If something happens to me, I want you to run straight to the mansion, and not even look back.¡± She opened her mouth to protest. Her unwillingness to abandon her father aside, she couldn¡¯t betray the others. While she¡¯d never much liked Ghad or Mordred, they were counting on her! Seeing her struggle, Gawain chuckled, probably guessing what she was thinking. He was good at that. He patted her shoulder again, before speaking one more time. ¡°In the worst-case scenario, Ghad will be able to escape. He¡¯s faster than them, and he¡¯s more valuable to the family than any of us. He won¡¯t let himself die. Though I doubt the boy will survive if ites to that. Promise me you won¡¯t throw your life away over nothing.¡± ine gritted her teeth, but she nodded in the end. Turning to face their opponents, she saw two of them lick their lips, a lecherous expression stered all over their ugly mugs as they ogled her. They were already drawing mana from their cores, as was she and her father, all fivebatants beginning to manifest their spells. ¡®Then, I suppose we can¡¯t afford to lose...¡¯ Chapter 143: Waves Only one of the Greens had the bloodline. Not that it mattered much as neither ine nor Gawain had an easy time approaching their enemies. A long trail of mes swam through the air, resembling an earthworm, burning holes through the trees¡¯ trunks wherever it passed. It chased the two of them without pause, forcing them to keep evading. Whenever it got too close, ine chopped it to pieces with her whips, but the fire mage kept pouring mana into the spell. It also didn¡¯t help they had the stgmites to worry about. ¡°Careful!¡± Gawain warned, ine sidestepping the emerging construct at thest second. Earth magic was generally slower than other types, but it had its own perks. Beside the fact that the spells were heavier and thus harder to block, it allowed its users to perform deadly sneak attacks by sending their mana through the ground. It travelled a little faster like that too. ine¡¯s elders had long drilled into her that she was supposed to keep a safe distance from an earth mage, constantly having her Mana Sense glued to the ground while fighting one. ¡®We¡¯ll never get close like this¡­¡¯ she smiled bitterly. Both her and Gawain¡¯s spells worked better at medium range, their whips currently unable to reach their opponents. Between the stgmites and the fire worms, they struggled to catch their breath too. As for thest guy, he hadn¡¯t broken a sweat. He was also an earth mage, but he had only created a single stone golem so far. It was twice as tall as a person, towering over them as it stood guard by their side, ready to block the asional ssh of water that made it there. ¡®They¡¯re more skilled than me too.¡¯ she realized. Their opponents were probably Orange-borns over sixty years old ¨C much like her father ¨C as evident by their slightly older appearance and the finesse of their Refined spells. At least, that was the case for the fire worm dude and the golem guy. Thest one was probably a Yellow-born about her age, his stgmites hardly beyond the threshold of a Crude spell. Strictly speaking, this was eptable. Ghad had merely tasked them with keeping the three Greens busy. They didn¡¯t have to win. However, ine just couldn¡¯t shake her worry. ¡°Will he and Mordred really manage to win their own fights?¡±If they failed, none of them would survive today. Not to mention, her current situation wasn¡¯t exactly sustainable. Her mana was running out faster than their opponents¡¯. Realizing what she was thinking, her dad spoke. ¡°Chop a tree down for me, will you?¡± he whispered as soon as they were out of sight. ¡°I¡¯m going to try something.¡± Nodding, she sent a crescent sh of azure at the nearest trunk, slicing through the wood like a hot knife through butter. The two leapt back as the treended with a heavy thud, sending some dirt in every direction. Ignoring the mud on his clothes, Ghad then summoned a whip of his own, causing it to wrap around the trunk many times, covering it from tip to tip like a yarn stick, shaving it clean of branches and twigs in the process. ¡°Protect me for a couple seconds.¡± he instructed. More hostile spells rained at them, forcing ine to spend even more mana to block them. She dismantled the iing worms, while also digging through the ground to get to the nascent stgmites before they formed. Of course, this move cost her a lot more than merely dodging. Her reserves had already dropped below the halfway mark by now¡­ At least, her father didn¡¯t dy,unching his own attack a momentter. Pulling the tree up, he threw it the opposite way from his enemies, as the aquamarine band stretched and tensed, looking like it was about to snap. But it held. Next, he tugged it with all his might, his brow creasing as the trunk began to spin, gaining momentum. The coil of water unravelled rapidly, chunks of bark flying in all directions as the colossal spear of wood drilled through the air. Gawain was the one who¡¯d taught ine the Whip spell in the first ce, though his own version had developed in a slightly different route. Unlike the sharp, slicing constructs his daughter used, Gawain¡¯s version focused on precise control and leveraging mechanical strength. Usually, he used it to entangle and trap his opponents, but that wasn¡¯t all it could do¡­. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Soon, the attack reached their opponents, the golem guy moving his construct in its path. The stone giant sped the iing tree with both hands, as a second golem began to take shape right behind it. Splinters of wood and chips of rock flew in every direction, as the spinning trunk dug into the golem¡¯s chest, pushing it back. Its feet carved two muddy trails on the ground, before the second golem finally formed, supporting its broken brother, bringing him to a halt. ine grimaced as Gawain clicked his tongue. This manoeuvre had cost them both way too much, for way too little. But they didn¡¯t get the chance to worry about that for long, as the others continued pelting their location with spells. ¡®There¡¯s no other way.¡¯ ine made her mind up as she took a deep breath, and then another. Ever since she mastered Cirction, she had actually never used it in a fight. Not even once. Her fear of bringing trouble to her family aside, this was Percy¡¯s secret. She¡¯d been conscious not to resort to it unless she was backed to a corner. Sadly, the day for that seemed to have finally arrived¡­ Oblivious to her thoughts, both their opponents and Gawain continued to duke it out, as a river of mana flooded her channels. It was an odd sensation, the intensity of the flow causing her pathways to swell and burn, while the refreshing coolness of the water mana soothed them at the same time. Honestly, she was a little rusty, as it had been months since thest time she¡¯d practiced it. Still, she vividly remembered the pattern she had so painstakingly devised. Aquamarine lines soon lit up all over her skin, drawing shapes akin to waves in their passing. Her muscles tensed too, her spells growing a touch more potent. ¡°ine? What is this?!¡± Gawain asked, taken aback by the sight. Naturally, she hadn¡¯t even told her parents about the technique. While she loved them and trusted them more than anyone else in the world, this wasn¡¯t her secret to spill. ¡®I¡¯m sorry Percy.¡¯ a pang of guilt gripped her chest, but she quickly shook those thoughts away. In any case, she knew he wouldn¡¯t me her. After all, this was a matter of life and death. Besides, Gawain wouldn¡¯t leak the news. The only thing she had to worry about was making sure nobody else would. The enemy spells intensified as they also realized something was wrong, but it was toote. Having left any lingering concerns over her dwindling reserves long behind her, she summoned five whips in each hand, ripping the zing worm to shreds. At the same time, she carved deep grooves through the dirt, uprooting the earth mana before it had the chance to do much. Step by step, she elerated as she dashed toward her opponents, unwilling to let any of them escape. Her father advanced right alongside her, struggling a little to keep up with her speed. Their enemies seemed to hesitate atst, finally realizing just how fucked they were. Suddenly, the stgmite boy bolted off, abandoning his elders! ¡°Dad, stop him! We can¡¯t let him live!¡± she yelled in panic. Though she didn¡¯t have to. Gawain was already one step ahead, having rushed after the kid before she¡¯d even uttered a word. The remaining two mages nced at each other, probably contemting their options. Though they stayed in the end. They must¡¯ve determined their best chance was to work together to take her down. The first one repaired both golems, using what little mana he had left to summon a third. At the same time, the fire mage formed about a dozen worms, all of them diving towards ine from various directions, closing in like a devil¡¯s ws. But she didn¡¯t care. Pivoting on her feet, she spun as she neared her enemies. Her whips grew longer and sharper, making shrill sounds as they sliced and diced everything in their path. Whether it was trees, rocks or spells, it didn¡¯t matter, as the Kraken¡¯s Gambit shredded everything indiscriminately. Mundane specks of brown and grey fell on the ground, as glowing motes of orange faded into nothing. ¡®I¡¯m sorry¡­¡¯ she closed her eyes upon reaching her targets, two bitter streams rolling down her cheeks.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om She knew it was ill-advised to look away during a fight, but she just couldn¡¯t help it. This wasn¡¯t the first time she¡¯d killed somebody ¨C this disgusting war had already forced her to take many lives over the past couple of years ¨C but it never got any easier for her. Leaving only her Mana Sense active, she first watched the remaining constructs get chopped to pieces, before seeing the two Green cores fall on the ground. A momentter, they had already begun to dim. Only then did she deactivate her boosting art, turning away, unable to look at the mangled corpses. Her father returned a minuteter. His core was nearly empty, but she could tell through the calmness in his expression that he¡¯d managed to eliminate thest guy. The frightened kid had probably been a poor match for the more experienced mage. Of course, she didn¡¯t miss the questions lingering in Gawain¡¯s eyes, but he didn¡¯t say anything. They both knew this wasn¡¯t the time for that. The two of them embraced each other in silence, as they caught their breath, preparing to aid their rtives. ¡®I hope they¡¯re ok¡­¡¯ Chapter 144: Two things Archibald contemted thetest reports as he radiated dense life mana from his palm, focusing it on his son¡¯s stump. Even for a powerful Violet core, regrowing a Blue¡¯s arm would take several hours. And that was taking into ount his more sophisticated approach, chiselled to perfection after centuries of healing people. Blindly pouring mana into a wound like a brute would still work, but it would take so much longer. ¡°How did the other fronts go?¡± Ghad asked, not even flinching at the excruciating pain as his flesh and bones squirmed. ¡°About as well as you¡¯d expect.¡± When forming the group of four for the escort mission, Archibald had naturally given himself some leeway, in case House Tantalus sent more people than expected. Originally, he¡¯d thought Ghad and Mordred would be plenty to deal with anyplications. Still, he¡¯d underestimated how keen their enemies had been to get to the healers. ¡®I suppose it makes sense.¡¯ Life users were their family¡¯s greatest strength, as well as a huge thorn in their rivals¡¯ sides. Not to mention the two women in the group of healers those degenerates wanted to ce their filthy hands on. Luckily, House Tantalus had failed in the end. Their Blues did manage to escape with their lives, but their injuries were no better than Ghad¡¯s. Even with Drain, they¡¯d need longer to fix them ¨C not to mention how many lives they¡¯d have to take. As for their Greens, all five were dead. ¡®Sending ine was the right move.¡¯ While he¡¯d hoped it wouldn¡¯te to that, Archibald had sent his granddaughter to serve as a final trump card, just in case things went south. He knew the girl could turn the tides in a pinch, though that hade with its own cost. Now Gawain had learned of Cirction too.It wasn¡¯t the end of the world ¨C Archibald trusted this son of his ¨C but this was how it started. What if two years from now Gawain was forced to reveal it to save somebody else? They could try all they wanted to keep a lid on the secret, but their family had already existed for centuries, and they very much hoped it would continue to do so for many more. ¡®Sooner orter, everyone will know it¡­ And then, it can easily leak out¡­¡¯ But what choice did they have? Should ine have allowed everyone to die? What if Ghad had died too? That would have been a catastrophic blow to their House. ¡®What¡¯s done is done. The best we can do now is to slow down the leakage until Ghad reaches Violet.¡¯ Very few Houses had two Violet cores, so this should ce them in the top twenty about a century from now. Adding Cirction to the mix, and only the Great Houses or the Divine Order would be able to pressure them into handing the technique over. There wasn¡¯t much they could do about that, but they¡¯d be in a better position to negotiate an eptable deal, to fend the weaker families off until Archibald reached White. ¡®In fact, I should probably teach him Cirction too.¡¯ he decided. His sessor¡¯s life was almost as valuable as the secret itself. After all, should he die, or should the secret leak before his promotion, their entire House would face annihtion¡­ ¡°How many casualties on their side?¡± Ghad asked, breaking him out of his thoughts. ¡°A dozen Greens and twenty Yellows.¡± House Tantalus had chosen to weaken their position in many other contested locations, to gather enough people to send on the ambitious mission. Other than the five Greens who had died in the Whistling Woods, the rival family had ended up suffering many more losses for their greed. ?? ¡°That ought to douse their aggression for a few months.¡± Ghad nodded. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. But Archibald clenched his fist, not feeling happy about it at all. Indeed, they¡¯de out on top this time, but this constant tit-for-tat had taken many lives on their side too. If this continued, they¡¯d lose half their people by the time the lotus bloomed. ¡®If only I could just march in there and kill them all!¡¯ Archibald was much stronger than the enemy leader, Broteas. He was confident in killing him in a frontal confrontation, along with many of his men. But could he take the whole family out without leaving a single witness behind? Probably not. Moreover, Violet cores couldn¡¯t easily leave their homes. After all, they were thest line of defence protecting the children and the nonbatants of the family. The massacre twenty or so years ago had happened precisely when House Tantalus had lured Archibald away from the mansion. Not that he¡¯d had much of a choice at the time, as they could have easily lost two Blues had he not done that. ¡°It won¡¯t.¡± Archibald said. ¡°They¡¯ll keep throwing everything they have at us. They know how much stronger you¡¯ll be once you get a petal.¡± Ghad was arguably the strongest Blue core in the entire Camelot province. Suffice to say, House Avalon would benefit more from the lotus than their rivals. This was something they were all keenly aware of. ¡°Speaking of which, we have yet to discuss what to do with the remaining two petals.¡± Ghad said, changing the topic. Archibald could already guess what his son wanted. Naturally, he intended for all three petals to end in the hands of Yellow-borns, as they had the highest long-term potential. House Avalon currently possessed seven Blues, but one of them was an Orange-born ¨C Archibald¡¯s younger cousin, olon. Of the remaining six, four had the life affinity and one already had water. This only left Ghad as a candidate for a petal. Consequently, the other two would have to go to Greens. ¡°Your son will naturally get a petal.¡± Mordred was just as talented as his father ¨C perhaps even more so. At least, the boy had handled his own opponents even better than his father had dealt with his. He was arguably the strongest Green in the family ¨C on par with ine when she used her boosting art. Not that anyone knew about that, but she couldn¡¯t use a petal anyway. ¡°Of course.¡± Ghad chuckled. ¡°I was talking about thest one. Maybe Emrys or Morgana? I could make a strong case for either of them.¡± But Archibald shook his head, eliciting a frown from his son. He¡¯d allowed this injustice to persist for long enough. Cirction was the pir their family would be relying on for a long time toe, and the boy who¡¯d brought them this gift had yet to be properlypensated for his contribution. In fact, Archibald was currently worried about his grandson, as they hadn¡¯t heard from him in months. The more time that passed, the more scared he grew that Percy was indeed involved with the Aurora Dew. Of course, it was possible the chaos in the Guild had simply prevented him from writing back. Either way, he wasn¡¯t going to let the boy miss out on this opportunity. ¡°I actually had somebody else in mind¡­¡± he grinned. ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you after I¡¯m done fixing your arm. You might have put on a brave face against the pain, but this¡­ it just might make you pass out.¡± *** ¡°Father, you can¡¯t be serious! What madnesspels you to continuously give that runt so much?!¡± Ghad asked in outrage as they walked down the corridor. Archibald opened the door to the same training room he and his grandkids had used a few years back, leading his son inside. Next, he tossed him some enchanted bands to ce on his wrists and ankles, before replying. ¡°That¡¯s why I brought you here, son. To show you.¡± he said, taking a deep breath, and then another. Ghad¡¯s expression was initially one of anger and confusion, though his features soon began to shift into shock as he watched the verdant lines swirl like vines on his father¡¯s skin. Archibald¡¯s sternum thrummed with an intensity no Violet core had any right to. ¡°I can see you have many questions.¡± Archibald said with a smile, getting a nod back. ¡°Naturally, I¡¯ll answer them all, but I¡¯ll need you to do two things for me. First, you¡¯ll bow your head and apologize to your nephew the next time you see him, for the way you¡¯ve treated him.¡± Ghad opened his mouth, seemingly about to protest, but Archibald raised a hand to stop him. ¡°And I¡¯ll apologize alongside you. After all, it¡¯s HIS technique I¡¯m about to teach you without his permission.¡± This time, Ghad¡¯s eyes widened in realization. ¡°Does this have something to do with his bloodline? Is this why you¡¯ve been treating him so generously?¡± ¡°Generously?¡± Archibald chuckled bitterly. ¡°We¡¯ve driven him out of the mansion, sending him to fend for himself in the Alchemists¡¯ Guild. Not a day goes by that I don¡¯t regret it. And for what?! Because we were too stingy to give him a few elixirs?¡± ¡°Father¡­ Just what does his bloodline do exactly?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have to ask him yourself. He¡¯ll tell you if he wants to.¡± Ghad remained silent for a while. While he was generally a proud man, and not very kind towards those he viewed as his lessers, he was neither ungrateful, nor stupid. He certainly understood Percy¡¯s importance now. ¡°What¡¯s the second thing?¡± Ghad asked after a while.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°You said you wanted me to do two things. The first was to apologize to the kid.¡± ¡°Ah right!¡± Archibald said, only now remembering why he¡¯d brought him here. ¡°Get down and start doing push-ups.¡± Chapter 145: Caught Percy scanned the sea of souls, looking for his next host. Having grown more proficient at drawing the concealment runes, he was ready to return to the Vault for his next lesson. Initially, he¡¯d thought to look for an Orange or Green body this time. ording to Gabe, higher grade challenges yielded exponentially more credits, and those were the two grades he had personally experienced ¨C so he¡¯d have some idea of what to expect. But he¡¯d changed his mind. Realistically, he doubted he¡¯d even get through the first wave of thebat challenges with a beast clone. They were tough, even for mages with bloodlines and blessings. Let alone for somebody who couldn¡¯t cast a single spell.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om ¡®My only chance to earn some credits is to grind my way up from the Red magiscript challenge.¡¯ The rewards would be minuscule at the start, but if his budding understanding of runecrafting could get him through the first couple of waves, he should manage to purchase some more reading material. Enough for him to keep going. He did consider asking his friend for a loan, but he quickly shot the idea down. He¡¯d already imposed on Gabe way too much. The guy had his own problems to deal with ¨C whether it was his gruesome injuries, the two cores he had to support, his own training, or his worry over his future in the artificial world. It might take Percy a little longer, but he wanted to stand on his own two feet. ¡®Or however many feet I end up with, I suppose¡­¡¯ In any case, Percy was trying to pick between two Red beasts, when something else caught his attention.¡®What the hell is that?!¡¯ he wondered, ncing at a strange Yellow soul different from any he had seen before. Percy was pretty confident it wasn¡¯t on its deathbed. He had sent enough clones by now to tell that this person was essentially healthy. Yet, somehow, they were not rejecting him, radiating a powerful attractive force instead! In fact, it was almost like they were intentionally inviting him to possess them! Curious, he approached. This was obviously suspicious, but he¡¯d never seen anything like this and, in his experience, new was good. Soon, several more souls popped up in his surroundings. Most of them appeared normal, but a significant fraction behaved exactly like the first one. They ¡®looked¡¯ wounded, though it was as if their injuries were artificially exaggerated. It reminded Percy of chumming the waters to lure a fish in. Part of him wanted to bolt. He had no idea what was up with this ce, but he had a gut feeling that remaining here could spell trouble. Still, he hesitated to peer away. This was unlike anything he¡¯d encountered before. He¡¯d never even heard of anybody who could interact with the ne of souls like him, yet this seemed like an entire culture of people who regrly did just that ¨C to some extent. ¡®Do they all have a soul affinity?!¡¯ It was a bizarre thought. From what he¡¯d seen, his affinity was one of the rarest. At least, he¡¯d never met anyone else with it. But the idea that some race of people could be born with a disproportional proclivity towards a specific affinity wasn¡¯t new to him. Everyone on Huehue was stuck with the pure affinity. Even his family¡¯s bloodline affected his rtives in a simr manner, giving many of them the life affinity. ¡®Well, now what do I do?¡¯ This could easily be some kind of trap, but it was also a unique opportunity. Whatever these people were after was probably unrted to him. After all, he doubted another wanderer existed, otherwise Metatron wouldn¡¯t have been so keen to recruit him. ¡®I could y it safe and go for an Orange host¡­¡¯ The good news was that he had a lot of options. He spotted people all the way from Red to Yellow in this state. A Red host might be too weak to get much done with. They might not even know anything useful for him to learn. Conversely, a powerful one could be difficult to deal with if they ended up being hostile. Fuelled to the brim with teal mana, he estimated an Orange core was about the most he could safely handle. If they proved to have malicious intentions towards him, he should be able to fight his way out of the body. Happy with his analysis, he was about to go for it, when he felt a piercing pain in his ¡°side¡± as something mmed into him like a cannonball. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred tform. Support original creators! ¡®What the fuck?!¡¯ he cursed in shock, trying to extricate himself from his aggressor. Whatever it was, it had chomped down on his soul, showing no intention of letting go. The creature thrashed about, trying to tear a chunk off. The pain was excruciating, though he could handle that, having experienced many gruesome injuries with his soul over the years. Percy was more unsettled by the principle behind this situation ¨C if not downright frightened. He¡¯d never met another soul in the space between worlds, much less one capable of attacking him! Forcing himself to calm down, he drew some of the fused mana, stabbing right into the creature¡¯s maw with a hastily made knife. It seemed to do something as the monster shuddered, its jaw opening slightly, easing the pain on his soul a little. Though it refused to let go entirely. Stubborn as he was, Percy didn¡¯t give up either, pushing the construct even deeper in, trying to locate its brain ¨C assuming it even had one. At first, it didn¡¯t do anything, but he continued to stab around blindly, trying to fend the monster off. ¡®If only I could see what the hell I was dealing with!¡¯ Sadly, this wasn¡¯t an option. Strictly speaking, he wasn¡¯t even sure it was a living creature. It definitely seemed to behave like one, but it might just be a spell, cast by the residents of the mysterious world. One clone and one disembodied monster fought for what felt like hours, with their survival on the line, as Percy expended more and more of his stashed mana, inflicting all sorts of nasty wounds on his attacker. To his relief, the abomination eventually let go. Perhaps, he¡¯d weakened it, or maybe it had decided its meal wasn¡¯t worth the hassle. ?? Either way, Percy wasn¡¯t exactly in the mood to celebrate. By now, he was down to a third of his reserves, his soul wisp severely injured. The ethereal cord linking him to his main body was already pulling at him intensely. Perhaps, he¡¯d spent way too long in this ce, or maybe it was his poor condition cutting his trip short. Whatever the case, he had to make a decision, and he had to do it fast. ¡®Do I return to Remior, or give this ce a shot?¡¯ Worst-case scenario, he¡¯d get himself destroyed. It would certainly be unpleasant for him, but it honestly wouldn¡¯t be the end of the world for his main body. While he¡¯d lose the clone¡¯s memories, the original Percy would be fine. He was confident he would recoverpletely given some time. Technically, there was a chance he¡¯d permanently lose another chunk, but he seriously doubted that was the case. The scar in his sternum had probably remained because of the ethereal cord linking him to his familiar. If the clone got destroyed entirely, the wound would likely close. ¡®Even if I end up trapped, I can probably self-destruct with what little mana I have left.¡¯ Just as he was contemting his choices, two more creatures bit at him, shaking him out of his thoughts. At first, he panicked, thinking he couldn¡¯t possibly deal with them in his current state. However, he soon realized they were much smaller than thest one. ¡®No. You fucking don¡¯t!!¡¯ Expelling another costly burst of mana, he cleaved the creatures right off him, leaving his stash down to a fifth of his original reserves. It wouldn¡¯t be enough to fix a regr host, but these people didn¡¯t seem like they¡¯d need too many patches. ¡®To hell with it, I¡¯ll do it!¡¯ Having decided to take a gamble, he rushed towards the nearest soul he could find. The first two werepletely healthy, only the third one being in this peculiar condition. It was at Yellow ¨C stronger than he had initially nned for ¨C but he no longer had the luxury to dy. More monsters could attack any moment now. And he sorelycked the means to defend himself for a third time. The strange soul erged in his vision, as he finally escaped to ¡°safety¡±, finding himself in the somewhat familiar position inside somebody¡¯s body. Though he felt extremely crammed this time, his soul wisp having to squeeze to a fraction of its size to fit. The cracks in this person¡¯s soul were tiny, not leaving him any space to move. Suddenly, he felt something pushing him in a certain direction. It was as if he was clogging a narrow pipe, and somebody was filling one end with water. Though it wasn¡¯t water ¨C it was something else he recognized. ¡®Soul mana!¡¯ But he couldn¡¯t control it, as it clearly belonged to somebody else, filled to the brim with their willpower. Without his core, he couldn¡¯t rece it with his own. The mana continued to push, as the friction against the pipe¡¯s walls hurt him, scraping chunks of his soul away from him. He was about to beg his host to stop whatever it was they were doing, when he finally popped out one end, finding himself inside a slightlyrger space. It was still small, but at least it didn¡¯t hurt as much to be there. It contained even more soul mana than the pipe, his host finally allowing it to flood Percy, soothing his injuries slightly. ¡®Am I inside this person¡¯s mana core?!¡¯ His connection to his new host was significantly weaker than any of his previous ones, as he hadn¡¯t interfaced with their soul as much, and thus couldn¡¯t tap into their body, nor their senses. A few secondster, his host spoke to somebody, their words inadvertently seeping into Percy¡¯s mind. At least, the connection seemed to bundle the words with their corresponding meaning, allowing him to understand them ¨C a minor convenience in an otherwise shitty situation. The voice sounded female, but he wasn¡¯t sure how well his preconceived notions tranted to the natives. ¡°Dad! It worked! I¡¯ve caught one!¡± Chapter 146: Spectral fiend Percy listened to the girl talk to her father for a while, trying to piece together the situation from her words alone. Sadly, he couldn¡¯t tap into her ears due to their weaker connection, so he couldn¡¯t ess the man¡¯s side of the conversation. Apparently, she was under the impression she had captured a kind of creature she referred to as a ¡°spectral fiend¡±. Percy couldn¡¯t be certain, but he strongly suspected the monsters that had attacked him in the vicinity of this world fell in that category. It was quite eye-opening, as he hadn¡¯t even known soul-based entities existed out there, roaming the universe. He guessed they were rtively scarce, as that would exin why he¡¯d never encountered any, but he did make a mental note to be more careful from now on. ¡®So, these people are intentionally injuring themselves and leaking soul mana from their bodies, to lure the creatures and trap them in their cores¡­¡¯ That still didn¡¯t exin what they nned to do with the fiend once they caught one, nor why they had failed to identify him as something else. Perking up, he continued following the conversation, hoping for some answers. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think it has four heads...¡± she said with some disappointment evident in her voice. ¡°Let me check again real quick.¡± A wave of mana brushed over Percy, though it felt different than before. The mana had purpose behind it, seemingly scanning his soul for something rather than blindly umting in his wounds to mend them. This only confirmed his guess that the natives knew a lot of valuable soul spells he could learn. Granted, he had to get out of this mess first. ¡°Er¡­ I¡¯m not sure what it is. It doesn¡¯t have a defined appearance. It¡¯s more of a blob. Maybe it¡¯s damaged?¡± she wondered. Percy would have rolled his eyes if he had any. Of course he was ¡°damaged¡±! He was just a soul clone ¨C a severed piece of his main body¡¯s soul! Not to mention all the other crap he¡¯d endured over thest few hours. Though he focused on the other thing the girl had said. Apparently, there was more than one type of spectral fiend. She and her father were currently trying to identify which one she¡¯d captured.¡°You¡¯re right. Whatever it is, it¡¯s not like I have a choice anyway. I¡¯ll try absorbing it.¡± she said, shocking Percy. ¡®Wh-What?! Absorb me?! That¡¯s not what I signed up for!¡¯ Panicking, he reached out to the walls of her core, trying to strengthen his connection to her, as more mana began umting around him, preparing for some intricate spell. ¡®Wait! Whatever you¡¯re doing, stop!!¡¯ he yelled, hoping she could hear him. Luckily, he seemed to have gotten through to her, as she hesitated, the spell fizzling out before it even formed. ¡°You can speak?!¡± she asked in disbelief. ¡°No, not you dad! The fiend ¨C I know it¡¯s crazy, but I think it just talked to me!¡± Capitalizing on this, Percy hurriedly reached out again. ¡®Yes! I¡¯m not sure what these fiends are, but I¡¯m not one of them! I¡¯m a person like you, from a faraway ce. I ended up in your body by¡­ ident.¡¯ he replied, choosing his words carefully. ¡°Nice try buddy, but I¡¯m not buying it.¡± the girl said, dashing his hopes. ¡°It¡¯s saying it¡¯s not a fiend, though it HAS to be lying, right? How else would I have captured it?¡± It was annoying, but Percy had no idea how to exin himself. He hadn¡¯t spotted any souls above Yellow back when he was observing this world. Clearly, they didn¡¯t have any means of advancement, which meant they didn¡¯t have any gods either. Suffice to say, they couldn¡¯t produce any Decrees, so they wouldn¡¯t know what a bloodline was. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Still, he tried. ¡®Look, I have no idea what your goal is, but it won¡¯t work. You¡¯ll just hurt both of us, as I¡¯m NOT a fiend! Why don¡¯t you y it safe and just let me go? You can always capture another er! You might even end up with that four-headed one you wanted!¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s not how it works...¡± she sighed. ¡°We don¡¯t get to choose what fiend we attract. The type is fixed for each person, as it has to do with the very nature of their soul. It doesn¡¯t matter how many times I do this, I¡¯ll only end up with more of you.¡± ¡®Yeah¡­ I sincerely doubt that.¡¯ Percy wanted to bang his head against the wall. His host was stubborn as a mule. Grasping at straws, he tried offering an alternative. ¡°Why don¡¯t you get somebody else to capture the type you want then? Isn¡¯t it possible to pass the fiend over to you?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t work.¡± she shot the idea down. ¡°People have tried it, but it always ends badly. You¡¯re only supposed to absorb the type that naturallyes to you. Anything else is ipatible. Suffice to say, the trait I¡¯ll get after absorbing you is also fixed.¡± The implications were interesting. It appeared the people of this world all shared the soul affinity, but that didn¡¯t mean they had the same starting point. Other than the usual diversity of grade at birth, they apparently differed based on the type of fiend they could absorb. Percy still didn¡¯t know what these traits did, but he could already imagine some were better than others, giving their owners an advantage over their peers. ¡®I wonder if I can learn to absorb a fiend too with my main body¡­¡¯ Oblivious to his thoughts, however, the girl stirred her mana up once more, clearly done talking. Percy wanted to swear. Technically, he had enough mana left to free himself if he really wanted. He was weaker than her ¨C especially given the circumstances ¨C but he was also right inside her most vulnerable spot. Her core. Spectral fiends were probably unable to fight back while trapped, as the natives¡¯ technique seemed topress and distort one¡¯s body, robbing the creatures of their ws and fangs. That didn¡¯t apply to him, however. He was pretty sure he could still form a teal dagger to rip the girl¡¯s soul apart from within. But he couldn¡¯t bring himself to do that. His host might be annoying, but she was just a dumb kid trying to get stronger. Murdering his way out was a bit much. ¡®Should I self-destruct?¡¯ It would suck big time, but his main body would recover after a couple of months. Though he¡¯d lose all his memories of this ce.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Sadly, the girl didn¡¯t wait for him to decide. Suddenly, a powerful pressure descended on him from all directions, as the mana began to spin around him, grating his soul. With each revolution, he felt more pieces chip away, as his wisp continued to shrink, a wave of untold agony oveing him. ¡®Fuuuukkk!¡¯ he screamed, as he forced himself to the core¡¯s walls. ¡®Stop this right now, or we¡¯ll both get hurt!¡¯ he warned, pulling all of his mana out, forging the thinnest needle he could manage. But the girl ignored him, showing no intention of pausing. Left with no choice, Percy stabbed at her core, nicking it. This elicited a strong reaction from his host. ¡°Aaaahhh!! What are you doing?!¡± she shrieked. Yet, she didn¡¯t stop, so neither did Percy. The relentless tornado of soul mana continued to peelyer afteryer of his wisp off, as he left one scratch after another in her core. For now, the wounds wouldn¡¯t be lethal, but fuck if they didn¡¯t hurt! Both parties stubbornly continued for several minutes, as Percy¡¯s soul shrunk to about a third of its original size. ¡®I can¡¯t keep this up¡­¡¯ he smiled bitterly. If he kept hurting the girl, he might actually cause some permanent damage. There was also the question of what would happen to him if he allowed her to fully absorb him. He could already sense a faint ethereal cord beginning to coalesce. It was still just a pale imitation of the real connection he shared with his clones and Micky, but if this continued, his main body might end up with a slot permanently upied by this random stranger. Yet, just when he was about to turn his mana against himself to self-destruct, the spell finally halted. ¡°Ok¡­! I give up¡­! Just¡­ stop this!¡± the girl cried amidst sobs. Percy would have sighed in relief, though his situation was far from enviable. At this point, his thoughts were groggy, and his soul hurt all over. Hell, he didn¡¯t even know if he¡¯d survive the return trip like this. ¡®Whatever¡­ let¡¯s just see what I¡¯m dealing with here¡­¡¯ he decided, pulling his Status up while still in contact with his host¡¯s core. Though he ignored the usual suspects, focusing only on the important things. Sol (Percival''s clone) Mana cores:
  • [Mana core 1 ¨C Yellow ¨C Soul]
  • [Mana core 2 ¨C Seed ¨C ???]
Spectral trait:
  • [Beacon]
Chapter 147: Beacon ¡®Holy shit¡­ Whatever she did actually worked¡­¡¯ Percy struggled to believe it, but the evidence was right there, in his Status. His host had actually obtained a trait from him! Did that mean his clone qualified as a spectral fiend? It was bizarre, yet he wasn¡¯t in the mood to think about it too deeply. The whole experience had left him tired and weak. He felt like he was about to pass out any moment now.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Suddenly, the soul mana in his surroundings stirred, carrying him in a certain direction. Squeezing through Sol¡¯s channels was still rather painful, but it wasn¡¯t as bad as before. He had already shrunk a great deal, so he didn¡¯t getpressed nearly as much. It didn¡¯t take much prodding for her to push him along the narrow tube, before expelling him from her body, stuffing him into another container. At least, this one was more spacious than her core¡­ ¡®Wh-What are they doing?!¡¯ he wondered, but didn¡¯t have the strength to do much else. He was no longer in contact with anybody¡¯s soul, so he couldn¡¯t evenmunicate with these people. His main body¡¯s pull was at an all-time high, but whatever they had ced him in prevented him from leaving. Out of options, heshed out against the walls of his new abode, before his exhaustion won out, his consciousness fading to ck. *** The next time he came to, he noted his condition was slightly better. He felt a steady supply of soul mana warming him up, gently licking his wounds, healing him slowly. That said, it would take years to restore him to his original state at this rate. At least, this arrangement kept him from degrading further. ¡®Hello?! Can anyone hear me?!¡¯ he asked, touching the walls of the container.No reply. It didn¡¯t seem like he was inside a person this time. ¡®Well, I suppose it was a fun trip while itsted¡­ Or not really¡­¡¯ he sighed internally, checking his reserves. Suffice to say, he barely had any mana left. He¡¯d used most of it while fighting the spectral fiends before entering this world. Afterwards, he¡¯d used whatever dregs had remained to forge that needle he¡¯d stabbed Sol with. Though he did manage to recover some of that. In theory, he could make something sharp with it to self-destruct. This promised to be a tedious, painful and messy task, but he should be able to do it with some effort, dismantling his clone one tiny piece at a time. That ought to free up the connection to his main body. ¡®And all this because she couldn¡¯t hold on for a couple minutes, to discuss things like a civilized person¡­¡¯ he groaned in annoyance. However, something happened when he thought back to the stubborn girl. It was strange, as he had none of his usual senses in this state, and the container even blocked his ability to feel injured souls in his vicinity. Yet, somehow, he could tell which way Sol was! It wasn¡¯t quite at the level of his connection to his main body or Micky though. If he had to describe it, this was more like a ¡®nascent cord¡¯, a step weaker than the real thing. He doubted they¡¯d be able tomunicate or transfer any mana through it. ¡®Is this what the Status meant by ¡°Beacon¡±?¡¯ Was this half-baked connection Sol¡¯s new trait? Not the most optimal oue for either of them. Once he destroyed his clone, the connection would probably be lost. He didn¡¯t think it would get transferred to his main body. Even if it somehow did, would he be able to sense her location all the way from Remior? Without the clone¡¯s memories, he wouldn¡¯t even know about this ce. ¡®I don¡¯t think it¡¯s great for her either.¡¯ The girl had made it clear she could only ever absorb a single fiend. He still wasn¡¯t sure if this qualified, but it was entirely possible she had just wasted her only slot, filling it up with something useless. ¡®Well¡­ Not my problem¡­¡¯ Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred tform. Support original creators! Whatever the case was, she¡¯d brought it upon herself. Percy was about to draw his fused mana out again, when the container shook. ¡°Ber kan il theig?¡±a female voice asked. He recognized her, though she sounded a little mutedpared to when he was inside her core. More importantly, he couldn¡¯t understand the words like this. ¡®I can hear you!¡¯ he yelled back. ¡°Tam keliz!¡± she eximed. She must¡¯ve heard him, though she was talking to somebody else now. Her dad, probably. ¡°Ber kan il gimaz?¡± the vessel shook again as another voice spoke, this one male. A few minutes and some more gibberishter, the three of them established they wouldn¡¯t get anything done like this. Just when Percy thought they would release him, destroy him, or ce him in some dusty cab and forget about him, he felt a powerful suction force pulling him out of the container. Soon, he was back in somebody¡¯s mana channels, following the path to their core. ¡°I¡¯m warning you! If you try anything funny again, I¡¯m going to destroy you this time!¡± Sol spoke. ¡®Warning ME?!¡¯ Percy sneered. ¡®Should I remind you who it was that tried to absorb me in the first ce?¡¯ he fired back. At least, it was nice they could understand each other again. ¡°Look. We clearly got off on the wrong foot.¡± she sighed, taking a step back. ¡°I¡¯ll admit I shouldn¡¯t have done that, as soon as you apologize for everything else.¡± Her audacity left him speechless. Still, rather than continuing the pointless argument, he figured it was more productive to move past it. Focusing on her words, he realized her tone was a lot different than before. During their previous interaction, she had acted all smug and entirely uninterested in hearing him out. Right now, things were different. While her half-assed apology left much to be desired, she appeared genuinely interested in mending the broken bridges. For some reason. ¡®What changed?¡¯ he cut to the chase, too tired to beat around the bush. The girl exhaled in exasperation. ¡°I suppose you wouldn¡¯t know¡­¡± she said, before borating. ¡°Naturally, every kid has some idea of what fiend they¡¯d like to absorb, but like I¡¯ve previously exined, that¡¯s not up to them. We¡¯re all stuck with whatever we happen to get.¡± ¡®So?¡¯ ¡°So, our ancestors have long drilled into us the importance of epting our trait regardless. Whether we like it or not, our most important job is to figure out how to make the most of it, to serve our society to the best of our ability. Refusing to do so is a big taboo.¡± Percy nodded, thinking they probably had some means of identifying their trait even without a Status. ¡°And what does that mean for you?¡± he asked again. ¡°What else?!¡± she snapped. ¡°I¡¯m stuck with the most useless trait ever! As far as I can tell, the only thing it does is letting you sense my location.¡± ¡®I fail to see how that¡¯s my problem.¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s your problem, because it¡¯s now my civic duty to make YOU useful, somehow!¡± ¡®Not sure if you¡¯ve noticed, but there isn¡¯t even that much of me left.¡¯ Next, Percy exined how his clones worked. He talked about the many adventures he¡¯d had, though he obviously left a few of the more sensitive things out. That said, he did make it clear just how many things he could teach her. Of course, he had no intention of teaching her Cirction, nor did he know if they had any ingredients suitable for alchemy. Still, he didn¡¯t mind passing along Sengo¡¯s craft or showing her how to draw runes. ¡°So, you can hide your mana with this enchantment?! Our hunters will be able to sneak up to their prey more easily!¡± she whistled in appreciation. ¡°Teach me!¡± ¡®Girl, you¡¯re not listening. The runes are tooplicated to describe like this. I¡¯ll need to tap into your eyes and hands to demonstrate any of the things I¡¯ve mentioned. Sadly, that¡¯s not an option right now.¡¯ Percy had already tried to strengthen his connection to her, but it wasn¡¯t working. ¡°What if I let you return to your main body? Do you promise toe back after you recover?¡± Percy didn¡¯t know whether to cry orugh at her naivete. She¡¯d trapped him, injured him, trapped him some more, and now she even wanted him to bend over backwards to serve her. But he swallowed the harsh words he was about to speak. ¡®I don¡¯t know if I can find the way here. It depends on how far that trait of yours can reach me. Either way, that¡¯s not the only problem. I won¡¯t survive the trip like this.¡¯ Percy was confident he¡¯d get eaten by a fiend long before he escaped this ce. He was positively tiny, and without any means of defending himself. Hell, his soul might even crumble on its own on the way to Remior. ¡°Crap! Why does everything have to be soplicated?!¡± Sol groaned. ¡®Because of you¡­¡¯ Percy wanted to roll his eyes. But he spoke again a few secondster, offering a solution. ¡®Listen. It¡¯s not all bad. I won¡¯t be able to escape as I am, but there might be a way for both of us to benefit.¡¯ ¡°How so?¡± she asked with some hope in her voice. ¡®You¡¯ll help me recover as much as possible and replenish my mana stash until I¡¯m ready to survive the trip. Naturally, you¡¯ll also exin what you¡¯re doing, teaching me how to heal my soul more efficiently. Consider that my payment for all the shit you¡¯ve put me through.¡¯ Percy hadn¡¯t missed how her soul injuries had improved. Clearly, these people knew what they were doing. ¡°And how do I know you¡¯ll reallye back afterwards?¡± ¡®You don¡¯t.¡¯ he said. He could practically feel her bubbling protest, but he stopped her in her tracks. ¡®Look. If you ever want to see me again, here¡¯s what you¡¯re going to do. You¡¯ll ept some ountability over your damn mess and start showing some good will. Do that, and I mighte back here, if and when it suits me.¡¯ The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 148: Good will Delivering his ultimatum, Percy doubted Sol would ept his terms. He¡¯d made a whole lot of demands, promising very little in return. It wasn¡¯t like he could help it though. After all, he couldn¡¯t give her much in his current state. Any favours from his end would have to wait until he recovered. Surprisingly, the girl agreed ¨C against all odds. ¡®I guess she¡¯s serious about making the most of her trait.¡¯ Either way, this appeared to be quite a novel experience for them both. Percy could tell his host wasn¡¯t used to swallowing her pride and working with others. Meanwhile, this was a first for him too, as he was stuck in one ce, unable to interact with the world around him. Without ess to the girl¡¯s senses, he couldn¡¯t see what her house was like, or how big her town or city was. Hell, Percy still had no idea what the locals even looked like, or how they used their soul mana. ¡®All the more reason toe back then¡­¡¯ While their initial interaction had been a little rocky, he didn¡¯t hold it against the girl. Percy could tell she was rather young too ¨C maybe in her mid-teens? In any case, he very much intended to uphold his end of the deal, returning to this ce the first chance he got. After all, there was plenty of value to be gained here. Of course, that was assuming he managed to return to Remior first¡­ Sadly, their results in that area were rather mixed. At Yellow, Sol was among the most magically gifted ss of natives, so there was hardly a better ce to find soul mana than right inside her core. Despite that, it was already a struggle for her to prevent Percy¡¯s condition from deteriorating further, let alone helping him recover. ¡®I don¡¯t think my clones were ever meant to heal on their own¡­¡¯ he thought bitterly. The severed chunks of his soul he crafted his clones out of weren¡¯t exactly dead, but they couldn¡¯t be considered alive either. His bloodline allowed them to survive for an extended period of time on their own, yet repairing the isted wisps outside his body was a tall order. Both Sol and her father ¨C Mi, as he¡¯de to learn ¨C were currently working together to that end. They were focusing their efforts, fighting an uphill battle to fix Percy¡¯s soul faster than it broke.Watching the father and daughter operate on him over thest couple of days, Percy had learned a lot about healing soul injuries. While he was no stranger to mending his soul ¨C having done this countless times since discovering his affinity ¨C he now understood just how crude his methods were byparison. Blindly flooding a wound with mana and hoping it closed was the healing equivalent of tossing orbs of soul mana at the wood goblins to kill them. Suffice to say, there was plenty more to the art once he dug a little deeper. For example, Sol had shown him that applying soul mana uniformly along a wound¡¯s surface was inefficient. It was better to focus it in several interspaced locations, growing lots of thin tendrils. Afterwards, the gaps between the tendrils could be filled a lot more easily. ¡®It¡¯s really eye opening¡­¡¯ This wasn¡¯t something he would have ever discovered on his own. At least, not without decades upon decades of tests. Percy couldn¡¯t wait to learn more from these people. This was a veritable treasure trove for a soul affinity user like him! And that was just the beginning. Another thing he¡¯d learned was that healing a wound directly was ill-advised. It was better to use the mana to activate and enhance the soul¡¯s natural regeneration. The results appeared slower at the beginning, but the gains umted over time, resulting in a much faster and moreplete recovery with a mere fraction of the cost.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Finally, there was onest nifty trick they¡¯d shown him. ¡°Hey, stop dozing off!¡± Sol said in an irritated tone. ¡°If you want this to work, we need your cooperation!¡± ¡®Easy for you to say¡­¡¯ Percy protested. ¡®I have trouble even staying awake.¡¯ Apparently, the healing was more effective if the patient actively participated in the process. This was a unique aspect of soul-based injuries, as people had a much stronger connection to their soul than they did to their flesh. With some prodding, Percy could help the mana along, guiding his soul to grow. Of course, this wasn¡¯t always applicable, as the patient needed to have some rudimentary understanding of souls and soul mana at the very least. Suffice to say, Percy wouldn¡¯t be able to use it when healing others, but it was definitely helpful when dealing with his own injuries. Yet, even with all this, the three had barely made any progress. Percy¡¯s clone had grown slightlyrger, though the improvements had started to slow down by the third day. Despite all the measures they¡¯d taken, and all the sophisticated healing techniques, his deterioration was beginning to gain ground over his recovery. ¡®At this rate, I¡¯ll stop improving by the end of the week.¡¯ he thought grimly. ¡°Father says you¡¯ll have to make the trip soon.¡± Sol suddenly said, confirming his suspicions. It wasn¡¯t ideal, because he estimated he¡¯d only reach about two thirds of his original size before he began to shrink again. Even worse, his own mana stash was all but exhausted, so they¡¯d have to work on supplying him with some of Sol¡¯s. ¡®Do you think we can take a short break?¡¯ he asked. ¡®I want to test something.¡¯ Mana cores were the very organs responsible for seizing control over ambient mana, allowing their owner to convert it to their affinity, while attaching their willpower to it. Percy had been able to use his hosts¡¯ cores in the past, adding his willpower to the mana thanks to their bond. However, he didn¡¯t know if that was possible right now, given his half-baked connection to Sol. If he couldn¡¯t do this, he¡¯d have to fight his way through the horde of spectral fiends essentially unarmed¡­ Listening to him, the girl paused the recovery process, allowing Percy to give this a try. Thetter reached out at the core¡¯s walls, trying to enhance their connection as well as the circumstances would allow. It wasn¡¯t much but, at least, he was in direct contact with Sol¡¯s core, so he was able to tap into it a little better than the rest of her body. ¡®Let¡¯s see¡­ Can you try withdrawing your willpower from the mana?¡¯ From his current perspective, the girl¡¯s grasp on her mana was firm and borderline unshakeable. He was too weak to pry it from her control. If he wanted to snatch some for his own use, he needed her to actively relinquish her hold on the substance. Heeding his request, the girl did that to the best of her ability, as Percy tried again. It was still difficult, but he did manage to seize a sliver of mana eventually. Granted, it was way too little to make a difference. ¡®Ugh¡­ It¡¯ll take me days to gather enough¡­¡¯ They couldn¡¯t afford to pause the healing until then. The only solution would be to do both at the same time, with Percy trying to restock his reserves as Sol and Mi continued to mend his soul. ¡°Well, this sucks. If you¡¯re focused on that, you won¡¯t be able to help with the healing either.¡± Sol pitched in. Percy nodded. It was even worse. It would be harder for her to ease her control on the mana while using it to heal him too. Like this, they¡¯d run out of time even faster. ¡®Well, there¡¯s no helping it.¡¯ he sent her the mental equivalent of a shrug. ¡®Having some mana to defend myself is just as important as my soul¡¯s integrity. I suppose we¡¯ll have to do both things to the best of our ability¡­¡¯ ¡°Make those three things.¡± she said after a moment¡¯s hesitation. Percy frowned. ¡®What do you mean?¡¯ ¡°You have a soul affinity with your main body, don¡¯t you? Since you didn¡¯t seem to know anything about the spectral fiends, I suppose it¡¯s safe to assume you don¡¯t have a trait either, right?¡± Percy¡¯s heart would have skipped a beat if he had one. But he didn¡¯t say anything, letting her continue. ¡°I¡¯ll use what little time we have left to exin how to attract, capture and absorb a fiend into your soul.¡± And there it was. Percy naturally wanted to learn this above all else, though he¡¯d decided to not push his luck too far. He was already d Sol had agreed to demonstrate her healing art and help him escape this ce with no guarantee he¡¯de back. ¡®I thought you¡¯d keep this as a bargaining chip to force me to return.¡¯ ¡°That was my intention at first.¡± she admitted. ¡°But I considered your earlier words. Percy¡­ I wasn¡¯t lying when I said I intend to make the most of my trait. In this case, it means establishing a good rtionship with you.¡± ¡®Meaning?¡¯ ¡°Meaning, that I¡¯m going to start demonstrating some good will.¡± Chapter 149: Blockade ¡°¡­multiple shallow incisions in your soul, before intentionally leaking soul mana through them to lure the fiends¡­¡± Percy struggled to keep himself awake as he listened to Sol¡¯s exnation for the dozenth time. ¡°¡­push it through your channels until it reaches your core and then mp down on it as hard as you can with your mana. You need to do that before it has the chance to go on a rampage¡­¡± It was hard, because he also had to focus on helping her and her father with the healing process, while snatching as much of her mana as he could, one drop at a time. ¡°¡­slowly grind it to nothing, while disseminating the mana throughout your soul to absorb its tra¨C¡± ¡®Sol¡­ I think that¡¯s about all we can do¡­¡¯ he suddenly said, cutting her short. He didn¡¯t know if he would retain any of this informationter ¨C despite the several times she¡¯d repeated it ¨C but the size of his clone¡¯s wisp had already teaued. Everyone involved knew it would only be downhill from here. ¡°So, is this it? Are you ready to go for it?¡± she asked. ¡®¡±Ready¡± might be a strong word¡­¡¯ he smiled bitterly. ¡®But let¡¯s go with ¡°yes¡±.¡¯¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what Percy just told me. Dying at this point will only make things worse.¡± she said, probably speaking to her dad. Percy felt his consciousness slipping, but he stubbornly held on. It would be quite a pity to pass out now and waste all their efforts. After all, whether they seeded or not, it wouldn¡¯t be much longer until his suffering was over.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Soon, some more foreign mana enveloped him. It didn¡¯t belong to Sol, though he recognized its owner, as Mi had spent thest couple of days assisting with his recovery. Though he was pouring a lot more mana into his daughter¡¯s core right now. Allowing foreign mana into one¡¯s core ¨C and especially such a massive amount all at once ¨C was tantamount to giving a stranger the power to determine one¡¯s life or death. Suffice to say, mages generally avoided it, unless they deeply trusted the other party. But Percy shook the pointless thoughts out of his mind, as the mana shrouded him, forming a thickyer around him. ¡®Is this to shield me, or to make me less appealing to the fiends?¡¯ He was definitely interested in hearing more about it, though he ultimately refrained from asking. Unfortunately, he had neither the time, nor the mental capacity to learn another trick right now. Whatever this was, it would have to wait until he returned. ¡°All done¡­¡± Sol said, though her voice trailed off, as if she was hesitating about something. ¡°Percy¡­ I¡¯m sorry about earlier. You were right. All this would have been avoided had we talked things out, but I was too eager to get myself a trait to wait and listen.¡± she added a momentter. Suffice to say, Percy was taken aback by her apology, not having expected this from the girl. Evidently, he¡¯d misjudged her. As it turned out, she wasn¡¯t that bad a person once he got to know her. She was just an impulsive teenager. In fact, Percy felt a little guilty, as he knew he was partly at fault for this mess too. After all, he was the one who¡¯d put himself in this precarious position in the first ce. Not to mention how self-centred he¡¯d been during their subsequent cooperation. ¡®Don¡¯t beat yourself up too much. If you hadn¡¯t tried to absorb me, I wouldn¡¯t even have the means to return here. This might all end up for the best.¡¯ Feeling a little bad that he¡¯d ended up taking more than he¡¯d given, he decided to throw a little bonus at them. Something he wasn¡¯t originally nning on sharing. ¡®And one more thing¡­ By the next time we meet, make sure to strengthen your soul as much as possible. I don¡¯t have a method that would work for you, but I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find a way. After that, clear and temper ALL your mana channels as much as possible.¡¯ ¡°What for?¡± ¡®It¡¯s a surprise.¡¯ Leaving it at that, the two bid each other farewell, before the girl finally expelled Percy from her pores, allowing him to drift away into the distance. Naturally, he was still blind and deaf,pletely incapable of telling where he was going or what lied before him. But that was ok. He didn¡¯t need to do that, as the cord pulling him to his main body would take care of navigation. And boy did it do just that, as it forcefully yanked him right off, dragging him away from this world the name of which he had yet to hear, pulling his disembodied wisp through the cosmos. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡®Fuck! Does it have to be so fast?!¡¯ he wondered, his very soul trembling under the pressure. His only hope was that his speed would allow him to pass through the blockade of fiends undetected. A hope soon dashed¡­ Suddenly, he felt a powerful force mp down on his side. If this was a fiend¡¯s jaw, it certainly appeared many timesrger than any he¡¯d encountered before. Though perhaps that was due to his own smaller size. Luckily, the oversized teeth slid right off him, tearing a mouthful of Mi¡¯s mana along the way. Evidently, Mi¡¯s spell had applied some kind of oily coat around him, making it much harder for the creatures to grab a hold of him. ¡®But it won¡¯tst long¡­¡¯ Percy didn¡¯t know if he was still in the vicinity of Sol¡¯s world. He shouldn¡¯t be, right? Given his current speed, and what he knew about the ne of souls, he should have already travelled halfway across the cosmos by now. Then again, he might not be travelling as quickly as he¡¯d thought. Perhaps, his perception of time was skewed, as it often was in this ce. ¡®Or are the fiends chasing me all the way to Remior?!¡¯ In any case, it didn¡¯t seem like getting away was going to be easy¡­ A second fiend bit down at him, followed by a third and a fourth. Mi¡¯s shield held, but it was thinning fast. Percy would be lucky if it managed to fend another blow. Out of options, he began to draw upon the mana he had snatched from Sol. In the end, he¡¯d barely replenished a fraction of his stash, but it would have to do. Gathering it at a point within his wisp, he willed it to coalesce into a thin needle. He didn¡¯t know where the next attack woulde from, so he¡¯d have to wait until after he took some damage to try and fend off his pursuer. Some unknown period of timeter, another fiend swiped at him with its w, peeling the finalyer of Mi¡¯s mana off, as well as a chunk of Percy¡¯s clone with it. Just like that, he was already back to the terrible state he¡¯d spent thest few days recovering from! But he didn¡¯t panic, only clenching the needle more tightly. It wasn¡¯t long until the next fiend reached him, though this attack went down a little differently to what he was expecting. Rather than getting bitten or mangled directly, Percy merely felt something close around him, as a powerful force fought against his main body¡¯s pull, dragging him away from Remior. ¡®Shit! It¡¯s arge one!¡¯ This was probably thergest fiend he¡¯d encountered so far. Unlike the others, this one didn¡¯t threaten the integrity of his soul directly, happy to swallow him whole. Of course, that was plenty problematic in and of itself. Given the creature¡¯s size, it would be even harder to fight his way out with the tiny needle. And he did have to fight his way out, as the fiend was already pulling him further and further from his destination, undoing all his hard work! ¡®No, you don¡¯t!¡¯ Lashing out with as much strength as he could muster, he fought to dig a path out of the creature¡¯s stomach ¨C that was where he assumed he was, though he hadn¡¯t felt himself ssh into acid. Still, he did feel an intense burning sensation envelop him, trying to dissolve his soul into nothing. Swiftly running out of time, Percy pushed more and more of his stashed mana into the construct, stabbing at the fiend repeatedly, causing it to spasm. ¡®This isn¡¯t working¡­¡¯ He was taking more damage than the creature, shrinking rapidly. Even his mental faculties were starting to get affected, causing him to grow groggy. His exhaustion was piling up, and his memories faded one after the other, as his past became harder and harder to recall. At some point, he even caught himself sitting motionless inside the monster¡¯s belly, having momentarily forgotten his purpose! ¡®No. I can¡¯t afford to stop. If I can¡¯t bust myself out, it¡¯s over!¡¯ he thought, harnessing the agonizing pain to jolt himself awake. Unleashing a barrage of lunges with renewed vigour, Percy desperately fought to extricate himself from the trap. At the same time, he focused on what mattered the most, keeping it at the very forefront of his copsing mind. ¡®There are only three things I need to remember.¡¯ His promise to Sol, the healing art they had taught him and the method to absorb a fiend. That was it ¨C all this clone currently amounted to. Nothing else mattered. His main body already possessed all his other memories, and the universe didn¡¯t really need a second Percy. His one and only job was to bring thesetest acquisitions back to Remior. Everything else was disposable. Percy stabbed and kept stabbing, as more and more of his soul melted down, his size shrinking. And with it, more memories faded, one after the other. His life in the Avalon mansion? Gone. ine? The pilgrimage to Phoebe¡¯s temple? His time with Baldy? Huehue? Micky? The Guild? The Vault? Gabe? Nesha? Sengo? Metatron? All gone. It wasn¡¯t important. ¡®Injure myself¡­ Lure a fiend¡­ Absorb it¡­ Heal¡­ Return to Sol¡­ Injure myself¡­ Lure a fiend¡­¡¯ His mind was on a loop, repeating the girl¡¯s teachings, while never pausing his assault on the creature for even a second. In the end, Percy failed to dig a hole through its stomach, however. It simply wasn¡¯t meant to be. He was way too weak, and the fiend way toorge. But his efforts hadn¡¯t been for naught either. He did manage to irritate the monster enough to spit him right out, into the endless void. Not that he was in the mood to celebrate, of course¡­ At this point, almost nothing remained of Percy. His mind was nearly gone, and hecked the mental capacity to evenprehend his situation. His thoughts had been reduced to vague words and blurry images. ¡®Injure¡­ Lure¡­ Absorb¡­ Heal¡­ Return¡­ Injure¡­¡¯ Had something attacked him again, he wouldn¡¯t have stood a chance. As fate would have it, however, that didn¡¯t happen. Maybe he was too tiny for the fiends to bother with. Or maybe therge one had carried him away from the rest of its kin before throwing him up. Either way, the cord continued to pull him towards Remior, as he picked up more speed with each passing second. At this point, Percy couldn¡¯t even be considered a person. He had been reduced to nothing more than a damaged message! But the message did reach his main body, eventually. What the original Percy would manage to make out from the scattered memories remained to be seen, though one thing was certain¡­ Percy had died today. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 150: Harvester Chapter 150: Harvester Earlier The four remaining nobles of House Tantalus stared at theirpanion¡¯s lifeless body as it sank into the bog¡¯s stale waters. They struggled toprehend how theirrade had dropped dead out of the blue. But the culprit, Percy, didn¡¯t much care about their thoughts, watching Micky dive towards them at a dizzying speed, his plumage lit up in amber and green. ¡°Watch out! It¡¯s the bird!¡± the only woman in the group yelled. But she was a little toote. By the time the rest had managed to draw some mana out, the crow had already reached his first target, carving six nasty gashes through the man¡¯s back, ripping his very soul to shreds. The rest hastily threw their half-baked spells at Micky, trying to knock him out of the sky. Sadly for them, they hit nothing but empty air, the crow already fading in the distance. ¡°After it!¡± another man shouted ¨C their leader most likely. Micky was their target after all ¨C the very reason their family had sent them to this ce. Of course, Percy could already tell from their rattled expressions that they had expected a regr Green beast. Not¡­ whatever Micky was. And, unfortunately for them, this wasn¡¯t their only mistake today. Percy followed the group in silence, crouching through the dense undergrowth. The fools had yet to notice him, busy chasing his familiar as they were. What they had failed to realize, however, was that the crow wasn¡¯t the one being hunted.They were. The crow intentionally slowed down to keep them on its trail. Like that, one bird and four mages slowly trekked through the swamp, as Micky guided them right where he and Percy wanted them. ¡°Uggghhhh!¡± ¡°Eeekk!¡± Two of them shouted as the muddy ground gave way beneath their feet. It copsed, causing them to drop into a pair of pitfalls reaching up to their waist, a flood of grimy water rushing at them from all directions, trying to drown them. Naturally, the traps weren¡¯t mundane ¨C they had been crafted by Nesha, using her budding understanding of the ¡°pocket¡± rune. This rune was far from the only one necessary to craft a spatial amulet, as the magical trinkets wereplex devices involving multiple enchantments. However, it was arguably the most important one. As the name implied, it was responsible for the pocket dimension that was the bread and butter of the artifacts. All the other enchantments were auxiliary, meant for holding everything together and giving the amulets other features of convenience, such as letting them open or close at will. Sadly, Nesha hadn¡¯t had ess to the other runes, nor the time to master them. Suffice to say, she wouldn¡¯t be making Percy a new amulet anytime soon. That said, carving a few crude versions of the ¡°pocket¡± rune on some t bs of stone hadn¡¯t been too difficult. ¡®If only she could close them at will, it would have made everything simpler¡­¡¯ Percy smiled bitterly. Currently, Nesha could only remotely trigger the traps, to impair their opponents. In the future, she might be able to do even more useful things with them, such as directly splitting her enemies¡¯ bodies in half. A project to work towards. ncing around, Percy soon found hispanion hidden behind a nearby tree. He nodded at her, signalling her to disengage. She¡¯d already done more than enough. Staying here any longer could be dangerous, as her personal magic could still use some work. ¡°Help us!¡± one of the trapped nobles yelled at theirst member. He was wing against the mud, trying to swim out of the trap. Unfortunately for him, the vacuum around him was still drawing a powerful current, making it much harder to extricate himself. This narrative has been uwfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. As for thest noble, he rushed back to hispanions, looking like he was about to drag them out of the traps, when Micky dove at him to stop him. The mage was forced to unleash a hastily prepared methrower spell he¡¯d kept at the ready, doing his best to fend the bird off. The crow would clearly need some time to get through the man¡¯s defences, but neither he nor Percy worried too much. They could already see the guy¡¯s reserves dwindling far more quickly than the bird¡¯s, without getting him much in return. ¡®Finally, it¡¯s time to put my new toy to the test.¡¯ Percy grinned, clenching his construct tightly. The downside of histest spell was that it took a lot of time to prepare, which meant he wouldn¡¯t be able to repair it in the middle of the fight, if it broke. On the flip side, it was far more durable than anything else he¡¯d crafted out of mana over the years, which meant it hadn¡¯t been too difficult to retrieve it earlier and to continue using it. Percy watched his familiar methodically force his opponent away from the others, waiting for them to free themselves. Naturally, he could have taken advantage of their impairment to finish them off, but he¡¯d chosen not to do that. He wanted to use this opportunity to test his magic, to continue improving. House Tantalus would keep sending stronger and stronger people at them, as would the rest of Remior. Neither he nor Micky had the luxury of halting their growth and stagnating. Only once the nobles were out did Percy rush at them, Synchronization at full power. They seemed intent on chasing after Micky and theirrade, but Percy wouldn¡¯t give them the chance. Closing the gap to the woman, he swung the invisible weapon at her, forcing her to unleash a burst of air mana to dodge it. Percy didn¡¯t wait for either of them to respond, before pivoting on his feet, already delivering a second strike at the other mage. Thetter barely had the chance to manifest a stone sabre in his hand, clumsily parrying the blow. Percy felt his weapon bend from the impact, as the powerful shockwave rippled through his body. But it held! For the first time, his construct had endured a full on collision against a Yellow spell and its owner¡¯s physical strength at once, without a single crack forming! Not giving Percy a chance to celebrate, the guy was already swinging at him with a second sabre, as a rocky spike emerged from behind him. As for the air mage, she hadn¡¯t remained idle either, already charging a miniature tornado between her palms, clearly nning on unleashing it upon him. Having glimpsed his opponent¡¯s intention via Soul Vision, Percy circled around him with some well-ced footwork, dodging the stone spike and the man¡¯s sh both, as he tried to deliver another attack of his own at the man¡¯s temple. At the same time, he made his way behind him, to use him as a cover from hispanion¡¯s magic. And it worked like a charm, the air mage pausing her spell in hesitation. As ruthless as House Tantalus¡¯s nobles were, they still clearly had somepassion towards one another. ¡®Or maybe she just doesn¡¯t want to get into trouble for injuring him¡­¡¯ The man raised his first sabre to block once more, but Percy didn¡¯t stop there, as the two continued to exchange blow after blow. His opponent tried to throw many external attacks into the mix, but Percy applied more pressure at him to keep them at a minimum, while using his Soul Vision to dodge whatever slipped through the cracks. Meanwhile, he maintained his position behind the guy, making the air mage¡¯s life impossible. ¡°How annoying!¡± the earth mage spat at some point, as he delivered a powerful sh against Percy, forcing him back. He looked like he was about to pounce on him, but Percy smirked. Shifting the force to one leg, he changed to Takeo¡¯s stance while robbing his weapon of its substance. Next, he lunged upon the earth mage even faster than before, reaching him first, his construct no longer inhibited by inertia or air resistance. The guy couldn¡¯t actually see the invisible weapon, but he could still vaguely predict its trajectory by watching Percy¡¯s movements. His eyes widened in shock as he observed the change in Percy¡¯s style, hurriedly raising his sabre to block the weapon closing into his temple. But he was in for a nasty surprise this time. Naturally, the incorporeal construct phased right through the stone spells, delivering a powerful impact on the man¡¯s soul, causing it to shake violently. Stumbling backward, he looked like he was about to copse, but Percy didn¡¯t let him. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going? You¡¯re my meat shield, remember?¡± Percy grinned, grabbing him by the cor. The woman clicked her tongue in annoyance, apparently contemting whether to ignore herpanion¡¯s well-being, unleashing her spell indiscriminately at them both. That said, Percy had no intention of waiting for her to make her mind up. Tossing the ¡°hostage¡± at her, he ran right behind him, leaping above the body at thest second. Descending upon the air mage, he swung his weapon at her. Backed to a corner, she unleashed a burst of mana like before, trying to dodge to the side. However, she¡¯d gravely miscalcted this time. While she indeed managed to evade the shaft of Percy¡¯s weapon, having roughly estimated its location, histest construct was not a quarterstaff¡­ Having deliberately used the blunt ends against the earth mage, Percy had intentionally misled them both into reaching this false conclusion. What his opponent couldn¡¯t have expected, was the weapon¡¯s long, crescent de, cleaving her soul right in half!N?v(el)B\\jnn [Congrattions! Your spells have merged: Quarterstaff ¨C Crude + Parting Gift ¨C Crude -> Soul Harvester ¨C Refined!] Chapter 151: Teal powder Only once he finished the earth mage too did Percy finally allow his weapon to regain its colour, a scythe of glowing teal appearing in his hand. Ever since he first mastered Crystallization, he¡¯d naturally tried applying it to other affinities. Sadly, whether it was his own soul mana, or Gabe¡¯s fire and air mana, the spell had never worked with anything else. With one exception. Like most of Percy¡¯s spells, it worked seamlessly with his fused mana, as it was indistinguishable from pure mana in its corporeal state. That said, the teal powder hadn¡¯t been particrly useful before now. The first thing he had tried was to brew elixirs with it, only to end up giving the Aurora Dew a slightly different colour. It hadn¡¯t altered its effect, however, rendering the extra effort pointless. Luckily, this all changed a few months ago, upon his spell¡¯s evolution to Reinforcement. Following Sengo¡¯s teachings, Percy could strengthen his cyan constructs with the corresponding powder, so there was no reason why he couldn¡¯t do the same with the teal constructs. That way, he¡¯d have tougher weapons without losing the fused mana¡¯s versatility. But he didn¡¯t stop there. ¡®This worked better than expected¡­¡¯ he grinned, tracing his fingers along the scythe¡¯s surface. The edge was as sharp as a katana¡¯s, but that wasn¡¯t what he was focusing on. Instead, he felt the grooves and curves of the embroidered symbols along its length. They covered the weapon from tip to tip, from the crescent de all the way to the bottom of its shaft. Naturally, these were all concealment runes!One of his soul affinity¡¯s greatest advantages was its invisibility. Sadly, the fact that it could be bypassed through Mana Sense so easily had always rubbed him the wrong way. Initially, he¡¯d only bothered learning the concealment runes as a means to guard his secrets but, at some point, he¡¯de up with an even better use for them. ¡®Still not perfect though¡­¡¯ he sighed. Examining the weapon with his sixth sense, he couldn¡¯t help but spot multiple areas where the enchantment failed, making the construct detectible. It was faint, but his opponents might have noticed the scythe¡¯s edge in time, had they been a little more observant. Whether it was his smithing technique or his runecrafting, both had plenty of room for improvement. Of course, he couldn¡¯t help it much. The crude runes were the most he could currently achieve withoutpromising the scythe¡¯s structural integrity. As for the enchantments, he¡¯d only be able to link them more seamlessly after he delved into magiscript proper. ¡®This will have to do for now.¡¯ he shrugged. In any case, it would be a while until he earned enough credits in the Vault¡¯s challenges to afford the books on the more advanced topics. That said, this only made him more eager to return there. ¡°Are they all dead?¡± Nesha asked, approaching him. Percy responded by pointing at his familiar. Micky was flying towards them, carrying the final body in his talons. Suffice to say, they¡¯d dealt another major blow to House Tantalus today. ¡°I¡¯m surprised they haven¡¯t sent any Greens yet.¡± Nesha mused. ¡°It¡¯s not that strange.¡± Percy said, eliciting a frown from her. It had already been about half a year since they arrived in Bogside town. And this was already the third group the enemy House had sent to investigate the disappearances. Originally, Percy had expected them to send more people, and a lot sooner at that. ording to his original estimates, they should have responded with a Green mere weeks after the first attack. Over time, however, he hade to realize the reason they seemed to be holding back. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the vition. ¡°I¡¯m guessing they can¡¯t afford to part with their Greens right now.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Well, I imagine my grandpa is applying a lot of pressure on them, in the western side of the province. Dealing with some random wild beast near one of their towns isn¡¯t that urgent, byparison.¡± ??????§¦? ¡°Haven¡¯t they sustained more losses by taking it easy though?¡± she asked again, clearly unconvinced.N?v(el)B\\jnn It was true. By now, Percy and Micky had killed 15 Yellows in total. A substantial force even by a noble House¡¯s standards. Had they sent a single Green from the start, House Tantalus would have suffered less. ¡°I think a big part of it is that they didn¡¯t expect any of their groups to fail. After all, they¡¯re operating under the assumption their target is a mindless beast. They probably hastily delegated whatever Yellows they could spare, whenever they could.¡± ¡°I still don¡¯t get it. Isn¡¯t a group of 5 Yellows a greater force than a single Green?¡± But Percy shook his head. ¡°On paper, 5 Yellows should indeed be able to take a Green out. But their value in the war is a little moreplicated to estimate.¡± he said, giving Nesha a quick rundown of his understanding. At the end of the day, the war would be decided by the highest powers either House could freely deploy. In other words, their Blues. As for those weaker, their contribution was mostly determined by how much they could impact the war between Blues. While a Green was nominally as strong as a handful of Yellows, they were many times more valuable than that in practice. After all, Greens could actually survive and meaningfully participate in a fight between Blues, possibly even tipping the scales. As for Yellows, they wouldn¡¯tst a moment in such a high-level battle. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean Yellows were worthless. Far from it. They could be deployed in areas where there weren¡¯t any Blues, with the purpose of taking out the enemy Greens, thus affecting the high-level battles indirectly. Still, they were twoyers removed from the battles that mattered the most, making them more disposable. And that was without considering their value outside the war. After all, Greens were more often Yellow-borns, which meant they had to be protected at all costs. As for Yellows, they were typically Orange-borns or even Red-borns ¨C nobody in their right mind would send a child under 10 on a mission. ¡°That makes sense, but I doubt they¡¯ll continue sending Yellows to their doom.¡± Nesha said. ¡°Right.¡± Percy nodded. ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll wise up after thistest failure. They¡¯ll send a Green next time.¡± he said, his expression grim. Nesha and Micky both nodded, their faces equally sombre. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not that bad!¡± Percy suddenly said, easing up the mood. ¡°We¡¯re notpletely helpless against a Green. Not anymore.¡± Had one arrived months ago, they would have probably had to hide or even run away, but things were different now. Between Percy¡¯s new spells, their new mastery of runes, and Micky growing more experienced, they were more than capable of giving the next unfortunate noble toe after them a warm wee. ¡°In any case, we should head back. There are only a couple hours left until sunrise.¡± Nesha suggested. ¡°Because you need rest...¡± Micky said, his voice oozing with sarcasm. Out of the three of them, he¡¯d had the toughest time today. After all, the sun had still been out back when thetest batch of nobles arrived in the Grisly Bog. That meant that neither Percy nor Nesha had been able to join him immediately at the time. At least, not without arousing suspicion. Consequently, the crow had been given the annoying task of keeping their enemies busy for a few hours, so that they wouldn¡¯t leave before the others arrived. To do that, he¡¯d been forced to fly wide circles around them, letting them spot him frequently to entice them into staying, yet without ever giving them the chance to harm him. ¡°It¡¯s been tough on all of us.¡± Nesha shrugged unapologetically. ¡°I¡¯ll have to rece the pitfall traps tomorrow, you know¡­¡± ¡°Alright. That¡¯s enough in-fighting. We should all take some time to rx.¡± Percy said. Next, the trio broke up, with Micky flying deeper into the swamp, heading towards his nest, while the others made their way to their humble hut. Yet, the three of them weren¡¯t the only ones returning home¡­ ¡®Just what is going on with this clone?¡¯ The ethereal cord attached to his stomach had been acting strange over thest couple of days. It had kept tensing and shaking in irregr intervals. From experience, Percy could tell this was a signal the clone was on its way to Remior. However, it should have long arrived by now. Moreover, the cord vibrated way more than it usually did, as if the clone was on some tumultuous journey, having encountered some unprecedented obstacle this time. Something preventing it from returning. It wasn¡¯t untilte in the following morning that Percy¡¯s wisp finally reached him, its condition shocking him¡­ Chapter 152: Who am I? Percy hammered the t b of steel absentmindedly, thinning it further with each strike. It wasn¡¯t until it looked about to break that he remembered he was supposed to fold it again. Only after doing so did he dip it into a trough filled with water to quench it, before applying anotheryer of y mud and moving it into the furnace. That said, the fate of the knife wasn¡¯t exactly at the forefront of his mind right now. ¡®The clone died, didn¡¯t he? I died.¡¯ Percy didn¡¯t fully understand what histest clone had experienced, as he¡¯d only brought back a few scattered memories. The knowledge of how to heal his soul more efficiently was by far the clearest, followed by his promise to some girl to look for her in the future. As for the details of what had gone down between the two, he didn¡¯t really remember them. He had a faint idea that their friendship had started off on the wrong foot, before evolving to something more earnest by the time they parted ways. But he didn¡¯t really know how or why that happened, nor how he was meant to find her again. ¡®There was also something more¡­¡¯N?v(el)B\\jnn He did recall he was supposed to injure his soul in a specific manner to lure some soul-based entity into his body. Next, he had to break it down and absorb it into his soul to obtain some kind of benefit. Percy didn¡¯t remember what exactly that benefit was, but the details of how to go about it were clear enough. Of course, the whole process seemed dangerous, but his clone had clearly deemed this to be a memory worth preserving. ¡®Maybe it has something to do with finding the girl...¡¯ In any case, Percy would give it a shot, but only after he practiced with the healing art a little. It was best to know how to fix himself in case something went wrong. And he¡¯d also try looking for his new acquaintance during his future trips. Though, none of that was particrly urgent right now. What bothered him a whole lot more, were the implications of this recent adventure on himself. And he wasn¡¯t thinking about the injury per se. He was confident it would heal in a couple of weeks at thetest. But that wouldn¡¯t bring the dead version of him back to life ¨C it would merely rece him.¡®I suppose I¡¯ve always known this was a possibility¡­¡¯ he sighed bitterly. Just because his bloodline allowed his clones to survive and operate on their own for some time, it didn¡¯t mean they were immortal or invulnerable. They were ultimately nothing more than fragile chunks of his soul. The only reason none of them had been lost or destroyed before now was due to how rare soul affinities were. He¡¯d never met any mage or creature capable of interacting with his souls before now. Well, other than Metatron. But this was bound to happen eventually. ¡®What if it were me in the clone¡¯s shoes?¡¯ The result would have obviously been the same. After all, Percy and his clones were the same person, with the same personality. Naturally, he would have made the exact same choices, ultimately sacrificing himself to benefit his main body. So, he would have ended up dead too. Was it worth it? The only real difference between him and the clones was the size of their soul. They were the same person until the very moment the bloodline activated, at which point the biggest portion remained in his body, while the smaller one ended up flying out. Percy had never really had to deal with this issue before, because all his clones had made it back ¨C other than the one he¡¯d shoved into his familiar. And that one, he¡¯d sacrificed to save his friend, not for his own sake. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Evidently, this wasn¡¯t always going to be the case, however. Moving forward, he¡¯d probably be forced to make the same choice again. A choice between self-preservation or sacrificing himself for the original¡¯s benefit. ¡®Can I do it again, knowing what it means? Or should I, even?¡¯ At the end of the day, Percy had to decide what was most important for him. His goal had always been to reach the pinnacle of magic ¨C to grow as strong as he could. To aim for divinity, and beyond. But would it even matter if some other Percy achieved that goal, should he himself perish? It all boiled down to one simple question. ¡®Who am I?¡¯ Was there only one Percy ¨C the original? Or did all his clones have the right to live too? Should they all strive towards amon goal ¨C to elevate their joint existence to the highest level? Or should they put themselves¡¯ first? It didn¡¯t matter much when they could safely return to Remior. Whenever that happened, they would simply fuse back into the original, sharing the same fate. But the choice wouldn¡¯t always be this easy. ¡°I think the steel is ready for the next round of tempering.¡± Nesha said, breaking him out of his thoughts. Only now did Percy realize the bar was already red-hot. cing it back on the anvil, he continued the forging process. Having removed most of the impurities, he began to consciously tten it into the shape of a kitchen knife this time. Obviously, the townsfolk didn¡¯t need any fancy katanas. Percy had been forced to adapt Sengo¡¯s teachings to some more useful everyday tools to make a living here. A couple hourster, Percy sharpened the knife¡¯s edge with a whetstone. Hisck of experience in tandem with the subpar tools at his disposal did knock the quality of his crafts down a notch. Adding the fact that he hadn¡¯t given it his all today, and the knife he currently held wasn¡¯t exactly his finest work. An untrained eye might have missed it, but it was a little rough around the edges. It was slightly wider in the middle than it was supposed to be, the wavy patterns on the de not quite as clear as usual. Percy couldn¡¯t help but click his tongue in annoyance. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s still better than what people here are used to.¡± Nesha consoled him. She was ying with some space mana in her hands, trying to get a bit better at shaping it how she wanted. Naturally, she hadn¡¯t missed Percy¡¯s irritation. ¡°It¡¯s not that.¡± he said. ¡°Do you think my clone was a fool to do this?¡± While he couldn¡¯t be certain, Percy guessed his clone had brought this grim fate upon himself, because of multiple risky choices. And he¡¯d already brought Nesha up to speed on the topic. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m probably not the best person to ask, as I¡¯ve never put any external goal above my well-being. Even working towards my revenge is something I only do when I can. I guess it all boils down to what you value the most.¡± Nodding, Percy ced the knife on the floor, before washing himself outside with some water. Next, he went to bed early, Nesha¡¯s words still echoing in his mind. While hispanion was more than a little entric ¨C and oftentimeszy ¨C she was by no means stupid. It was true that he¡¯d never really had to choose between his life or his goal. After all, the two were normally inextricably linked. He couldn¡¯t be a god if he was dead, could he? ¡®Except, it turns out I can¡­¡¯ Then, he shook his head. ¡®Maybe I¡¯m thinking about this all wrong. What if taking a few risks with my clones is the only way to stand a chance?¡¯ The odds were already stacked heavily against him. Even with the Aurora Dew and his two cores, he¡¯d only live long enough to reach Blue. He still wasn¡¯t even close to Violet or White, let alone godhood. Metatron had made it clear he doubted it was even possible. Could Percy afford to y it safe, and still hope to seed? ¡®Probably not.¡¯ Doing his best to ensure each of his clones made it back was a given. They weren¡¯t disposable tools to discard at will. Each of them was him. At the same time, he didn¡¯t have the luxury of preserving all of them. Many would die again, if any part of him was to ever be a god. Remembering back to the time he¡¯d first practiced his soul affinity on that goblin, all those years ago, his thoughts now rang in his mind once more, truer than ever. ¡®A soul affinity, huh? Clearly not meant for the faint of heart.¡¯ At the time, his thoughts had been shallower. He¡¯d only considered the pain he had to endure when using his bloodline. As it turned out, that was the easy bit. Whether it was the tragic fates of the dying people he met during his travels, or the difficult choices he¡¯d have to make, his affinity continued to prove itself brutal at every turn. In the end, it didn¡¯t matter who he currently was, nor who his clones were. Whichever side he found himself on, Percy had to give it his all, in service of the person he wished to one day be¡­ The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 153: Housewife Nesha picked up the knives from the table, before leaving the hut. Percy was still busy using his new trick to repair his injured soul, so she¡¯d deliver the finished tools to Mr. Dylan for him.On the way to the shop, she didn¡¯t stop playing around with her mana, however, trying to keep it in the shape of an orb. It was annoying, training like this, day in and day out. Not something she was very accustomed to. Still¡­ she bit her lip. Percy was already stronger than her, despite being a grade lower. This was a strange thing for Nesha but, seeing him constantly doing his best motivated her to try harder too. While she¡¯d never admit it, she felt like shit guzzling down three doses of Aurora Dew per day while contributing so little to the group. Of course, Nesha had long known that Percy was hard-working. In fact, she¡¯d learned this as early as during their first month in the Guild, years before their collaboration. But it was one thing seeing the results of his efforts from the outside, and a different thing entirely to live in the same house, watching him train relentlessly from sunrise until sunset. The guy never stopped ¨C except for when he worked on the anvil. But even that, was in part to maintain their cover as commoners and pay the bills, while also helping him get better at reinforcing his pure constructs. she reminded herself, cringing as the memory of the nail-scraping sound made her want to tear her hair out. She had no idea why he¡¯d kept the darn thing, but at least he only played for Micky nowadays. In any case, it wasn¡¯t a mystery to her how Percy had grown so strong. Given his abundance of secrets combined with his peculiar work ethic, and anything else would have been stranger. She very much doubted she¡¯d be able to keep up with him, but she wouldn¡¯t forgive herself if she continued to waste her own gifts. ¡°Good morning! Miss Nesha, was it?¡± Mr. Dylan asked, breaking her out of her thoughts. ¡°How is Percy doing? I haven¡¯t seen him much lately.¡± ¡°Good morning! Indeed, he spends all day working at home.¡± she said, speaking a half-truth. ¡°I figured helping him out with the chores was the least I could do.¡± She handed him the knives, getting some silver coins in return, as well as a couple bars of pig iron that Percy would be using for the next batch. They were heavy, but not to a Yellow. Especially not since she started exercising. Bidding the man farewell, she brought the metal home, before going out for another round, to restock their supplies. Initially, she¡¯d discussed with Percy the possibility of getting herself a job in the town, but other than her marketing skills, there wasn¡¯t anything else she¡¯d be much good at. Besides, they didn¡¯t really need a lot of money. Percy¡¯s job was more than enough to cover for the necessities and get himself some blacksmithing practice. In the end, they¡¯d decided it was best for her to pose as a housewife. After all, her current priorities were things she could work on while staying at home. She had to get better with her magic so that she wouldn¡¯t be a liability in a fight, as well as working towards the enchantments for the spatial amulets. she sighed. Nesha had already grown decent at drawing the pocket runes. Sadly, Percy hadn¡¯t had the chance to bring anything else from the Vault. According to him, it was only recently that he felt confident taking the Red magiscript challenge for some credits, so he only began looking for a suitable host to take there in the past few weeks. And he had yet to find one. After buying the groceries, Nesha returned home again, taking her second dose of Aurora Dew for the day. Like Percy, her next promotion was a little over a decade away. Reaching Green in her thirties would be a dream come true. People who didn¡¯t know her might even mistake her for a Yellow-born. At least until her peers started hitting Blue a century earlier than her. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. she smiled bitterly. For the time being, they had to hide from the world. And she didn¡¯t know if there was a way out of their mess either. Their current plan was to lay low for as long as possible and hope for the best. Admittedly, not the most thought out one. Even beyond their conflict against House Tantalus and their rapidly dwindling supply of elixir, finding a way to placate the Divine Root was arguably their most pressing issue. Percy didn¡¯t mention it much, but Nesha could tell it was weighing on him hard, as nothing else would matter should they get caught. Ignoring Percy who was still working on his recovery, she lied with her back on the floor, before beginning a set of sit ups. According to him, it would take her years before she was ready to learn Circulation. Physical exercises weren¡¯t what she had imagined spending the first half of her 20s on. Still, the boosting art was arguably the most useful spell she¡¯d ever seen. She¡¯d be ungrateful to not bother learning it after Percy generously offered to coach her. She only took a break a couple hours later, once she had grown too tired to keep going. Sadly, they didn¡¯t have a life user nearby for her to cheat her way through this phase of the training as Percy had. Glancing around the room, Nesha saw Percy still sitting cross-legged in the same spot, Synchronization active. She couldn¡¯t observe his soul directly, but Mana Sense revealed a ridiculous amount of mana pouring into his stomach. It was partially obscured by his bandage, but she did see a huge portion sticking to the ceiling of what she guessed was his wound. The hole had already shrunk noticeably in the last few hours! Not that strange, in hindsight. Between Percy¡¯s insane mana regeneration and Micky eating Yellow souls to supplement him, he¡¯d only need a week or two to fully patch it up, before sending clones again. And that was only because he had to recreate the entire chunk his clone had lost. Normally, they estimated he should be able to recover within a day once a clone returned, letting him essentially send them out back-to-back! Drawing some mana from her core, Nesha formed a miniature butterfly, making it fly around the room. Its design was crude, some of its mana leaking with every flap of its misshapen wings, leaving a trail of black motes in its passing. Her mana control was still atrocious, but it was already better than Percy¡¯s. And this wasn¡¯t due to her being more talented or more hard-working than him. It was a feature of her grade. A mage¡¯s control over their mana greatly increased with each promotion. This was why Yellows and Greens could form more intricate spells and control them remotely. For example, the time spells of that noble they had faced before fell in that category. This was in stark contrast to Percy¡¯s spells, that he had to essentially prepare before firing. It was why he couldn¡¯t change the trajectory of his throwing knives or his sickles once he launched them. Of course, that had begun to change a little once he started fuelling his spells out of that strange, fused mana of his. Powered by two Orange cores, his teal constructs were easier for him to control, which was how he was able to more easily change the Mantle to a bunch of projectiles or change his mana¡¯s properties mid-flight. At least, that was their current hypothesis. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. she thought, letting the butterfly disperse once she ran out of mana to fuel it. Looking out of the window, she noticed it was already dark. She grabbed another vial of Aurora Dew from the amulet, before heading towards the door. One of her current projects was to spread more of her pitfall traps in the Grisly Bog each night, to prepare for when their next enemy arrived. And to keep Micky some company, when Percy was too busy to do so himself. Yet, right when she was about to leave, Percy spoke, stopping her in her tracks. ¡°Nesha.¡± ¡°Hmmm?¡± ¡°Remember when you asked me to give you a second core?¡± ¡°Of course. You said it was too dangerous to try that on a friend. Also, that it wouldn¡¯t be of any use to me if I didn¡¯t train with it.¡± ¡°Right. Both of those are still true, but a couple things have changed since then.¡± Nesha nodded. She still wasn¡¯t quite ready to fight a fellow Yellow by herself, but she was confident she could support Percy and Micky in a fight without hitting them by accident. ¡°I¡¯m not just talking about your own growth.¡± Percy added, probably guessing what she was thinking. ¡°This mending art is a game-changer. Obviously, I¡¯d like to spend some more time getting better with it, and it¡¯s never going to be completely risk-free, but it would be hypocritical of me to lecture others about risks when I¡¯m gambling with my own life all the time.¡± Nesha¡¯s eyes widened, but Percy raised a hand to stop her. ¡°Not right now. Keep practicing and think hard about it. If you still want to go through with it, I¡¯ll give it a shot as soon as we get ourselves more elixir.¡± Chapter 154: Mend The soul mana gushed through Percy¡¯s channels like a torrential river, lighting up a silver maelstrom around his sternum. Tears formed and closed throughout his soul, but he didn¡¯t pay them any attention, having long grown used to this version of his boosting art.Instead, his attention was glued to the hole around his stomach, as it had been over the last couple of weeks. The rush of mana tried to fill the crater like a lake, a lot of it leaking out of the wound, though Percy held it back as best as he could. Instead, he guided it to stick to the surface of the hole as much as possible, cutting down the losses. In addition, he willed it to act with purpose, boosting his soul¡¯s natural regeneration rather than blindly attempting to patch the wound up. Not only that, but he focused it in interspaced locations, prioritizing the growth of thin tendrils all over the wound, rather than letting the mana act uniformly. [Congratulations! You have mastered a new spell: Mend ¨C Crude!] He had spent several days making up for his nearly destroyed clone, the crater having already shrunk from the size of a grapefruit to that of a cherry. The latest healing art he had brought back from the mysterious girl ¨C whose name he didn¡¯t quite remember ¨C had clearly done wonders, even in its incomplete state. Yet, it wasn¡¯t until now that the Status deemed his mastery sufficient to list it along with the other spells. Naturally, Percy was elated his efforts were recognized, but he didn¡¯t let his concentration waver, continuing the arduous process of mending his soul. Doing so was especially critical right now, as Micky had informed him he was about to munch on a Yellow beast, providing him with another potent source of mana. the crow spoke through their bond, sending him the image of a snake lying motionless under his talons. Sure enough, more mana flooded Percy¡¯s saturated soul a second later, forcing him to let some inside the crater. Like this, a portion would inevitably end up wasted, but he¡¯d still lose less than if he allowed it to spill out randomly from his pores. It wasn¡¯t until four hours later that he finally stopped, satisfied with today¡¯s improvements. The wound wasn¡¯t entirely gone just yet, a small hole still present in his stomach, but it was already smaller than the scar in his sternum. Plus, this one didn¡¯t have a cord extending outwards, so he was confident it would close completely tomorrow. His latest misadventure had cost him some valuable time, though he didn¡¯t regret it. How could he, having gained so much from it? Grinning, he pulled his Status up, taking some time to appreciate the fruit of his labour. ___ Percival Avalon Mana cores: [Mana core 1 ¨C Orange ¨C Soul][Mana core 2 ¨C Orange ¨C Pure] Bloodline: [Clone] ¨C Create a copy of yourself. Effect varies by affinity. Spells: [Secret Art: Familiar ¨C Crude][Glove ¨C Crude][Mend ¨C Crude][Soul Harvester ¨C Refined][Reinforcement ¨C Refined][Synchronization ¨C Refined][Mantle of Deceit ¨C Refined] Decrees: [Phoebe¡¯s Decree] ¨C Grants access to your Status.[???] ¨C Grants a bloodline.[Moirais¡¯ Decree] ¨C Grants a second mana core.[Metatron¡¯s Decree] ¨C Open a one-way portal to the Vault of Magic at will. ___ If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Percy was back to seven spells, having previously ¡®lost¡¯ one when his Quarterstaff and his Parting Gift merged into the Soul Harvester. That said, the overall quality of his arsenal had never been higher, with over half his spells now being Refined! Even Elaine only had two of those, despite having two grades on him! He still wasn¡¯t completely clear on how this absorption process was supposed to work, his memories of the trip a little foggy. But he did remember enough to give it a shot ¨C as soon as his soul was back to normal. Whatever the result would be, it was definitely worth delaying his return to the Vault by a few more days¡­ *** Percy asked through the cord. Another two days had passed, and he was finally ready to begin. Luckily, his wound had fully closed yesterday, though he¡¯d chosen to play it safe and get a good night¡¯s sleep before experimenting with the strange technique. the familiar replied, sending the image of another freshly slain carcass. Percy nodded. It never hurt to have some extra mana stashed on the side, just in case. Sending a trickle to his eyes, he examined his soul once more, making sure everything was in order. He might use his boosting art later, but he¡¯d decided to hold on for now, unsure whether it would help more than it hurt. Gathering some mana on his index finger, he delivered a few precise incisions in various sections of his soul, inflicting several narrow cuts along his limbs and torso. He winced in pain, of course ¨C soul injuries weren¡¯t something he¡¯d ever get completely used to ¨C but he kept going, having experienced far worse over the years. Naturally, he would have never dared to try anything similar on his flesh. While the pain would have been much easier to stomach, he would have risked dying of blood loss. Luckily, his soul didn¡¯t work that way. Besides, this latest series of injuries vastly paled in comparison to the crater he¡¯d just finished healing. This next part was a bit foggier in Percy¡¯s mind, but he figured it couldn¡¯t be far off. After taking a few seconds to replenish what little mana he had spent, he pulled a sliver of it from his core, splitting it in multiple parts, before pushing it out of the cuts all at once. At the same time, he focused on the pain, trying to exaggerate the idea of his injuries in his mind. Unsurprisingly, having possessed dozens of dying bodies made this rather simple. He guessed he had a huge edge in this regard, compared to the natives of the mysterious world. Motes of silver soon leaked out of his wounds one after another, fading into nothing within mere metres of his body. He didn¡¯t know if he had done a good job giving his mana the ¡®scent¡¯ of a dying soul, but it wouldn¡¯t matter if the motes didn¡¯t even leave Remior. His only hope was that the creatures could sense it from much further away, through the plane of souls that they presumably dwelled. Pushing the rest of his mana out of his core, Percy repeated the process one more time, yet without seeing any tangible results several minutes later. His failure was definitely a little disappointing, but he wasn¡¯t one to give up easily. Heeding his request, Micky soon sent him a ton of soul mana, as Percy activated Synchronization, now pushing the silver motes out several times more forcefully than before. Naturally, the substance tried to latch onto his injuries, to heal them as it usually did. But he didn¡¯t allow it. In fact, he did the exact opposite. Not only did he actively prevent the cuts he had manually inflicted from closing, he even did his best to keep some of the tears caused by his boosting art open. Visualizing the horrendous state of his past hosts and capitalizing on the intense pain, Percy kept at it for a couple more hours ¨C until long after Micky had run out of mana to send. Sighing in defeat, he finally allowed the mana to close the minuscule cuts, restoring his soul to pristine condition. Percy wasn¡¯t sure what had gone wrong. Yes, his memories of the technique weren¡¯t too clear, but he was confident they were at least . There didn¡¯t seem to be any key component missing. He¡¯d even released a lot more mana than any Orange mage had any business wielding. This was the only logical explanation he could come up with. After all, he was competing by his lonesome against an entire culture of people who did this regularly. Their collective efforts had probably drawn plenty of the creatures to linger in the outskirts of their world, massively lowering the barrier of entry for any individual person trying to lure one of them over. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. His expression drooped, as he grew more and more certain of his guess. If he was right, then he could only think of two possible solutions. The first was to leave Remior with his main body, repeating the experiment at a more suitable location. he smiled bitterly. Currently, his only means of travelling across worlds were his clones and Metatron¡¯s Decree ¨C neither of which would help in this situation. Which left him only one option. He had to massively expand the scope of his efforts, to lure the creatures from much further away. Chapter 155: Spirit Percy allowed his boosting art to fizzle out, as he placed both palms on his knees, breathing heavily.While the creation of his clones had grown into quite a routine operation by now ¨C a far cry from the dangerous and laborious venture it was during his early days ¨C the act still left him a little tired afterwards. It wasn¡¯t until a few minutes later that he found the strength to stand up. He¡¯d have to heal his injuries again at some point, but not right now. Unable to absorb one of the mysterious creatures, and with a clone currently roaming the cosmos, Percy had decided to take the rest of the day off, feeling himself deserving of a break. The sun was still at its apex, Nesha currently in the middle of a workout just outside the house ¨C they¡¯d made a pact to leave any sweaty business out of the hut. Walking to a wall, he reached out towards nothing in particular, seemingly grabbing a fistful of empty air. It wasn¡¯t until a second later that a glowing teal scythe manifested in his hand. Naturally, this was his latest Refined spell ¨C the Soul Harvester! Only, Percy hadn¡¯t created this one today, but nearly a week ago! This was a convenient feature of his twice-fused mana. The cyan crystals were already semi-permanent constructs which could survive for an extended period of time without breaking down. His mixed mana constructs created through Reinforcement inherited some of that durability ¨C though not all of it, due to the presence of regular mana causing them to decay over time. That said, using his teal mana pushed the durability even further, as the substance had always been a little harder to break down. What all this meant, was that his scythe could survive for several days before its structural integrity was compromised! A very fortunate development indeed, as creating each one was a time-consuming process ¨C especially with all the concealment runes Percy had to embed into each one. Tracing his finger along the weapon¡¯s length, Percy nodded in satisfaction as he examined the scythe¡¯s condition. Propping the construct against the wall, he robbed it of its colour again, before leaving the house for some fresh air. The dirt roads of the small town were¡­ not quite but, perhaps was an apt term. A few of the townsfolk walked about, greeting each other with a smile, chatting for a few minutes at a time, or entering a shop. The mood was strangely uplifting, which made Percy crease his brow. The residents of Bogside town had a lot more problems to deal with, even compared to the average commoner on Remior. For one, they lived under the jurisdiction of a particularly ruthless noble House, slaughtering them on a regular basis, treating them as little more than livestock to feed their horrific bloodline. And that was without even considering the economic difficulties these people had to endure. Most towns across Remior were good at producing at least of value. They to, in order to survive. A few of them, like the nearby Greyquarry town, had mines in their vicinity and could export ores and minerals. Others were suitable for growing magical reagents ¨C things that places like the Alchemists¡¯ Guild needed. Sadly for the people of Bogside town, they¡¯d drawn the short end of the stick in that regard as well. From what Percy understood, there some fertile land to the northwest of the town, allowing the peasants to supply their cruel overlords with crops and animal products. However, that wasn¡¯t exactly the most profitable business, so they normally had to supplement it by gambling their lives to venture into the nearby swamp, harvesting some additional materials from the magical beasts living there. This was something that gnawed at Percy¡¯s conscience lately. An unfortunate side-effect of his actions was that he¡¯d rendered the entire bog off-limits for the residents, inadvertently cutting off part of their lifeblood. He and Nesha could see that these people were struggling more to get by than when they had first arrived in the town. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. That said, they didn¡¯t seem too distraught over it ¨C for some reason. With the pretence of browsing for some bread from the local bakery, Percy paid attention to a couple of ladies gossiping loudly by the entrance. , eavesdropping was admittedly his classiest moment, but he was dying to know why these people seemed so chirpy, despite the harsh times they were living in. ¡°Hey, Margaret! How¡¯s Randal doing today? Is his knee still bothering him?¡± ¡°Good morning, Brenda! You know how these things are¡­ The pain is getting worse. Last night, he woke up all sweaty. He couldn¡¯t go back to sleep again.¡± ¡°Oh my god! That sounds You really need to take him to a life mage.¡± Margaret sighed. ¡°I know. The problem is, he¡¯s not in any condition to travel. The nearest life mage lives in Greyquarry town. It¡¯ll cost three times as much to get him to come to us¡­ And with Randal unable to work in the fields, our finances are a bit tight too¡­¡± ¡°Do you want us to lend you some money?¡± Brenda offered. ¡°Waiting is only going to make the situation worse.¡± ¡°Oh, no. ¡± Margaret hurriedly waved at her friend. ¡°You¡¯re raising two young kids, Brenda. I appreciate your kindness, but we can¡¯t impose on you.¡± Brenda insisted some more, though Margaret just shot her down. Still listening in, Percy couldn¡¯t help but feel his chest tighten, as their words only exacerbated his guilt. Though the next thing Margaret said made him furrow his brow. ¡°Besides¡­ I¡¯d take this situation any day over what we had in the past.¡± she said, her features easing. ¡°I know what you mean¡­ Having a little less food on the table is a small price to pay. How long has it been, even? About a year?¡± ¡°Almost. Gods, we¡¯d have lost a dozen people by now.¡± Margaret nodded. ¡°Probably more. Those bastards used to take a handful each time. I hope House Avalon wipes them all out!¡± ¡°Shhh! We aren¡¯t alone.¡± Margaret whispered, discreetly pointing at Percy who hurriedly looked away, his cheeks heating up. ¡°Geez, I wouldn¡¯t worry about the new kid ratting us out to those assholes Margaret. Remember what they tried to do to his wife a few months back? Anyway, I hope that monster bird stays in the Grisly Bog forever, . I¡¯d rather go hungry with my kids and husband than wake up every morning afraid I¡¯ll lose them.¡± ¡°Do you think we¡¯ll be safe here though? What if the beast flies over here one day, looking for food?¡± ¡°Well, I suppose it¡¯s possible, but I doubt it can take the whole town on. Besides, it hasn¡¯t harmed a hair from any of our heads so far. It¡¯s only ever touched the pompous assholes who went looking for it.¡± Margaret remained silent for a few seconds, seemingly pondering something. ¡°Say¡­ do you think the rumour about it is true?¡± Brenda chortled. ¡°C¡¯mon Margaret! Don¡¯t tell me you believe that crap? That¡¯s the kind of shit Fegan tells the kids!¡± ¡°I know, I know¡­ It sounds ridiculous¡­¡± Margaret chuckled too. ¡°Still, how else do you explain the strange glow on its body? Beasts can¡¯t use magic like that. Both Reni and Samia saw it. They said it looked almost¡­¡± she paused, contemplating her next words carefully. ¡°. And then it let them go, only attacking those people¡­¡± ¡°No way¡­ It¡¯s got to be some kind of coincidence. Maybe it went after the nobles first because they were stronger, and thus tastier. As for the glow, I think that¡¯s probably an exaggeration. I bet its feathers just reflect the sunlight in a weird way. The girls must¡¯ve mistaken it in their panic.¡± ¡°Sounds like a stretch.¡± Margaret insisted. ¡°And believing that a guardian spirit descended from the heavens to protect our town doesn¡¯t?¡± Brenda asked in incredulity. ¡°Look, I¡¯m not saying . Just, maybe the bird has some level of intelligence and wanted to help us out. Anyone would, after seeing how those people treat us.¡± Brenda shook her head. ¡°Nah¡­ Margaret, this is a good thing for us, but don¡¯t go ascribing some noble purpose to a wild beast. It¡¯ll only get you killed if you ever come face to face with it. Most likely, it just got hungry, plunging its talons into the first people it saw. And House Tantalus won¡¯t stop poking at it, sending more and more of their men to their doom.¡± ¡°What about then? How do you explain Two nights ago, he went into the bog, scavenging for food. A foolish gamble, but he did come back a few hours later, carrying an Orange rat carcass. ¡± ¡°Huh, I did hear about that, actually! That moron was asking for it.¡± Brenda huffed. ¡°They¡¯re , Brenda¡­ The man was trying to feed his kids.¡± ¡°I know But who¡¯s going to feed his kids if he gets himself killed? He just got lucky, is all.¡± S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Percy who was still following the conversation subtly exhaled in relief. Hearing about the positive impact he¡¯d had on the town lifted a heavy weight off his chest. That said, listening in to the rest of it caused his jaw to slacken. ¡°You don¡¯t think the spir¨C the I mean, spared him?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s much more likely it missed him. Though, I must admit, the next part of his story sounds a little spooky¡­ even for me¡­¡± ¡°I know, right?!¡± Margaret mused. ¡°He claims he heard an eerie tune emanating from the depths of the Grisly Bog. An otherworldly screech akin to a ghost clawing against the gates of hell, begging to be let out.¡± ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s any truth to that, but I sure wouldn¡¯t want to hear something that dreadful¡­¡± Chapter 156: Parrot While Percy had kept an eye out for any sign that could lead him back to the mysterious girl, he had failed to find any clues as he roamed the space between worlds. He wasn¡¯t sure what the problem was, but he figured there wasn¡¯t much he could do about it at the moment.In the end, he jumped into the first Red beast he saw, hoping it would be a suitable host for the magiscript challenge. The possession went relatively smoothly too. The creature allowed him to join without any hiccups, though it didn¡¯t relinquish control over its body completely. This one wasn¡¯t passive or timid like the gecko, nor chill and nonchalant like the floating cat. Just¡­ really, friendly? Having to share wasn¡¯t the most convenient turn of events, but Percy reminded himself that he was taking over the bodies of others. Naturally, going solo wouldn¡¯t always be an option. In any case, it should be fine as long as the beast allowed him to do what he wanted. Settling into the new vessel, Percy soon examined their soul¡¯s condition. It was alright ¨C he¡¯d seen worse. Sadly, Mend wouldn¡¯t help him much here. Even with his improved efficiency and his potent Orange mana, his pitiful stash wouldn¡¯t be anywhere near enough to bring his host back from the verge of death. As always, the best he could hope for was to temporarily patch the cracks up. A few minutes later, he managed to tap into the body¡¯s senses. The first thing he felt was the gentle warmth of the sun, licking at the front side of their body. At the same time, a blanket of soft sand simmered beneath him, hugging his back. Next, he tried to take a breath, only to realize he couldn¡¯t. It was ridiculous ¨C but perhaps not so surprising ¨C how often his hosts had died of some form of suffocation. Though, unlike Takeo or the monkey, this guy hadn¡¯t been strangled by a vine, nor drowned. It had Percy felt an object in their throat, blocking their air canal. Upon regaining consciousness, his host desperately tried to cough it out, to no avail. . If it was that easy, he wouldn¡¯t have died in the first place. Luckily for him, he had Percy to help him this time. Pulling a sliver of teal mana from his stash, Percy moved it to their throat, pushing against the obstruction. A few seconds later, their joint efforts were enough to dislodge the object, letting the creature spit it out. The beast greedily gasped for air the first chance it got, though Percy ignored it as he examined the instrument of his demise. It was a large, spherical object. Pink and¡­ Almost like a miscoloured coconut. In fact, his guess was probably not that far off, as he could tell via his connection to the creature that this thing was . Friendly or not, his latest host clearly wasn¡¯t the sharpest tool in the shed. Not being in a rush to move on, Percy allowed the beast to go about its day, while examining their surroundings. As he had come to realize early on, they were currently standing on some kind of beach.Though it looked very different from what one might expect. Gazing around some more, he quickly noticed it was more like a desert than a beach, as the sand extended in every direction, all the way to the horizon. Rather than a sea, it was dotted with lots and lots of small oases. Their sizes ranged from tiny puddles to lakes wider than Bogside town. And they seemed to be filled up with regular water, the crystalline liquid shimmering as it reflected the bright sunlight and the clear blue sky both. . What caught his eye were the tall palm trees lining up the oases¡¯ coasts, boxing them in, like natural fences. Percy had never seen a palm tree back on Remior ¨C at least not outside illustrations ¨C but these definitely looked a little weird. They always came in pairs, their trunks intertwined with one another, as if the trees were engaged in some stationary dance, embracing their mates passionately. Their crowns lightly touched, looking like they were kissing, with lots of pink coconuts adorning their shared canopies. More importantly, Percy spotted plenty more creatures like his host, allowing him to get a better look at them from the outside. His host was clearly an adult ¨C not losing to the tallest of them. They were birds, their beaks short and hooked. As for their plumage, it varied from one individual to another, ranging from the brightest yellows to the gloomiest blues, to exotic pinks and warm reds. A quick glance revealed his own feathers were a relatively unassuming brown ¨C that very thought dampening his host¡¯s mood. Percy tried cheering the bird up. Overall, the creatures faintly resembled parrots ¨C as much as any alien ever could. That said, they had six limbs. Other than their wings, each of them sported two pairs of talons. Most of them walked on all four, but they seemed capable of standing on their hindlegs too ¨C if they wanted. At least, that appeared to be his host¡¯s preference. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Clenching one of his ¡°hands¡±, Percy noted it had a decent range of motion. He only had three digits on each limb, but one was opposite the other two, so he wouldn¡¯t have much trouble holding an object, or drawing runes with it. He frowned. It wasn¡¯t perfect, but it would do. Next, he pulled up their Status, just in case there was any big surprise there. . Percival''s clone Mana cores: [Mana core 1 ¨C Red ¨C Beast][Mana core 2 ¨C Seed ¨C ???] Spells: [Glove ¨C Crude][Mend ¨C Crude][Soul Harvester ¨C Refined][Reinforcement ¨C Refined][Mantle of Deceit ¨C Refined] Decrees: [Phoebe¡¯s Decree] ¨C Grants access to your Status.[Moirais¡¯ Decree (Incomplete)] ¨C Grants the seed of a second mana core. Requires potent life mana to germinate.[Metatron¡¯s Decree] ¨C Open a one-way portal to the Vault of Magic at will. As always, the Status listed only the spells that he could cast in this body. Synchronization and his Secret Art weren¡¯t among them, as he lacked his bloodline or a second core, but that didn¡¯t mean that everything else listed there was useable. Either way, he didn¡¯t want to bring any cyan or teal powder to the Vault, unwilling to hand Metatron such a useful gift. That said, he¡¯d use his fused mana if he had to. That one wasn¡¯t a secret from the titan ¨C after all, it was from there that he even learnt about it in the first place. While Percy was busy assessing his situation, his host went about his day unfazed. He strolled casually along the soft sands, acting as if he hadn¡¯t just evaded death. Every now and then, he waved at his peers or greeted them with a throaty squeak. Eventually, he stopped underneath the shade of a particularly large pair of palm trees, where many of his friends had gathered. Lifting his eyes from the Status page, Percy examined the other creatures from up close. He guessed these ones were all males, betrayed by their more vibrant coats and slightly larger builds. They were pointing at a group of females bathing in the clear waters of the nearest lake, snickering at one another. His host looked like he was having fun. Percy sighed. This place was essentially a paradise. No predators in sight, abundant food, a nice environment, and lots of friends or potential mates. It was pretty much a dream come true, whether one was at Red or White, a beast or a sapient. But he¡¯d do it. Percy had never thought twice before eating a slice of ham, or a chicken¡¯s drumstick. It would only be hypocritical of him ¨C ¨C if he sacrificed an opportunity to spare a bird¡¯s feelings. Still¡­ Percy planned to gather a lot of supplies before going to the Vault this time. Sizian meat was the only food they had there, and each piece would cost him an arm and a leg. Not caring about his host¡¯s advancement in the slightest, Percy couldn¡¯t possibly justify spending a credit on every meal ¨C he had yet to even earn any! Plus, he didn¡¯t want to burden Gabe with that again. Of course, starving wasn¡¯t an option either. He fully intended to spend at least a couple of weeks there this time. Possibly longer. The obvious solution was to simply bring some food with him through the portal. Over the next few hours, he coaxed his host into helping him gather a pile of coconuts. At first, the creature resisted. He was having way too much fun just chilling with his buddies to waste it collecting food when he wasn¡¯t even hungry. But Percy managed to get through to him, mainly by making it appear like a game. They took turns controlling the body, competing to see who¡¯d pick the most coconuts. Naturally, the creature wiped the floor with him ¨C being much more used to his own body. Not that Percy cared about his loss too much, his eyes dripping with enthusiasm as he stared at the pile of coconuts sitting before him. It was about as tall as he was. Looking up at the trees, his gaze locked onto their leaves, each longer than he was tall, and wider than his arm. A single leaf would probably tear in an instant under all this weight, but what about a hundred of them? Fortunately, the parrot proved to be a decent climber. A good thing too, as his wings didn¡¯t seem large enough to support his weight in flight. Some more placating and a few games later, Percy grinned in appreciation as he scanned their handiwork. Hundreds of coconuts were resting inside a green sack. Without anything to tie the leaves together, a few coconuts slipped through the gaps whenever he tried dragging the sack. But it was fine. Most of them had remained inside, so the majority would probably make it through the portal. Activating the Decree, both of them marvelled at the sight, as the circular gate manifested before them. It wasn¡¯t Percy¡¯s first time seeing this, but that wasn¡¯t nearly enough for him to tire of watching a titan¡¯s magic at work. He got a wave of confusion back. Naturally, the creature hesitated, unsure why it had to leave its home and its nestmates behind. With a heavy heart, Percy used the promise of a second core, and unimaginable magical secrets to coax his new buddy into stepping through the portal. Sadly, none of those things appealed to the parrot. It seemed satisfied with everything it already had. It took Percy a couple more hours to convince the bird the trip was worth it. And, he only succeeded by omitting a very important detail ¨C the fact that there was no coming back. Tricking the parrot like this leave a bad taste in his mouth, but he knew this was the only way. Dragging the leafy sack through the sand, Percy tossed it through the portal first. A few coconuts spilled out in the process, but he just kicked them all right behind it. Then he stepped through the magical gate too. It was finally time to learn some new runes. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 157: Large animals After overcoming the dizziness of the trip ¨C at least it helped he was expecting it this time ¨C Percy stood up, examining his surroundings. Lots of people were looking at him curiously again. Though he seemed to have been transported to a different location.That flew in the face of their idea to sneak Gabe out through a portal. Not that they¡¯d placed much hope in that plan to begin with. More importantly, Percy noticed something else that gave him pause. These people were all shorter than him ¨C other than the horned ones. . Coming here in the body of a Red beast, he would have expected to barely reach their knees. His heart skipped a beat at the implications. Red beasts were essentially regular animals, mostly untouched by magic. They could still use Mana Sense, and possibly Circulation too, but their affinity had yet to start influencing their bodies at a deeper level. That was why Red beasts had the greatest size disparity of all grades. One could be as small as a mouse, or as large as an elephant. It wasn¡¯t until core advancements came into play that this began to change. The smallest creatures grew the most from each evolution, first to the size of a fox at Orange, then to about the size of a human at Yellow, and so on. As for animals that were already bigger than that to begin with, they still grew larger and stronger with each promotion, but not by nearly as much. Supposedly, the two ends of the spectrum met up at some point between Green and Blue, when the smaller creatures managed to catch up, closing the gap. However, Percy wasn¡¯t thinking about the higher grades right now. The fact that his host was already about as large as a Yellow beast while only at Red was an amazing stroke of luck. Of course, it didn¡¯t mean he was anywhere near as as a Yellow. Even an Orange opponent would probably be difficult to contend with. Still, Percy was willing to bet they¡¯d have a massive advantage in the Red challenges. he shook his head, suppressing his bubbling enthusiasm. He picked up the loose coconuts that had fallen out of the sack, glaring at one of the green folks who tried to snatch one. The guy was actually at Orange, but he barely reached the parrot¡¯s waist. That seemed to deal quite a blow to his self-esteem, as he begrudgingly let go of the exotic fruit a moment later. Placing his palm on the ground, Percy then tried to log himself into the cube. Naturally, the unintelligible squeaks of his host struggled to convey the message, but a blue circle still lit up around the talon a couple seconds later, turning silver right afterwards. The cube seemed to understand what he wanted too, as a small hole opened up, the translation device popping out. It looked quite small to his current perspective, not to mention how the parrot didn¡¯t have any ears to hook it around, though it still stuck to the side of Percy¡¯s face without any issues. ¡°Authorization pending. Please input user ID.¡± Percy wanted to roll his eyes, but the bird¡¯s eyeballs appeared fixed in place. Clearly, the cube had already recognized him, otherwise it wouldn¡¯t have given him the device. Asking for his ID at this point was just needless bureaucracy¡­ ¡°User ID: WANDERER.¡± ¡°Authorization granted. Welcome back to the Vault, Percy.¡± the cube replied, though the second sentence was spoken in Metatron¡¯s voice, sending a chill down his spine. Picking the sack again, Percy carried it to a less crowded spot, seeking some privacy. He didn¡¯t really care what the Vault¡¯s mortals saw ¨C he doubted any of them had the balls to cause him any trouble. That said, he didn¡¯t exactly want to garner any unnecessary attention either. ¡°Cube. Can I speak to Metatron?¡± he asked once he was alone. ¡°Evaluating request¡­¡± While he¡¯d rather not make a habit of interacting with the titan frequently, he had been playing with an idea in his mind since his last visit. It was risky, though it would get him more value from these trips if it worked. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°Evaluation complete. Request denied. User does not meet the minimum requirements. ¡®Contacting a god of the Vault¡¯ is listed on the restricted section for White grade or above. ¡®Contacting a titan of the Vault¡¯ is listed in the restricted section for Concept realm or above. ¡®Contacting the founder¡¯ is not listed on any reward list.¡± Percy was unfazed by the flurry of messages, having expected them. But he also expected the amendment that should come any second now. After all, there was no way Metatron would leave him without the means of accepting his deal. ¡°NOTIFICATION: User has been granted special authorization to contact Metatron. Proceed?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± It wasn¡¯t until about five minutes later that another portal opened up right next to him, a familiar pentapus slithering right out. ¡°Nice to see you again, Percy. Though I must admit, it feels like yesterday when we last spoke. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve come around so quickly?¡± the titan greeted. ¡°No. I¡¯m not ready to accept your terms just yet. I was hoping to propose a deal of my own instead.¡± Percy replied, trying to maintain his composure. Though he couldn¡¯t help but swallow a lump as the titan scanned him from head to toe. ¡°Only a Red beast this time?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t help it. Those are some tough challenges you¡¯ve implemented. I¡¯ll need to ease my way through them.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hear it then.¡± Metatron nodded. ¡°Though I would caution you to not summon me again for anything not directly related to my offer. ¡± he added in a more severe tone, making him shudder. ¡°I want you to give me enough life mana for the Morais¡¯ Decree every time I visit the Vault with a new body.¡± Metatron blinked a few times, staring at Percy in incredulity. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°I¡¯m still waiting to hear the other half of this so called ¡®deal¡¯.¡± ¡°In return¡­ I¡¯ll do my best to leave my hosts intact before I leave.¡± Percy shrugged. Yet, the words barely had the chance to leave his mouth, when a suffocating pressure descended on him, forcing him down on his knees. His bones creaked and his joints ached in protest, as the parrot hid in the very recesses of his mind, cowering in terror. ¡°Have you lost your mind?!¡± Metatron asked, his tone cold as ice. ¡°Did my easy-going demeanour give you the impression that I¡¯ll stand to be blackmailed by a mortal?!¡± The titan spoke slowly, each word slamming at Percy with the weight of a battering ram, pressing him against the ground. He knew the god was holding back too, otherwise he would have long reduced him to a sticky puddle. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not¡­ blackmailing¡­ anyone¡­¡± he spat, each word a struggle. Creasing his brow, the titan eased the pressure on him somewhat, letting him breathe. It wasn¡¯t until a few seconds later that Percy managed to speak again. ¡°I¡¯m only asking for proper compensation for the things I¡¯m already giving you.¡± ¡°Last time I checked, letting you come and go as you please, and to participate in the challenges plenty of compensation.¡± ¡°That¡¯s how you get me to keep coming back.¡± Percy flashed the titan a defiant look. ¡°However, I¡¯m under no obligation to leave my hosts intact when I leave. This is just a courtesy you expect of me. All I¡¯m asking is that I get a little something back in return.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a ¡®little something¡¯. Do you have any idea how much life mana it costs to repair the Moirais¡¯ Decree? . You¡¯ve seen it before.¡± But Percy wasn¡¯t quite ready to give up just yet. ¡°Please. We both know you fix the bodies and give them their new cores the moment I leave. After all, they¡¯re your precious test subjects. I¡¯m just asking you to do it earlier, so that I can use them too. In return, I¡¯ll go out of my way to keep the bodies in a good condition.¡± Metatron finally withdrew the rest of his pressure, his eyes narrowing. ¡°This still sounds like blackmail to me. Why should I agree to this? If you want to earn more things from the Vault, you just have to accept my terms.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll cost you nothing. And it¡¯s only fair. I¡¯m giving you an endless supply of bodies with one of the most powerful Decrees in the universe. All I ask is a chance to play around with them for a few days beforehand. If you really want to convince me to collaborate with you, this will go a long way.¡± Metatron appeared to think for a couple minutes. Percy didn¡¯t rush him, knowing he¡¯d already pushed the titan way more than any mortal should ever dare to. ¡°Very well. . If you try to pull another stunt like this in the future, I¡¯ll revoke your access to the Vault entirely. Your bloodline is valuable alright, but I¡¯m not going to humiliate myself grovelling at a mortal¡¯s feet.¡± ¡°I¡¯m guessing you won¡¯t be lending me a Ring of Sacrilege then? What if I ask nicely?¡± Percy chuckled, half-joking. ¡°You wish. But I might consider trading you a ring for another, should you get lucky enough to find one. Or something else of equal value.¡± Metatron laughed too, his voice trailing off as he vanished through another portal. Once the god was gone, Percy allowed himself to grin. Voicing his farfetched demands to the titan had been a bold move, but the payoff was immense. That said, he didn¡¯t plan on pushing his luck again anytime soon. As for what Metatron had said on the way out, he didn¡¯t pay it much heed. Shaking his head, he spoke to the system. ¡°Cube. I want my body healed up completely.¡± ¡°Evaluating request¡­¡± ¡°Evaluation complete. Request denied. User does not meet the minimum requirements. ¡®Healing via divine mana¡¯ is listed in the restricted section for Yellow grade or above.¡± It wasn¡¯t until a minute later the cube corrected itself. ¡°NOTIFICATION: User has been granted special authorization to receive a god¡¯s life mana. Proceed?¡± ¡°Do it.¡± he said, not even caring if anybody saw this. The big dog was already in the know. ¡°Accumulating life mana. Healing begins in 6 rits.¡± Chapter 158: Plan Strictly speaking, the parrot didn¡¯t need that much healing.Unlike Gabe, who had been stabbed full of holes before Percy first found him, the bird had merely choked to death. They only needed to make up for the minor deterioration the body had undergone between death and reanimation. Suffice to say, Percy was forced to keep scratching himself during the process, to ensure the cube didn¡¯t stop pouring life mana into them before the second core was ready. Naturally, the poor bird was taken aback both by the suffocating amount of liquid mana enveloping them, and by Percy¡¯s insistence on self-harm. However, he was still too frightened by their meeting with the titan to dare interfere with his guest. A few minutes later, Percy nodded in appreciation, searching inwards for the new organ. Next, he instructed the parrot to grab their supplies and head towards the challenge cubes. The sooner they started collecting credits, the more time he¡¯d have to study the new runes. Percy did consider dropping by the residential cubes to greet his friend, but ultimately decided against it. It hadn¡¯t been that long since he met Gabe, and it wasn¡¯t like he had any good news for him. The best he could do right now was to keep getting stronger. Of course, he¡¯d also thought about renting a room himself, so that he wouldn¡¯t have to stay outside during the whole visit. Unfortunately, even the smallest lodging cost way too much, priced at around a credit for every 18 or so Remior days ¨C . In fact, he was a little surprised his stingy friend had deigned to splurge on that himself. Then again, the only alternative was spending his entire life homeless. Sadly, credits were far scarcer for a Red than they were for a Green, so Percy would have to soldier through the next few weeks. Besides, his host was a beast, so it wasn¡¯t like he¡¯d grown up indoors either. As they walked towards the challenge cubes, Percy ignored the bird¡¯s fumbling attempts to keep the coconuts from spilling out of the rapidly degrading sack. His attention was focused on their abdomen, as he tried to locate and awaken the second core. The impact of their new organ could hardly be overstated. While it would certainly help them do far better inside the combat challenges, that wasn¡¯t what excited Percy the most. The best part was that it would let him spend a lot more time in the magiscript challenge. After all, their beast mana couldn¡¯t leave their body, and their teal mana couldn¡¯t be replenished. Had they not netted themselves a new core, they¡¯d be lucky to last through the first wave. Percy was quite literally viewing the new organ as a source of ink! Of course, the ancient titan wasn¡¯t dumb. Both he and Percy were fully aware of this unspoken subtext behind their negotiations. Had he refused Percy¡¯s request, the latter would feel more pressure to accept the titan¡¯s terms or, at the very least, reveal a few more of his secrets. In any case, locating the new organ didn¡¯t take him too long, though he¡¯d have to clear the first few channels before he could fill it up. Naturally, he started doing just that immediately, but his rumbling stomach interrupted him a couple hours later, breaking his concentration. Grabbing a couple coconuts from the pile, he slammed them against one another to crack their shells. It only took a few attempts, which meant that either their shells were weaker than regular coconuts, or that his host was stronger than a Red human. Shrugging, he bit at the fruit¡¯s interior, tearing a chunk out. It was the same pink colour as the outside, but it was soft and spongy, dripping with a refreshing juice. That said, it tasted nothing like he had expected. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. And not just salty. It had a bit of an oily texture too, its flavour vaguely reminding him of raw salmon. Not quite the sweet snack he¡¯d been looking forward to. Still, he guessed it should be rather nutritious. A few bites later, Percy took a step back, allowing his host to take over. The exotic snack didn¡¯t exactly taste per se, but he knew the bird would enjoy it a lot more than he did. In the end, they ate of the damn things! Who¡¯d have thought that raising the dead, travelling across the universe and negotiating with a titan could work such an appetite? As a fortunate side effect, the familiar taste seemed to placate the parrot¡¯s growing unease too. The poor creature had started sending him images of the sandy beach a few hours ago, clearly longing to return to its home and friends. Percy sighed. He wasn¡¯t sure if the bird understood him, but it remained silent, letting him resume his work on the channels. he thought at some point. Honestly, Percy had never expected the day would come when he¡¯d wish for that. Without Crystallization, this would pretty much be the worst possible outcome with regards to the combat challenges. However, it was the affinity he was most used to drawing the runes with, which was his primary goal for the trip. He wasn¡¯t only thinking about the credits and the rewards either. The magiscript challenge would be a good way to assess his current skill in the sublime art, and to figure out what the next steps would be. *** S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. This was a new record for him. Percy was confident he was the universe¡¯s leading expert in awakening mana cores by now. He was also experienced enough to tell the new affinity wasn¡¯t one he¡¯d used before. While he couldn¡¯t manipulate the mana directly just yet ¨C not until he managed to fill up the new organ and add his willpower to it ¨C he could see that the nascent channels took a different route through their body than any he¡¯d come across in the past. he shrugged. It wasn¡¯t until an hour later that the core was full, sending a wave of vitality rippling through the parrot¡¯s body. Getting a second core at the same grade was quite the boon ¨C it should double their strength, That said, the fact the bird was already much larger than the typical Red beast did somewhat diminish the impact. Next, Percy pulled a sliver of mana to their right fore-talon, manifesting a blob of brown which quickly coalesced into a fistful of sand. It was rather obvious what affinity this was, but Percy still pulled the Status up for the final confirmation. [Mana core 2 ¨C Red ¨C Earth] Not the most ideal outcome, but certainly within expectations. Sadly, Percy had never actually possessed an earth user before, which meant there would be a bit of a learning curve ahead. Takeo, Gabe and Micky weren¡¯t the only sentients his clones had possessed over the years. The rest hadn¡¯t held any particularly interesting secrets for him to bring back to Remior, though he¡¯d experienced a few other common affinities through them, including fire, air, water and pure. Though earth just happened to be one of the two elements he was completely inexperienced in, along with lightning. Unwilling to waste time, he continued opening more channels. It would take him weeks to clear as many as the average mage used, but he didn¡¯t need all of those. As long as he could send the mana to his talons to draw with, and maybe use it in a fight, it should be plenty. Percy didn¡¯t expect to be casting any profound Refined spells in this body, but giving himself a small edge against Red golems shouldn¡¯t be that tall an order. he thought suddenly. In theory, it should work. Structurally, the sand wasn¡¯t that different from the cyan powder, and he already knew that all affinities be fused. Often, in multiple ways too. Hell, he¡¯d already discovered a couple different approaches to fusing pure mana with . If he did this, he¡¯d have another edge during the combat challenges without having to compromise his secret. But he quickly shook his head. Even if it was possible, it would take him weeks of experimentation to get there. His limited supply of fused mana would run out way before he saw any tangible results. Percy then looked back at the pile of coconuts. It had shrunk slightly, but they still had plenty to last them for over a month. The parrot would too, his physical injuries already healed. Though that didn¡¯t mean it was wise to stay here as long as possible. Percy actually had a few specific goals for this trip. Other than getting Nesha another rune for the spatial amulets, he wanted something for himself too. He didn¡¯t know exactly what, but he was hoping for an enchantment that would let him amass more soul mana for his experiment. Taking everything into account, Percy made a rough plan for the rest of his trip. He¡¯d spend the rest of the week clearing out as many earth channels as he could, before diving into the magiscript challenge. He¡¯d progress as far as possible as his current skill with the concealment runes would allow. Hopefully, that would mean at least a couple of waves. Then, he¡¯d do the same with the combat challenges¡­ Chapter 159: Magiscript challenge ¡°Wave begins. May your challenge be successful!¡±Percy stared at the cylindrical piece of metal erected in the middle of the room. It was too short to be considered a pillar. Shrugging, he approached. In any case, the magiscript challenge wasn¡¯t dangerous like the others. . Hopefully, the first wave of the Red level would be manageable though. Reaching the strange structure, he saw it descend slightly lower, seemingly adjusting itself to his own height. A second cylinder rose up from the ground behind him, reaching only about halfway to the first one. It was just tall enough to serve as a seat. Next, he looked at the first podium. A few symbols had lit up. Percy only recognized two of them, still not as proficient in the Vault¡¯s language as he would like. Luckily, the translation device took care of it. Evidently, a single rune was enough to carry him through the first wave. It still meant the locals couldn¡¯t make any progress in the magiscript challenge unless they earned some credits from the others first. Percy would have to explore the system some more later. Perhaps there was some kind of starter pack he was missing out on. In any case, the first wave seemed manageable. Gathering some earth mana on one of his claws, he began to carve one rune after another on the podium¡¯s smooth surface. He¡¯d already practiced with this enchantment for months until he could reliably draw it on his scythe. It shouldn¡¯t take him many attempts to get through it¡­ *** he frowned, staring at the results. Percy was sure he was normally better than this. Evidently, the parrot¡¯s lacking dexterity coupled with the unfamiliar affinity impacted him negatively, pulling his score down. The low difficulty of his chosen enchantment also meant he wasn¡¯t eligible for any bonus points either. Even worse, this was his fourth attempt already, each one having taken a little over an hour. It couldn¡¯t be helped, as his mana tended to run out about 20 runes in, forcing him to take several breaks to refill his core during each attempt. ¡°No.¡± Naturally, Percy wasn¡¯t going to quit so easily, but his host had been bugging him to take a lunch break for a while now. Walking to a side of the challenge cube, Percy sat next to the coconut sack, picking a couple of them from the pile. He¡¯d been forced to bring his supplies inside, as somebody might try snatching some if he left them unattended. This wasn¡¯t a big problem during the relatively peaceful magiscript challenge, though he wasn¡¯t sure what to do when he started working on the combat ones. he chuckled. Either way, that was a problem for later. After finishing his meal, Percy returned to the centre of the room, restarting the wave. His host had no interest in the boring task, falling back to the recesses of his mind, waiting for all this nonsense to be over. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. In the end, it took Percy three more attempts to barely eek out the required 90% success rate. Spending about half a day on the first wave was definitely worse than he¡¯d hoped. Still acceptable though, considering he¡¯d given himself two weeks to get through all the challenges. ¡°Congratulations! Wave 1 has been cleared! Calculating rewards¡­¡± the soulless voice declared. It wasn¡¯t Percy¡¯s first time hearing this, but clearing a wave all by himself hit a lot differently than when he was merely tagging alongside Gabe. ¡°Awarded credits: 30. Current balance: 30.¡± he frowned. Obviously, he¡¯d known lower grade challenges gave out fewer credits, but this was still less than expected. Extrapolating, he figured each grade roughly tripled the rewards ¨C rounded for convenience. The first wave of the Orange grade would probably grant 100, while the one for Yellow should be at 300¡­ Honestly, it wasn¡¯t so bad. A portion of sizian meat was valued at 1 credit, and its effect was pretty much on par with an elixir on Remior. Converted to contribution points, that meant Percy had just earned about 12000 of them! ¡¯ he thought, feeling a little better. Though the Red-borns of the Vault were still screwed if this was all they had to go by. Assuming they could clear the first three waves of each challenge ¨C a rather generous assumption too, as not all of them had a bloodline or a blessing ¨C they¡¯d only get 540 portions of sizian meat in total. And that was without taking into account the cost of actually delving into runecrafting in the first place. This wouldn¡¯t even last them two years ¨C meaning they¡¯d never make it to Orange. Presumably, the system took care of the kids at least until they first awakened their core, so somewhere between the ages of 5 and 8. After all, they didn¡¯t even know their grade before then, nor did they have the mental maturity to undertake any challenges. After that, the Red-born children only survived a couple years at best ¨C which was ample time for them to demonstrate any unique bloodline or talent they might have. Motivated by their empty bellies, they¡¯d give it their all until their last breath, at which point the gods could pick out any occasional outlier with a promising bloodline, leaving the rest to die in their early teens. Percy felt the urge to laugh. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Orange-borns had it slightly better. The relatively talented ones could potentially earn around 1800 or so credits at Orange, barely giving them enough time to hit Yellow. At that point, they could earn another 5400 credits if they could maintain their momentum, living for another decade or two. But that was it. Only the most talented Yellow-borns who had both a higher starting point and the potential to go past the third wave actually stood a chance of making it to the higher grades. And even those people ¨C ¨C wouldn¡¯t easily hit Violet or White. Had Gabe been born on Remior, he¡¯d probably be on par with the most gifted members of the Divine Root ¨C even before he obtained his second core. Here, his future wasn¡¯t quite as secure. The realization exacerbated Percy¡¯s guilt over all the things he¡¯d made his friend buy him. In any case, he couldn¡¯t do much as he was. There was only one path forward and he intended to see it through to the end. The good news was that he had several advantages the locals didn¡¯t. First, he didn¡¯t need any sizian meat, which meant he could funnel all his credits into his studies. Second, he could earn credits from every grade, by coming here with various bodies. Obviously, the lower levels wouldn¡¯t reward him as much, but every little bit helped. . Finally, his arrangement with Metatron would give him an edge, his second core making up for his lack of a blessing or a bloodline. Assuming the titan kept true to his word, of course. ¡°Cube. Start the second wave of the magiscript challenge, Red level. User ID: WANDERER.¡± ¡°Authorization granted. Restarting ¡®magiscript¡¯ challenge, Red level, wave 2. Wave begins in 18 rits.¡± Percy patiently waited for the podium to light up again, before checking the requirements. Naturally, the requirements had increased quite steeply, not only leaving him with much less room for errors, but also imposing a somewhat strict time limit. He¡¯d have to pick up the pace improve the quality of his runes to get through it. Still, this was good. In typical Percy fashion, however, he just had to go jinx himself. Getting through the second wave took him three more days. In theory, he still had plenty of time to attempt the third one. That said, the requirements finally stumped him¡­ Chapter 160: Shopping Percy only knew the concealment and pocket runes, but the latter didn¡¯t even work without space mana, nor had he practiced them much.The book on the concealment runes that Gabe had lent him contained other variants besides the ¡°general¡± one he was using. Though most of those involved specific mana types that he didn¡¯t have access to. For example, there was a variant that needed fire and air mana ¨C emulating the light affinity ¨C which turned an object dim. Supposedly, that was the cornerstone of more complex enchantments to even turn something translucent. There were even some variants using fire or water that could be used to hide an object¡¯s heat signature ¨C achieving the same result via different principles. In any case, most of that had been useless for him, either because he lacked the corresponding affinities, or because the effects didn¡¯t particularly interest him. If he wanted to get through this wave, he¡¯d have to learn some new enchantments. ¡°Cube. Abort the challenge. Also, tell me if you have any runes for preserving souls. User ID: WANDERER.¡± ¡°Challenge aborted. Wave failed.¡± sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Authorization granted. Evaluating request¡­¡± Ever since Percy realized he didn¡¯t have enough soul mana to draw the mysterious creatures to his body, he¡¯d decided to sift through the Vault¡¯s database for any runes that might help. Of course, he already knew he¡¯d be hard pressed to find any enchantments for storing mana directly. As he¡¯d learned a long time ago, a mortal¡¯s mana was much more difficult to preserve for an extended period of time. Maybe there was a way to compress a lot of mortal mana into divine mana, but even if there was, he very much doubted he¡¯d be able to draw a rune capable of withstanding such a process. In other words, his only option was to take a step back and look for a way to delay a soul from deteriorating. That way, they could gather a lot more food for Micky to eat at once, giving him a ton of mana in one go. ¡°Evaluation complete. There are 4568 books, 14531 research logs, 72 encyclopaedias and 485736 news reports that mention ¡°rune¡±, ¡°preserve¡± and ¡°soul¡±. Part of the selection is restricted for your grade. Only 4287 books, 3765 research logs, 20 encyclopaedias and 267890 news reports are available for purchase. Total cost: 475399 credits. Current balance: 90.¡± ¡°Geez. It¡¯s even worse than the last time. Ok¡­ Leave only mentions of standalone runes that can be drawn by beginners below Yellow. Filter out any runes not in the Vault¡¯s language. No point in learning those if I plan on learning magiscript in the future. Leave only runes that need the soul affinity ¨C I imagine those will be more effective for the job.¡± ¡°Evaluating request¡­¡± ¡°Evaluation complete. There are 8 books, 4 research logs, 1 encyclopaedias and 367 news reports available for purchase. Total cost: 1007 credits. Current balance: 90.¡± At the end of the day, Percy had no clue how he was meant to navigate the database. The gods certainly haven¡¯t made it particularly intuitive. ¡°What¡¯s the title of the encyclopaedia?¡± ¡°Evaluating request¡­¡± ¡°Evaluation complete. The encyclopaedia is titled ¡®10000 magiscript runes for beginners¡¯. The encyclopaedia is valued at 200 credits. Current balance: 90.¡± Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Percy¡¯s avian heart skipped a beat, though there were still a few issues to solve. And not just the fact he couldn¡¯t afford the book quite yet. ¡°How deeply does the encyclopaedia delve into each rune? Is there enough material there to learn them?¡± ¡°Evaluating request¡­¡± ¡°Evaluation complete. The encyclopaedia lists the runes, their requirements, a few of the most common variants, and their function. The preamble notes ¡®¡­this encyclopaedia is mostly meant to be used as an index of common runes, not a teaching aide¡­¡¯¡± Creasing his brow, Percy doused his bubbling enthusiasm. As he had expected, this was too good to be true. Gabe had lent him an entire on just the topic of concealment runes alone. Buying detailed information on 10000 runes with a measly 200 credits was, frankly, . ¡°Cube, are the remaining 8 books all focused on specific runes?¡± ¡°Evaluating request¡­¡± ¡°Evaluation complete. The 8 books are titled ¡®Preservation rune, Vol. 1, 2, 5, 9, 13, 16, 19, 20¡¯ respectively. Each delves into different variants of the ¡®preservation¡¯ rune. These include the variants that meet the previous search criteria. Total cost: 80 credits. Current balance: 90.¡± ¡°Ok. Does any one of the tomes include variants suitable for preserving living souls, dead souls, mana constructs and perishable objects?¡± Percy¡¯s query wasn¡¯t random. One part of his goal was to preserve a few corpses for Micky to eat, but he also hoped to learn a rune he could use to patch his clones¡¯ souls more effectively. That might allow him to extend his trips even further. As for the last part ¨C well, preservation runes were widely used. It would be nice to learn a variant suitable for his Soul Harvester, or something to keep food fresh for longer. ¡°Evaluating request¡­¡± ¡°Evaluation complete. Volumes 5, 9 and 20 meet all the search criteria. Total cost: 30 credits. Current balance: 90.¡± Percy couldn¡¯t help but grin. He was certain he¡¯d find what he was looking for somewhere in these three books, and the price was already affordable. Of course, he could try narrowing it down some more to save a few more credits, but he¡¯d rather browse through the options and pick the most effective variant to learn. ¡°Is there any discount for somebody¡¯s first purchase? Or a free tutorial for beginners? How are kids with no credits meant to delve into the challenges in the first place?¡± ¡°Evaluating request¡­¡± ¡°Evaluation complete. User is eligible for ¡®beginner¡¯s bundle¡¯. ¡®Beginner¡¯s bundle¡¯ contains: 30 portions of sizian meat, allowance of 50 credits to be spent on reading material.¡± ¡°Seriously? How come I wasn¡¯t informed of this? Was I supposed to just guess it exists?¡± ¡°Evaluating request¡­¡± ¡°Evaluation complete. All users are automatically notified about the ¡®beginner¡¯s bundle¡¯ upon awakening their core. User¡¯s core has already awakened. User should have been informed already.¡± Percy tried to roll his eyes again, only to be reminded his host couldn¡¯t do that. He wasn¡¯t sure if Metatron was deliberately being a prick, or if he had genuinely forgotten to mention this, but he was inching towards the former. Either way, this was good news. ¡°Leave the sizian meat for now.¡± He didn¡¯t know if he could sell it back to the cube for credits, but he might need it in the future if one of his clones ended up in need of a quick snack. ¡°Use my allowance to purchase those three books. I¡¯m also looking for a ¡®control¡¯ rune that is compatible with ¡®pocket¡¯ runes and spatial amulets. It must be usable with space mana, but I¡¯d like a variant that can also be drawn with other types for broader applications.¡± Naturally, this rune was mostly for Nesha, though Percy wouldn¡¯t mind something he could use himself. It would enrich his arsenal, not only to get him through this challenge, but to hopefully allow him to craft more intricate enchantments in the future. ¡°Confirmed. Deducting credits. New balance: 90. Additional allowance: 20. Delivery in 6 rits.¡± ¡°Evaluating request¡­¡± Percy picked up the books from the hole, before the cube assessed his second request. ¡°Evaluation complete. There are 4 books that meet the previous search criteria. They are titled ¡®Control rune, Vol. 7, 8, 18, 21¡¯ respectively. Each book contains at least one variant that is compatible with space mana, pocket runes, spatial amulets, and general applications. Total cost: 40 credits. Current balance: 90. Additional allowance: 20.¡± Percy sighed. This was going to be a lot of reading, and he only had two weeks to get through it before it was time to resume the challenges. Still, it couldn¡¯t be helped. The concealment rune had already made him stronger, and the new ones promised to do the same. ¡°Do it. Use the allowance first.¡± If he finished all his tasks in time, there was one more thing he hoped to get by the end of his trip. He had no idea if they even had anything like that, or if he¡¯d have enough credits for it, but it would qualitatively improve his kit if he managed to get his hands on it. Suddenly, he had a strange thought. Chapter 161: New runes While Percy prided himself as a relatively fast reader, he was operating under a strict self-imposed time limit during this visit. Naturally, he couldn¡¯t afford to carefully read all seven of the volumes he¡¯d just bought.Luckily, he didn¡¯t need to either. Obviously, he had no intention of learning hundreds of variants of the new runes ¨C he just had to pick the ones most suitable for his current needs. Consequently, he¡¯d devoted the first few days of his reading time to skimming over the books, identifying the best candidates. The preservation rune had a circular shape in general ¨C like most of the Vault¡¯s enchantments ¨C though it differed slightly from the concealment rune he¡¯d previously mastered. It was made of two concentric circles, down from three, though it contained many more curved lines linking the two shapes. Each sub-variant differed some more from the general case, altering the properties of the enchantment subtly, to make it more suitable for specific applications or mana types. In the end, Percy found 13 variants in total that could be used with soul mana to do what he wanted. Percy was confident it should work, though it wouldn¡¯t be without cost. According to the book, the less specialized the rune was, the lower its efficiency would be in each area, which frankly made sense. Picking a variant suitable for multiple tasks would make its effect about 10~15% less potent. Beyond that, there were a few more factors to take into consideration. For example, he had to pick a variant that could be overlapped with other runes in general, and his own concealment runes in particular. This would make his life easier later, once he graduated from basic runecrafting and started working on composing the runes together into more complex enchantments. Suffice to say, it took a fair amount of head scratching, but Percy eventually settled on a variant he deemed to be the best match for his needs. he nodded in satisfaction. Percy wasn¡¯t a magiscript expert, nor was he that well versed in the Vault¡¯s runes. He understood his decision-making process was probably full of blind spots, but he figured he¡¯d done a decent job given the circumstances. Perhaps, he could revisit this in the future once he was more experienced and had the credits to splurge. Next, he spent the rest of the week practicing with the new rune. Memorizing the shape and getting used to drawing it accurately was a laborious process. That said, it was notably easier the second time around. The more runes he learned, the more he would familiarize himself with the Vault¡¯s language, and the more skilled he¡¯d grow in drawing them precisely. Sadly, he couldn¡¯t test the enchantment¡¯s effect on souls just yet, as his limited stash of fused mana wasn¡¯t enough for that. However, he could at least tap into the more general effects of the rune by drawing it with earth mana. That should be enough to get him through the challenge. *** he grimaced. Getting to an acceptable level with the preservation rune took him a bit longer than he would have liked. It was still within the allotted two weeks, but it didn¡¯t leave him much time to learn the other one. At least, not without extending his trip by a little. Fortunately, the control rune was easier to learn than the others. In fact, it was by far the simplest rune he¡¯d ever seen. It was only made of a single circle with a cross inside it. There wasn¡¯t much to memorize, and even drawing it was trivial. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. it, on the other hand, was where the problem lay. After all, the control rune wasn¡¯t supposed to be used on its own. Its enchantment allowed it to be turned on and off at will. The person who inscribed it could do that remotely, though anybody could use it by pouring their mana into it. That said, the effect was only valuable once it was combined with a different rune. Normally, combining runes fell under the field of magiscript, not runecrafting. However, the control rune was much easier to overlap with other runes due to its simplicity, allowing even a novice like Percy to accomplish this. Still, it wasn¡¯t exactly trivial either, as the scribe had to visualize two distinct effects while drawing the composite rune, while also keeping their joint function at the forefront of their mind. he sighed. The good news was that he didn¡¯t need to do that right now. A quick test confirmed the challenge accepted the control rune when drawn separately. This meant he could learn to combine it with the other runes later, after he returned to Remior. Even better, both his drawing speed and his success rate would skyrocket if he used the control rune to fill the bulk of his quota. He still had to draw 50 concealment runes and 50 preservation runes, but the remaining 200 would be a piece of cake. *** Meeting all the cube¡¯s requirements did take a while, but he managed to do it by the end of his fourth week in the Vault. ¡°Congratulations! Wave 3 has been cleared! Calculating rewards¡­¡± ¡°Awarded credits: 90. Current balance: 160.¡± Percy couldn¡¯t help but grin as he saw his balance hit the triple digits for the first time. This was already enough to buy several more books, though he didn¡¯t know how expensive the spell he was interested in would be. This meant that at least some spells were either prohibitively expensive, or only obtainable from the restricted lists. Then again, Gabe had probably been looking for a Refined spell. Or maybe even higher. Percy would be happy with a Crude one, as long as it did what he wanted. He could improve it later. Next, Percy started the fourth wave. He seriously doubted he¡¯d be able to clear it anytime soon, though he figured it was worth checking the requirements anyway, for future reference. Becoming sufficiently proficient with ten different runes was a project that could easily take half a year. It was a little disappointing, though it made sense. If Gabe¡¯s combat challenges were anything to go by, getting past the fourth wave required both a blessing and a bloodline. Of course, this wasn¡¯t the case for the magiscript challenge, but its difficulty should scale in an equivalent manner. And this was still somewhat achievable, relatively speaking. Going by what Gabe had told him, the Green level of the challenge involved proper applications of magiscript, requiring decades of preparation. Percy smiled bitterly. In the end, reaching this point had taken him a little longer than his original estimates. Though he didn¡¯t regret it. At least, he¡¯d already met the primary objectives of his trip. He and Nesha would have the means to continue progressing once he returned. As for any more runes, they¡¯d have to wait for his next visit. ¡®For now, let¡¯s try to speedrun the combat challenges.¡¯ He didn¡¯t know how far he¡¯d get, but it would be a waste of his host¡¯s oversized body to not even try. He couldn¡¯t take his sweet time planning his approach like he¡¯d originally intended, but he could still try earning all the ¡°easy¡± credits. After that, he¡¯d buy his prize and be on his merry way. ¡°Let¡¯s do it then¡­ Cube. Start the ¡®gauntlet¡¯ challenge, Red level. User ID: WANDERER.¡± ¡°Authorization granted. Choice confirmed. Wave begins in 18 rits.¡± the soulless voice said. Percy stretched his limbs, as the parrot awakened from his slumber. He brought the creature up to speed, hastily explaining what this challenge involved. ¡°Wave begins in 12 rits.¡± Strictly speaking, the bird wasn¡¯t particularly accustomed to fighting. His life back in his home world had been relatively peaceful. Still, a wave of excitement seeped through their bond. Evidently, the parrot was so fed up with runecrafting by now that he was willing to do pretty much anything else. ¡°Wave begins in 6 rits.¡± Soon, the familiar black sludge began pouring down the sleek walls. Percy grinned, finding it a little nostalgic. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Wave begins. May your challenge be successful!¡± Chapter 162: Farming credits Unlike the previous times, much less of the black liquid seeped out of the walls. A portion rolled down to the floor, the rest sticking to the cube¡¯s surfaces. Next, the material solidified, coating the room with a thin film of black.Percy frowned. The sludge had merely flowed underneath his supplies, leaving them propped up against the wall. It was quite a relief. Percy would have been forced to rush through the challenges had the cube chosen to rob him of his only source of food. Scanning his surroundings, he searched for his opponent. Soon, his gaze landed on the only other object ¨C a small orb the size of a tangerine, resting motionless in the middle of the room. As if to answer his question, a series of red lines lit up all over the black sphere. Then, an indentation formed on the floor around it, a square tile sinking about an inch into the ground. With a snapping sound, the tile sprung back at an angle, shooting the sphere at him at a dizzying speed. Percy barely raised his arms in time, shielding his face as the impact sent a jolt of pain through his bones, causing him to stumble backwards. But the assault didn¡¯t stop there, a second blow landing in his stomach the very next second, this time bringing him to his knees. Crouching, he tightened the guard around his face some more, bracing against the follow-up attacks. Sadly for him, the golem didn¡¯t even bother aiming for his head anymore, instead randomly slamming into his body from various angles. The realization comforted him a little, though he still winced every time the orb crashed into him. He¡¯d have died already had his host been a smaller beast ¨C or even a Red humanoid for that matter. It was only due to the combination of his bulk, his beast affinity and the second core that he could bear the attacks relatively unfazed. Still, he knew he had to fight back at some point if he wanted to get through the challenge. Unwilling to lift his eyes from the safety of his guard, Percy scanned the room with his Mana Sense, trying to locate the orb. The darn thing kept bouncing from one surface to another, making crisp sounds with each collision. It took Percy a couple minutes to adjust to the golem¡¯s speed. In the meantime, he had to endure several more blows, waiting patiently for his chance to catch the sphere. Fast as it was, he knew the flimsy construct wouldn¡¯t survive a second in his grasp. Once the golem was on-course to collide against him head on, he tried to grab it. Sadly, his host¡¯s poor reflexes let him down, the orb slipping right through his arms. It delivered yet another painful blow on his chest, knocking the breath out of his lungs. Percy stubbornly kept at it for another hour, before accepting that he¡¯d never catch the speedy golem with his bare hands. In fact, he even had the parrot try at some point, hoping the bird would do better than him. the beast giving up too after a few failures. If he hardened the mana into stone, he could soften the blows some more. But he shook his head. Doing that would spare him some pain, but it wouldn¡¯t get him through the wave. Instead, he tried something different. Pulling a sliver of mana from his abdomen, he formed a cushion of sand on his back, hoping to dampen the golem¡¯s momentum. After all, the cube had gone out of its way to prepare the room so that the orb could bounce around more easily. Clearly, it would have trouble doing so otherwise. Percy nodded, feeling happy about his plan. He thought it had a decent chance of working too. The execution left much to be desired, however. He messed the timing up, receiving another painful hit. The next few attempts didn¡¯t go much better either. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. *** ¡°Congratulations! Wave 1 has been cleared! Calculating rewards¡­¡± ¡°Awarded credits: 30. Current balance: 190.¡± Percy breathed heavily, not particularly happy about the outcome. In the end, his idea to stop the golem using sand worked, but not before several hours of poorly timed blocks and nasty blows. He was certain his body was bruised from head to toe, though that was partially hidden beneath whatever remained of his plumage. Either way, he wasn¡¯t particularly eager to start the next wave. His advantages might have protected him from any serious injuries this time around, but the challenge would only grow more brutal from here on out. That said, he knew he had to keep going. The sooner he started the next wave, the sooner his suffering would end. *** ¡°Congratulations! Wave 1 has been cleared! Calculating rewards¡­¡± ¡°Awarded credits: 30. Current balance: 220.¡± It wasn¡¯t. The golems in the swarm challenge fought in a similar manner, though each of them was much weaker and smaller. Each was only about as large as a pebble, but there were of them this time. Luckily, Percy¡¯s makeshift spell worked even better against the smaller golems. They sank into the cushion, making it easy for him to grab them and crush them between his claws, one at a time. Unfortunately, the wave refused to end until he destroyed every last one of them ¨C a project that took him several hours and even more refills. Suffice to say, his second core¡¯s downtime wasn¡¯t pleasant for either him or the parrot. Whenever they were out of mana, they had to endure the painful pelting of the remaining orbs. *** ¡°Congratulations! Wave 2 has been cleared! Calculating rewards¡­¡± ¡°Awarded credits: 60. Current balance: 280.¡± *** ¡°Congratulations! Wave 2 has been cleared! Calculating rewards¡­¡± ¡°Awarded credits: 60. Current balance: 340.¡± Percy groaned, the parrot echoing the sentiment. He was lying face down in the middle of the room, his limbs sprawled out like a starfish. He did his best to not move a muscle, as even the slightest twitch was pure agony. There hadn¡¯t been any great surprises during the second waves of the combat challenges. The gauntlet had thrown a bigger, heavier golem at him, while the swarm had mostly increased the number of enemies rather than their individual strength. Still, Percy would have probably died if he hadn¡¯t grown more proficient in shielding himself with the earth mana over the last couple of days. he smiled bitterly. Not that he could help it. If the titan didn¡¯t like this, he shouldn¡¯t have made the challenges so damn hard. In any case, Percy had done a decent job getting this far, and he¡¯d even collected a hefty number of credits, though one question remained. He did kinda want to get all the challenges to the third wave. It wasn¡¯t just about the rewards either. Clearing the waves was oddly satisfying. Not to mention that he liked round numbers. Something about stopping here felt wrong. On another note, Percy had discovered that the translation device was a lot tougher than it looked. Admittedly, he discovered this by accident, after forgetting to take it off. It wasn¡¯t until a few days in he even remembered he was wearing it, after it had presumably eaten hundreds of blows. Naturally, his heart had skipped a bit upon realizing how close he¡¯d come to ruining the expensive tool. Luckily, there wasn¡¯t a dent on it, prompting him to ask the cube about it. Apparently, it would take a Blue-level attack to actually damage the device. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. In any case, Percy caught himself, realizing he was just procrastinating at this point. With a heavy heart, he started the third wave of the swarm challenge, hoping it would be more forgiving than the gauntlet. *** ¡°Congratulations! Wave 3 has been cleared! Calculating rewards¡­¡± ¡°Awarded credits: 90. Current balance: 430.¡± Percy tried to console his host. The two were staring at their broken beak, lying on the ground by their feet. What he wasn¡¯t quite as certain about, was whether the titan would be willing to honour their deal the next time he visited. But that was future Percy¡¯s problem. *** ¡°Congratulations! Wave 3 has been cleared! Calculating rewards¡­¡± ¡°Awarded credits: 90. Current balance: 520.¡± Percy could hardly believe it. He dragged himself against the metallic floor using his one surviving talon, leaving a bloody trail behind him. His other three limbs weren¡¯t much help, their joints bent in all the wrong directions. Eventually, he made it to the remains of the coconuts. By now, all that was left of them was a pink pool of pulp. The sack had mostly survived the gauntlet challenge intact, as the larger golem rarely hit his supplies. Unfortunately, the same couldn¡¯t be said about the swarm challenge. Sighing, Percy picked the largest solid piece he could find, squeezing it between his claws, letting a few lukewarm droplets of juice fall into his broken beak. The liquid rolled down his throat, soon causing him to break into a cough. Not only was the exotic fruit terrible for quenching one¡¯s thirst, the salt only exacerbated Percy¡¯s injuries further, making him wince in pain. Denied of even this small relief, Percy turned over, resting with his back on the floor. At this point, he just wanted this trip to end. The past few days had been hellish, though the results spoke for themselves. There was one last thing he needed to do with all the credits he¡¯d earned, before he could put himself and the parrot out of their shared misery. ¡°Cube¡­ Give me a list of Crude mana conversion spells.¡± Chapter 163: Mana conversion percy had decided to look for a mana conversion spell as an alternative solution to his problem.he needed a lot of soul mana to lure the mysterious entities from much further away, and he only had two possible sources to tap into ¨C his own recovery, and micky¡¯s ability to devour souls. he was already planning to bolster the latter using the preservation rune he¡¯d recently bought, but he was hoping to improve upon the former too. while he could regenerate soul mana very rapidly using synchronization, it also led to a lot of wasted pure mana that he didn¡¯t know what to do with. if he could find a way to convert some of that into soul mana, it would give him yet another potent source he could rely on. he grinned. strictly speaking, mana conversion wasn¡¯t some esoteric art ¨C it was something all living beings passively did with every breath. after all, ambient mana was a mixture of many different affinities. this meant that only a fraction could be taken in directly. of course, this fraction was the most significant by far, as it could be absorbed without losses. this was why a mage¡¯s recovery greatly depended on their environment. for example, a water user would struggle to refill their core in a desert, but they¡¯d have a much easier time doing so in the middle of the ocean. however, that didn¡¯t mean the rest of the ambient mana was useless. among their many functions, mana cores could also convert other mana types into their own ¨C albeit at an abysmal rate. that said, some conversions were easier than others, and there were also two very special cases: the beast affinity, and the pure affinity. beasts could be considered ¡°universal recipients¡± to an extent, because they could convert other affinities to their own more efficiently. this was, in fact, what they owed their ridiculous advancement speed to. of course, it wasn¡¯t smooth sailing for them either. ambient mana didn¡¯t contain the beast affinity, so they only had their higher conversion rate to rely on. this was why they still struggled to regenerate mana the conventional way, having to keep devouring cores instead. it was also why micky¡¯s version of circulation gnawed at his body, draining his stamina. on the other end of the spectrum, pure users were considered ¡°universal donors¡±. pure mana could be more easily converted to other types, which was the main principle behind the magic potions percy had encountered in the alchemists¡¯ guild. it still wasn¡¯t particularly effective ¨C a pure mage might have to empty their core to replenish about 20% of somebody else¡¯s reserves, though most of them learned how to do this at some point. it rarely mattered, but it wasn¡¯t like pure mana had that many uses to begin with. in the end, percy spent some more time browsing through the database for anything suitable. he wasn¡¯t that surprised to learn that the system had even more on this topic than the runes he had searched for the other day. after all, the pure affinity was the most common in the universe, and this was a somewhat well-known application of it. the only reason he hadn¡¯t asked baldy for something of the sort back when he was still at home, was because it wouldn¡¯t have helped him much at the time. his second core had been a grade lower, which meant it would have given him almost nothing. even now, he didn¡¯t think this would be a particularly useful ability to have in the midst of combat ¨C he was better off just fusing his two affinities into the teal mana. however, it would certainly help a lot in some niche applications such as the very problem he was currently facing. unauthorized usage: this narrative is on amazon without the author''s consent. report any sightings. ¡°evaluating request¡­¡± ¡°evaluation complete. user has bookmarked a total of 6 items: ¡®universal donor ¨C the advantage of pure mana¡¯, ¡®the 10 most efficient mana bestowal spells for beginners¡¯, ¡®affinity-specific mana bestowal¡¯, ¡®absorbing pure mana for non-pure users¡¯, ¡®tips and tricks for soul users¡¯, ¡®fundamentals for new mages¡¯. total cost: 340 credits. current balance: 520.¡± percy wasn¡¯t particularly happy with this. apparently, books on spells ¨C even crude ones ¨C were several times more expensive than those on runes. he guessed that this disparity was artificially imposed by the gods in charge of the vault to make magiscript a little more accessible, or to push people working on the combat challenges to try harder. worse still, he¡¯d found multiple books that interested him, as there seemed to be a little more to the spell he wanted to create than he¡¯d initially expected. as it turned out, mana conversion could typically be broken into two parts: and . as the names implied, they differed depending on whether one was the bestower or the recipient of the pure mana. the former was arguably the most important, but learning how to absorb the mana more effectively would make one a , or so to speak. furthermore, each conversion worked a little differently, so it was possible for a pure user to get better at supporting, say, fire mages, if they practiced a lot with them. percy could just get the first spell he found, and it would still do alright. his conversion rate might not be great at the start, but he should be able to hit the target 20% after some practice. however, he felt it would be a waste of his talents if he didn¡¯t strive to do a little better. after all, he was in a unique position in that he was both the bestower and the recipient of the mana. he even knew what affinity he wanted to convert the mana to. that meant he could probably work out a very specialized spell that performed a lot better for him than anybody else. percy wanted to cry. he¡¯d suffered through so much crap to amass this much, and he¡¯d have to spend nearly two thirds of it on this. not to mention how unpleasant the next few days promised to be, assuming his broken body even lasted that long. he sighed. the parrot groaned in protest. percy could tell how much his host missed his carefree days in the beach. but it couldn¡¯t be helped. if the preservation rune didn¡¯t get him enough soul mana to attract the creature, it would mean he¡¯d wasted this entire trip. ¡°cube¡­ buy all six books. and please narrate them for me too¡­ i¡¯m not in any condition to read.¡± he smiled bitterly. ¡°also, do you have anything to dull my pain for a few days? user id: wanderer.¡± ¡°authorization granted. evaluating request¡­¡± ¡°evaluation complete. warning: books may be purchased in audiobook format free of charge, but an additional charge will be added in the future if you wish to re-purchase them in a different format. proceed anyway?¡± ¡°ugh¡­ what a stingy piece of shit you are¡­ just do it.¡± percy generally preferred holding a physical copy of his books, but he¡¯d just have to forget about these ones later. no way he was spending more of his hard-earned credits than he had to. ¡°confirmed. deducting credits. new balance: 180.¡± ¡°evaluating request¡­¡± ¡°evaluation complete. ¡®simple painkillers¡¯ are valued at 1 credit per 30 pills. each dose is effective for 18000 rits. proceed with purchase?¡± hearing the cost, percy wanted to swear. he was starting to see how gabe had turned so stingy. this wasn¡¯t a problem with his friend ¨C it was just what this place did to people. after all, each credit cost so much blood and sweat to earn¡­ sea??h th§× ¦Çovelfire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ultimately, he decided to pay the price, however. he try gritting through the pain to save himself the credit, but it would just affect his ability to understand the books. honestly, spending a credit to spare himself a week of agony wasn¡¯t that bad a deal. ¡°fine.¡± he spat with a heavy heart. ¡°confirmed. deducting credits. new balance: 179. delivery in 6 rits.¡± it only took a few second for the pills to be delivered, percy eagerly tossing the first one down his throat as soon as he could. then, he asked the cube to begin narrating the books for him, hoping he¡¯d get to the end before his body gave out. Chapter 164: Self-bestowal ¡°another one.¡± micky said, carrying an oversized rat carcass in his talons.the distraction caused percy to mess up the rune he was trying to carve on the snake¡¯s body, prompting him to click his tongue in annoyance. sighing, he shifted his attention to the new corpse, scanning it via mana sense. there was an orange star rapidly dimming in its sternum. ¡°micky¡­ i said beasts only¡­ i wish i could preserve all of them, but i don¡¯t have the time. at least, not while keeping up with my other tasks.¡± percy had way too much on his plate lately. besides piling up the dead animals for their operation, he also had to brew elixirs for the group, to keep up the appearance of a professional blacksmith for the townsfolk, and to work on his new spell. orange beasts just weren¡¯t worth the effort. they¡¯d only give micky a fraction of the mana when the time came. ¡°i¡¯m trying.¡± the bird cawed in annoyance. ¡°yellows are getting harder to find.¡± ¡°alright. just drop it in that circle for now. i¡¯ll mark it later if i have the time.¡± percy said, pointing at yet another preservation rune carved on the ground nearby. shimmering in a faint teal colour, it was much larger than those he drew on the creatures¡¯ flesh. and it wasn¡¯t the only one. it was surrounded by dozens of similar circles. most of them had yellow carcasses lying on them, only a handful having orange ones instead. s§×arch* the ¦Çov§×lfire .net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. had somebody paid close attention to the bodies, they¡¯d notice all of them were covered from head to toe with even more preservation runes. that said, percy had run into diminishing returns after trying to double down on the enchantment. the runes he carved on the bodies already accounted for over 80% of the effect, so the additional circles underneath them were just icing on the cake. still, he wanted to preserve every last drop of soul mana they could extract from the animals, to maximize the odds of his experiment working. three weeks had already passed since his return from the vault. he and micky had amassed over thirty corpses in that time. sadly, a quick scan via soul vision revealed that the first souls were crumbling already, the silver flames over halfway gone. evidently, even the specialized variant of the preservation rune he¡¯d mastered had its limits. while it greatly delayed a soul¡¯s decay, it couldn¡¯t stop it entirely. it merely slowed down the process, stretching it to a little over a month. still, their stash was already diminishing as fast as they were replenishing it, which meant they wouldn¡¯t gain anything by waiting any longer. percy would have gone for it already, if there weren¡¯t a couple of things he was holding out on. ¡°are you sure house tantalus hasn¡¯t simply given up on this place?¡± nesha asked. it had already been over two months since they killed the most recent group of yellows. the enemy house had remained silent in that time. he and nesha were growing less and less certain those bastards would send a green after them. he guessed baldy must¡¯ve done an even better job pressuring them than he¡¯d expected, as they didn¡¯t seem to have the luxury of delegating one of their elites to hunt micky down just yet. ¡°i think it¡¯s worth waiting a few more weeks. if they do send us a green, it¡¯ll help me massively.¡± not that he was looking forward to fighting the powerful mage ¨C it was certainly going to be dangerous ¨C but having another high-grade soul to toss into the mix might just make the difference between success and failure. half an hour later, percy finished carving the runes on the last two carcasses, deciding to finally call it a night. there was still some time before he had to go to bed, but he wanted to work on something else too. and he wasn¡¯t the only one rushing his preparations. ¡°how are the new traps coming along?¡± he asked. nesha had already incorporated the control rune within the traps, and she was currently busy scattering them all over the grisly bog, preparing for the ambush. ¡°well, i¡¯ve verified i control them remotely, though they still break after closing and opening a few times. but that¡¯s not a problem, is it? we only need them to close .¡± percy nodded, though he didn¡¯t say anything. if they could catch the green off-guard, they might be able to sever a leg or two. but that was a big if. each advancement greatly improved a mage¡¯s reflexes, sharpening their senses. even if their opponent failed to notice the traps, they might still be able to escape before nesha had the chance to close them. in fact, percy had given her multiple slabs of stone engraved with concealment runes to place above her traps, to hide them from mana sense. it wasn¡¯t as good as incorporating the runes directly into the enchantment, but neither percy nor nesha were skilled enough to do that just yet. unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. report sightings. bidding micky farewell, the two headed home. suffice to say, the grisly bog was already full of traps and preserved bodies by now. they no longer even bothered to hide them ¨C they couldn¡¯t. if one of the townsfolk decided to veer into the swamp one day, they¡¯d instantly realize something was off. luckily, nobody besides percy or nesha dared set foot there anymore. reaching their house, they took turns washing up outside, before entering their new bedroom. percy and nesha had taken a break from their other projects back when his clone was still studying in the vault, expanding their humble hut a little. it was still rather small, but at least they no longer had to sleep in percy¡¯s workshop, sparing them from breathing in the forge¡¯s fumes all night long. that said, percy wasn¡¯t planning to go to bed just yet. pulling all the soul mana from his sternum, he released it out of his pores, emptying his first core. then, he switched his focus to his abdomen, drawing some pure mana from it, directing it to his sternum. naturally, he was going to work on his new spell again. the vault¡¯s books were extremely helpful, but it still took a lot of effort to master a new spell ¨C even a crude one. percy¡¯s status had yet to register it, despite the significant amount of progress he¡¯d made on it over the past few weeks. converting mana from other affinities to one¡¯s own could be likened to digesting a meal. in this analogy, pure mana was the ¡°easiest on the stomach¡±, but that didn¡¯t mean percy could dump everything in his first core all at once and expect that to work. if he pushed it too far, he could damage his core instead, giving himself should that happen, both his capacity and regeneration would drop massively for a few days ¨C a situation best avoided. on the other hand, if he played it safe and moved too little pure mana into the core, he¡¯d just needlessly slow the conversion down. much like with a core¡¯s purification, this was all about finding the right balance ¨C something that typically required a lot of trial and error. luckily for percy, he could skip a lot of that due to being the owner of both cores, making it several times easier for him to determine when his first core was saturated. in fact, he¡¯d already realized a rudimentary version of the spell weeks ago ¨C he was currently just working on improving it. ignoring the beads of sweat accumulating on his forehead, he concentrated on the delicate process, carefully fine-tuning the mana flowing from one core to the other. when the time of the experiment came, he¡¯d have to do this with synchronization active. for now, he was happy taking it easy though, wanting to perfect the spell first, before adding to the difficulty. activating mana sense, he watched the droplets of heavy, corporeal mana transform into the softer, ethereal variant, subtly taking advantage of his understanding of both affinities to guide them along ¨C another area where he had an advantage over other pure users. at some point, percy realized his pure mana was about to run out, the flow between the two cores slowing down to a trickle. but he didn¡¯t let that distract him, as he redoubled his efforts to improve his efficiency, hoping to finally reach the first milestone. his second core finally dried out, the flow halting completely. though there was still a sliver of pure mana left in percy¡¯s body, swirling inside his first core. the organ gnawed at it greedily, causing this last strand to shrink at an alarming rate. yet, just as the final dregs of cyan evaporated, one final droplet of silver fell, splashing down with the rest, the status finally pitching in to announce percy¡¯s accomplishment. [congratulations! you have mastered a new spell: self-bestowal ¨C crude!] percy couldn¡¯t help but grin as he stared at the notification. this wasn¡¯t his first spell, nor the most impressive, but registering it filled him with relief. he knew he was on a timer to get everything ready before the enemy scion finally arrived in the town. he reminded himself, as he gauged the soul mana in his sternum. in the end, he¡¯d managed to replenish about 20% of it. this could be considered good by remior¡¯s standards. . he¡¯d already cheated extensively to get here this quickly, by being both the bestower and recipient of the mana. based on everything he¡¯d learned at the vault, he was confident he should be able to reach 30% in due time. the only question was whether he¡¯d get there soon enough. ¡°did it finally register?¡± nesha asked, startling percy. it was only now he realized she was still awake. she was playing with that black butterfly of hers again, making it fly above her palm. it had improved greatly over the past few months too, both its shape and its flight looking a lot more elegant than before. it didn¡¯t even leak that many motes in its passing anymore. ¡°yes.¡± he nodded. ¡°how about yours? is it refined yet?¡± from what she¡¯d told him, her status had already registered the spell some time ago, though she hadn¡¯t stopped working on it. percy was actually a little impressed by nesha¡¯s growth ¨C both as a mage and as a person. he¡¯d certainly never expected the day would come when the lazy girl would stay up this late, practicing her magic alongside him. ¡°why are you looking at me like that? i just don¡¯t want to get killed by a green mage because some red-born idiot decided to go on a war against an entire house by himself.¡± she rolled her eyes, probably realizing what he was thinking. ¡°and no. it¡¯s still crude. though i can make a few of them at once.¡± percy chuckled at her quip, but he knew she wasn¡¯t wrong. an orange trying to stage an ambush against a green was probably unprecedented in the entire history of remior. he was definitely playing with fire. one wrong move, and he¡¯d lose everything. Chapter 165: Ambush in the end, three more months passed in relative quiet.naturally, percy hadn¡¯t stopped sending out clones in that time, hoping one of them would stumble upon something interesting. sadly, that hadn¡¯t happened. he hadn¡¯t bothered to return to the vault either, as none of his recent hosts seemed suited for the combat challenges. of course, he have tried learning some more runes ¨C he definitely had enough credits. that said, he didn¡¯t have time to practice them, busy as he was. things on remior hadn¡¯t changed much either. everyone had continued working on their projects, percy and nesha both making great strides with their new spells. percy¡¯s self-bestowal had improved noticeably by now, though his status had yet to acknowledge that. as for micky, he had continued his relentless hunt for yellow beasts, eating their cores before delivering their bodies to percy, dumping them in the preservation runes. by now, they¡¯d wasted dozens upon dozens of souls, fighting to maintain their stash. in fact, percy was afraid they were close to driving the yellow beasts to extinction. at least, micky no longer managed to find one every day. watching the souls crumble, percy was beginning to reconsider his plan. they¡¯d have to go through with the experiment in the next couple of weeks, regardless of whether an enemy arrived in that time. delaying any longer would hurt more than it helped. luckily for him, the noble finally reached bogside town just days later. ¡°what do you think?¡± nesha bit her lip. percy could tell she was nervous, and he didn¡¯t blame her for it either. talking and planning about ambushing a green and actually going through with it were two entirely different things. the two observed the man from a distance. he was standing just outside the tavern, chatting with fegan ¨C presumably discussing the bog¡¯s situation with the old man. he wore the same standard attire as all the other nobles of house tantalus, his elegant silken robes adorned with his family¡¯s insignia ¨C a man¡¯s face sporting a set of strangely elongated canines. though his was green. under different circumstances, percy and nesha might have looked suspicious spying on him. but they weren¡¯t alone. half the town was doing the same, ogling the powerful noble in curiosity. after all, it wasn¡¯t every day a green visited them. ¡°not the strongest they¡¯ve got. not the weakest either.¡± percy whispered back. the man didn¡¯t have the bloodline ¨C his skin was a healthy shade of pink. he didn¡¯t look that young either, meaning he was probably an older orange-born. this wasn¡¯t a good thing, as it meant he was more experienced. other distinguishing features included a bald head and a scruffy ginger beard. ¡°according to our information, he¡¯s either grian, or his cousin, broose.¡± percy elaborated. he sure hoped it was the former, as grian had a pure affinity. if it was broose, they¡¯d have a tougher time. but it was a coin toss at this point. s~ea??h the novel(f~)ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°are you sure you still want to go through with this?¡± nesha asked, clenching her fists. ¡°it¡¯s not too late to call it off. just tell micky to hide until he¡¯s gone.¡± but percy shook his head. ¡°forget it. i haven¡¯t spent the last four months carving preservation runes day in and day out only to give up when the guy finally shows up. besides, there¡¯s no escaping this now.¡± ¡°how so?¡± nesha furrowed her brow. ¡°need i remind you that the swamp is full of traps and other traces of activity? no way he misses all that.¡± percy explained, before continuing. ¡°if he goes in, he¡¯ll know there are humans working with micky. after that, he¡¯ll interrogate the townsfolk until they all figure out it¡¯s us.¡± ¡°what if we run away now? we can circle around the province and escape towards your family¡¯s mansion.¡± ¡°there¡¯s no guarantee he won¡¯t catch up. i don¡¯t know about you, but if i¡¯m going to face him, i¡¯d much rather do so in the swamp, taking advantage of all our arrangements.¡± nesha swallowed hard, the finality of their situation hitting her. there was only one way out of this, and it was over that man¡¯s corpse. ¡°so, how do we handle it then? have micky keep him busy until nightfall?¡± ¡°no way. i¡¯m not leaving micky alone with him. let¡¯s head to the swamp now, before he¡¯s done talking to fegan.¡± ¡°what if somebody comes looking for us later? it¡¯ll look suspicious if we disappear right before this guy goes missing.¡± nesha said. but percy only smiled bitterly in return. ¡°that¡¯s tomorrow¡¯s problem. for now, let¡¯s focus on surviving.¡± *** the sunlight barely pierced through the dense canopies, softly illuminating the muddy waters of the grisly bog. percy and nesha had split up, each hiding behind a different tree. a green¡¯s spells were more than powerful enough to kill them both in one fell swoop, so they figured it was best to not stay clustered together. the story has been taken without consent; if you see it on amazon, report the incident. they¡¯d also wrapped more home-made bandages around their torsos, to hide their grades and, in percy¡¯s case, his mana channels once he used synchronization. not that it would make much of a difference, but he¡¯d gladly take any edge he could get. as for where they got them from? naturally, he¡¯d crafted them himself, engraving the preservation runes on a few long strips of linen. they weren¡¯t as good as the one baldy had given him, nor the ones nesha had purchased for micky back in the alchemists¡¯ guild. but it couldn¡¯t be helped. percy didn¡¯t have access to the enchanted silk those were made of. instead, he¡¯d embroidered their interior with reinforced cyan constructs, meaning they wouldn¡¯t last very long, nor would the cover they provided be as ironclad. the rhythmic squelch of boots trudging through the muddy waters broke him out of his thoughts. the sounds were interspaced with the occasional crunch of a twig breaking ¨C betraying their opponent¡¯s arrival. percy¡¯s heart pounded heavily in his chest, thrumming with both excitement and fear in equal measure. and he knew this feeling, having experienced it a few times before. it was the same he¡¯d felt back when he ambushed rick and his goons, or when he fought against the starry knight. . biting his tongue, he forced himself to calm down, breathing as deeply and as quietly as he could manage, directing the ambient mana to his two cores. at the same time, he nodded at nesha who was hiding some distance away. next, he coordinated with micky too. percy knew micky was strong, but he couldn¡¯t risk his friend getting close to the powerful mage. the trio patiently waited for their opponent to draw nearer, mentally preparing for the difficult fight ahead. and soon, it was upon them. percy grinned. this wasn¡¯t some big coincidence either. he and nesha had practically filled the place up with them. it was never a question of it would happen. only . that said, their window to act would be brief, and he refused to waste it. taking another deep breath, he forced his boosting art to take effect, clenching the invisible scythe tightly in his grasp. the cyan and silver motes leaked out of his pores, soon blending into a teal halo, enveloping his reddening skin as he accumulated fused mana. he thought, rushing to complete his preparations in time. percy had carved one on the tree¡¯s trunk too, to hide the sudden spike of mana until the last second. shifting his weight on his backfoot, he extended his right hand ¨C the one holding the weapon ¨C backwards, tensing his muscles. then, he sprung forth using all the strength he could muster, throwing the soul harvester through the trunk, its sinister edge spinning soundlessly towards the enemy mage. the scythe covered half the distance in an instant. percy¡¯s heart skipped a beat, thinking it was going to land. but it wasn¡¯t meant to be. the experienced noble noticed something was off at the last second, instinctively stepping out of the crescent blade¡¯s path. unfortunately for him, however, his foot landed right on top of a pitfall! not wasting a moment, the girl triggered the pocket rune, causing him to fall through the collapsing ground. sadly, he barely sank a few inches before hardening a sheet of dirt underneath his feet, arresting his momentum. realizing this was the best they were going to get, nesha toggled the enchantment again, managing to slice the man¡¯s left foot off as he leapt out of the trap. the earth mage let out a pained groan as a fountain of blood poured out of the stump. but he didn¡¯t let the injury distract him, immediately rolling on the muddy ground, narrowly evading the barrage of teal projectiles raining down at him. percy clicked his tongue in annoyance, lamenting the fact that the throwing stars weren¡¯t engraved with concealment runes like his scythe. that wasn¡¯t the end of their offensive, however, as a handful of black butterflies rapidly zigged and zagged around the trees, homing onto the noble from several directions. at the same time, nesha activated all the other pitfalls around him, trying to destabilize the ground. yet, the man wasn¡¯t having it. pulling a ridiculous amount of earth mana from his sternum, he sent a violent shockwave underneath him, crushing all the traps into dust. at the same time, five stone pillars rose from the ground, accurately slamming into the butterflies, one after the other. the earth constructs shattered upon impact, but so did nesha¡¯s spells. while space mana was powerful and destructive, it could still be overpowered with enough brute force. luckily, percy had one last trick up his sleeve. reaching out to his scythe ¨C which was currently lodged in the ground a few metres behind the earth mage ¨C he pulled it towards him, while robbing it of its substance. spinning through the air at a frightening speed, the now-incorporeal construct was on course to chop the oblivious noble right in half! the man was still trying to get back to his foot when the weapon reached him. he notice it again but, between the scythe¡¯s close proximity, and the agonizing pain of his injury, he reacted a second too late this time. granted, he barely managed to avoid a lethal wound, but he failed to dodge the construct entirely. willing the scythe to materialize, percy watched a flash of teal illuminate the gloomy bog, slicing through the man¡¯s arm. the severed limb splashed into the mud a moment later, as another fountain of blood gushed out of the wound. falling to his knees, the colour drained from the green¡¯s face, the man looking like he was about to pass out. though he didn¡¯t let that happen. experienced as he was, he gritted his teeth, forcing himself to keep looking at his opponents, keenly aware that his life would be forfeit should he feint here. percy smirked, thinking they had this in the bag, when he noticed something strange through mana sense. ¡°shit! ¡± he warned his companion as he caught the man¡¯s sinister intention at the last second. leaping to one side, he barely avoided getting impaled by a stalagmite, before shifting his attention to nesha. the girl hadn¡¯t reacted as quickly as him, the construct rending a chunk of flesh off her thigh. it wasn¡¯t lethal, but she wouldn¡¯t be able to stay in the fight. turning back to the earth mage, he saw the pain in his expression was strangely muted, a subtle grin now replacing it. but that was only the beginning, as the guy manifested two massive javelins, each thicker than percy¡¯s arm. next, he launched one towards him and one towards nesha, evidently intent on finishing her with this move. ¡°micky!¡± a comet of green and amber dove towards the javelin at a ridiculous speed, crushing it in his talons. following percy¡¯s earlier instructions, he snatched nesha up, flying away before the earth mage had the chance to follow up. though a few words seeped through their bond a moment later, tinged with worry. percy shrugged. Chapter 166: Slugfest fighting against a green by himself was arguably reckless, but the man was already two limbs down. if percy couldn¡¯t even beat him in this state, then it would just mean their plan had been doomed from the start.¡°just who are you people?! are you members of house avalon?!¡± percy wasn¡¯t that surprised by the accurate guess, but he wasn¡¯t that interested in chatting either. dashing forward, he launched another round of throwing stars, not even bothering to turn them invisible this time ¨C the guy would just spot them through mana sense. the earth mage hopped out of the way using his one good leg. his movements looked a little silly, but he didn¡¯t get hit even once, evading all the constructs without fail. not just that, but percy didn¡¯t miss the ripples of earth mana spreading through the ground every time the man¡¯s foot landed in the mud. percy leapt out of the way whenever his opponent¡¯s soul flared, dodging the rising stalagmites. still, this wasn¡¯t going to work. even with synchronization active and two cores at his disposal, percy couldn¡¯t possibly match a green¡¯s regeneration. at this rate, he would run out of mana first. calling the scythe back, he threw it at his opponent, following it by another barrage of teal daggers. the man dodged everything again, but he was forced to use some mana at the end, propelling himself out of a dagger¡¯s path. percy grinned, pulling the soul harvester towards him once more, pressing on his advantage. the scythe¡¯s attacks didn¡¯t cost him any mana, so he could keep spamming them to drain his opponent. of course, he was certain the man could easily shatter the weapon to pieces if he managed to grab a hold of it. sadly for him, however, this wasn¡¯t an option ¨C not as long as percy kept it in its incorporeal state. that said, the earth mage didn¡¯t allow himself to remain passive either. intensifying his own efforts to pin percy down, he unleashed a relentless onslaught of powerful spells. he shot lots of compact stone arrows at ridiculous speeds, pairing them with insidious stalagmites that stabbed from various angles. percy had to keep his soul vision glued to his opponent¡¯s soul, and his mana sense fixed on the ground beneath his feet, barely giving himself the briefest of margins to dodge the deadly attacks. like that, the two men danced on the battlefield, the splashing waters of the swamp breaking the sombre silence of the grisly bog. on one side, broose had the overwhelming advantage afforded to him by his higher grade and his many decades of experience, as well as the confidence that came with it. unfortunately for him, he was also missing two limbs, leaking a scary amount of blood with every passing second. on the other side, percy had his own tools to rely on, desperately trying to bridge the monumental gap to his monstrous opponent. his boosting art and twin cores worked together to elevate his physique beyond a yellow¡¯s, but even that wasn¡¯t enough by itself. he had to supplement his lacking reflexes with the foresight afforded to him by soul vision, and to bolster his subpar agility with the grace and precision of his two fighting styles. as for the difference in mana regeneration? his only choice was to whittle broose¡¯s mana pool down, one spell at a time, by exploiting the scythe he had painstakingly created. in other words, percy had to use at his disposal ¨C and then some ¨C hoping it would be enough. but it was! . at some point, percy noticed his opponent¡¯s attack had come a second too late. he didn¡¯t think much of it at first, but it happened again a minute later. and then a third time, even sooner than that. once or twice could be written off as a mistake, but this was starting to look like a pattern. both were possible ¨C the guy had already proven he was as cunning as a fox. but he was human too, and he¡¯d already lost a ton of blood by now. not willing to miss what might be a huge opportunity, percy prepared his mantle again, launching another barrage of throwing stars, while simultaneously pulling the scythe towards him. unable to dodge both attacks, broose chose to evade the far deadlier harvester, allowing some of the throwing stars to hit him. he winced as three of them sank a couple inches into his soul, his knee visibly shaking from the pain. but he didn¡¯t let himself collapse just yet. still, percy knew it was only a matter of time. capitalizing on this, percy repeated the same tactic, forcing his opponent to eat another handful of small attacks, gnawing away at his endurance one shallow wound at a time. this tale has been unlawfully lifted from royal road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. but the experienced green wasn¡¯t going to give up this easily, it seemed. the third time percy tried this, broose dodged the scythe again, though he didn¡¯t even bother to avoid the throwing stars, letting them hit him all at once. the damage caused his soul to shudder, but he ignored it. he glared hatefully at percy, his eyes bloodshot, a savage grin plastered all over his face. at the same time, a large amount of mana gushed out of his sternum ¨C ¨C before unleashing several spells at percy, all at once. three stalagmites shot at him from various angles, forcing him to tiptoe around two of them, twisting his torso at an unnatural angle to narrowly escape the third one. but that was just the beginning, as four stone arrows arrived next, right when percy was in no position to dodge them properly. he did manage to avoid two of them, but the third one pierced a hole in his shoulder, all but disabling his left arm entirely. as for the last one, it was heading straight towards percy¡¯s heart ¨C gritting his teeth, percy turned the soul harvester corporeal, rotating its shaft to block the arrow. it worked ¨C sort of ¨C as the two constructs collided against one another, shattering in a rain of shrapnel. percy had escaped certain death, but he didn¡¯t come out of this unscathed either. coughing a mouthful of blood, he fell to his knees, half a dozen shards of his own spell lodged into his torso. one had even grazed his cheek, leaving a shallow cut right below his eye. had it flown a couple inches to the left, percy might have died already. he realized grimly, looking up at the earth mage. he was grinning at him! sear?h the n?vel_fire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. the man had probably realized he couldn¡¯t win unless he robbed percy of his weapon first. after all, the scythe was quite the cheat! it packed more of a punch than a yellow¡¯s spell, and percy could keep spamming it at no cost. and¡­ the only way to rob percy of his weapon had been to force him to block with it! broose was breathing heavily, his core empty. apparently, this last move had cost him the last of his reserves. knowing this was his chance, percy smashed the three stalagmites trapping him, freeing his body before rising to his feet. even the slightest movement hurt, but he had to kill his opponent before he began casting spells again! ignoring his injuries, he dashed towards him as quickly as he could manage, while drawing the soul harvester towards him. more than half of the shaft was broken, but the piece holding the blade could still be used in a fight. as soon as he reached broose, he swung the broken weapon down at him, trying to chop the man¡¯s soul to pieces. but the latter hopped out of the way without much difficulty. he didn¡¯t seem to struggle detecting the weapon either, as its enchantment had come undone in many places, a series of cracks ruining the few remaining concealment runes. percy wasn¡¯t one to be deterred so easily, however. pivoting around the earth mage, he slashed at him horizontally, aiming right below his ribs. broose leapt backwards to avoid the attack, before diving forward again, trying to land a hook with his remaining fist. percy hurriedly ducked, feeling a rush of air brush over his hair. he was keenly aware he¡¯d lose his head should the green¡¯s punch connect. spitting a mouthful of blood at his enemy¡¯s face, percy rushed him again, stabbing at his torso. the man twisted his body to avoid it, having probably seen through the clumsy sneak attack via mana sense. next, he punched at percy¡¯s stomach. percy had to move the scythe¡¯s blade in the way, to absorb some of the impact. the teal construct shattered into more shards as percy was sent back, his feet carving two wide trails through the mud. not giving up, he summoned the shards to his hand, one of them stabbing his palm by accident. but he ignored the pain, tossing them at broose, hoping he¡¯d have a tougher time avoiding them like this. the latter hopped away from the first one, ducked beneath the second, only allowing the third to graze his arm, before sending two more stalagmites stabbing at percy, exhausting his reserves again. percy pushed against the first stalagmite, using it as a crutch to dodge the second, before drawing the shards to him once more, trying to hit his opponent from behind. at the same time, he also emptied his own cores, throwing a few teal daggers too. , the earth mage failed miserably, getting hit by most of the projectiles. two of the shards stabbed into his back, a handful of the knives digging into his soul. but none of the constructs had enough force behind them to rip a green¡¯s soul apart. left with no other choice, percy dashed forward, slamming into his opponent with as much strength as he could muster, knocking him into the mud. broose tried to fight back, but percy didn¡¯t let him, punching with his one good hand again and again, trying to pummel the enemy¡¯s skull into a pulp. eventually, the man managed to land a hit of his own on percy¡¯s stomach, causing him to cough another mouthful of blood. uncaring about the sweet taste of iron in his mouth, and unbothered by the sticky liquid dirtying his chin, percy resumed his assault, hoping his opponent would give out before he did. the two continued their brutal slugfest, percy¡¯s flesh bruising and his bones cracking every time his opponent connected. luckily for him, broose had already lost most of his strength, his attacks barely a shadow of what they should¡¯ve been. this was the only reason percy had even lasted this long. neither of them bothered to replenish their mana anymore ¨C it was impossible as both combatants were constantly out of breath. at this point, percy was just happy synchronization was still active ¨C the few dregs of mana swirling around his channels were the only things keeping him alive. whoever ended up winning, this fight was destined to end by one¡¯s fist. everything blurred in percy¡¯s vision, as he continued to unleash everything he had at his opponent. in the end, he didn¡¯t even register when the man breathed his last. the only thing that gave percy pause was when he saw broose¡¯s soul beginning to crumble. exhaling in relief, he wanted nothing more than to plop back and rest. but he couldn¡¯t do that just yet. he didn¡¯t worry about nesha as much ¨C micky should have taken her to where they¡¯d stashed some of their spare healing potions. but there was one thing he still had to do. Chapter 167: Operation Percy fought against the pain and exhaustion to keep his eyes open, waiting for the others to return. Doing so proved almost as difficult as the battle itself.Eventually, he heard the rhythmic flap of Micky¡¯s wings. Tilting his head up, he saw the crow approach rapidly, dropping Nesha in a murky pond a few metres away, before landing next to him. ¡°Are you ok?! What happened here?!¡± the girl asked, scanning the ravaged battlefield. It was full of craters and broken pieces of stone jutting out of the swamp waters, along with the occasional shard of teal faintly shimmering beneath the surface. Percy remained silent, merely pointing at Broose¡¯s body, lying motionless by his side. . Nodding in understanding, Nesha then limped over. The bleeding in her leg had stopped, but her injury wasn¡¯t fully healed. Percy didn¡¯t miss the two vials clenched tightly in her hand, a verdant liquid swirling inside. They should¡¯ve been more than enough to complete her recovery. Evidently, she¡¯d chosen to hold on to them instead. Percy almost teared up. Sure, he was the one who¡¯d bought the potions in the first place, but it was the thought that counted. That said, he shoved the pointless thoughts to the back of his mind for now. They had more urgent things to worry about. ¡°Grab the corpse and take it to the others. Then, eat them all, starting from the strongest one.¡± he told Micky. ¡°And hurry up. We¡¯ll only get one shot at this.¡± The crow didn¡¯t hesitate. Scooping Broose¡¯s body, he took off promptly. But Nesha didn¡¯t seem as convinced this was a good idea. ¡°Are you sure this is the time to be experimenting with your soul? How about resting first?¡± she asked, though she still handed him the potions. ¡°The longer we delay, the less soul mana we¡¯ll be able to extract from the carcasses.¡± Percy shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know about you, but I¡¯ve gone through too much shit to mess it up now.¡± Then, he pulled the last shard out of his chest, wincing in the process. Finally, he accepted the vials, uncorking them both before gulping them down, one after the other. At first, blood gushed out of his wounds, but it slowed down to a trickle as soon as the potions took effect. About a minute later, the soreness in his muscles faded a little too, his exhaustion partially muted. He still wasn¡¯t in the best condition, but he should at least be . He tossed the empty vials one last glance before placing them in his pocket. Sadly, these had been the last of their potions. They¡¯d have to be a lot more careful moving forward, as they no longer had the means to heal if they got injured. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. he smiled bitterly. Of course, it wasn¡¯t like he¡¯d had much spare time back then. His schedule had been packed with more important things. Besides, the potions would only grow less effective with each promotion. Sighing, he walked over to a boulder sticking out of the water¡¯s surface, sitting on it cross-legged. Taking a deep breath, he directed the ambient mana to his cores, activating his boosting art. ¡°Nesha¡­ can you please watch over me for a couple of hours?¡± he asked his companion. The last thing he needed was to be interrupted by a wild beast during the delicate procedure. Nesha didn¡¯t say anything, but he saw her nod by the corner of his eye. She might not be the most skilled combatant, but she shouldn¡¯t have much trouble keeping a Yellow beast at bay. Next, Percy thought back to the scattered memories of his unfortunate clone, recalling how he was meant to proceed. Gathering some soul mana to his index finger, he inflicted a series of shallow incisions along his limbs and torso. It might have not been necessary, as his soul was plenty banged up already, but he didn¡¯t want to stray from his ¡°instructions¡±. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Percy finished his preparations just in time, as a river of soul mana gushed through the cord, filling his frame up in an instant. Obviously, this mana was from Broose, its quantity and quality reminding him of the Starry Knight¡¯s. Unwilling to waste a single drop, Percy directed it to his wounds, supplementing it with mana from his channels. Nesha let out a surprised yelp, probably not having expected him to release such a colossal amount of soul mana from his body. But he wasn¡¯t done just yet. As soon as his first core reached an equilibrium, absorbing ambient mana from his lungs as quickly as it came, Percy moved some pure mana from his abdomen to his sternum. Next, he carefully poured as much into his first core as it could safely handle. The action made him feel bloated, the organ struggling to process the two streams of mana at once. Yet, Percy wasn¡¯t deterred. Capitalizing on the technique he¡¯d spent the last couple of months mastering, he began the arduous process of converting one affinity to the other, adding a third source of soul mana to the mix. Percy groaned, his head throbbing in pain. There were way too many disparate tasks straining his already tired mind, and he had to juggle them all perfectly, as even the tiniest mistake could throw the whole operation in disarray. He had to keep enough mana in his channels to prevent Synchronization from fizzling out prematurely, and he also had to maintain Self-bestowal at a precise margin. And finally, there was one last thing he needed to worry about. As the three rivers of soul mana rushed out of his wounds, he brought all his memories of death and suffering to the forefront of his mind, trying to lace the mana with the right scent, to make it more enticing for his target. Seconds became minutes, as Percy fought against his own body to keep everything in an equilibrium, the promise of power pushing him forward. Strictly speaking, he still didn¡¯t know what exact benefit the mysterious creature might give him once he absorbed it, but his clone had made one thing clear: It was worth it. However, the first complication emerged sooner than Percy would have liked. No, his target had yet to approach. And no, he hadn¡¯t made a mistake either. Instead, it was Micky who suddenly stopped feeding him mana. Not that he was keeping track of time, but he felt it hadn¡¯t been nearly long enough. Had he simply been too absorbed in the operation to register the passage of time, or had the man¡¯s soul deteriorated too much? Either way, Micky didn¡¯t say anything. Instead, he responded by moving on to the Yellow corpses, a new trickle of mana soon flowing through the cord. Of course, it paled in comparison with the last one, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. Percy sighed, returning to the task at hand. This would certainly make things more difficult, but it didn¡¯t necessarily mean they¡¯d failed. That was something they¡¯d only determine at the end, after they¡¯d fully exhausted every last drop of mana. Right now, his best bet was to keep going for as long as he could. Gritting his teeth, he pushed Synchronization even further, delving into a dangerous territory. His channels burned, as his cores felt like they were about to burst, but the flow of soul mana strengthened ever so slightly. That said, this wasn¡¯t enough to make up for the loss. Next, he switched his attention to the Self-bestowal spell. It worked tirelessly to transform the mana from one affinity to the other. But it wasn¡¯t good enough. Pushing the technique along, one small nudge at a time, Percy risked giving himself mana poisoning to eek a few more drops of soul mana out of the spell. At the same time, he delved even deeper into the conversion process, focusing on the very natures of the involved affinities. Pure and soul mana were different in many ways, but similar in others. Both appeared soft and weak at first, with pure mana making for flimsy constructs that crumbled easily, and soul mana not even perceptible to the naked eye, nor particularly effective in a fight when used blindly. In fact, Percy had personally suffered from this perceived ¡°weakness¡± of each of his cores at different times. Neither of these mana types was truly as they seemed. When used correctly, soul mana was one of the deadliest. By now, he had already honed it into the sharpest, most potent weapon in his arsenal. And that was without mentioning its utility in mending and preserving souls, or the unprecedented interaction with his Clone bloodline that had given him so much. And the same was true for pure mana. While it was widely considered the weakest affinity, that only held true for those too ignorant of its many uses. Whether it was the revolutionary elixirs that had turned Remior upside down, or the reinforced constructs that elevated his cyan mana into a true pillar of his arsenal, pure mana held its fair share of secrets once one dug deep enough. At that moment, something clicked in Percy¡¯s mind, as his understanding and appreciation of the two affinities rose to a new level. Responding to his thoughts, the cyan mana in his sternum began to shift even more rapidly, seemingly eager to transform. His soul core, too, started devouring the substance with even greater zeal, as Percy¡¯s Status finally pitched in. [Congratulations! Your spell has evolved: Self-bestowal ¨C Crude -> Soul Conversion ¨C Refined!] Chapter 168: Outcome Seeing the notification, Percy couldn¡¯t help but crack a smile. This wasn¡¯t what he¡¯d set out to accomplish, but it now meant that even if the operation ended up failing, it wouldn¡¯t have all been for nothing. That said, he wasn¡¯t going to give up so easily either.Leaning onto his newly upgraded spell, he intensified his efforts in releasing the mana out of his body. Opening his eyes, he couldn¡¯t help but draw a sharp breath as he gazed at the scene before him, almost messing up his boosting art¡¯s rhythm! Everywhere he looked, he was surrounded by a thick, silver mist. He had no idea how far it reached, but it was definitely beyond the edge of his sight. And, judging by Nesha¡¯s awestruck expression, she could probably see the substance too, even without Soul Vision. But Percy didn¡¯t allow himself to get distracted. Diving back into the task at hand, he used both of his Refined spells, continuously pouring more mana out of his body, pushing it outwards into the cosmos. Or, well¡­ at least, that¡¯s what he was doing. Either way, he kept at it for a long time, only stopping when, at some point, he noticed the mana had stop seeping through the cord. Creasing his brow, he was about to ask Micky what happened, but the crow beat him to it. Micky said, sounding a little disappointed. Truth be told, Percy wasn¡¯t feeling much better. By now, he¡¯d had to face the fact that this was unlikely to work. He was already well into the tail end of the operation, his current output a mere shadow of what he¡¯d started with. Despite their excessive preparations and the many risks they¡¯d undertaken, it appeared they had still failed to lure the mysterious creature to Remior. Lots of questions were floating around Percy¡¯s mind, though he hadn¡¯t halted his efforts quite yet. He knew his odds of succeeding dwindled with every passing minute, but he figured he should see this to the very end ¨C just to be thorough. He¡¯d come this far, after all. Synchronization was the first of his spells to give out ¨C which happened a few hours later. Perhaps, it might have lasted a while longer had he attempted the experiment in a better state, but he¡¯d chosen to do this right after barely surviving a brutal fight. Soul Conversion didn¡¯t put as much of a strain on his body, but there wasn¡¯t much point keeping it active by itself. Without the boosting art, he didn¡¯t even have any pure mana to convert. With a heavy heart, Percy finally let go of the spell, realizing it just wasn¡¯t meant to be. He was about to draw upon whatever dregs of mana were still coursing around his channels, to patch the tears in his soul, when he caught something glinting by the corner of his eye. Raising an eyebrow, he examined it more closely. The object glowed in a silver colour, somehow bright enough to even pierce through the dense fog in his surroundings. And it grew brighter still by the second, apparently heading straight towards him! If this was any other day, his first assumption would have been that his clone was on the way back to Remior¡­ his heart skipped a beat, though his next thought caused the colour to drain from his face. So focused had he been on actually luring the creature over, that he forgot he was supposed to keep part of his reserves on the side, so that he could actually it if he succeeded. Panicking, he began to breathe rapidly again, forcing some of the mana he¡¯d just released back into his core. Unable to gauge how much time he had left, he hoped he¡¯d be able to replenish enough mana to protect himself. The good news was that it didn¡¯t take much effort to gather it, nor did it need to be converted. The silver mist in his surroundings was already filled to the brim with soul mana. soul mana. Percy was practically swimming in it, as it flowed back into his core with a single thought, filling it up rapidly. That said, his channels protested loudly over his efforts, burning intensely wherever the mana flowed. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. He didn¡¯t even get to complete that thought, when something slammed into him like a meteor. The shockwave shook his very soul, reminding him of when his clones returned. Though, instead of latching into its rightful place inside a crater in his stomach, this object tried to forcefully squeeze through the shallow cuts, worming its way into Percy¡¯s channels! What¡¯s more, it lashed out violently against its surroundings, trying to tear Percy¡¯s soul apart from within! The pain was agonizing, but he¡¯d always known this was some kind of living creature he was inviting into his body. Drawing some of his recently replenished mana, he surrounded the intruder from every direction, blocking its paths. The creature wasn¡¯t having it, however, biting against the interior of Percy¡¯s channels, trying to dig itself out of the blockade. Gritting his teeth, Percy clamped down on it forcefully, trying to trap it in place. It resisted, thrashing against the mana, trying to extricate itself from its shackles. It appeared to be on the losing side, but Percy still hesitated to bring this thing into his core. What if it caused him some serious injury? However, he shook his head a moment later, realizing he was being silly. A mana core was even sturdier than one¡¯s channels. He¡¯d also have a lot more mana there, not to mention much greater control over it. If the creature failed to fight its way out of the channel, it wouldn¡¯t stand a chance inside the core. Making up his mind, he finally pushed the creature along the narrow tube, slowly forcing it into his sternum. Once it fell inside, he unleashed all the mana he could muster against it, squeezing it into a tiny ball. He couldn¡¯t help but exhale in relief. The hardest part was already behind him. The only thing left was to absorb the creature and reap his reward ¨C whatever that was. ¡°Percy? What happened to you? Did it work?¡± Nesha fired a barrage of questions, her voice tinged with concern. Opening his eyes, Percy noticed she was giving him a weird look. She must¡¯ve watched him as he fought to contain the mysterious creature, though she¡¯d ultimately chosen not to say anything, not wanting to disturb him during the critical moment. Micky was there too, having returned at some point. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ve got everything under control.¡± he hurriedly explained, his friends¡¯ expressions easing. ¡°Micky, can you help me figure out what this thing is?¡± Strictly speaking, Percy knew how he was meant to proceed, but he¡¯d rather figure out what exactly he was dealing with before . Especially since the procedure was supposed to be irreversible, as far as he could tell. Heeding his request, the crow inched closer, peering into Percy¡¯s sternum with its innate Soul Vision, as Percy did the same. It was hard for them to discern the creature¡¯s shape, compressed as it was. Percy cautiously loosened his hold over it, letting it stretch a little. Though he didn¡¯t see much, only catching a glimpse of what he thought was a bug¡¯s leg. ¡°Got anything?¡± he asked his familiar. ¡°Not sure. I think it looks like a spider¡­¡± Nodding, Percy continued observing the creature for a couple minutes, trying to piece together its appearance from the momentary twists and turns in its shape. In the end, he somewhat agreed with Micky¡¯s assessment. The creature resemble a spider ¨C at least to the extent that it resembled any animal he was familiar with. Though it seemed to have a few too many legs. While he failed to count all of them, he was pretty confident it had over a dozen. Moreover, the twig-like limbs appeared to bend in every which direction. Whatever the creature used them for, it wasn¡¯t to walk on solid ground. he shrugged. Swirling the mana inside his core, he peeled layer after layer of the creature¡¯s body, causing it to squirm in pain. Honestly, this part made Percy feel a little bad ¨C even triggering some traumatic memory for a second there. But he didn¡¯t stop. He couldn¡¯t let a spider¡¯s feelings stand between him and his goals. Percy watched the severed chunks of the creature¡¯s body dissolve in his core, before sending some of the mana through his channels, spreading the substance around his soul. And, , this action caused an immediate reaction. Wherever the mana travelled, Percy felt his body itch. It was as if somebody had emptied a bucket of ants inside him, the tiny pests crawling all over his organs. Except, this feeling didn¡¯t affect his flesh, but his soul. And just like with soul pain, this unpleasant sensation was a hundred times more intense than the physical equivalent. If he wasn¡¯t sitting already, he was certain his knees would have buckled, as he desperately tried scratching the uncomfortable feeling out of his skin. Sadly for him, this wasn¡¯t something he could fix with his fingers. Still, he maintained enough awareness to keep an eye inside his sternum, unwilling to let the creature loose in his core. The latter kept its resistance up, struggling to free itself to no avail, its body dissolving rapidly amidst the rotating vortex of mana. This went on for a couple minutes, though to Percy they felt closer to hours. Luckily for him, the itching vanished without a trace as soon as the creature did. Whatever this operation had done to his soul, it was over. At this point, Percy wanted nothing more than to go to sleep, the past few days having been downright hellish. Yet, it would be remiss of him if he allowed himself to pass out before confirming one last thing¡­ Spectral trait: S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. [???] Chapter 169: Truth A stray ray of sunlight licked Percy¡¯s eyelid, causing him to wrinkle his nose in irritation. He didn¡¯t wake up until a couple minutes later, however. The first thing he noticed was the stench of rotting wood and spoilt eggs. Not the most pleasant scent to come to, though it didn¡¯t take him long to recognize where he was, having spent months training in this very place.A rush of memories soon followed, reminding him of yesterday¡¯s events. Or, well¡­ At least he they were yesterday¡¯s. Shifting a little, he realized he was sitting against a tree¡¯s trunk. Apparently, his companions had been kind enough to not leave him rolling in the mud. Nesha was sleeping in a similar position a few paces away. Tracing Micky¡¯s location through the cord, he soon found him perched up on a branch nearby, scanning their surroundings. Percy nodded. There were plenty of things he had to take care of, but one of them took precedence over everything else. Not missing a beat, he pulled up his Status again, this time taking the chance to examine it more closely. Percival Avalon Mana cores: [Mana core 1 ¨C Orange ¨C Soul][Mana core 2 ¨C Orange ¨C Pure]Bloodline:[Clone] ¨C Create a copy of yourself. Effect varies by affinity. Spectral trait: [???] Spells: [Secret Art: Familiar ¨C Crude][Glove ¨C Crude][Mend ¨C Crude][Soul Conversion ¨C Refined][Soul Harvester ¨C Refined][Reinforcement ¨C Refined][Synchronization ¨C Refined][Mantle of Deceit ¨C Refined] Decrees: [Phoebe¡¯s Decree] ¨C Grants access to your Status.[???] ¨C Grants a bloodline.[Moirais¡¯ Decree] ¨C Grants a second mana core.[Metatron¡¯s Decree] ¨C Open a one-way portal to the Vault of Magic at will. As usual, the section with his spells was a complete mess. The Status seemed to group them based on their tier, but didn¡¯t bother sorting them beyond that. At least, they weren¡¯t in chronological order, and Percy couldn¡¯t spot any other pattern either. Not just that, but he could swear their order sometimes changed randomly for no apparent reason. Percy didn¡¯t want to be too ungrateful towards the titaness ¨C her handiwork had done wonders for his sanity over the years. That said, he had to admit the Status had plenty of room for improvement¡­ In any case, he shook the pointless thoughts out of his head, his eyes moving to the most recent addition. Not that the question marks were particularly informative, but at least it meant the operation had been a success. Truth be told, Percy would much rather just receive his reward directly than have to solve another riddle. He¡¯d it ¨C having worked for months on this project! But it couldn¡¯t be helped. He very much doubted even the temple¡¯s evaluations could shed light on something this exotic. ¡°You¡¯re awake!¡± Nesha exclaimed, startling him. ¡°I¡¯ve been up for hours.¡± Percy rolled his eyes, trying his best to maintain his composure. ¡°I just didn¡¯t want to disturb your beauty sleep.¡± ¡°Nice try.¡± she smirked. ¡°Truthseeker bloodline, remember?¡± Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Shrugging, Percy didn¡¯t dwell on his poorly executed prank much. He pulled against the tree¡¯s trunk to yank himself to his feet. The movement hurt, his body beyond sore. His mind wasn¡¯t doing much better, his brain feeling like mush. Even his channels burned quite intensely, despite having sat idle for so many hours. The thought of missing several doses of Aurora Dew stung the most, however. he grimaced. Not that losing a week off his next promotion was the end of the world ¨C certainly not when it was over a decade away. But he¡¯d rather not get into the habit of thinking like that. Growing up, he¡¯d heard plenty of stories of lazy nobles who¡¯d needlessly delayed their advancements by skipping cleansing sessions willy-nilly. Hell, if he wasn¡¯t mistaken, Uncle Gareth had wasted quite a few years like that, reaching Green half a decade later than he was meant to. ¡°I think you should be more worried about the mess we¡¯re in.¡± Nesha said, guessing what he was thinking about. ¡°It¡¯s not that bad. No matter what we do, House Tantalus isn¡¯t going to send a Blue after us.¡± he replied, before elaborating. Following their latest stunt, the enemy family was bound to realize the culprit wasn¡¯t just some wild beast running rampant in the bog. Their first suspect would naturally be House Avalon. And technically, they¡¯d be correct ¨C despite the fact that Percy hadn¡¯t coordinated with his relatives. That said, they only had five Blues, so they couldn¡¯t afford to remove them from their posts. Not even for a few days. If they did that, Baldy was guaranteed to pounce on their weakness, dealing a blow far more severe than anything Percy and Nesha had done so far. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Consequently, House Tantalus only had two viable options. Either they¡¯d ignore Bogside town completely, or they¡¯d have to send more Greens ¨C if and when they could afford to spare them. ¡°What if the war ends without us knowing? Or if you¡¯ve misjudged how valuable this town is?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t. Both their towns are valuable, but not as much as several Greens ¨C which is what they¡¯ll lose if they give my grandfather an opening. As for the war, I wouldn¡¯t worry about that. Wars all over Remior will only keep escalating until the lotus blooms. Probably for a while after that too, until all the losers are eliminated.¡± Nesha remained silent for a few minutes, contemplating his words. In the end, she nodded, apparently not disagreeing with any of it. While she wasn¡¯t the most experienced in a fight, she probably understood politics even better than he did, having studied them her whole life. ¡°So, what¡¯s the plan then? Do we just stay here, waiting for the next Green to come our way? That sounds a little dangerous.¡± She wasn¡¯t wrong. Even with all their preparations, Percy had barely managed to kill Broose by the skin of his teeth. The next person House Tantalus sent would be a lot stronger. ¡°For now, let¡¯s head back to the town. We need to gauge the situation there before we plan our next move.¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to gauge?!¡± Nesha asked in protest. ¡°The cat is out of the bag! The guy went into the bog, never to return! If we show up all injured after being gone for two days, they¡¯ll know it was us!¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Percy nodded. ¡°What I meant to say is, we need to gauge their towards all this.¡± Nesha tilted her head in confusion, prompting him to explain. ¡°We¡¯ll tell them the truth. And we¡¯ll see how they react.¡± ¡°Are you crazy?! We¡¯re still in enemy territory! They¡¯ll rat us out to their masters! And that¡¯s only if they don¡¯t attack us themselves!¡± ¡°Nesha, I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve noticed, but we¡¯ve done them a favour. These people are of House Tantalus. They¡¯d have revolted a long time ago if they could.¡± ¡°So You think you¡¯ll just tell them a few flowery words and get them to march behind you against a noble House?! They only have a few untrained Yellows and Oranges!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need them to ¡°march behind me¡±, or even help us against the Greens. Just to keep turning a blind eye to our actions. The current arrangement already works for everyone. The evil House Avalon is ambushing House Tantalus¡¯s people inside the Grisly Bog, while the innocent commoners of Bogside town don¡¯t know anything about it. They only need to maintain our cover as a Red-born blacksmith living with his wife, and they get to live peacefully with their loved ones. It¡¯s a win-win.¡± Nesha shook her head. ¡°That sounds great . But there are hundreds of them. All it takes is coward to go behind everyone¡¯s back, and we¡¯ll be the ones who get ambushed.¡± ¡°Then, it¡¯s lucky we have somebody who can recognize lies, isn¡¯t it?¡± Percy grinned. ¡°We just need to ask some well-placed questions here and there and we¡¯ll know if anyone intends to snitch on us.¡± Nesha exhaled in defeat. This wasn¡¯t the first idiotic plan Percy had forced on her, and it probably wouldn¡¯t be the last. But hey, hadn¡¯t everything turned out fine so far? ¡°Let¡¯s assume this works. We¡¯ve only bought ourselves more time until the next group arrives. How do we kill them?¡± she asked, changing the topic. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve got nothing concrete just yet, but the last fight gave me a few ideas. I¡¯ll start working on a new spell as soon as I bring a couple more runes from the Vault. And I¡¯ll need your help with something too.¡± The two bid Micky farewell, before heading back. On the way, Percy brought Nesha up to speed on his plans. By the time they arrived they¡¯d even discussed how to approach the townsfolk. Entering the town, they made their way to the centre, ignoring the gasps and exclamations of the residents. If the caked mud and bloodstains on their clothes hadn¡¯t clued them in already, the grisly trophy Percy paraded through the streets certainly did. The two only stopped once they were outside the tavern, facing a crowd of people headed by Fegan. Percy tossed Broose¡¯s torn robes on the ground in front of them, the bloodied garments eliciting another round of sharp breaths and worried whispers from their audience. But he didn¡¯t let their growing unease deter him, looking at them confidently before speaking. ¡°My name is Percival of House Avalon.¡± Chapter 170: Snitches and stitches At first, the townsfolk stared at the ill-begotten tatters of silk in stunned silence. Over the next two minutes, Percy watched the colour drain from their faces, their eyes widening with panic. But still, nobody dared to utter a sound. It wasn¡¯t until another minute later that somebody finally broke the oppressive stillness.¡°What have you done?!¡± a man cried, his voice quivering. ¡°Those cursed life-suckers will have our heads!¡± another shouted. Like a spark igniting dry tinder, the second voice set the crowd alight. Mutters and whispers rippled through the gathering. Many of the residents covered their mouths as they spoke, some casting nervous glances at Percy and Nesha, while others pointed at them with trembling fingers. Soon, their fear began to transform into quiet accusations. ¡°Everyone, calm down!¡± Fegan raised his hand, causing the chatter to die down. Then he took a step forward, approaching Percy. ¡°Young man¡­ While I¡¯m sure you have a lot to tell us and, believe me, everyone here is dying to hear you out, there are a couple things I¡¯m going to need you to clarify beforehand.¡± Percy didn¡¯t say anything, merely nodding at the old man to speak. ¡°Is the owner of those clothes dead?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And is it safe to assume the other nobles who disappeared over the past few months are too?¡± ¡°Naturally. Or did you think they¡¯d gathered together to have a year-long picnic in the swamp?¡± this time it was Nesha who pitched in. Percy glared at her to drop the sarcasm. Sure, it was a dumb question, but they wanted to win these people over, not to antagonize them. Either way, if Fegan took any offense, he didn¡¯t show it. He cleared his throat before speaking again. ¡°May I ask how this is possible? Don¡¯t take it the wrong way, but I don¡¯t think the two of you could have accomplished all this by yourselves.¡± ¡°We aren¡¯t alone.¡± Percy replied with a half-truth. ¡°As for the details, trust me, you¡¯re better off not knowing them.¡± The old man nodded, clearly sharing the sentiment. He was about to say something else, but somebody from the crowd butted in again. ¡°We should hand them over!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Maybe the nobles won¡¯t blame us if we distance ourselves from this!¡± somebody agreed. Hearing them, Percy carefully scanned the crowd, trying to discern the prevailing opinions. A few of them nodded along with the men who¡¯d spoken, too scared to defy their masters. But the majority grimaced or clicked their tongues instead, evidently not as fond of their overlords. It was one of them who spoke next. ¡°You idiots! Can¡¯t you even recognize what¡¯s good for you?! How many of our people died this year?! ¡± Mr. Dylan said, vouching for Percy. And he wasn¡¯t alone. ¡°Yes! I can¡¯t believe your first reaction is to sell your saviours off to those bastards! We should be building statues of them, not stabbing them in the back! You should all be ashamed of yourselves!¡± a woman yelled, berating her neighbours. The faction opposing Percy didn¡¯t give up though. ¡°You¡¯re acting as if they¡¯re doing this for our sake. This is nothing more than a war between two noble Houses ¨C and we¡¯re the ones caught in the middle. I¡¯ve no clue who¡¯s going to win, but I¡¯d rather not piss off the people who own us.¡± The heated debate continued for a few minutes, as men and women from both sides argued with one another. At times, Percy was tempted to defend himself, but he ultimately held back. He figured it was best to let them speak their minds first, getting everything out there before making his case. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Eventually, it was Fegan who cut the discussion short. ¡°Ok, that¡¯s enough. We¡¯ve heard both differing opinions, but Percy and Nesha have yet to tell us why they chose to come forward today.¡± He turned to Percy, looking him in the eye for a second before continuing. ¡°Young man¡­ I admit we got off on the wrong foot all those months ago. And I was the one at fault. You¡¯ve done a lot of good for our town ¨C whether it was your intention or not ¨C but you¡¯ve also kept many secrets from us and put us all at risk. Would you care to explain what you¡¯re trying to accomplish?¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to explain? I¡¯m my actions have improved your lives, but I admit that wasn¡¯t my goal in coming here. I have my own reasons for targeting House Tantalus. Like some people have said, you all just happened to get caught in the middle.¡± ¡°So, why tell us now? And what are you going to do next?¡± Fegan asked. ¡°Are you leaving?¡± ¡°Honestly, I¡¯d have kept it a secret if I could. Sadly, it wasn¡¯t an option this time. But no. I¡¯ve no intention of going anywhere. Though, that will depend on your stance.¡± ¡°This is madness!¡± somebody interrupted. ¡°They¡¯ll get us all killed!¡± But Mr. Dylan slapped the guy to shut him up. ¡°Just let him finish.¡± Seeing hundreds of pairs of eyes return to him, Percy continued. ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to help us, nor to fight House Tantalus alongside us. Just pretend you didn¡¯t hear any of this. Let us keep doing what we¡¯ve been doing in secret. That¡¯s all we want.¡± ¡°Can you House Avalon will win?¡± Fegan asked. Percy shook his head. ¡°Naturally not. But what difference does it make? We¡¯re the ones taking all the risk. If we lose, . Nobody will blame you. Not to mention, regardless of whether we win or lose, every person with the Drain bloodline we kill is one less person slaughtering your loved ones in the years to come.¡± ¡°Basically, you only need to keep your mouths shut.¡± Nesha jumped in. ¡°Simple enough?¡± More chatter ensued, as the two sides argued some more, before Fegan ultimately put the issue up for a vote. In the end, the side supporting Percy and Nesha won by over 300 votes to the opposition¡¯s 25. It was an overwhelming victory ¨C which made sense, really. The townsfolk didn¡¯t have much to lose by covering for them. Like Percy and Nesha had said, all they had to do was , and they¡¯d come out ahead either way. That said, 25 people were plenty enough for somebody to do something dumb and screw things for everyone. Keeping her bloodline a secret, Nesha took the opportunity during the discussions to pick those people off one by one, discreetly asking them a couple of questions here and there, to determine whether they intended to behave. ¡°Well?¡± Percy asked once they were back in their house. The girl shook her head. ¡°Like I told you, it¡¯s impossible. I¡¯ve identified at least 5 people who I¡¯m confident will screw everything up. Unless you want to try assassinating them, we should get the hell out of here.¡± But Percy grinned. ¡°We aren¡¯t going anywhere.¡± he said, causing Nesha to raise an eyebrow. ¡°Obviously, there was always the chance of things turning out this way. But we can make it work in our favour.¡± S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure if House Tantalus would continue throwing people at us after losing Broose. Too much risk, and too many unknowns. But what if they had a clearer idea of what they were getting into, and even thought they were going to catch us off-guard?¡± ¡°You¡¯re intentionally baiting them over! You people to snitch on us!¡± Nesha realized. ¡°Well, no. It would have been simpler if they could just do as they were told. It¡¯ll be much harder to lure the Greens over to the swamp like this. But we can give them a warm welcome here ¨C in the town ¨C instead.¡± Nesha gave him a long look, seemingly reevaluating the person she¡¯d chosen to follow. But she didn¡¯t say anything. They¡¯d already discussed several aspects of Percy¡¯s plan. The only thing left was to piece everything together. Percy didn¡¯t speak either, instead grabbing the sewing kit Mr. Dylan had generously given him earlier. Honestly, Percy had wanted to pay for it, but the man had refused to accept any money. He¡¯d even offered to waive the cost of the pig iron in their future dealings, though Percy wasn¡¯t planning to continue posing as a blacksmith now that their cover was up. Micky provided them with more than enough food to get by, and they no longer needed to hide their money either. Threading the needle, Percy then lifted his shirt, trying to stitch one of the nastier cuts the potions had failed to close. Having grown in a house full of life users, and then spent half a decade in a place where one could easily buy healing potions, Percy had never learned how to apply basic first aid. But how hard could it be? Yet, the moment he was about to pierce his skin, something strange happened. It was almost as if some primal instinct took over, guiding his hand forward. Before he even realized what was happening, he¡¯d finished patching his wound up ¨C adding 7 stitches in total. Thinking of something, Percy then took his shirt off, examining it closely. His fight against Broose had left it full of holes. Perhaps he was better off just buying a new one, but walking around in patched rags would better sell the image of a harmless peasant. Either way, there was something he wanted to test. Passing another linen thread into the needle, he began working on his shirt, allowing the same strange feeling to overcome him. Percy had never felt anything like that before. It was almost like he finally found his true calling after a lifetime of searching! Not even a minute later, he was done. Staring at the formerly banged up piece of cloth, he marvelled at his handiwork. One could still spot the stitches if they looked closely but, overall, the shirt had been repaired near-seamlessly. Not just that, but Percy had accomplished this with the speed and efficiency more befitting of a master tailor than an amateur. Growing more and more certain of his guess, he opened his Status again. As it turned out, he wouldn¡¯t have to wait that long for his answer¡­ Spectral trait: [Weaving] Chapter 171: Disgust Percy wanted nothing more than to dive back into his work, having lots of urgent tasks to tend to. The looming threat of House Tantalus aside, there were only 9 more months until the lotus bloomed, and he wanted to return to his family by then.Sadly for him, his injured channels forced him to place everything on hold for a few more days. Unable to use mana, he couldn¡¯t condense crystals, nor cleanse his cores. Even sending out his next clone had to wait a while longer. But that didn¡¯t mean he remained completely idle. Knowing the name of his trait, he figured this was as good a time as any to explore the benefits it granted him. Of course, he still had no clue how it could possibly help him improve his magic, but there were other, mundane ways to put it to the test. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. To this end, he approached Leah, the lady who¡¯d spoken for him and Nesha during the other day¡¯s discussions. Apparently, she was the town¡¯s resident tailor ¨C the very person Nesha had purchased their clothes from. Though it wasn¡¯t a wardrobe change Percy wanted from her. ¡°Do you think I could work here for a couple of weeks?¡± he asked, eliciting a raised eyebrow from the woman. Naturally, she was a little surprised to see a young man ¨C and a noble scion at that ¨C display a sudden interest in her profession. Still, she eagerly agreed to his request as soon as her initial confusion faded, happy to help Percy after everything he¡¯d done for the town. In fact, she offered to tutor him of her own volition, and even to pay him for his work. Suffice to say, Percy refused to take any money. Besides the fact that he didn¡¯t need it, he had no idea if he¡¯d be any good at this. His trait might have raised his proclivity towards the art, but he wasn¡¯t sure if being a little skilled with a thread and needle would cut it. Over the next few days, Percy showed up at Leah¡¯s workshop every morning. At first, he merely watched her as she wove patches of linen, stitching them together into shirts and trousers. The outfits she crafted weren¡¯t anything special. They looked simple and unassuming ¨C a far cry from the silken robes and elegant dresses noble men and women regularly wore. But they were certainly practical. Far better suited for the difficult, laborious lives of the commoners they were meant for. ¡°Do you want to give it a try?¡± she asked on the third day. Under different circumstances, Percy might have chosen to observe her for another week or two. But his channels were almost back to normal, and he knew his schedule was about to grow a lot more hectic. The more practice he got with his trait now, the better. Recalling the way the tailor had handled her tools, Percy set to work. The first thing he noticed, was how it all felt. Holding the needle wasn¡¯t awkward in the slightest, and guiding the thread came with an innate understanding of how to avoid knots and tangles. Paying more attention to the process, he was surprised by the sheer dexterity and precision by which his hands moved. . Not wanting to freak the poor woman out too much, Percy took a step back, trying to appear more . He knew it wasn¡¯t his own talent at work, but the Weaving trait doing most of the heavy lifting. Still, he continued to experiment a little whenever she wasn¡¯t looking. At some point, he discovered he didn¡¯t even need the needle! , he could pinch and push the end of the thread through the smallest of holes and openings with his fingers alone! It almost felt like an extension of his body, responding to his will as well as his mana did! By now, Percy would have to be a fool if he couldn¡¯t tell his skill in this profession bordered on the If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Tracing his fingers along a coarse linen shirt, he could easily visualize the way the horizontal weft and vertical warp threads interlocked into its grid-like texture. More than that, he instinctively understood why they¡¯d been woven like that, and how the slightest variation in their structure could affect the final shape and seam of the shirt. he chuckled. Of course, that was not to say he had nothing to learn from Leah. While he could handle fabric as naturally as breathing, there was still a lot of nuance involved in crafting a functional set of clothes. ¡°You¡¯ll want to match the stitch to the weave,¡± the tailor said, watching him closely. ¡°If you just sew straight across without following the grain, the fabric will bunch up, or worse, the stitches might tear again.¡± she advised him at some point. Well, that certainly explained why the patches he¡¯d hastily applied to his own clothes were starting to come undone already. Whatever instincts he¡¯d stolen from the mysterious spider, they didn¡¯t cover making clothes for . In any case, to accommodate his rapid learning speed, Leah handed him progressively tougher tasks over the next three days, before culminating in his final project ¨C weaving an entire linen shirt from scratch. It was time-consuming work ¨C ¨C yet Percy still managed to finish it in an afternoon after putting everything the tailor had taught him into practice. he wondered, half-jokingly. He vaguely remember he was only ever meant to absorb one, but he¡¯d have to ask the girl about it once he figured out how to return to her world. The only thing he lamented was that his trait didn¡¯t seem to have a direct application in combat. Having achieved so much with it in a single week, he could hardly imagine how powerful he¡¯d grow with a trait related to spellcasting. he sighed. Bidding his mentor farewell, he returned to his house. He¡¯d agreed to drop by Leah¡¯s to help her out whenever he could, but he could no longer afford to do it full-time. ¡°Is your little vacation over already?¡± Nesha asked. ¡°More or less.¡± he shrugged. ¡°What¡¯s the situation with the snitches?¡± Percy had asked Nesha to keep an eye on the people she¡¯d singled out. If they were right, the traitors should be leaving town soon, to report them to their masters. Of course, people did travel to and from the town every now and then, mainly to transport goods to the neighbouring Greyquarry town or House Tantalus, but such occurrences weren¡¯t that frequent. ¡°Yes.¡± Nesha nodded. ¡°Two of them left this morning under the pretence of transporting wheat to House Tantalus. For context, the harvest season isn¡¯t even over yet ¨C so typically they shouldn¡¯t have done this until a couple weeks from now. Not to mention, they aren¡¯t the ones normally in charge of this.¡± the crow groaned. Naturally, the bird complained. Waking up several times per night was bound to be unpleasant. Still, he agreed, not wanting Percy or Nesha to get killed in their sleep. It wasn¡¯t until all of that was settled that Percy finally activated his boosting art, sitting down to condense some crystals. As cumbersome as it was, it had grown into a bit of a habit by now. In fact, he thought he might have even missed it after not doing it for over a week¡­ Forming a blob of cyan in his hand, he soon shaped it into a solid sphere, before squeezing it between his palms. Its size shrunk rapidly as Percy settled into the routine task. And a few minutes later ¨C seven to be exact ¨C it was done. Percy had managed to shave a lot of time off Crystallization over the years, though his improvements had already slowed down to a crawl. He estimated he wouldn¡¯t be getting much faster before Yellow. Shrugging, he was about to condense another one, when he noticed something strange. A weird feeling bubbled up as he stared at the cyan orb pinched between his thumb and index finger. It was almost like disdain¡­ or , even. He frowned. It wasn¡¯t like he¡¯d done anything new. Nothing he hadn¡¯t done a million times before. Yet, for some reason, condensing his mana like this had felt wrong. He could instinctively tell there was a better way to do it. Suffice to say, he had no clue what it meant, but he harbour a pretty good guess as to where this feeling was coming from. Chapter 172: Hot or cold Percy was dying to explore the strange feeling, but he had to finish all his chores first. He spent a couple days brewing ahead for himself and his companions. He also sent a new clone out ¨C hopefully to the Vault, but he wouldn¡¯t know that until he was back.Only then did he finally allow himself to delve into this new project. Perhaps it would lead to a dead-end, but until he obtained the runes he wanted from the artificial world, he couldn¡¯t start working on his next spell upgrade anyway. Leaving his fused mana aside ¨C since it was structurally identical in its corporeal phase ¨C Percy manifested his cyan mana in all its different states, one after the other. At the same time, he allowed himself to sink into the clarity afforded to him by Weaving, contemplating the feedback it provided. First, the regular mana felt soft and squishy. Trying to fashion it into any sort of solid construct was ill-advised, as Percy had found out years ago. Not that Weaving was particularly constructive with its criticism. While it was happy telling Percy what it about the substance, it didn¡¯t bother explaining how he was meant to fix it. Then came the crystals. Again, his trait loudly protested their creation, warning him that they were way too brittle. And too rigid. He wouldn¡¯t be able to weave a web out of¨C he creased his brow. Were these intrusive thoughts some side-effect of the trait? Percy wasn¡¯t particularly happy evaluating his magic based on how suitable it was for catching But he shook his head, unwilling to write this path off before he even treaded it. Next was the intermediate step he obtained by mixing the soft mana with the cyan powder. In his analogy to concrete, these rice-shaped grains were equivalent to the gravel that made up most of the substance. Expecting the trait to complain again, Percy was shocked to receive some feedback for a change! He could tell Weaving still wasn¡¯t overly thrilled with the grains, but it wasn¡¯t as quick to dismiss them as before. Instead, it nudged him along, encouraging him to keep going. Finally, Percy used Reinforcement. Filling the space between the grains with powder, he held everything in place with regular mana, before hammering at the mixture with his willpower, trying to lodge its pieces together. Over the next few minutes, he gradually ironed out the kinks in the material, purging its impurities one after the other. In the end, he was left with a cylindrical slab of cyan in his hand ¨C a small section of what he usually used for his scythe¡¯s shaft. It hadn¡¯t taken him too long either, as he¡¯d grown much faster at this over the past year. Unfortunately, the response from Weaving was lukewarm again. It was indeed satisfied with the rod¡¯s strength, but it still protested loudly over its excessive rigidity. The greedy trait wanted its mana strong flexible! After all, how else would he spin it into the ultimate thread?! Percy frowned. He smiled bitterly. Who was he even talking to? Was it himself, the spider, or the trait? Either way, this was quite the high standard his customer had imposed on him. Pure mana was universally hailed as hot garbage for a reason. Percy was counting his lucky stars that he¡¯d managed to amend that into something useful, yet Weaving demanded so much more¡­ You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Then again, it wasn¡¯t so strange, given the trait¡¯s name. Percy couldn¡¯t help but wonder what effect such a result would have on his magic. Could pure mana truly be as hard as steel, yet as flexible as silk at the same time? If possible, that to qualify as a spell. *** From that day onward, Percy spent his mornings brewing for the group, while devoting his afternoons into researching the new form of his pure mana. As for how he did that? Well, he was essentially playing a game of hot or cold with his trait. He tried applying subtle changes to his Reinforcement, using the trait¡¯s reaction as well as his own intuition to assess whether they brought him closer or further from his goal. At first, he¡¯d started with something obvious ¨C decreasing the width of his constructs. Originally, the shaft of his scythe was about as wide as a finger, so Percy gradually reduced that a few millimetres at a time, gauging how its properties changed. Not surprisingly, the rod grew far more fragile past a certain point ¨C namely as soon as it had shrunk to around half its previous width. And it didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out why. If somebody was to examine the rod¡¯s cross-section, they¡¯d quickly notice it wasn¡¯t homogeneous, as it was made of three different variants of pure mana, held together in a very specific configuration. Obviously, shrinking the shape too much messed up the delicate balance, compromising the object¡¯s integrity. Percy realized. The next step was to play around with the grains themselves, adjusting their shape. Which was easier said than done, as even the slightest tweak affected the construct greatly. For example, making the grains thinner allowed Percy to fit more of them in the rod¡¯s cross-section ¨C which was good ¨C but it also made each individual grain more fragile ¨C which was bad. The solution was to make them shorter too, maintaining their rice-like shape while scaling them down. However, the shorter they were, the harder it was for them to interlock with one another, which again compromised the integrity of the material. To amend that, Percy tried making them thinner while packing them more densely, to counterbalance their fragility. This worked, but it made the rod even more rigid ¨C it wouldn¡¯t bend at all! In any case, Percy had to admit this wasn¡¯t going to work with just three ingredients. The only way forward was to add another intermediate step in the process, giving himself an extra variable to play around with. However, this also meant that the number of possible combinations would shoot up exponentially. As would the effort required to sift through each of them¡­ Not seeing any other path, and since his clone had yet to return, he gritted his teeth before diving into the experiments again. This time, he used two grain variants. One was small and sturdy, the other long and thin. This seemed to yield some results, as he did manage to shrink the rod some more by the end of the second week. Even better, he did that without compromising its strength! he thought as he examined the long, cyan fibre in his hand. Its cross-section was smaller than a ladybug, and it seemed to bend rather easily too! A few quick tests confirmed that it wasn¡¯t any weaker than his scythe¡¯s shaft either. Percy had verified this by stacking a few of them together and then comparing how much force it took to break them. As it was, he couldn¡¯t think of a good application for it. It wasn¡¯t nearly as thin as a thread, so the prospect of weaving it into a fabric was nothing but a pipe dream. Shrinking it down any further wasn¡¯t going to be easy either. He¡¯d have to put this project on the side for now. For all he knew, it might be years until he got anywhere with it. The realization filled him with disappointment, as he¡¯d been looking forward to perfecting the mana threads. Perhaps it was the thought of obtaining a Masterful spell, or maybe it was just the trait¡¯s influence on his subconscious, but he¡¯d really enjoyed the past couple of weeks. Sadly, it couldn¡¯t be helped. On the bright side, the clone finally returned a few days later. And it brought with him exactly what Percy had ordered. Finally, he had some shiny new runes to play around with! S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 173: Rune delivery service The clone¡¯s memories settled in place, the events of the past few weeks rapidly flashing through Percy¡¯s mind.This time, he¡¯d ended up in the body of a semi-sentient for a change! It was a weird, gnoll-like creature ¨C some kind of ugly humanoid racoon. Not his finest moment, but that didn¡¯t detract from the novelty of the experience in the slightest. Suffice to say, the creature¡¯s tribe was quite primitive ¨C they couldn¡¯t even communicate without grunts and growls, nor did they have much of a civilization going for them. In the few hours Percy had deigned to spend there, he¡¯d determined they couldn¡¯t even build their own houses. Instead, they lived in caves, using only the most rudimentary tools made of sharpened stones and rugged bones. Of course, Percy didn¡¯t leave He did spend an afternoon or so exploring the surrounding area, as he always did, in case there was anything of note. As it turned out, the mountain inhabited by his ¡°people¡± was surrounded by a dense, fairly normal-looking forest, brimming with wildlife ¨C not unlike something one might see on Remior. As he travelled through the exotic woods, he made a point to forage for any edible fruit and nuts he stumbled upon, tossing them in a large piece of some animal¡¯s hide he¡¯d ¡°borrowed¡± from the cave. In the end, he didn¡¯t find any traces of sentient life, nor any treasure worth his time. His Status didn¡¯t contain anything particularly important either ¨C just his host¡¯s Orange grade and fire affinity, along with the other regulars. Shrugging, he activated Metatron¡¯s Decree, throwing his supplies in before jumping after them, as was his original plan. Soon, he found himself lying on the familiar metallic floor, boxed inside the world-sized cube. Honestly, he half-expected Metatron to show up, giving him a piece of his mind. Though that didn¡¯t happen. A quick check also revealed the titan hadn¡¯t revoked his access to the life mana necessary for his second core. Percy exhaled in relief. In any case, he had no intention of using the mana, as he wouldn¡¯t have enough time to awaken the core anyway. Nor did he plan to try his luck in the Orange challenges either. Maybe he could have cleared a couple if he did his best, but he was on a tight schedule. he wondered. Percy had never forgotten about his friend¡¯s crippling disabilities. Walking to the residential area, he soon met up with him, bringing him up to speed on the recent developments. ¡°You mean you can just waltz in with a random body once a week and ask the system to give you¡­ a million refills of life mana, just like that?!¡± ¡°Hey, you¡¯re making it sound like I¡¯m fleecing the guy or something!¡± Percy rolled his eyes. ¡°Last time I only got 500 credits or so. Anyway, want me to ask if I can transfer the privilege to you this once? I was also thinking of maybe pooling resources together, so we don¡¯t have to buy the same books twic¨C¡± S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Percy didn¡¯t even get to complete his sentence before all the runes in their surroundings flashed red, the system berating him in a scathing tone. ¡°WARNING: Unauthorized exchange detected. Registered users are not allowed to exchange credits, information or other resources without permission. Calculating penalty¡­¡± ¡°Ah! That¡¯s my fault!¡± Gabe said. ¡°I should have warned you about it. Last time, I checked with the cube if I was allowed to lend you a couple of books. It didn¡¯t seem to mind as you were still registered as a guest.¡± ¡°Calculation complete. User¡¯s first infraction detected. Penalty reduced to 1 infraction point. Total infraction points: 1.¡± ¡°Wow. Just¡­ wow. What this place needs is a ¡°stinginess¡± challenge. You lot would never have to worry about credits again¡­¡± Percy groaned. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. That said, he wasn¡¯t too surprised by this development. If the Vault¡¯s residents were allowed to freely exchange information between themselves, everyone would be doing it. That would only undermine the entire point of the challenges ¨C to motivate the most talented people to grow while weeding out the weaklings. Part of him wanted to slap himself for not abusing his guest status some more back when he had the chance. But, deep down, he knew Metatron wouldn¡¯t have allowed that. Not if his goal was to entice him into joining the Vault¡­ ¡°What do these points even do?¡± ¡°Well¡­ Normally, each point lasts 50 years. If you accumulate 3, you get executed. That said, I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s going to happen in your case. Though I doubt Metatron will let you get away without any consequences.¡± Gabe explained. ¡°3, huh? There¡¯s still some room for¨C¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it. You¡¯re lucky the cube only gave you 1 this time. It¡¯s usually not as lenient.¡± Percy swallowed hard, realizing that most of the Vault¡¯s residents got if they broke the rules once or twice. Sadly, there was nothing he could do about it for now. Bidding his friend farewell, he then returned to the challenge cube, beginning the Orange magiscript challenge. He didn¡¯t intend to complete it, but learning how the requirements scaled from one grade to the next would be useful. Besides, this was the best place to get some privacy, unless he wanted to rent a room. Percy raised an eyebrow. It turned out that the first wave of the Orange level was somewhere between the third and fourth waves of the Red level in difficulty. He could already draw the concealment, preservation and control runes well enough, so he¡¯d only need two more to pass. In any case, he¡¯d have to practice with the new runes anyway. Plus, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to pile up some more credits for his next visit. Making his mind up, Percy then browsed the system for the runes his main body had requested. Of course, he didn¡¯t know exactly what he¡¯d find ¨C he¡¯d only come here with a vague idea of what he wanted, but the enchantments sounded simple enough that they should exist. That said, he did eventually find what he needed. This time, he¡¯d settled on 7 books on 3 different runes, costing 70 credits in total. The first two were for his own use: The ¡®hardness¡¯ and ¡®absorption¡¯ runes. Percy wanted to include both of them in his new spell. But he didn¡¯t have any special mana type requirements this time, so he¡¯d only get two tomes on each. That should be more than enough to settle on a couple variants he liked. As for the final rune, he needed it to work with space mana again, as it was meant for Nesha. This wasn¡¯t part of their preparations for the upcoming fight ¨C just the next step in her studies to craft a spatial amulet. The ¡®stability¡¯ rune was a key component of the artifacts, as it ensured the pocket dimension could safely store objects for a prolonged period of time. Percy was going to look through 3 tomes on it, picking the most suitable variant. He would still have to memorize it by the end of his trip, but he couldn¡¯t activate the stability rune without space mana. ¡°Alright, just buy those. I want them in hard-copy format.¡± ¡°Confirmed. Deducting credits. New balance: 109. Delivery in 6 rits.¡± Percy didn¡¯t waste a second before diving into the stack of books. The hardness rune he ended up picking consisted of a single circle, with several progressively smaller hexagons nested inside one another. . Even better, he estimated he wouldn¡¯t have much trouble visualizing its effect, as he could simply focus on his reinforced constructs, doubling down on their existing properties. As for the absorption rune, it was a little trickier to learn, as he didn¡¯t have a very clear image of how it would work in his mind. Absorption runes came in all shapes and sizes, from heat absorption to light absorption, to sound absorption and so on. What Percy wanted was a relatively simple absorption variant that worked with pure mana. Overall, mastering the new runes was relatively straightforward. Getting them to the level the challenge wanted took a bit longer, but he figured he¡¯d have to put in the effort back home anyway if he didn¡¯t do it here. So, he simply gritted his teeth for a few more days until¡­ ¡°Congratulations! Wave 1 has been cleared! Calculating rewards¡­¡± ¡°Awarded credits: 100. Current balance: 209.¡± Percy finally had enough credits for the index, though he wouldn¡¯t have any left for the next runes if he bought it now. Deciding to postpone it once more, he quickly checked the second wave¡¯s requirements. The darn thing was even tougher than the fourth wave of the Red level! Shaking his head, he finally allowed the ethereal cord to pull him out of the gnoll¡¯s body, letting Metatron do whatever the hell he wanted with his new toy as he drifted back towards Remior. *** Percy opened his eyes, a smile tugging at his lips as he pondered over his latest acquisitions. His new spell would involve quite a few moving parts, but it should massively raise his survivability even against a Green once he got it to work. Chapter 174: Gauntlet Percy¡¯s efforts to use his mana defensively dated as far back as his first month in the Alchemists¡¯ Guild, when he developed his Glove spell.That said, the flimsy layer of cyan mana had never been particularly impressive. Back then, he hadn¡¯t even known about Reinforcement. Not to mention, his second core had still been at Red. Consequently, the Crude spell was arguably the least impressive entry in Percy¡¯s Status to this very day. he grinned. Of course, there were plenty of obstacles standing between him and his vision for the new spell. For one, he had to navigate around the contradictory requirements that any piece of defensive gear had. Namely, it had to be strong enough to resist an enemy¡¯s attack, while at the same time being flexible enough to not inhibit its wearer¡¯s movements. The good news was that Percy had already taken this into consideration back in the day, learning how to properly distribute the mana around the spell for this exact reason. Gathering some mana from his abdomen, he instinctively allowed it to wrap around his hand, forming the construct. Having used the spell countless times, it no longer even required much thought to summon it, though it had admittedly been a while since he last needed it. In any case, he flexed his fingers a little as he closely examined the construct, reminding himself how he had designed the thinner layer of cyan to coat his joints, allowing them to bend more easily. At the same time, he¡¯d made the rest of the structure thicker, thus offering better protection. he grimaced. Obviously, if he wanted the spell to survive a Green¡¯s attack, using the stronger variant of his pure mana was a no-brainer. Unfortunately, that wouldn¡¯t work for the joints, as it would make them way too rigid, regardless of how thin he made it. Suffice to say, the only solution would be to use both his soft and hard mana, and to ensure the spell transitioned seamlessly between the two. He sighed. The magical silk his trait had commissioned would be the perfect fit for this spell. Sadly, there was no way he¡¯d complete the ambitious project anytime soon. Then again, it wasn¡¯t the end of the world. Practicing how to smoothly blend the soft and hard mana together would only help with that. Walking over to a corner of the room, he picked up a large clay jar. It was old, dusty and unassuming ¨C exactly how he wanted it. Removing its lid, he peered into the seemingly empty vessel. The only things one could see were a couple of concealment runes he¡¯d carved along the inner walls of the jar. However, not everything was as it seemed. Suddenly, a flash of teal shone within the clay jar, illuminating its dark belly. A fine powder of the same colour soon manifested out of thin air. This was one major advantage the teal powder had compared to the cyan variant ¨C it was easier to hide. Naturally, Percy would have preferred to keep all his valuables inside his spatial amulet, but he couldn¡¯t fit everything. Definitely not the large stash of powder he¡¯d prepared for both his elixirs and his weapons. That had left him no choice but to get a little creative with his hiding spots. Shrugging, he pinched a handful of the substance, before pulling some more pure mana from his abdomen, blending the two. Obviously, mixing fused and unfused mana together meant the resulting constructs couldn¡¯t be made invisible or intangible anymore. Doing that would only result in the spells crumbling apart. But he didn¡¯t need to worry about that right now. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Condensing a few rice-shaped grains, he next mixed all three types of mana, before wrapping them around his free hand. Next, he placed his hands side by side, comparing the two as he started working on the upgrade. At first, he focused on distributing the mana properly, determining how much he¡¯d need in each region for Reinforcement. Only once he was happy with that did he begin hammering at it with his willpower, forging the harder pieces in the correct shapes. Crafting the upgraded glove took much longer than the Soul Harvester. While it only needed a fraction of the mana, its structure was many times more complicated, as it involved over 15 different pieces. And Percy had to work on each of them separately. In fact, he even discarded a few, recreating them from scratch after realizing he¡¯d made a mistake. By the time he was done, the sun was already down. Still, Percy wasn¡¯t satisfied with the result. At first glance, it appeared exactly like how he¡¯d imagined it. In fact, he was confident it would probably survive a Yellow¡¯s spell too. Plus, he didn¡¯t have much trouble flexing his fingers. However, there was a different issue with it. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Withdrawing his hold over the soft mana, he watched all the connecting tissue of the glove crumble into motes of cyan. With nothing linking the hard pieces together, they began to fall apart, a couple of the fingertip guards making crisp sounds as they hit the floor. It wasn¡¯t ideal, but only the crystallized and reinforced variants of his mana could survive on their own for a prolonged period of time. Though it wasn¡¯t that bad ¨C he already had to manually keep the regular Glove active ¨C he¡¯d just have to do the same with its upgrade. *** Over the past few days, Percy had modified the regular Glove spell, making it even thinner than before. The idea was to wear it underneath the harder pieces, and to design everything so that it slid together nicely. That way, it would only take him a few seconds to equip it before a battle. He even added a few small holes in the harder pieces, so that he could fasten them in place with a few strings of soft mana. After he was satisfied with the new glove¡¯s practicality, he fine-tuned its design some more. He strengthened some pieces here and there, shrinking or re-shaping a few others, to maximize its defensive capabilities while keeping it comfortable to wear. In the end, he even added a couple more components, such as a wristband and a forearm protector, to extend the protection it afforded all the way to his elbow. he thought as he scanned his armoured hand. There was no doubt in his mind the spell was already usable in a fight, but neither he nor his Status were satisfied enough with it to declare it as such. After all, it currently took him several hours to forge all the components, and it would only survive a few days at best. That meant he¡¯d have to keep replacing it over and over again ¨C something he had no intention of doing. Not only that, but he didn¡¯t think it was strong enough to endure a Green¡¯s spell just yet. Which was a problem, because he¡¯d already graduated from Yellows. That said, Percy had already foreseen both of these problems. And he¡¯d come up with a solution: Runes. Allowing the soft mana to fizzle out again, he removed the pieces one by one, laying them on a table in front of him. Next, he picked one of the smallest components up ¨C one of the pinkie-guards, before willing the mana to shatter. Collecting the scattered powder, he then pulled some mana from both cores, fusing it together before mixing the soft teal mana with the dust of the same colour. This time, he intended the construct to last a couple of weeks, so he was going to do it properly. Replicating his previous steps, he soon reforged the piece exactly like before, with two small additions. Careful to not compromise the spell¡¯s integrity, he embroidered two circular symbols on it. Within its inner wall, he added a preservation rune, to ensure the construct survived a while longer than normal. On its exterior, he instead added a hardness rune, which should elevate the construct¡¯s rigidity somewhat, allowing it to endure stronger attacks. Whether this would be enough against a Green remained to be seen, but Percy had a few more tricks up his sleeve. Breaking and reforging the pieces one by one, he then finally slotted them back onto his arm, fixing them in place with some soft teal mana once more. Only when he was done did he lift his arm, marvelling at his handiwork. And the Status didn¡¯t miss its cue either, announcing his achievement. [Congratulations! Your spell has evolved: Glove ¨C Crude -> Phantom Gauntlet ¨C Refined!] Chapter 175: Just getting started ¡°Wow, that looks like quite the spell.¡± Nesha pitched in.¡°You haven¡¯t seen anything yet.¡± Percy grinned. Reaching into the mana around his arm, he willed one of its properties to shift. Without warning, the entire gauntlet vanished into thin air, causing Nesha¡¯s eyes to widen. She opened her mouth, seemingly about to ask, though she held herself back. She knew enough about Percy¡¯s magic by now to figure out what he¡¯d done. ¡°It¡¯s still visible through Mana Sense.¡± she noted after a second. ¡°Of course. Though I¡¯ve thought of a way around that. I¡¯ll work on it later.¡± Nesha nodded, but she didn¡¯t say anything. Next, Percy tried to make the Gauntlet incorporeal, though that didn¡¯t go nearly as nicely as he had expected. Having failed to time all 18 or so transitions properly, he watched the pieces of the gauntlet fall apart as they lost contact with one another in several spots. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Hearing Nesha chuckle, he rolled his eyes. ¡°This last bit might require some more practice¡­¡± At any rate, this would only be useful if he had to defend against a soul user. ¡°Percy¡­ I don¡¯t want to rain on your parade right after you upgraded a spell, but I don¡¯t think this is enough for you to survive against a Green by yourself. We don¡¯t even know how many they¡¯ll send this time.¡± ¡°Why not? I can just point my hand at their spells and block them with my amazing gauntlet!¡± ¡°Come on. Be serious. What¡¯s the plan here?¡± Nesha asked, not buying his bullshit. ¡°Alright. Just lighten up a little.¡± he shrugged. ¡°Who said this is all I¡¯ve got? Nesha, the Vault of Magic is a treasure trove of runes.¡± ¡°Meaning?¡± ¡°Meaning, I¡¯m just getting started.¡± *** Percy stared at his Gauntlet¡¯s pieces in its deconstructed form. Technically, it was already useable like this, but he had much greater plans for the spell. Like he¡¯d told Nesha, he¡¯d worked hard to master several runes from the Vault, and it would be a waste if he only used the preservation and hardness runes on it. Of course, Percy had yet to delve into magiscript proper, so he wasn¡¯t able to merge multiple runes into the same enchantment. The solution had been to engrave the two runes on different sides of the object, applying one to the interior, while leaving the other for the exterior. Sadly, his Gauntlet had already run out of surfaces for him to draw on¡­ Pinching some teal powder from his trusty jar, he mixed some soft mana with it as he used Reinforcement once more, shaping it into a new piece. It took him several minutes until he was satisfied, but he eventually moved it close to his eyes, a grin tugging at his lips. It was a circular band similar to the pieces that went around his fingers¡¯ segments, yet this one was a little wider, as if it was meant to loop around them. Picking one of the previous components from the table, he pushed it inside the new one, rotating it at the same time. A few teeth in the interior of the wider band slid right through the nooks Percy had carved in the other one, as the two objects joined together with a satisfying click. It fit perfectly! Even the two sets of holes on the pieces aligned nicely ¨C those were there for the teal strings to pass through, fastening the bands to the rest of the Gauntlet. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Nodding in satisfaction, Percy examined the structure once more, verifying there was nothing out of place. The two bands didn¡¯t have exactly the same shape, the second one extending a little further back ¨C resembling a spiky scale. That way, it would even cover the joints somewhat, protecting them without inhibiting them much. R????£Î??????? By adding a second layer to the band, Percy had just created two new sides waiting to be engraved! Naturally, one of them would have to be adorned with the preservation rune again ¨C it had to be present on every single piece to ensure their longevity ¨C but that still left him one free slot. Of course, he didn¡¯t bother drawing the runes right now. He still had plenty more pieces to perfect. Besides, his armour would probably end up replaced a dozen times over before he needed it. His eyes shifted to the next piece, as he picked up another handful of powder from the jar, resuming his work. he sighed. *** Besides the ridiculous amount of time required to prepare the new spell, its greatest downside was arguably the sheer amount of teal powder he needed for all the pieces. If he had to condense them on the spot, Percy would easily need a week just for that. While he had to reforge his Gauntlet every few weeks, he didn¡¯t have to keep condensing new crystals ¨C well, besides the ones he needed for the elixirs. Suffice to say, the contents of his jar were immensely valuable for him, as they represented several months of accumulation. he smiled bitterly. Regardless, he knew it was worth it. Based on what he¡¯d learned in the Vault, a rune¡¯s effect largely depended on the grade of the one who drew it. Given Remior¡¯s underdeveloped runecrafting techniques, it would take a Green or even a Blue to match the potency of Percy¡¯s enchantments. By that point, the runes wouldn¡¯t be effective enough for them to rely on during a fight ¨C which was why he¡¯d never heard of anybody else carrying enchanted equipment. In any case, Percy donned his Gauntlet once more ¨C ¨C marvelling at its improvements again. He had actually not stopped at the second layer, instead opting to add a third one on top! He could have pushed it further, , but at this point he¡¯d already have to spend a huge amount of time maintaining all the pieces. Besides, he was swiftly approaching the limits of how bulky it could get without starting to bog him down during a fight. That said, the imposing teal Gauntlet now had several spiky protrusions covering each joint like a dragon¡¯s scales, all of them adorned with runes. Percy had even reordered them, deciding to keep the force absorption enchantments in the deepest layer, to mitigate the impacts his body received. As for the hardness runes, he¡¯d moved them to the middle layer, to protect the armour itself. The only layer that wouldn¡¯t be protected was the outermost one ¨C but that one had a different purpose. Turning the construct invisible, he looked at Nesha. ¡°Well? How is it?¡± The girl squinted as she circled Percy. Presumably, she¡¯d activated her Mana Sense too. It wasn¡¯t until half a minute later that she replied. ¡°I can tell something¡¯s off, but only because I¡¯m actively looking for it. It¡¯s not immediately obvious.¡± Percy nodded. Naturally, he¡¯d engraved concealment runes all over the third layer! While his runecrafting technique had plenty of room for improvement, it was more than enough to hide the construct from plain sight! ¡°Neat!¡± he exclaimed, taking it all in. Getting this far had taken him weeks, but Percy thought the result was worth it. And, apparently, his Status agreed. [Congratulations! Your spell has evolved: Phantom Gauntlet ¨C Refined -> Phantomscale Gauntlet ¨C Refined!] This was his second spell to evolve while remaining within the confines of the Refined tier, the other being Synchronization. Percy had no idea where Refined spells ended and Masterful spells began, but this to mean he was getting closer, right? ¡°Percy¡­ I still don¡¯t see how a gauntlet is going to help you.¡± Nesha said, bursting his bubble. ¡°It¡¯ll be plenty¡­ together with the pieces.¡± ¡°Other pieces?! Was that your goal?!¡± Nesha seemed taken aback. ¡°We don¡¯t have time for this! It¡¯s been weeks since those people snitched on us! The Greens might be here any day now!¡± But Percy wasn¡¯t deterred. ¡°Like I said. If we get attacked before we¡¯re ready, we¡¯ll just abort the operation. Micky is still regularly patrolling the area around the town. He¡¯ll spot them hours before they reach us.¡± ¡°Do you actually think you¡¯ll have a ready in time?¡± ¡°Probably.¡± he shrugged. ¡°The Gauntlet was the hardest piece by far. It¡¯s full of joints and required dozens of pieces. The rest of the armour should be much simpler. I¡¯ll have everything done in a couple of weeks.¡± Seeing she wasn¡¯t convinced, he continued. ¡°Nesha, House Tantalus can¡¯t just send a of Greens whenever they want. I¡¯m more worried they won¡¯t take the bait in the end.¡± ¡°If they do, do you think our preparations will be enough?¡± she asked. ¡°Did you finish enchanting those slabs of stone I gave you?¡± he asked back. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then, they¡¯ll be enough.¡± Chapter 176: Stitching Percy had chosen a Red host this time. The lower grade might be a little annoying, but this was the first soul he found today that was both sentient and in a relatively decent condition ¨C right past the threshold where it could be possessed.Naturally, he wasn¡¯t planning to return to the Vault just yet ¨C his main body was still busy finishing up the armour spell. In fact, Percy had decided to not bother with the artificial world again until all the madness surrounding the lotus died down a little. There was no point, as he had plenty of other things to be working on in the meantime. he asked once he found himself inside his new vessel. a timid voice rang in his mind. It sounded young too. Percy was ecstatic to get a normal response for a change. Not an overly defensive outburst like Micky¡¯s, or a snarky remark like Gabe¡¯s, or a brain-dead host like Takeo. Just somebody asking the obvious questions! he replied. The child then remained silent for a few seconds, seemingly recalling his circumstances. Listening to his host, Percy felt his metaphorical heart clench. The poor kid was just out having some fun when disaster struck. While it was nice they weren¡¯t being hunted by an enemy or anything of the sort, he wasn¡¯t sure how much of a problem the venom in their veins would pose moving forward. The boy sent a mental nod back, which was more than enough for his soul¡¯s innate resistance to disappear, allowing Percy to interact with it more easily. Scanning the soul, Percy was somewhat surprised at how little damage the poison had caused. The cracks were admittedly quite deep, but they were also narrow and fairly scarce. As far as he could tell, Enki could have probably survived this on his own, had he been a bit luckier. Percy thought grimly. He could patch the boy¡¯s soul temporarily, but unless they found an external source of soul mana later, Enki wouldn¡¯t survive. Percy still had no idea what kind of world he¡¯d found himself in, or if they had any soul healers available ¨C but from his past experience, he didn¡¯t think their odds were great. he suddenly thought. It was more than a long shot. It easily bordered on impossible. Percy had never succeeded in healing his hosts¡¯ souls before ¨C it took way too much mana for his measly stash. If he tried to do this instead of patching the boy up, he¡¯d probably fail, wasting his opportunity here. Of course, he had no idea if there was anything of value in this world, but that was how all his clones started out. That said, the thought of putting his gains before the boy¡¯s life left a sour taste in his mouth. Besides, there was technically no better patient to experiment on than Enki. The kid was only at Red, which meant his soul would need the least possible amount of mana to heal. Even better, his injuries were less severe than most of his hosts. If he couldn¡¯t heal this boy, he wouldn¡¯t be able to heal anybody. Pulling a trickle from his stash, he guided it to one of the cracks. Using Mend, he directed the mana along the wound¡¯s surface, pouring it in several interspaced locations. The crack wanted to drink the mana up directly, but Percy held it back, forcing it to work on the soul¡¯s natural regeneration instead, just like the mysterious girl had taught him. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. It worked, a few tiny tendrils sprouting like blades of grass after a spring rain. But this was never going to be enough¡­ Yet, just when he was starting to reconsider his decision, something strange happened. A primal instinct kicked in, forcing him to yank the thin tendrils up, pouring more mana in them. At first, Percy panicked, thinking he¡¯d gone crazy. If this kept going, he¡¯d waste even more of his stash for nothing! ???????????§¦? He was about to stop himself, when his instinct intensified, causing another unexpected change. Percy felt his soul squirm and shift, seemingly transforming in some manner. The whole thing was extremely uncomfortable, as if somebody was bending his limbs the wrong way, trying to mold them into a weird shape. Except, there was no bone or flesh inside his soul wisp, so it didn¡¯t hurt. He couldn¡¯t actually see what was happening, but he could almost swear his soul had just sprouted a dozen thin, insect-like legs! Each of them pounced greedily on the tendrils, grabbing them, and pulling them, and spinning them to their liking. Percy might have thrown up, had it been an option. But he stopped fighting back, letting his soul do as it pleased. By now, he¡¯d be a fool if he didn¡¯t know what had caused this. Apparently, Weaving had a few more surprises for him than he had initially expected. Of course, he still had no idea how it could possibly help in this situation, but the trait had never given him any reason to mistrust it in the past. Besides, Enki was doomed anyway, unless he found a way to save him. Over the next few minutes, Percy observed his own soul as it cultivated the tendrils in the boy¡¯s soul, growing them longer still, knitting them together into a weird structure. His original plan had been to stick them to the opposite side, and then fill in the gaps between them as the girl had shown him. But this wasn¡¯t what his trait was doing. Instead, it treated the tendrils like wool, trying to guide them into a strange shape. That said, it was too late to give up just now, as he had already invested a hefty sum of mana into this. Letting the trait fully take over, Percy fell into a trance, watching it as it continued working on its bizarre task. More and more tendrils grew from the wound, soon joining the others in the complicated tapestry, as Percy¡¯s mind struggled to make sense of its ill-defined shape. He barely even registered when the trait was done, finally pulling at all the loose ends, bringing the two chunks of Enki¡¯s soul closer together. At the same time, the mind-bending shape folded and rotated upon itself, as all the contours settled in place. It was only now that Percy finally recognized the pattern too. Evidently, his trait hadn¡¯t worked in a vacuum, drawing inspiration from some unknown dimension. Everything it had done, it had pulled it straight out of Percy¡¯s mind, manifesting an enchantment he was intimately familiar with, having spent hundreds upon hundreds of hours drawing it during the past year. A preservation rune! And, evidently, weaving the enchantment out of Enki¡¯s very soul had made it a dozen times more potent than anything Percy could have accomplished with his limited mana. As soon as it took shape, the rune bathed both of their souls in a gentle radiance, slowing their decay noticeably. At the same time, the boy¡¯s soul passively absorbed whatever scant motes of mana neared the wound, using them to bolster its own recovery. The improvements were minuscule, but between the more efficient recovery brought about via the Mend spell, and the potent preservation afforded by the rune¡­ The importance of this breakthrough could hardly be overstated. This time, Percy had only managed to apply it to a Red kid in a relatively salvageable condition, but who was to say what he could accomplish in the future, given more practice and more mana? Like this, he might be able to save his hosts from certain death, doing some real good wherever he visited! S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. he reminded himself, dousing his bubbling enthusiasm. He¡¯d only healed a single crack so far, and it had already cost him around 10% of his stash. Plenty of wounds remained, and he¡¯d have to tend to them even more efficiently if he hoped to save Enki in time. Diving back into his work, this time with newfound purpose, he worked in tandem with his trait, using Enki¡¯s soul as the very fabric to weave his enchantments. Everywhere he touched, the tendrils bent, and stretched, and interwove with one another, bringing the runes to life. Percy paused at some point, examining Enki¡¯s soul. It still looked a bit like a jigsaw puzzle, but it felt a lot more stable. Naturally, he hadn¡¯t managed to salvage every single piece ¨C a few were either too damaged or too small for him to properly stitch together. Not to mention that his mana was already running dangerously low. That said, he was confident he had done enough for the boy to survive. Pride and relief blended together, fanning the flames of triumph in Percy¡¯s heart. And¡­ his Status seemed to share in his excitement. [Congratulations! Your spell has evolved: Mend ¨C Crude -> Spectral Art: Soul Stitching ¨C Refined!] Chapter 177: Ea鈥檚 Gift Evidently, involving one¡¯s trait in their magic resulted in yet another flavour of spell. In any case, Percy was glad Weaving had more to offer than just the long-term project he was working on.Enki suddenly exclaimed, bringing him out of his thoughts. It was only now that Percy remembered he had yet to link himself to his host properly. Finding a few still-open cracks, he slid through as many of them as he could, the boy¡¯s senses finally feeding into his mind. The first thing he noticed was cold all around him, coupled with an oppressive pressure trying to squeeze him into a ball. Luckily, his host¡¯s body seemed to have been perfectly designed to survive in this exact environment. Twitching his fingers, he explored the resistance some more, determining they were probably underwater. It wouldn¡¯t be his first time possessing a sea-dweller, but it was his first sentient one. Opening his eyes, he saw nothing but darkness. A few faint shapes settled in place a moment later, the exotic landscape beneath him softly illuminated by a dim red glow burning somewhere in the distance like a dark sun. To his left, Percy spotted a large, forest-like structure. Though there weren¡¯t any trees inside it, but rather a series of huge, pale corals. Was this the ¡°Marble Reef¡± the boy had mentioned? Then came the pain. It mostly originated from his chest, an agonizing jolt branching outwards to his extremities with every thrum of his heart. Nodding grimly, the boy took control of his body, shooting towards a certain direction like an arrow. Percy was taken aback by the sheer elegance and speed of his host¡¯s strokes, having never seen anybody swim like that before. He felt the water press against the membranes between his digits, as Enki wormed his way through the cold abyss. Even at Orange and his boosting art active, Percy doubted he¡¯d be able to keep up with the boy in his natural environment. Along the journey, he marvelled at the native flora and fauna, ranging from the deep sea fish with luminescent lobes and mouths full of needle-like fangs, to the strangely shaped chunks of algae drifting aimlessly in the darkness, to the exotic crab-like creatures grazing the cold seabed ¨C only visible through faint reflections captured by their smooth shells¡­ Eventually, Enki reached some kind of town. Surprisingly, the place didn¡¯t look much different from what somebody might find on land. All the buildings were made of carved chunks of stone, though they were decorated by glowing pearls of all colours and sizes, illuminating everything. One important difference was that they didn¡¯t have any streets ¨C or even doors for that matter ¨C as people here clearly didn¡¯t need to walk on the ground. Instead, they swam from building to building, entering through the wide windows. The people themselves looked vaguely humanoid, though their skin was a pale blueish colour. All of them sported the same membranes between their clawed digits as his host, a set of gills decorating the sides of their necks, allowing them to breathe. Their clothes weren¡¯t anything special, all of them donned simple seaweed skirts, only a touch more intricate than what he¡¯d personally crafted for his monkey host a few months back. Other than covering their privates, they didn¡¯t seem to be interested in fashion, most of them leaving their chests bare. The one detail that really drew Percy¡¯s attention was their eyes, however. And it only captured his attention more than everything else, because of a simple reason ¨C the strange dichotomy he spotted. Nine out of ten locals seemed to have a regular-looking pair of eyes, the irises coloured in a bright topaz colour, split down the middle with a vertical pupil. But every now and then, he spotted somebody who stood out from the rest, their eyes glowing in a bright pale light. In any case, this wasn¡¯t the time for sightseeing, he reminded himself. Enki had already slowed down greatly, and it seemed the boy was having trouble breathing. Evidently, he was close to having another episode, caused by the deadly venom that had claimed his life once already. The locals gave them concerned glances, but Enki just ignored them, his eyes fixated on a large building in the distance. It wasn¡¯t until he drew nearer that he slowed down some more, this time not due to his affliction ¨C just so that he wouldn¡¯t crash into something. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Entering through a window on the second ¨C maybe third level ¨C the boy hastily swam through the winding corridors of the sunken structure. Many people seemed to recognize him, but he didn¡¯t have time to greet them as he continued swimming, aided only by the gentle glow of the pearls adorning the walls. Only once they reached a certain person did Enki finally stop. She appeared to be a woman, her features slightly softer than many of the other locals they¡¯d seen on the way. What¡¯s more, some fond feelings seeped through their bond. Apparently, the boy saw her as some kind of mother figure. ¡°Enki, what¡¯s wrong?!¡± she asked, her voice tinged with concern. Not that Percy would have known, had it not been for his connection to his host. These people seemed to communicate in a very strange manner, a few gurgles escaping their throat as a high-pitched sound rippled outwards with each spoken word. In any case, the boy remained silent, merely pointing at a nasty-looking bite mark marring his lower calf, some brownish blood slowly oozing out. Gesturing towards a bed, the woman directed them to lie down, helping them strap themselves in place so they wouldn¡¯t float away. Next, she approached them after preparing a syringe filled with a deep purple liquid. The boy raised an eyebrow, but still did as he was told. ¡°No, it¡¯s just the antidote.¡± the woman said, forcing a strained smile. Then, she injected them without delay, probably recognizing they were running out of time. Only once every last drop of the liquid was flowing through Enki¡¯s veins did she take a moment to explain a couple things. Apparently, the heart-stopping venom of the marble-dwelling eels wasn¡¯t that difficult to counteract. Beyond that, the boy shouldn¡¯t have much trouble recovering by himself. ?£Á¦­????????¦¥? Percy merely sighed in relief, but he didn¡¯t say anything. As long as they didn¡¯t have to go through the greedy second core waiting restlessly in their abdomen, they should be fine. It wasn¡¯t until a few hours later, after the pain had already begun to die down, and the danger looming over their head had largely passed, that Enki seemed to remember the passenger in his mind. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Percy shrugged. the boy smiled bitterly. Percy guessed. The question caused Enki¡¯s eyes to widen, however. ¡¯ the boy suddenly asked, a wave of excitement seeping through their bond. Enki nodded. Percy couldn¡¯t help but wonder. The boy appeared dumbfounded for a moment, seemingly stunned by the stupidity of Percy¡¯s question. Enki spoke matter-of-factly, as if he was explaining something obvious to a toddler. this was Percy¡¯s turned to be shocked, however. the boy rolled his eyes. he clarified. Though Percy was still confused. Every world he¡¯d been on that had some relationship with a foreign race, it was always one of hostility. That remained true whether it was Remior, Huehue or the Vault of Magic. Other than the races which banded together ¨C probably temporarily ¨C to conquer Micky¡¯s world, this was the first time he¡¯d heard of two civilizations cooperating peacefully. Percy insisted. Hearing that, Enki grinned. ¡® At this point, Percy had plenty of questions, but he figured his Status might be able to answer a few of them. ___ Enki (Percival''s clone) Mana cores: [Mana core 1 ¨C Red ¨C Fire][Mana core 2 ¨C Seed ¨C ???] Spectral trait: [Weaving] Spells: [Phantomscale Gauntlet ¨C Refined][Spectral Art: Soul Stitching ¨C Refined][Soul Harvester ¨C Refined][Reinforcement ¨C Refined][Mantle of Deceit ¨C Refined] Decrees: [Phoebe¡¯s Decree] ¨C Grants access to your Status.[Moirais¡¯ Decree (Incomplete)] ¨C Grants the seed of a second mana core. Requires potent life mana to germinate.[Metatron¡¯s Decree] ¨C Open a one-way portal to the Vault of Magic at will. ___ Enki drew a sharp breath. Chapter 178: Alchemic principles Percy asked.Thinking of something, Percy¡¯s heart skipped a beat. But he didn¡¯t show it. He wanted to pry some more information from his host first. Percy struggled to contain his excitement. This was getting better and better! Did these people have some sort of alchemy-based version of Phoebe¡¯s Decree? If so, he to get his hands on that, whatever it took! Enki confirmed, oblivious to Percy¡¯s inner turmoil. Percy considered explaining that Phoebe¡¯s Decree probably had a different purpose to what they used their version for, but he was more curious about something else. The boy appeared taken aback by Percy¡¯s question. Almost insulted, even. Enki protested rather animatedly. Percy rolled his eyes. Enki tilted his head. he smiled bitterly. Hearing that, Percy felt his heart clench. It was only now he realized just how much he and his host had in common. Enki asked, some hope seeping into his voice. Like a needle¡¯s stab, the boy¡¯s question caused Percy to deflate a little. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. he said, trying to mask his embarrassment. he hurriedly added upon seeing Enki frown. The boy remained silent for a few moments, seemingly contemplating Percy¡¯s words. he said. Though he seemed to catch himself a second later. Percy asked, a smile tugging at his lips. the boy asked. Percy exclaimed. The boy didn¡¯t seem convinced, however. ¡®I¡¯ll have you know that, amongst my many, many talents, I am first and foremost a master alchemist. In fact, my main body is currently on the run from multiple gods back home ¨C each of them eagerly yearning for my wisdom.¡¯ ??N¨°§£?? the boy asked. Percy scratched the back of their head. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. *** Apparently, Enki¡¯s orphanage have a library. Even better, it contained a few books on alchemy. Though, seeing their condition, Percy wasn¡¯t surprised his host hadn¡¯t thought it possible to teach himself the basics. He held a stack of loose sheets, trying to rearrange them into the correct order. The blurred page numbers weren¡¯t making his job easy. he groaned. For an entire world that seemed to survive by selling alchemical products to outsiders, their libraries were surprisingly poor. Even the Guild¡¯s library had been in a better state. Then again, this might not be the fairest comparison. The Alchemists¡¯ Guild was the central hub for all alchemists on Remior, whereas this was just some random library in an orphanage, in some remote town¡­ Enki asked. Percy explained. The two remained silent in the library for several hours, as Percy tried to make sense of the alien books. Their pages weren¡¯t made of paper, apparently, but some slightly oily pieces of parchment, crafted out of some creature¡¯s skin. Every now and then, Enki grew hungry ¨C or bored ¨C or, probably, both ¨C asking him to take a short break to grab a quick snack from his room. It was some kind of pink roe stored in a sealed bowl. It tasted quite nice too, its rich, salty flavour reminding Percy of a cross between crabsticks and eggs. In any case, despite the semi-frequent interruptions and the poor condition of his reading material, Percy did manage to piece together an overview of the locals¡¯ alchemic ways. Their main product ¨C the thing they exported to their trade partners ¨C were some cultivation pills that didn¡¯t differ much from the elixirs on Remior. They were made from some kind of amber pearls ¨C a local ingredient rich in stable beast mana, not unlike the nectar the Starry Wasps produced. Percy grimaced. He had no idea how the lifespans and advancement speed of the natives compared to a human¡¯s, but their potential seemed to be confined within the same range as theirs. In other words, Red-borns here could only ever make it to Yellow, Orange-borns to Blue and so on ¨C just like on Remior. Suffice to say, it probably meant the pills weren¡¯t much better than elixirs. However, that was not to say there was nothing to be gained here. What set the locals apart was precisely Ea¡¯s Gift that Enki had mentioned. Percy assumed it was a Decree ¨C ¨C and it was the reason other races didn¡¯t dare to touch Atlantis. Apparently, this Decree was a lot more proactive than Phoebe¡¯s, directly affecting an alchemist¡¯s ability, allowing them to greatly increase their alchemic yield. As for how exactly it achieved that, these books didn¡¯t say, but Percy guessed it had something to do with the weird glowing eyes he¡¯d seen on some of the natives earlier. He wasn¡¯t a native, which should automatically disqualify him based on everything he¡¯d read. Then again, he was currently inhabiting the body of a local, so maybe he could trick whatever mechanism was responsible for disseminating the Decree? At the very least, it had worked with the Moirais¡¯, so it was worth a shot. Beyond that, there was also the question of whether this Decree could even stack with the one he already had. Would he have to carry two separate Statuses from now on, or could they merge? He shrugged. Luckily, the books hadn¡¯t been useless on that front. Cross-referencing the gist of their contents with his own expertise, Percy had been able to discern a few important details about the locals¡¯ branch of alchemy. Apparently, many of the central concepts carried over from one world to another, and even from one product to another. Whether he was brewing an elixir, a potion or a pill, and whether they were on Remior or Atlantis, similar techniques were involved. When brewing cleansing resources in particular, the so-called andwere paramount. The people of Atlantis referred to them as and had their own name for each of them, but Percy could tell they were functionally the same. After all, beast mana always had to be handled in the same manner. There was one Percy had chosen to translate as . It involved separating and condensing an ingredient¡¯s properties, which was more relevant when brewing potions and potion-adjacent products, as other affinities weren¡¯t as potent as beast mana, and needed to undergo this procedure to become useable. In fact, Percy was almost certain they had this back home too ¨C it was probably the missing knowledge about potion-making that he¡¯d never had the chance to study. And it was also the very thing he needed to master and teach Enki, if he wanted to get his hands on that Decree. the boy asked after noticing Percy had stopped reading for a while. Enki had tried not to sound too eager, but he¡¯d done a poor job keeping his excitement from spilling through their bond. Percy said. Enki asked. The boy remained silent for a bit, seemingly considering it. Eventually, he spoke. Percy frowned, thinking this wasn¡¯t going to work. Yet, his host rekindled his hope a moment later. Chapter 179: Marble Reef Percy felt the temperature go up rapidly, as the red glow in the distance intensified, the very water around him vibrating.Apparently, that light he¡¯d seen the other day was an underwater volcano ¨C and an one at that! From what Enki explained, his people tended to build their towns and cities in similar locations all around Atlantis, settling as close to the volcanoes as they safely could. These were their main sources of heat ¨C and also food, as they attracted marine life of all shapes and sizes. This particular volcano was called Samo, and its eruptions lasted a couple hours at a time, interspaced in regular intervals around five times longer than that ¨C according to Percy¡¯s estimates. This was how the townsfolk kept track of time, though each region on Atlantis had to rely on a different system. ¡¯ Enki rolled his eyes. Percy protested. The boy shrugged, before swimming towards the Marble Reef they¡¯d seen the day before. They hoped to make it there while the eruption was still underway, as the extra light would help them in their search. If they missed it, it would just make their life harder until the next one. Percy suddenly asked. As he¡¯d come to learn, Enki was a rather fearless kid. He didn¡¯t seem scared to return to the reef in the slightest ¨C almost as if he hadn¡¯t nearly died there just yesterday. In fact, Percy had to force him to ask the caregiver at the orphanage to lend him more of the antidote, in case they got bitten again. After some placating, the lady had begrudgingly agreed, though a single dose wouldn¡¯t help much if the place was teeming with the creatures. Enki scoffed. Percy wasn¡¯t entirely convinced, but he did let go. After all, he wasn¡¯t the kid¡¯s dad, nor would he be able to babysit him forever anyway. Eventually, the two reached the undersea forest, diving into the dense embrace of the corals. The dim glow of the volcano looked even scarier from within, as the scant rays of crimson danced against the deep shadows of the reef itself, both clawing at Enki from every direction. Suffice to say, Percy¡¯s heart skipped a beat whenever a small creature jumped in front of them, much to his host¡¯s dismay. the boy groaned. Percy asked, though some heat still gathered in his cheeks. As embarrassing as it was to be called a coward by a kid, he didn¡¯t think Enki fully appreciated how unsettling this experience was for a land-dweller. Percy was essentially swimming at the bottom of an alien ocean, his only company being a Red cored kid who couldn¡¯t light a candle to save his life. And it only got more frightening once the eruption finally died down, plunging their surroundings into complete darkness. Enki acknowledged. Percy rolled his eyes. In the end, the two continued their search in silence, this time relying on Mana Sense to locate their target. The good news was that the fast-growing moss they needed was a mana-rich ingredient, so it shouldn¡¯t be too difficult to spot, even like this. Of course, Mana Sense couldn¡¯t help with navigating the maze-like interior of the reef itself. The corals didn¡¯t contain much mana, making them practically invisible in their sixth sense. Consequently, Enki bumped his head against the hard structures a few too many times for his liking. Not to mention that the moss they were looking for wasn¡¯t the only thing containing mana nearby, which meant they¡¯d wasted a fair amount of time on false positives. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Enki eventually said. Percy grunted, but still carefully examined the area beneath their feet. They were floating inside a ring-shaped section of corals, a blanket of Orange coating both their inner walls and the crater¡¯s floor. This was already a good sign, as that was precisely the moss¡¯s natural mana grade. Even better, the chaotic pattern via which the substance spread over the coral also matched the description somewhat. ?§¡??????¨º? Percy asked. the boy replied. The darkness made it difficult to verify this was indeed the ingredient they were after. In theory, they could wait a few more hours for the volcano to light their surroundings, but Percy had a quicker method at his disposal. Taking control of the body, he swam closer to the wall, unsheathing a knife strapped to their skirt. Next, he carefully stabbed into the substance at an angle, peeling a layer out. Its texture was definitely soft enough, though there was an even better way to confirm it. Enki protested as Percy grabbed a handful of the slimy goo, plastering it over their stomach. As their name implied, the lesser regeneration pills they needed to brew weren¡¯t that different from the healing potions he was familiar with. Sure, they were solid objects rather than liquids, and they worked by enhancing one¡¯s natural regeneration rather than healing them directly. Still, their primary component was still rich in life mana. And indeed, the seed of their second core awakened from its deep slumber mere moments later, seemingly realizing what a tantalizing feast had been laid before it. Without delay, it pulled at the substance greedily, the Orange colour of the moss soon seeping into their skin. As soon as it reached the centre of the vortex, it vanished entirely, leaving nothing but inactive sludge on Enki¡¯s belly. the boy asked. Though Percy replied with a question of his own. Whether he wanted to or not, Percy would have to repair the boy¡¯s second core before they could even start working on the pills. After all, handling the ingredient would be a pain in the ass if the ethereal organ kept sucking the mana dry. Luckily, Enki nodded. Receiving a positive answer, Percy then unstrapped a large pouch from his waist. Next, he scraped more moss from the coral, stuffing it into the pouch with his knife. He took care not to let it touch his skin. It wasn¡¯t like he didn¡¯t trust Enki, but he wanted to save some just in case they emptied out the reef before the second core was complete. Brewing without repairing the Decree wasn¡¯t going to be pleasant ¨C he¡¯d have to wear gloves or something ¨C but it was better than missing out on Ea¡¯s Gift. Only after the pouch was full of moss did he seal it shut with a piece of string they¡¯d brought along. Then, the two took turns harvesting as much of the substance as they could, feeding the boy¡¯s Decree. The laborious task lasted several hours, neither of them finding it particularly enjoyable. By the time they were done, Samo had erupted thrice more, and they¡¯d also had to look for several more moss-covered areas. Still, the seed was eventually satiated, the second core taking form. Even more notably, Percy overcame his initial unease over the bizarre environment at some point. As strange as it had appeared at first, he understood by now it was just Atlantis¡¯s equivalent of the Whistling Woods ¨C Enki asked. Naturally, Percy had already brought the boy up to speed over the last couple of days. The kid had found the news difficult to accept, though Percy didn¡¯t miss the wave of excitement seeping through the bond. At any rate, they¡¯d already collected what they came here for. In the end, they hadn¡¯t even run into another eel ¨C as Enki was more than happy to keep reminding Percy. Following his instructions, the boy swam upwards to extricate himself from the suffocating embrace of the corals. Only once he was floating above the reef did he turn towards the town, shooting towards it at top speed, eager to play with his new toy. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Truth be told, Percy was just as excited to return to the orphanage, looking forward to practicing with the moss. Leaving Ea¡¯s Gift aside, studying the fundamentals of potion-making was something he¡¯d already wanted to delve into. His current plan was to spend the next few weeks guiding Enki into awakening the new core. At the same time, he¡¯d try wrapping his head around the locals¡¯ alchemy. And as soon as he mastered the extraction principle, it would finally be time to take the test. Chapter 180: Extraction Crafting a bandage for Enki hadn¡¯t been too difficult. The concealment rune didn¡¯t have any special requirement ¨C it worked with pretty much any material that contained some mana.Visiting the town¡¯s marketplace, they only had to beg a few hunters and gatherers for some scraps of mana-rich ingredients, until they collected enough fibres for Percy to do his thing. Between his Weaving trait and his growing skill with runecrafting, sewing the enchantment on a long piece of parchment was a piece of cake. Though it did mean Enki would have to pull his skirt a few inches higher to keep the bandage hidden. Percy rolled his eyes. Returning to the orphanage, Percy rummaged through the kitchen for whatever tools he could salvage. Naturally, he couldn¡¯t afford a proper alchemy kit, so he¡¯d have to make do with common cooking utensils. Being underwater and everything, the local alchemists couldn¡¯t use a regular cauldron to heat up the ingredients, as everything would just float away. Consequently, they typically used an airtight container, made of a transparent glass-like material so that they could still observe the reaction happening within. Percy smiled bitterly. The best he¡¯d found was a metallic, spherical pot. The top half could be twisted on and off, allowing him to replace the tool he needed to an extent. Still, it was opaque, which meant he wouldn¡¯t be able to peer inside it with anything other than his Mana Sense. Suffice to say, he wasn¡¯t looking forward to brewing blindly. And that wasn¡¯t the only issue. The actual tool was supposed to contain a few enchantments ¨C such as one for controlling its internal heat, one for the pressure and one for steering the ingredients. Percy had never learnt the corresponding runes, so he¡¯d have to reproduce everything using Enki¡¯s fire mana. he shrugged. Putting the Aurora Dew aside, Percy estimated his yield with the regular elixirs should have already reached about 32% after brewing for thousands of hours over the past few years. And that was while going through all three of the familiar steps. Luckily, potions and potion-adjacent products appeared much simpler, many of them only requiring a single step ¨C the very extraction principle he was trying to learn. He guessed some of the more complicated recipes like the rejuvenation potions they had in the Guild involved more than that, as they contained multiple mana types. But that wasn¡¯t the case for the lesser regeneration pills. Percy only needed to gather and condense the moss¡¯s properties into a solid ¨C that was it. Suffice to say, his yield would have been over 68% if he was more familiar with the principle and the recipe, and if he was to do this on Remior, using his own tools. Naturally, his yield would take a massive hit due to all the additional obstacles he had to overcome. Still, according to the textbook, a 20% yield was enough to condense a single pill ¨C which was incidentally the requirement to pass the test. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Unfortunately for Percy, reality didn¡¯t quite match his expectations. While the books he¡¯d found in the library had vaguely outlined the pill¡¯s recipe, they didn¡¯t go into specifics. After exhausting the entire stash they¡¯d brought back from the reef, he had yet to even determine the correct dosage of moss for each attempt. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Percy was by no means a novice in brewing, but blindly tossing a random amount of the ingredient ¨C mixed with saltwater ¨C into the sphere was never going to work. At least, not unless they burned through way more materials than this. Thinking of something, Percy left the orphanage, roaming the town in search of people with the strange glow in their eyes. If his guess was correct, that was a side-effect of Ea¡¯s Gift ¨C which meant that all those people were qualified alchemists. The sheer number of them was insane compared to what they had on Remior. Then again, it wasn¡¯t that strange considering Atlantis survived by exporting their products to outsiders. In any case, Percy approached as many of the suspected alchemists as he could find, begging them for tips and tricks to solve whatever issue he was facing, one question at a time. Inhabiting a kid¡¯s body definitely helped a lot with that, eliciting a fair amount of kindness from the strangers. Naturally, he asked Enki to take a break from his own task many a time, helping him retrieve more moss from the reef whenever he ran out. The boy complained, engrossed in activating his new core as he was, but still helped Percy out. ????¦¡??????§§? It wasn¡¯t until around three weeks later that Percy managed to make some tangible progress, however. He hadn¡¯t condensed a complete pill just yet, but this was the first time the moss¡¯s essence wasn¡¯t wasted entirely, leaving behind a few useable dregs inside. he grimaced. At this rate, it would take him months to hit his target, which was something he had to avoid at all costs, not wanting to keep his main body waiting longer than necessary. At least, there wasn¡¯t a timer looming over his head with regards to Enki¡¯s condition, as the boy had healed almost completely by now. In fact, Percy had been forced to manually keep some of the injuries open, so that he wouldn¡¯t get kicked out of the body prematurely. Enki exclaimed one day. Percy rolled his eyes. the boy said, a sheepish grin plastered all over his face. Following his instructions, Enki soon began to gather some mana in his hand, though that didn¡¯t last for long. As soon as he started, Percy took over, recognizing the feel of the mana instantly. While he hadn¡¯t paid much attention to his host¡¯s efforts over the past few weeks, there was no mistaking these channels, as they were the exact same ones branching out of his own abdomen back home. ___ Mana cores: [Mana core 1 ¨C Red ¨C Fire][Mana core 2 ¨C Red ¨C Pure] ___ Enki asked, disappointment evident in his tone. Percy felt a little bad hearing the boy. Enki asked with some hope in his eyes. Though that only added a pang of guilt to Percy¡¯s pity. It wasn¡¯t like he hadn¡¯t considered teaching the boy Circulation or Crystallization, but they didn¡¯t have the time for either. It would take years to hone Enki¡¯s body enough for the former. As for the latter, it would be even tougher for him than it had been for Percy without a boosting art to fall back to. he ultimately said, watching the boy deflate. While Percy could heat up the sphere with his fire mana and stir it by rotating it, he had no answer for the internal pressure. He couldn¡¯t use his fire mana for that, as it would only mess with the moss, burning it. Consequently, he¡¯d been working with a massive handicap, as he could only control two of the three main variables. That said, pure mana was a lot less reactive than fire mana. Not to mention how much better he could control it. By injecting some into the reaction, he could probably apply as much pressure as he wanted, improving far more rapidly than before. If he got lucky, he might even reach his target within the next couple of weeks. Percy said, before continuing. Chapter 181: The alchemy test Another month passed since the activation of Enki¡¯s second core, and Percy hadn¡¯t stopped working on the regeneration pills in that time.Now that the boy was free from the arduous task of clearing his channels, Percy had asked him to pay attention to what he was doing. After all, observing a trained alchemist at work with one¡¯s own body was a unique learning opportunity. Enki would benefit a lot from feeling the mana flowing through his channels, getting used to the visual cues informing him of when he was meant to increase the heat on the concoction and so on. Of course, Percy¡¯s fumbling attempts with his shoddy equipment weren¡¯t the most ideal teaching aides, but they would still save the boy years of study down the line. Something that was of paramount importance if Enki truly wanted to work as an alchemist after he was gone. the boy asked one day. Percy¡¯s success with the pills had been quite mixed. He managed to brew them many times over, but his results were anything but consistent. Sometimes, he would end up with a pill nearly twice as large as what was needed, indicating a yield approaching 40%! In fact, he got really lucky once, retaining enough of the moss¡¯s properties to split it into pills of acceptable quality! Then again, there were plenty of times when he failed the brewing process entirely, not even getting to 20%. If this happened during the test, they¡¯d miss their opportunity. This was unavoidable, as he was brewing blindly, so a lot of it ultimately came down to guesswork and luck. Still, Percy was satisfied with the experience. While he didn¡¯t know if they would achieve their goal in the end, his practice here was bound to pay dividends down the line. Back on Remior, he mainly relied on his eyesight to predict the concoction¡¯s reactions during the brewing process. According to what Orin had told him, the best alchemists learned how to combine visual cues with information they glimpsed through Mana Sense, to act with even greater precision. Now that Percy was forced to rely on Mana Sense alone, he had no choice but to master this auxiliary skill at an accelerated pace, which should have a positive impact on his yield in the long-term. he sighed. In theory, they could have delayed it until he got even better. Unfortunately, he¡¯d already spent way too long on Atlantis. The time of the lotus blooming was rapidly approaching, and he had no idea what had happened with House Tantalus either. For all he knew, his main body might need him back already. Not just that, but there was no point in delaying much longer. His improvements had already slowed down to a crawl so, unless he got his hands on some better equipment, it would be years until he was confident in passing the test with any certainty. Suffice to say, their best option was to give it a shot right now, and hope they won the coin toss. the boy spat. If they could do that, they¡¯d pass for sure. And, technically, there wasn¡¯t a hard limit preventing people from retaking the test, though there were a few rules to make it more difficult. For one, the test required a hefty entrance fee. Enki would have needed years to save up enough money for it by himself. Luckily for him, the multitude of regeneration pills Percy had brewed in the past month were barely enough to cover the expense, though they¡¯d need another month for a second attempt. Even worse, applicants had to wait 200 eruptions to retake the test after failing it ¨C a period of time longer than 3 months according to Percy¡¯s estimates. These rules were intentionally put in place to ensure applicants were serious about it, and that they didn¡¯t take the test every other day just for fun. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. *** Enki swam towards a large stone building, approaching the singular window near the top. Luckily, there didn¡¯t seem to be a queue today, so he made his way directly towards the guard. ¡°Here for the test?¡± the man gurgled in typical Atlantean fashion. The boy just nodded, handing him a small pouch filled with some fingernail-sized fish scales, giving off a pale greenish sheen. Accepting the money, the man asked to see his other possessions. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t make him lift his skirt, but still frowned upon seeing the shoddy cooking utensil they planned to use as a makeshift cauldron. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Kid, are you sure you don¡¯t want to save up for some proper tools? You¡¯re just wasting your money.¡± Enki shrugged. ¡°The tools are way more expensive than the entrance fee. I¡¯d need over a thousand eruptions to amass enough scales.¡± The guard shook his head, but didn¡¯t say anything else. Still, he confiscated most of the moss, leaving only enough for a single attempt. Next, he moved aside, gesturing at them to enter. As soon as they were inside, the man closed the gate behind them, leaving them alone in the room. It was a large circular area, with a single totem-like structure erected in its centre. Enki approached it, as both he and Percy marvelled at its beauty. ?????¨§? It was seemingly built out of dozens of large pearls, each bigger than a watermelon. They were stacked together into a vertical column, with multiple faces carved into them. Percy was a little taken aback by their wild, toothy expressions, but he knew part of it was just due to how the natives looked. In any case, all the pearls had one important feature in common ¨C they all shone in a deep crimson colour. It wasn¡¯t that surprising, considering that Ea¡¯s Decree worked similarly to Phoebe¡¯s. In any case, he was just glad his clones didn¡¯t need mind mana for their second cores anymore, or things could have easily turned ugly. Enki asked, taking him out of his thoughts. Unpacking the cauldron and the moss, the kid laid them in front of them, as he waited for Percy to do the honours. As much as he would have liked to pass the test honestly, he knew he wouldn¡¯t stand a chance as he was. This was going to be all Percy. the latter shrugged. Twisting the lid of the sphere off, Percy then tossed the portion of moss the guard had generously allowed them to keep inside. He also threw a sticky piece of yellow mud in there ¨C this was what the locals used to counteract the sea salt. Next, he pulled a trickle of pure mana from his abdomen, pouring it into the pot too. This was how he¡¯d compress the pill later. Finally, he twisted the top of the sphere back on, as he gathered some fire mana to his fingers, passing it onto the metallic surface of the tool. He felt the sphere instantly rumble, as the ingredients began to bubble within it. Giving the tool a spin, he closed his eyes, letting his mind sink into the inner world of the concoction with his Mana Sense. The whole thing shone in a dim Orange colour, but he could faintly discern ¨C based on his experience ¨C a few lumps clustering together here and there. Intensifying the flow from his sternum, he upped the heat a little, before spinning the ball the opposite way, to eliminate the pesky lumps before they had the chance to cause trouble. Several minutes passed, as both Percy and Enki remained quiet, their attention glued to the contents of the sphere. The concoction¡¯s hushed rumbles were the only thing softly breaking the oppressive silence of the vast chamber, as beads of oily sweat seeped out of Enki¡¯s skin one after another, crowning his forehead. At some point, Percy could have sworn he caught the totems¡¯ many eyes flash a shade brighter than before. Evidently, the structure had begun observing their efforts. he smiled bitterly. Though there was nothing he could do about it, besides diving back into the brewing process. In the end, the entire session finished without any climactic turn of events, nor any impossible last-minute hurdle they had to overcome. It didn¡¯t last any longer than his previous attempts either. Of course, that was not to say that everything had gone smoothly ¨C the concoction still presented him with its standard share of unfortunate surprises ¨C each gnawing at the eventual yield a little. But they wouldn¡¯t know whether they had succeeded until they looked inside the sphere. Carefully opening the lid, they gazed at its contents with bated breath, the verdict of their endeavour looming silently over their head. There, a single marble floated quietly. It was among the smallest Percy had crafted, and its condition wasn¡¯t the greatest either. Its surface was full of cracks, though they didn¡¯t detract from its undeniable green lustre. It was a success! Although somewhat imperfect, there was no mistaking it! This was a lesser regeneration pill! Lifting his head, Percy saw the totem staring at them with what he could only describe as silent approval shimmering in its countless crimson eyes. Suddenly, the entire column flashed twice as brightly as before, a dense crimson aura radiating outwards, rapidly enveloping them. Clearly, their examiner had found them worthy and was about to grant them their prize! Chapter 182: Alchemist鈥檚 Eye A soothing feeling massaged Percy¡¯s mind as the totem¡¯s gentle radiance seeped into his host¡¯s head.Over the next few minutes, he sensed something sprout, almost like a new window opening in his mind, waiting to be peered through. This would have probably felt bizarre if he hadn¡¯t had access to something similar for most of his life already. Yet, his celebration was cut short when the totem¡¯s glow died down halfway through, leaving the new Decree incomplete. Panicking, Percy tried to access it, but Ea¡¯s Gift didn¡¯t respond, making him fear something had gone wrong. Enki asked. Percy didn¡¯t say anything, not having an answer for his host. Opening his eyes, he carefully scanned the glowing pillar in front of them. It was a lot dimmer than before, its colour blinking erratically, almost as if it was unsure as to what it was supposed to do. If Ea¡¯s Decree affected one¡¯s mind like he suspected, it was conceivable the totem would need twice as much mana to grant it to both of them. Had their efforts been doomed to fail from the start? As if responding to his thoughts, the structure seemed to finally come to a decision. It flashed brightly once more, resuming its work. A new round of crimson soon emanated from it, bathing Enki again. Percy relaxed as soon as the refreshing feeling in his mind returned. Over the next few minutes, he was content to merely wait there, enjoying the process. What worried him a little, however, was the fact that the totem almost grew entirely dark by the time it was finished. In any case, that was a problem for later. As soon as the procedure stopped, Percy felt a far more complete sensation in his head ¨C something finally clicking in place. Eager to put his new toy to the test, he reached into the door in his mind, willing Ea¡¯s Gift to manifest. Though, that was when he ran into another issue. Unlike before, his efforts didn¡¯t go unanswered this time. However, what happened wasn¡¯t at all what Percy had expected. Rather than Ea¡¯s Gift, it was an intense wave of agony that slammed into his mind like a meteor, making him feel as if his skull had been split in half. he asked nobody in particular, folding to his knees. Enki asked, seemingly oblivious to his situation. His voice sounded normal too. The boy clearly wasn¡¯t affected by whatever was causing his pain. Percy asked, getting a nod back. Thinking of something, Percy fell back to his regular Status instead. He hoped that the other ¨C more familiar ¨C door in his mind would be able to shed some light into his situation. Yet, he couldn¡¯t have been more wrong¡­ Contrary to his expectations, it didn¡¯t work! For some inexplicable reason, the trusty Decree that had always followed him to the edge of the universe and back had suddenly gone silent, refusing to appear before him! Even worse, the mere act of calling upon it only intensified his headache further, making his eyes water and his soul squirm! If this stunt had somehow caused him to lose Phoebe¡¯s Decree, he¡¯d want to slap himself! Ignoring the skull-splitting pain, Percy continued his vain efforts to reach to his Status, unwilling to accept this result. Yet, the Decree didn¡¯t respond for several minutes, causing Percy¡¯s panic to grow like a wildfire. ?¨¤N??????? Just as he was beginning to lose all hope, his efforts finally caused some kind of blurry message to blink into his sight for a few seconds, before fading back out. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. [Overlapping¡­ %!?¡±¡­ detected¡­ Calibra*(%*¡­ unavailable¡­ ^&)+¡­ assimilation¡­ underway.] Seeing that, Percy allowed himself to calm down slightly. The pain in his head was still raging on, stronger than ever, and it wasn¡¯t like this was guaranteed to end well. That said, his Status seemed to be of the problem at least. It also seemed to be actively working towards a solution. According to the message, it was currently ¡°calibrating¡±, or trying to ¡°assimilate¡± Ea¡¯s Gift. Either way, there was nothing he could do about it, besides waiting for the results. Enki said, his voice quivering. It was only now Percy realized his host had been talking to him for a while. he replied. Percy still had no idea if he¡¯d end up receiving the new Decree himself, but he¡¯d be lying if he said he wasn¡¯t curious to see what it did. Nodding, the boy then went silent for a second, seemingly reaching into his latest acquisition. Soon, a new panel flashed before their eyes, not unlike how Percy¡¯s Status normally worked. Yet, it had a different owner this time. ___ Enki Mana cores: [Mana core 1 ¨C Red ¨C Fire][Mana core 2 ¨C Red ¨C Pure] Mutations: [???] Alchemic principles: [Extraction] ¨C Separate and condense an ingredient¡¯s essence. ___ Percy frowned upon seeing it. The only common section was the one listing the boy¡¯s cores. As for bloodlines, spectral traits, spells or Decrees, there wasn¡¯t a word on them. The first two weren¡¯t too surprising, as the boy probably didn¡¯t have any. But the absence of the other two was a little odd. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He could understand why the Decrees were hidden ¨C this had originally been the case for him too. If this Ea guy was anything like Phoebe, he clearly didn¡¯t think mortals needed to know about high-level information like that. But that didn¡¯t explain why there weren¡¯t any spells. It was certainly possible, given how little the boy had practiced with his core. Hell, Percy hadn¡¯t obtained his first spell until after reaching Orange. Still, he had a hunch there was more to it than that. Did Ea¡¯s Gift not even bother listing one¡¯s spells? Its focus seemed entirely different. For one, it acknowledged Enki¡¯s budding understanding of the extraction principle. Percy was quite certain that his Status didn¡¯t care about alchemy in the slightest, as it had never bothered to list his own knowledge of the three pillars. Percy didn¡¯t even get the chance to talk to his host about it, when the boy let out a pained cry, pressing his palms against his eyes. Both Enki and Percy felt their eyeballs burn intensely, as if somebody had just poured boiling oil into their face. It almost reminded him of the time he and Gabe fought against the golem. the boy asked, his voice shaking, as some sticky droplets accumulated in their hands. Percy didn¡¯t even know whether to laugh or cry. His own splitting headache had yet to go away, and now he had to deal with another ¨C probably unrelated ¨C source of agony. Still, seeing the boy sob made his heart clench. The poor kid didn¡¯t deserve so much shit. He was about to speak a few words to console him, when the two heard the gate slam open. Activating Mana Sense, Percy saw somebody ¨C the guard most likely ¨C swim rapidly towards them. Yet, the man stopped right in his tracks about halfway through, his head jerking in alarm towards the totem. ¡°Holy One have mercy! Why is the totem so dark?!¡± Next, the man turned to Enki, seemingly catching sight of the boy bawling his eyes out. ¡°Did you actually pass the test with that shoddy cauldron?¡± he asked in incredulity. Enki only nodded back. ¡°Mister¡­ do you know what¡¯s happening to me?¡± The guard remained silent for a few seconds before answering, his voice a lot calmer this time. ¡°Kid, has nobody explained to you how Ea¡¯s Gift works?¡± Enki merely shook his head. ¡°Ha! That must be why you look like your mother just died. Boy, cheer up! This is a good thing!¡± ¡°How is it a good thing?¡± Enki asked bitterly. Percy, on the other hand, relaxed upon hearing the guard¡¯s words, having put two and two together by now. Sure enough, the man¡¯s next words corroborated his guess. ¡°What you¡¯re feeling right now are your eyes . The pain should go away in a few eruptions. After that, you¡¯ll have a lifetime to enjoy the new benefits they bring you. Congratulations! You¡¯re now officially an alchemist of Atlantis!¡± The man¡¯s words didn¡¯t fully alleviate the boy¡¯s worries, however. ¡°Mutating? What sort of benefits are we talking about?¡± ¡°Have you noticed the strange glow some of our people have in their eyes?¡± the man asked, getting a nod back. ¡°Well, that¡¯s what the Alchemist¡¯s Eye looks like. Why do you think the Holy One even bothered disseminating His Gift on our world?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand. What does Ea¡¯s Gift have to do with one¡¯s eyes? I thought it just listed some important information on our alchemy skills¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re telling me you worked so hard for this, and you don¡¯t even know why?¡± the guard asked. ¡°Yes, the Gift does list the alchemic principles you master, but it¡¯s much more than just a glorified piece of parchment!¡± Enki didn¡¯t say anything, waiting for the man to continue. ¡°The Gift itself is intimately connected to the mutation. Your eyes will draw from your cumulative knowledge of alchemy, allowing you to discern things you wouldn¡¯t otherwise notice. The more alchemic principles you master, the more things you will be able to see!¡± the guard said with some pride in his voice. This time, the boy finally calmed down, but Percy wasn¡¯t paying them any attention anymore, his mind drifting elsewhere. Chapter 183: Tools for a better future Following the guard¡¯s explanation, the next couple of weeks passed by in a blur.Luckily, the man didn¡¯t dwell much on the totem¡¯s strange state. As it turned out, it was a lot more reasonable to assume there was something wrong with the relays supplying the structure with mana, than to guess Enki was possessed by an alien ghost. Who¡¯d have thought? The guard was then kind enough to escort the blind kid to the local alchemists¡¯ association, even going as far as to hold his hand through the registration process. Better still, the people there were all shocked upon learning how Enki had managed to pass the test despite all his handicaps, showering him with praise. the boy asked at the time. Percy didn¡¯t say that merely to console his host. He genuinely meant every word. The boy had proven quite hardworking during his stay in Atlantis, whether it was back when he was clearing his channels, or his subsequent alchemy practice. As far as Percy saw it, he¡¯d done nothing more than level the playing field for an unlucky orphan, giving him a chance to make it in the world. Upon hearing the words of encouragement, the boy nodded enthusiastically, tears glistening by the corners of his still-burning eyes. Suffice to say, it was with great eagerness that he followed the association¡¯s people as they escorted him to his new room, supplying him with brand-new tools and reading materials to further his studies. At that point, Percy was just as excited as his host, keen to put the new equipment to the test, getting a better feel for his newly mastered alchemic principle. Even better, Enki¡¯s eyes were done mutating about a week later, allowing them to make leaps and strides with their practice. ___ Enki Mana cores: [Mana core 1 ¨C Red ¨C Fire][Mana core 2 ¨C Red ¨C Pure] Mutations: [Alchemist¡¯s Eye] ¨C Draws from the cumulative knowledge listed in Ea¡¯s Gift to enhance one¡¯s vision, allowing them to discern details previously unseen. Alchemic principles: [Extraction] ¨C Separate and condense an ingredient¡¯s essence. ___ Much like the guard had explained, Enki¡¯s now-glowing eyes allowed him and Percy to peer through the outer layer of the concoction, observing the extraction process of the moss¡¯s essence in even greater detail than ever before. And that was just the start. Even more importantly, the mutation seemed to passively fuse the boy¡¯s Mana Sense into his eyes, adding an entirely new dimension to Enki¡¯s vision! Of course, mages could already use their Mana Sense whilst simultaneously looking with their eyes, but the two images didn¡¯t blend together nearly as seamlessly, forcing one to consciously sift through the two feeds in their mind. In Enki¡¯s case, his sixth sense naturally bled into his sight, the two working one another rather than , achieving things greater than the sum of their parts. Of course, he still had to manually use Mana Sense to observe things outside his line of sight, but even having a part of it passively active was a boon that couldn¡¯t be overstated. Percy said. Sadly, that didn¡¯t come to pass. Despite lots of begging, the veteran alchemists refused to just hand the boy everything in the end, arguing that the primary ingredient ¨C the amber pearls ¨C were quite expensive. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Still, they did gift them all the secondary ingredients, and it wasn¡¯t so hard for Percy and Enki to earn enough money to buy a pearl by themselves. With his new tools at hand, and with the Alchemist¡¯s Eye aiding him, Percy¡¯s brewing yield with the lesser regeneration pill shot through the roof, letting him procure a single pearl within mere days. The concoction itself failed, as Percy couldn¡¯t get the recipe down after one attempt. That said, he still made it far enough through the three stages to properly demonstrate the new principles to his student, registering them in the boy¡¯s panel. ___ Alchemic principles: [Extraction] ¨C Separate and condense an ingredient¡¯s essence.[Pacification] ¨C Delay an ingredient¡¯s activation rate.[Redirection] ¨C Adjust an ingredient¡¯s effect.[Deattunement] ¨C Prevent multiple conflicting ingredients from reacting with one another. ___ Of course, Enki would still need several months of laborious study to fully wrap his head around the principles, and even longer to actually put them to practice. However, due to how his Alchemist¡¯s Eye worked, simply understanding the basics would vastly accelerate his progress. ?????????¨¯????¦¥? And this wasn¡¯t everything Percy did for his host. Having grown fond of the kid over the past two months and, not knowing if they¡¯d ever meet again, he went all out, trying to help him as much as possible before leaving. He explained everything about Circulation and Crystallization, giving the boy numerous tips and tricks as to how they could be used. That said, Enki was unlikely to meet the requirements for the boosting art anytime soon. Even when he did, it was entirely possible he¡¯d fail to figure out the correct patterns for the mana flow. At any rate, it was going to be a dozen times harder for him than it had been for Percy, since he wouldn¡¯t have anybody to demonstrate the spell for him. As for Crystallization, the boy shouldn¡¯t have as much trouble mastering it, as the technique itself wasn¡¯t anything complicated. However, it remained to be seen whether he¡¯d figure out how to bond the powder into the cultivation pills or reinforce his constructs like Percy. And the same was true for affinity fusion. the boy said, two streams of tears flowing out into the room. The boy nodded. Percy had sewn him a few more of them, but he didn¡¯t have the time to teach him runecrafting too. Then again, they definitely had at least rudimentary understanding of the art on Atlantis. Getting some basic enchantments shouldn¡¯t be too difficult for the budding alchemist. Saying that, Percy then began removing his soul from Enki¡¯s injuries one by one, allowing them to resume their recovery as his main body¡¯s pull grew stronger. His headache was still killing him, and his Status had yet to assimilate the new Decree, but he couldn¡¯t delay his return any longer. At this point, his best hope was that joining with the rest of his soul would speed up the process. Percy said without a moment¡¯s hesitation. He¡¯d already thought long and hard about this issue. Truth be told, Percy had always been extremely cautious with what secrets he revealed during his travels, afraid to accidentally give one of Remior¡¯s enemies the means to conquer his world. Hell, he had yet to even reveal these breakthroughs to his own people, making the situation even more precarious. But it wasn¡¯t like this knowledge would be lost, even if something was to happen to him. Circulation would eventually leak out of the Avalon House into the rest of Remior. Plus, Orin would disseminate the Aurora Dew¡¯s recipe sooner or later. By temporarily withholding the information, Percy had merely carved a brief window of opportunity for himself to get a little ahead. Nothing more, nothing less. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Besides, he¡¯d never forgive himself if he stinted his first student¡¯s growth out of selfishness. the boy asked, still concerned about that. Yet, the boy wasn¡¯t quite convinced. Percy chuckled in response. Next, he pulled his soul wisp from even more of Enki¡¯s injuries, while continuing to talk to his student ¨C no, his new friend, through the whole thing. the boy asked, receiving his answer as Percy¡¯s wisp finally got whisked out. Chapter 184: Advancing in the Grisly Bog The swamp reeked of decay as Percy and Nesha dragged their feet through the murky waters. Each step sucked their boots deeper into the mud, almost like the bog itself was trying to pull them under.Had this been a year ago, they might have been attacked by an oversized crocodile or python by now. Luckily ¨C or perhaps unluckily ¨C the local wildlife had really taken a hit during Micky¡¯s reign of terror. Whatever animals had survived to this day had done so by learning to keep their heads low. Consequently, the only living things they had to worry about at the moment were the irritating insects constantly buzzing in their faces. ¡°So, are you going to carry this stuff everywhere?¡± Nesha asked, staring at the oversized sack slung over Percy¡¯s back. Its contents were spacious enough to fit a human body, though that wasn¡¯t what was inside it. Every time Percy moved, countless objects rolled and tumbled within the bag, making crisp metallic sounds upon colliding with one another. Thanks to the multitude of concealment runes he¡¯d sewn on the fabric, it was impossible for anybody to peer inside through Mana Sense. Of course, Nesha was already familiar with its contents, having spent months watching Percy forge them, one by one. ¡°What¡¯s the alternative?¡± he shrugged. ¡°We need to be ready. House Tantalus could attack us any day now.¡± Despite his words, Percy wasn¡¯t particularly happy with this arrangement either. Naturally, the sack contained the pieces of his magical armour. It had actually been over a month since Percy completed his new spell. That said, he hadn¡¯t had a proper opportunity to use it just yet. Even worse, he¡¯d been forced to replace the components a couple times already. Plus, he would continue having to do so once every few weeks, until their enemies deigned to show up. ¡°If they attack us right now, we¡¯re .¡± Nesha said, her expression grim. Normally, it was Micky¡¯s job to patrol around the town, keeping an eye out for them. Unfortunately, the crow was otherwise occupied today. ¡°Huh, can you imagine?¡± Percy chuckled. ¡°How unlucky would that be? They don¡¯t show up for , and then they pick the day we¡¯re not paying attention?¡± But it couldn¡¯t be helped. There was a reason Micky couldn¡¯t tend to his job today, and it was the same reason why Percy and Nesha had come to the swamp. That said, it wasn¡¯t a bad thing per se¡­ The first strands of Orange had appeared in the bird¡¯s second core! Percy smiled wryly. Not that he wasn¡¯t happy for his friend ¨C Micky¡¯s strength was essentially his. Still, he couldn¡¯t help but compare his familiar¡¯s rapid advancement speed with his own more sluggish pace. Of course, the bird¡¯s second core didn¡¯t advance any faster than a human¡¯s ¨C it was just the Aurora Dew doing all the heavy lifting. However, Micky¡¯s first core would likely reach Green over a century before Percy did. he decided, shaking any unnecessary thoughts out of his mind. Soon, the two reached a clearing amidst the dense thicket, the warm midday rays illuminating a large circular area. There, they saw Micky perched atop a boulder, an empty gemstone vial lying carelessly by his talons. The bird didn¡¯t react upon seeing them, immersed within his inner world as he was. Technically, the crow didn¡¯t need any bodyguards. Nothing in the swamp dared approach him anymore. Still, Percy wanted to keep watch over his familiar during the promotion, as it generally took a little longer than a regular cleansing session. Percy sighed. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Naturally, this was one of the first things they had checked as soon as Micky awakened his second core. And it actually worked ¨C to an extent. Due to his control over his own mana, Micky direct it to remove the impurities in his second core in an acceptable manner, without having it undergo pacification, redirection or deattunement. It wasn¡¯t as perfect as drinking an elixir, a few mistakes here and there lowering the cleansing efficiency slightly. That said, the difference was small enough that they could stomach it, to save thousands of doses of elixir down the line. At least, this would have been the case had Percy never invented the Aurora Dew. Once the cyan powder came into the fold, things got a great deal more complicated. It was even harder for Micky to prevent his beast mana from reacting with the crystallized pure mana, as the two were essentially polar opposites. Their only option would be to have the bird use the cyan paste separately, but that would only lower his advancement speed even more. Considering everything, Micky would be losing a lot of valuable time over nothing. Consequently, there was no choice but to have him use Aurora Dew like him and Nesha. ??????¨®??s Oblivious to his thoughts, the crow eventually sent him some images of his second core, letting him watch the process. The last drops of the elixir were nearly exhausted, but the Orange strands had already began to dominate the core, twisting and banding together as they rapidly consumed their weaker cousins. At the same time, they violently lashed out against the ethereal organ¡¯s inner walls, scraping even more impurities than one should generally cleanse within a single session. Suffice to say, this wasn¡¯t sustainable in the long-term. Overindulging like this could permanently damage one¡¯s core if done often. Still, advancements were special occasions. Soon, all the free space inside the core was occupied by thick strands of Orange, exerting a great amount of pressure on the organ. With nowhere else to go, the strands had no choice but to finally fuse together a moment later. The mana condensed into a blob with a satisfying click, splashing down at the core¡¯s base, filling around a third of its capacity. As for the rest of it, it only took Micky a few minutes to replenish, letting out a content caw as a wave of vitality flooded his body. ¡°Congratulations Micky!¡± Nesha exclaimed. Percy couldn¡¯t suppress a grin tugging at his lips either, though his next words weren¡¯t quite as celebratory. ¡°Now go do your job before we all get killed.¡± ¡°Party pooper.¡± the bird spat back, but he acquiesced. They both knew Micky was just as eager to put his newfound power to the test. Taking off, the crow activated his boosting arts as he sped out of the swamp. Apparently, Micky wasn¡¯t satisfied with breaking the advancement record today ¨C he wanted to break the speed one too. ¡°I don¡¯t know about you, but I suddenly feel a lot more confident about taking on the Greens.¡± Nesha said as soon as they were alone. By now, they were operating under the assumption that House Tantalus would send at least two of them. Percy intended to take one down by himself, so Nesha and Micky would have to team up against the second. ¡°He¡¯s strong all right, but I wish I had the time to teach him another spell or two.¡± Micky was already as smart as a human. Circulation and Acceleration weren¡¯t bad, but the bird should be capable of a lot more than that. At the very least, Percy wanted to teach him some form of mana conversion at some point. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. In the same way that his own pure mana was more suitable to feed other affinities, Micky¡¯s beast core should have an easier time transforming other mana types into its own. With a little guidance, he might even be able to solve his stamina problem. Percy doubted the bird would be able to keep his Yellow core fed during a fight, but replenishing his strength afterwards might not be so difficult. Like that, they wouldn¡¯t have to remain fixed at locations like the Fungal Spire or the Grisly Bog, giving them more freedom to roam Remior. In any case, Percy had had too much on his plate over the past few months. But he¡¯d definitely invest some more time into his familiar the first chance he got. Suddenly, something unexpected happened, capturing Percy¡¯s attention. For a moment there, he felt his ethereal cord vibrate ¨C the one in his stomach, not his sternum. Evidently, his clone was finally on the way back. ¡® This one had stayed away for over two months, shattering all previous records. Percy wasn¡¯t as worried that something bad had happened, as he hadn¡¯t felt any atypical response from the cord ¨C unlike the time with the mysterious girl. Whatever had delayed his clone was probably a good thing. Rubbing his hands in anticipation, Percy brought Nesha up to speed as the two headed back to their hut. He¡¯d rather be in the safety of his home by the time the clone arrived. That said, Percy might not have been as eager to reunite with his clone had he any idea how painful the next couple of days were about to be¡­ Chapter 185: Ea鈥檚 Decree Percy had no idea what to expect from this latest clone of his, but whatever it was, it had to be a lot, right?And, well... Reality didn¡¯t disappoint. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The silver meteor punched through Percy¡¯s soul like a molten dagger, leaving him gasping for air as memories, pain, and pressure ruthlessly slammed into his mind. The crushing weight of an ocean¡­ the frigid embrace of an abyss¡­ a dead orphan¡­ an ambitious venture¡­ exotic knowledge¡­ a narrow success¡­ a selfless decision¡­ a grateful student¡­ a stern warning¡­ Percy would need a lot more time to properly sift through everything, but a boatload of memories wasn¡¯t the only thing the clone had brought. By far the most noteworthy was arguably the new Decree! But there was more still. A spell upgrade, a new alchemic principle and¡­ a mutation? Suffice to say, it took him a couple moments to fully grasp why his head felt like it had been cracked open by a hatchet, or why his eyes felt like they were on fire. Evidently, his new improvements came with their fair share of growing pains. But it should ultimately be a good thing, right? ¡°Percy! What¡¯s going on?!¡± Nesha cried out in alarm. The poor girl had never seen one of his clones cause this much damage upon their return. Not that Percy had, either. He forced himself to stand with difficulty, gesturing at Nesha that everything was fine ¨C or would be. Next, he fumbled his way to his bed, nearly tripping on his jar of powder, blind as he was. Only once he was sitting on the familiar mattress did he try opening his Status again, hoping he hadn¡¯t just crippled himself out of greed. ___ P????a? A?a??? Ma?a ????: [Ma?a ???? 1 ¨C ??a??? ¨C S???][Ma?a ???? 2 ¨C ??a??? ¨C P???] B????????: [?????] ¨C ??? M??a????: [???] Sp????a? ??a??: [??a????] ¨C ??? Sp???s: [S????? A??: ?am???a? ¨C ???d?][P?a???ms?a?? ?a?????? ¨C ??????d][Sp????a? A??: S??? S???????? ¨C ??????d][S??? ??????s??? ¨C ??????d][S??? ?a???s??? ¨C ??????d][?????????m??? ¨C ??????d][S?????????a???? ¨C ??????d][Ma???? ?? D????? ¨C ??????d] A????m?? p?????p??s: [E???a?????] ¨C ???[Pa?????a????] ¨C ???[??d????????] ¨C ???[D?a?????m???] ¨C ??? D?????s: [P?????¡¯s D?????] ¨C ???[???] ¨C ???[M???a?s¡¯ D?????] ¨C ???[M??a????¡¯s D?????] ¨C ???[???] ¨C ??? ___ Percy winced as the page opened, the very act tuning his pain up to eleven. That said, it wasn¡¯t as bad as it could¡¯ve been. Unlike back on Atlantis, he was at least able to his Status ¨C on the first try no less. Even better, after a quick count, he confirmed that all the sections were there ¨C both the old and the new. The only thing left was to figure out how to fill them up properly. Not the most groundbreaking idea, but he felt it was worth a try. Starting with the easiest one, Percy pulled some mana from both of his cores, fusing it into a sliver of teal, before tossing a handful of throwing stars against the wall. Nesha jumped back in surprise. Percy didn¡¯t bother explaining himself, as he dove back into his spell list. ___ [Mantle of Deceit ¨C Refined] ___ Suffice to say, seeing part of his Status restored caused his heart to skip a beat. And the change went so much deeper than a couple of words¡­ As soon as the entry corrected itself, Percy felt something click inside his head ¨C almost as if a broken shard snapped back into place, a smidge of fog lifted from his aching mind. ?§Ñ?????¦Â¨§? At the same time, something flowed into his eyes. It wasn¡¯t mana, nor blood. It was something more ethereal ¨C almost like the thoughts and feelings he regularly shared with his familiar through their connection. If he had to put his finger on what it was¡­ it was If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Percy! Will you pause for a second and tell me what¡¯s happening to you? You¡¯re scaring me!¡± Nesha snapped at him, breaking him out of his thoughts. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to worry you. Just hold on for a little longer. Whatever this is, I think I know how to fix it.¡± he said, not going into too much detail. Next, he began casting his spells one after another. Grabbing some teal powder from the pot, he started with two of the easiest ones, spending the next half an hour forging a new scythe. He had no doubt that the weapon was laughably misshapen, but his Status didn¡¯t seem to mind, recognizing the entries for both Reinforcement and the Soul Harvester. Moving a trickle of pure mana into his sternum, he then began refilling his first core until Soul Conversion registered too. The following part was a little trickier, because his clone had only registered the spell upgrade while they were separated. Digging into his memories was still quite painful, but Percy eventually managed to remember how Soul Stitching worked, using it to accelerate his soul¡¯s recovery. As a bonus, using his Spectral Art lifted the fog off his Weaving trait too. By now, Percy was doing a great deal better, graduating from feeling like somebody had cracked his skull open to feeling like somebody had¡­ cracked his skull open¡­ In any case, there was only one path forward, and it was to keep going until every word in his Status was back to normal. Ironically, his only Crude spell was the hardest to reproduce. At the very least, Percy had no intention of creating a new familiar on the spot. Luckily, trying to pull up Micky¡¯s Status seemed to do the trick, sparing him the trouble. The next spell was his Phantomscale Gauntlet. The Status hadn¡¯t registered the upgrade to the full-body armour yet ¨C maybe because he hadn¡¯t used it properly ¨C which made his life a little easier. Still, reforging 54 pieces of his magical gauntlet was going to take , and that¡¯s if he wasn¡¯t doing it blind. Fortunately, the first couple of components seemed to jog the broken Decree¡¯s memory, saving him a great amount of time there as well. Taking a few breaths, Percy directed the mana to both of his cores as he slowly activated his boosting art. As soon as the entire section was repaired, Percy¡¯s headache died down greatly, allowing him to exhale in relief. However, that only lasted a second, before another unexpected complication emerged. His eyes ¨C which were still burning as painfully as before ¨C reacted to the new spell in a way they hadn¡¯t during his previous attempts. A powerful attraction emanated from them, pulling a ridiculous amount of mana from Percy¡¯s body, as a wave of vertigo now accompanied the pain, making him sick. Percy wanted to deactivate Synchronization, but he didn¡¯t dare too. Given how violently his eyes were devouring his mana, he was afraid he might seriously injure himself if he failed to meet their demands. he shrugged. His spell and spectral trait sections were already back in order, which left his mana cores, his mutation, his bloodline, the alchemical principles and his Decrees. Some of that he hadn¡¯t a clue how he was meant to fix. Still, some weren¡¯t as complicated. Activating Mana Sense, he scanned both of his cores, marvelling at their Orange lustre. He¡¯d already used both of his affinities for his spells, so this last morsel of information was the final clue his Status needed to fix the first section. Unfortunately, this trivial action introduced yet another problem. By now, he¡¯d be a fool if he couldn¡¯t recognize the pattern. The only two things he couldn¡¯t deactivate were his Mana Sense and Synchronization. Or, more precisely, it was the passive Soul Vision afforded to him by his boosting art. Percy already knew from Enki that the Alchemist¡¯s Eye tended to passively incorporate Mana Sense into its features. Evidently, Percy¡¯s version intended to go a step further down that route. Whatever the reason was, the influx of information brought about by his sixth sense put a lot of strain on Percy¡¯s already tired mind. He honestly had no idea how much longer he¡¯d last like this. Still, there was only one way forward, and it was to complete what he¡¯d set out to do. Gritting his teeth, he delved into his memories, trying to visualize the act of brewing an elixir. Naturally, he wanted to use that to repair the alchemic principles in his Status. It would have been better to actually brew an elixir than to rely merely on his imagination, but he didn¡¯t have any nectar at hand, nor was he in any state to practice the delicate art at the moment. It took several minutes, but the principles eventually snapped in place one after the other, each of them washing his mind in a soothing wave of relief, alleviating more and more of the crushing pressure. Next was his bloodline¡­ he clicked his tongue. Perhaps, he could repair Clone through his imagination alone, but there was something else the clone could help out with. In any case, the most recent crater in his stomach was already nearly healed ¨C between Soul Stitching and Synchronization, his recovery speed had reached an all-time high. Actually preparing the clone took a few more hours ¨C especially with his eyes snatching a significant part of his mana. And naturally, Percy hated every second of it, wanting nothing more than for this shitty day to end. But he pulled through, eventually. Scanning the final section, he was positively surprised to see that most of the Decrees had snapped back in place too. Between his discovery of his second core, as well as his use of both his bloodline and his Status, only two remained. Metatron¡¯s and Ea¡¯s. Wanting to leave his latest acquisition for last, Percy then waited for his clone to return. It didn¡¯t take long, as he¡¯d already instructed him to jump into the first body he found, open a portal to the Vault, and then rush right back to Remior without entering it. And soon, the clone did come back, informing him of his success as the fourth Decree revealed itself within his Status. Percy had done everything on a whim, but he was confident his efforts to manually rebuild his Status one entry at a time had helped. At least, his dulled headache seemed to corroborate that guess. ¡°Nesha.¡± ¡°Hmmm?¡± ¡°Wish me luck.¡± The girl didn¡¯t say anything, but she grabbed his hand, squeezing it tightly. With only one last step before him, Percy then tugged at the new window in his mind, calling upon Ea¡¯s Gift. No second tab opened, but the new Decree still responded to his thoughts, as it finally melted wholeheartedly into his Status, relieving him of the last traces of pain, as the words settled in front of him. ___ [Ea¡¯s Decree (Modified)] ¨C Augments and enhances your Status. Grants the Sorcerer¡¯s Eye. ___ Chapter 186: Sorcerer鈥檚 Eye Upon seeing the new Decree take shape in his Status, Percy was ecstatic and, most of all, relieved. The weeks of blindly brewing pills in an air-tight cooking pot at the bottom of an alien ocean, and the several hours spent in agony trying to repair his Status¡­ It had all been worth it! He could finally get some well-deserved rest! Or so he thought. While his Status was back in order, his mutation was still underway. His headache might have disappeared, but his eyes still felt like they were on fire, greedily absorbing his mana without end, forcing him to keep both Synchronization and Mana Sense active. Too scared to interrupt the process half-way through, Percy was left with no choice but to grit his teeth and soldier through it, running his boosting art at full power for however long his eyes demanded. Nesha stayed up with him the first night, keeping him company. She gave him some excuse, saying she didn¡¯t feel comfortable sleeping when House Tantalus could attack them at any time. She claimed she was worried Percy wouldn¡¯t be able to fight ¨C or even run ¨C like this, so it would be up to her to get him out of town. It was all true of course, but Percy could tell there was more to it than that. Feeling her genuine worry warmed his heart up, reminding him he wasn¡¯t on this journey alone. Besides Nesha and Micky, there was also Baldy and Elaine out there, fighting alongside him against their common enemy. They might have not coordinated ¨C ¨C in the last two years, but it was because of them, applying pressure on all fronts, that Percy had been able to develop peacefully during his stay in Bogside town. The second night, he asked Nesha to just go to sleep and not worry about him. She argued back a little, but her exhaustion won out in the end. Besides, Micky would warn them if something were to happen. It wasn¡¯t until the third day that Percy¡¯s eyes finally finished mutating. Naturally, he was quite eager to discover all their secrets, but something else took precedence. *** ¡°Nggghhh¡­ What happened?¡± Percy asked upon waking up, his voice raspy. ¡°Have they attacked yet?¡± ¡°Finally done sleeping?¡± Nesha asked back. ¡°Why? How long has it been?¡± ¡°Over two days since you passed out. And no. At this point, I don¡¯t think they will.¡± Percy nodded. They¡¯d known this was a possibility since the start. The lotus was going to bloom in just four short months, so they¡¯d have to return to the Avalon mansion soon regardless. Sitting up on the bed, he turned towards Nesha, both of them drawing a sharp breath as soon as they exchanged glances. He wasn¡¯t sure what was surprised about, but his shock was due to the bizarre sight before him. Concealed within her figure, he spotted a person-shaped silhouette of silver, flowing like a liquid flame through her body, flickering and wavering with her every thought. In her sternum, a bright Yellow star thrummed against her chest. Strictly speaking, neither of these things was to him, but he¡¯d never seen them like before. Nesha¡¯s flesh, soul and core were interwoven seamlessly with one another, revealing details to Percy¡¯s mind that he had previously been unable to glimpse. Usually, whenever he focused on one of his senses, the others would blur and fade out a little, meaning he could only ever partially observe an object. Right now, however, the three channels in his mind were fully integrated with one another, almost as if he had grown two more heads and just as many pairs of eyes. ¡°Your eyes! They¡¯re glowing!¡± the girl exclaimed. Ah, right. That. It was only now that Percy remembered this would be a permanent side-effect of the Decree. With everything else happening, he hadn¡¯t even considered this, though it might prove troublesome if it ended up garnering him unwanted attention. ???¨®????§¦? ¡°How bad is it?¡± ¡°Very. If you go out like this, expect people to stare.¡± ¡°Shit.¡± he spat. ¡°Could you please go fetch me a mirror from Dylan¡¯s? I need to know what I¡¯m dealing with.¡± Nesha nodded before heading out. Percy then picked his tools up from the spatial amulet, along with a few elixirs, setting his equipment on a table. Next, he grabbed a bowl, filling it up with some teal powder from his stash. Honestly, they could use a few more doses of Aurora Dew, their stock having fallen a little behind during the past week. Still, Percy would be lying if he said that¡¯s what was going through his mind right now. . First and foremost, he wanted to play with his new toy! The results were immediate, and staggering. Whether it was his extensive practice brewing with just Mana Sense, or his new eyes mixing his senses together, he could see cues in the concoction he would have certainly missed before. He could tell when a lump was about to form a second before it did, and he could more accurately estimate the correct temperature and pressure needed to deal with it. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Overall, both his brewing time and his yield saw massive improvements by the end of the session. It was shocking, considering he normally needed around 25 minutes, only successfully converting around 46% of the elixir into Aurora Dew. But this was just the start. [Congratulations! You have mastered a new alchemic principle: Bonding] Percy grinned. He was pretty sure this was a new feature exclusive to and Phoebe¡¯s Decree only ever notified people of a new spell and didn¡¯t even list alchemic principles. As for Ea¡¯s Gift, he hadn¡¯t seen it present Enki with any notifications either. he wondered. Now that his eyes had gained another principle to draw knowledge from, that should increase his yield even more, right? Sure enough, the next session only took him 15 minutes, and he ended up with a 56% yield! Of course, brewing elixir into Aurora Dew was a two-step process, down from the regular three-step process of converting nectar into elixir. After a quick calculation, Percy estimated his actual brewing yield ¨C at least when compared to the Guild¡¯s alchemists ¨C should have jumped from around 32% to over 42%. It might not appear like a large increase to the uninitiated, but Percy was well aware of how difficult even the slightest improvement was after 30%. Hell, Orin had been doing this for centuries, and his yield was ¡®only¡¯ 44% ¨C just two points higher than this! ¡°Are you done playing around?¡± Nesha asked. It was only now that Percy realized she had returned. That said, she should have been here for a while, clearly hesitant to interrupt him. Grabbing the mirror, Percy examined his eyes. They glowed brightly, much like the Atlanteans¡¯, but his were a different colour. Shining in a pale teal, his irises were split down the middle by a vertical pupil. ¡°Can¡¯t you turn it off or something?¡± ¡°Afraid not.¡± It was a little inconvenient, but Percy would have to avoid meeting people from now on. At least until he found a solution. That was another issue he hadn¡¯t considered. Perhaps he could skip all this if he didn¡¯t link himself to his hosts¡¯ eyes, but that wouldn¡¯t be much better. In any case, that was a problem for later. Percy had yet to fully explore his new mutation. Pulling up his Status, he read everything from beginning to end, appreciating the recent additions. ___ Percival Avalon Mana cores: [Mana core 1 ¨C Orange ¨C Soul][Mana core 2 ¨C Orange ¨C Pure] Bloodline: [Clone] ¨C Create a copy of yourself. Effect varies by affinity. Mutations: [Sorcerer¡¯s Eye] ¨C Draws from the cumulative knowledge listed in the Status to enhance one¡¯s vision, allowing them to discern details previously unseen. Spectral trait: [Weaving] ¨C Boosts one¡¯s proclivity in manipulating one-dimensional structures. Spells: [Secret Art: Familiar ¨C Crude][Phantomscale Gauntlet ¨C Refined][Spectral Art: Soul Stitching ¨C Refined][Soul Conversion ¨C Refined][Soul Harvester ¨C Refined][Reinforcement ¨C Refined][Synchronization ¨C Refined][Mantle of Deceit ¨C Refined] Alchemic principles: [Extraction] ¨C Separate and condense an ingredient¡¯s essence.[Pacification] ¨C Delay an ingredient¡¯s activation rate.[Redirection] ¨C Adjust an ingredient¡¯s effect.[Deattunement] ¨C Prevent multiple conflicting ingredients from reacting with one another.[Bonding] ¨C Enrich an ingredient with crystallized pure mana. Decrees: [Phoebe¡¯s Decree] ¨C Grants access to your Status.[???] ¨C Grants a bloodline.[Moirais¡¯ Decree] ¨C Grants a second mana core.[Metatron¡¯s Decree] ¨C Open a one-way portal to the Vault of Magic at will.[Ea¡¯s Decree (Modified)] ¨C Augments and enhances your Status. Grants the Sorcerer¡¯s Eye. ___ As expected, the description of the Sorcerer''s Eye was nearly identical to that for the Alchemist¡¯s Eye, save for one minor detail. Rather than drawing from the knowledge listed in Ea¡¯s Gift, it would now draw it from Percy¡¯s expanded Status. While Ea¡¯s Gift was merely a tool for alchemy, the new version of Percy¡¯s Status covered a far wider variety of topics. If his eyes could draw information from all of them, he could hardly imagine all the possible applications. Shrugging, he then pulled his familiar¡¯s Status up too, to see if anything had changed there. ___ Mictlantecuhtli (Percival''s familiar) Mana cores: [Mana core 1 ¨C Yellow ¨C Beast][Mana core 2 ¨C Orange ¨C Air] Mutations: S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. [Soul Predator] ¨C Allows one to more easily interact with the souls of others.[Wind Dancer] ¨C Allows one to augment their flight using air mana. Spells: [Wild Art: Acceleration ¨C Crude][Circulation ¨C Refined] Decrees: [Moirais¡¯ Decree] ¨C Grants a second mana core. ___ Percy¡¯s eyes widened upon seeing the new section listing Micky¡¯s previously hidden mutations. While he had often referred to them as such, he had no idea they belonged in the same category as his Sorcerer¡¯s Eye. Had Ea drawn inspiration from the beast affinity when designing his Decree? Or was this just some kind of coincidence? Perhaps, he¡¯d merely reached a similar result through completely unrelated means? Either way, gaining the ability to see Micky¡¯s mutations was a fortunate accident. Not that there was anything there Percy hadn¡¯t previously inferred, but it could be helpful if he gained any new mutations during his next evolution. ¡°Nesha¡­ Wanna head back to the swamp?¡± he suddenly asked. ¡°Sure, I guess. It¡¯s not like I have anything better to do. But what do you want from there?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I haven¡¯t had my fill of the new Decree yet, and I know the perfect place to put it to the test.¡± ¡°Where?¡± ¡°Remember that tribe of trolls we¡¯ve heard about a while back? I think it¡¯s finally time to pay them a visit.¡± Chapter 187: Foresight ¡°Do you think this place will recover after we leave?¡± Nesha asked, her voice tinged with uncertainty. ¡°Sure.¡± Percy shrugged. Micky rarely hunted the Red or Orange beasts of the swamp. He only ever indulged in them if he failed to find something else to eat. The lower-grade animals vastly outnumbered the Yellow variants too, so the ecosystem should bounce back within a few years. At least, Percy hoped it would. After all, the bog wasn¡¯t just a patch of wilderness. It was a cornerstone of the town¡¯s fragile economy. While Percy and Nesha¡¯s exploits had brought the townsfolk peace and safety ¨C a pair of arguably more important commodities ¨C that did little for their bleeding pockets. Even after uncovering the truth behind the mysterious ¡®guardian spirit¡¯, fear kept the residents away from the swamp. Nobody in their right mind would dare place themselves between two warring Houses for a couple coins. Besides, even if they were braver, there weren¡¯t that many resources here anymore. Soon, Percy and Nesha pushed into a part of the bog untouched by human hands. The dense undergrowth felt primal, each gnarled branch and mossy root a barrier against intruders. Even Micky avoided this area ¨C not out of fear, but indifference. The swamp trolls that dwelled here were mostly Reds and Oranges, which didn¡¯t make for great snacks. Still, , the creatures were more dangerous than any lone Yellow beast. This was why predators and humans alike tended to leave this place alone, even before Percy¡¯s group came along. ¡°Why are we here again?¡± Nesha asked. ¡°Call it curiosity.¡± Percy replied, sidestepping her question. In truth, he was here for more than idle exploration. Unlike beasts, demi-humans had the potential to develop a rare affinity for him to study. That alone was plenty reason to check this place out while they still had the chance. But that wasn¡¯t everything. Percy hoped to use this opportunity to explore his new ocular abilities, while searching this place for anything else of interest, thus killing three birds with one stone. ¡°Alright. Just be careful. From what I¡¯ve heard, these things are a lot more dangerous than their grade implies.¡± the girl said, a hint of worry seeping in her voice. Percy nodded, brushing aside a curtain of vines. The swamp seemed to breathe around them, shadows shifting as they ventured deeper. Had Micky been with them, they¡¯d have found the trolls already. Sadly, the crow was out patrolling again. Luckily for them, it turned out to be . A rustling ahead froze them both in their tracks. Moments later, their quarry emerged. Strictly speaking, it wasn¡¯t that strange. The creatures had no need to hide, as they probably weren¡¯t used to intruders in their territory. ¡°Wow. It¡¯s bigger than I expected.¡± Nesha murmured. Indeed, the creature was twice as tall as a goblin, standing a full head taller than Percy. Its bulky build exceeded that of an adult human too. Even at Red, this thing would likely cause some serious damage if it landed a hit with its oversized stone club. Its skin looked especially rough, its blueish green hide covered in warts and granules. Two long tusks jutted out of the creature¡¯s mouth, pointing towards them. Suffice to say, their sudden appearance startled the creature, though it didn¡¯t seem frightened enough to run away. Standing at a distance, it stared at them warily through its bulbous eyes, likely contemplating whether to attack them or call its tribemates. ¡°Crap. This one can¡¯t use magic.¡± Percy clicked his tongue in annoyance. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°How can you tell?¡± ¡°Its mana channels are all blocked.¡± ¡°You can see that from ¡± Nesha struggled to contain her surprise. When a creature wasn¡¯t actively using its mana, it was much harder to spot its channels. Typically, one would need to get very close, examining it carefully to hopefully spot the faintest trickles passively flowing through. It was definitely not the kind of thing one could reliably pull off from thirty paces away. ¡°Neat, huh?¡± Uninterested in their conversation, the troll then let out a guttural roar, its previous uncertainty seemingly evaporating as its deep voice reverberated through the swamp. Having made its mind up, it didn¡¯t even bother waiting for its friends to arrive. It charged towards the pesky humans, its club raised high. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Percy let go of the sack, the pieces of his magical armour clinking against one another as they hit the ground. Then, he motioned for Nesha to stay back as he strode ahead, his demeanour almost casual. He didn¡¯t bother using his spells, figuring his two Orange cores should be plenty to cover for the gap in mass ¨C on the off-chance he got hit. ??????¨°??? Though he wasn¡¯t planning to. When the troll¡¯s massive weapon came down, he sidestepped effortlessly. The club slammed into the swamp floor, sending up a spray of mud and water. Percy thought, his gaze studying the troll¡¯s soul. His enhanced vision painted the creature in shifting light, every flicker of its silver silhouette betraying its intent. Had this been a week ago, he would have had to dial down the mana gathered in his eyes, to examine the creature from this close. But there was no need for that anymore. The new eyes took care of that, constantly adjusting themselves, ensuring the creature¡¯s soul was always as clear as a glass of water. Another flicker of the troll¡¯s soul betrayed its boiling fury. Percy was experienced enough by now to tell that a follow-up attack was coming. Sure enough, the creature swung again, this time with greater force. Percy evaded it with a step back, his movements unhurried. This only seemed to infuriate the troll further, however. It persisted in its relentless assault, as Percy dodged its wild swings one after the other, not bothering to fight back. He was content with merely protecting himself, using this opportunity to adjust to his improved eyesight, relearning how to read his opponent¡¯s intentions with far greater skill than ever before. The blows never stopped coming, each attack a brand-new lesson, the silver silhouette revealing patterns he¡¯d never noticed in the past. ¡°Percy, we¡¯ve got company!¡± Nesha called out. Allowing his Mana Sense to expand outwards, Percy soon detected five more of the creatures emerging from the undergrowth, their bestial growls piercing through the oppressive silence of the swamp. Two of them were at Orange too, their frames a little larger ¨C more imposing. Putting some distance from his opponent ¨C it wasn¡¯t hard, the poor thing was panting heavily by now ¨C he scanned the newcomers with his eyes, making a couple more details out. ¡°The leaders are both mages.¡± he noted out loud ¨C for Nesha¡¯s benefit. Evidently, it was only the more talented trolls that bothered to learn magic. Lacking the means to advance, the Red variants probably struggled to get enough value out of their cores to justify the effort. ¡°Can you keep them busy for a few minutes?¡± Percy asked. ¡°There¡¯s something I want to test.¡± At any rate, the group didn¡¯t pose much of a threat to them. At Yellow, Nesha might even be able to take them on unarmed, let alone if she used her magic. Though things might get a bit dicey if they allowed a few more groups to surround them. ¡°Should I just kill them?¡± ¡°Nah. No need. If I find an interesting one, I might make a clone out of it, but let¡¯s not butcher the poor things unless we have to.¡± It wasn¡¯t like Percy was above harming the creatures if there was some concrete benefit to be had, but he wasn¡¯t a fan of senseless cruelty either. The girl nodded, summoning a handful of black butterflies. Sending them after the trolls, she forced them to back away, keeping them all at bay. Meanwhile, Percy shifted his eyes back to his opponent, waiting for it to make a move. Not missing its cue, the troll rushed at him again, having recovered some of its stamina already. Allowing himself to fall into a trance, Percy resumed dodging the creature¡¯s attacks once more, as he tried to further his understanding of the soul¡¯s movements. He had been able to foresee his opponents¡¯ attacks for a long time, but that skill had always been imprecise, . A wild flicker of the silver silhouette betrayed the intention to move, but Percy was quickly coming to realize there was so much more to it than that. Not every twitch was equal! If the lower part of the soul flared more intensely, it typically meant the creature was about to move its legs, not its arms. And vice versa. Yet, that was just the beginning. Based on how aggressively it flickered, he could discern whether the troll was going to step , closing the gap, or him, trying to put some distance. When its movements were wilder, they betrayed the creature¡¯s fury, suggesting it was about to attack him head on. But sometimes they were subtle, twisting slyly, indicating a feint or a sneak attack. The intensity of the flickers was often correlated with the interval between intent and action. The most intense flares were followed by swift attacks, whereas if the silhouette was to simmer over several seconds, it meant the creature was planning ahead. And the way they blended together with the movements of its flesh mattered too ¨C something Percy hadn¡¯t been able to focus on before his mutation. Percy could tell he was on the verge of something big ¨C a third image vaguely forming before his eyes, outside flesh and soul. Still, evading the attacks before they even formed only gave the troll a chance to adjust its course, causing the image to blur again. Deciding to take a risk, Percy neared the creature some more, shrinking the margin of safety he¡¯d given himself, dodging the troll¡¯s furious blows by a hair¡¯s breadth. He felt the violent rush of wind brush by his ears and by his scalp, each time coming this close to shattering his skull into splinters, as he delved deeper and deeper into the faint image before his eyes, trying to pin it down. More time passed, as Percy danced with death himself as his partner, gambling his life on the altar of magic. he suddenly thought, his heart missing a beat. As soul and flesh bled together into one, Percy saw it. A projection of the troll¡¯s club, passing through his very , a secondbefore the creature even began its attack! It felt , he could almost his teeth cracking and taste the iron in his mouth. Yet none of it happened. Never before had Percy predicted an attack with such precision. With unprecedented ease, he ducked the real blow with time to spare, delivering a heavy punch in the creature¡¯s stomach, his fist sinking an inch into the troll¡¯s abs. The creature slid back through the mud, a splash of spittle and bile raining on Percy as it stared at him in incredulity. But he wasn¡¯t paying the troll any attention, his thoughts occupied by his breakthrough. It might not sound like much in the grand scheme of things, but, in the midst of combat? . And Percy¡¯s Status thought so too. [Congratulations! You have mastered a new spell: Wild Art: Foresight ¨C Crude!] Chapter 188: Casters ¡°A little help here would be nice!¡± Nesha yelled, capturing Percy¡¯s attention. Only now did he realize that more trolls had gathered, about a dozen of them surrounding them in total. At least, the newcomers were all Reds, only the first two capable of casting magic. Still, they put a lot of pressure on the girl, who struggled to keep them all away with her butterflies. ¡°Leave the casters to me.¡± he said, rushing towards the leaders. ¡°If more of them show up, stop going easy.¡± Not missing their cue, the Oranges exchanged a quick glance before switching targets, trying to pin Percy down with their spells. he clicked his tongue as he leapt out of the way. Neither of these affinities were worth his time. Then again, that was to be expected. Assuming the trolls were even capable of using rare affinities, he¡¯d probably have to go through dozens of them until he found one. But that wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing. His new spell had plenty of room for improvement, so he could just hone it against these willing whetstones. Taking a few deep breaths, he kept his distance until his boosting art took effect. He wanted to practice, yes, but he wasn¡¯t suicidal. Fighting two Orange casters barehanded could get dangerous. The creatures didn¡¯t wait for him, continuing to pelt his location with blasts of blue and red. Still, they failed to prevent him from activating Synchronization, the two sets of lines lighting up along his reddening skin, beads of sweat seeping out of his pores as motes of cyan and silver mixed into wisps of teal. Suffice to say, Percy no longer had any difficulty dodging the spells. Realizing they wouldn¡¯t get anywhere with magic alone, the troll casters clenched their clubs tightly ¨C they were even larger and heavier than those wielded by their subordinates. Then, they rushed at Percy, intent on drowning him in attacks both arcane and mundane. Of course, he didn¡¯t sit still either. Drawing some mana from his abdomen, he shaped it into a cyan rod, ready to greet his opponents. This was the old variant of the Quarterstaff ¨C he didn¡¯t have time for Reinforcement. Still, it should be plenty for this. More spells descended on him, forcing him to crush them all into motes of mana one after another. The trolls reached him a second later. Percy scanned them with his eyes, the projections of their swings taking shape, betraying the trajectory of the clubs. he grinned. Capitalizing on the intimate connection between his Status and his latest mutation, his new spell became second nature for him the instant it registered. Unlike mere minutes ago, he no longer expended much effort to visualize the trolls¡¯ physical attacks, his eyes seemingly doing everything by themselves. Having designed the spell by observing the interaction between one¡¯s flesh and soul meant that he had left the third aspect of one¡¯s existence out of the equation, as it didn¡¯t account for the flow of mana. That said, this unfortunate blind spot was precisely what he aimed to fix during this fight. he corrected himself as a series of pressurized blobs rained on him. With a quick spin of his weapon, he crushed the constructs into a harmless drizzle, his staff cracking already. Percy certainly hadn¡¯t missed . In any case, he didn¡¯t get the chance to dwell on it, as a fireball enlarged before his eyes, about to melt his face off. It was followed by two club projections flinging at him from either side. Ducking below the flames, he tiptoed around the trolls, avoiding their attacks with some well-placed footwork. Next, he responded to them with a few swift blows of his own, slamming their joints with the now-repaired rod. One of them fell to its knees, the other groaning in pain, giving Percy a chance to disengage. Checking up on Nesha, he confirmed she was doing alright before diving back into his own fight. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. More time passed, as Percy fought to expand the scope of his spell, trying to force magic under its purview. Mana manipulation encompassed too many possibilities. Way more than flesh did, at least. After all, one¡¯s limbs could only bend in so many ways, whereas a spell could take an infinite number of shapes, from arrows, to spears, to bolts, to swords¡­ . And there were too many affinities and bloodlines giving the mana all sorts of unique flavours beyond that. But magic still operated under strict rules and, before long, Percy began to slowly wrap his head around them. A spell needed mana to take shape, and that had to come from somewhere. In most cases, that somewhere was the caster¡¯s sternum. Of course, it could flow through a multitude of channels, but those were still finite. Not to mention, Percy had plenty of time to read its movement ahead of the attack. ???????¦¢§¦? Even more importantly, some affinities favoured specific patterns over others. For example, the trolls had never tried to shoot a single spell through their feet. Had one of them possessed an earth affinity, that might have been different, but water and fire were best utilized through one¡¯s palms. Additionally, water spells were more flexible and easier to control, though no individual projectile was particularly deadly by itself. The water casting troll tried to trap Percy using a barrage of smaller constructs raining at him from various angles, primarily aiming to knock him off his feet. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. On the other hand, the fire user couldn¡¯t control its mana nearly as well, focusing on head on attacks instead. That said, what the fireballs lacked in manoeuvrability, they made up for in sheer lethality, pressuring Percy to dodge or block every last one of them without fail. Percy grinned as he spotted the first few faint shadows precede his opponents¡¯ spells. Of course, it had taken way longer than he cared to admit, and he wasn¡¯t anywhere near done. Still, the contrast between the two affinities made it a little easier for him to predict their patterns, as he got more used to the trolls¡¯ rhythm. Sadly, this was about the most he could accomplish today, as the first traces of exhaustion took root in his mind. A quick glance revealed that Nesha wasn¡¯t doing much better. She struggled to keep fifteen butterflies active, clumsily holding just as many Reds at bay. She was panting heavily too, though she hadn¡¯t complained in a long time ¨C to her credit. Evidently, she took this opportunity to practice her magic as seriously as him. ¡°Let¡¯s call it a day.¡± he said. What scarce rays pierced through the thicket revealed the sun was close to setting. In any case, Percy suspected his forthcoming spell upgrade would be Refined, so he hadn¡¯t really expected to get it done in one go. Nesha nodded, spooking the trolls with a burst of mana. At the same time, Percy knocked both his opponents off their feet, before sprinting towards his sack. The two then ran away, leaving an entire tribe of trolls staring dumbfounded at their backs. Still, none of them dared to chase, probably having realized how brutally outmatched they truly were. ¡°What was that spell you were practicing?¡± Nesha asked once they had returned to Micky¡¯s clearing. The crow was back from his duties too, carelessly munching on some oversized frog atop his boulder, not paying them much attention. Percy took a few moments to bring her up to speed, explaining how his Soul Vision worked, and how his new mutation had allowed him to elevate the ability to a proper spell. ¡°Wow. This Sorcerer¡¯s Eye sounds insane.¡± she whistled in appreciation. ¡°Say, do you think I¡¯ll get that too, when you give me a second core?¡± Percy shrugged. Naturally, he hadn¡¯t forgotten his promise to her. With Soul Stitching now at hand, he felt more confident than ever passing her the Moirais¡¯ Decree. Though he wasn¡¯t sure about Ea¡¯s. ¡°The clone I made a couple days ago didn¡¯t get the mutation. I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s because I can¡¯t pass this Decree along, or because my Status was still a mess at the time. We¡¯ll have to wait until my current clone returns.¡± Nesha nodded, not saying anything else. Whether or not House Tantalus gave them a good fight, Percy intended to use his remaining time in the Grisly Bog wisely. He¡¯d already sent another clone out before visiting the trolls, and he wasn¡¯t done with them either. His current plan was to keep fighting against more of the demi-humans over the next few weeks, testing his Foresight against different affinities, while looking for a suitable target to possess. They still had some time to kill today, so he took his trusty ocarina from his pocket, plopping down on the boulder. Moments later, a high-pitched tune broke through the gloomy silence, bouncing from tree to tree, permeating the bog. While the poorly crafted instrument twisted a note every now and then, neither Nesha nor Micky complained as much anymore. Percy had grown a lot better at this over the past two years, his music no longer an insult to the ears! The trio banded closer together, enjoying the humble tune as they gazed at the bright moonlight, appreciating what little time they had left in this place¡­ Chapter 189: Trollsden Percy wasn¡¯t sure if the central area of the swamp had a name. He certainly hadn¡¯t heard the townsfolk mention one if it did, and he was confident the trolls couldn¡¯t give it one either. From what he¡¯d seen, the creatures could only communicate by gestures, grunts and growls. Thus, at the risk of looking silly later, he¡¯d taken it upon himself to give the place a monicker, to make it easier to refer to. . Over the next few weeks, he and Nesha continued to visit the place daily ¨C whenever Percy wasn¡¯t busy with his chores, at least. Micky joined them too, whenever he was both free and sufficiently bored. Every time they ventured into the Trollsden, they entered from a different side, to avoid meeting the same trolls over and over. As they¡¯d come to learn, the creatures were split in several small tribes, each consisting of six to eight individuals. Most of them were typically Reds, with a single Orange caster leading them. And these pocket-sized groups tended to be highly territorial, never straying far from their own homes. Suffice to say, the two groups that had joined up to attack them on the first day had been outliers, as nothing similar had happened since. Percy guessed the two Orange leaders might have been siblings or something, overcoming the societal expectations of their kin to give themselves an advantage over other tribes. That said, it wasn¡¯t like he particularly cared about the trolls¡¯ social structures much either. During each venture, they sought out a new tribe to challenge, giving Percy an opportunity to test his developing Foresight spell against different elemental affinities and flavours of casting. ¡°I think it¡¯s close to evolving!¡± he said, a shit-eating grin plastered all over his face. Laying face-up on the ground in front of him, a troll chieftain gasped for air. As for its subordinates, they weren¡¯t doing much better. Evidently, Nesha had improved a lot too, keeping the creatures occupied without exerting herself all that much. ¡°Have you found an affinity you like?¡± she asked. The question wiped the smile off his face, however. ¡°Nope.¡± he sighed. ¡°Only elemental and pure affinities across the board.¡± ¡°I mean¡­ that¡¯s not too strange. We¡¯ve only fought a few dozen tribes so far. Statistically, they shouldn¡¯t have been enough.¡± ¡°I know. I guess I just hoped we¡¯d get lucky.¡± he shrugged. The two disengaged from their defeated opponents, putting some distance from them. The good thing about the trolls was they never attacked them a second time. Apparently, they were smart enough to understand how outmatched they were after getting their asses handed to them for several hours in a row. That, coupled with Percy¡¯s unwillingness to harm them did wonders in dousing their aggression. Well¡­ most of the time at least. Every now and then, they did stumble upon a stubborn chieftain who didn¡¯t know when to quit. After waiting for Micky to join them, the trio took a break from their tasks to drink their midday dose of Aurora Dew together. Naturally, Percy hadn¡¯t stopped brewing for them, their stash of elixirs dwindling with each passing day. Luckily, the recent spike in his brewing yield would stretch their supplies for a month longer than they had originally planned. However, stealing more elixirs from House Tantalus¡¯s warehouse was looking more and more unlikely. The war didn¡¯t seem like it was close to ending, and Percy had yet to find a way to infiltrate the enemy family. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Percy had intentionally avoided dealing with his family back in the Guild, precisely to avoid bringing them unnecessary trouble. And that had proven to be the right choice. Unlike him and Nesha who could just run and hide from the Divine Root, his grandpa couldn¡¯t exactly do that ¨C he had an entire House to lead. ?????????? Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Then again, Percy wasn¡¯t sure where to find a different source of elixirs as things stood. He did have ideas, but they needed a lot of the darn things. In any case, he¡¯d just have to discuss everything with Baldy once he returned home. This wasn¡¯t something he could solve right now. Nor was it particularly urgent either. ¡°Wanna delve a little deeper today?¡± he suddenly asked, shaking the pointless thoughts out of his head. So far, they¡¯d only explored the outskirts of the Trollsden, but the place was quite massive. And they were already running out of new tribes to challenge in the outer ring. ¡°Sure. I suppose it¡¯s still early today.¡± Nesha shrugged. Bidding the crow farewell, the two then entered the Trollsden again, walking past the trolls, ignoring the nasty glares they were giving them. The further they ventured into the swamp, the more the stench of rot and decay intensified too. And that wasn¡¯t a coincidence. While the trolls were opportunistic carnivores, occasionally snacking on any unfortunate critter dumb enough to approach them, there wasn¡¯t enough meat in the Grisly Bog to sustain their numbers. Neither could they easily expand outwards, their fear of stepping on the humans¡¯ toes deeply ingrained in their bones. Thus, the creatures had found another way to keep their bellies full, without risking their lives. ¡°Yuck. Are these things even edible?¡± Nesha wrinkled her nose, examining the base of a nearby tree. The wood appeared old and damaged, as did the multitude of deteriorating carcasses carelessly piled up among its roots. Some of the corpses might have been there for months, reduced to skeletons by now, while others were a little fresher, the meat still slowly melting off the bones. And amidst this intentionally designed mess, Percy and Nesha saw the food the trolls cultivated to sustain themselves. Growing on spoilt flesh and decaying roots alike, countless whitecap mushrooms blanketed the area. Some of them jutted out of a skull¡¯s eye sockets, others neatly lining the spaces between a creature¡¯s ribs. By far the most disturbing detail, however, was the fact that many of the corpses appeared to have belonged to the trolls themselves! They fed their own dead to the mushrooms, and then ate those! ¡°Trust me, you don¡¯t want to see the kinds of things some of my clones have eaten.¡± Percy chuckled. He wasn¡¯t as bothered by the sight before him. His adventures had long numbed him to the idea of doing what one had to, to survive. If anything, the tiny mushrooms looked cute ¨C nostalgic even, reminding him of his time in the Guild. Of course, these mundane fungi were as far removed from their colossal cousins as they could be, not a speck of mana flowing through them. Still, they were clearly as important to the trolls as the Fungal Spire was to the rest of Remior. Continuing their journey, Percy and Nesha saw more scenes like that, at some point every single tree in their path having been transformed into a grim mushroom farm. Though they hadn¡¯t met any more trolls in a while, for some reason. ¡°Are the tribes in the outskirts assigned there on purpose, to guard the perimeter or something?¡± Nesha wondered out loud at some point. ¡°Well, it would explain why all their food has been left unguarded, but that still leaves a lot of questions¡­¡± Percy wasn¡¯t quite as convinced. For one, most of the troll tribes they¡¯d encountered had shown no intention of cooperating with one another. How would they have all organized to such an extent? Even more importantly, they would have never allowed them to pass had that been the case. Outmatched or not, who would give an intruder free access to their food? ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s strange. They should have done everything in their power to stop us¡­¡± Nesha agreed after listening to his reasoning. Suddenly, Percy stopped in his tracks, causing her to raise an eyebrow. ¡°Unless they didn¡¯t need to¡­¡± he muttered. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Nesha asked. But Percy didn¡¯t respond, merely gesturing at her to be quiet. Far in the distance, he faintly spotted a shadow shifting within the depths. It was too dark to make out, but his eyes captured more than just light nowadays. Right there, walking amidst the trees, he saw it. It was a tall silhouette, shimmering in a faint silver. It was even bulkier than the trolls he had met so far, though it was hunched over. He even spotted a hint of Yellow sparkling in its chest. Soon, two more silhouettes appeared by the first one¡¯s sides. These weren¡¯t quite as big, though they were still larger than the regular trolls ¨C all of them at Yellow. Well, that certainly explained who had commanded the other tribes, as well as why the weaker creatures had allowed them to reach the centre of the Trollsden. ¡°They thought we wouldn¡¯t survive anyway.¡± Percy said, his lips curling upward. Dropping the sack by his feet, he took a deep breath, and then another, activating his boosting art. The trolls had clearly hoped their leaders would take care of them, but they had gravely miscalculated. After all, a few Yellow mages were exactly what Percy currently needed! Chapter 190: Honourable Before Synchronization was even done activating, Percy rummaged through his sack, hastily putting as many pieces of his armour on as he could manage. Not that he wasn¡¯t confident beating a few Yellow demi-humans without it, but there wasn¡¯t any harm in playing it safe. Regardless, he only got to don his gauntlets by the time the creatures reached them. he shrugged. The trolls themselves were downright massive, Percy¡¯s head barely reaching up to their chest. The one in the middle was even taller than the others, despite its hunchback. Their thick hide was marred in warts and granules like their weaker kin, but, unlike the others, these three were covered from head to toe in crisscrossing scars. Some were deeper too ¨C trophies from a lifetime of fighting, apparently. Even more strangely, these trolls had something else growing on their bodies that the others had lacked. . And not the mundane, edible whitecaps Percy and Nesha had seen on the way here. No, shone brightly in his vision, shimmering in a deep Orange colour. Not only that, but they softly glowed in the regular part of his sight too, sporting a strange green lustre. Unfazed by Percy¡¯s observation, the trolls strolled casually towards them, each of their thunderous steps lifting a screen of mud. Their heavy frames sank a few inches into the bog from one footfall to the next, but they didn¡¯t seem to mind it much, apparently well-used to their habitat by now. Their attention was glued to their guests instead, their bulbous eyes scanning Percy and Nesha up and down. ¡°Take the one to the left. I¡¯ll handle the oth¨C¡± Percy didn¡¯t even get to complete his sentence when the trolls suddenly halted, still thirty or so yards away from them. Then, the one in the middle ¨C their king probably ¨C gestured at one of his attendants to step forward. ¡°Are they challenging us to single combat?¡± Nesha asked in incredulity. That was a sign of intelligence neither of them was used to seeing in demi-humans. Then again, the creatures weren¡¯t that much dumber than sapients, and these three in particular stood atop their species¡¯ ladder. Their higher grade coupled with decades of wisdom had clearly left their mark. ¡°Well, I guess declining at this point would be rude.¡± Stepping forward, he waited for Nesha and the other trolls to put some distance from them, giving them space. The two combatants then eyed one another for a couple seconds, sizing each other up. This troll was the leanest of the three, though it still looked stronger than the Orange variants. Sapients didn¡¯t transform when advancing ¨C that was a unique feature of beasts, due to their affinity. Suffice to say, Percy didn¡¯t know if it was just a coincidence these three were a little larger, or something else. Maybe semi-sentients carried some traces of beast mana in their bodies? Or, perhaps, the Yellow-born trolls just lived long enough to hone their physique further than the rest? In any case, it didn¡¯t really matter. The creature was unarmed, its posture carrying the aura of an experienced mage. Satisfied with his assessment, Percy waited patiently for his opponent to make the first move. And the troll didn¡¯t stand on ceremony either. It didn¡¯t move an inch from its spot, but Percy didn¡¯t miss its soul and core flaring up, a trickle of mana flowing down to its feet. he raised an eyebrow. He¡¯d seen enough of both affinities by now to tell their channels apart. That said, he was surprised to see a water mage use their mana like this. Not that it was impossible for them to take advantage of their environment like earth users regularly did, but it was much harder right now, given the circumstances. All the water in the swamp was mixed with soil, slowing down its movements. he sighed. Another common affinity. It seemed there wasn¡¯t anything of interest in the Grisly Bog¡­ Yet, Percy¡¯s disappointment didn¡¯t last long. As soon as the troll was done spreading its mana, it finally activated its spell. Suddenly, dozens of aquamarine bolts shot at Percy from every direction, zigging and zagging through the air like snakes! If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Percy hurriedly leapt backwards, dodging about half the projectiles, crushing a few more with his armoured hands. Still, two of them reached him, leaving some nasty cuts. The first stretched diagonally across his chest, the other vertically along his upper forearm. ¡°How?¡± The troll was grinning smugly, clearly amused by his surprise. Though it didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of letting him go. Pressing on its advantage, it unleashed more spells, the magical attacks raining upon Percy one after the other. And they all had one thing in common. They all shone in a bright aquamarine light, not a speck of dirt bogging them down. The difficulty in extracting clear water from the mud so quickly was simply staggering. Not to mention controlling so many constructs at the same time with such finesse. Evidently, Percy had underestimated the creatures, betrayed by his preconceived notions about them. ¡°Want help?¡± Nesha asked, though that only prompted the other trolls to growl angrily. ¡°No. I¡¯ll handle it.¡± Percy spat between pants, as he continued to evade the attacks to the best of his ability. As it turned out, this wasn¡¯t the walk in the park he was expecting. Then again, this was a good thing. If he wanted, he could probably end the fight with a few invisible throwing stars. While the troll had proven to be a formidable opponent in some areas, Percy doubted it was fast enough to dodge his own attacks, given its bulk. ??¦­§à????§¦? But why would he do that? Wasn¡¯t this exactly the kind of training he needed? Settling at a more comfortable distance from the troll, Percy danced through the onslaught of spells, focused on evading only the most dangerous attacks, while allowing some of them to scrape him out of necessity. The projectiles were both numerous and chaotic, though there was still a clear rhythm behind them ¨C an unavoidable delay between one attack and the next, albeit small. After all, the troll had to channel the mana through the dense swamp water before unleashing it against Percy. Letting his gaze sink deeper into his opponent¡¯s frame, Percy allowed Foresight to do its job, faint projections appearing in his vision, preceding the water snakes by mere inches. After a month of nonstop training, the spell had already started working on magic, though it wasn¡¯t nearly as effortless, nor as complete as it was for physical blows. he grinned. Little by little, Percy got used to the pace and the patterns of the projectiles. With each blow he avoided, the projections grew clearer, as both his reactions and his eyesight were slowly honed to perfection. At the same time, he never allowed himself to relax. Whenever he got used to the troll¡¯s speed, he took a step forward, inching closer to the creature with each passing minute. No matter what, he had to keep pushing himself to the very edge of his ability, treading the fine line between life and death. That was always the fastest way to improve. Percy wondered at some point, as the onslaught of spells ended abruptly. So absorbed had he been on predicting his opponent¡¯s attacks, he had failed to spot the traces of exhaustion accumulating on the creature¡¯s soul. The troll panted heavily, its core completely dried out, its previous nonchalance nowhere to be seen. Its companions too had realized they had stumbled upon a formidable opponent today. They glared at him silently, their expressions sombre. Though, to their credit, they hadn¡¯t moved to interfere yet, apparently intent on honouring the terms of the fight. nodded in appreciation, feeling some newfound respect towards the creatures. Next, his eyes fell back on his opponent, the troll still trying to catch its breath. Honestly, this was only to be expected. While the creature¡¯s sheer skill in mana manipulation was arguably impressive, at the end of the day, it was still ¡®just¡¯ a Yellow. It never stood a chance of keeping up with Percy in a prolonged battle. ¡°Take your time. I¡¯ll wait.¡± he shouted, not knowing whether the trolls could understand him. Then again, actions spoke louder than words. If they couldn¡¯t understand his words, they certainly got the message once he turned around, walking to a nearby tree before leaning on its trunk. He¡¯d have taken a seat too, but the roots were covered in mushrooms and rotting carcasses. Under other circumstances, allowing his opponent to recover might have been foolish. But not right now. After all, he had never intended to harm the trolls, nor did he much care about winning. His priority right now was only the evolution of his spell ¨C nothing more, nothing less. And he doubted he¡¯d find a better sparring partner. Yet, this simple gesture seemed to be received well by the creatures. ¡°Garruuk!¡± the troll grunted, capturing his attention. Then, it turned towards its leader, apparently waiting for permission to do something. Only after the bulky troll nodded did the water mage look back at Percy. Next, it moved one of three stubby fingers on its oversized hand, pointing at a green mushroom growing on its shoulder. The troll didn¡¯t leave him in suspense for long, its following action answering his question. Pinching the mushroom with all three of its digits, it squeezed it tightly, as Percy followed a splash of mana flowing into its skin, spreading through its body. Soon, the troll¡¯s exhaustion was visibly lifted, as its muscles relaxed, and its rugged breath settled down. And, of course, Percy would be a fool if he failed to recognize what had happened. Between his mutated eyes, the extraction principle he had mastered, and the dozens of potions he had consumed, he couldn¡¯t have possibly mistaken the potent life mana restoring the troll¡¯s stamina. He still had no idea what the trolls were up to, revealing such a valuable secret to him so easily, but he was certain of one thing as he stared at the glowing mushrooms with greed. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 191: Exchange Over the next several hours, Percy and the troll fought many more rounds. Every time the creature¡¯s mana ran out, he gave it a few minutes to refill it. At the same time, the troll consumed one of its verdant mushrooms once every few breaks, to remove its exhaustion too. As for Percy, he¡¯d already mastered keeping Synchronization active since before leaving the Guild. He hadn¡¯t had a choice, as many of his activities depended on it. Of course, that was not to say he wasn¡¯t tired. Dodging the troll¡¯s relentless onslaught took a lot of effort, and he lacked the means to recover. Still, he pressed on, knowing this was a rare opportunity he couldn¡¯t afford to waste. He had no idea how the trolls even cultivated them on their bodies, nor how easily they could be replenished, but he struggled to understand why his opponent would go so far for his sake. It wasn¡¯t until the creature increased the pressure on him that he realized what was going on. The troll wasn¡¯t doing it for his sake at all! It was training too! Evidently, these guys were battle maniacs, just like him! At first, it hadn¡¯t been immediately obvious, as his own improvements vastly eclipsed the troll¡¯s. After all, it couldn¡¯t compete with the positive feedback loop between his Foresight spell, his Status and his Sorcerer¡¯s Eye. However, the creature still worked hard to hone its own magic, trying to increase the number of projectiles it could launch at once. Percy counted, confirming his guess. He was confident the troll hadn¡¯t been able to throw more than thirty snakes at him during their first bout. Its improvements were modest, yet undeniable. But increasing the number of projectiles it could fire wasn¡¯t the only thing the creature was working on. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Suddenly, the bolts closed in on him unexpectedly, blocking all his escape paths. The projections that had previously grown clearer shattered at this moment, rendering him unable to predict the spells¡¯ trajectories. Percy twisted his body as he leapt backwards, evading most of the snakes while guarding his vitals with his gauntlets. Still, he was forced to let a few of the attacks land painfully on his legs, drawing some blood. At least, each individual projectile wasn¡¯t too dangerous. The creature had clearly varied its attack pattern just now, trying to catch him off guard. And it had succeeded too, nullifying his previous efforts to memorize its movements. That said, this wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing. The more the troll pushed back against his Foresight, the stronger the spell would grow once reforged. Diving back into the fight, Percy opened up the distance to the creature some more, until he managed to adjust to the new pattern. Peering into the troll¡¯s body, he observed how the mana flowed through its channels, and how its soul¡¯s flickers different from before, trying to rebuild his understanding. Like that, one man and one troll continued to fight, round after round, hour after hour, in a relentless tug of war between offense and defence, each trying to outgrow one another. Sadly for the troll, however, this was a contest it had never stood a chance of winning¡­ *** Percy tiptoed between the azure snakes, navigating the muddy battlefield with the elegance of a dancer. Over eighty projectiles shone brightly in his eyes, though only half of them were real. The rest were nothing more than projections of a future he had glimpsed. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Bobbing and weaving, he dodged the majority of them, occasionally swatting one or two with his gauntlets, as he steadily advanced towards the troll. Loud splashes could be heard around him, as azure jets of pressurized water pelted their surroundings one after the other. Many of them landed on the trees, the rotting bark having long been shaved clean, revealing the fresher wood beneath, a few shades lighter. But Percy didn¡¯t pay the noise any heed, having already learned to tune it out some time ago, his focus entirely reserved for his opponent. Seeing him approach, the creature panicked. It pushed more mana out of its core, increasing both the size and speed of its spells, whilst mixing and matching their patterns in a desperate attempt to stop the human in his tracks. ?¨¤?¦Ï¦Â????? But it wasn¡¯t meant to be. Percy had long seen through his opponent¡¯s magic, the snakes now appearing clearer in his eyes than they ever had before. And they grew clearer still, with each passing moment! [Congratulations! Your spell has evolved: Wild Art: Foresight ¨C Crude -> Wild Art: Greater Foresight ¨C Refined!] With a satisfying click, something snapped in place within his mind. Percy blinked, the tension leaving his brows. When he next opened his eyes, the projections were still there, no longer flickering in and out of existence. Better yet, they seemed to have travelled a few metres further from the actual spells, expanding Percy¡¯s window by another second! Closing the rest of the distance to the troll was now trivial, the creature no longer holding any surprises for him. Percy ignored the remaining spells completely, walking through them with an ease that would have seemed impossible just hours ago. Realizing it had already lost, the creature finally halted its assault, letting its arms fall weakly by its sides. Upon reaching it, Percy clenched his armoured fist, as the troll closed its eyes, resigned to its fate. It stood there motionless, waiting for the blow to land. A blow that¡­ never came. Opening its eyes, the troll blinked twice, seeing Percy¡¯s extended hand. It tilted its head in confusion, glancing back and forth between Percy¡¯s clenched gauntlet and his grinning expression. Only a few seconds later did it seem to understand something, raising its own fist too, letting it hang in the air for a while. Grabbing the opportunity, Percy bumped fists against the troll, his smile widening in the process. ¡°Graaakhaak!!¡± ¡°Groook!¡± the other trolls exclaimed, their deep voices echoing throughout the gloomy depths of the Trollsden. Looking at them, Percy noticed their expressions weren¡¯t those of anger, but excitement. He could tell they both wanted their own turn at him, having grown sick of waiting for him to finish. Percy was about to say something, but the troll king beat him to it. Ignoring his second attendant, he leapt forth, covering half the distance towards him. Next, he let out a guttural roar as he slammed his fists against his chest, each blow sending a tremor through the ground. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to fight the rest of them too?¡± Nesha groaned. She hadn¡¯t interrupted him either, having patiently remained on the side, ready to intervene had something gone wrong. Percy smiled bitterly. He felt bad about dousing the trolls¡¯ excitement, but he could use some sleep right now. He was about to try explaining himself, though the troll king cut him off with a proposal. ¡°Gahak!!¡± he grunted, gesturing at his wrists. It took Percy a moment to realize what he was trying to say. ¡°You mean these? You want them?¡± he asked, pointing at his gauntlets. The creature nodded back, confirming his guess. But Percy shook his head. ¡°They are too small for you.¡± he said, placing his arm next to the other troll¡¯s for comparison. ¡°I can try making one your size, but it¡¯ll just break after a few weeks.¡± he added a moment later. To demonstrate his point, he used his willpower to chip a small piece from one of the components. Still, he wasn¡¯t sure if the king understood him. The creature stared at him in silent contemplation for a few seconds, before gesturing at his other attendant. The third troll then walked forward, drawing some mana from its core. It was only now that Percy realized this guy had a pure affinity too. ¡°You want me to teach him how to build these?¡± he asked in amusement, pointing between himself and the troll. It was true these guys were smarter than the average demi-human, but he wasn¡¯t sure they could learn something as intricate as his Phantomscale Gauntlet spell. Crystallization shouldn¡¯t be too difficult for them, but Reinforcement would definitely be a challenge. Even if they could somehow master the Refined spell, how was he supposed to teach them runecrafting? Could they even forge something as delicate as his fingerguards? The troll king seemed to have misunderstood the source of his hesitation, however. Thinking Percy was just being stingy, he turned around, before pointing at his back. It was full of mushrooms, both their size and numbers far exceeding the ones on his attendants¡¯ bodies! They glowed more brightly too, and there were two types of them! Other than the verdant mushrooms rich in life mana that Percy had already seen, there was a second variant, these burning in a blazing red. Naturally, he had no idea what these did, but he wanted them. ¡°You want to exchange these for Reinforcement?¡± Chapter 192: Duel Percy cracked a smile at the absurdity of the idea. Everyone on Remior wanted to get their hands on the secret behind the Aurora Dew. The thought of sharing it with a tribe of trolls in the middle of nowhere was as rebellious as it was hilarious. He¡¯d worked so hard for this head-start. . This was a gamble he couldn¡¯t afford to take. What if somebody stumbled upon this place at some point? Perhaps House Tantalus would conduct an investigation here after the war was over. Or the Divine Root might pass through the Grisly Bog while searching for him. Or, maybe, the townsfolk would delve deeper into the swamp, looking for resources. Yet, it seemed Percy was just overthinking things. Seeing his confusion, the troll king grunted, breaking him out of his thoughts. He pointed at Percy¡¯s bag, before gesturing at the mushrooms on his own body. Finally, he slammed his chest with vigour, stomping his feet in the mud, clearing Percy¡¯s misunderstanding. Apparently, it wasn¡¯t a trade the creature had in mind. ¡°You want to fight for it? Winner takes all?¡± Percy asked. The troll king nodded, seemingly understanding the question. Next, he drew a tremendous amount of mana out of his sternum, emptying his core completely. Then, he pulled everything to his hand, as Percy recognized the channels indicative of an earth affinity. A bright flash of brown lit the place up, before condensing into a construct. A colossal chunk of rock formed ¨C taller than a person ¨C suspended in the air between them. Cracking and crunching sounds emerged as the oversized shard of stone collapsed upon itself, its size shrinking rapidly. . Its top end narrowed more than the rest, soon turning into a hilt just thin enough to fit in the troll king¡¯s grasp. Next, whatever force was holding the construct airborne vanished. The club hit the ground with a deafening boom, the splashing mud doing very little to soften the impact. A shower of stinking dirt drenched Percy and Nesha as a tremor reverberated through the Trollsden. Ignoring the still-shaking trees, Percy watched in stunned silence as the demi-human picked his weapon up. He lifted it with an ease more befitting a feather than a boulder, raising a gust of wind as he swung it back and forth. The troll king was definitely strong, but this wasn¡¯t a feat he could have pulled off with physical strength alone. Wielding the monstrous club like this clearly took both physical and magical effort. Apparently, the troll king wasn¡¯t a caster like the others, though that didn¡¯t make him any less dangerous. Backing his bulk with the full force of his core, he could make each swing deadlier than a Yellow¡¯s strongest spell. Evidently, the creature was more of a warrior than a mage ¨C his style not that different from Percy¡¯s, actually. ¡°GAAAAAALAAAAAAAK!!!¡± the troll king roared in excitement, his thunderous voice an affront to the ears. ¡°Alright. I¡¯m up for that.¡± Percy said. ¡°But tomorrow. I¡¯m too tired today to give you a proper duel.¡± The creature didn¡¯t understand him at first, forcing Percy to spend the next hour or so trying to explain the concept of ¡°tomorrow¡±. Suffice to say, the troll king¡¯s disappointment was palpable as soon as he realized he had to wait longer. Still, he allowed them to leave in the end, probably aware he wouldn¡¯t get the exciting spar he wanted if he tried to force it. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you kill him with your soul mana and just take the mushrooms?¡± Nesha asked on the way home. ¡°Sure.¡± he shrugged. Percy had never truly been in danger. Even in his exhausted state, it wouldn¡¯t have taken much effort to take the creatures out with a couple sneaky spells. He was pretty sure they wouldn¡¯t be able to react to his sickles. Had the trolls been more aggressive, they would have certainly paid the price. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°But I kinda want to spar with him too. This is a great opportunity to put my new armour to the test.¡± It wasn¡¯t like he hadn¡¯t tried using it before, but there was a reason his Status hadn¡¯t registered the upgrade yet. The armour was a lot trickier to wear in a fight than a mere gauntlet or two. Putting it on wasn¡¯t a problem, but for it to be worth the trouble, he had to be able to hold all the pieces together while enduring powerful blows from a Green core. This was something he hadn¡¯t been able to test against the weaker trolls, as their attacks weren¡¯t nearly strong enough to push him to his limits. Remembering the troll king¡¯s oversized weapon, however, Percy¡¯s lip curled upwards. *** Percy and Nesha were back in the Trollsden, standing some distance away from the cohort of Yellow trolls. The creatures grinned and roared in boiling anticipation, watching him don his armour, one piece at a time. ?????????? His muscles were already tense, his boosting art active. A thin layer of teal coated his entire body, as he slid the components of his most intricate spell on, one by one. Every time he wore a piece, he manifested a few strings of fused mana, fastening it in place, attaching it first to himself and then to its neighbours. Naturally, he¡¯d already designed the armour to be as easy to equip as possible. Still, that was a lot of moving parts to keep track of during a heated battle. Once he was done, he borrowed the mirror Nesha had brought along, checking that everything was in order. His body was covered from head to toe in armour, its pieces softly glowing with an ethereal teal colour. Magical runes could faintly be seen decorating it in various spots, as spiky protrusions jutted out here and there, protecting his joints. Flexing his limbs, Percy nodded in appreciation as he confirmed how little his movements were inhibited. His vision wasn¡¯t affected much either, as he had left plenty of space in front of his eyes, which shone even more brightly than the armour itself, hidden beneath the visor¡¯s shadowy veil. Teal smoke poured out of a few carefully placed vents on his shoulders and upper back, already accumulating mana for his Mantle of Deceit, shaping it into a proper cape. And with just a thought, everything vanished. From his magical boots, all the way to the very tip of his helmet, the entire armour seemingly disappeared, revealing Percy¡¯s swollen body beneath it. The next moment, the armour reappeared, as if it was never gone. Being able to turn the spell invisible could be handy when facing an unaware opponent, but there wasn¡¯t much point in hiding it from someone who already knew about it. ¡°GRAAAAAH!!!¡± the troll king cheered in excitement, summoning his own club once again, preparing for the fight. Stepping forth, Percy cracked his knuckles and his neck both, before taking his fighting stance. Unable to wait any longer, the troll rushed at him, as Nesha and the attendants hurried out of the way. The colossal club descended on Percy with a frightening speed as he crossed his hands to block it, intent on taking the attack head on. Through Mana Sense, he caught the absorption runes glow brighter, seemingly doing their job as the impact sent him sliding back. His bones ached and his organs were rattled as he slammed into a tree, splinters of wood flying all over the place as the trunk nearly split in half. The armour held, however, as did Percy¡¯s body. As painful as the blow was, it had failed to cause any serious damage. Percy smiled bitterly as he saw his two shoulderguards glitter from beneath the surface of the murky water, some distance away from him. At the same time, the fingerguards in his left hand made clinking sounds as they collided with one another, hanging loosely within his palm. Unfortunately, he had failed to maintain all the knots in place while eating the powerful blow. ¡°Again.¡± he said as he fixed the fingerguards. As for the shoulderguards, he left them in the mud for now. He could retrieve them later, after getting some more practice. The troll king didn¡¯t need to be told twice, charging forth. Swinging his weapon once more, he tried to bat him right through the tree. That said, Percy was done getting pushed around. Kicking against the trunk, he bolted forth, punching the club with both hands. Another shocking impact caused the Trollsden to quake, this time both combatants shooting backwards. In the end, the tree didn¡¯t survive the second hit, as Percy tumbled through it. That said, the troll king failed to remain on his feet too. The creature raised a tall wave as he sank into a puddle of mud. Neither of them stayed on the ground for long, however, both of them climbing back to their feet a moment later, already on course for their third clash. The club slammed into the magical armour once more, as Percy focused on holding all the pieces in place, fighting against the snapping strings and loosening knots. This time, his chestguard came undone, as did both of his kneeguards. But he wasn¡¯t deterred in the slightest, a savage grin carved into his face. Chapter 193: Troll king A boulder rapidly enlarged in Percy¡¯s pupils, but he ignored it, allowing it to pass through him harmlessly. Naturally, it was just a projection, arriving seconds before the actual attack. Greater Foresight made the troll king¡¯s telegraphed swings laughably easy to dodge, though evading them would only defeat the whole purpose of the spar. Bracing himself, Percy then received the real club head on, the blood rolling and tumbling in his veins as he skidded on the muddy terrain. With a sickening crunch, he landed on another pile of rotting corpses, the old ribcages crumbling under the weight. Pulling himself to his feet, he saw the creature hadn¡¯t bothered to pursue. The troll had plopped down instead, breathing heavily. Sighing, Percy let go of his boosting art too, just as happy to take a break as his opponent. Next, he dragged his feet across the ravaged battlefield, scouring the place for the missing pieces of his magical armour, scooping them from the filth. Luckily, he received some welcome help. ¡°There you go.¡± Nesha said, handing him the shoulderguards. ¡°Thanks.¡± he replied, strapping them back in place. The pesky things were always the first to come off. ¡°How close are you?¡± she asked. ¡°Close.¡± he spat, too tired to elaborate. It had been hours since he began fighting the troll king, and they¡¯d already gone at it for several rounds. At first, he couldn¡¯t last a single exchange without his armour crumbling. Every blow would cause at least a couple of pieces to fall off. To survive the troll¡¯s onslaught, he had been forced to improvise, blocking the attacks with whatever body parts were still covered, often doing so in all sorts of awkward orientations. It wasn¡¯t like he¡¯d had a choice. He knew he¡¯d have been reduced to a pulp by now if it hadn¡¯t been for the layered defence afforded to him by his spell. That said, he improved over time. By midday, he¡¯d been able to take a hit or two without any knots breaking, giving him some hope. Still, he was a fair distance away from his goal, and the troll king¡¯s attacks weren¡¯t even as strong as a real Green¡¯s. he declared with determination. Fastening the last piece in place, he reactivated Synchronization, staring at the troll king expectantly. Responding to his unspoken challenge, the creature leapt back to his feet, grabbing hold of his weapon. Digging his heels in place, Percy waited for the hulking monster to arrive, his eyes glued on the attack. Watching the club¡¯s shadow carefully, he adjusted his stance, preparing to absorb the blow in the most favourable angle. Soon, the two spells connected, Percy feeling as if an entire house had fallen on him. Still, he tensed his muscles and steeled his will, trying to keep the knots on the right side of his body from snapping. They held! Regardless, he slid back again as always, the swamp not being the best place to get a proper foothold. Before he even came to a halt, the troll was already upon him for the follow-up. This time, Percy shifted, opting to use the left side of his body instead. With a well-placed uppercut, he punched the club above his head, deflecting its trajectory. Next, he took the opportunity to sink a blow of his own right under the creature¡¯s ribs, sending him reeling back. R?????????? Not giving the troll a chance to recover, he leapt after him, trying to land a knee to his face. The demi-human hastily blocked with his club, before pushing Percy away. Neither of them paused to catch their breaths, both rushing back, desperate to mount the pressure on each other. Another swing. Percy blocked with both arms, the impact nearly knocking his shoulderguards off again. Expecting that, he strengthened the connection at the last second, barely keeping them in place. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. The troll attacked again, this time with a vertical blow. Sidestepping, Percy circled the creature with his footwork, sweeping at its legs with a low kick. One knee buckled, though the other didn¡¯t, the troll swatting him aside with a backhand. Still, Percy didn¡¯t let go of the opportunity, rushing back to headbutt the demi-human, pressing him to the ground. He was about to land another hit, when he caught the club¡¯s shadow by the corner of his eye. Realizing he was about to be sent flying, Percy barely strengthened the knots again. Just in time too. The weapon slammed into him the very next second, tossing him a dozen metres up in the air. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. By the time he landed, the troll king was ready to greet him with a second swing, blasting him through a tree. All the strings strapping his armour to his body stretched and tensed, as he fought to keep them intact. He didn¡¯t even get a chance to recover before the creature reached him again, landing a third blow, and then a fourth one. The troll king chased him through the swamp, batting him again and again, as Percy slowly lost track of his surroundings. Soon, his entire world was reduced to the magical connections within his head, as he desperately tried to hold them together. More blows connected. Each one bruised his bones, shaking his innards. Still, his head hurt the most, almost as if every impact was delivered directly to his mind rather than his flesh. The pieces of his armour shook and recoiled as they received the full brunt of the troll king¡¯s fury, yet Percy simply refused to let them fall off. At some point, his body and mind were both numb to the pain, leaving only clarity behind. There was a rhythm behind the creature¡¯s attacks, the blows interspaced by necessary delays. And Percy recognized this pattern. It was the very same he had learnt to read back when he was developing his Foresight spell. Yet, right now, he wasn¡¯t observing it with his eyes but feeling it with his body. The blows continued to rain on him, as he grabbed hold of this sensation, using it to survive. An attack landed. The strings tensed. The armour vibrated. he realized. Anticipating the blow, he reinforced the knots right before it landed, weathering the oncoming storm. Then, he allowed them to relax the very next moment, accumulating strength for the following attack. Giving the strings a chance to ¡®rest¡¯ was just as important, it seemed. Like a punching bag, the troll king continued to pummel him, sometimes through a tree, other times to the air, never ceasing his relentless barrage for a second. But Percy no longer cared to dodge, or even to open his eyes. He knew his body would survive as long as his armour protected it. And his armour would continue to do so as long as he held it in place. At least, the creature hadn¡¯t given him any indication he could put a scratch on the pieces themselves. Swing after swing, Percy absorbed the blows, the previously disparate bonds between the components starting to feel more like muscles than dead objects. Like his lungs, they breathed. Sometimes they tensed, other times they laxed. A network of magic, dispersing the concentrated force of the troll king¡¯s attacks into something he could withstand. At some point, the attacks ceased. Opening his eyes, he saw the creature kneeling, propping himself up on his knuckles, his weapon carelessly abandoned on the ground nearby. The troll king was breathing heavily, making wheezing sounds as he greedily inhaled as much air as he could. Percy tried to stand up. Everything hurt. His armour had protected him, but his body was still sore. Battered. But he was the first to climb back to his feet. Unwilling to admit defeat, the demi-human followed. He grabbed the club, using it as a cane to push himself up. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you using your fancy mushrooms to recover?¡± Percy asked, unsure if the creature understood him. The troll chuckled in response, however, shaking his head. It appeared he was too proud to resort to that, to lose to Percy in sheer grit. Dragging the weapon through the mud, he walked up to him, raising it high in the sky. Releasing a guttural bellow, he swung it again, resuming his onslaught. But Percy didn¡¯t close his eyes this time. Observing the club¡¯s shadow, he let the weapon connect, tapping on his newfound understanding. Like before, he allowed the network of strings to absorb and disseminate the blow, though he took it a step further. As the monstrous demi-human continued to push him around the Trollsden, Percy honed his spell, localizing his focus. Wherever the club landed, the knots tensed. Then, they laxed, as the ones next to them tensed instead, like a wave of resistance rippling through his frame. At first, he made a few mistakes, several pieces threatening to come undone. Soon, he improved, noticing that less and less force reached his body with each blow. As the impact was transferred from piece to piece, the cascading absorption runes did their job, nullifying the attacks completely. Realizing something, the troll king stopped. It stared at Percy in incredulity, unable to comprehend how he could still stand, nor why he was looking at him defiantly. ¡°If you¡¯re still holding anything back, I suggest you use it.¡± Percy said as his Status spoke. [Congratulations! Your spell has evolved: Phantomscale Gauntlet ¨C Refined -> Phantomscale Raiment ¨C Refined!] Chapter 194: Fury The troll king scanned Percy from head to toe for several seconds, seemingly contemplating his words. Eventually, he appeared to have made his mind up, nodding with determination. Accepting that he was no longer a match for the human as he was, he decided to finally let go of his pride. First, he stabbed his club into the ground, before letting go, leaving it upright. Then, he reached for his back, squeezing one of the crimson mushrooms. Percy recognized a rush of fire mana sinking into the creature¡¯s frame, spreading through it. Whatever it did, it wasn¡¯t a painless endeavour in the slightest. The troll king¡¯s bulbous eyes quivered, his pupils taking on a reddish hue. He gritted his teeth, a few of them making cracking sounds, threatening to shatter. The creature¡¯s muscles visibly shook, before swelling ¨C in a manner not too dissimilar to what Synchronization did to Percy. However, it wasn¡¯t his mana channels spreading raw power through his body, but the boiling blood in his vessels. Like snakes, his veins bulged and squirmed along his skin. Percy readied his stance, waiting for his opponent to attack. Though the troll wasn¡¯t done preparing quite yet, it seemed. He pinched a second mushroom, and then a third, releasing a pained groan as he continued to push his body far beyond its limits. It wasn¡¯t until a minute or two later that the creature regained his composure. He picked his weapon up, lifting it horizontally before his torso. Grabbing each end with a different hand, he pulled the misshapen boulder apart, splitting it in two uneven halves. These crumbled further into pebbles, rolling up his forearms. Percy grinned. He watched as the chunks of earth condensed into a pair of oversized gauntlets, clearly inspired by his own. Of course, the crude constructs were a far cry from the Phantomscale Gauntlets, both their design and the lack of runes leaving much to be desired. Still, between the troll king¡¯s higher grade and nominally stronger affinity, Percy had no doubt they¡¯d pack quite a punch. . ¡°Bring it on then!¡± he taunted. The creature didn¡¯t need to be told twice. Tensing his calves for a moment, the troll king pounced on him with a speed that would have seemed impossible just seconds ago. Percy barely dodged the first punch, his opponent¡¯s newfound agility shrinking the prediction window greatly. But that was only the beginning. The second blow was even harder to evade, the third one landing squarely on his chest. The network of strings nullified much of the force, though whatever dregs remained were still enough to knock the breath out of his lungs, sending him flying backwards. By the time he arrested his momentum, the troll king was already upon him again, a new rain of fists ¨C some fake, some real ¨C appearing before him. Suffice to say, Percy was instantly on the backfoot, trying to dodge as many as he could. A few he sidestepped, weaving and bobbing to narrowly evade others, letting a couple glance him. But the troll king didn¡¯t give up. Between whatever the mushrooms had done to him, and his change of weapons, his attacks had grown several times quicker, yet without losing much of their previous strength. Percy thought grimly. He had his hands full just defending against the flurry of punches. Then again, that wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing. Over the past month, Percy had developed not one, but Refined spells, focusing on different aspects of defence. Yet, neither Greater Foresight nor the Phantomscale Raiment had been properly woven into his fighting style, nor had he pushed either to its very limits. Over the next hour or so, Percy took advantage of the troll king¡¯s temporary boost, using his furious assault as a whetstone to hone his magic. With the Dance of the Savage Gods as the fabric, he tried to stitch the disparate components of his arsenal together. Tiptoeing around the battlefield, he taught himself when to dodge and when to block, sharpening his instincts and his footwork both, learning how to best leverage his new tools. Initially, he was clearly on the losing side, eating way more blows than he cared to admit, getting pummelled through trees and muddy pools alike. At some point, however, he started finding openings in the troll king¡¯s movements. Perhaps it was the indiscriminate effect of the mushrooms taking its toll on the monster¡¯s body, or maybe it was just Percy¡¯s improvements giving him an edge. Either way, opportunities began to flash before his mutated eyes one after the other. Seamlessly shifting to Takeo¡¯s style, he seized every chance his opponent gave him, responding to the assault with blows of his own. At first, Percy¡¯s punches didn¡¯t even faze the troll, however. His gauntlets were great for absorbing impacts, but not so much for delivering them. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Yet, where there¡¯s a will, there¡¯s a way. Soon, Percy started taking advantage of the creature¡¯s momentum, using the troll¡¯s inertia to reinforce his own blows, essentially causing his opponent to fall into his punches. However, Percy wasn¡¯t the only one using this bout to improve. Getting used to his new weapons, the troll king soon grew even faster still, sharpening his new instincts, learning alongside Percy how to fight at this level. ???????????¨º? Every now and then, the effect of the fire mana showed signs of declining, forcing the creature to consume more of the crimson mushrooms, desperately clawing more strength out of his body. Of course, this boost came with a hefty price, but the troll king didn¡¯t pay that any heed. He used some of the green mushrooms every few minutes, restoring his stamina and undoing some of the damage. Watching him, Percy knew this wasn¡¯t sustainable. The creature would eventually run out of mushrooms, or his body would fall apart at some point. And sure, that was probably true. That said, it seemed the demi-human hadn¡¯t run out of surprises for him just yet. As the mushrooms on the troll¡¯s hunchback grew scarcer, he gradually straightened his spine, his bones creaking as they settled in place. At the same time, the monster¡¯s movements grew even faster, his undeniable handicap slowly lifting. Gritting his teeth, Percy persisted, ignoring the painful blows slamming into his armour, rattling his organs. The two combatants pressed on even more fiercely than before, commencing the final act of today¡¯s duel, both of them too stubborn to accept defeat. One fought gracelessly, not unlike a wild beast. The other danced around him elegantly, taking a technique that had already been honed for millennia, adapting it into his own, intent on elevating it further still. Yet, despite all his efforts, Percy could tell he was falling behind. Not by much ¨C the difference to his opponent was downright minuscule, almost imperceptible. But, having fought the troll king for several hours already, he could tell where it was headed. Four more fist shadows rained upon Percy. The first three he dodged, though the last one was about to land right in his face. His helmet would probably save his life even if he got hit, but the troll wouldn¡¯t miss his chance to punish him further. Deciding to take a gamble, Percy allowed his focus to sink into the components of his armour once more. Yet, he wasn¡¯t trying to negate the attack this time. The instant before the punch connected, Percy suddenly gained an unexpected burst of speed, his figure shifting out of the fist¡¯s path like a teal blur. Suffice to say, the troll king raised an eyebrow at this turn of events, though Percy didn¡¯t give him a chance to comprehend what had happened. Taking two swift steps ¨C far faster than any of his prior movements ¨C he circled around the demi-human, putting all his weight before a cleaving hook. The creature barely turned his head in time to receive the blow right to his face, his right tusk shattering in an explosion of yellowed shrapnel. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Not allowing his focus to waver, the troll king still went for a counterattack, trying to swat Percy aside with his backhand. It didn¡¯t do much, as Percy blocked with a crossed guard, sliding a couple metres back before diving in for another clash. The two continued their fight for a few more minutes, before a similar situation repeated itself. Pinning Percy in a corner, the troll king was about to land a savage blow, when Percy blurred out of the way at the last second, responding with another brutal counter. This time, he dug his fist in the creature¡¯s liver, bringing him to his knees. Only after receiving a few more blows did the demi-human recover again enough to push Percy back, resuming the brawl for a while longer, just to get punished with a knee to his face a few seconds later. Uncertainty overcame the troll¡¯s expression, as he failed to grasp how Percy could tap into those momentary boosts each time. Percy smiled bitterly. Naturally, his heightened bursts of speed hadn¡¯t come out of nowhere. They were all hard-earned, with Percy putting his very life on the line for each and every one. One feature of his Phantomscale Raiment that he hadn¡¯t used before, was its ability to turn incorporeal at will. Earlier, he hadn¡¯t really had a good application for it, though the narrow brawl against the troll king had given him an idea. By robbing his armour of its substance, he could remove some of the weight bogging him down, allowing him to move a little faster. Of course, the price for this boost was that he had to completely forsake the protection afforded to him by the spell, leaving him vulnerable to the troll¡¯s attacks. Should he fail to dodge, the demi-human¡¯s savage blows were guaranteed to turn him into minced meat. Additionally, should he mess up the transition, he could easily cause the armour to fall apart, leaving him without it for the rest of the battle. In the end, the troll king lost without even understanding what had happened. Laying with his back on the ground, he panted heavily, his battered limbs splayed out like a starfish, his thick hide bruised in countless spots. Even worse, the effect of the mushrooms finally ran out, causing his body to shrivel like a dried waterskin, his expression twisting into one of agony. Percy on the other hand wasn¡¯t doing much better. While he had won, today¡¯s battle had taken everything he had and then some, as he¡¯d pushed both his mind and his body far beyond their limits. Still, a satisfied grin tugged at his lips. One that even his rugged breaths failed to fully break. The troll king had been a worthy opponent. Arguably, the strongest Yellow he had ever met. In the past few hours alone, he¡¯d progressed more than he would have after fighting the weaker trolls for months. And¡­ that was without even taking his prize into account. Turning to the king¡¯s attendants, Percy¡¯s grin widened further still, his unspoken request eliciting nods of understanding ¨C and even ones of respect ¨C from the creatures. It was finally time to see what those mushrooms were all about¡­ Chapter 195: To the victor go the spoils The troll¡¯s second attendant ¨C the one Percy hadn¡¯t personally fought ¨C rushed out to tend to its leader¡¯s injuries. Pulling a few of the verdant mushrooms out of its body, it brought them to the king¡¯s mouth before crushing them into paste. Percy didn¡¯t interrupt, partly because he didn¡¯t wish the troll king any harm, and partly because he was genuinely interested in seeing the mushrooms work. Learning from the experts would only save him a lot of head-scratching later. He watched the life mana spread through the creature¡¯s frame, though its effect was greatly muted compared to earlier. Evidently, cultivating the fungi in their own bodies wasn¡¯t just some weird fashion statement, but a practical consideration. ¡°You¡¯re not actually going to plant mushrooms under your skin, are you?¡± Nesha asked, breaking him out of his thoughts. ¡°Ha! Don¡¯t you think they¡¯d look good on my shoulders?¡± Percy chuckled. The girl rolled her eyes, but didn¡¯t bother responding. Of course, he wasn¡¯t really going to do that. From the first moment he¡¯d laid eyes on the mushrooms, he¡¯d been thinking of brewing potions out of them. Strictly speaking, the green ones weren¡¯t anything revolutionary. Just another ingredient rich in Orange life mana ¨C like countless others that could be found all across Remior. While Percy wasn¡¯t sure if the Guild¡¯s alchemists were familiar with these particular mushrooms, there was no doubt they could be brewed into healing potions, on par with the ones he''d bought in the past. This was something he had been interested in since before coming to the Trollsden. After all, these potions were still somewhat handy for him and Nesha for the time being, and his stash had already dried out. Plus, his recent mastery of the extraction principle, coupled with his mutated eyes would make his job a great deal easier. Now, were something he hadn¡¯t come across before. Maybe the Guild¡¯s alchemist hadn¡¯t found any ingredients like that in the past, or maybe a potion that enhanced one¡¯s physical strength just wasn¡¯t that useful for the average mage. Unlike Percy whose fighting style and boosting art both relied heavily on his physique, others mostly fought by hurling their spells at one another. . It wasn¡¯t until about an hour and a dozen green mushrooms later that the troll king¡¯s condition seemed to stabilize. At the very least, he didn¡¯t look like he was going to die if left unattended. Still, it would probably take him days ¨C if not weeks ¨C to recover completely. His body was withered and weak, his eyes drooping. One thing was for certain ¨C the crimson mushrooms had pulled quite a number on him. Percy thought grimly. Unaware of Percy¡¯s thoughts, the attendants then grunted at him, capturing his attention. No longer concerned with their leader¡¯s survival, the trolls were finally free to lead him to his prize. To their credit, the creatures appeared to have every intention of honouring their king¡¯s promise. Even better, they seemed to have dropped any thoughts of challenging him to another duel. The water affinity troll appeared to say something to its companion ¨C likely telling him to stay with their king. Next, he walked towards a certain direction, gesturing at Percy and Nesha to follow. Thus, a man, a woman and a demi-human delved further and further into the depths of the Trollsden, in an area untouched by civilization. The longer the trio walked, the taller the trees in their path became. Older too, their barks rotting and peeling. As for the artificial graveyards by their roots, they expanded greatly too, the skeletal remains of the trolls¡¯ ancestors growing denser by the second. The same was true for the mushrooms cultivated there, the whitecaps both larger and more numerous than the ones they left in their wake. And that wasn¡¯t everything. As the interweaving canopies of the ancient trees blotted out what little moonlight had previously sept through, a different source of light took its place, illuminating the swamp. Soon, some green mushrooms began to appear amidst the whitecaps ¨C the same ones Percy had seen on the trolls¡¯ bodies. At first, the magical mushrooms were both small and rare. Still, they started to dominate the area before long, bathing the bog in a soft green light. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°Wow. The place is full of them.¡± Nesha said, keeping her voice down. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Percy nodded. ¡°No wonder they were so open to giving them away.¡± That said, he didn¡¯t miss the conspicuous absence of crimson mushrooms in their surroundings. And those were arguably more important for him, as he didn¡¯t know if he could find a different ingredient with a similar effect. But there was nothing he could do, besides hope that the trolls had more of them somewhere. Eventually, the attendant led them to a clearing. Finally, the tall trees gave way, allowing the gentle moonlight to blend with the eerie glow of the verdant mushrooms, their combined lime-coloured lustre reflecting off the shallow waters of the swamp. This area wasn¡¯t that large, and neither was it empty. It was densely packed with leather tents and totems of bone. And it was pretty crowded too. Dozens of trolls sat around the campfires set up on a few dry patches of soil. Most of them were busy tending to some routine task such as roasting some whitecaps by the fire or crafting simple wooden tools. These trolls were definitely adults, but they weren¡¯t quite as tall as the ones Percy and Nesha had seen before. ?§Ñ¦­?§£?? ¡°Are these their females?¡± Nesha asked, her voice hushed. Percy shrugged, tentatively agreeing with her guess. Apparently, all the male trolls were assigned to the outskirts of the Trollsden, protecting the heart of their homeland where the more vulnerable members of their society resided. The women weren¡¯t the only ones here. Many smaller trolls were running all over the place, yelling and tossing handfuls of mud at one another, immersed in all sorts of primitive games. Percy smiled at the sight, tilting his head to avoid a ball of dirt thrown at him by accident. It was at this moment that their arrival seemed to have caught everyone¡¯s notice, however. Sharp breaths and exclamations could be heard from everywhere, as the female trolls approached the trio, pulling their children behind them. Though they didn¡¯t do anything drastic just yet. Instead, they turned to the Yellow troll, unspoken questions lingering on their expressions. ¡°GAAAHUUUK!¡± the king¡¯s attendant said, before making all sorts of signs and gestures, trying to explain the situation to the women. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He pretended to swing a massive club, or to crouch, seemingly in imitation of the troll king¡¯s hunched back. Every now and then, he pointed at Percy, before throwing a few rapid punches in the empty air in front of him. The trolls¡¯ gazes shifted between the two, as awed expressions soon began to overtake their confusion. ¡°I think you just got yourself some new fans.¡± Nesha teased, jabbing him with her elbow. Percy just ignored her, patiently waiting for their escort to finish whatever he was doing. It wasn¡¯t until half an hour later that the interrogation reached its conclusion. By now, the female trolls looked at him with fear and respect, as even the children seemed to have understood something, not daring to stare at him for too long. Honestly, it was a little uncomfortable. Percy wanted nothing more than to receive his mushrooms and get out of this place. Luckily, his guide didn¡¯t keep him waiting much longer. He gestured at them to follow him once more, before delving back into the trees. This time, they only walked a couple dozen metres, however, before reaching a rather strange place. Percy¡¯s eyes widened as he saw a colossal tree ¨C wider and taller than any other he¡¯d seen in the entire bog. The air around it felt heavier, almost suffocating, as if centuries of reverence and death had soaked into the soil. Its base was covered in troll skeletons, though these were larger too, their bones thick and sturdy. ¡°Is this where they bury all their leaders?¡± he wondered, his tone solemn. There was one more thing that corroborated that guess. Unlike all the previous mushroom farms they had seen, this place was covered in only one type. . They pulsed faintly, casting shadows that seemed to shift like watchful spirits. ¡°Glak.¡± the attendant said, keeping his voice low. Apparently, he wasn¡¯t willing to disrespect this place either. ¡°Am I allowed to take them?¡± Percy asked, getting a nod back. Manifesting a cyan sickle, he harvested enough mushrooms to fill his bag, though he left most of them untouched. ¡°Should we return for the rest later?¡± Nesha asked. ¡°Nah. Let¡¯s not be too greedy. Besides, whether we have 20 or 200, they¡¯ll still run out sooner or later. I¡¯ll have to find a way to grow more of them.¡± Percy said. Once he was done, the attendant escorted them back the way they had come. However, they did stop at a few more spots for Percy to collect some of the green mushrooms too. Beyond that, the troll also took the opportunity to show them how to plant the mushrooms in their bodies. Apparently, it was as simple as cutting a shallow wound into one¡¯s skin and burying a few spores in it. It wasn¡¯t until they had returned to the troll king¡¯s side that the attendant finally waved them goodbye, letting them continue the rest of the way by themselves. ¡°Percy¡­ are you sure you don¡¯t want to check all those women and children for a rare affinity? That was your original reason for coming here, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°It was¡­¡± he sighed. That said, the thought of possessing a troll child after all the trust the creatures had shown him left a poor taste in his mouth. ¡°Leave it. We¡¯ve gained more than enough from this place anyway.¡± he added after a moment. His new spells aside, he had two brand-new ingredients to play around with. Once he figured out how to cultivate the mushrooms and brew them into potions, he¡¯d get even stronger¡­ Chapter 196: Shadows and rainbows The fields shone in all sorts of vibrant colours beneath the bright sunlight. It wasn¡¯t wheat nor any other mundane crop that was planted here, however. Instead, it was a strange magical fern, glittering in a faint Red within one¡¯s Mana Sense. Its leaves ranged from pale blues to fiery reds, to piercing yellows and exotic pinks in one¡¯s regular vision. And, completing the magical scenery, the rhythmic chirps of crickets added a soothing melody to this tapestry of natural beauty. It was almost enough to cover the occasional grunts of the farmers and the dull thuds of their rakes stabbing into the moist dirt. Though there was little it could do to mask the acrid blend of sweat and fertilized soil assaulting the nose. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Either way, Jason wasn¡¯t in the mood to appreciate any of this. He¡¯d spent weeks travelling to this latest destination, praying to Phoebe it wouldn¡¯t be another dead-end. Yet, it wasn¡¯t until the last day or so ¨C when he had already approached enough to determine what sort of place this was ¨C that his hopes were dashed once again. ¡°Fucking waste of time!¡± he spat, his clenched fists drained of all colour. He was tempted to toss the objects against the ground to quell his anger, but he held himself back. The last thing he needed was to add more misleading karma threads to the items. Both the Aurora Dew and Nesha¡¯s clothes had pointed him to this location ¨C among many others, each more useless than the last. This time, the trails had already split up, leading to multiple people, many of them among the farmers working here. But it didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out that none of them were his targets. ¡°Hey! You there!¡± he yelled at the nearest person to whom both sets of threads were attached. ¡°M-My lord?¡± the farmhand stuttered, taken aback. He dropped the rake in his panic, hurrying towards Jason. Though he didn¡¯t say anything upon reaching him, seemingly struggling to find the right words. Luckily for him, Jason had plenty of questions for him. ¡°What do you people grow in this place?¡± he asked. ¡°My lord, our humble town lives off the production of Rainbow Grass and Coloured Silk.¡± Jason already had a few guesses, but he wasn¡¯t as quick to voice them. He waited patiently instead, prompting the commoner to elaborate. ¡°Rainbow Grass is the colourful plant you see all around you. Each batch takes a few months to grow. We harvest them three times a year.¡± Jason clicked his tongue. ¡°That doesn¡¯t explain anything. Do you have any idea what connection these objects might have to you?¡± Next, he showed him the gemstone vial, a turquoise liquid shimmering within, as well as a set of yellow robes. The man tilted his head as he gazed at the two items, his shock slowly replaced by confusion. It wasn¡¯t until a few moments later that he replied. ¡°Sorry, my lord¡­ I don¡¯t know much about the Rainbow Grass itself ¨C just how to tend to it, like my father taught me, and his father taught him. Others are responsible for exporting our produce. Perhaps, one of them might know more.¡± Jason was about to snap. Noticing that, the man hurriedly spoke again. ¡°That said, I think I know about the clothes!¡± ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°Well¡­ if you look closely at the plants, you will notice lots of tiny silkworms crawling on their leaves. Each individual insect only eats a single colour of leaves its whole life. It then produces a cocoon of the same colour, from which we extract the silk. From what I¡¯ve been told, it¡¯s great for weaving enchanted clothes.¡± ?????????? This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Jason nodded. He¡¯d heard of this material before. It wasn¡¯t just the Alchemists¡¯ Guild that crafted their robes out of this silk. Many noble Houses did the same, including the Divine Root. But it wasn¡¯t the fabric of Nesha¡¯s clothes he was trying to determine. At least he wasn¡¯t without clues. The peasant¡¯s useless input aside, he could already harbour a guess as to how the Rainbow Grass was related to the objects. Back when they had first arrived at the Alchemists¡¯ Guild, neither he nor Deimos had been very familiar with alchemy. For better or for worse, their mission had forced them to pick a couple of things here and there, however. From what he understood, most reagents on Remior fell into one of two categories. The Orange ones were barely potent enough to serve as the primary ingredients for some subpar potions that the low-borns sometimes used. As for the Red materials, they were too inert to brew into any potion worth a damn, though that wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing. It allowed them to be used as secondary ingredients, to modify the effects of both elixirs and potions ¨C assuming they had a suitable property, of course. ¡°This should buy me some more time at least.¡± he sighed in relief. Naturally, Deimos¡¯s patience was already wearing thin after Jason¡¯s repeated failures. Sadly, no matter how much the man berated him or pressured him, it wasn¡¯t like Jason could magically turn himself luckier. All he could do was to follow all the disparate trails one by one, until he located their targets. The good news was that he hadn¡¯t come up entirely empty-handed this time. Taking a strange device vaguely reminiscent of a pocket watch out of his robes, he pressed a button on its side to unlatch its lid. It was made of a silvery metal, its surface adorned with runes inside-out. Pouring some of his karma mana into the object, he watched as many of the symbols lit up in a multitude of colours. Though a few of them remained dim. This artifact was just one half of a pair. The two objects had been designed specifically for him and Deimos to use. After all, one side had to pour karma mana into their watch for this to work, the other side fuelling theirs with sound mana. Suffice to say, this wasn¡¯t a pair of affinities that could easily be found elsewhere. In any case, Jason stared at the object with bated breath, waiting for his superior to pick up the call. It wasn¡¯t until about a minute later that the rest of the symbols lit up, shimmering in a dull grey colour. ¡°Jason? Any news from your end?¡± Deimos asked. ¡°I haven¡¯t found them yet, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re asking.¡± Jason replied. He could already feel the bubbling volcano on the other side of the line about to erupt, but he hurriedly spoke again, not giving it a chance. ¡°I think I may have discovered another ingredient though.¡± That seemed to do the trick, dousing Deimos¡¯s fury with some cold water. The man hadn¡¯t stopped pressuring the Guild¡¯s alchemists into deciphering the recipe over the last two years, clearly unwilling to put all his eggs in one basket. Of course, the results left much to be desired. The old coots hadn¡¯t managed to work out the recipe just yet, but that didn¡¯t mean they hadn¡¯t made any progress. At the very least, they had determined that regular elixirs formed the base of the Aurora Dew. After all, their effect was nearly identical, and there were many other tell-tale signs that they were brewed in a similar manner. However, they had yet to figure out what Nesha¡¯s partner had done to the elixirs to elevate them to the next stage, allowing them to be consumed more frequently. With any luck, Jason¡¯s latest discovery would help with that. ¡°Well?¡± Deimos asked. ¡°The dose you gave me is connected to a plant called Rainbow Grass. Wasted two months getting here too, so I hope it¡¯s worth it.¡± Jason said. Next, he snapped the device shut, ending the call before Deimos had the chance to lash out at him again. Taking his top off, Jason laid it on the ground in front of him, before placing Nesha¡¯s folded robes and the vial on top of it. He had to do this every time, to avoid adding any additional threads to the objects. Gathering some mana to his eyes again, he reactivated his Karmic Vision, carefully adjusting it until only the most prominent threads remained in focus. Next, he scrutinized them one by one, ignoring those that weren¡¯t shared, or those he had already investigated. Obviously, Jason had no idea how far these threads reached. The other ends could be as close as twenty miles away, or as far as the other side of Remior. Shrugging, he picked the objects up before wearing his robe again. Either way, he had to investigate all the trails. Chapter 198: Three With steady hands, Percy distilled the turquoise gel, pouring the Aurora Dew into the vial, filling nearly a quarter of it. And this was the third one this batch. Two more rested on the desk, filled and corked. ¡°Man, I love these eyes so darn much!¡± he grinned. Besides his stash lasting a little longer thanks to his improved yield, Percy¡¯s new mutation had also reduced the time he needed to prepare everyone¡¯s doses. Before Atlantis, it used to take him nearly six hours per day, on average. Nowadays, it only took him close to four. Still a hefty amount, but it left him more time to invest in his other tasks. And he did need that, as there were plenty of things begging for his attention. For instance, he had been forced to replace all his constructs over the past few days. His brawl with the troll king hadn¡¯t left any visible damage on them, but it had already been a couple of weeks since he crafted them. Surely, the intense fight had knocked a few more days off the spell¡¯s lifespan. ¡°You look like you¡¯re in a good mood today.¡± Nesha noted as she entered the house. ¡°Yeah!¡± Percy said, his smile expanding. ¡°Just finished all the chores! I can finally put some time into my new projects!¡± Then, he handed her one of the freshly brewed elixirs, before grabbing two for himself ¨C one from his desk and one from his amulet. Opening them, he downed their contents as he began revolving his mana inside his stomach, using his Whirlpool of Four Streams technique to cleanse both of his cores. Nesha didn¡¯t say anything, focusing on purifying her own. ¡°Working with the mushrooms again?¡± she asked as soon as they were done. ¡°Nah. I¡¯ve put that on the side for now. I¡¯d rather focus on the mana threads.¡± S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Figuring out the recipe for his new potions was definitely easier than creating a Masterful spell. That said, there were a few additional difficulties that made this a bad time to work on that. For one, he didn¡¯t have the means nor the time to cultivate more mushrooms at the moment. After all, they wouldn¡¯t even be staying here a month from now. Plus, he would probably need some secondary ingredients for the potions, and Bogside town wasn¡¯t exactly known for its access to magical reagents. ¡°How are things on your end?¡± he asked, changing the topic. He wasn¡¯t the only one who had a role to play in the upcoming ambush. Nesha¡¯s traps didn¡¯t last indefinitely either. And she¡¯d planted dozens of them around the swamp. Naturally, she also had to replace them every now and then. ¡°The north and east fields are up to date. But the runes planted in the west field are probably close to expiring.¡± ¡°How long do you need to get those fixed too?¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­ I suppose I can have it done by the end of the week.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Percy nodded. ¡°I guess we¡¯ll have to lure the Greens to the other locations if they attack before then. How about the ones?¡± ¡°Are you kidding?¡± Nesha appeared offended at the question. ¡°I replenish every two days or so. I wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep if I wasn¡¯t certain we could rely on them.¡± Of course, the odds of getting attacked in the little time they had left were quite low. Percy and Nesha had already decided to leave Bogside town around two weeks from now regardless. That said, they hadn¡¯t relaxed their preparations in the slightest. They both knew that a moment of complacency combined with some bad luck would be more than enough to spell their doom. Grabbing a handful of teal powder from the jar, Percy sat at his desk. Then, he pulled some mana from his cores, about to start working on his spell again, when Nesha suddenly moved a chair next to him, sitting by his side. He flashed her a questioning look, getting a playful smile back. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°How about you take a break for an hour or two?¡± she asked, resting her chin on his shoulder. Percy¡¯s heart skipped a beat as her moist breath licked his cheek. Sighing, he returned the powder to the jar so that they wouldn¡¯t spill it on the floor by accident. Following that, he wrapped his arm around Nesha, giving her a small peck on the lips, which she reciprocated. Suffice to say, their relationship had evolved a little beyond that of mere collaborators by now. Some subtle tension had existed between them since their frantic escape from the Guild. Beyond that, getting closer was the inevitable conclusion for two healthy adults cohabiting inside a tiny house for nearly two years. Then again, it had taken quite a while for their feelings to truly blossom. At first, the pressure they were both under hadn¡¯t left much room for romance to take root. It wasn¡¯t until Percy¡¯s return from Atlantis that things picked up. The scare they both experienced when he nearly crippled his Status made them realize it might be better to take their chances now, while they still could. Percy told Micky as he pulled the curtains. *** In the end, their ¡®break¡¯ lasted a little longer than planned. It was dark outside by the time they finished. Usually, Percy preferred not to waste time that could otherwise be spent productively, but he made an exception for this, allowing himself to mess around with Nesha every now and then. It was probably good for his mind anyway. Getting up gently, to avoid waking Nesha up, Percy tossed his clothes on before returning to his desk. He picked up some powder again, intent on spending at least a couple hours working on the mana threads. Distractions aside, he understood he¡¯d never complete his ambitious project if he didn¡¯t put in the effort. ????????????? Blending the soft mana with the powder, he allowed his gaze to sink deep into the process as three sets of grains began to form. Some were long and narrow like hairs, others short and stubby like rice, while the rest were small and round ¨C sort of like tiny pebbles. Suffice to say, Percy had already added a third intermediate step to the process, increasing the number of variables once more. Luckily, his Sorcerer¡¯s Eye helped him here as well, allowing him to better channel his trait¡¯s intuition, accelerating the development of the mana threads massively. he grimaced a few minutes later, looking at his latest construct. A quick tug revealed it was rather strong, though it wasn¡¯t nearly thin nor flexible enough to be woven into a fabric just yet. Even worse, the rapid improvements afforded to him by his mutation had already started to slow down. The rest of the distance to his goal promised to be quite a slog. ¡°Not there yet?¡± Nesha asked. It was only now that Percy noticed she had woken up at some point, watching him work. ¡°I knew it would be tough from the start, but I still underestimated it. I¡¯m probably a couple years away ¨C ¨C and that¡¯s despite my new eyes doing all the heavy lifting. I can¡¯t even imagine how long it would have taken without them.¡± ¡°Percy¡­ You do realize Masterful spells are meant for Violets and Whites, right? Even Blues rarely create one. I wouldn¡¯t worry too much about it. In fact, I¡¯m more annoyed that you jumped out of bed to do more work.¡± she pouted. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re the one who fell asleep first.¡± he quipped back. ¡°I¡¯m not apologizing for loving myself a good nap. It¡¯s my most charming feature.¡± she replied. ¡°Well, being a workaholic is mine.¡± Percy fired back. The two stared at each other in silence for a few seconds. She was the first to laugh, though he soon followed. ¡°You know¡­ I¡¯ll miss this place once we¡¯re gone.¡± she said after a while. ¡°Really? Remind me again, who was it that kept complaining about the bad smell and the leaking house back when we first got here?¡± ¡°What can I say? It grew on me.¡± she shrugged. ¡°We can come back.¡± ¡°How?¡± she asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°I don¡¯t know if my grandpa will manage to eliminate House Tantalus anytime soon, but it doesn¡¯t matter. If he doesn¡¯t, I¡¯ll finish the job myself. . This town will naturally fall under my family¡¯s control when that happens.¡± ¡°Dreaming much?¡± she chuckled. ¡°Do you doubt I can do it?¡± he asked. She appeared to ponder for a second or two, before shaking her head. ¡°Nah. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll pull it off. Eventually.¡± she said, a mischievous smile tugging at her lips. ¡°Though our hair might have greyed out by then.¡± Percy was about to argue back, when a wave of panic suddenly slammed into him like a crazed horse, oozing through the ethereal cord. ¡°Micky?!¡± his chair scraped against the floor as he shot up, his pulse hammering. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?!¡± he asked out loud, for Nesha¡¯s benefit. The crow¡¯s response shook Percy to his core. This was something they had never stopped preparing for over the past year, though the situation still felt surreal. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s them?¡± Percy nodded, as Nesha stared at him with bated breath. ¡°How many?¡± he asked. They knew the enemy family was bound to send somebody stronger than Broose this time, though they still couldn¡¯t stretch their forces too thin. Percy and Nesha were confident there would be two Greens. Unfortunately, Micky¡¯s response caused the colour to drain from his face, however. Chapter 199: Eviction ¡°How long till they get here?¡± Percy asked, forcing himself to calm down. While he and Nesha were two enemies to arrive, they had for more. Their ambush might be a great deal trickier to pull off now, but they could do it ¨C as long as they made everything count. Micky said. ¡°Alright. Keep your eyes on them. And fly lower. Try not to be seen.¡± Strictly speaking, it wouldn¡¯t be the end of the world if Micky got spotted. After all, House Tantalus already knew there was some kind of avian beast involved in all this. That said, some elements of Percy¡¯s preparations would work better if their enemies thought they were catching them by surprise. This was why he had instructed Micky to deactivate his boosting arts whenever he was flying by the north side of the town, to make himself less conspicuous. The enemy Greens had probably chosen to attack in the middle of the night thinking they were giving themselves an advantage. Little did they know, they were about to regret that decision. The shadowy veil of the night sky did more to cover Micky than it did them. The fools were about to walk right into a trap. ¡°One hour.¡± he said, relaying the information to Nesha. ¡°Start packing.¡± he added, getting a nod back. Naturally, they couldn¡¯t fit inside the spatial amulet, but there was a lot more space in it right now than when they had first arrived here. After all, Percy had already used up over 80% of his stashed elixirs and rainbow grass over the past two years. The jar was the first item Nesha stored. There wasn¡¯t powder left in it, as he¡¯d consumed most of it to craft his constructs. Still, there were a few weeks of accumulation left that he¡¯d rather not lose if it could be helped. Next were the mushrooms. Nesha stored as many as the artifact could fit, splitting the space evenly between the green and red variants. Sadly, she did have to leave some out, as they¡¯d taken way too many from the Trollsden. Suffice to say, each abandoned mushroom was like a stab in Percy¡¯s heart, especially since he¡¯d yet to figure out how to grow more of them. Leaving Nesha alone, he then began working on his own preparations for the ambush. Opening his sack, he picked the components of his armour one by one, sliding them in place. At the same time, he took deep breaths, bringing his boosting art to the verge of activating. Though he stopped before the final step, not in a hurry to make his body light up just yet. About ten minutes after Micky¡¯s original message, they were both done. Percy sighed as he tossed one last glance around their humble abode. He¡¯d never forget the decrepit condition they had found it in, nor the hours he and Nesha had spent rebuilding it to their liking, one plank at a time. Countless bittersweet memories swirled within his mind. He keenly remembered Nesha discarding piles upon piles of stones she had ruined with her magic, trying to build him his forge. Or all the times he¡¯d had to patch the ceiling in the middle of the night when it leaked water. This was the place where he had forged his scythes and his armour. And finally, it was where he and Nesha grew closer¡­ ¡°This is the last time we get to be here, isn¡¯t it?¡± she asked, grabbing his hand. ¡°It is.¡± he replied, his voice quivering. Even if they managed to defeat House Tantalus and return to Bogside town in the future, Percy knew this place was unlikely to survive. ¡°Let¡¯s go. There¡¯s no time to waste.¡± he said, pulling her out. Though he didn¡¯t miss her picking his ocarina up from his pillow right before they left, a faint smile tugging at his lips. The two rushed out of the town, scurrying into the swamp. But they didn¡¯t travel too far in. They hid in one of the spots they had previously agreed on, keeping their eyes on the house. Then, they used the next few minutes going over the plan for the billionth time, making slight adjustments based on the latest circumstances. Micky said at some point, drawing Percy¡¯s attention. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. the crow replied without hesitation. Percy squeezed his hand to let Nesha know, as the two fixated their eyes on the hut, waiting with bated breath. Soon, a group of seven men appeared in their sight. Only three of them wore the noble family¡¯s colours, however. As for the other four, both Percy and Nesha recognized them, having seen them many times around the town. ????????????? he couldn¡¯t help but ask himself. It wasn¡¯t like they had anything to gain from snitching on him and Nesha. Maybe the idiots thought they were ingratiating themselves to the noble House, or that they would get a free pass the next time an owner of the Drain bloodline visited their town. Either way, they were too dumb, or too scared to imagine a better world for themselves and their families. But Percy shook his head. Whatever had motivated these people to do this, it wasn¡¯t important. The only thing that mattered right now, was eliminating all three of their enemies. Shifting his focus to the nobles, he scanned them from head to toe, trying to discern any information he could about them. This was Broose¡¯s cousin, possibly here to avenge him. But that was a good thing. The man had a pure affinity, which should make him far easier to handle than the others. As for the second man in the group, Percy didn¡¯t recognize him. The guy had short black hair and no other features that stood out. There were easily half a dozen possible matches, at least based on his outdated information. Though the last one wasn¡¯t too difficult to identify¡­ Rambert was one of the younger Greens of the family ¨C around Percy¡¯s age. Yet that didn¡¯t make him weak in the slightest. If anything, he was one of their most promising talents, only falling short of Mordred and Elaine in the entire province. And Percy was certain it was him. He was the only Yellow-born redhead with the bloodline, his pale skin painting a stark contrast against his deep crimson hair. Seeing him here, Percy suddenly felt a lot more pressure. From what he¡¯d heard, the guy had never lost a duel against anyone his grade. Then again, this was a good thing. The more high-profile his targets were, the heavier the blow to the enemy family once they were dead. Percy and Nesha watched as the four traitors led the nobles right outside their house, pointing at it ominously. With next to no warning, one of the Greens ¨C the one who Percy hadn¡¯t recognized ¨C pulled some mana from his core, unleashing a barrage of water droplets on the house, punching dozens of holes through the wall. About a quarter of the roof collapsed too, though the rest survived. Turning to Nesha, he flashed her a questioning look. ¡°Sixty.¡± she muttered soundlessly. Percy nodded. It was far from ideal, but 60% would have to do. Looking back at the nobles, he watched as one of them ¨C the same person who¡¯d just ruined their house ¨C kicked at whatever was left of the door, forcing his way in. His expression was nonchalant, without a hint of care for the devastation he¡¯d just unleashed. Had anyone been inside, they¡¯d be dead by now. Then again, these people definitely knew the place was empty, having probably scanned it with their Mana Sense already. ¡°Nothing here! Just some glowing mushrooms!¡± the guy shouted once he was inside. Through his Sorcerer¡¯s Eye, Percy watched the man¡¯s silhouette walk to the centre of the house, stomping on one of the mushrooms, probably examining it with his boot. Then, Percy checked up on the other two, clicking his tongue upon seeing they had no intention of joining their friend inside the ruined house. ¡°Good enough.¡± he whispered. ¡°Do it.¡± Nesha tightened her grip as her core flared up. ¡°Dranold! Get the hell out of there!¡± Rambert suddenly yelled, being the first to notice something was off. The unfortunate water user heeded his teammate¡¯s instructions a moment too late, however. Before he even moved an inch, the countless pocket runes Nesha had planted all over the place lit up, the concealment runes buried alongside them failing to hide them any longer! Realizing the danger he was in, the mage tried to jump through the hole in the roof. But he wasn¡¯t fast enough! Countless distortions manifested all around him ¨C visible to the naked eye ¨C as the walls, the ceiling and the floor of the house all shrunk and twisted. Even worse, the tears in space soon bled into one another, interacting violently as they fought over the same strips of reality, pulling and stretching, and crushing everything in their path! By the time Dranold reached the hole, his surroundings were unrecognizable. The wooden hut was down to a third of its size, crunched into a misshapen ball, with him smack in the middle. He must¡¯ve realized he wasn¡¯t going to escape when a powerful force stopped him right in his tracks, dragging him back to the centre of the house. Unleashing every drop of mana from his core, he tried to force his way out. But it just wasn¡¯t meant to be. Nesha might be a grade lower than him, but the sheer devastation she¡¯d carved into this place wasn¡¯t something a lone Green could easily overcome. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. With a sickening crunch, an entire segment of reality collapsed upon itself, as all sorts of colours blended together, from the dull brown of the planks, to the vibrant green of the man¡¯s silken robes, to the unique pink of human skin. Then, it all exploded with a deafening boom, as splinters of wood and bloody chunks of flesh rained all over the town, an eyeball even landing by Percy¡¯s foot. Just like that, House Tantalus succeeded in evicting him and Nesha from their new home. The nostalgic scents of the old wood and the forge¡¯s fumes were something he would never smell again. That said, the price their enemies had paid to do this was steep indeed¡­